Archive for December, 2018
California Considering Text Messaging Tax
December 13th, 2018Via: CBS: Californians may or may not type OMG at the news, but texting may soon come with an extra fee on their mobile phone bills. State regulators are weighing a tax on text messaging to help fund a program that makes phone service available to low-income residents. A texting surcharge could help sustain the […]
Under Trump, U.S. Debt Grew by Size of Brazilian Economy in Just Two Years
December 12th, 2018Via: Los Angeles Times: U.S. government debt is on track this year to rise at the fastest pace since 2012, as a stronger economy fails to keep pace with the wave of red ink that’s rising under the Trump administration. Total public debt outstanding has jumped by $1.36 trillion, or 6.6%, since the start of […]
Record for High-Temperature Superconductivity
December 12th, 2018Room temperature superconductors belong in the same basket as fusion power plants artificial general intelligence: They were only a couple of decades away when we read about them in Omni magazine in the 1980s. Via: MIT Technology Review: Chemists found a material that can display superconducting behavior at a temperature warmer than it currently is […]
Trump Commits to $750 Billion U.S. Defense Budget a Week After Saying $717 Billion Is ‘Crazy’
December 11th, 2018Drain the swamp. Mmm hmm. Via: Independent: President Donald Trump has backtracked on his proposal to shrink military spending, instead agreeing to Defence Secretary Jim Mattis’ request for a $750 billion budget for the upcoming 2019 fiscal year. Last week, Mr Trump tweeted that a $716 billion Defence Department budget is “crazy.” The following day, […]
Walmart Testing Robotic Fry Cook
December 11th, 2018Via: Yahoo Finance: Walmart (WMT) is in the early stages of testing a kitchen robot assistant named “Flippy” at its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters to see whether or not it’s the right fit for its in-store delis. Flippy is the world’s first autonomous robotic kitchen assistant powered by artificial intelligence from Miso Robotics, a two-year-old startup. […]
Free Gas Over Yemen’s Skies: Saudi Jets Refueled By American Taxpayers Due To “Accounting Errors”
December 10th, 2018Via: ZeroHedge: The White House wants to stay the course in Yemen even as the Senate is set to push back against US military support to the Saudi-led bombing campaign. But now a bombshell report reveals the Pentagon has been fueling Saudi and UAE jets free of charge due to “errors in accounting where DoD […]
The DIY Rocketeer Building SpaceX Replicas of Self-Landing Rockets
December 8th, 2018bps.space bps.space YouTube Channel Via: Motherboard: Joe Barnard left his background in videography and music production to launch his life of amateur rocketry, and he shares his DIY adventures in building rockets on his YouTube channel BPS.space.
Live: Yellow Vests Protest in Paris
December 8th, 2018Via: Russia Today:
China Launches Probe to Explore Dark Side of Moon
December 8th, 2018Via: Reuters: China on Saturday launched a first probe ever to explore the dark side of the Moon, marking another milestone in its ambitious space program, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The probe, the Chang’e-4, is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon, according to Xinhua. Previous […]
Paris in Lockdown as France Braces for New Anti-Macron Riots
December 7th, 2018Via: Reuters: Paris was in lockdown early on Saturday with thousands of French security forces braced to meet renewed rioting by “yellow vest” protesters in the capital and other cities in a fourth weekend of confrontation over living costs. The Eiffel Tower and other tourist landmarks were shut, shops were boarded up to avoid looting […]
