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Lego Wants To Completely Remake Its Toy Bricks Using Plant-Based Or Recycled Materials Published on September 01, 2018 at 09:00AM An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Seattle Times: Lego is trying to refashion the product it is best known for: It wants to eliminate its dependence on petroleum-based plastics, and build its toys entirely from plant-based or recycled materials by 2030. The challenge is designing blocks that click together yet separate easily, retain bright colors, and survive the rigors of being put through a laundry load, or the weight of an unknowing parent's foot. In essence, the company wants to switch the ingredients, but keep the product exactly the same. [...] Lego emits about 1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, about three-quarters of which comes from the raw materials that go into its factories, according to Tim Brooks, the company's vice president for environmental responsibility. Lego is taking a two-pronged approach to reducing the am...

FCC Criticized For Surrendering Power To Punish Verizon After Firefighters Got Throttled During Wildfire Published on September 01, 2018 at 06:55AM Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday criticized the FCC on its response to Verizon's throttling of firefighters' data speeds as they battled a major wildfire in Northern California. "In a letter Friday, Senator Edward Markey and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo demanded answers from the FCC over what steps it is currently taking to address 'critical threats to public safety,' citing its decision to repeal Obama-era net neutrality protections," reports Gizmodo. From the report: The 2015 Open Internet Order -- overturned by the FCC's Republican majority last winter -- reclassified internet providers like Verizon as common carriers under Title II of the Federal Communications Act, granting the FCC regulatory authority that, in this instance, would have allowed the commission to investigate and potential penalize Verizon fo...

Linus Torvalds No Longer Knows the Whole Linux Kernel and That's OK Published on September 01, 2018 at 06:15AM darthcamaro writes: In a wide-ranging conversation at the Open Source Summit, Linus Torvalds admitted that he no longer knows everything that's in LInux. "Nobody knows the whole kernel anymore," Torvalds said. "Having looked at patches for many years, I know the big picture of all the areas in the kernel and I can look at a patch and know if it's right or wrong." Overall, he emphasized that being open source has enabled Linux to attract new developers that can pick up code and maintain all the various systems in Linux. In his view, the only way to deal with complexity is to be open. "When you have complexity you can't manage it in a closed environment, you need to have the people that actually find problems and give them the ability to get involved and help you to fix them," Torvalds said. "It's a complicated world and t...

Scientists Make a Touch Tablet That Rolls and Scrolls Published on September 01, 2018 at 05:33AM An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Research scientists at Queen's University's Human Media Lab have built a prototype touchscreen device that's neither smartphone nor tablet but kind of both -- and more besides. The device, which they've christened the MagicScroll, is inspired by ancient (papyrus/paper/parchment) scrolls so it takes a rolled-up, cylindrical form factor -- enabled by a flexible 7.5inch touchscreen housed in the casing. This novel form factor, which they made using 3D printing, means the device can be used like an erstwhile Rolodex (remember those?!) for flipping through on-screen contacts quickly by turning a physical rotary wheel built into the edge of the device. (They've actually added one on each end.) Then, when more information or a deeper dive is required, the user is able to pop the screen out of the casing to expand the visibl...

Apple Records First-Ever Accident In Self-Driving Car Program Published on September 01, 2018 at 04:50AM Apple's self-driving car program has reported its first-ever accident, according to a filing to the state's DMV. No injuries were reported. AppleInsider reports: A test car was rear-ended by a Nissan Leaf while merging onto an expressway, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Twitter. The Apple vehicle suffered "moderate" damage. Details are still forthcoming, so it's unclear if the fault was with the Nissan driver, Apple's hardware and software, or some combination of the two. In an update, AppleInsider provided the following information: "The Apple vehicle, a Lexus SUV, was merging onto the Lawrence Expressway in California's Bay Area on Aug. 24, Gurman later wrote, citing a filing by Apple's Steve Kenner with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Leaf was moving at just 15 miles per hour, but was also damaged." Read more of this stor...

Every now and then, TV manufacturers start a new trend to keep the hype for their products going. If you bought a TV in the last year, a salesman probably told you that some iteration of HDR is a must-have. Your current TV likely supports 3D — and I bet you haven't used that feature in ages.  The hot new thing at this year's IFA, Berlin's trade show which gathers the largest consumer electronics manufacturers, was 8K TVs. I've seen those TVs, and I can tell you, they all had an absolutely stunning picture. I can also tell you that you absolutely don't need one.  SEE ALSO: Samsung's massive 8K QLED TV will hit stores in October Read more... More about Samsung , Lg , Ifa , 8k Tv , and Toshiba from Mashable https://ift.tt/2osrGjT

Murder Suspect Jailed Over Refusing To Reveal Password In the UK Published on September 01, 2018 at 04:10AM A man suspected of murdering a teenager in England has been arrested for failing to hand over his Facebook password to authorities. The BBC reports: Lucy McHugh, 13, was found stabbed to death in woodland last month, a day after she disappeared. Stephen-Alan Nicholson, 24, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an order under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, requiring him to disclose the Facebook password. He was sentenced to 14 months in jail. He was first arrested on July 27 on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child and subsequently bailed. But he was also charged under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The court heard the charge related to a court order that Nicholson disclose his Facebook password protecting any private communications with Lucy McHugh. Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Parker did not accept Nicholson's "wholly...

Sorry, folks!  Google is not releasing a smartwatch this year. The company confirmed on Friday in an interview with Tom's Guide that it has no plans to release it's own-branded smartwatch in 2018. Tech news sites have been in a frenzy over the past few months over what many believed was proof that the company planned to launch its own competitor to the Apple Watch. The product was expected to be named the Google "Pixel" watch and sold as a compliment to the existing Pixel phone — but now that dream is dead. The idea was that the Pixel watch would used to showcase the best of the company's WearOS software, similar to the way existing Pixel phones show off the best features of Android. Google currently relies on hardware makers like Fossil, Michael Kors, and Tag Heuer to make the physical watches. Read more... More about Google , Smartwatch , Pixel , Wearos , and Tech from Mashable https://ift.tt/2otiFXS

Fox News Breaking News Alert FBI arrests five 'extremist Muslim' New Mexico compound suspects days after multiple charges were dropped 08/31/18 6:29 PM

Humans To Blame For Most Self-Driving Car Crashes In California, Study Finds Published on September 01, 2018 at 03:30AM cartechboy writes: Turns out computers are better drivers than humans after all. Axios compiled a study that found the vast majority of crashes in California involving self-driving cars were not caused by the autonomous vehicles themselves. Of the 54 incidents involving 55 companies holding self-driving permits in California, only one crash could be blamed on a self-driving car in autonomous mode. Six crashes were when the self-driving cars were in conventional driving modes, while the majority of the accidents were to be blamed on other drivers or pedestrians. Maybe self-driving cars aren't such a bad thing after all, it's humans that are the problem. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The need to fill that niche, adult animated show hole in our lives right now is real. And we've got just the cure. HBO's obscure comedy Animals , currently in its third season, is it's own very unique beast (pun intended). But it shares a lot of DNA with the more known and watched heavy hitters of the adult animated show genre. At the very least, it'll help scratch that itch while we wait until Sept. 14 for Bojack Horseman, and an indefinite amount of time for more Rick and Morty . SEE ALSO: Why 'Rick and Morty' is the realest show on TV right now Animals first premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival before getting picked up by HBO, but that all sounds a lot more avante-garde than what the show actually is. As the name implies, it takes on the perspectives of different animals and their disparate cultures through a hilariously deadpan approach to comedy. Read more... More about Entertainment , Animals , Hbo , Rick And Morty , and Bojack Horseman ...

Apple and seemingly every Android phone maker under the sun want us to embrace the smartphone notch, but things don't have to be this way. There is a realistic path toward a phone with a true all-screen display without any ugly cutouts: cameras that slide up when you need them and retract when you don't. SEE ALSO: The Xperia XZ3 is Sony's nicest phone in years, but it may not be enough If there's any one thing that science fiction movies have taught me, it's that pocket communicators (or phones as we call them) have only one final form: They're just a screen. They should have no bezels at all. Read more... More about Mobile , Android , Trends , Ifa , and Ifa 2018 from Mashable https://ift.tt/2ww7QIR

'Gold Standard' State Net Neutrality Bill Approved By California Assembly Published on September 01, 2018 at 02:50AM An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: California's state Assembly yesterday approved a strict net neutrality bill despite opposition from the telecom industry. California's Senate already approved an earlier version of the bill in May. But some minor changes were made in the Assembly, so the Senate must vote on the bill again today before going into recess. If the Senate approves, California Governor Jerry Brown would have until September 30 to sign the bill into law. The bill would prohibit Internet service providers from blocking or throttling lawful traffic, and from requiring fees from websites or online services to deliver or prioritize their traffic to consumers. The bill also imposes limits on data cap exemptions (so-called "zero-rating") and says that ISPs may not attempt to evade net neutrality protections by slowing ...

Have you been dying to outfit your home office with a brand new desktop? Biting your nails, waiting for the moment your ancient laptop finally gives up the ghost? Don’t let this situation get to death-rattle territory. Friends, it’s time to upgrade — and HP has you covered. From Labor Day through mid-September, the company is offering discounts on over 20 different laptops and desktops, with free shipping and returns, plus price matching. The biggest deal of the bunch is on the 15t Touch , which is discounted to $559.99 through September 12 — at a savings of a whopping $680. (Think about it: you are literally saving more than you’re spending.) This laptop has a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB memory, and it’s not holding out in the looks department. The sleek design, with its black matte finish, basically announces, “I woke up like this.”  Read more... More about Tech , Supported , Hp , Desktop Pc , and Desktop from Mashable https://ift.tt/2ot7vCk

Lenovo's Yoga Book C930 Laptop Swaps the Keyboard For an E Ink Display Published on September 01, 2018 at 02:15AM Lenovo has launched a laptop with an e-ink display in place of a normal keyboard. An anonymous reader writes: The Yoga Book C930 laptop follows in the footsteps of the Yoga Book A12, the convertible that was all the rage at IFA back in 2016. That device swapped the standard keyboard for a touchscreen, so the surface could double as a drawing pad. It wasn't particularly conducive for typing, but it certainly was innovative. The C930 takes things even further, swapping the Halo keyboard for E Ink. It's an interesting application for the technology, which has largely been relegated to the world of e-readers. The secondary display serves the same function as on the A12, doing triple duty as a keyboard, notepad and e-reader. The C930 will be available in October, starting at $1,000. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

NASA is inviting media to view NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft Thursday, Oct. 4, ahead of its scheduled launch aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket Saturday, Oct. 6, at 4 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida. August 31, 2018 from NASA https://ift.tt/2C6285B

It's make or break time for the longest-living rover on Mars.  NASA's Opportunity rover has survived 15 years exploring the red planet thanks to solar power, but due to an extreme, planet-enveloping dust storm, the space agency hasn't been able to communicate with it since June 10.  Now, however, the dust is clearing, and NASA is listening for the little rover to phone home once it powers up. SEE ALSO: The Opportunity rover is caught in a huge dust storm on Mars, but NASA remains hopeful “The sun is breaking through the haze over Perseverance Valley, and soon there will be enough sunlight present that Opportunity should be able to recharge its batteries,” John Callas, Opportunity project manager, said in a statement .  Read more... More about Space , Nasa , Science , Opportunity Rover , and Science from Mashable https://ift.tt/2PVoBFp