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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 86 declined, 52 accepted (138 total, 37.68% accepted)

Submission + - Ryugu asteroid samples contain all DNA and RNA building blocks

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: More and more science is pushing back the Drake equation, reducing the parameters necessary for life to form. From the discovery that organic molecules are formed in the little red dot protogalaxies at the edge of our visible universe to AI models that identify a self replicating RNA molecule in only 45 nucleotides. Now comes Toshiki Koga et al with a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy reported on by phys.org finding all the nucleobases of RNA and DNA in pristine samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. The bases being uracil adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. Ammonia was also found.

The universe it seems is made of soup.

Submission + - Ebola outbreak continues to expand (infectioncontroltoday.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: In the realm of "stuff that matters", the current outbreak of the world's second deadliest disease continues to expand. 63 new cases are reported in the last week, and suspected cases far afield of the hot zone are reported.

Many reports of a lack of personal protective equipment and medical professionals abandoning their posts are in recent reports. The local populace is developing processes to prevent containment.

Ebola remains the second deadliest infection only because rabies victims have only one survivor reported after onset of symptoms, ever.

Submission + - Utah cable companies want to prevent broadband growth by law also (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: On the heels of the smackdown received by cable lobbyists in Kansas, Ars reports out of Utah that the cable companies aren't giving up hopes of preventing competition through legislation. The bill called Interlocal Entity Service Prohibition would prevent a regional fiber consortium from building infrastructure outside the boundaries of its member cities and towns — a direct attack on Google's work in Provo and the UTOPIA network. Utah is the third state to be involved in the Google Fiber rollout of gigabit fiber to the home.

Submission + - Kansas to nix expansion of Google Fiber and municipal broadband (consumerist.com) 1

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Consumerist is reporting on a bill to restrict municipal support of broadband expansion. Purportedly to ensure a "level playing field" to encourage commercial expansion in this area, these bills are usually referred to as oligopoly protection acts. Everywhere they have been implemented expansion of new broadband technology stops. In this specific case no municipal entity in Kansas will be able to enter the same sort of agreements that enabled Google Fiber. From the bill:

Except with regard to unserved areas, a municipality may not, directly or indirectly: (1) Offer to provide to one or more subscribers, video, telecommunications or broadband service; or (2) purchase, lease, construct, maintain or operate any facility for the purpose of enabling a private business or entity to offer, provide, carry, or deliver video, telecommunications or broadband service to one or more subscribers.

More details at Muninetworks.org and GigaOM

Submission + - Ball lightning caught on video and spectrograph (phys.org) 2

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Ball lightning has been reported for hundreds of years, and experimentally produced, but for the first time a natural will 'o wisp has been captured on video and amazingly, spectrograph, accidentally by researchers studying ordinary lightning.

Submission + - IDC: PC shipments decline worse than forecast, no recovery expected (zdnet.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Zach Whittaker over at ZDNet covers an IDC report. In it the 2013 9.7% forecast decline in PC shipments is advanced to 10.1%. Further, IDC's longer-term forecast turns quite grim: contracting 23% from 2012 levels by 2017.

There is also a projection of future Windows tablet sales, and a statement that total Windows tablet sales for 2013 are expected to be "less than 7.5 million units".

Submission + - Official: Microsoft to acquire Nokia Devices and Services (technet.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: REDMOND, Washington and ESPOO, Finland – Sept. 3, 2013 – Microsoft Corporation and Nokia Corporation today announced that the Boards of Directors for both companies have decided to enter into a transaction whereby Microsoft will purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will pay EUR 3.79 billion to purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, and EUR 1.65 billion to license Nokia’s patents, for a total transaction price of EUR 5.44 billion in cash. Microsoft will draw upon its overseas cash resources to fund the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, subject to approval by Nokia’s shareholders, regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Submission + - Hubble spots source of short GRB (redorbit.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have imaged some evidence that the merger of neutron stars is responsible for producing a short-duration gamma ray burst. On June 3rd the Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission detected GRB 130603B, a burst lasting only one tenth of a second nearly 4 billion lightyears away. Imaging with Hubble they located a small red dot which, over the course of the following two weeks dimmed. Cites an article in yesterday's special online edition of Nature.

Submission + - Asus CEO on Windows RT: "We're out." (allthingsd.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: AllThingsD's intrepid reporter Ina Fried has an interview up where Asus chairman and CEO Jonney Shih says they will not make any more Windows RT devices until Microsoft proves demand for the product.

This leaves Dell as the only OEM who has not sworn off Windows RT. Dell is seeking to take itself private, relying on a $2 billion loan from Microsoft.

Submission + - Rethinking the wetsuit (guardian.co.uk)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Apparently Australians have come up with the brilliant idea that if you don't want to be eaten by a shark it's best to not go swimming in shark infested waters in a seal costume.

Submission + - Tiny ion engine runs on water (discovery.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Discovery News is covering a project by two engineers from the University of Michigan to pair cubesats with tiny ion engines for inexpensive interplanetary exploration. The tiny plasma drive called the CubeSat Ambipolar Thruster (CAT) will ionize water and use it as propellant with power provided by solar cells. In addition to scaling down the size of ion engines they hope to bring down the whole cost of development and launch to under $200,000.

Submission + - Microsoft XBox One Kinect will not work on Windows PCs (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: Ars is reporting that Microsoft XBox One Kinect will not work on Windows PCs. It uses a proprietary connector and an adaptor will not be available. If you want Kinect for your PC you will need to buy a "Kinect for Windows" product. Although the Kinect 1.0 for XBox 360 also had a proprietary connector it came with a USB adaptor for compatibility with older versions of the 360 that lacked the new proprietary port and PC compatibility was quickly hacked up by third parties.

Submission + - Oracle and Microsoft to announce cloud partnership Monday 2

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: While some might liken the deal to the Empire joining up with the Trade Federation, there may be some interesting outcomes for this one. On Monday Microsoft and Oracle are expected to announce a "cloud" partnership". Although the two companies often seem to be at odds two of their founders — Bill Gates and Larry Ellison — are partners in charity in the "giving pledge." Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship, or an alliance of axis powers?

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