Non-IT News Thread
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'Highest temperature on Earth' as Death Valley, US hits 54.4C
What could be the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth - 130F (54.4C) - may have been reached in Death Valley National Park, California.
The recording is being verified by the US National Weather Service. It comes amid a heatwave on the US's west coast, where temperatures are forecast to rise further this week. The scorching conditions have led to two days of blackouts in California, after a power plant malfunctioned on Saturday. "It's an oppressive heat and it's in your face," Brandi Stewart, who works at Death Valley National Park, told the BBC. Ms Stewart has lived and worked at the national park on and off for five years. She spends a lot of her time indoors in August because it's simply too uncomfortable to be outside. -
BBC News - Lego hand comes out of boy's nose after two years
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53819306 -
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Oculus headsets will require Facebook logins starting in October
Current Oculus accounts will work without issue until 2023.
It's a possibility Oculus owners have had in the back of their minds since Facebook acquired the company in 2014, and it's now finally happening. Oculus will soon require all of its users to log in with a Facebook account.
In October, the company will start prompting device owners to merge their Oculus and Facebook accounts. If you want to continue using your existing Oculus account, you can do so through to January 1st, 2023. At that point, your headset will still work, but Facebook warns some games and apps may not.
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@JaredBusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
Oculus headsets will require Facebook logins starting in October
Current Oculus accounts will work without issue until 2023.
It's a possibility Oculus owners have had in the back of their minds since Facebook acquired the company in 2014, and it's now finally happening. Oculus will soon require all of its users to log in with a Facebook account.
In October, the company will start prompting device owners to merge their Oculus and Facebook accounts. If you want to continue using your existing Oculus account, you can do so through to January 1st, 2023. At that point, your headset will still work, but Facebook warns some games and apps may not.
That's not legal. They sold the Oculus but they ban people from Facebook at random. Selling the headset but disallowing it's use is not legal.
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@JaredBusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
At that point, your headset will still work, but Facebook warns some games and apps may not.
Clearly making an attempt to prepare to skirt the law.
Valve Index for the future, I guess.
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US Election 2020: Biden is crowned as Democratic nominee
Joe Biden has been officially anointed the Democratic presidential candidate at the party's convention, helped over the line with some glowing testimonials from elder statesmen.
Two Democratic former presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, endorsed Mr Biden. Mr Clinton said President Donald Trump had brought "chaos" to the Oval Office. Mr Trump trails Mr Biden in opinion polls ahead of November's election. Mr Biden, the former vice-president under President Barack Obama, became his party's nominee on Tuesday night in a pre-recorded roll call vote from delegates in all 50 states. This is Mr Biden's third White House bid, having formerly run in 1988 and 2008. The 77-year-old's campaign appeared to be in danger of collapse back in February this year. -
US stocks hit new high after coronavirus crash
So stocks are now higher than before the corona virus. (Yesterdays news)
and
It's looking like another record day for the US stock market: August 19, 2020
Apple surpassed the $2 trillion market cap mark Wednesday morning, continuing an iMazing run for the stock -- which has now gained nearly 60% this year.
Apple could soon have some more company in the $2 trillion club though. Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) are approaching the magical milestone too.
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https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEDBcJuA2JB/?igshid=awlz0i67myqf
Watch this guy apologize for hitting a grand slam
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Steve Bannon charged with fraud over Mexico wall funds
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Mr Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which raised $25m (£19m), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said. Mr Bannon received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, the DoJ said. He is due to appear in court later. Mr Bannon was a key architect of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election victory. His right-wing anti-immigration ideology fuelled Mr Trump's "America First" campaign. -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Steve Bannon charged with fraud over Mexico wall funds
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Mr Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which raised $25m (£19m), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said. Mr Bannon received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, the DoJ said. He is due to appear in court later. Mr Bannon was a key architect of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election victory. His right-wing anti-immigration ideology fuelled Mr Trump's "America First" campaign.lol. House Trump going down in flames.
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@wirestyle22 said in Non-IT News Thread:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEDBcJuA2JB/?igshid=awlz0i67myqf
Watch this guy apologize for hitting a grand slam
Jomboy covered this well. So pissed Tatis actually apologized and that his teammates didn't back him.
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Alexei Navalny: Russian doctors agree to let Putin critic go to Germany
Russian doctors treating Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who fell into a coma after being taken ill on a plane, have changed their minds and agreed to let him be flown to Germany.
The doctors, in the Siberian city of Omsk, had earlier insisted he was too ill to be moved. His supporters suspect he drank poisoned tea, and accuse authorities of trying to cover up a crime. A medically equipped plane is waiting to take him to Germany for treatment. Mr Navalny's team said earlier it was "deadly" for him to remain in the hospital and his wife, Yulia, appealed in a letter to the Kremlin to give permission for him to flown abroad. Eventually, German medics were allowed to see him and said they were "able and willing" to fly him to Berlin. Mr Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said it was a pity doctors had taken so long to approve his flight as the plane and the right documents had been ready since Friday morning. -
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Be Released In Florida Keys
Some 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys between 2021 and 2022 in an attempt to stop the spread of diseases like zika.
CNN reported that the genetically modified bugs, called OX5034, have been “altered to produce female offspring that die in the larval stage, well before hatching and growing large enough to bite and spread disease.” Since it’s the female of the species that bite, they are the ones that carry diseases. Males, the outlet reported, eat nectar. The bugs were modified by Oxitec, a U.S.-owned company based in Great Britain, and will also be released in Harris County, Texas, starting next year. As CNN reported, the Environmental Protection Agency “granted Oxitec’s request after years of investigating the impact of the genetically altered mosquito on human and environmental health.” -
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/tech/algorithms-bias-inequality-intl-gbr/index.html
Here's my take on it... if you are a university that uses this crap to determine who you admit, you're a crap university to start with.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/tech/algorithms-bias-inequality-intl-gbr/index.html
Here's my take on it... if you are a university that uses this crap to determine who you admit, you're a crap university to start with.
Yeah that student had it right, its a political problem. I just wonder to what extent systems like that are used everywhere?
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@jmoore said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/tech/algorithms-bias-inequality-intl-gbr/index.html
Here's my take on it... if you are a university that uses this crap to determine who you admit, you're a crap university to start with.
Yeah that student had it right, its a political problem. I just wonder to what extent systems like that are used everywhere?
Texas certainly does, I talk about it all the time. I've even discussed that it's extreme enough that we don't feel that legally we are allowed to know if a candidate has a degree from a Texas school as the process of getting into Texas state schools is so racist that we have to discount the degree completely, on a legal basis.
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@scottalanmiller since we both live in Texas, can you help me understand your position on the racism part of admission? I honestly dont know about it. I was 50th in my class of 98, so I never bothered applying. Went the community college route. No one that i know has applied to a state university. I attended UNT but do not recall the admission requirements. If this is true I will petition my local representatives to cease and desist. Racist systems truly have to be stopped. I want to be part of the solution.
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@popester Scott may have a different opinion but from what I have seen most schools have some sort of algorithm. Professors that I know tell me it usually favors black or female. I don't know why that is though, if its true. However I will say one of my nephews from Michigan wanted to go to UT Austin and was 4th in his senior class with a 4.0 and he was denied. He did everything right and applied a year in advance. He couldn't get in so joined the marines and just got through boot camp. I'm proud of him either way. I would have liked if he was close to me at school though so I could help look out for him. oh well.
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@jmoore Devil Dogs, Semper Fi!!!
