A study analyzed environmental exposures, like pet and secondhand smoke, to determine if they have a role in asthma control among children whose asthma is managed per NAEPP (EPR-3) guidelines. Researchers found that once asthma guidelines are followed, environmental exposures to pets or secondhand smoke were not significant factors in overall asthma improvement over time.
Sky survey reveals first ‘orphan’ gamma ray burst
Object in distant galaxy most likely is a gamma ray burst whose beams of gamma rays were pointed away from Earth and thus not detected. Radio afterglow’s behavior over time, however, is what’s expected from a gamma ray burst.
Large-scale US wind power would cause warming that would take roughly a century to offset
Extracting energy from the wind causes climatic impacts that are small compared to current projections of 21st century warming, but large compared to the effect of reducing US electricity emissions to zero with solar. Researchers report the most accurate modelling yet of how increasing wind power would affect climate, finding that large-scale wind power generation would warm the Continental United States 0.24 degrees Celsius because wind turbines redistribute heat in the atmosphere.
Viruses influenced gene sharing between Neanderthals and humans
Human evolution used to be depicted as a straight line, gradually progressing from an ape-like ancestor to modern Homo sapiens. But thanks to next-generation sequencing, findings in recent years have shown that it wasn’t quite so orderly. Now, a new study is reporting new details about the role of viruses in shaping evolution, in particular viral interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals.
LG V40 ThinQ vs. Galaxy Note 9 vs. iPhone XS Max – CNET
Big phones, big competition.
Malware scam targets Fortnite cheaters and their bitcoin wallets – CNET
Cheaters never prosper.
Apple, Amazon deny report that Chinese spy chips infiltrated their hardware – CNET
The tech giants dispute the suggestion there was a mass surveillance campaign.
Rethinking lethality in youth suicide attempts
First suicide attempts are more lethal than previously realized, reports a study of children and adolescents.
Fitbit’s updated Charge 3 will be out on October 7th
Fitbit’s latest Charge 3 fitness tracker was announced back in August, and now we know when you’ll be able to buy one: October 7th. The Charge 3 will start at $149.95 for the Core version and $169.95 for the NFC-equipped Special Edition model that supports Fitbit Pay.
The Charge 3 offers a totally overhauled design from the Charge 2, with a high-res touchscreen, a more premium aluminum body, and Gorilla Glass 3 borrowed from the Versa line. It’s also water resistant and features better heart rate and oxygen sensors. But perhaps most importantly, it has an even better battery life: Fitbit claims up to seven days, up from five on the Charge 2.
The Charge 3 will be out on the 7th, but F…
Campaign 2018: Cyberattacks on infrastructure could suppress voter turnout – CNET
The electrical grid, telecommunications and municipal systems are vulnerable to hackers.