On August 15th 2016, a group of scientists announced that they may have discovered a fifth force of nature. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, when they were going over data from a Hungarian study that was done in 2015. Physicists from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences were able to isolate an anomaly that appeared to indicate the presence a of particle of light that was 30 times heavier than an electron.
In the Hungarian Academy of Sciences experiment the physicists fired protons at an atom of lithium. This caused the lithium atom to transmute from a litium-7 atom into a beryllium-8 atom. When the beryllium atom shed the extra proton, it emitted a photon that quickly decayed into an electron, positron pair. Repeated collisions revealed that the particle being released from the beryllium-8 atom had a higher release angle and electron volt energy than a normal photon.
The University of California researchers believe that the Hungarian team may have discovered what is being called a "dark photon." This would be evidence of the presence of dark matter, which scientists believe makes up 85% of the universe. They further believe that this new particle may help them to understand the other four forces which are electromagnetism, the strong force, the weak force, and gravity.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Astronomers Discover Planet Oribiting Proxima Centauri
On August 24th 2016, a group of astronomers announced that they had discovered a small rocky planet orbiting the the star Proxima Centauri. At 4.2 light years away, Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star, is the closest to our own solar system. The astronomers say that the earth like planet is within the star's habitable zone, which is the range of distances that produce temperatures that allow a planet to possess liquid water.
The planet has been named Proxima Centauri b and is believed to be 1.3 times the mass of the Earth. It orbits at a distance of only 4.7 million miles, and it is estimated to take Proxima Centauri b just 11.2 days to orbit its host star. The planet may be tidally locked, which means that it always has the same side facing its sun. It is not known whether Proxima Centauri b has an atmosphere, however, computer models suggest that it does.
Proxima Centauri b was discovered by astronomers working on the Pale Red Dot Project. Michael Endl, one of the authors of a paper published in the journal Nature, said that he began his observations of Proxima Centauri in 2000. Eventually, he and his team found the exo planet by using the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher or HARPS, located at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.
The planet has been named Proxima Centauri b and is believed to be 1.3 times the mass of the Earth. It orbits at a distance of only 4.7 million miles, and it is estimated to take Proxima Centauri b just 11.2 days to orbit its host star. The planet may be tidally locked, which means that it always has the same side facing its sun. It is not known whether Proxima Centauri b has an atmosphere, however, computer models suggest that it does.
Proxima Centauri b was discovered by astronomers working on the Pale Red Dot Project. Michael Endl, one of the authors of a paper published in the journal Nature, said that he began his observations of Proxima Centauri in 2000. Eventually, he and his team found the exo planet by using the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher or HARPS, located at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
USB Type-C To Bring An End To The Headphone Jack
On August 16th 2016, Intel announced that the next generation of smartphones may drop the 3.5mm analog audio port in favor of the new USB Type-C. The move is seen as a step forward in the evolution of the smartphone, by bringing digital audio to the technology. Replacing the 3.5mm jack will allow smartphone makers to reclaim valuable space that is now being taken up by digital to analog circuitry.
While many may lament the loss of the 3.5mm audio jack, Intel is promising that the new USB Type-C audio port will offer some new features that should more than make up of for the loss. First, the elimination of the jack will make the phones cheaper to make. By using USB Type-C ports, headphones will then be able to use smart power management that would automatically turn off the microphone when not in use.
USB Type-C will also offer the user other features such as noise cancelling and the ability to use sound effects to change how the audio sounds. The Apple MacBook and Samsung Galaxy Note 6 are already using USB Type-C, while it has been rumored that the Apple iPhone 7 will be adding the new port when it is released later in 2016. For those worried about using their current headphones, Intel says that dongles will be made available.
While many may lament the loss of the 3.5mm audio jack, Intel is promising that the new USB Type-C audio port will offer some new features that should more than make up of for the loss. First, the elimination of the jack will make the phones cheaper to make. By using USB Type-C ports, headphones will then be able to use smart power management that would automatically turn off the microphone when not in use.
USB Type-C will also offer the user other features such as noise cancelling and the ability to use sound effects to change how the audio sounds. The Apple MacBook and Samsung Galaxy Note 6 are already using USB Type-C, while it has been rumored that the Apple iPhone 7 will be adding the new port when it is released later in 2016. For those worried about using their current headphones, Intel says that dongles will be made available.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Walmart Buys Jet.Com
On August 7th 2016, Walmart announced that it is buying e-retailer Jet.Com for $3 billion dollars. It's a cash deal that also includes $300 million is Walmart stock that will be paid out over time. Jet.Com is an e-commerce startup that was co-founded by entrepreneur, Marc Lore in 2014. It was recently valued at $1.6 billion. Lore will stay on and run both Walmart.Com and Jet.Com.
The deal signals Walmart's intent to step up its online presence and challenge Amazon.Com's e-commerce dominance. Walmart currently averages $14 billion in online sales compared to Amazon's $99 billion. While Walmart has been on line for 15 years and has spent billions building up its e-retail site, which includes seven distribution centers, its growth rate has been slow and has actually decelerated in the last year.
Jet.Com made its mark through the use of "gain sharing," which offers buyers the opportunity to reduce the price of their orders by adding additional items. Shoppers could also reduce their transaction fees by using their debit cards instead of credit cards. Walmart hopes to use Jet.Com's pricing technology to further reduce its shipping costs, while ramping up its delivery speed.
The deal signals Walmart's intent to step up its online presence and challenge Amazon.Com's e-commerce dominance. Walmart currently averages $14 billion in online sales compared to Amazon's $99 billion. While Walmart has been on line for 15 years and has spent billions building up its e-retail site, which includes seven distribution centers, its growth rate has been slow and has actually decelerated in the last year.
Jet.Com made its mark through the use of "gain sharing," which offers buyers the opportunity to reduce the price of their orders by adding additional items. Shoppers could also reduce their transaction fees by using their debit cards instead of credit cards. Walmart hopes to use Jet.Com's pricing technology to further reduce its shipping costs, while ramping up its delivery speed.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Anniversary Update
On August 2nd 2016, Microsoft began the roll out of the Anniversary update to its Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft offered Windows 10 as a free upgrade on July 29th 2015 and gave the OS away until July 29th 2016. Those who missed the free upgrade must now pay $119 if they wish to make their computer current. The roll out of the Anniversary update will be done in phases with those who own newer machines getting their downloads first.
Some of the new features in the Windows 10 Anniversary update include Windows Ink which allows users to enter information with the aide of a stylus. Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant will become a much more integral part of the system, and users will no longer be able to turn it off. From now on when you use the search box you will essentially be using Cortana. However, while Cortana can't be turned off, users can limit its access to their personal data.
Microsoft's Edge browser will get Chrome like extensions that include AdBlock, 1Password, LastPass, and EverNote. There's also a new Skype App, Windows Apps on Xbox, Windows 10 UI Tweaks, and Bash in Windows. Bash is a Linux command line that's intended primarily for developers and has to be enabled in order to use. And, Windows 10 will allow you to sync your Windows or Android phone and use Cortana to receive your notifications on your computer.
Some of the new features in the Windows 10 Anniversary update include Windows Ink which allows users to enter information with the aide of a stylus. Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant will become a much more integral part of the system, and users will no longer be able to turn it off. From now on when you use the search box you will essentially be using Cortana. However, while Cortana can't be turned off, users can limit its access to their personal data.
Microsoft's Edge browser will get Chrome like extensions that include AdBlock, 1Password, LastPass, and EverNote. There's also a new Skype App, Windows Apps on Xbox, Windows 10 UI Tweaks, and Bash in Windows. Bash is a Linux command line that's intended primarily for developers and has to be enabled in order to use. And, Windows 10 will allow you to sync your Windows or Android phone and use Cortana to receive your notifications on your computer.
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