Geekly Update - 08 September 2021

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Should we be prepping for an Internet Apocalypse caused by the Sun? A research paper warns that coronal mass ejections caused by magnetic storms on the Sun could cause Internet disruptions lasting several months.

It turns out artificial intelligence is pretty dumb, at least when used to analyze breast cancer screening images. Analysis of AI-based systems used to detect breast cancer found them to be less accurate than a radiologist 94% of the time.

Despite the hype, the folks at Morning Brew say, 5G wireless Internet isn't catching on very fast. Consumers are either unaware of the technology, or unsure of how it might benefit them. And 5G coverage varies widely, depending on where you live.

A wireless charging pad is a convenient way to charge your smartphone. But what if we could get rid of the pad as well? Dream no longer... long-range wireless charging, an emerging tech that beams power through the air, may soon be coming to a wall near you.

What would happen if you filled your cart at Whole Foods, and just walked out the door? Nothing, as long as you do so at a Whole Foods Market using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. Stores in Washington, D.C. and Sherman Oaks, California, which are expected to open next year, will allow customers to skip the checkout line. Their Amazon account will be automatically debited for the items in the cart. RELATED: Some shoppers at Lowe's have already found a low-tech way to "just walk out" of the store with thousands of dollars of merchandise.

ProtonMail, the poster-child for email privacy, is getting flack for providing the IP address of a French activist, who was subsequently arrested. The company says that it doesn’t log customer IP addresses unless compelled to do so by a court order under Swiss law. The actual contents of emails sent and received via ProtonMail are encrypted, and are not subject to requests from law enforcement.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates using plant and bacteria viruses. Two big advantages: They are thermally stable, which means they don't require extreme low temperatures for storage and transport. They can also be used via self-administered microneedle patches.

Segway, perhaps best known for their mall cop scooters, has announced Navimow, a robot mower that uses GPS to navigate and trim your lawn. It's unique in that no boundary wires are needed to keep the robot from straying off course. Users define the boundaries of the lawn using a smartphone app.

This just in from the WhoDaThunkIt Desk: "Legalization of recreational cannabis may be associated with an increase in fatal motor vehicle collisions," according to a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Yup, it's hard to drive with a big bag of Doritos on your lap.

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