Snake skin-inspired shoe grips designed to save seniors | New Atlas

June 29, 2020June 28, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A couple of years ago, Harvard University scientists copied the structure of snake skin to create a soft-bodied robot that gripped the ground as it moved. Now, they’ve applied that same thinking to shoe grips that could help keep seniors from falling.

Developed in partnership with MIT, the grips take the form of thin, flexible steel sheets with a snake-scale-like pattern cut into them. As was the case with the soft robot, that pattern – consisting of dozens of interlocked “scales” – is based on a Japanese paper-cutting art known as kirigami.

Disney Joins In Recycling Plastic For Shirts | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Creating clothing fibers from recycled plastic is nothing new, but when a name like Disney is involved, it’s hard not to have childlike enthusiasm over the efforts. Disney, a company that needs no further description, has partnered with Unifi, Inc., makers of REPREVE®, the leading recycled fiber, to produce a new retro-style Mickey & Co. collection that is sure to bring out the kid in all of us.

Unifi has been on this ride for a long time, turning plastic waste into material used by Chicobags, Ford, Patagonia, PrAna and many other companies. The ever-growing count meter on their website reports over 20 billion bottles have been recycled, with the resulting fibers being used for everything from totes to curtains.

Verizon decides Facebook doesn’t need its ad money after all | Mashable

June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Mark Zuckerberg can definitely hear Verizon now.

The telecommunications giant announced Thursday that it is immediately ceasing all advertising on Facebook. So reports CNBC, which notes that Verizon is joining the likes of Patagonia, REI, and Ben & Jerry’s in financially distancing itself from the controversial social media platform.

In an emailed statement to Mashable, a Verizon spokesperson chalked the move up to vague displeasure with varying violations of unspecified policies.

McDonald’s is closing its Times Square location | CNN

June 25, 2020June 24, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

McDonald’s has closed its iconic restaurant on 42nd Street in New York City’s Times Square.

The closure had been planned prior to the pandemic, the company said in a statement to CNN Business, noting that it “was a difficult decision.”

But McDonald’s (MCD) will still have a large presence in the area.

The world’s biggest dust bunny is crossing the Atlantic Ocean right now | Live Science

June 25, 2020June 24, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A “Godzilla dust cloud” from the Sahara Desert that’s heading toward the United States this week is the largest and most concentrated dust cloud of its kind in the past 50 years, according to news sources. As of

June 22, the dust cloud — which some experts have dubbed the “Godzilla dust cloud” — had reached the Caribbean, spiking air quality to “hazardous” levels, according to the AP. People along the Gulf Coast may be next to experience the dusty visitor.

Nintendo Won’t Allow Real Money Transaction in New Horizons | Digital Trends

June 18, 2020June 15, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Nintendo will start taking action against real-money transactions in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Nintendo said on Monday, June 15 that it will move to eliminate real-money transactions when players buy and sell villagers and other items in the game. In a statement to Japanese website J-Cast, Nintendo said that using real money to buy and sell virtual goods is a violation of its terms of service. The company didn’t divulge how it would handle incidents but said that it will evaluate each transaction on a “case by case basis.”

BP faces hit of up to $17.5bn as it forecasts lower oil prices | BBC News

June 17, 2020June 15, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

BP has forecast lower oil prices for decades to come as governments speed up plans to cut carbon emissions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

It has cut price forecasts by about 30%, and expects Brent crude to average $55 a barrel from now until 2050.

As a result, the oil giant says it will revise down the value of its assets by between $13bn and $17.5bn (£13.8bn).

BP said it would have to become a “leaner, faster-moving and lower-cost organization”.

Last week, the firm announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs following a global slump in demand for oil.

Where are all the robots? | TechCrunch

June 16, 2020June 14, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We were promised robots everywhere — fully autonomous robots that will drive our cars end-to-end, clean our dishes, drive our freight, make our food, pipette and do our lab work, write our legal documents, mow the lawn, balance our books and even clean our houses.

And yet instead of Terminator or WALL-E or HAL 9000 or R2-D2, all we got is Facebook serving us ads we don’t want to click on, Netflix recommending us another movie that we probably shouldn’t stay up to watch, and iRobot’s Roomba.

So what went wrong? Where are all the robots?

Oil is up $80 in seven weeks. The remarkable recovery could be too good to be true | CNN

June 11, 2020June 9, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The oil market has rapidly recovered from its darkest day ever. US crude topped $40 a barrel this week. That wouldn’t typically be notable — but right now, that marks an $80 leap from its unprecedented trip below zero just seven weeks ago, when it hit a low of -$40.32 a barrel on April 20. Meanwhile Brent crude, the world benchmark, has more than doubled since mid-April.

The remarkable oil recovery is being driven by hopes of a sharp rebound in the world economy from the coronavirus pandemic that crushed demand for gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.

The oil comeback also reflects enthusiasm for record-setting production cuts by OPEC, Russia and their allies, plus the sharp pullback in output from the United States, the world’s leading producer.

Under the sea: 50 breathtaking images from our oceans | Live Science

June 10, 2020June 9, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

The most stunning sights from under the waves

The sea continues to be a source of great exploration and enchantment for many. With its charismatic (and sometimes elusive) wildlife, stunning plant life and even shipwrecks and underwater statues, there are so many wonders to appreciate under the waves. But you don’t have to be an experienced diver to take a look at these 50 amazing sights from our oceans — We’ve gathered them here for you.