Google has announced a new and improved JPEG implementation that it claims can shrink file sizes by as much as 35% with better image quality than you’d see in an equivalent standard JPEG file. That kind of improvement would be significantly useful, if true — repeated studies have shown a …
Read More »NASA successfully tests parachutes on Orion spacecraft
A great deal of our future in space is going to rely upon private space firms, but NASA isn’t sitting on the sidelines when it comes to human spaceflight. It’s working on the powerful Space Launch System and associated Orion crew capsule for long-range space missions. The agency recently conducted …
Read More »New GOP bill lets companies force you to take genetic tests, lets them share results with third parties
A new bill introduced by Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and approved by the House Ways and Means Committee would allow corporations to force employees to undergo genetic testing — and then share those results with third parties. In theory, this is already illegal, thanks to a 2008 law known as GINA. …
Read More »Is Your Mobility Holding You Back? 5 Tests to Find Out
Photo: Pond5 You probably wouldn’t pick sand as your top choice for the foundation of your dream house. It’s not sturdy for the long haul and could end in disaster down the road. Yet, according to certified athletic trainer Jason D’Amelio, MS, ATC-L, ART-C, many individuals are making a similar …
Read More »Berkeley project tests tracking imperiled forests with 3D multispectral drone imaging
Droughts, climate change and deforestation are putting forests at risk worldwide, so studying these ecosystems closely is more important than ever — but it’s a hell of a lot of work to climb every tree in the Sierra Nevada. Drones and advanced imaging, however, present an increasingly practical alternative to …
Read More »Facebook tests turning comment reels into message threads
Comments on Facebook posts can get quite chatty, so Facebook is trying a new way to help you keep up. Some users now see comment reels appearing as persistently visible chat windows that pop up on their desktop versions of the site, just like traditional message threads. TechCrunch reader Russell …
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