THE WIRES

Sci/Tech

SpaceX improved Crew Dragon capsule for planned Oct. 31 launch

29 Sep 2020, 3:05 PM PDT

SpaceX improved Crew Dragon capsule for planned Oct. 31 launch

Amazon sees broad audience for its palm recognition tech

29 Sep 2020, 2:54 PM PDT

In this March 4, 2020 file photo, people walk out of an Amazon Go store, in Seattle. Amazon is rolling out a new device for contactless transactions that will scan an individual’s palm. The Amazon One, which will initially launch in two Amazon Go stores in Seattle, is being viewed …

Microsoft resolves major Monday outage after five hours

29 Sep 2020, 12:14 PM PDT

Space station air leak forces middle-of-night crew wakeup

29 Sep 2020, 12:04 PM PDT

This July 19, 2011 photo of the International Space Station was taken from the space shuttle Atlantis. On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, NASA said that the two Russians and one American on board were awakened late Monday to hurriedly seal hatches between compartments and search for the ongoing leak, which appeared …

Nasal spray reduces exhaled aerosol particles by 99%, study shows

29 Sep 2020, 11:14 AM PDT

Nasal spray reduces exhaled aerosol particles by 99%, study shows

Study: Mars has four bodies of water underneath surface

29 Sep 2020, 10:55 AM PDT

Study: Mars has four bodies of water underneath surface

United Arab Emirates to launch spacecraft to moon in 2024

29 Sep 2020, 3:13 AM PDT

In this Wednesday, May 6, 2015, file photo, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, center, talks to Emirati officials after announcing a UAE Mars mission named "Hope" or "al-Amal" in Arabic, which is scheduled be launched in 2020, during a …

Federal judge postpones Trump ban on popular app TikTok

28 Sep 2020, 9:54 PM PDT

Cyberattack hobbles major hospital chain’s US facilities

28 Sep 2020, 9:03 PM PDT

In this March 14, 2014, file photo, a representative of GCHQ points to a screen showing all the teams progress in completing the task during a mock cyberattack scenario with teams of amateur computer experts taking part and trying to fight this simulated attack in London. Computer systems across a …

United Launch Alliance postpones spy satellite launch again

28 Sep 2020, 4:25 PM PDT

United Launch Alliance to try again to launch spy satellite

Salty lake, ponds may be gurgling beneath South Pole on Mars

28 Sep 2020, 2:45 PM PDT

This Aug. 26, 2003 image made available by NASA shows Mars as it lines up with the Sun and the Earth. Photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, it was about 55.8 million kilometers (34.6 million miles) from Earth. A network of salty ponds may be gurgling beneath Mars’ South Pole …

Heat, humidity combo effectively cleans N95 masks, researchers say

28 Sep 2020, 10:55 AM PDT

Heat, humidity combo effectively cleans N95 masks, researchers say

Dems to Facebook: Get serious about misinformation, hate

28 Sep 2020, 9:23 AM PDT

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks during a House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust on Capitol Hill in a Wednesday, July 29, 2020,file photo, in Washington. Two of Facebook's toughest critics on Capitol Hill, Jayapal and David Cicilline of Rhode Island, have urged the social media platform to get serious about misinformation, …

SpaceX postpones Starlink launch as thick clouds persist

28 Sep 2020, 7:45 AM PDT

Watch live: SpaceX aims for another Starlink satellite cluster launch

Apple’s smaller rivals unite to fight iPhone app store rules

27 Sep 2020, 7:05 AM PDT

In this July 5, 2015, file photo, a man uses the dating app Tinder in New Delhi. Spotify and the makers of Fortnite and Tinder are taking on Apple as part of a newly formed coalition calling for “fair treatment” in the way the tech giant runs its app store. …

As virus surges, critics say UK hasn’t learned from mistakes

27 Sep 2020, 4:34 AM PDT

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2020 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London. Britain botched its response to the coronavirus the first time around. Now many scientists fear it’s about to do it again. …

eBay workers who sent spiders to couple to plead guilty

26 Sep 2020, 2:23 PM PDT

In this Oct. 17, 2012, file photo, an eBay sign sits in front of the company's headquarters in San Jose, Calif. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, federal prosecutors said four former eBay Inc. employees had agreed to plead guilty to their roles in a campaign of intimidation that included sending …

French virus testing labs under strain amid resurgent demand

26 Sep 2020, 7:44 AM PDT

Seminar Kibir, health lab technician prepares chemicals to process analysis of some nasal swab samples to test for COVID-19 at the Hospital of Argenteuil, north of Paris, Friday Sept. 25, 2020. France's health agency announced Thursday evening that the country has had 52 new deaths and has detected over 16,000 …

Still no cause for mass pilot whale stranding in Australia

25 Sep 2020, 9:23 PM PDT

Pilot whales lie stranded on a sand bar near Strahan, Australia, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. An estimated 250 whales are stuck on sandy shoals and government marine conservation staff have been deployed to the scene to attempt to rescue the whales. (Brodie Weeding/Pool Photo via AP)

NASA astronaut plans to cast her ballot from space station

25 Sep 2020, 3:36 PM PDT

This photo provided by NASA. Expedition 64 crew member NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, is seen during Soyuz qualification exams Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Rubins told The Associated Press on Friday, Sept. 25 that she plans to cast her next …

Hacked software provider acknowledges ransomware attack

25 Sep 2020, 2:24 PM PDT

The sign for Tyler Technologies is seen outside the company's offices, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, in Plano, Texas. The major U.S. provider of software services to state and local governments, including the online publishing of election results, has told customers that an unknown intruder broke into its phone and IT …

Space Force to start flying on reused SpaceX rockets

25 Sep 2020, 1:46 PM PDT

Space Force to start flying on reused SpaceX rockets

Powerful Delta Heavy rocket ready for another launch attempt from Florida

25 Sep 2020, 11:34 AM PDT

Powerful Delta Heavy rocket ready for another launch attempt from Florida

New measurements show moon has hazardous radiation levels

25 Sep 2020, 11:05 AM PDT

In this Sept. 2, 2020 file photo, the full moon shines surrounded by clouds in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany. Future moon explorers will face ultrahazardous radiation levels. That's the conclusion of a new study published by Chinese and German scientists Friday, Sept. 25. The researchers say astronauts on the …

Justice Dept. expected to file antitrust action vs. Google

25 Sep 2020, 8:44 AM PDT

This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. As the Trump administration moves toward antitrust action against search giant Google, it’s campaigning to enlist support from sympathetic state attorneys general across the country. And President Donald Trump is pushing his campaign against Big Tech …

Justice Department seeks immediate ban on WeChat in US

25 Sep 2020, 5:15 AM PDT

Icons for the smartphone apps WeChat are seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, on Aug. 7, 2020. The Justice Department is asking a judge to allow WeChat to be banned from app stores in the U.S., pending an appeal. In a Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 filing, the Justice Department …

Facebook critics start rival, independent ‘oversight board’

25 Sep 2020, 4:53 AM PDT

Thailand sues Facebook, Twitter for allowing banned material

24 Sep 2020, 6:14 PM PDT

In this Aug. 26, 2020, file photo, Thai Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Buddhipongse Punnakanta gestures during a press conference discussing the government's decision to request Facebook to block an account in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand’s government lodged complaints with police Thursday, Sept. 24, against Facebook and Twitter, alleging they …

Blue Origin postpones Texas launch of experiments for NASA, universities

24 Sep 2020, 9:36 AM PDT

Blue Origin plans Texas launch of experiments for NASA, universities

TikTok’s owner applies for Chinese license to close US deal

24 Sep 2020, 3:35 AM PDT

In this Aug. 7, 2020, file photo, women wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus chat as they pass by the headquarters of ByteDance, owners of TikTok, in Beijing, China. TikTok's owner said Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, that it has applied for a Chinese technology export license as …

88 whales rescued from Australia’s worst mass beaching

24 Sep 2020, 2:23 AM PDT

Whale carcasses are scattered along the water's edge near Strahan, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Authorities revised up the number of pilot whales rescued from Australia's worst-ever mass stranding from 50 to 70 on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, as the focus shifted to removing 380 carcasses from Tasmania state shallows. …

New SUV is next step in VW’s post-scandal electric offensive

23 Sep 2020, 3:24 PM PDT

In this July 29, 2020 file photo, a VW ID.4 stands in front of the Frauenkirche on the occasion of a Volkswagen vehicle presentation on the Neumarkt in Dresden, Germany. Germany's Volkswagen is unveiling the ID.4, the battery-powered sport-utility vehicle that is headed for global markets including the United States …

Experience, charisma will steer NASA’s choice for first woman on moon

23 Sep 2020, 4:55 AM PDT

Experience, charisma will steer NASA's choice for first woman on moon

Nearly 500 pilot whales stranded in Australia; 380 dead

23 Sep 2020, 12:43 AM PDT

In this Sept. 22, 2020, file photo, members of a rescue crew stand with a whale on a sand bar near Strahan, Australia. More pilot whales were found stranded on an Australian coast Wednesday, Sept. 23, raising the total to almost 500 in the largest mass stranding ever recorded in …

Facebook: Fake pages from China tried to disrupt US politics

22 Sep 2020, 4:33 PM PDT

What a gift: Russia offers UN staff free virus vaccines

22 Sep 2020, 2:34 PM PDT

A Russian medical worker adminsters a shot of Russia's experimental Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Russian health authorities have launched advanced trials of the vaccine among 40,000 volunteers, a randomized, placebo-controlled study. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)

Scientists publish water quality database for 12,000 freshwater lakes

22 Sep 2020, 6:15 AM PDT

Scientists publish water quality database for 12,000 freshwater lakes

As Europe faces 2nd wave of virus, tracing apps lack impact

22 Sep 2020, 4:34 AM PDT

A man shows the contact tracing app Stayaway Covid on his cellphone, in Lisbon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. The smartphone app uses Bluetooth technology to help discover whether people have been in close proximity to someone infected with COVID-19. Mobile apps tracing new COVID cases were touted as a key …

Report: German hospital cyberattack trail leads to Russia

22 Sep 2020, 3:24 AM PDT

An ambulance drives past the University Hospital in Duesseldorf, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. German authorities say a hacker attack caused the partial failure of IT systems at a major hospital in Duesseldorf, and a woman who needed urgent admission died after she had to be taken to another city …

Australian rescuers save 25 of 270 stranded whales so far

22 Sep 2020, 1:35 AM PDT

Pilot whales lie stranded on a sand bar near Strahan, Australia, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. An estimated 250 whales are stuck on sandy shoals and government marine conservation staff have been deployed to the scene to attempt to rescue the whales. (Brodie Weeding/Pool Photo via AP)