Betty White Dead at 99

Betty White has died at age 99.
Read more: https://www.tmz.com/2021/12/31/betty-white-dead-dies-golden-girls/?source=Snapzu

How to use Apple's Digital Legacy feature to pass on your data to someone when you die

While it's always important to keep your accounts secure, that security can mean frustration for your family members if you suddenly pass away. After all, if you're the only one who knows your passwords, death means that your accounts are locked forever. Both Google and Facebook offer users features that let others "inherit" their accounts after death. And now Apple offers that feature too.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-digital-legacy?source=Snapzu

Tumblr blocks tags for 'sensitive content' in order to stay on the App Store

Tumblr has restricted what its users can see on its iOS app in an effort to make sure it doesn't get kicked out of Apple's App Store again.
Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tumblr-ios-tags-restriction-115024668.html?source=Snapzu

In-depth report details Apple's shift to Chinese suppliers to 'cut costs and curry favor with Beijing'

While Apple has long been linked to Foxconn as its primary partner for product assembly, a new report from The Information goes in-depth on Apple’s newfound relationship with Chinese electronics manufacturers.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2021/12/30/in-depth-report-details-apples-shift-to-chinese-suppliers-to-cut-costs-and-curry-favor-with-beijing/?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk rejects claims that his satellites are hogging space

His comments come after China complained to the United Nations about his internet satellite project.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59824404?source=Snapzu

Netflix’s ‘The Silent Sea’ Is One Of Its Best Sci-Fi Series To Date

Netflix has managed to cultivate a large number of high quality international offerings in a way most of its competition has not, and leading that charge has been Korea, producing a huge number of series, including most famously, global mega hit Squid Game.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/12/29/netflixs-the-silent-sea-is-one-of-its-best-sci-fi-series-to-date/?sh=27b98a586e64?source=Snapzu

These European Countries Could Legalize Cannabis In 2022

Which European country will legalize cannabis in 2022? The short answer to this question doesn't exist. Although the European continent represents a tempting market for international companies and stakeholders interested in recreational cannabis, its legal framework is widely fragmented, and finding a satisfying answer is challenging.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2021/12/29/these-european-countries-could-legalize-cannabis-in-2022/?source=Snapzu

The Dirty Little Secret Developers Won't Tell You: Most Tech Is Just a Big Waste

Not too long ago, one of the companies I advise launched a new software product. It was a two-fer product, one that would enhance the capabilities of their current customers while also opening a new line of business to attract new customers. I love those.
Read more: https://www.inc.com/joe-procopio/technology-overkill.html?source=Snapzu

Staying below 2° C warming costs less than overshooting and correcting

What will it cost if the climate exceeds the Paris Agreement temperature goals this century—even if we later remove carbon dioxide from the air and manage to bring temperatures back down to meet those targets by 2100? And how does that compare with the costs of staying below those targets?
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/staying-below-2-c-warming-costs-less-than-overshooting-and-correcting/?source=Snapzu

James Webb Space Telescope sails beyond the orbit of the moon after 2nd course correction

NASA's next-generation space observatory has sailed beyond the orbit of the moon after nailing the second of three required course-correction burns, agency officials said Monday. The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope launched on Saturday (Dec. 25), beginning a one-month deployment process. Over the course of that deployment, the observatory must execute three burns to adjust its trajectory, the first of which began 12.5 hours after launch and lasted 65 minutes; the second, much shorter burn, is now also complete.
Read more: https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-beyond-moon-orbit?source=Snapzu

New NY bill aims to hold social media companies accountable for disinformation

New York would be able to hold social media companies accountable for promoting disinformation, eating disorders and “other unlawful content that could harm others” under a new proposal designed as a workaround to federal law. The new bill – sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) – comes as lawmakers across the country scramble to address harms attributed to Facebook and Instagram which were exposed in a series of leaks by whistleblower Frances Haugen earlier this year.
Read more: https://nypost.com/2021/12/26/ny-bill-aims-to-hold-social-media-companies-accountable-for-disinformation/?source=Snapzu

China Created an AI ‘Prosecutor’ That Can Charge People with Crimes

In a scenario that’s part “Robocop” and part “Minority Report,” researchers in China have created an AI that can reportedly identify crimes and file charges against criminals. The AI was developed and tested by the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procratorate, the country’s largest district public prosecution office, South China Morning Post reports. It can file a charge with more than 97 percent accuracy based on a description of a suspected criminal case.
Read more: https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-ai-prosecutor-crimes?source=Snapzu

No meat please, we’re British: now a third of us approve of vegan diet

A boom in plant-based diets means next year’s Veganuary will attract more uptake than ever
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/25/no-meat-please-were-british-now-a-third-of-us-approve-of-vegan-diet?source=Snapzu

Chinese scientists develop AI ‘prosecutor’ that can press its own charges

Machine is so far able to identify eight common crimes such as fraud, gambling, dangerous driving and ‘picking quarrels’, researchers say.
Read more: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3160997/chinese-scientists-develop-ai-prosecutor-can-press-its-own?source=Snapzu

America needs more science and technology literacy

From extreme weather to vaccines to remote learning and virtual working, science and technology (S&T) underpins daily life. But only 22 percent of high school graduates are proficient in science, according to the U.S. Department of Education, illustrating the S&T knowledge gap in many Americans.
Read more: https://thehill.com/opinion/education/587357-america-needs-more-science-and-technology-literacy?source=Snapzu

A Deep Dive into the GameStop NFT Marketplace Platform

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have attracted much mainstream attention in the past few months. As a result, numerous brands are exploring opportunities in this space, including GameStop. The video game retailer intends to build a new NFT platform to "change the game" with the help of Ethereum technology. In addition, the company seeks to hire an Ethereum specialist to help build and maintain this NFT marketplace.
Read more: https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/a-deep-dive-into-the-gamestop-nft-marketplace-platform?source=Snapzu

The Colorado River's shortage is a sign of a larger crisis

For farmers in the deserts of central Arizona, success and failure is defined by who has water and who does not. At the moment, Dan Thelander is still among the haves. Inside a municipal building in Pinal County, Thelander rolls a map out across the board room table. On the patchwork of brown desert and green farmland in front of us, Thelander points out the parcels of land where he and his brother, son and nephew grow cotton, alfalfa and several other crops.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/08/us/colorado-river-water-shortage/?source=Snapzu

APOD: 2021 December 26 - James Webb Space Telescope over Earth

There's a big new telescope in space.
Read more: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211226.html?source=Snapzu

The US government needs a commercialization strategy for quantum

Quantum computers, sensors and communications networks have the potential to bring about enormous societal and market opportunities — along with an equal amount of disruption. Unfortunately for most of us it takes a Ph.D. in physics to truly understand how quantum technologies work, and luminaries in the field of physics will be the first to admit that even their understanding of quantum mechanics remains incomplete.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/us-government-needs-commercialization-strategy-130235927.html?source=Snapzu

Japan billionaire Maezawa lands in Kazakhstan after 12-day space flight

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth on Monday after a 12-day journey into space, ending a practice run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2023.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/japan-billionaire-maezawa-set-land-kazakhstan-after-12-day-space-flight-2021-12-20/?source=Snapzu

'AirTag found moving with you': Apple devices linked to suspected stalking and theft

“AirTag Found Moving With You" has emerged a a warning as the devices are beginning to be associated with crimes such as theft and stalking.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/apple-airtag-showing-up-crimes-rcna9416?source=Snapzu

How music AI could create a future Grammy award winner

Producers, musicians and software developers weigh in on the making of the next hot pop artist: A machine.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/features/could-ai-create-a-future-grammy-award-winner-in-music/?source=Snapzu

Space cadets Branson and Bezos scoop the 2021 shamelessness prize

Virgin and Amazon bosses do well in our awards for business brass neck, but there are also nods to big oil, big money – and a powerful whiff of Musk
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/26/2021-business-agenda-awards-branson-bezos-musk?source=Snapzu

The most powerful telescope ever built has successfully launched

The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's premier observatory of the next decade, successfully launched to space Saturday morning. The telescope will study exoplanets in new ways and look deeper into the universe than we've ever been able to before.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/25/world/james-webb-space-telescope-launch-scn/index.html?source=Snapzu

At long last, the world's most powerful space telescope is ready to launch

Decades of tension, debate, and determination have led to this moment, as the James Webb Space Telescope begins its million-mile journey into deep space.
Read more: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/at-long-last-the-james-webb-space-telescope-is-ready-to-launch?source=Snapzu

William Shatner Gets Into Serious 2-Vehicle Crash in Los Angeles, Is Unhurt

This is probably one situation in which legendary actor William Shatner wished for his most iconic character’s space-traveling tech, the transporter, in real life. The actor was involved in a pretty serious collision in Los Angeles.
Read more: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/william-shatner-gets-into-serious-2-vehicle-crash-in-los-angeles-is-unhurt-177289.html?source=Snapzu

Amazon Says It Will Stop Interfering With Workers Organizing On-Site

The move comes in the wake of an NLRB settlement that focused on the company's "15-minute" rule.
Read more: https://gizmodo.com/amazon-says-it-will-stop-interfering-with-workers-organ-1848265776?source=Snapzu

Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye to receive pardon for corruption

Moon Jae-in, her successor, will reportedly free Park from 22-year sentence after string of ailments while in jail
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/24/park-geun-hye-to-receive-pardon-for-corruption-as-south-korean-president?source=Snapzu

Astronomers find record-breaking haul of starless 'rogue' planets

Astronomers have discovered dozens of new "rogue" planets, roughly doubling the known number of these mysterious free-roaming worlds. A team of researchers found a collection of at least 70 exoplanets without parent stars — the largest single group of rogue planets ever found — in a patch of space about 420 light-years from Earth, a new study reports.
Read more: https://www.space.com/rogue-exoplanets-record-breaking-haul?source=Snapzu

Snowden Documents Reveal Covert Surveillance and Pressure Tactics Aimed at WikiLeaks and Its Supporters

Top-secret documents from the National Security Agency and its British counterpart reveal for the first time how the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom targeted WikiLeaks and other activist groups with tactics ranging from covert surveillance to prosecution.
Read more: https://theintercept.com/2014/02/18/snowden-docs-reveal-covert-surveillance-and-pressure-tactics-aimed-at-wikileaks-and-its-supporters/?source=Snapzu

After jumping 32 spots in FIFA rankings, Canadian men named most improved side | CBC Sports

After jumping 32 places to No. 40 in the FIFA rankings over the course of 2021, Canada has earned the title of this year's "Most Improved Side."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifa-rankings-most-improved-canada-men-1.6296425?source=Snapzu

The founder of Black Girls Code has been ousted as head of the nonprofit after allegations of 'workplace impropriety'

In a statement, Black Girls Code's board said that founder Kimberly Bryant would remain on staff as it investigated the allegations.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/black-girls-code-founder-kimberly-bryant-board-dispute-2021-12?source=Snapzu

Facebook lost a bunch of talent in 2021 — here are the most notable departures

It was a year of change for Facebook. The company was reborn as Meta, its first name change since Facebook dropped the prefix “the” in 2005. With the new moniker, the company also announced it would shift its focus toward building the metaverse, an online world of virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/23/here-are-facebooks-most-notable-executive-departures-in-2021.html?source=Snapzu

The world is addicted to natural gas. Fossil fuel companies are lobbying hard to keep it that way

Imagine a world entirely free of fossil fuels. That's no longer such an abstract concept, as most of the everyday things we do can be powered by electricity -- driving a car, heating a home, charging a phone or computer -- and all that energy could come from sources like the wind, the sun and the natural movement of water.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/23/europe/natural-gas-green-hydrogen-fossil-fuel-lobbying-climate-cmd-intl/index.html?source=Snapzu

Why Scientists Waited 50 Years to Study This Moon Dust

When NASA’s historic Apollo program launched in the 1960s, it resulted in six space flights to Earth’s natural satellite, the moon. These missions had grand results—from putting the first person on the moon in 1969 aboard Apollo 11 to 2,200 collected lunar samples in total.
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-lunar-sample-from-the-apollo-17-mission-will-finally-be-opened-180979280/?source=Snapzu

High wind postpones launch of NASA's newest space telescope

Dangerously high wind will keep NASA's newest space telescope on the ground for at least an extra day, with the launch now targeted for Saturday—Christmas Day—at the earliest. NASA announced the latest delay Tuesday. Upper-level high wind could force a rocket off-course or even damage or destroy it.
Read more: https://phys.org/news/2021-12-high-postpones-nasa-space-telescope.html?source=Snapzu

McDonald's targets kids in lower-income countries with social media posts, study finds

Fast-food chain McDonald's may be targeting children in lower middle-income countries globally with marketing messages, potentially worsening diet problems in some of the world's most vulnerable populations, an analysis published Tuesday by the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention and Health found.
Read more: https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/12/21/McDonalds-targets-youth-online-overseas-study/4991640120467/?source=Snapzu

How the misuse of antibiotics on animals poses a serious threat to modern medicine as we know it

Of late, we’ve been getting used to shortages of things we’ve previously taken for granted, like petrol, gas, toilet rolls, HGV drivers and seasonal labour. Could it be that we’re about to add a new item to that list: antibiotics?
Read more: https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/antibiotic-resistance-misuse-of-these-vital-drugs-on-factory-farm-animals-poses-a-serious-threat-to-modern-medicine-as-we-know-it-philip-lymbery-3463378?source=Snapzu

Xi'an: Chinese city under lockdown as Covid cases rise

More than 13 million people in the city of Xi'an have been told to stay at home amid a Covid outbreak.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59743487?source=Snapzu

In an historic vote, Italy to ban fur farming and shut down all mink farms within six months

The Budget Committee of the Italian Senate today voted to approve a modified version of an amendment to the budget law which will see the country’s 10 remaining mink fur farms closed within six months and a permanent ban on fur farming throughout Italy. 
Read more: https://www.hsi.org/news-media/in-an-historic-vote-italy-to-ban-fur-farming-and-shut-down-all-mink-farms-within-six-months/?source=Snapzu

Britney Spears’ Lawyer Calls Jamie Spears’ Request for Singer to Pay His Legal Fees an “Abomination”

The singer's father has petitioned for her estate to cover the costs of his legal representation and fees "to ensure the Conservatorship can be wound up quickly and efficiently," according to the Dec. 15 filing.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/britney-spears-jamie-spears-legal-fees-estate-1235066080/?source=Snapzu

Microplastics may be linked to inflammatory bowel disease, study finds

People with inflammatory bowel disease have 50% more microplastics in their faeces, a study has revealed. Previous research has shown that microplastics can cause intestinal inflammation and other gut problems in laboratory animals, but the research is the first to investigate potential effects on humans. The scientists found 42 microplastic pieces per gram in dried samples from people with IBD and 28 pieces in those from healthy people.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/22/microplastics-may-be-linked-to-inflammatory-bowel-disease-study-finds?source=Snapzu

Thousands of LGBTQ+ Israelis received text messages to ‘repent’ or face ‘death’

The Jerusalem Post has reported that thousands of LGBTQ+ Israelis received text messages saying they "deserve severe punishment, death and deportation" and calling on them to "repent." The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel confirmed the news Monday.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/thousands-of-lgbtq-israelis-received-text-messages-to-repent-or-face/?source=Snapzu

How is Koenigsegg producing 600 hp from a 3 cylinder engine?

Christian von Koenigsegg created the Swedish company in 1994 to produce a "world-class" sports car. It took many years of development and testing to bring the first production car CC8S, to market in 2002.
Read more: https://www.engineerine.com/2021/09/camless-engines-will-dominate-market.html?m=1?source=Snapzu

Missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti escaped from their abductors, aid group says

The group of 12 navigated by stars to reach safety after a two-month kidnapping ordeal, officials with Christian Aid Ministries, the Ohio-based agency that the missionaries work for, said on Monday.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/20/1065923822/missionaries-who-were-kidnapped-in-haiti-escaped-from-their-abductors-aid-group-?source=Snapzu

'The Matrix' Trilogy Has Always Been A Masterpiece

The real pretension is thinking such an existential drama must necessarily be dour, overly sophisticated, stoic, part and parcel with the idea that violence, grittiness, and action must be serious, masculine, binary, joyless. The Matrix trilogy is a richly layered, soulful, and rare piece of filmmaking.
Read more: https://defector.com/the-matrix-trilogy-has-always-been-a-masterpiece/?source=Snapzu

Cambridge needle-free coronavirus vaccine enters clinical trial

Safety trials are underway for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting COVID-19 virus variants and relatives that threaten future coronavirus pandemics. The first volunteer is expected to receive the vaccine today at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility.
Read more: https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/DIOSCoVax_safetytrial?source=Snapzu

Google's YouTube TV reaches deal to restore access to Disney channels

Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) YouTube began restoring access to Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) channels on its platform on Sunday, after the companies reached a distribution agreement to end a two-day blackout.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-youtube-tv-reaches-deal-restore-access-disney-channels-2021-12-19/?source=Snapzu

FedEx Receives First All-Electric, Zero-Tailpipe Emissions Delivery Vans

FedEx has just received the first delivery of its new emission-free electric delivery trucks from BrightDrop, marking a major milestone in the broader move to electric vehicles around the world.
Read more: https://interestingengineering.com/fedex-receives-first-all-electric-zero-tailpipe-emissions-delivery-vans?source=Snapzu

Apple Silicon Roadmap Based on 18-Month Upgrade Cycle, Claims Chinese Report

Apple plans to update its Apple silicon chips every 18 months, compared to the annual upgrade cycle of the iPhone and Apple Watch, according to a new report from the Taiwanese Commercial Times.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/20/apple-silicon-18-month-upgrade-cycle/?source=Snapzu