The U.S. government is removing scientific data from the internet

At Ars Technica Live, we talked to Lindsey Dillon, who decided to do something about it.

Ars Live is filmed by Chris Schodt and produced by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)

In our latest episode of Ars Technica Live, Ars editors Annalee Newitz and Joe Mullin talked to UC Santa Cruz sociology professor Lindsey Dillon about how the Trump Administration has been removing scientific and environmental data from the Web. Lindsey is part of a group called Environmental Data Governance Initiative (EDGI), which is working on ways to rescue that data and make it available to the public.

Lindsey told us how EDGI got started in November 2016, within days of the presidential election. Its founders are scientists and academics whose main goal was to make sure that researchers and citizens would continue to have access to data about the environment. They organized data rescue events around the country, where volunteers identified vulnerable climate information on websites for several government agencies, including the EPA, DOE, and even NASA. The Internet Archive helped by creating digital records of all the at-risk pages.

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No space for new space at Trump’s space council rollout

Event was highly anticipated, as it signaled the deeper involvement of Mike Pence.

Enlarge / President Trump signs an executive order to create the National Space Council. (credit: White House)

Earlier Friday, Ars exclusively reported on the imminent announcement of a reinstated National Space Council by President Donald Trump. And indeed, the executive order signing ceremony took place on Friday afternoon at the White House before the president departed to New Jersey for the holiday weekend.

This event was highly anticipated because it signaled the deeper involvement of Vice President Mike Pence in the setting of national space policy. The new council's tasks include the coordination of military, civil, and commercial space activities and the establishment of broader goals for the United States in space.

The formation of the space council should also provide some clarity on the extent to which the Trump administration, which sees one of its mandates as making the US government function more like a business, applies that methodology to the US civil space program.

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Sharp X1 is an Android One phone with a big battery (for Japan)

Sharp X1 is an Android One phone with a big battery (for Japan)

The latest Android One smartphone to launch in Japan is one that I wouldn’t mind seeing in the US… maybe with support for Google’s Project Fi network? The Sharp X1 is a phone with mid-range specs, software updates delivered directly by Google, and a 3,900 mAh battery that’s said to be good for up to […]

Sharp X1 is an Android One phone with a big battery (for Japan) is a post from: Liliputing

Sharp X1 is an Android One phone with a big battery (for Japan)

The latest Android One smartphone to launch in Japan is one that I wouldn’t mind seeing in the US… maybe with support for Google’s Project Fi network? The Sharp X1 is a phone with mid-range specs, software updates delivered directly by Google, and a 3,900 mAh battery that’s said to be good for up to […]

Sharp X1 is an Android One phone with a big battery (for Japan) is a post from: Liliputing

Study paints a confused picture of how insecticides are affecting bees

Despite one weak study, there’s more evidence that it’s not good for bees.

Enlarge (credit: Congressman Ted Yoho)

There's widespread agreement that bees around the world are in trouble. A few years back, domestic honey bee nests started experiencing mass die-offs, and problems were found in wild bees as well. What hasn't been clear is what the cause might be. Viruses, fungi, and pesticides have all been floated as possible causes, but definitive evidence has been hard to come by; a number of scientists have suggested that there might be multiple contributing factors.

Nevertheless, suspicions focused on a specific class of insecticides called neonicotinoids. The EU has already placed restrictions on their use, and it's considering a near-total ban.

If you read the headlines this week, it would appear that a new study completely justifies that decision. Funded in part by two insecticide manufacturers, a team of independent researchers purportedly tied neonicotinoids to bee colony health. But a quick look at the underlying data shows that the situation is far more complex. And a second paper, with more robust results, supports the idea that these insecticides are merely one of a number of factors contributing to bees' problems.

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Study paints a confused picture of how insecticides are affecting bees

Despite one weak study, there’s more evidence that it’s not good for bees.

Enlarge (credit: Congressman Ted Yoho)

There's widespread agreement that bees around the world are in trouble. A few years back, domestic honey bee nests started experiencing mass die-offs, and problems were found in wild bees as well. What hasn't been clear is what the cause might be. Viruses, fungi, and pesticides have all been floated as possible causes, but definitive evidence has been hard to come by; a number of scientists have suggested that there might be multiple contributing factors.

Nevertheless, suspicions focused on a specific class of insecticides called neonicotinoids. The EU has already placed restrictions on their use, and it's considering a near-total ban.

If you read the headlines this week, it would appear that a new study completely justifies that decision. Funded in part by two insecticide manufacturers, a team of independent researchers purportedly tied neonicotinoids to bee colony health. But a quick look at the underlying data shows that the situation is far more complex. And a second paper, with more robust results, supports the idea that these insecticides are merely one of a number of factors contributing to bees' problems.

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AT&T: forced arbitration isn’t “forced” because no one has to buy service

To avoid AT&T arbitration, your only choice is to not be a customer.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | ljhimages)

AT&T is denying that its contracts include "forced arbitration" clauses, even though customers must agree to the clauses in order to obtain Internet or TV service.

"At the outset, no AT&T customer is ever 'forced' to agree to arbitration," AT&T Executive VP Tim McKone wrote in a letter to US senators today. "Customers accept their contracts with AT&T freely and voluntarily; no one 'forces' them to obtain AT&T wireless service, DirecTV programming, or other products and services."

AT&T was responding to concerns raised by Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who previously alleged that AT&T's use of forced arbitration clauses has helped the company charge higher prices than the ones it advertises to customers.

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Jide Remix C1 tablet beta test begins (in China)

Jide Remix C1 tablet beta test begins (in China)

The company behind the Remix OS software that transforms Android into a desktop-style operating system have been focusing more on software than hardware over the past year or two. But the company launched a Remix Pro 2-in-1 tablet in China last year, and now the company is opening a beta test for a new tablet called […]

Jide Remix C1 tablet beta test begins (in China) is a post from: Liliputing

Jide Remix C1 tablet beta test begins (in China)

The company behind the Remix OS software that transforms Android into a desktop-style operating system have been focusing more on software than hardware over the past year or two. But the company launched a Remix Pro 2-in-1 tablet in China last year, and now the company is opening a beta test for a new tablet called […]

Jide Remix C1 tablet beta test begins (in China) is a post from: Liliputing

Verizon Wireless disconnects some heavy data users in rural areas

Verizon sheds customers who roam on rural networks and use tons of data.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Spencer Platt)

Verizon Wireless said it is disconnecting a small group of customers who use vast amounts of data in rural areas where Verizon relies on roaming agreements with smaller network operators.

"Earlier this month we notified a small group of customers who are out of contract and primarily use mobile data on other wireless companies’ networks that we won’t be their service provider after July 30, 2017," a Verizon spokesperson told Ars today. "This only affects a few people who primarily roam on other networks and does not affect customers who primarily use Verizon's own network."

The customers who are affected "are using vast amounts of data—some as much as a terabyte or more a month—outside of our network footprint," the company said. Verizon gave the customers several weeks notice so they have time to port their numbers to new providers. Verizon provided no option to switch to different plans.

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Nintendo Shuts Down “Donkey Kong” Remake For Roku

Many gaming fans love to play old arcade games through emulators or remakes, but Nintendo is less amused by fan-made recreations. This week the company took down a remake of the 1981 classic Donkey Kong, as it infringes its copyrights. The developer of the remake is disappointed but doesn’t plan to challenge Nintendo’s request.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

When Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto came up with Donkey Kong more than 35 years ago, gaming was still a niche pastime.

How different is that today, where the average household has more than a handful of devices that play computer games.

While the gaming industry has come a long way, plenty of people are still drawn to older arcade games. There’s something nostalgic about their look and feel, and thanks to emulators and remakes, they are still widely available.

Donkey Kong, for example, could be played on Roku thanks to the efforts of Marcelo Lv Cabral, who released an unofficial version of the Nintendo game using the original art and music.

The software developer, who lives in Arizona, started the project as a hobby to improve his programming skills. He previously did the same with other games such as Lode Runner and Prince of Persia.

When he finished the project he released the code on GitHub, incuding a disclaimer stating his intent.

“This source code was developed as a programming exercise, it is not being used for profit or any kind of financial gain, all assets and images belong to the original copyright owner,” it read.

Screenshot from the GitHub page

While nostalgic arcade game fans will appreciate the effort, Nintendo was not amused. This week the gaming giant instructed the developer platform GitHub to remove the repository, which it did.

“The reported repository contains a recreation of Nintendo’s Donkey Kong video game for Roku, which was created and published without Nintendo’s authorization,” Nintendo writes in its takedown notice. “Please immediately remove the repository.”

We reached out to the developer, who is disappointed to see his code taken down. While he realizes that Nintendo owns the rights to Donkey Kong, his code was unique and completely custom.

“I believe they have the rights related to the name and the assets, but not to my code. That was completely done by myself, no porting of any Nintendo code, but GitHub took down everything,” Cabral tells TorrentFreak.

“What I don`t understand is why only my project was removed, if you search Donkey Kong on the GitHub you`ll found several other remake projects,” he adds.

The developer doesn’t plan to challenge the takedown. In theory, he could re-release the code with unique artwork and a new name, but Cabral prefers to focus on other projects for the time being.

He is currently working on a remake of the game Moon Patrol for example, also for the Roku platform.

While Nintendo has every right to take the infringing Donkey Kong content offline, some might feel that the company should allow fans a little more leeway for their fan-made projects.

However, judging from recent history, this is idle hope. In recent years the company has taken several fan-projects offline, including a popular JavaScript-powered Game Boy Advance emulator

Luckily for Cabral, his Lode Runner and Prince of Persia remakes are still available, for now. These games were originally released by Brøderbund Software, which no longer exists.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

EPA intends to form “red team” to debate climate science

Agency head reported to desire “back-and-forth critique” of published research.

Enlarge / US EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. (credit: Gage Skidmore)

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Energy Secretary Rick Perry have been making some headlines for publicly rejecting the conclusions of climate science. But in between wrongly claiming that climate scientists just don’t know how much of a contribution humans make to recent global warming (answer: roughly 100 percent), they have also been parroting a new line—that climate science needs a “red team” to take on the scientific consensus.

On Friday, E&E News reported that these aren’t empty words. The EPA intends to “organize a specific process in which these individuals... provide back-and-forth critique of specific new reports on climate science," according to an administration official.

The “red team” concept refers to exercises in which one team is formed with the goal of shooting down the blue team’s conclusions or pursuing off-the-wall ideas. Since people like Scott Pruitt assert that the cause of climate change is fundamentally unknown, they argue that it would be perfectly reasonable to gather up some scientists who think humans are the cause together with some who disagree and let them duke it out.

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