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Instagram Opens Up to Publishers with In Stories Ads

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Instagram is ready to roll its new in Stories ads.

Instagram hit a big success with its Instagram Stories feature that has been around the block for just six months. The new update allowed the share of photos and videos among users. The catch is that the new content vanishes into thin air after 24 hours of its release. This transient characteristic is similar to one of Instagram’s rivals, namely SnapChat. Instagram Stories is also offering social media users the opportunity to stream videos in real life. This type of content has a lifespan of one hour at most. The new feature managed to gather 150 million users already. Instagram will begin to monetize the product with in stories ads.

This Wednesday, Instagram announced that it would allow publishers to insert their advertising videos within the Stories experience. Moreover, the company will introduce analytics tools. Thanks to this, businesses will be able to track their ads and collect valuable data to streamline their marketing campaigns on Instagram.

Facebook bought the social media company back in 2012 for $1 billion. It took the company almost three years to finally get to introduce ads in the network. However, the new move is not compliant with Facebook’s usual course of action. Although Instagram Stories feature is only six-month-old, it will already start hosting in Stories ads.

The new direction implemented on Instagram was the object of criticism for many people. The format seems to be too similar to Snapchat. However, this controversy didn’t stop social media users to like such new services. On Wednesday, the company disclosed for the first time that its user database reached the high number of 150 million. These users are turning to Instagram Stories on a daily basis.

This milestone is actually an almost exact match for the numbers from Snapchat. This sharp boom of popularity created the ideal circumstances for Instagram to start monetizing its feature. The new in Stories ads will last for only 15 seconds for the time being. Publishers can choose to introduce even shorter clips promoting their products or services. The ads can have a video format, but they can also be a slideshow of photos. As Instagram stated that 70% of its users are activating the sound while watching a video, the ads can improve their stats greatly if they have sound.

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Filed Under: Business

The US Experienced 2016 as the Second Warmest Year in History

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hurricane matthew

Hurricane Matthews was one of the 15 natural calamities that marked 2016 as the second warmest year for U.S.

While global warming was a main and sensitive issue for 2016, last year was also remarkable for America. Last Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made public its records. According to their data, it seems that 2016 was the second warmest year in the history of the United States. This event is considered yet another sign that climate change poses a real and threatening issue.

One of the conclusions of The NOAA’s annual report for this year is that 2016 witnessed a degree of warmth unmatched by previous records. Alaska was one of the states that registered the most Fahrenheit degrees over the usual average. Moreover, all the 48 states in the lower area recorded almost 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The agency described 2016 to be a very hot year with extreme precipitations. The only states that didn’t have one of their warmest five years were Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Iowa, and Maine. On the other hand, there was a total of 34 states, among which Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Cleveland were at their hottest year on record.

Due to these extreme temperatures, there were a number of 15 natural phenomena that wreaked havoc among U.S. citizens. Some of these were Hurricane Matthew together with other wildfires, droughts, and floods that were responsible for the death of 138 people. Moreover, they caused damages that amounted to a total of $46 million.

This report is just one of other several papers that report disturbing climate milestones that are thought to be side effects of the climate change phenomenon. Among these, scientists proved that the past decade registered ten consecutive years with the lowest levels of Arctic sea ice. Moreover, the level of the seas is rising at the fastest rate during the past 28 centuries. Another worrisome sign of global warming is that 2016 had 11 months with record high temperatures.

While 2016 was the second warmest year in its history, global data show that it represented the hottest period of time for the entire world. The European Copernicus Climate Service is going to release its own report on climate matters on January 18. Specialists are already speculating that this is going to be yet another document that mentions climate change and record high temperatures.

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Filed Under: Science

Medical Marijuana Melted Traffic Accidents Away

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traffic jam in big city

A new study linked the new times of medical marijuana with a drop of fatal traffic accidents.

A recent study dispels the preconceived idea that medical marijuana is responsible for an increased number of traffic accidents. On the contrary, the results of such research are proving that things are the other way around. In some states, the moment marijuana became a legal medicine coincides with a noticeable drop in traffic casualties.

Julian Santaella-Tenorio is the lead author of this scientific paper. He is a doctoral student at Columbia University in New York and stated that the results of his study took him by surprise. The primary goal of his efforts was to see the repercussions of the decision of making marijuana a legal medicine. Instead of more disoriented drivers, the study surprised a more responsible roadway traffic.

At this moment, there are 28 states in America where people can consume marijuana under legal circumstances. It took authorities 20 years to create such a legal environment for a necessary drug that proved to ease chronic pain considerably. For the study, researchers analyzed 1.2 million traffic casualties on a nationwide scale that took place from 1985 to 2014. The results showed an 11% drop in fatal traffic accidents in the states that legalized marijuana.

The study paid close attention to a certain range of adults with ages of 25 to 44. This segment of the population is usually mostly predisposed to the use of medical marijuana. Instead of developing more confusing mental sessions, the persons from this segment were involved in less fatal traffic accidents than before. The difference was recorded by 12%.

There was another study that a different team of scientists conducted in 2013. The goal of this one is similar to the 2016 paper. The findings revealed the fact that traffic fatalities have been decreased in number by 8 to 11% within the first year of legalized marijuana. As a consequence, both studies confirm the fact that marijuana use improves the living conditions within communities.

However, neither of the two studies managed to discover what it is exactly that links medical marijuana to improved traffic conditions. They can merely show an association between the two factors. Some assumptions might find explanations in the fact that the number of police agents has increased since marijuana became legal. Thus, authorities are not yet aware of the consequences of such a nationwide decision.

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Filed Under: Science

Norway Proves Capable of Keeping Interest Rates Steady

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Norway flag

Against a difficult national economic situation, Norways succeeds to keep interest rates the same.

The Central Banks of Norway succeeded to keep its benchmark within reasonable conditions. Contrary to expectations, they actually put a stop on lowering the interest rates. There were several concerns regarding some imbalances starting to take over the red-hot housing market of the nation,but they were overcome. As a consequence, the krone quickly surged its value.

There were around 22 analysts who recommended Norway to keep the deposit rate at 0.5%. The country managed to respect these forecasts. This move might finally end the financial imbalances that didn’t stop from growing for quite some time. These injurious conditions were possible due to increasing housing prices. Moreover, the household sector seemed to have no escape from an accelerated growth of its debt. All these factors urged the Norwegian government to make an emergency decision on the interest rates.

This Thursday, the government has also decided to increase the countercyclical capital buffer to 2% for the banks. This disposition has been considered at the advice of banks and it is supposed to become functional by 2018. These decisions were introduced only a day after lending standards became tighter at the recommendation of the government. This measure regards the capital city Oslo where the prices for houses are jumping at an annual rate of around 20%.

An analyst at Nordea Bank, Gaute Marius Langeland, sees this important news as signs that the bank is worried by the evolution of the housing market. Only under extremely tensed conditions would the bank have raised the interest rate path. As a consequence, the krone jumped to 8.98 per euro at 12:01 p.m. in Oslo.

Norway has faced many drawbacks that culminated with an oil crisis in 2014. Nonetheless, the country successfully avoided negative rates. Moreover, they handled the delicate situation without the need of unconventional policies, which are otherwise starting to describe the financial situation in other countries. The central bank needs to keep an appreciating currency, especially now when the Europe’s biggest oil producer has to deal with a recovery from a crude slump.

The announcement on Thursday reassures Norway that the rate will continue to keep its present value for the upcoming years. Even though the country is currently handling a slower financial recovery than before, the rates will remain unchanged. This way, the authorities hope to keep the effects of the upcoming inflation at a minimum.

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Filed Under: Business

Caesarean Sections Have Direct Impact on Human Evolution

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newborn baby

Study shows that caesarean sections made way for bigger newborns

A new study featured in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) focused on caesarean sections and their impact on humankind. The results showed a deeper connection than they thought.

There is an estimated raise of 3% to 6% of worldwide births that need a C-section. This happens because the babies’ heads or shoulders are too big for the pelvis of their mothers. At this point, doctors decide to deliver the newborn through a small belly incision. The cases that need this kind of operation have increased from 30 to 36 in 1,000 births since the 1960s. Researchers believe that the numbers will continue to grow, but Caesarean section will not become mandatory.

The rate of fetopelvic disproportion, which happens when the baby doesn’t fit through the birth canal, has thus dramatically increased during recent years. The C-section operation prevents women with narrow pelvis sizes from succumbing. More than 100 years ago, human evolution would permit for genes that promote fetopelvic disproportion to affect the following generation. This is because both the mother and the child couldn’t survive in such a situation.

Caesarean section has thus eliminated natural selection that used to cause a high rate of deaths at birth. Nowadays, it is no longer important the constitution of women. The genes for narrow pelvic sizes are passed on to upcoming generations.

On the other hand, the birth of kids with big heads has high chances of success unlike a few decades ago. Thus newborns have become larger and healthier than ever. Consequently, caesarean sections have developed a direct impact in humankind evolution.

The research paper employed a simple mathematical model. The results have been used at the basis for an accurate prediction. In the near future, the use of Caesarean sections will increase by 10 to 20% more than in the past decades.

There can be other factors as well that have influenced the increase in fetopelvic disproportion cases. Scientists are of the opinion that cultural habits are also responsible for the high rate of C-sections. Diabetes and obesity are two such phenomena that can make natural birth too difficult.

Human evolution continues to change our lifestyles. In this case, medical intervention has altered the way newborns are brought into the world and has eliminated natural selection.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle & Health

Wildcard Releases Ark: Survival Evolved for PS4

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Ark: Survival Evolved poster

Ark: Survival Evolved Early Access will be released on the 6th of December.

On the subject of MMO open world survival games, there’s some great news to be heard. As part of the upcoming winter sales, Wildcard Studios and Sony announced the launch of the much-anticipated Ark: Survival Evolved.

What is Ark: Survival Evolved, and why the hype-train? The title was announced in early 2015, but due to a couple of setbacks, the game’s launch was delayed. Wildcard, the studio that developed Ark: Survival Evolved declared, at that time, that the game will only be released once it was ready, dismissing the idea of an Early Access version of the game.

One year later, Sony made the grand announcement: players will be able to download the Early Access version of the game, starting with the 6th of December. Ark: Survival Evolved is available for PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

Concerning genre, the game is an open world, first-person perspective, massive multiplayer online survival game. Compared to other titles belonging to the same genre, Ark: Survival Evolved will throw players back in time to the Prehistoric Era.

The gamer must hunt, craft weapons and other useful gizmos, scavenge for resources, build shelters and defenses, and wage battle with other players. However, the game’s forte is the dinosaurs and other fantastical beasts.

Basically, the game allows you to decide on what course of action you want to follow: forge an alliance with other players, construct grandiose cities, and hunt powerful creatures, or become the next ruler of the world slaying man and beast alike?

The game will become available for download starting on the 6th of December, but, as we mentioned before, it is still the Early Access version, so don’t expect a flawless gameplay and bug-free graphics.

There might be a few rough edges here and there, but the developing studios promised that all these details would be straightened out when the full version of the game will be released. According to Sony and Wildcard, the full version of the game will probably be published in early 2017.

Until then, the developers invited us to try out the Early Access version of Ark: Survival Evolved in order to get the hang of things. Unfortunately, the studio did not make statements regarding a potential PC version of the game.

On the bright side, in order to make up for the lost time, Wildcard said that the final package would include the Scorched Earth expansion as well as the Bionic Giganotosaurus skin and the Manticore set.

Image source: YouTube

Filed Under: Technology & Research

Listeria Might Have Contaminated Recalled Sabra Hummus

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Sabra hummus on market shelves

Many Sabra hummus products have been recalled due to possible Listeria contamination.

The FDA announced Friday the voluntary recall of many Sabra hummus products because a company’s plant tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The recalled products were manufactured earlier this month before the contamination was detected. The company says that the recall includes red pepper, classic, and garlic hummus products.

However, the FDA officials stated that the recalled products didn’t test positive for the bacteria, but the company took no risks and issued a massive recall. Over fifty recalled Sabra products have been distributed this month across Canada and the US, so it will take a while until the recall is over.

Customers are urged to discard any Sabra hummus product with the expiration date on January 23rd, 2017. They can find the date listed on every package’s lid. Also, customers can return the recalled products to the purchase location for a full refund, or they can go to the Sabra official website to get a replacement coupon.

Common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, stiffness, severe headaches, and high fever for a short period. That is why it can be similar to the flu. Those most at risk are the elderly, young kids, pregnant women, and people with weak immune system.

Fatal infections rarely occur when Listeria attacks the brain of the patient leading to meningitis. It is worth mentioning that pregnant women who get infected might suffer a premature delivery, stillbirth, and miscarriage.

The company issued another massive recall last year when 30,000 hummus cases have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The products which are not included in the November recall are Sabra Greek Yogurt Dips, Sabra Guacamole, Sabra Salsa, and Sabra Organic Hummus.

Listeria is usually found in frozen products such as vegetables and fruits as well as ice cream. Therefore, FDA officials strongly recommend consumers to avoid thawing these products in the microwaves because the heat is uneven and some bacteria might survive.

Listeria monocytogenes are among the few parasites which can survive at freezing temperatures. By thoroughly cooking food, you can ensure that it contains no bacteria.

For additional information and any other questions related to the Sabra hummus recall, customers can reach a company’s representative at 1-866-265-6761 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle & Health

Beam Me Up! Quantum Teleportation Closer To Reality

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Quantum Teleportation Header

Scientists managed to link photons and achieve quantum teleportation over fiber optics.

Quantum teleportation focuses on moving matter from one place, to another over a great distance without having to physically send anything between the two location. Quantum teleportation does not function according to and does not aim to achieve the classical means of teleportation which the world has grown accustomed to thanks to sci-fi.

Nevertheless, before we get to that level of instant travel, these recent experiments in quantum teleportation will help pave the way to a quantum internet. Users of a quantum internet would never have to worry about upload, download, or latency ever again.

Through the quantum internet, petabytes of data can instantly travel from one end of the world to the other at a speed which will be entirely dictated by the performance abilities of our hardware. In short, the quantum internet is the dream and quantum teleportation is how we get to it.

Quantum Teleportation Featured

Light particles traveling through fiber optics will pave the way to accessible quantum teleportation.

The phenomenon known as entanglement has to do with the links between sub-atomic particles. This link can continue to exist between particles, even when they are separated over a great distance. Einstein had issues explaining the phenomenon and modern science has not really made further steps in understanding how entanglement works, they were just able to tell that it does.

Using entanglement, researchers created two photons at point A. Photons are sub-atomic particles. The occurrence of the entanglement phenomenon was ensured. Furthermore, photons are light particles. They travel with the speed of light.

They sent one of the two photons along from point A to point B via a fiber optics cable which was approximately seven miles long.

At point C, the researchers repeated the procedure and sent one of these new two photons to point A via another fiber optics cable which was approximately 5 miles long.

The entire process meant that the quantum state of a photon in point C, was brought via quantum teleportation to point A, and then ultimately to point B.

Many other successful experiments in quantum teleportation were able to transfer the quantum state of a photon from one point to the other over distances ten times as long. However, this has been the first successful experiment where the quantum state of a photon was passed on to another photon which in turn was affected by a transfer of its own quantum state.

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Filed Under: Science

Is The Rooms Feature Coming To Facebook Messenger?

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Rooms Feature Top

Within the code of the Facebook Messenger app lies information about a new Rooms feature.

There is a constant rise in the frequency with which the world gets giddy and excited every time somebody manages to access an app’s code and finds something interesting enough to share with the whole world. Such is the case with Facebook Messenger and its potential Rooms feature.

Code remnants are usually footprints of features still in development. After all, the code is the backroom of an app. Pruning the code of all functions and features which will be implemented in one or two future versions takes time. Also, people usually should not be snooping around in there.

However, people still do snoop around and quite a lot. And it is because of this innate curiosity that the world can find out about features, such as the Rooms feature which could be very soon coming to Facebook Messenger.

From what can be gathered, the Rooms feature will work a lot like the IRC channels of yore, where several people who wanted to address a certain topic could do so, live. Facebook Messenger currently only supports individual-made groups and has no core way of letting total strangers end up in the same chat channel.

The Rooms feature gives way to a lot of excitement and eagerness to see it implemented. A lot of Messenger’s competitors already have public group chats built into them and the option seems to be widely popular in a lot of different circles.

Rooms Feature Main

Messenger continues to grow and evolve, making it one of the most competitive chat apps.

Will Messenger Rooms Feature Chatbots?

However, it is worthy of mention that the code did not supply any information in regards to chatbots. Facebook Messenger chatbots received an overwhelming amount of hype ever since the public message to developers was made.

The chatbots even received a recent update which allows them to sell items without linking to external payment websites. The Messenger chatbots may prove to be one of the most lucrative businesses and many see their integration into public groups as a must have.

Although the team behind Facebook Messenger most likely did not plan for the information about the new Rooms feature to be leaked, the amount of discussion it has generated can prove to be a huge font of pre-open-alpha feedback.

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Filed Under: Technology & Research

Vaping Helped 18,000 Brits Quit Smoking In 2015

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Vaping Top

A key element in smoking cessation while using vaping is an already strong motivation.

Will switching to an e-cigarette help smokers quit conventional cigarettes? Many licensed health specialists do not believe that vaping does, in fact, give any aid in giving up smoking. However, recent statistics gathered from official reports and data from Great Britain may soon change their view on the matter.

According to the gathered data, approximately 18,000 individuals from Great Britain were able to successfully quit conventional tobacco cigarettes after switching to vaping. Health care officials have stated that it is presently the highest number of people who have managed to quit cigarettes recorded in the country and that it could not have been achieved without e-cigarettes.

In both 2013 and 2014, Great Britain reported similar positive reactions towards e-cigarettes. Doctors in the United States continued to remain skeptical, however. Their own data on e-cigarettes does not match the experience of the British people. Nevertheless, Great Britain continues to report increasing numbers of cases where people successfully quit tobacco cigarettes and they can no longer ignore this fact.

Vaping Main

Great Britain is reporting yearly increasing numbers of people who dropped smoking over vaping.

Is Vaping An Efficient Smoking Cessation Tool?

As part of the official medical procedure, whenever an individual in Great Britain wants to attempt to quit smoking, their doctor will run a series of tests in order to establish their level of health. This procedure is done in order to recommend the easiest and safest way to quit smoking for each individual.

As part of the initial testing, as well as throughout the quitting process, people are asked to fill in several short surveys. It is through the surveys that British health-care specialists have initially noticed and then kept track of the increasing successful trend of e-cigarettes.

However, medical specialists quickly realized another interesting fact in regards to how vaping may in fact be such an effective tool in smoking cessation. Conventionally, people who seek medical advice when trying to quit smoking have been proven to be more motivated to actual quit smoking.

On average, e-cigarettes have not proven an effective aid for people to stop smoking, in almost all cases where people were not properly motivated to do so from the start. Doctors in Great Britain believe that vaping is effective because it hardens an already present conviction to break the habit.

As Great Britain continues to report yearly increasing percentages in cases of individuals who have successfully quit smoking, the general opinion formed in the United States about vaping may be soon changing.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle & Health

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