Tag: discovery

  • New Dwarf Planet Discovery Challenges Planet 9 Speculation

    Discovery of a brand new potential dwarf planet within the outer reaches of the photo voltaic system has posed the best problem but to the speculation {that a} ninth planet lurks removed from the solar. This newly discovered trans-Neptunian object (TNO) named 2017 OF201 has extremely elongated orbit (1,600 occasions that of the Earth’s orbit) that takes it greater than 157 billion miles (244 billion kilometers) from the solar. In keeping with researchers it is vitally uncommon to find an object each massive (estimated diameter of 435 miles) and with an unique orbit.

    The New Dwarf Planet

    In keeping with the pre-print of a paper describing the invention, with an estimated diameter of 435 miles, 2017 OF201 is massive sufficient to be thought-about a dwarf planet. It was detected with the assistance of the info from each DECaLS and the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. The closest level of its orbit to the solar (perihelion) is 44.5 astronomical items (AU)—similar to Pluto—whereas its farthest level (aphelion) stretches over 1,600 AU. 2017 OF201 is just too far-off to be seen with present telescopes; it may solely be found as a result of its final perihelion got here in 1930, and that it is nonetheless comparatively shut.

    Scattered Disk, a realm with icy our bodies on extremely elongated and inclined orbits is located past the Kuiper belt of outer photo voltaic system. This discovery hints that many comparable objects may exist within the Scattered Disk and past. It makes discovery of a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) on a vastly elongated orbit is important for piecing collectively the thriller of the outer photo voltaic system.

    Discarding Planet 9

    The invention challenges the Planet 9 speculation, which suggests an enormous, unseen planet is influencing the orbits of distant TNOs. Whereas most excessive TNOs present a clustered sample that helps this concept, 2017 OF201 doesn’t—its orbit is unusually unclustered.

    Though Planet 9 may enable for such deviations, its gravitational pull would render these orbits unstable over thousands and thousands of years. This mismatch between concept and commentary places Planet 9’s existence underneath scrutiny.

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  • Spotify amps up podcast discovery with new options

    Spotify on Wednesday introduced a handful of recent options designed to provide podcasts a extra distinguished place in its app because it battles with Apple and YouTube to grow to be customers’ most well-liked podcast streaming vacation spot.

    The corporate says it would start recommending podcasts on its Dwelling web page and supply a Following feed for staying up-to-date with the newest episodes of your favourite exhibits. Quickly, Spotify may also roll out new instruments for podcast creators to advocate content material and higher have interaction with their followers in feedback.

    The modifications, whereas comparatively minor, are part of Spotify’s rising efforts to compete with Apple’s Podcasts app and YouTube. The latter has been investing extra closely in podcasts lately. This month, as an illustration, YouTube launched its own weekly top podcast list to problem Spotify and Apple. That chart highlights some major differences between the platforms by way of what YouTube’s video viewers desire to observe.

    In the meantime, Spotify has additionally invested in video podcasts, allowing all creators to upload video and incentivizing them with payments for profitable exhibits through its Partner Program.

    Regardless of these efforts, YouTube stays the service to beat within the U.S., at the very least, the place one-third of weekly podcast listeners desire the Google-owned service to Spotify or Apple.

    Spotify says the brand new podcast suggestions on the Dwelling tab have already began to roll out to world customers, and early suggestions suggests it’s led to extra customers partaking with podcasts, saving, and liking exhibits.

    As well as, Spotify is introducing a Following feed that can function a devoted spot the place you possibly can see all the newest episodes launched by the podcasts you comply with, as an alternative of getting to go looking throughout the app. (To entry this characteristic, you’ll faucet on the Podcasts button on the high of the app, then the Following button that seems to its proper.)

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    Picture Credit:Spotify

    Podcast creators will quickly acquire entry to a brand new characteristic that lets them level to different content material they point out of their podcast episode that can be discovered on Spotify — together with different podcasts, songs, audiobooks, playlists, and extra. This may grow to be accessible over the subsequent few weeks and shall be discovered on the episode web page.

    In a smaller tweak, creators who take part within the feedback of their podcast pages on the app will be capable to use emoji reactions to reply to followers.

    The corporate notes that creators are nonetheless in a position to management when feedback seem or choose out of displaying them on their exhibits or episode pages by way of their Spotify for Creators account.

  • Google Launches New Program to Shortly Repair OEM Safety Points, Creating Crew for Bug Discovery in Delicate Apps

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    Google has now launched a brand new initiative to assist third-party Android distributors patch flaws and vulnerabilities sooner. It has launched a brand new Android Companion Vulnerability Initiative which basically helps producers in discovering flaws and fixing them quickly. Individually, Google can also be creating a brand new Android safety staff that may solely be centered on searching for vulnerabilities in extremely delicate apps on Google Play retailer.

    The brand new Android Companion Vulnerability Initiative (APVI) has been launched by Android Safety and Privateness staff to handle safety issued associated to third-party Android distributors. The weblog publish explains that this initiative seems to ‘drive remediation and supply transparency to customers about points found at Google that have an effect on machine fashions shipped by Android companions.’

    The APVI has already addressed various safety points. It would not listing vendor companions, however a bug tracker for the initiative mentions OEMs like Oppo, Huawei, Vivo, ZTE, and Meizu. Chip maker MediaTek has additionally been listed, together with Digitime and Transsion. Google mentions that a lot of the vulnerabilities discovered have been mounted by distributors. If something, this initiative will put some onus on Android distributors to take safety of telephones and different units extra severely and repair points speedily.

    Google has additionally printed a brand new job posting searching for a ‘Safety Engineering Supervisor’ to assist ‘create and keep the most secure working surroundings for Google’s customers and builders’.

    Sebastian Porst, Software program Engineering Supervisor for Google Play Shield informed ZDNet that Google is trying to construct a staff that may deal with extremely delicate apps like COVID-19 contact tracing apps and election-related functions. The job posting explains, “Your staff will carry out utility safety assessments in opposition to extremely delicate, third occasion Android apps on Google Play, working to determine vulnerabilities and supply remediation steering to impacted utility builders.”

    Whereas Google does have a bug bounty initiative referred to as the Google Play Safety Reward Program (GPSRP) whereby it gives safety researchers cash in change for locating bugs, however this program is restricted to apps which have greater than 100 million customers and extremely delicate apps aren’t all the time eligible for GPSRP rewards. This new staff seems to shut this loophole and assist make the Google Play retailer ecosystem somewhat safer.


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