Five myths about HIV

One of the greatest risks to do with HIV & AIDS is lack of knowledge. Check out the article linked below. Focus is the situation in Australia, but the myths are universal.

https://theconversation.com/five-myths-about-hiv-in-australia-29320 / Australian quick effective response HIV epidemic tendency underestimate effort maintaining HIV prevention responses misinformation lazy assumptions quick fixes sustained effective HIV prevention initial response multifaceted safe sex affected communities needle syringe programs program programme health workers injecting drug user clients screening donor blood HIV antibody test interventions saved untold lives health dollars treatment Australian researchers researching effective anti-HIV drugs infection cause death managed a pill a day minimal side effects scary general population campaign sexually-active aware take responsibility sexual health partners men sex with men gay homosexually active men HIV infections key populations include people high-prevalence countries Aboriginal people inject drugs HIV prevention interventions communities telling people what to do use condoms get tested for HIV take treatment engage with the real reasons effective health promotion minimise waiting times increased availability of HIV treatments community pharmacies good health promotion social marketing addresses underlying issues sex workers instituted effective safer sex practices HIV rates in Australian female sex workers are less than 0.1% decriminalisation sex work agency working conditions voluntarily occupational health and safety standard penetrative sex HIV transmission female version different kind of condom inserted vagina femidom barrier protection drugs treatment HIV prevent transmission /

Robocup 2014

Credit: Robocup/Mashable

Robocup is an annual soccer competition for robots. Robocup 2014 is on right now (July 21 to 25) in João Pessoa, Brazil.

Long term goal of Robocup is to create a robot soccer team, capable of winning the World Cup, by 2050. Great strides have been made since Robocup began in 1997, but they still have a long way to go.

Competition involves a large number of classifications. While the humanoid classifications look most interesting at first sight, in practice, they are hampered by the simple need to balance on two legs.

Freed of the restrictions of the humanoid classes, mech classes play a faster game, with an apparent understanding of positional play. This is well illustrated in the video below. Audio won't tell you anything if you don't speak Dutch, but video show the robot's apparent understanding of positional play quite clearly.

/ 2014 RoboCup annual robot-soccer robot soccer football competition develop further robotics technology crown RoboCup champion winner World Cup 2050 robot teams human soccer players teams 45 countries this year's competition teams compete different categories robot size construction humanoid fields Kid Teen Adult sizes divisions fewer restrictions design robot look like android anthropomorphic humanoid Humanoid League matches play playing two 10 minute halves hosted in South America Nao humanoid robots began development French robotics company Aldebran Robotics popular platform increase in processor component speeds matches become faster in pace football /

Tesla Model S hacked at Beijing symposium

You may remember a recent post about the Symposium on Security for Asia Network (SyScan360) in Beijing, which offered a $10,000 prize to any symposium attendee who could hack into a Tesla Model S.

Well, one team was partly successful & has been awarded 10,600 RMB in prize money. They were able to remotely unlock the vehicle, sound the horn, flash the lights, & open the sunroof.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/security-buffs-win-a-prize-for-hacking-into-a-tesla-model-s/ / hack hacker hacking hacked process cracking software operating system OS computer smart phone smartphone car electric cars challenge hackTesla Model S electric $10,000 prize register registers SyScan conference eligible enter competition rules Tesla Model S experts try their luck learn lessons crack its software entirely-electric Tesla websites central display screen operating major functions of the car from a remote computer web browser 17 inch screen warranty would be void high-tech nature Tesla already takes security very seriously full vulnerability disclosure program allowing users to report any flaws in the car's system ex-Apple security expert Kristin Paget improve digital security research take control of cars hitting brakes jerking the steering wheel fun and games exploited experimentally subtext very sinister advanced hacking virus viruses lessons learned /

LG Chem will supply batteries for 200 mile EV in 2016

Credit: LG Chem/Charged EVs

Both General Motors & Tesla have plans for mass market electric vehicles (EVs) with 200 mile (320 km) range for $30,000, around 2016.

Tesla has called its mass market EV the Model III. Part of the battery price reduction necessary to make the range & price targets will come from its battery Gigafactory project.

Now LG has indicated that it will be supplying batteries for an EV with 200+ mile (320+ km) range in 2016.

With GM planning to produce its next generation of EVs in South Korea, it appears to be a likely LG customer.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/lg-chem-will-supply-batteries-for-200-mile-ev-in-2016/

EV range has always been limited by battery price. Most existing EVs have limited battery range, because more range means more battery cost, & more sticker shock. As a result, most existing EVs have 100 mile (160km) or less range. Tesla has taken the alternative route: their Model S is a superlative vehicle, with a range up to 320 miles[1] (500 km), at a significantly higher price.

When Elon Musk first announced the 2016-2017 timeframe for its 200 mile range, mass market EV, it represented a breakthrough. By 2016, Tesla may find itself in a crowded market. Two advantages it is likely to retain are the free-to-use Supercharger network & the promise of superior performance.

On the other hand, Tesla has recently opened up its patent portfolio & has suggested it is prepared to negotiate sharing its Supercharger network with other manufacturers[2].
__________

[1] http://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/models

[2] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/06/11/elon-musk-talks-teslas-supercharger-future / LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh Reuters South Korean company supply batteries EV 200 miles range 2016 automaker new cells General Motors GM supply agreement former CEO Dan Akerson 200-mile EV produce its next generation of EVs Bupyeong South Korea plant GM Korea head Sergio Rocha designed from the ground up EV legacy model GM VP Doug Parks AP new EV next-generation Volt MSRP $30,000 Elon Musk LiIon lithium ion range charge recharge /

Apps that don't deliver, until you pay for an in-app purchase

Credit: Google Play/Android Police

We've all been there: you download an app on the understanding that it is free. Then you find out that its functionality is not all that was advertised, unless you pay for an "in-app purchase". Well, things are about to change for the better in the Google Play Store:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/18/after-pressure-from-the-european-commission-google-will-no-longer-call-games-with-in-app-purchases-free-on-the-play-store/ / Google representative statement European Commission consumer protection agencies Google Play user users better protections children potential changes Play Store US non-European locations consumer unrest in-app purchases free-to-play games Europe European Commission EU EU's legislative arm issued instructions Google Apple more accurately market free games instructed both companies buy virtual items real money complaints consumers Google committed stop referring games in-app purchases free hard rule very little room for interpretation European Commission's press release free games in-app purchases developing targeted guidelines app developers prevent direct exhortation children time-framed measures monitor breaches of EU consumer laws free-to-play games IAP Play Store re-labeled Google will stop referring to them as such IAP games free promotions Play Store home page Top Free list either Top Free Play Store list Android pad tablet phone game developers publishers policies buy virtual items ask their parents to United States US Play Store complaints play playing online /

Eyes on the road

Driving, or riding in, a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most of us do on a regular basis. Is that SMS worth dying for?

/ car automobile accident death road toll fatality illegal damage injury hsopital pain mobile cell phone smartphone smart phone smart-phone /

More about the third generation Tesla electric vehicle (update)

Update: Tesla will be having a Model 3 event in March 2016
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/tesla-model-3-event-march-2016-may-show.html

Tesla's Roadster was always the first generation in a long term plan to deliver a practical mass market electric vehicle (EV). Second generation Model S has been on sale for some time, & the Model X cross over, in prototype form, has been sighted on California roads.

After a tussle with Ford over the name "Model E", Tesla has renamed their 3rd generation electric vehicle the "Model III".

As a price control measure, the Model III will make extensive use of steel, rather than aluminium, as in the Model S. It will have a range over 200 miles, & be about 20% smaller than the Model S.

When? Elon Musk has said previously, "Hopefully 2016, but I would say no later than 2017."

Performance? Tesla dropped the 40 kWh Model S because it was "sluggish" & "didn't feel like a Tesla". Elon musk has previously indicated that he, doesn't want to deliver a third gen car that "sucks". The article linked below gives further reason to hope that the Model III will have good performance.

Other major point of interest from the item linked below is that Model IIIs will have free access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

And there will be an upgraded, longer range battery for the Roadster.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/tesla/87867/tesla-model-3-to-challenge-bmw-3-series-world-exclusive / model names Roadster Model S Model X third-generation vehicle Tesla Model III 3 mass-market vehicle Model E S-E-X Ford Model E trademark Ford sued I thought this is crazy, Ford’s trying to kill sex Model 3, we’ll have three bars to represent it and it’ll be S III X go on sale by 2017 new platform 20% smaller range of over 200 miles Tesla’s British engineering chief Chris Porritt design Supercharger network free upgraded battery Roadster boost range 245 miles 400 /