Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

Submission + - Filming how our immune system kill bacteria (phys.org)

Submitted by hooligun
hooligun writes: To kill bacteria in the blood, our immune system relies on nanomachines that can open deadly holes in their targets. UCL scientists have now filmed these nanomachines in action, discovering a key bottleneck in the process which helps to protect our own cells.

To film the immune system in action at nanometre resolution and at a few seconds per frame, the scientists used atomic force microscopy. This type of microscopy uses an ultrafine needle to feel rather than see molecules on a surface, similar to a blind person reading Braille. The needle repeatedly scans the surface to produce an image that refreshes fast enough to track how immune proteins get together and cut into the bacterial surface.

Submission + - Mark Cuban facial recognition firm pushed to get driver license photo data (vice.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Now, emails obtained through a public records request provide insight into how facial recognition companies attempt to strike deals with local law enforcement as well as gain access to sensitive data on local residents.

The emails show how a firm backed by Shark Tank judge, Dallas Mavericks owner, and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban pushed a local police department to try and gain access to state driver's license photos to train its product. The emails also show the company asked the police department to vouch for it on a government grant application in exchange for receiving the technology for free.

Submission + - Germany Proposes $2,800 Fine For Parents Skipping Measles Vaccination (cnn.com)

Submitted by dryriver
dryriver writes: CNN reports: "German parents who fail to vaccinate their children against measles could face fines of up to €2,500 ($2,800), as part of draft legislation from the country's health minister. 'I want to eradicate measles,' Health Minister Jens Spahn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag on Sunday, according to a transcript of the interview published by the Health Ministry. 'Anyone going to a kindergarten or school should be vaccinated against measles,' he said, adding that parents would need to show proof of vaccination or could face fines and exclusion from daycare. The proposal comes as Germany reported one of the highest numbers of measles cases in Europe between March 2018 and February this year, at 651, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Topping the list was Italy, with 2,498 reported cases."

Comment Re: More reasons to move to Windows. (Score 1) 268

I don't "easier" applies to Mac OS anymore. It's a feature-rich OS, and along with features comes complexity. Any experienced Windows user will find Windows just as easy to use.

Definitely not faster; Apple doesn't refresh their hardware very often, so you can almost always find faster Windows PC's and laptops.

I've never heard "privacy" as a selling point for creative people using Macs. Not sure why most creative folks would care.

"Better platform for better people". Eh, I might phrase that a little differently. I think people gravitate towards Apple as a lifestyle brand. And a lot of creative content producers buy into the notion of Apple being the preferred platform for folks like themselves.

Submission + - Apple iPhone Sales Drop At Record Pace (bbc.com)

Submitted by dryriver
dryriver writes: The BBC reports that Apple's iPhone appears to have lost some of its appeal to consumers: "Sales of Apple's iPhones fell at their steepest-ever rate, according to data for the three months to the end of March. The firm said revenue from the iPhone dropped by 17%, compared with the same period a year earlier, to $31bn. However, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said sales were stronger towards the end of March, including in China where it cut iPhone prices to boost demand. Apple lifted its outlook for the three months to June. That sent shares more than 5% higher in after-hours trading. Apple is attempting to shift its reliance on the iPhone towards services and last month unveiled its new TV streaming platform, Apple TV+, to take on the likes of more established companies such as Netflix. But Yoram Wurmser, principal analyst at eMarketer, said long-term growth in services and, to a less extent, other devices 'depend on having as many users as possible in the Apple ecosystem, and that's still primarily about the iPhone'. 'The long-term growth of the company still depends directly and indirectly on iPhone sales,' he added.

Submission + - Scammers are exploiting Rently.com, a site that sells lockbox codes for 99 cents (cbs46.com)

Submitted by McGruber
McGruber writes: CBS46 in Atlanta is reporting that scammers are using Rently.com, a website that sells lockbox codes to anyone for only $0.99, to victimize renters.

American Homes For Rent is a publicly traded company that owns more than 50,000 properties. Its website has a tab on its listings that says "Let Yourself In." If you click it, you are taken to Rently.com, a website that sells the lockbox codes to anyone for only $0.99.

Ciarra McConnell is one of several victims who didn't suspect the scam. "The lockbox is what made it seem legitimate, and he gave me the key," said Ciarra. Once she got the key, the scammer emailed a phony lease. Ciarra then wired a $1,900 deposit and moved in. The next morning an American Homes For Rent employee was at her door.

"They were just like yup, nope sorry we can't do anything for you but you need to get out," she explained.

Submission + - Adult children are costing many parents their retirement savings (cbsnews.com)

Submitted by pgmrdlm
pgmrdlm writes: Half of American parents have cut back on their retirement savings to help pay their children's bills, a Bankrate.com study shows.
        Parents are putting their kids' car insurance, cell phone bills, credit card debt and health care costs ahead of their own needs to grow their retirement funds.
Seventeen percent of the couples surveyed by Bankrate.com said that they sacrificed their own retirement savings by "a lot" to help their adult children. Another 34 percent said they'd "somewhat" sacrificed their savings plans.

Not surprisingly, the lowest earners saved the least. Seventeen percent of couples making less than a combined $50,000 a year and have at least one child who is 18 or older said they were helping pay their adult children's bills but not setting aside any money for retirement.

Submission + - Record Number of Consumers Waiting To Upgrade Their Cellphones (bloomberg.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Wireless customers are hanging on to their old phones longer than ever. That’s the message from Verizon Communications Inc., which said its upgrade rate fell to a record low last quarter — a harbinger of tough times ahead for the iPhone and other devices. Faced with $1,000 price tags on moderately improved phones, consumers may be waiting to hear more about new 5G networks before committing to new models. The faster, more advanced services won’t roll out in earnest until 2020. “Incremental changes from one model the the next, hasn’t been that great, and it hasn’t been enough of an incentive,” Verizon Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said in an interview Tuesday after the company reported fewer-than-expected new customers for the first quarter. He expects replacement rates to be down for the year.

Comment I used TurboTax this year (Score 1) 263

I've used them for well over a decade now.

TT asked if I wanted to upgrade my account for $19, so that I could have a few extras. Sure that sounds reasonable. For all of the work they've put into TT, I don't mind throwing a few dollars their way.

Then TT asked how I wanted to pay for that $19 -- immediately, out of my checking account, or deducted from my tax return. The least painful way to do so would be to deduct from my tax return, so I chose that. TURBOTAX THEN ADDED A $39 CHARGE FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF TAKING $19 OUT OF MY TAX RETURN.

And there was no easy way to remove it. I tried to go back, but it didn't easily let me remove it. It took me another 5 minutes of futzing around with the return to get back to the screen where I could pay the $19 immediately.

Slashdot Top Deals

This file will self-destruct in five minutes.

Close