Monday, August 26, 2024

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Fake watermelons full of drugs fail to fool US agents

United States border agents have intercepted a truck carrying more than five million dollars worth of methamphetamine at the US-Mexico border hidden inside a shipment of watermelons. The drugs were wrapped in plastic painted in two shades of green to resemble the fruit and placed among real watermelons. More than two tons of methamphetamine – in a total of 1,220 packages – was seized by officers. Stashing drugs among produce is a common way to smuggle the illicit substances across borders – banana shipments are the most popular but officers have recently found narcotics in Gouda cheese and avocados. US Customs and Border Protection officials said their officers had stopped a truck hauling a trailer at the border with Mexico in Otay Mesa. The paperwork suggested the driver was transporting a shipment for watermelons, but a inspection revealed the parcels containing methamphetamine. Also known simply as meth, it is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant. The driver was handed over to Homeland Security officials. The seizure came a week after officials at the same border crossing discovered almost 300kg of meth in a shipment of celery. Both hauls came to a total value of six million dollars. Mexican drug cartels are the leading producers and suppliers of methamphetamine to the United States. (BBC)

Scientists Build a Simple Gel ‘Brain’ That Learns How to Play Pong Better

A little blob of squishy transparent gel can not only play the video game Pong, it can get better at it over time. When interfaced with an adapted version of the game via an electrode array, the simple polymer hydrogel displayed a measurable increase in accuracy, resulting in longer rallies. It’s a finding that demonstrates the ability to remember, even in a very basic material. The gel is, of course, very far from an artificial brain, but its newly discovered ability suggests some tantalizing new avenues for research and development. The hydrogel in question is based on an electro-active polymer, or EAP. These are polymers that change their size or shape when an electric current is applied, and they’re commonly used for actuators and sensors as a sort of artificial muscle. Back in 2022, a team of researchers demonstrated that a glob of human brain cells in a dish can be taught to play Pong by giving it feedback that tells the glob whether it succeeded in hitting a simple pixel “ball” with a pixel “paddle”. Biomedical engineers at the University of Reading, wanted to explore whether a similar learning ability could be demonstrated in something far simpler than human brain tissue. EAP hydrogel was the logical test subject. Ions – particles that have a charge – within the hydrogel’s matrix of crosslinked polymer chains move when an electric current is applied, which causes the gel to change shape. Previously, the team demonstrated how this phenomenon can be exploited to make hydrogel beat in sync with a pacemaker, like the way a heart beats, expanding and contracting. They noticed in the course of this research that their polyacrylamide hydrogel retained a “memory” of the beating, even after the researchers stopped the pacemaker. To push the hydrogel to the next step, the researchers developed a special interface and an adapted game of Pong, with just one paddle bouncing off the opposite wall of a digital court, like playing table tennis against a wall. They used electrical stimulation to inform the gel of the randomized position of the ball, and measured the flow of ions to gauge the position of the paddle. They also observed how long each rally lasted – back-and-forth exchanges between the gel-controlled paddle and the wall, without missing – and found that the rallies got longer over time. It took the gel around 20 minutes to reach its peak Pong skill level. This memory, the researchers say, is evidence of an emergent ability, one that the material was not specifically designed or trained for. But that doesn’t mean that the material is sentient, or behaving deliberately – just that the material has retained an impression of a physical influence, something that can be said of the skin on your cheek after laying on a crinkly pillow. (Science Alert)

Elon Musk’s X must disclose full ownership structure, judge rules

Who and what exactly is invested in Elon Musk’s X Holdings, the entity behind the X platform and X.ai, is about to become a matter of public record. A federal judge in California decided that a detailed corporate disclosure statement from X Holdings should be unsealed, a move that would effectively pull the curtain back to reveal the list of stakeholders in the parent company of X, formerly known as Twitter, and X.ai, an AI startup that Musk launched in 2023. Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, taking the company private and laying off roughly three-quarters of its staff. A group of former Twitter employees sued X last year seeking payment of arbitration fees incurred as a result of disputes with their former employer. Jacob Silverman, a freelance journalist, aided by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, intervened in the case in order to get the disclosure unsealed. While attorneys for Musk and X argued that, “as a matter of routine practice and policy, X holdings does not publish or make publicly available information regarding its owners/shareholders and treats such information as confidential,” the judge was not swayed by any purported need for secrecy. (Yahoo Finance)

Home sales rose in July for the first time in five months

Closed sales of previously owned homes rose 1.3% in July compared with June to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.95 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. That was the first gain in five months. Sales were 2.5% lower compared with the same time last year. Sales saw the biggest gains in the Northeast and were flat in the Midwest. Prices also rose the most in the Northeast. These sales are based on contracts that were likely signed in May and June, when mortgage rates were well over 7% on the popular 30-year fixed loan. Rates began dropping in July and are now hovering around 6.5%. All-cash offers made up 27% of July sales, up from 26% the year before and far higher than the historical norm. The supply of homes for sale continued to move higher in July. At the end of the month, there were 1.33 million houses on the market, an increase of 0.8% from June and 19.8% higher than in July 2023. At the current sales pace, that represents a four-month supply, slightly lower than it was in June. (CNBC)

Apple to Let iPhone Users Delete Safari, Other Native Apps to Comply With EU Law

By end of year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from a choice screen after going through a list of options. The option will be shown to all EU-based users with Safari set as their default. A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers will be shown with short descriptions and users will be required to scroll through the full list before making a choice. Alphabet-owned Google paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be the default search engine on Safari. Additional apps Apple will allow users to delete include Messages, Photos and Camera. “These updates come from our ongoing and continuing dialogue with the European Commission about compliance with the Digital Market Act’s requirements in these areas,” Apple announced in a developer update. The maximum fine for infringing the Act is 10 per cent of worldwide turnover, with the level of fine able to be increased for repeat offences. (Mobile World Live)

New Walmart+ perk: Free Whoppers and discounted Burger King

Walmart is hoping Burger King will give its subscription program a whopper of an advantage over Amazon. The retailer is partnering with the fast-food chain to give members of its $98-a-year subscription program, Walmart+, a 25% discount on Burger King orders every day and free Whoppers every three months, both companies announced. It’s the newest benefit for Walmart+, a 4-year-old program directly aimed at taking on Amazon Prime. It offers similar perks, including free shipping and same-day grocery delivery. Walmart has kept its annual price lower than Prime’s ($139) and has been adding benefits like this to match Amazon’s in an attempt to match its dominance. For Burger King, the partnership provides the company another way to attract fast food customers – many of whom have been balking at higher prices. Accessing the deals requires Walmart+ members to link accounts with a free Burger King Royal Perks profile, and the discount only applies to orders made through the burger chain’s app. The free Whopper benefit will begin in September, while the 25% discount starts immediately. (CNN)

Instagram is adding a Myspace-like ‘song on profile’ feature

A new feature announced by Instagram today will allow users to add a song on their profile — much like Myspace in the early 2000s. The music added to a user’s profile shows up in the bio area, according to screenshots shared by Instagram. A song will be featured on a profile until the user removes or replaces it. But unlike Myspace, songs won’t autoplay — people viewing a profile with a song can play and pause the track. Users can add a song by going to the “edit profile” page, where they’ll be able to search for and select a track from Instagram’s library of licensed music that’s also available for things like Reels or posts. From there, users will be able to select a 30-second-long portion of the song to add. Instagram is launching the feature in collaboration with pop star Sabrina Carpenter, whose earworm hit “Espresso” has been inescapable this summer. Instagram says the profile music feature is the only way to hear the song ahead of the full release. (The Verge)

Google is shoving its apps onto new Windows laptops

Google is making a new desktop app called Essentials that packages a few Google services, like Messages and Photos, and includes links to download many others. The app will be included with many new Windows laptops, with the first ones coming from HP. The Essentials app lets you “discover and install many of our best Google services,” according to Google’s announcement, and lets you browse Google Photos as well as send and receive Google Messages in the app. A full list of apps has not yet been announced, but Google’s announcement art showcases icons including Google Sheets, Google Drive, Nearby Share, and Google One (a two-month free trial is offered through Essentials for new subscribers). HP will start including Google Essentials across its computer brands, like Envy, Pavilion, Omen, and more. Google says you’re “in control of your experience” and can uninstall any part of Essentials or the whole thing. Essentials also includes Google’s Play Games app that lets you download popular Android games like Clash of Clans onto your computer. You can access Google Play Games through the Essentials app (or even the HP Omen Gaming Hub app), play games, and continue your progress on an Android device with compatible games. Google says that it will bring Essentials to other Windows PCs in the future. (Google)

US labor regulator says Amazon is a joint employer of subcontracted delivery drivers in California

Prosecutors at a federal labor agency have determined that Amazon is a joint employer of subcontracted drivers who delivered packages for the company in California, pushing back on claims from the online retailer that they are not its employees. The decision, made by a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles, came after the agency investigated unfair labor practice charges filed against the company by the Teamsters union. The prominent labor group represents UPS drivers and has been seeking to unionize Amazon drivers. However, it has encountered challenges, most notably because the company doesn’t directly employ drivers but relies on thousands of third-party businesses that deliver millions of customer packages every day. Currently, over 275,000 drivers are employed with these businesses, which are called Delivery Service Partners, or DSPs. The Teamsters and other labor advocates have long said Amazon exercises great control over the drivers – including by determining their routes, setting delivery targets and monitoring their performances – and should be classified as a joint employer. (New Orleans City Business)

Say Goodbye to Passport Stamps in Europe: New Entry/Exit System Starts Soon

The European Union’s executive arm, the European Commission, has officially announced the start date of its upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES), which will change the way international passports are processed for visitors to the EU’s member states. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs confirmed in a speech that the EU intends to implement the new system on November 10, 2024. Europe’s new Entry/Exit System is intended to replace passport stamping by electronically registering the arrival and departure of international visitors to and from most EU member states. Upon arrival in Europe, passport control officers will scan your face, record a digital scan of your fingerprints—these scans will be mandatory—and not stamp your passport. When visitors leave Europe, they’ll scan face and fingers once again to register their departure. Visitors will be able to speed their first arrival at a European border by pre-registering using a mobile app (not yet available) or the automated kiosks (which the EU calls “self-service systems”) installed at major border entry ports such as airports. Once you’re registered with EES, the next time you cross an external European border, you’ll only have to scan your face and fingers for reentry. Every person crossing an external European border who is not also an EU national—which by definition includes every tourist staying for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period—will be required to register with the new EES. In other words, pretty much everyone who goes to Europe on vacation. Visitors who fall outside the category of tourist, such as people who hold residence permits or long-stay visas, will be exempt from the EES. (Frommers)

The time has come for the Fed to soon begin reducing interest rates

With inflation nearly defeated and the job market cooling, the Federal Reserve is prepared to start cutting its key interest rate from its current 23-year high, Chair Jerome Powell said. Powell did not say when rate cuts would begin or how large they might be, but the Fed is widely expected to announce a modest quarter-point cut in its benchmark rate when it meets in mid-September. “The time has come for policy to adjust,” Powell said in his keynote speech at the Fed’s annual economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.” His reference to multiple rate cuts was the only hint that a series of reductions is likely. Powell stressed that inflation, after the worst price spike in four decades inflicted pain on millions of households, appears largely under control. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation fell to 2.5% last month, far below its peak of 7.1% two years ago and only slightly above the central bank’s 2% target level. (Associated Press)

USPS considering slowing down mail delivery to save money

The U.S. Postal Service announced that it is considering slowing down service to some people in order to save money and improve service to others. Top USPS officials said the plan would be to allow slower mail delivery to those who live more than 50 miles from a large processing facility. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said that the change would give customers within 50 miles of the facilities faster delivery service. The USPS is on pace to lose more than $7 billion in the 2024 fiscal year. It lost $6.5 billion the previous year. USPS can’t make the changes to slow down service to those outside 50 miles of large processing facilities until it gets permission from its governing board, and if it does, the slowdown won’t happen before the election. (CBS News)

Monday Is United With:

• Cherry Popsicle Day
• Dog Day
• Got Checked Day
• Toilet Paper Day
• WebMistress Day
• Women’s Equality Day

Historical Events

55 B.C. – Britain was invaded by Roman forces under Julius Caesar.

1071 – Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.

1498 – Michelangelo was commissioned to make the “Pieta.”

1768 – James Cook Sails off on HMS Endeavour. The British explorer was the first European in recorded history to have visited the eastern shores of Australia. The ship reached Botany Bay in April 1770 and was back on British shores on July 12, 1771.

1810 – The former viceroy Santiago de Liniers is executed after the defeat of his counter-revolution.

1813 – War of the Sixth Coalition: An impromptu battle takes place when French and Prussian-Russian forces accidentally run into each other near Liegnitz, Prussia (now Legnica, Poland).

1814 – Chilean War of Independence: Infighting between the rebel forces of José Miguel Carrera and Bernardo O’Higgins erupts in the Battle of Las Tres Acequias.

1818 – Illinois becomes the 21st state in the union of the United States.

1842 – The first fiscal year was established by the U.S. Congress to start on July 1st.

1847 – Liberia was proclaimed as an independent republic.

1873 – The school board of St. Louis, MO, authorized the first U.S. public kindergarten.

1896 – In the Philippines, and insurrection began against the Spanish government.

1920 – 19th Amendment to the US Constitution Takes Effect. The amendment extended universal suffrage to women in the United States. Before this, women in some states could vote in local and state elections. The Amendment was first introduced in Congress 42 years ago in 1878 by Senator Aaron A. Sargent. In 1919, the Congress approved the amendment and sent it to the states to be ratified.

1934 – Adolf Hitler demanded that France turn over their Saar region to Germany.

1937 – All Chinese shipping was blockaded by Japan.

1939 – The first televised major league baseball games were shown. The event was a double-header between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1939 – The radio program, “Arch Oboler’s Plays”, presented the NBC Symphony for the first time.

1945 – The Japanese were given surrender instructions on the U.S. battleship Missouri at the end of World War II.

1947 – Don Bankhead became the first black pitcher in major league baseball.

1955 – First Tennis Match to be Telecast in Color. The Davis Cup match between Australia and the US from the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York, was telecast on NBC.

1957 – It was announced that an intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully tested by the Soviet Union.

1957 – The first Edsel made by the Ford Motor Company rolled of the assembly line.

1961 – The International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto opened.

1966 – Namibian War of Independence Begins. The 24-year long rebellion against the South African government began with an attack by the South African Defence Force on the members of the South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) at Omugulugwombashe. Namibia gained independence on 21 March 1990. Namibians observe Heroes Day annually on August 26.

1973 – A U.S. Presidential Proclamation was declared that made August 26th Women’s Equality Day.

1978 – First German to go into Space. Sigmund Jähn, a pilot from the East German Air Force joined the crew of Soyuz 31, a Soviet manned space flight to the Salyut 6 space station.

1981 – The U.S. claimed that North Korea fired an antiaircraft missile at a U.S. Surveillance plane while it was over South Korea.

1987 – The Fuller Brush Company announced plans to open two retail stores in Dallas, TX. The company that had sold its products door to door for 81 years.

1990 – The 55 Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait left Baghdad by car and headed for the Turkish border.

1991 – Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev promised that national elections would be held.

1992 – A “no-fly zone” was imposed on the southern 1/3 of Iraq. The move by the U.S., France and Britain was aimed at protecting Iraqi Shiite Muslims.

1998 – The U.S. government announced that they were investigating Microsoft in an attempt to discover if they “bullied” Intel into delaying new technology.

2011 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s all-new composite airliner, receives certification from the EASA and the FAA.