Nasa announced on Friday that its Parker Solar Probe is “safe” and functioning as expected after achieving the closest approach to the Sun ever made by a human-made object. The spacecraft passed just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the solar surface on December 24, flying into the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona, on a mission to help scientists learn more about Earth’s closest star. During this closest approach — known as perihelion — mission teams lost direct contact with Parker, relying on a “beacon tone” this to…
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This is what ‘Christmas gift’ from space discloses
A surprising Christmas gift has been received by the scientists this year in the form of a potential solution to the mystery of JuMBOs, which are strange celestial objects that seem not to be planets or stars. According to Space.com, the mysterious JuMBOs (Jupiter-mass binary objects) are believed to actually be stellar cores by a team of researchers. These cores have been violently “unwrapped” by massive, powerful stars similar to kids excitedly unwrapping presents on Christmas Day. This finding can potentially solve a mystery that arose in 2023. In the Orion…
Read MorePakistan’s internet speed set to ‘improve’ with new undersea cable
KARACHI: A cutting-edge undersea internet cable, currently being installed, is expected to increase speed and reliability in Pakistan, carrying as much as 24 terabytes of bandwidth, Geo News reported. A French firm is laying the cable which is over 45,000 kilometers long. At present, Pakistan relies on approximately 8 terabytes of bandwidth provided by seven existing cables. The new system, connecting the African region to Pakistan, aims to improve connectivity and address long-standing complaints of slow internet speeds. The enhanced bandwidth will also improve the performance of platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp,…
Read MoreWhat festive new feature is WhatsApp rolling out?
As the festive season approaches, WhatsApp is introducing an exciting update by adding the Party Popper emoji as the seventh default reaction in the reaction tray. This change in Meta’s popular instant-messaging app allows users to celebrate the joyous moments of Christmas and the New Year in the most accessible way by making it readily available in the reaction tray, WABetaInfo reported. The Party Popper emoji is a universal symbol of celebration which also makes it a perfect addition to the reaction tray, eliminating the need for users to sift through the emoji…
Read MorePakistan witnesses ‘longest’ night of year today
As winter continues to intensify in Pakistan, the country is witnessing the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, today. This is the longest night for the Northern Hemisphere region including Pakistan, a spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said in a statement. Winter solstice falls annually on December 21 or 22, varying from country to country, and brings the longest night and shortest daylight hours when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun. This astronomical event results in reduced daylight hours and…
Read More‘Negative time’ observed in breakthrough quantum experiments
TORONTO: Scientists at the University of Toronto say they have found evidence that “negative time” is not just a theoretical concept but a measurable physical phenomenon. For decades, researchers have noted instances where light appears to exit a material before entering it, an effect often attributed to wave distortion. The latest experiments, however, suggest this is more than an illusion and could reshape our understanding of time itself as it exists in a tangible, physical sense. The findings, yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, have attracted both global…
Read MoreWhatsApp releasing playback speed for videos
Meta’s WhatsApp is releasing a new feature known as playback speed for videos which will let users view content efficiently as well as tailour the viewing experience to their needs. With the assistance of this new feature, users will be allowed to watch videos at different speeds. It is worth noting that some beta testers can already explore this new feature, reported WABetaInfo. In order to ensure easy access for users while watching videos, the new playback speed control is conveniently located next to the video progress bar. Without interrupting their…
Read MoreChilean giant ‘living fossil’ frog at risk from climate change, human impact
A giant frog species that once shared the Earth with dinosaurs, often referred to as a “living fossil,” is now facing serious threats in its native Chile as climate change and human activities are wreaking havoc on its natural habitat. Known as Calyptocephallela gayi, or the Helmeted Water Toad, this amphibian is among the largest frogs in the world, reaching lengths of over 30 cm (1 foot) and weighing up to 1 kg (2.2 lbs). Despite surviving with minimal genetic changes for millions of years, scientists now warn that its…
Read MoreMeta’s continued interoperability requests draw criticism from Apple
Apple on Wednesday criticised Meta Platforms for its frequent requests to access the software tools of the iPhone maker, raising concerns about potential privacy and security risks for users. Under the European Union’s landmark Digital Markets Act, which came into force last year, Apple, one of the world’s top phone manufacturers, is obligated to enable interoperability for rivals and app developers. If it fails to do so, Apple could will face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. So far, Meta has made 15 interoperability requests, more than…
Read MoreWhatsApp releasing group chat mention in status updates
Meta-owned platform WhatsApp is releasing a feature which will let users mention group chats in status updates. Already available for some beta testers, the new feature has been designed to streamline communication by allowing users to notify entire groups through a single mention, reported WABetaInfo. This eliminates the need to tag individual contacts one by one. In a status update, when a group is mentioned, all participants in that group receive a notification informing them about the mention. It is ensured by this that group members are promptly alerted and can…
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