With the pandemic shutting down so many business, tech news has been slowing to almost non-existent. I will continue to try digging up some interesting stories.
Month: April 2020
Elon Musk Says Cyber Truck Will Float
The cyber truck keeps coming up with surprises. But besides a 14,000-pound towing capacity on certain trims and a battery capacity that Tesla says could reach an unprecedented 500 miles of range, Musk recently Tweeted about another never-before-mentioned feature: flotation. For more, check out this IEN story.
Sonos Introduces Sonos Radio
Sonos launches Sonos Radio, a free, ad-supported streaming radio service, exclusively available to customers in more than 10 million homes globally. Complementing the 100+ streaming options available on Sonos, the new service introduces a holistic and cohesive way to explore radio, bringing together more than 60,000 stations from multiple streaming partners alongside original programming from…
Astronomers say ‘disappearing planet’ may never have existed
What scientists had believed was a planet beyond our solar system has now apparently disappeared from sight. The “exoplanet,” which is a planet outside of our solar system, supposedly orbited around Fomalhaut, a star that’s 25 light years away. Instead of a planet, which had been named Fomalhaut b, what astronomers likely saw was a…
An antiviral drug for COVID-19?
A Gilead Sciences drug reportedly shows promise treating coronavirus. Remdesivir is causing “rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms, with nearly all patients discharged in less than a week” in patients at a Chicago hospital, medical site STAT reported. For more, check out this USA Today story.
NBCUniversal unveils Peacock streaming service
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, launching in April 2020. Peacock will deliver a world-class slate of exclusive originals; on-demand libraries of hit TV shows, including some of the most-watched streaming series like 30 Rock, Yellowstone, and Parks and Recreation; plus critically-acclaimed films from the vaults of Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and…
A rare ozone hole over the Arctic
The hole is the biggest such atmospheric opening ever recorded over the planet’s northernmost regions, scientists say. Persistent cold temperatures in the polar region and unusually quiet ozone dynamics have caused record depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer over the Arctic, according to Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight…
Military Wants to Build Mobile Microreactor
In order to reduce reliance on local electric grids, the military wants to build mobile microreactors. The U.S. Department of Defense wants to build a prototype advanced mobile nuclear microreactor at the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho, saying they are needed to ensure the military’s energy supply. For more, check out this IEN story.
COVID-19 Antibody testing on the way
It’s not the COVID-19 test to see if you have it, but a test to see if you already had it. As officials begin to discuss when they can lift stay-at-home orders, companies are rushing to develop coronavirus antibody tests that could help them make those decisions without risking a second wave of infections. For…
Coronavirus Ventilators for $100
A DIY contraption to help in these challenging times. Made with “primarily a garden hose, a lamp timer and electronic valve,” the ventilator, named the Robertson Ventilator, for less than $100, can be assembled in approximately 20 to 30 minutes, meaning a dedicated team of four to five could produce nearly 100 in a day…