Geekly Update - 07 October 2020
Which one of the newly discovered 'superhabitable exoplanets' would you prefer to call home? Do you know the practical differences between Chromebooks and laptops? Can Moses save Venice? And is a battery that generates it's own power from graphene likely to change your life? 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
Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a battery that never needs to be recharged, because it produces its own energy from graphene.
Chrome now can check if passwords on your smartphone have been compromised in data breaches. This feature has been avaialable on PCs for a while, but now works on Android and iPhones devices.
Will MOSEs save Venice from constant flooding? It took 17 years and billions of euros, but a set of 78 "sea gates" have been installed in the Venetian Lagoon to protect the city from floods. Will it solve the problem, or create new ones?
A conservation group is deploying 3D-printed "InvestEGGator" decoy eggs with GPS-tracking to trace turtle egg smugglers.
The good news: Washington State University geobiologists have identified 24 planets located outside our solar system that could be suitable for life. The bad news: They're all over 100 light-years (600 trillion miles) away.
What are the practical differences between Chromebooks and laptops, and which device would best suit your needs? CNet breaks it down for you.
9to5Mac wants you to know that Spotify has rolled out "a new useful feature" for iPhone and Android mobile gadgets that allows users to search for songs by their lyrics. AskBob wants you to know that your favorite search engine has been able to do this for years.
Apple is suing Quantum Lifecycle Partners for allegedly reselling over 100,000 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches that they were supposed to disassemble and recycle. It wasn't hard to detect this malfeasance -- Apple found that many of the supposedly decommissioned devices were still active on carrier networks.
In the wake of the passing of Eddie Van Halen, Popular Mechanics has published How the Late Rock God Eddie Van Halen Hacked His Guitar. It was interesting to learn that Van Halen was much more than a great musician, he was also a tinkerer who made or modified his own equipment, and even patented some of his game-changing guitar techniques.
Microsoft has launched a free YouTube video course to help aspiring coders learn the popular JavaScript programming language in 51 lessons.
For over a decade, Google and Oracle have been locking legal horns regarding the use of Java, a component of the Android operating system. Now they're heading to the Supreme Court. The future of software hangs in the balance, says Protocol.
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 7 Oct 2020
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 07 October 2020"
Posted by:
Ralph Dreher
07 Oct 2020
What the best way to link two computer together (master/slave)?
Posted by:
db
07 Oct 2020
@Ralph Dreher.. This link shows 5 ways to connect two computers together https://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Two-Computers
Personally I use TeamViewer, and there are other programs like TeamViewer such as LogMeIn, Webex meetings, Join Me, Chrome Remote Desktop... etc.
Posted by:
hifi5000
07 Oct 2020
I almost bought a lot of five "broken" Chromebooks to fix up and get going again,but after reading about their requirements and limitations,I decided against the project.
It looks like these machines are not easy to run with Linux which was another strike for me.I guess a kid with more experience with these machines will have more luck.
Posted by:
Warren Ngo
07 Oct 2020
About the "free energy" graphene battery: the airwave is filled with rf energy from countless radio transmitters. This energy is emitted 24/7. Could this energy not be stored via tuned circuits and stored? Just brain storming.
Posted by:
wally
08 Oct 2020
I'm continually amazed at stories like the turtle egg tracker.
Why broadcast this information, sort of goes against common sense to tell the crooks how you are going to trap them.
Posted by:
Jillian S
08 Oct 2020
RE: Song lyrics. By chance, I looked up some song lyrics about ten minutes ago....in the usual way.
RE: MOSES. A few years ago I read a teen book about an American boy who has to spend a summer in Venice because his dad is working on that project. Of course, reading the book, I did not realize how long the project would take.
RE: Chrome. About half the time I need to see something on You Tube, I get an error message with the suggestions to Restart, Try Another Time, or Get Chrome. Annoying!
Posted by:
PgmrDude
09 Oct 2020
I'm late reading this, so am surprised that no one showed you your corrections for the week, Bob. :-)
1) Exoplanets: "They're all all over 100 light-years..." ("all all" s/b "all").
2) Apple: "and Apple Watches that they were suppoed to disassemble". (suppoed s/b supposed)
Being a TERRIBLE proof-reader (so much so, that I stopped proofing my own work years ago), it always surprises me when I see someone else's errors.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Fixed, thanks!