Geekly Update - 01 July 2020
What's the fastest supercomputer in the world? Did a financial services company create its own font with terms of use guaranteed to bring them mockery and loathing? Did YouTube TV hike prices AGAIN? And how common is it to find secret surveillance cameras in Airbnb rentals? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment! |
The AskBobRankin Geekly Update
Houston, we have a problem... toilets don't work without gravity. So NASA wants your help, and will pay $35000 for a space toilet design that will help astronauts take care of business, while they're on the moon, or other gravity-free zones.
Boeing will start test flights aimed at recertifying the 737 Max, which was involved in two deadly crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. Anyone want to volunteer?
Are you part of the 58 percent of travelers worried about secret surveillance cameras in vacation rentals? Popular Mechanics has some tips on how to spy out these gadgets.
Fugaku, a Japanese supercomputer, has earned the title of Fastest Computer in the World. In the latest competition, Fugaku cranked out 415.53 petaflops. IBM's Summit, the previous winner, clocked in at 148.6 petaflops. A petaflop is one quadrillion floating point operations.
Financial giant Goldman Sachs has released its own font, Goldman Sans. The font, which is characterized as "a contemporary sans-serif that garnishes merciless formality with a charming typographic wink," is free to use -- as as long as you don't use it to criticize Goldman Sachs.
Microsoft is including a new app in Windows 10 version 2004 that can help users recover deleted or corrupted files and photos.
If you can't wait for that, see my article 10 Free Tools to Recover Deleted Files that you can use now.
The Federal Communication Commission and Homeland Security have officially designated Huawei and ZTE national security threats. The head of FCC says the the Chinese tech firms are risks to America's 5G future
Amid the COVID-19 jobs crisis, Microsoft plans to offer digital-skills training to 25 million people around the world by the end of 2020. The effort is intended to help unemployed workers gain needed skills for in-demand digital positions.
Streaming service YouTube TV is raising it's monthly price from $50 to $65. As I mentioned in my recent article Cord-Cutting: Does it Really Cut Costs?, this is not their first price hike. YouTube TV launched at $35 per month, increased the price to $40 in March 2018, and raised it again to $50/month in April 2019. The price increase is effective immediately for new subscribers, and will go into effect July 30 for current subscribers.
The Federal Communications Commission wants to establish 988 as a new nationwide phone number to connect callers with suicide prevention and mental health counselors. If adopted by the Commission this month, it would require phone service providers to direct 988 calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Nicolas Temese created an amazing miniature model of the 1959 IBM 1401 mainframe computer.
Your thoughts on these topics are welcome! Post your comment or question below...
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 1 Jul 2020
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 01 July 2020"
Posted by:
MikieB
01 Jul 2020
In late 1965 I "cut my teeth" on an IBM 1401 computer. Since then I ran many mainframe computers. I have even WALKED through a mainframe computer. Lots of vacuum tubes and orange light. Now I'm limited to a laptop. We have definitely come a long way in 50+ years.
Posted by:
RandiO
01 Jul 2020
I am certain that NASA brain-trust can design a way to pelletize the poop, internally. Like a miniature garbage compactor which is inserted where the sun (nor the moon) never shines. ...of course, it would be powered by "natural" gas!
Posted by:
Art F
01 Jul 2020
"... while they're on the moon, or other gravity-free zones." Come again?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, there's (a little) gravity on the moon's surface. I suppose I should have worded it as "while on the moon, or in other areas where there is little or no gravity."
Posted by:
gregory urruela
01 Jul 2020
The moon's surface gravity is about 1.62 m/s2
Posted by:
Robert A.
02 Jul 2020
And so mankind's pollution of the moon begins!
Posted by:
PgmrDude
02 Jul 2020
Space Toilet: Why wouldn't they simply use what they're using now on the ISS? If it works there's no need to spend $$$ on a new design.