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Our galaxy’s supermassive black hole looks amazing in virtual reality

Nov19
by on November 19, 2018 at 7:34 pm
Posted In: Around the Web


If you’re anything like us, you’re awaiting the first-ever direct-observation photographs of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of The Milky Way, with bated breath. But, you might want to go ahead and exhale, because it could be awhile. In the meantime, we suggest enjoying a virtual tour created by an advanced physics simulator. The simulator, developed by a team of scientists from the Netherlands and Germany, relies upon the most up-to-date data astrophysicists have gleaned on Sagittarius A*. It’s purpose is to produce a visually and astro-physically accurate portrayal of the black hole at the center…

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Film stalwarts save one of the few cinephile-friendly streaming services

Nov19
by on November 19, 2018 at 6:59 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, video


One of the few streaming services dedicated to classic movies was recently earmarked for destruction. After one prolonged outcry from the film industry and fans, the Criterion Collection announced it’d be reviving a version of the same service, making life just a bit easier for amateur cinephiles out there. Last month, the Turner Classic Movies streaming service, Filmstruck, became a casualty of the AT&T merger with Time Warner Cable. Called “subscale” by the former company, it was set to be quietly shut down in time for the big Warner Media streaming service due to launch sometime in the future. As…

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Deep dive into Latin America’s last-mile delivery startups

Nov19
by on November 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Contributors, Insider


The last-mile delivery apps servicing the $2 trillion USD e-commerce market are drawing global attention, notably those that deliver products, groceries, and restaurant-made meals on-demand. McKinsey reports that nearly 25 percent of consumers are willing to pay a significant premium for the privilege of instant or same-day delivery. Younger consumers are also more inclined to choose on-demand over regular delivery options, and this share will likely increase over the next few years. In Latin America, the last-mile delivery market is becoming one of the most competitive in the world. Luckily, the region’s consumers are benefiting from this competition, as startups are rapidly…

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Breakthrough neural network paves the way for quantum AI

Nov19
by on November 19, 2018 at 5:51 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, artificial intelligence


Italian researchers recently developed the first functioning quantum neural network by running a special algorithm on an actual quantum computer. The team, lead by Francesco Tacchino of the University of Pavia in Italy, pre-published their research on ArXiv earlier this month in a research paper titled “An Artificial Neuron Implemented on an Actual Quantum Processor.” Basically, they developed a single-layer artificial neural network (ANN) that runs on a quantum computer. This kind of rudimentary ANN is called a perceptron, and it’s the basic building block of more robust neural networks. Previous attempts at building a perceptron on a quantum system…

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Hackers infect official Make-A-Wish site with cryptocurrency mining malware

Nov19
by on November 19, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


It seems crypto-jackers have absolutely no ethical standards. After governments, universities, and technology giants, even charitable organizations are finding themselves at the receiving end of cryptocurrency malware. The latest victim is the US-based Make-A-Wish Foundation. Researchers from security firm Trustwave found that one of the foundation’s websites – worldwish.org – was compromised with cryptocurrency malware known as CoinImp. The malware infects the website with a malicious script to steal visitors’ computing power to covertly mine cryptocurrency. The researchers note the origin of the malware is likely Make-A-Wish’s decision to use an outdated version of Drupal’s content management system. Earlier this year,…

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