Digital Foundry: the best 2018 4K TVs for HDR gaming

With the widespread availability of the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro along with some highly powerful PC graphics hardware, there are more ways than ever to enjoy games at 4K with HDR. That makes it a great time to check out the latest crop of high dynamic range 4K televisions, which offer improved performance and new features at similar price points to their 2017 predecessors.
Read more: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-09-30-best-2018-4k-tvs-for-hdr-gaming-7009?source=Snapzu

‘Mosquito-pocalypse is in full effect’: North Carolina hit by blood-sucking pest outbreak

Cassie Vadovsky returned home after picking up her 4-year-old daughter from school Tuesday evening and was greeted by a swarm of blood-thirsty mosquitos. Not just any mosquitos. Aggressive, monstrous pests with stripes on their legs. “It was like a flurry — like it was snowing mosquitos,” the stay-at-home mother of two said. “I think my car agitated them. I waited for them to calm down before I grabbed the kids and the ran into the house.”
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/09/28/north-carolina-mosquito-outbreak-florence-hurricane-floodwaters/1460237002/?source=Snapzu

Found: An Ancient Roman Comic Strip With Speech Bubbles

“Alas for me! I am dead!”
Read more: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-first-comic-strip?source=Snapzu

In test case, U.S. fails to force Facebook to wiretap Messenger calls

U.S. investigators failed in a recent courtroom effort to force Facebook to wiretap voice calls over its Messenger app in a closely watched test case, according to two people briefed on the sealed ruling.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-encryption-exclusive/exclusive-in-test-case-u-s-fails-to-force-facebook-to-wiretap-messenger-calls-sources-idUSKCN1M82K1?source=Snapzu

Neanderthals Hand Structures

According to the study, the hands of the Neanderthals, in contrast to the predicted, were too curvy to hold objects between the thumb and the other fingers. The Neanderthals could hold objects between the thumb and the other fingers, just as we would hold our pencil, because their hands were much more curved than they thought. The finding helps explain the activities that require a large number of skills, such as the Neandertals, tool making, painting cave walls, drawing patterns on the bird’s bones, and twine.
Read more: https://universegap.com/neanderthals-hand-structures/?source=Snapzu

Hundreds of academics at top UK universities accused of bullying

Senior professors among 300 people alleged to have bullied students and colleagues
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/sep/28/academics-uk-universities-accused-bullying-students-colleagues?source=Snapzu

A Japanese Company Claims It Will Utilize SpaceX Rockets to Land on the Moon

A Japanese space agency, iSpace, announced on Wednesday 26th September that it will launch a lunar lander and rover to the moon in 2020 and 2021. The uncrewed iSpace spacecraft will go to space on board a SpaceX Faclon 9 Rocket, the organization said. On the off chance that it all g oes well, in 2020, the company will endevour to orbit the moon with one of its landers. In 2021, it will attempt to securely place a lander on the lunar surface and send lunar rovers to investigate further
Read more: http://themorethanyouneed.blogspot.com/2018/09/a-japanese-company-claims-it-will.html?source=Snapzu

Jailed at 15 she dreamed of being a fashion designer. No trial and six years later, she's still missing

With her fresh face and bright, hopeful smile, Ciham Ali Ahmed looks just like any other ninth grader. But Ali Ahmed was imprisoned at 15 years old. Now six years later, her family says they don't know where she is or what has happened to her since she was detained by Eritrean security forces while trying to leave the country.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/africa/ciham-ali-ahmed-eritrea-prison/index.html?source=Snapzu

China sees surge in HIV/Aids cases

China has announced a 14% jump in the number of its citizens who are living with HIV and Aids. More than 820,000 people are affected in the country, health officials say. About 40,000 new cases were reported in the second quarter of 2018 alone. The vast majority of new cases were transmitted through sex, marking a change from the past. Traditionally, HIV spread rapidly through some parts of China as a result of infected blood transfusions.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-45692551?source=Snapzu

Richest people work system to pay less tax than those on average wages

More than 80 of the country's wealthiest people are paying the same or less income tax as the average worker, a shocking report has revealed. Ten years on from the economic crash, a combination of clever accounting and loopholes is allowing some of the country's richest individuals to minimise their contribution to the State's coffers. The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) reviewed how 480 people, classified as 'High Wealth Individuals' (HWI), interact with the Revenue Commissioners.
Read more: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/richest-people-work-system-to-pay-less-tax-than-those-on-average-wages-37366457.html?source=Snapzu

FBI: We can’t listen to Facebook Messenger voice calls. Judge: Tough luck

A federal judge in Fresno, California recently denied prosecutors’ request to force Facebook to wiretap voice calls by suspected gang members conducted over Messenger. According to a Friday report by Reuters, despite already having substantive traditional wiretaps and intercepting Messenger texts between alleged MS-13 gangsters, the government wanted further access.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/09/facebook-cant-be-ordered-to-wiretap-messenger-calls-judge-rules/?source=Snapzu

Lasers Reveal 60,000 Ancient Maya Structures in Guatemala

The largest-ever survey of a region from the Maya civilization has located over 60,000 previously unknown structures in northern Guatemala. The survey, conducted with the help of lasers, challenges long-held assumptions that this area was poorly connected and sparsely populated. The structures researchers identified include farms, houses and defensive fortifications, as well as 60 miles of causeways, roads and canals connecting large cities across the civilization’s central lowlands.
Read more: https://www.history.com/news/ancient-maya-structures-guatemala-lasers?source=Snapzu

Web inventor Berners-Lee creates a new privacy first way of dealing with the internet

First, Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the web, now he wants to save it.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/web-inventor-berners-lee-creates-a-new-privacy-first-way-of-dealing-with-the-internet/?source=Snapzu

Former ‘Miss Baghdad’ Shot Dead as She Drove Through Iraqi Capital in Latest of Series of Attacks on Women

Iraqi social media star and model Tara Fares has been shot dead in Baghdad, security officials confirmed to CNN. The death of Fares and other recent killings prompted Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to order an investigation on Friday. The former Miss Baghdad, and first runner-up for Miss Iraq, was killed on Thursday after gunmen opened fire on her in the capital's Camp Sarah neighborhood, according to a statement by Iraq's Interior Ministry, which is investigating the incident.
Read more: https://ktla.com/2018/09/28/former-miss-baghdad-shot-dead-as-she-drove-through-iraqi-capital-in-latest-of-series-of-attacks-on-women/?source=Snapzu

Nepal's Tiger Population Nearly Doubles in Last Decade

Scientists estimate there are now 235 wild bengal tigers in Nepal, a huge leap from 2009, when there were only about 120 of the endangered animals. In just the last four years, the population jumped nearly 20 percent, up from 198 of the animals, according to analysis performed by Nepal’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, along with conservation groups including Panthera and the Zoological Society of London.
Read more: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/09/tiger-population-nepal-endangered-big-cats-news/?source=Snapzu

Judge strikes down Kentucky law in win for abortion clinic

In a victory for abortion-rights supporters, a federal judge struck down a Kentucky law that had put the state's last abortion clinic at risk of closing when Gov. Matt Bevin's administration cited it in a licensing fight with the facility. U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers, in a long-awaited ruling, said Friday that the two-decade-old law violates constitutionally protected due process rights. The law required Kentucky's abortion clinics to have written agreements with a hospital and an ambulance service in case of medical emergencies.
Read more: https://www.heraldonline.com/news/article219207890.html?source=Snapzu

F-35B jet crashes in South Carolina

A US Marine Corps F-35B crashed Friday in Beaufort County, South Carolina, near Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort, a US military official told CNN. The pilot ejected safely and is being evaluated for injury, according to the official. While the jet has experienced mishaps in the past, a US defense official told CNN that this is the first time an F-35 has crashed.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/28/politics/marine-corps-f-35b-fighter-crash/index.html?source=Snapzu

Wild animals endure illness, injury, and starvation. We should help.

Cecil the lion captured the world’s attention earlier this year when an American dentist hunted and killed him. People were justifiably outraged at this tragedy — so much so, in fact, that they turned against the entire practice of trophy hunting. Numerous airlines responded by banning the transport of a range of hunting trophies on their flights. In October, people were again infuriated when a German hunter shot a 40- to 60-year-old elephant in Zimbabwe.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/2015/12/14/9873012/wild-animals-suffering?source=Snapzu

As NASA turns 60, here are the space agency's greatest achievements.

On 1st October, sixty years ago, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration—better known as NASA—began operations, ushering in a new era of space exploration for the United States. The space agency emerged from its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, which was created in 1915, in part, because America was lagging behind Europe in the field of airplane technology.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-60th-anniversary-these-are-space-agencys-greatest-achievements-1144127?source=Snapzu

Social media star, a former 'Miss Baghdad,' shot dead

Iraqi social media star and model Tara Fares has been shot dead in Baghdad, security officials confirmed to CNN. The death of Fares and other recent killings prompted Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to order an investigation on Friday. The former Miss Baghdad, and first runner-up for Miss Iraq, was killed on Thursday after gunmen opened fire on her in the capital's Camp Sarah neighborhood, according to a statement by Iraq's Interior Ministry, which is investigating the incident.
Read more: https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/09/28/middleeast/tara-fares-iraq-killed-intl/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/?source=Snapzu

What Instagram users need to know about Facebook’s security breach

Even if you never log into Facebook itself these days, the other apps and services you use might be impacted by Facebook’s latest big, bad news. In a follow-up call on Friday’s revelation that Facebook has suffered a security breach affecting at least 50 million accounts, the company clarified that Instagram users were not out of the woods — nor were any other third-party services that utilized Facebook Login.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/28/facebook-hack-instagram-facebook-login/?source=Snapzu

Atheists think Sinead O’Connor is owed an apology, and then some

Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has been a longtime critic of the Catholic Church and as more and more scandals continue to come to light, some have wondered if O’Connor is owed some sort of an apology. In 1992, the Irish singer made headlines when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II and said: “Fight the real enemy” during a performance of her song War on Saturday Night Live.
Read more: https://www.irishcentral.com/news/atheists-think-sinead-o-connor-owed-an-apology?source=Snapzu

Tesla's Musk pulled the plug on a settlement with the SEC at the last minute

Under the deal, Musk and Tesla would have had to pay a nominal fine, and he would not have had to admit guilt, but Musk would have been barred as chairman for two years, according to sources. 
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/teslas-musk-pulled-plug-on-settlement-with-sec-at-last-minute.html?source=Snapzu

California Just Officially Banned The Sale Of Animal-Tested Cosmetics

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a landmark bill into law on Friday aimed at banning the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals. The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, authored by Democratic state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, prohibits manufacturers to “import for profit, sell, or offer for sale” any cosmetic product that was developed or made using an animal test, if the test occurs after the law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/california-just-officially-banned-the-sale-of-animal-tested-cosmetics_us_5b913ac6e4b0cf7b003d5c09?source=Snapzu

Teens filmed letting dog kill cat sent death threats after being named online

Teenagers who enticed a pet cat out from underneath a car before setting a dog on it have been sent death threats after their identities were revealed online. The two boys - who cannot be named for legal reasons - have been subject to scores of violent threats on social media after appearing in court charged with causing the "disturbing" and "sinister" death of a cat .
Read more: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/teens-filmed-letting-dog-chase-15211770?source=Snapzu

After judge's ruling, Confederate monument in San Antonio park is history

A monument to Confederate soldiers that stood in a San Antonio, Texas, park for more than 100 years is now history.
Read more: https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/09/20/after-judges-ruling-confederate-monument-san-antonio-park-history?source=Snapzu

Can you tell which world leader is real, and which was made by a computer?

Take our quiz to understand what the future of fake news might mean for all of us. ‘Derpfakes’ is using machine learning software that made its way into the public domain via the dark corners of the internet, where it was unsurprisingly being used to make fake celebrity porn. The exact origins of that software are unknown, but it mirrors the kinds of research happening in top universities and the R&D departments of major tech companies.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-27/fake-news-part-one/10308638?source=Snapzu

FCC cracks the whip on 5G deployment against protests of local governments

The FCC is pushing for speedy deployment of 5G networks nationwide with an order adopted today that streamlines what it perceives as a patchwork of obstacles, needless costs, and contradictory regulations at the state level. But local governments say the federal agency is taking things too far.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/26/fcc-cracks-the-whip-on-5g-deployment-against-protests-of-local-governments/?source=Snapzu

Mexican mob burns detective to death in child abduction scare

A mob of about 100 people in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo doused a detective with gasoline and burned him to death, according to local officials. The Hidalgo state prosecutors’ office said the crowd attacked local police in the town of Metepec on Thursday and took the detective and three other men captive. They severely beat the men and burned the detective after dousing him with fuel. It was unclear if he was on duty or if they knew he was a detective.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/28/mexican-mob-burns-detective-to-death-in-child-abduction-scare?source=Snapzu

The deadliest infectious disease is becoming drug-resistant

Tuberculosis (TB) isn’t a disease Americans hear about much about these days, but that’s not true for the rest of the world. TB is currently the deadliest infectious disease, responsible for 1.6 million deaths last year, most of them in the developing world.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/9/28/17914344/tuberculosis-united-nations-funding-india-china?source=Snapzu

Ford Makes Surprise Unveiling of Electric Self-Driving Zero Emissions Truck

Ford made a surprise unveiling by its Turkish design center (Ford Otosan) at this year's IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, Germany. The American truck manufacturer revealed its F-Vision concept heavy-duty truck, a commercial vehicle that combines clean energy, autonomous driving, and many other futuristic features.
Read more: https://interestingengineering.com/ford-makes-surprise-unveiling-of-electric-self-driving-zero-emissions-truck?source=Snapzu

The Fear Driving Conservative Support for Kavanaugh

It’s remarkable: The more women accuse of Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, the more committed to his confirmation conservatives become. On Monday, after Deborah Ramirez became the second woman to accuse Kavanaugh of wrongdoing, the New York Times columnist Ross Douthat noted that among conservatives, the belief that Kavanaugh is innocent “actually gained momentum and support on the basis of the second allegation.” Over the course of Thursday, conservatives responded to the allegations of a third woman, Julie Swetnick, by again doubling down.
Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/kavanaugh-republicans/571477/?source=Snapzu

Pope defrocks Chile priest at center of global abuse scandal

Pope Francis has defrocked the Chilean priest at the center of the global sex abuse scandal rocking his papacy, invoking his "supreme" authority to stiffen a sentence originally handed down by the Vatican in 2011. In a statement Friday, the Vatican said Francis had laicized the 88-year-old Rev. Fernando Karadima, who was originally sanctioned to a lifetime of "penance and prayer" for having sexually abused minors.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/pope-defrocks-chile-priest-at-center-of-global-abuse-scandal.html?source=Snapzu

Spotify starts cracking down on friends who share family plans

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audience is coming from. To find out more or to opt-out, please read our Cookie Policy. In addition, please read our Privacy Policy, which has also been updated and became effective May 23rd, 2018.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/9/28/17913240/spotify-family-plan-gps-household-clampdown-cheap-subscription?source=Snapzu

Yes, Healthcare's Data Breach Problem Really Is That Bad

Over an eight-year span, healthcare organizations reported 2,149 data breaches affecting 176.4 million records to the federal government, with almost every year bringing more privacy incidents, according to new research. The findings, published today by the JAMA Network, further support the argument that healthcare is particularly vulnerable to hackers. The rise of electronic health records appears to have worsened the situation, placing patients at risk and healthcare providers...
Read more: https://www.hcanews.com/news/yes-healthcares-data-breach-problem-really-is-that-bad?source=Snapzu

Trump says he rejected a meeting with Canada that Canada says it never requested

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he rejected a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the United Nations General Assembly, but a spokeswoman for Trudeau’s government disputed that the meeting had ever been requested. “Yeah, I did,” Trump said during a press conference in New York when asked if he has rejected the meeting. “His tariffs are too high and he doesn’t seem to want to move and I told him ‘forget about it’ and, frankly, we’re thinking about just taxing cars coming in from Canada.”
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/26/donald-trump-justin-trudeau-battle-over-who-didnt-want-meet/1438213002/?source=Snapzu

Telltale Games died because it stopped moving forward

The story of Telltale Games paints a fascinating, depressing picture of a company that found success and seemed to immediately encase itself in amber. The road to its devastating shutdown is what it looks like when a company finds a winning formula, and thinks that winning formula will win forever.
Read more: https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/25/17896592/telltale-games-company-layoffs-walking-dead-development?source=Snapzu

World's first human case of rat disease discovered

For the first time, a case of rat hepatitis E has been discovered in a human in Hong Kong. A 56-year-old man has been diagnosed with the disease, researchers from the University of Hong Kong said. It was not previously known the disease could be passed from rats to humans. "Previous laboratory experiments have found that rat hepatitis E virus cannot be transmitted to monkeys, and human hepatitis A virus cannot be transmitted to rats," said Dr. Siddharth Sridhar...
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/health/world-first-rat-disease-hepatitis-e-intl/index.html?source=Snapzu

Religious magazine rescinds endorsement of Brett Kavanaugh after sexual assault testimony

A religious magazine rescinded its endorsement of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Thursday after hearing emotional testimony from a woman accusing him of sexual assault. The editors of America Magazine, a weekly Jesuit publication, initially endorsed Kavanaugh. The publication noted his stance on abortion and his lengthy career on the bench. But that all changed Thursday after hearing from Christine Blasey Ford, who detailed accusations that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to remove her clothes at a party when they were both teens.
Read more: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/27/brett-kavanaugh-religious-magazine-rescinds-endorsement-after-testimony/1451550002/?source=Snapzu

Scientists create most powerful indoor magnetic field, blow up own lab

Watch as the newly built instrument goes BANG, after generating a magnetic field strength of 1,200 teslas.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-create-most-powerful-indoor-magnetic-field-blow-up-own-lab/#ftag=CAD0610abe0f?source=Snapzu

A 3rd Russian agent reportedly went to England to prep the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal

British authorities have identified a third agent involved in the attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, The Telegraph reported. The UK earlier this month accused two Russian intelligence agents over the attempted assassination. The Kremlin repeatedly denied knowledge of the attack.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/third-russian-agent-visited-salisbury-to-plan-skripal-attack-report-2018-9?source=Snapzu

Contraceptive pill linked with reduced risk of ovarian cancer

Women who use modern forms of the combined pill are at a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who don’t take hormonal contraception, research suggests. The study backs up previous findings for older forms of the combined pill – an oral contraceptive that contains artificial versions of both oestrogen and progesterone. Modern forms of the pill contain different doses of synthetic oestrogen and different types of progestins, and are sometimes taken continuously.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/26/contraceptive-pill-reduces-risk-of-ovarian-cancer-study-finds?source=Snapzu

Facebook reveals security incident affecting 50 million users

Facebook Inc has discovered a security issue affecting about 50 million user acc...
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-cyber-idUSKCN1M82BK?source=Snapzu

BrewDog scraps beer deal over Trump offer

Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has pulled out of a tie-up with a US beer maker after a row over free drinks to Donald Trump supporters. Ellon-based BrewDog had planned a series of events with Scofflaw at bars across the UK this weekend. It appeared the American firm had said anyone backing the US president could get "beered up redneck-style free of charge". But Scofflaw later distanced itself from the promotion.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-45667573?source=Snapzu

Red Dead Redemption 2 Install Size, Timed Exclusivity Revealed

Sony recently revealed their Red Dead Redemption 2 console bundles for the PlayStation 4. The announcements included some high-res images of the boxes from multiple angles which have in turn allowed fans to learn some new details about the game.
Read more: https://www.rdr2.org/news/red-dead-redemption-2-install-size-timed-exclusivity-revealed/?source=Snapzu

Netherlands foils 'major terror attack'

Police in the Netherlands have arrested seven men over an alleged plot to carry out what they describe as a major terrorist attack involving guns and explosives. Police say the men were trying to source AK47s, hand grenades and bomb materials to carry out their attack. The men, aged between 21 and 34, were arrested on Thursday. Three had been arrested previously for trying to travel abroad to join foreign militants.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45673221?source=Snapzu

Hacker says he'll livestream deletion of Zuckerberg's Facebook page

The self-professed bug bounty hunter says he hacks because he's "bored."
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/28/zuckerberg-facebook-page-hacker-livestream/?source=Snapzu

CERN Scientists Say The LHC Has Confirmed Two New Particles, And Possibly Discovered a Third

The Large Hadron Collider is at it again, showing us new wonders in the world of particle physics. Scientists working on the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) collaboration have observed two new particles that have never been seen before - and seen
Read more: https://www.sciencealert.com/cern-large-hadron-collider-beauty-experiment-two-new-bottom-baryon-particles-tetraquark-candidate?source=Snapzu

Orca 'apocalypse': half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution

At least half of the world’s killer whale populations are doomed to extinction due to toxic and persistent pollution of the oceans, according to a major new study. Although the poisonous chemicals, PCBs, have been banned for decades, they are still leaking into the seas. They become concentrated up the food chain; as a result, killer whales, the top predators, are the most contaminated animals on the planet.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/27/orca-apocalypse-half-of-killer-whales-doomed-to-die-from-pollution?source=Snapzu

Donald Trump’s foreign policy is putting the dollar at risk

President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy could hurt the dollar’s global primacy, according to global business leaders and the European Union’s top diplomat. Larry Fink, who runs Blackrock, the world’s biggest money manager, was asked about risks to the finance industry at a forum taking place alongside this week’s United Nations General Assembly. Fink cited the US move “from multilateralism to unilateralism” that “could lead to a deep desire to get another payment system.”
Read more: https://qz.com/1403708/donald-trumps-foreign-policy-is-putting-the-dollar-at-risk/?source=Snapzu