AI discovery could advance the treatment of spinal cord injuries

A combination of AI and robotics might help people recover from spinal cord injuries. A Rutgers-led team has used the technology to stabilize an enzyme, Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), that can degrade scar tissue from spinal cord injuries and encourage tissue regeneration. Where the enzyme only lasted for a few hours at body temperatures, it now lasts over a week — enough to have a more substantial effect.

The researchers started by using machine learning to identify synthetic copolymers (artificial polymers made from more than one monomer) that would last the longest inside a human. Liquid-handling robotics synthesized the copolymers and conducted the tests. This was one of the “first times” AI and robotics have been used in tandem to produce therapeutic proteins that were effective to such a degree, according to Rutgers assistant professor and lead study investigator Adam Gormley.

The stabilized enzyme doesn’t amount to a functional treatment for spinal cord injuries, at least not yet. The scientists noted their tech pairing created a “promising pathway” toward longer-term tissue regeneration, not the solution itself. Even so, this project highlights one of the advantages of using AI to develop treatments. Algorithms can find compositions that would be difficult or time-consuming to locate for human researchers, making therapies practical where they weren’t an option before.

Activision Blizzard faces wrongful death lawsuit over employee suicide

Activision Blizzard is dealing with particularly serious fallout from the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding the company. The Washington Post has learned Activision Blizzard is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Kerri Moynihan, a woman who died by suicide in April 2017 during a company retreat. The family alleges sexual harassment at the game developer played a “significant factor” in her death.

Moynihan’s death was referenced in a California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) lawsuit over Activision Blizzard’s reported “frat boy” culture, albeit without mentioning her name. Male colleagues reportedly shared an explicit photo of Moynihan at the holiday party preceding her death, according to that lawsuit, and referred to a male supervisor who supposedly brought sex toys to the retreat.

The family lawsuit alleges Moynihan’s boss, Greg Restituito, lied to Anaheim police and otherwise tried to hide evidence of a sexual relationship with the victim. He made “unusual inquiries” with employees present with Moynihan the night before her demise, according to a police report cited in the suit. Restituito left Activision Blizzard in May 2017, the month after Moynihan’s death.

Activision Blizzard was reportedly uncooperative with police at the time. It refused to hand over the company laptops of either Moynihan or Restituito, and also declined access to Restituito’s phone.

The family’s lawyers shared a copy of the lawsuit with The Post, but otherwise haven’t commented on the lawsuit. Anaheim police and Restituito have so far been silent. An Activision Blizzard spokesperson said the company was “deeply saddened” by Moynihan’s death and would respond to the complaint through legal channels, but said it had “no further comment” out of respect.

Activision Blizzard has taken numerous actions in response to the misconduct scandal. It removed 37 employees between July 2021 and January 2022, and disciplined another 44. Blizzard leader Mike Ybarra has also vowed to restore trust by reforming company culture. The Moynihan lawsuit underscores the apparent toxicity at Activision Blizzard in previous years, however, and adds to the pressures on the company (and its buyer Microsoft) from the SEC and others to fix its workplace practices.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.

YouTube reportedly offers podcasters up to $300,000 to create videos

YouTube might be eager to compete against giant podcast hosts like Amazon, Apple and Spotify. Bloombergsources say YouTube is offering podcasters “grants” to produce videos, including filmed versions of their shows. Individual show creators would receive $50,000, while podcast networks would receive $200,000 or $300,000.

Parent company Google declined to comment. YouTube is already a home for some podcasts, but it hasn’t pursued that episodic content as aggressively as Spotify and other (typically audio-focused) services. There have been hints of changes, though, such as appointing executive Kai Chuk to lead the podcasting strategy. In Canada, YouTube also stopped requiring paid Premium accounts to play audio in the background.

A strategy like this wouldn’t be surprising. Amazon and Spotify have been landing more major podcast deals, while Apple’s Podcasts app is still considered a vital home for many shows. While YouTube’s grants wouldn’t secure any exclusives, they would give creators more incentives to make podcasts available on the platform — and fans more incentives to consider YouTube.

Apple is rumored to be developing a ‘Mac Studio’ desktop and 7K display

Those longstanding rumors of a ‘headless’ Mac between the Mac mini M1 and Mac Pro might be gathering steam. 9to5Macsources claim Apple has been developing a “Mac Studio” desktop based on the Mac mini, but with considerably more power — think of it as a replacement for the higher-spec Intel Mac mini lingering in the company’s lineup. A base version would reportedly use the M1 Max processor from the late 2021 MacBook Pro, while a higher configuration would rely on a new, still more powerful chip.

Accordingly, rumors of a more affordable Apple monitor are afoot. 9to5‘s insiders also claim the company is working on an “Apple Studio Display” with a 7K resolution. That’s not as ambitious as some 8K monitors, but it would make the 6K Pro Display XDR seem slightly outdated. A report from 2021 suggested the new monitor would use the A13 chip from the iPhone 11 to offload some processing tasks, including AI, but it’s not clear if that part or a newer CPU is still present. The size is an unknown, too, although a higher resolution hints at a screen larger than the Pro Display XDR’s 32 inches.

It’s not certain when the Mac Studio or the Studio Display would arrive. Apple is holding its Peek Performance event on March 8th, but there are no guarantees you’ll see either device so soon. The company might wait until its annual developer conference (typically in early June), for instance.

The larger question might revolve around the exact role of the Mac Studio. Will it simply represent an upgraded Mac mini, or will it be positioned as a “mini Mac Pro” aimed at creatives who don’t need the modularity of a full tower? There’s also the matter of permanence. Apple introduced the iMac Pro in 2017 as a stopgap before the new Mac Pro arrived, and axed the all-in-one in March 2021. A Mac Studio could be a permanent fixture in the product line, but it could also serve as a temporary solution for pros who want a fast desktop but can’t afford to wait until the launch of a Mac Pro with an Apple processor inside.

Roland makes its classic SH-101 synth available to play on the web

Roland’s browser-based synth studio now includes a third classic instrument. The company has updated its Roland 50 Studio web app with a simplified version of the iconic SH-101 synth. As with the virtual TR-808 drum and TB-303 synths, you can control the SH-101 side-by-side with another model on your PC or mobile device, and you can record, download and share your creations.

The real-world SH-101 launched in 1982 as a relatively low-cost and portable alternative to rival synths like the Yamaha DX7, particularly to keytar fans. It struggled to compete and was phased out in 1986. Many electronic artists latched on to its monophonic sound, however, and it helped define the sounds of more than a few well-known performers in the 1990s and 2000s. Dance legends like The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy and Orbital have relied on the SH-101, but it has also been useful to IDM pioneers like Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher.

There are physical equivalents to the SH-101. Behringer’s MS-101 is a clone, while Superlative’s yet-to-ship SB01 Super Bee takes some inspiration from the Roland original. The official web version is clearly more accessible, though, and gives you a chance to try that signature sound for yourself before buying any real-world hardware.

Samsung will add phone performance throttling controls through an update

Samsung will at least partly address complaints that it’s throttling the performance of apps on some Galaxy phones. As The Vergereports, the company has promised an update to its Game Optimizing Service to give users more control over throttling. In a statement to Engadget, Samsung said the option was coming at an unspecified point in the future in response to both feedback and “careful consideration.” You can read the full statement at the end of this article.

However, Samsung disputed claims GOS was throttling as many as 10,000 apps across numerous categories. The service “does not manage” apps beyond games, the company said. Users have accused Samsung of throttling the performance of non-gaming software like Netflix and TikTok while disabling the restrictions for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, skewing expectations for real-world speed.

GOS is now known to be present on the Galaxy S22 series. While the exact range of phones with GOS isn’t clear, the software is known to exist on older phones like the Galaxy S21 lineup and S20 FE.

Samsung isn’t alone. In 2021, OnePlus admitted that it throttled the OnePlus 9 while popular apps were in use. This was ostensibly meant to preserve battery life, but didn’t include benchmarks. Huawei, Oppo and other phone makers have been caught cheating on benchmarks in the past, but those methods relied on ramping up performance when a test app was in use, not slowing down for other apps.

It’s difficult for phone vendors to completely avoid throttling. Chips like the Galaxy S22’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 can run hot, and Samsung even introduced vapor chamber cooling to the S22 to manage that heat. As Apple learned years ago, though, at least some users want more control and transparency for throttling — they’re willing to sacrifice battery life and heat to see devices reach their full potential.

“Our priority is to deliver the best mobile experience for consumers. The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) has been designed to help game apps achieve a great performance while managing device temperature effectively. GOS does not manage the performance of non-gaming apps. We value the feedback we receive about our products and after careful consideration, we plan to roll out a software update soon so users can control the performance while running game apps.”

Apple Maps now shows Crimea as part of Ukraine

Apple’s tougher stance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine now includes a reversal of its policy on Crimea. Mashablenoticed that Apple Maps once again shows Crimea as belonging to Ukraine, at least for people outside of Russia. The company previously tried to strike a middle ground when it showed the region as belonging to no one, and in 2019 conceded to Russian pressure by showing Crimea as Russian territory when viewed within that country.

It’s not clear when Apple made the change, or whether Maps still includes concessions for Russian users. We’ve asked Apple for comment.

Russia forcefully annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting widespread international condemnation and penalties. Many countries still refuse to recognize Russia’s control of the area, and other technology firms have tried to negotiate the issue in different ways. Google Maps, for instance, continued to display Crimea as belonging to no nation.

The decision comes just days after Apple halted sales in Russia and clamped down on content in the country by limiting Apple Pay and removing the apps for state-backed Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik. The company is no longer willing to be as conciliatory as it once was, even if it means losing business.

Microsoft halts all sales in Russia

Apple isn’t the only tech behemoth pulling its products from the Russian market in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Microsoft is ‘suspending‘ all new sales of products and services in Russia, and is halting “many aspects” of its business in the country to honor US, UK and EU sanctions. The move comes days after Microsoft restricted Russian state media across its platforms, and after Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister called on the company to block Russian Xbox accounts.

Microsoft saw the withdrawal as virtually necessary. “Concrete steps” like this would have the most impact, according to company president Brad Smith, and there will be “additional steps” as the Ukraine situation develops. The Windows creator was unambiguous in its criticism of Russia, calling the invasion “unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful” and pointing out its efforts to identify and counter Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine.

The initiative could have a significant impact on Russian use of technology. Microsoft products play important roles for computing in Russia like they do in many countries, including Windows, Office and services like Microsoft 365 or Azure. While existing users might not lose access, this could pose problems for anyone needing to buy a new product or renew a subscription. We’ve asked Microsoft how this might impact Russian PC vendors — they’ll need licenses if they intend to sell Windows-based computers.

Whatever the exact damage, the sales freeze follows a string of crackdowns at tech companies like Google, Meta, Reddit and Twitter. Russia won’t necessarily bend in response to these actions, but there’s clearly concerted pressure on the country to act.

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite Kids is $50 off for today only

This might be a good time to buy an e-reader and foster your child’s love of reading. Amazon is selling the Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $110 as part of a one-day-only sale, or a full $50 below the usual price. The standard Kindle Kids is also on sale for today at $60 with a similar $50 discount. With both models you’ll get a two-year “worry-free guarantee,” a child-appropriate cover and a year-long Kids+ subscription with access to thousands of books.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite Kids at Amazon – $110Buy Kindle Kids at Amazon – $60

Both Kindle devices should work well if you’re looking for the essentials. They offer a eye-friendly reading experience that will eliminate the distractions of tablets, and their weeks of battery life will spare you from having to plug them in very often. The extras from the Kids versions might also help you save money — particularly a costly replacement if there’s an accident.

Of the two, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is arguably the better value. There’s a larger (and sharper) screen with more LED lights, a waterproof design, an adjustable warm light and a considerably longer 10-week battery life versus the base Kindle’s four. It should be easier to read at any time of the day, and you won’t have to worry if your little one gets it wet. To put it another way, you can focus more on improving your child’s literacy skills instead of managing their gadgets.

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Netflix launches its first interactive daily quiz show on April 1st

Netflix’s move into interactive shows is extending beyond the occasional single-episode project. The streaming firm is launching its first interactive daily quiz show, Trivia Quest, on April 1st (no, it’s not an April Fools gag). The Trivia Crack-inspired series will present 24 multiple-choice questions around topics like art and science while weaving a narrative into the experience. You’re meant to help the hero Willy save the people of Trivia Land from a villain bent on hoarding knowledge — contrived, maybe, but it’s more than a pure competition.

Trivia Quest doesn’t offer any real-world prizes, but you can replay an episode to earn more points and make progress toward a “definitive ending.” The title will be available on all devices that support interactive Netflix material, including most modern browsers, mobile devices, smart TVs and streaming hardware.

The company is quick to bill Trivia Quest as an “experiment,” and hasn’t committed to more shows like it. With that said, it wouldn’t be shocking if there were similarly ambitious interactive shows in the future. On top of adding variety, they give you a reason to keep coming back to Netflix where you might turn to other services.