Mar 31 20 years ago, people thought Google’s Gmail launch was an April Fool’s Day joke By Michael Liedtke, Associated Press Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks every April Fool's Day. As a result, the release of Gmail with what sounded like a preposterous amount of storage capacity 20 years ago was believed to be one of… Continue reading
Mar 29 OpenAI reveals Voice Engine, but won’t yet release it publicly due to safety concerns By Associated Press The company unveiled its new Voice Engine technology Friday, just over a week after filing a trademark application. The company claims that it can recreate a person's voice with just 15 seconds of recording of that person talking. Continue reading
Mar 29 With new technology, blind people can hear and feel April’s total solar eclipse By Christina Larson, Associated Press People who are blind or visually impaired will be able to hear and feel the total solar eclipse on April 8. Devices that can translate the eclipse on sound and touch devices will be available at public gatherings for the… Continue reading
Mar 28 Schools in the path of April’s solar eclipse prepare for a natural teaching moment By Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press Some schools in or near the path of totality also are organizing group viewings for students to experience the awe of daytime darkness and learn about the astronomy behind it together. Continue reading
Mar 28 Protective eyewear is key to safe solar eclipse viewing. Here’s how to avoid counterfeits By Yao "Henry" Jin, Simone Peinkofer, The Conversation To make sure that you enjoy the total solar eclipse safely, the American Astronomical Society has specifically warned against buying eclipse glasses at the lowest price from online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. Continue reading
Mar 27 Timekeepers may subtract a second from clocks as soon as 2029 as planet spins slightly faster By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Ice melting at both of Earth’s poles has been counteracting the planet's burst of speed and is likely to have delayed the global second of reckoning by about three years. Continue reading
Mar 26 Bridge failures can cause major disruptions. How do agencies plan for disaster? By Lee D. Han, The Conversation Transportation agencies plan for events like major bridge or highway collapses, but these events can disrupt traffic for months and affect residential neighborhoods as well as motorists. Continue reading
Mar 26 Tips for navigating big crowds, traffic and other potential mishaps during April’s total solar eclipse By Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press Small towns and rural enclaves along the path of the upcoming total solar eclipse are steeling for huge crowds of sun chasers who plan to catch a glimpse of day turning into dusk in North America. Continue reading
Mar 26 WATCH: NASA explains what you need to know about the April 8 total solar eclipse By News Desk A total solar eclipse will be visible across a large swath of the U.S. on Monday, April 8. Continue reading
Mar 24 Watch 2:16 Why Stumpy, D.C.’s beloved cherry tree, is seeing its final peak bloom this year By John Yang, Lorna Baldwin An annual, celebrated event took place this past week in Washington, D.C., and it didn’t have anything to do with politics. It’s known as peak bloom, the day 70 percent of blossoms are open on Washington’s iconic cherry trees around… Continue watching