Category: News and Views

Incredibly rare, ghostly white shark discovered off Albania | Live Science

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A ghostly white deep-sea shark has been discovered off the coast of Albania.

The critically endangered angular roughshark (Oxynotus centrina) was caught by a commercial trawler off Sazan Island — an uninhabited military island — at a depth of around 656 feet (200 meters).

The shark is the first of its species to be discovered with leucism, a genetic disorder that disrupts melanin production, causing a reduction in pigmentation, scientists report in a new study. Unlike albinism, in which animals completely lack melanin and have red irises, leucistic sharks have normal iris pigmentation even if they appear completely white.

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‘Hawking radiation’ may be erasing black holes. Watching it happen could reveal new physics. | Live Science

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Primordial black holes may be exploding throughout the universe. If we can catch them in the act, it could pave the way to new physics, a study suggests.

Primordial black holes (PBHs), which are thought to have formed right after the Big Bang, may be heating up and exploding throughout the universe.

These black hole explosions, powered by Hawking radiation — a quantum process where black holes generate particles from the vacuum due to their intense gravitational fields — could be detected by upcoming telescopes, physicists suggest in a new study. And, once spotted, these exotic explosions could reveal whether our universe contains previously undiscovered particles.

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Boeing’s union accepts contract offer, ending strike | Fast Company

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Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote. The deal includes a 38% wage increase over four years, and ratification and productivity bonuses.

However, Boeing refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore a company pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.

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Tropical Storm Rafael intensifies in the Carribean as Cuba braces for another hurricane | Fast Company

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Tropical Storm Rafael was chugging past western Jamaica on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it headed toward Cuba.

The storm was located 65 miles (105 kilometers) southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The center said it expected “steady to rapid intensification” over the next 24 to 36 hours. It was expected to continue to pass by Jamaica through Tuesday afternoon, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night and make landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

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HP and Staples Launch In-Store Same-Day Large Format Printing with New HP DesignJet XL3800 Printers | Small Business Trends

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HP Inc. has partnered with Staples to bring same-day, high-quality large-format printing to Staples stores across the United States. This initiative will make professional-grade printing of posters, banners, blueprints, and more accessible to small businesses, retail owners, and consumers nationwide. Each participating Staples location will be equipped with the new HP DesignJet XL3800 printers, providing customers with same-day access to high-quality, large-format color prints.

Traditionally, large-format printing has been limited to specialty print shops with premium pricing. With the HP DesignJet XL3800 now in Staples locations, customers can manage their printing projects on their own schedules, benefiting from pigmented ink prints that offer superior color matching and long-lasting results.

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Abercrombie & Fitch: How my investigation led to sex trafficking charges against ex-boss | BBC News

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In a federal courtroom in New York, for the first time I’m face to face with Mike Jeffries – the multi-millionaire ex-fashion boss I’ve spent three years investigating for the BBC. He stares at me directly, lips pursed, and chin raised, as he sits before the judge.

As a result of my reporting, he was arrested this week by the FBI and charged with running an international sex trafficking and prostitution business along with his British partner, Matthew Smith, and their middleman James Jacobson.

Authorities acted after hearing my podcast series, The Abercrombie Guys, in which I unearthed evidence that Mr Jeffries, 80, and Mr Smith, 61, had been at the centre of a sophisticated global operation involving a network of recruiters and a middleman scouting young men for sex.

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Apple Intelligence: AI features start to roll out to some iPhones | BBC News

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After a long wait, Apple has finally released its artificial intelligence (AI) tools for iPhone – to a select few.

Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI tools announced in June, became available to owners of some iPhones around the world on Monday.

The new features include notification summaries, tools to assist users in writing messages, and a glowing new interface for virtual assistant Siri.

But they will only be available to people with the latest devices – including all iPhone 16 models, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

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Amazon announces a huge change to how they ship products | Mashable

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Say goodbye to the guilt generated by those plastic air pillows stuffed into your Amazon purchase — the company announced earlier this month it’s ceasing use of the eco-unfriendly packaging material.

“As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers,” Amazon wrote on its blog. “As part of this transition, we were able to quickly expand our use of paper filler made from 100% recycled content across North America to replace plastic air pillows, our biggest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date.”

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Unsending messages is for cowards. It shouldn’t exist and you shouldn’t do it. | Mashable

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We’re watching the slow, pitiful death of an art form right in front of us, and, of course, no one cares.

The art form in question? A classic “sorry, wrong person” text message. Gone are the days of “accidentally” messaging an ex to sneak back into their psyche. We’ve heard the final story of someone mistakenly sexting their parents when they meant to sext their lover. The world is empty of the drama produced by a shit-talk text accidentally sent to the person being shat on.

An unintended text faces no consequences anymore. You can unsend your messages on just about every platform now. Where is the serendipity in that? Where is the whimsy? Where is the joy???

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Major shakeup at Disney: Board chair is out. New CEO is coming soon | CNN Business

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Disney is about to have its fourth board chair in just over three years, as the company continues to navigate ongoing tumult in the media industry.

Chairman Mark Parker will step down at the end of the year, the company announced Monday. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman will replace Parker starting in 2025.

“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as Disney’s chairman at this important moment in the company’s history,” Gorman said in a statement.

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