The astounding engineering behind the world's largest optical telescope It's easy to miss the mirror forge at the University of Arizona. While sizable, the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory sits in the shadow of the university's much larger 56,000-seat football stadium. Even its most distinctive feature—an octagonal concrete prominence emblazoned with the school's logo—looks like an architectural feature for the arena next door. But it's that tower that houses some of the facility's most critical equipment. Wired
Against an increasingly user-hostile web We're quietly replacing an open web that connects and empowers with one that restricts and commoditizes people. We need to stop it. I quit Facebook seven months ago. Despite its undeniable value, I think Facebook is at odds with the open web that I love and defend. This essay is my attempt to explain not only why I quit Facebook but why I believe we're slowly replacing a web that empowers with one that restricts and commoditizes people. Neustadt.fr
Internet Association endorses internet censorship bill A trade group representing giants of Internet business from Facebook to Microsoft has just endorsed a “compromise” version of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), a bill that would be disastrous for free speech and online communities. Just a few hours after Senator Thune’s amended version of SESTA surfaced online, the Internet Association rushed to praise the bill’s sponsors for their “careful work and bipartisan collaboration.” EFF
2nd Breach at Verticalscope impacts millions For the second time in as many years, hackers have compromised Verticalscope.com, a Canadian company that manages hundreds of popular Web discussion forums totaling more than 45 million user accounts. Evidence of the breach was discovered just before someone began using that illicit access as a commercial for a new paid search service that indexes consumer information exposed in corporate data breaches. Krebs on Security
How Netflix works: the (hugely simplified) complex stuff that happens every time you hit Play Not long ago, House of Cards came back for the fifth season, finally ending a long wait for binge watchers across the world who are interested in an American politician’s ruthless ascendance to presidency. For them, kicking off a marathon is as simple as reaching out for your device or remote, opening the Netflix app and hitting Play. Simple, fast and instantly gratifying. Medium
New England looks to end daylight saving time Calls to end daylight saving time grow every year when it's time to change the clocks. This year, however, states are taking action to kill the U.S. energy conservation policy. Last week, a special commission in Massachusetts voted to recommend that the state remove itself from the latest version of the time-changing regime that was codified in the 2005 Energy Policy Act. Washington Examiner
Eugenics 2.0: We’re at the dawn of choosing embryos by health, height, and more Nathan Treff was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 24. It’s a disease that runs in families, but it has complex causes. More than one gene is involved. And the environment plays a role too. So you don’t know who will get it. Treff’s grandfather had it, and lost a leg. But Treff’s three young kids are fine, so far. He’s crossing his fingers they won’t develop it later. MIT
Ultimate cord cutting guide - Part 1: devices and content "Cutting the Cord," the process of ditching traditional cable and satellite content providers for cheaper online-based services, is nothing new. For years, consumers have cancelled their cable subscriptions (or declined to even subscribe in the first place), opting instead to get their entertainment from companies like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. PC Perspective
The underground story of Cobra, the 1980s’ illicit handmade computer Mihai Moldovanu grabs the cardboard box with the enthusiasm of a man from the future who’s opening a time capsule. “Maybe it could still work,” he tells me. He dusts it off with his hands. Inside the box rests the computer he built for himself in high school. He hasn’t switched it on in 10, maybe 20 years. Ars Technica
3D printing doubles the strength of stainless steel 3D printing has taken the world by storm, but it currently works best with plastic and porous steel—materials too weak for hard-core applications. Now, researchers have come up with a way to 3D print tough and flexible stainless steel, an advance that could lead to faster and cheaper ways to make everything from rocket engines to parts for nuclear reactors and oil rigs. Science Mag
Google’s machine learning software has learned to replicate itself Back in May, Google revealed its AutoML project; artificial intelligence (AI) designed to help them create other AIs. Now, Google has announced that AutoML has beaten the human AI engineers at their own game by building machine-learning software that’s more efficient and powerful than the best human-designed systems. Futurism
Robots will have an IQ of 10,000 and be 100 time more intelligent than the average human in just 30 years, says billionaire CEO of SoftBank Robots will be 100 times more intelligent than the average human in 30 years, the CEO of tech giant SoftBank has claimed. Billionaire tech mogul Masayoshi Son, 60, said that by 2047 artificial intelligence (AI) will have reached an IQ of 10,000. Daily Mail
Apple says minor screen burn-in and shifts in color when looking at iPhone X off-angle are normal Apple this morning shared a new support document explaining how OLED displays work and that it is normal to see some screen burn-in over time and shifts in color when looking at the iPhone display from an off-angle. Mac Rumors
