WATCH: WORLD RINGS IN NEW YEAR UNDER COVID CLOUD

Happy New Year İn Advance To Everyone

The world began  on Friday with the inauguration of 2022 after another turbulent and pandemic-ridden year, limited by new restrictions, a rising number of cases, and a slight glimmer of hope for better times.

 The first Olympic Games without spectators and  the  dreams of democracy from Afghanistan to Myanmar to Hong Kong are being smashed by authoritarian regimes.

But it was the pandemic, now entering its third year, that once again dominated  most people's lives. More than 5.4 million people have died since the coronavirus was first reported in central China in December 2019, and countless more have fallen ill, exposed to outbreaks, bans, bans and an alphabetical spaghetti of PCR testing, LFT and RAT.

The year 2021 began with hope when life-saving vaccines were used in around 60 percent of the world's population, though many of their poor still have limited access and some of the rich believe the coups are part of an unclear plot.

When it came to an end, the appearance of the Omicron variant caused the number of  new cases of Covid-19 to rise to more than a million for the first time, according to an AFP balance sheet.

France became the last country to announce on Friday that Omicron is now its dominant coronavirus strain. In the UK, the US and even Australia, a long-standing haven from the pandemic, the variant's prominence is generating new record cases.

Parts of the Pacific nation of Kiribati were the first to greet the New Year from 1000 GMT.

In San Francisco, the festivities have been canceled or reduced again  as infections increase.

One notable exception, however, was South Africa, which was the first country to report Omicron  in November, where the curfew was lifted to allow the festivities.

Health officials said  a drop in infections over the past week shows the current wave has peaked, crucially without a significant increase in deaths. Sydney, Australia's largest city, has also opted for fireworks that will light up the city, port, despite being one of the fastest growing cases in the world.

The country's Conservative government says its decision to abandon a "Covidzero" approach was based on vaccination rates and increasing evidence that Omicron is less lethal.

Tens of thousands of night owls were expected to populate Sydney Beach, although AFP journalists said the city was quieter than normal at nightfall.

"I'm just trying to focus on the positive things that happened this year instead of thinking about all of the bad things that happened," said Melinda, a 22-year-old medical student.

Howard, part of an enthusiastic but smaller than usual crowd waiting at the Opera House for the show to begin.

Despite numerous infections in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is planning fireworks at the Burj Khalifa, the  tallest tower in the world.

Meanwhile, the northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is trying to break two world records with  huge fireworks.

"Just a wish" In Rio, the celebrations on Copacabana Beach will take place in a reduced format, although many night owls are still expected.

"People have only one wish to leave their homes, to celebrate life," said a 45-year-old waiter on Copacabana Beach said Francisco Rodrigues.

Some Brazilians are more careful, like Roberta Assis, a 27-year-old lawyer. "This is not the time for big meetings," he said. The authorities in Seoul are showing similar caution and instead prohibit viewers from ringing the traditional midnight bell.

In India, fearing a repetition of the devastating surge in the virus  that overwhelmed the country in April and May, cities and states have imposed assembly restrictions and Delhi put a curfew at 10 p.m. Mumbai police put nighttime bans on people on Friday Enact visiting public places such as city beaches and boardwalks, which are usually popular attractions in the New Year, with two-week restrictions.

The health organization warned of difficult times, saying Omicron could lead to "a tsunami of cases"."This ... will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems that are on the verge of collapse," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

But the restrictions have again led to frequent, loud and sometimes violent protests against the blockade, vaccinations and the government. Experts and non-experts alike hope that 2022 will be remembered as the new, less deadly phase of the pandemic.

"Be better for everyone," said  Oscar Ramirez, a 31-year-old Sydney night owl. “Everyone in the world needs a big change.

İf you like this post then buy me my first coffee

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3Jw3LYR

Read More

JAPAN AIMS TO PUT A PERSON ON THE MOON BY LATE 2020S

Japan on Tuesday revised the timetable for its space exploration plans  to land a Japanese  on the moon by the second half of the 2020s.

 "Space is not just a border that gives people hope and dreams of economic society in terms of our economic security," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a meeting to finalize the plan.

According to the preliminary schedule of the plan, Japan intends to participate in the Artemis program, one of U.S. led initiative aimed at bringing astronauts back to the moon, bringing the first non-American to the moon.

The plan also outlines Japan's ambitions to launch a probe to explore Mars in 2024 and find ways to generate solar power in space.

Neighboring China is also aiming to become a major space power by 2030 and also plans to land astronauts on the moon, increasing the possibility of an Asian space race.

In May, China became the second country to put a rover on Mars two years later.

After the landing of the first spaceship on the other side of the moon, his space exploration goals were announced a week after Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth after 12 days on board the International Space Station and became the first space tourist to travel to Earth is ISS in more than a decade.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3qVFX8D

Read More

GERMANY TO PULL THE PLUG ON THREE OF ITS LAST SIX NUCLEAR PLANTS

Germany will shut down three of its last six nuclear power plants on Friday, a further step towards  phasing out  nuclear energy by focusing on renewable energies melted in 2011, when an earthquake and a tsunami  in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl destroyed the coastal power plant 25 years earlier for three and a half decades in operation.

The last three nuclear power plants  Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim II  will be shut down by the end of 2022, the largest economy with ambitious climate targets and is faced with rising energy prices.

"For the energy industry in Germany, the nuclear phase-out is final," said Kerstin Andreae, managing director of the  energy industry association BDEW.
Economic and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that he did not see the anti-nuclear consensus  in Germany weakened. the true end of the nuclear age in Germany.
"We have to say that there will continue to be uranium enrichment plants in Germany like the one in Gronau," said Arne Fellermann, managing director of the  environmental association BUND, to Reuters.

"There is also a research reactor in Garching that is still operated with weapons-grade uranium," Fellermann continues.
When asked about possible job losses, the mayor of Gundremmingen, Tobias Bühler, said that the plant employees were busy  dismantling the reactor after the shutdown.
The shutdown will certainly take another decade or two, ”said Bühler. E.ON estimates the total costs for the decommissioning at 1.1 billion euros (1.25 billion US dollars) per plant.

E.ON set up provisions of € 9.4 billion in 2020 for the nuclear aftercare phase, which includes the decommissioning of the facility, packaging and cleaning of radioactive waste.

The shutdown is expected to be completed in 2040.
The Japanese government on Tuesday presented a plan to dump contaminated water from the paralyzed Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, angering neighboring countries China and South Korea.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3qGhPXl

Read More

XIAN BATTLES COVID-19 IN WORST OUTBREAK TO HIT A CHINESE CITY THIS YEAR

The Xian Industrial and Technology Center in China reported  more than 100 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, making the number of locally transmitted infections  the highest in any Chinese city this year. Xian reported 155 new local cases on December 29th. December, official data showed.

 This brings the number of local infections to more than 1,100 since the outbreak began on December 9, forcing authorities to lock down the city of 13 million people. It has been since the 23rd. 

"Xian has entered a brisk phase in its fight against the virus," Zhang Fenghu, a city government official, told Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology, two of the world's largest manufacturers of memory chips, before the blockade could affect its chip manufacturing facilities in the area.

Xian is also a major tourist destination, drawing visitors to its collection of terracotta warriors who were buried with China's first emperor more than 2,000 years ago.

The authorities have launched several rounds of  testing across the city to monitor the transmissions. Round six started on Thursday, a day later. Restrictions have restricted access to everyday necessities and many people cannot go out and shop, leaving them dependent on supplies.

Deliveries and the government are working to resolve the issue, a Xian government official said  Wednesday.

WUHAN ANNIVERSARY

A Xian resident surnamed He told Reuters that she tried to order groceries through the online app from Alibaba-backed supermarket chain Freshippo, but was unable to secure many items such as potatoes and cucumbers.

The app posted a message saying "Delivery staff is not available" under many articles. Based on a screenshot you provided. Several boroughs have organized free grocery deliveries to some residential complexes, state media said.

The total supply of essential items in Xian is sufficient, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce told reporters. Now on its eighth day, it coincides with the second anniversary of the first signs of the coronavirus outbreak in downtown Wuhan. an "unknown cause," according to state media.

In addition, on Thursday, thousands of people left messages on the social media account of the late COVID-19 whistleblower Li Wenliang on the anniversary of the day, also on December 30, 2019, in which he learned of the possibility of a causative virus.

Pneumonia in Wuhan: As of Wednesday, mainland China had reported 101,890 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including  local and imported, with a death toll of 4,636.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3Jw2u4k

Read More

PFIZER’S COVID-19 SHOT CAUSES MOSTLY MILD SIDE EFFECTS IN YOUNG KIDS’

İmage Credit: Reuters

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine mainly caused  mild side effects in children ages 5 to 11, according to data published by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data showed that some children were affected after the second dose of the vaccine  reported injection site pain and other systemic reactions such as fatigue and headache.

The CDC said it had also received reports of 11 cases of myocarditis, a type of inflammation of the heart, in 511-year-old children  who had received the vaccine. Of these, seven had recovered and four were recovering at the time of reporting.

Myocarditis is a rare side effect after mRNA vaccines.

Notification system for adverse vaccination events  (VAERS).They received 4,249  adverse event reports, of which 97.6% of the cases were not serious, according to the CDC report.

The cases were reported between November 3 and December 19 through VAERS and vsafe, a voluntary smartphone-based security monitoring system for adverse events following COVID19 vaccination, in children in this age group.

The vaccine was approved in the United States  in late October for children ages 5 to 15 and is the only approved vaccine for that age group. 

A separate study by the CDC showed that Pfizer 92's two-dose vaccine was effective against coronavirus infections in teenagers aged 12 to 17 years.

 The observation period for the analysis coincided with the period of dominance of the delta variant  in the United States, the CDC said.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3mKyZC0

Read More

SCIENTISTS TO TEST HIGH DEXAMETHASONE DOSES IN COVID-19 PATIENTS

    İmage Credit: AFP Photo

British scientists will investigate whether higher doses of a cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone might work better in severe COVID-19 patients compared to  standard lower doses, they said Thursday. , showed that it was able to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in  a so-called "breakthrough" in the coronavirus pandemic. 

They found that a 6 mg daily dose of dexamethasone,  used to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis, reduced the death rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals by about a third.

"Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we can expect  patients  with severe COVID-19 to be hospitalized for a while," said Peter Horby, a professor at Oxford University who co-led the study.

 “So it is very important that we continue RECOVERY to  compare a higher dose of 20 mg  dexamethasone given once a day for five days, followed by 10 mg once a day for  another five days, with the usual low dose treatment.

Process is supported by the UK government and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French's charity.

Last week,  scientists began investigating GSK and Vir Biotechnology's antibody-based drug COVID19  as a possible treatment for hospital patients.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3FHFY6c

Read More

Pluto should be reclassified as a planet, Scientists reclaimed

 

Photo: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

You know the old motto: Nobody can hear you screaming in space. Unfortunately, being trapped in our rapidly heated rock, we can hear everyone screaming very well, especially those ironically howling about the specifics of space.

Checked in at our degraded friend Pluto, it was  certainly not a planet, despite a decade and a half of complaints from overly engaged astronomy fans (Welcome to the world of pop culture, astronomy fans).

 His appointment lately has primarily sought to compensate everyone, the fact of the matter is that  the International Astronomical Union is still very unlikely to step back on its 2006 decision apparently they raised their hands and gave their goforbroke request from "To hell.

 We not only want Pluto to come back, we want  150 more damn planets to be added to the list."

That's the gist of a new article published in the research journal Icarus that argues that the IAUs are the real Jabronis here, dammit. 

As NBC News breaks it down, the team of scientists claims that the current planetary classification system relies more on outdated astrological methods. (read: pseudoscientific) terminology and should be updated to reflect modernity. A "planet" is by definition "any geologically active body" in space that would not only bring Pluto  into its lap, but also moons such as Europa, Enceladus and Titan, as well as the asteroid Ceres.

A total of around 150 new "planets" will be added to the eight existing ones. Unfortunately, as planetary geologist Paul Byrne explained, all of this backlash to taxonomy often overshadows many of the other really fascinating aspects of these celestial bodies of all sizes. 

"Every time I gave a talk and  put up a picture of Pluto, the first question wasn't about the geology of the planet, but why was it degraded?" he told NBC News. "It stuck with people, and that's a real shame.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3eA97nU

Read More

F.D.A. Plans to Allow 12- to 15-Year-Olds to Receive Pfizer Boosters

 

The Food and Drug Administration to authorize booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds Monday. (Emily Elconin, Reuters)

The United States Food and Drug Administration should receive a booster injection of the Pfizer vaccine up to five months after a second dose from the current six months, the newspaper reported.

 The increase in cases caused by omicrons can be an important tool for millions of children. According to initial data from laboratory studies, the  variant can bypass some of the protection offered by two doses of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

But the booster doses of the PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccines appear to protect against Omicron, also based on laboratory studies. 

The rapidly spreading variant has resulted in thousands of new COVID19 hospital admissions for U.S. children in the past few weeks, raising new concerns about  the number of unvaccinated Americans under the age of 18

who will do well with the new surge.

 The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Rochelle Walensky said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that the agency could receive a call regarding the third dose of the COVID19 vaccine  for children aged 12-15 The vaccine - The CDC's Advisory Committee plans to meet mid-next week to vote on whether to recommend the changes.

 While officials  said the vaccines protect against serious illness and death from Omicron, some children as young as 12 to 15 are now more than six months away from their previous vaccinations.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3HjO9pq

Read More

HERE’S WHY EMMA WATSON ALMOST QUIT HARRY POTTER

 

The original trio from the Wizarding franchise, Harry Potter, are expected to return to the silver screen next New Years Day in the 20th anniversary special when they return to Hogwarts.

 In the reunion special, two of the movie's lead actors, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, spoke about how they were on the verge of leaving the series after season five, responsible for his childhood fame during his adolescence.

 Best known for their characters  Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Watson and Rupert Grint made the reveal during the  special Harry Potter reunion show for the 20th anniversary.

“You were considering retiring. I never told you about it, ”Rupert joked with Emma about the days before.

 At that time, she revealed how solemnly she  wanted to leave the character: "Yes. I think she was scared." I don't know if you ever felt like it reached a tipping point where you said, 'This is now forever,' "revealed Watson." Fame had finally come home in a big way. 

"At some point there was Grint agrees that he also had his moments of contemplation  where he would insist "what life would be  if I called it a day." Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, added to the conversation, saying, "Never really.

" He talked about it. I think we had it at our own pace. We were then in the moment. "However, the female lead in Harry Potter believed that" no one had to convince her to stay, "except for the love and appreciation of the fans.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/32MJzkA

Read More

Fortnite Servers Go Down, Millions Of Gamers And Their Parents At Wit’s End

 

The tragedy today hit millions of houses around the world, as one of the most popular online games in the world was offline several hours.

Fortnite, which has more than 350 million players worldwide, was offline for several hours due to an unknown technical issue.
The time for parents, whose play-obsessed offspring is at home during the winter holidays and devoting themselves to their passion for hours, couldn't have been worse.
Developer Epic Games posted on Twitter that their team is investigating an issue with the game's servers: “Fortnite is currently unavailable and players will not be able to log in while we are investigating an issue.

We’re continuing to work on a fix that will bring Fortnite back online and appreciate everyone’s patience.

Fortnite game servers are currently offline while we investigate a solution to stability issues, and we’ll provide another update as more info is available. pic.twitter.com/aRTnawTJgE

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 29, 2021

Epic Games was also having problems.Of course, the large player base had time.
Pro Fortnite player Sypher PK joked that he could potentially run for president since his favorite time has gone.

It's been 10 minutes since Fortnite servers have been down. I now have touched grass, got jacked, made a billion dollars, and will be running for President.

— SypherPK (@SypherPK) December 29, 2021

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3eC1wFk

Read More

Tumblr is at war with Apple over ‘mature’ content on its app again

 Tumblr users looking to view adult content on the platform must avoid the iOS app as the company says it hides "sensitive content" so as not to violate Apple's sensitivities.

 "In order to remain available in the Apple App Store," says Tumblr, "we need to expand the definition of  sensitive content and access to it in order to meet its guidelines." Apple are available. 

The company says it will display the above overlay on blogs "marked as explicit" and when "you see search results or tags for specific words or phrases". 

However, users will have to guess what has leaked as Tumblr will not "currently" reveal this information.

It probably won't be  hard to guess what leaked, but the new definition of "sensitive content" goes beyond what some would expect. 

Tumblr says  users "may also notice" that:

•  Images they receive through blog direct messages that they don't follow can't be viewed in the app. 
• Explicitly marked blog likes and reblogs  are hidden from notes. 
• The images of the  reblogs that appear in the post notes are blurry unless you follow the Tumblr that added the image.
•  Your dashboard (the "Next" and the "Materials For You" tab), search results, and tag results will no longer display content that contains certain words or phrases. 
• Certain words and phrases have been removed from  search (sometimes called search suggestions). 
• We have excluded blogs from search results and tags that may contain or create sensitive content.

 These changes were implemented with the release of Tumblr version 22.1 in the App Store.

The company says  it won't display this overlay to users of its Android app or mobile website. it merely extends its restrictions on sensitive content to comply with Apple guidelines.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/32EPCbf

Read More

The Rock Rejects Vin Diesel's Plea For Him To Join Fast & Furious 10

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel in 2011 (Image via Getty Images/Buda Mendes)

 It's safe to say that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will not be returning to the Fast and Furious franchise.

 In a new interview with CNN released on Wednesday, December 29, the young rock actor explicitly stated that he was not interested in repeating his role. as Luke Hobbs, even after Vin Diesel launched a public petition in November.

 For those who haven't followed the saga, Diesel wrote on Instagram last month, “My little brother Dwayne ... it's time. F&F 10 finals As you know, in my house you refer to my children  as Uncle Dwayne. 

There is no public holiday on which you and you do not send good wishes ... but the time has come.Diesel moved on to his expense, the deceased Pablo Walker, for his nickname Paul.

"I was firm but warm in my words and said that I would always support the cast and  the franchise always to make it successful, but that there was no chance it would return." Johnson added that he had also informed Universal Pictures of his decision and "who were all very supportive of their understanding of the issue."

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3z91Wwc

Read More

Elon Musk reveals who bitcoin's creator Satoshi Nakamoto might be

 

Musk.MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk seems to agree with many that hyper-secret cryptocurrency expert Nick Szabo could be Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of the digital currency Bitcoin. 

"You can watch ideas evolve before Bitcoin was launched and see who wrote about those ideas," Musk told artificial intelligence researcher Lex Fridman on a podcast posted Tuesday when asked what he thought about the real ones Identity of Nakamoto thinks. 

The Tesla billionaire said that while he "obviously" doesn't know exactly who created Bitcoin, Szabo's theories seem central to the creation of cryptocurrency. "It seems that Nick Szabo is probably responsible for developing these ideas more than anyone," he said. “He says he's not  Nakamoto, but I'm not sure it's neither here nor there. 

But he seems to be  responsible for the ideas behind Bitcoin more than anyone. Bitcoin was first proposed by Satoshi Nakamoto in October 2008. , a pseudonym for what people thought it could be. 

In 2014, a team of linguists examined Nakamoto's bitcoin whitepaper along with the writings of Szabo and 10 other potential creators. They found the results undeniable. "It's mind-boggling," said the researchers, adding that none of the other possible writers were anywhere near as good.

A 2015 New York Times report also identifies the invention of bitcoin in Szabo, who has spoken publicly about the history of bitcoin and blockchain technology but  repeatedly  claims that he is the anonymous inventor of the digital asset. Another reason it is associated with Bitcoin is because of its origins. of the  cryptocurrency "Bit Gold" in 1998.

Source:Yahoo News

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3eASUPi

Read More

New Flagpro malware linked to Chinese state-backed hackers

 The cyber espionage group APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) Blackwell has been targeting Japanese companies with a new type of malware that researchers call "Flag pro". Second level malware and run it. 

Breaching corporate networks

The chain of infection begins with a phishing e-mail that was developed for the target organization and pretends to be a message from a trusted partner.

 The e-mail contains a password-protected ZIP or RAR attachment with a Microsoft Excel file [.XLSM] linked to a malicious macro. Running this code creates an executable file in the Flag pro home directory. 

When it first runs, Flagpro connects to the C2 server over HTTP and sends the system identification details obtained by executing hard-coded operating system commands. 

In response, the C2 can send additional commands or a second-level payload that Flag pro can execute. 

An example of a sent command Source: NTT Security

Communication between the two is base64 encoded, and there is also a configurable delay between connections to avoid creating an identifiable operating model.

Communication between Flagpro and the C2 Source: NTT Security

 Flagpro has been used against Japanese companies for more than a year, at the latest since October 2020, according to a report by NTT Security. 

The most recent samples the researchers were able to obtain are from July 2021. The target companies are from a variety of industries, including defense, media and communications technology. 

Flagpro v2.0

At some point in their analysis, NTT researchers noticed a new version of Flag pro that can automatically close relevant dialog boxes to make external connections that could reveal their presence to the victim. 

"In the Flag pro v1.0 implementation, if a dialog box titled 'Windows セ キ ュ リ テ ィ' appears when Flagpro is accessing an external site, Flagpro will automatically click the OK button to close the dialog box" explains NTT Security report. “This handling also works if the dialog is written in Chinese or English  indicates destinations are in Japan, Taiwan, and English-speaking countries.

Inserted code serving as obfuscation in Flagpro v2.0 Source: NTT Security

 Blackwell APT is a lesser known player discovered by Trendier researchers in the summer of 2017 and has partnered with China. His typical targets are in Taiwan, although he has occasionally targeted companies in Japan and Hong Kong to steal technology.

 In February  2021, a report from Unit 42 linked  Blackwell to Waterbear Flag pro, another cyber espionage group believed to have the backing of the Chinese government like Apt, Black tech, Knowledge and Refinement to adapt their tools to new reports like this one, Flag pro is likely to be modified for more stealth use.

As the NTT report concludes, “Recently they (Blackwell) started using another new malware called Selfsame Loader and Spider RAT. “That means they are actively developing new malware. Defenders should be aware of the new indicators of exposure to new malware and follow all security best practices to maintain a strong defense against sophisticated threats like Blackwell.

Source: Bleeping Computer

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3sINJow

Read More

Watch out for ‘child in need’ Whatsapp scams as parents get duped out of £50,000

 Another WhatsApp scam is circulating, this time aimed at parents. WhatsApp scammers pretend to be desperate children who need money right away.

 People in the UK have reportedly been defrauded of nearly £ 50,000 for this type of scam. 25 cases of fraud were reported between August and October, with victims losing pounds 48,356. 

A Bedford mom shared her WhatsApp exchange with a Bedford Facebook group to warn others.

"Hello mom, it's me. I have a new number, you can delete the old one, ”read the scammer's input text. 

Toni Parker, 53, thought her son had dropped his phone down the toilet and had a new phone number (Picture: Caters News)

When the woman asked who the unknown messenger was, they replied: “Your oldest and sweetest son xx. The scammer then stated that he had  a new phone and was "transferring everything", claiming that his banking app had banned him for 48 hours. 

“Very annoying because there is nothing I can do  about it. Can you possibly pay  me and I will get it back to you asap? I'm sorry to bother you with this, '' read the scammer's text message. However, instead of sending the money immediately, the woman called her daughter, who confirmed that she was not sending the messages.

When the woman realized she was being attacked by a conspiratorial impostor, she immediately warned others about the deception.

 This is not the first time such a tactic has been used to commit fraud on WhatsApp. In August, a nurse was cheated of £ 2,500 after a scammer impersonated her son. In September, WhatsApp users were warned of the scam that could see criminals steal thousands of them.

 'WhatsApp protects our users' personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we want to remind people that we all have one.' We advise all users never to share their six-digit PIN code with anyone, not even with friends or family, and we recommend  all users configure two-step verification for added security.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3mFGCtt

Read More

A Weird Paper Tests The Limits of Science by Claiming Octopuses Came From Space

 A round-up of decades of research into a fairly "external" idea with viruses from space begs the question of how scientific we can be when it comes to speculating about the history of life on earth. and nonconformist in describing the scientific fringes, but then articles like this one from 2018 pop up and make us blink like owls not knowing where to start.

In this review, which by. was published, a total of 33 names were listed as authors Advances in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (as of August 2018) The journal is peer-reviewed and fairly well cited.

 So not exactly a small or paid niche source for publication. Science writer Stephen Fleischfresser delves into  the backgrounds of two of the most famous scientists involved: Edward Steele and Chandra Wickramasinghe. Well worth reading.

 For a tl version; Dr. Steele is an immunologist known for his views on evolution based on the acquisition of genetic changes determined by the influence of the environment rather than random mutations in what he calls metalamarckism.

Wickramasinghe, on the other hand, has had a slightly less controversial career known for empirically confirming Sir Fred Hoyle's hypothesis that describes the production of complex carbon molecules in interstellar dust. Wickramasinghe and Hoyle were also  responsible for further space biology work. one is based on more than just the origins of organic chemistry. 

Hoyle Wickramasinghes (HW) thesis of cometary biology (cosmic biology) makes the rather simple claim that the direction of evolution was significantly influenced by biochemistry that did not begin on our planet. In Wickramasinghe's own words: “Comets are the carriers and distributors of life in the cosmos, and life on earth originated and developed as a result of input from comets.

 These inputs, argued Wickramasinghe, are not limited to a generous pinch of  amino acids that have been branded into the world. Neither do acids. Rather, they include viruses that infiltrate organisms and drive their evolution in completely new directions.

The report, entitled “Cause of the Cambrian Explosion: Terrestrial or Cosmic? and other viruses  to be released in meteoric debris may potentially add new DNA sequences to terrestrial genomes and cause further mutagenic changes within the germline and somatic genomes, ”the authors wrote.

 Before going any further, because that was the docile part during this period, a group of mollusks known as cephalopods first stretched  their tentacles under their shells and branched into an amazing variety of sizes and shapes in an amazingly short amount of time  and octopuses are as strange as the animals themselves,  in part because of their ability to manipulate their DNA in the blink of an eye.

 The authors of the article make the rather bold claim that these genetic oddities could be a sign of life from space, this time not from space viruses  but from the arrival of enter genomes frozen in stasis before they thaw in our warm waters.

"Thus the possibility that cryopreserved squid and/or octopus eggs, arrived in icy bolides several hundred million years ago should not be discounted," they wrote.

In his review of the article, University of Eastern Finland medical researcher Keith Baverstock admitted that there is much evidence  plausibly in line with HW's thesis, such as the strange timeline of virus emergence, but that is not how science comes Ahead. 

"I believe this paper justifies skepticism of the scientific value of stand alone theories of the origin of life," Baverstock argued at the time.

"The weight of plausible, but non-definitive, evidence, great though that might be, is not the point."

Although the idea is as new and exciting as it is provocative, nothing in the summary helps us better understand the history of life on earth than existing assumptions that give little  value to our evolutionary model.

 Perhaps science can handle a generous dose of madness from time to time. The magazine's editor, Denis Noble, admits that "more research is needed", which is a bit of an understatement.

 Room for discussion. "As space chemistry and biology grow in importance, it is appropriate for a journal devoted to the interface between physics and biology to stimulate discussion," said Noble.

"In the future, the ideas will surely become testable."

Just in case those tests confirm speculations, we recommend being well prepared for the return of our cephalopod overlords. Who knows when they'll want those eggs back?

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3HiDdZl

Read More

Elon Musk’s ex Grimes sparks new pregnancy rumours with cryptic post: See here

 

Elon Musk’s ex, singer Grimes, has sent rumour mills in overdrive with her latest Instagram 

Elon Musk's ex-singer Grimes got the rumors going with her latest Instagram post showing her with a prominent belly.
Grimes fans continued to speculate on Tuesday after the Player of Games singer's new photo showing an animated form of her. At one stroke, she repeated her first pregnancy announcement with Musk's chid.

Comments on the post ranged from "The Queen is Pregnant" to "OMG, pregnant again?" However, Grimes has yet to respond to speculation. in May 2020 after  two years of dating.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ☘︎𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰࿎ (@grimes)

The couple has since split and the Tesla CEO confirmed the split to Page Six in September 2021.

We're half apart, but we still love each other, see each other often, and have a very good relationship, "said Musk.



from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3pAZnA0

Read More

Omicron symptoms: how they differ from Delta, the flu and a cold, and how quickly they’ll show up

 

Image Credit:CIPhotos via Getty Images

With the Omicron variant of Covid, it extends along the city and abroad, many people felt this week as the hope that their end of the pandemic had been plagued.

Omicron symptoms can mimic the common cold

Although experts say that the widely recognized COVID-19 symptoms, coughing, fever or taste of smell or taste are still indicators for a possible infection, the researchers have found that the symptoms of Omicron can also be similar to those of a cold similarities.

The symptoms of the Delta variant were also compared to those of a cold, but some doctors said the cases of Omicron seen so far were particularly mild. A US study of around 750,000 people recently found that the five most common symptoms for both the Delta and Omicron variants currently are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat.

However, in many people, Omicron also causes atypical symptoms that were not seen with previous variants. In a popular TikTok video this weekend, people currently suffering from the Omicron variant weighed down on their unusual symptoms, including nausea, less back pain, muscle pain, and even eye pain.

Omicron appears to be more contagious with symptoms that show up faster, but questions about severity remain

While coughs, headaches, and fever manifest themselves after four to five days of infection with older COVID strains, the incubation time of Omicron can be even shorter. Data on the latest variant of COVID, first spotted in Botswana and South Africa in mid-November, is still limited, but a recent study in Norway suggests an average three-day window between exposure to the Omicron variant and symptoms, which means that Omicron could spread faster, reports Jessica Mathews of Fortune.

Preliminary studies of the Omicron variant have shown that infections may be less severe than the Delta variant. However, it spreads faster. Last week, the World Health Organization announced that Omicron is spreading faster than any other strain before and that the variant is likely to be found in most countries, even if it has not yet been detected.

An analysis published last week by South African researchers found that the risk of hospitalization among adults with COVID19 was 29% lower in people with the Omicron variant compared to the first wave of infections in 2020, the fastest increase since May last year . Another study from Imperial College London found that the infection in the Omicron cases analyzed was no less severe than in the Delta variant.

Johnson and Johnson, Sputnik, and Sinopharm vaccines have also proven largely ineffective at protecting against Omicron, as studies have shown, and due to the large number of mutations in the variant, which health experts say can be significantly resistant to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as well.

U.S. cities should expect a winter surge in cases

Experts say COVID infections experience a "winter surge" even without Omicron. There are currently an average of 83,000 new cases of COVID in the US every day, even with 61% of the population being vaccinated. On Friday, the seven-day national average of new daily cases topped 197,000, a 65% increase over the past 14 days, the New York Times reported. Deaths also increased by 3% during this period. The highest national average of daily falls was set in January 2021 at 251,232 in the days after the holidays.

Reasons for the increase in cases include people roaming the country as they did before the pandemic, spending more time indoors due to the cold outside temperatures, wearing fewer masks, and falling protection from vaccines and previous infections, Ali Mokdad,  professor of health sciences . from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, he told NPR. With more and more people wanting to return to life as they were before the pandemic and the new variant is extremely contagious and vaccine resistant, the risk of infection is very real.

While Europe still battles the Delta variant, Omicron is spreading at a “ferocious pace”

While Europe is still fighting the Delta variant, Omicron is spreading at a "rapid pace", European leaders are fighting to get the majority of their populations vaccinated and amplified as Omicron and COVID cases rise. of COVID19 cases with 121,371 infections in 24 hours. “[Omicron] is spreading at high speed and may be in danger of at least partially escaping our vaccines.

We know that our health  systems are currently overloaded, "said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reporters last week.

Shortly before the holidays, Cornell University closed his campus after he discovered 900 positive Covid cases, after the Bloomberg.stanford University, also his decision to return to online classes in the first two weeks of his winter quarters, because of the concern of the Omicron

Several major league sports have cut their seasons after the outbreaks, and many Broadway shows have closed, some even permanently. And companies continue to postpone their plans to return to the office indefinitely for fear of the new variant.
It gets worse when we move into the dead of winter, "said Anthony Fauci, senior medical advisor to the president, last week for the University of California Chamber of Commerce Foundation, especially for the unvaccinated.

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3JkMOAN

Read More