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This supermassive black hole has a mass equivalent to more than 30 billion times the mass of the Sun, according to the study published this week in a scientific journal of Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society.

It is the first whose properties are determined thanks to the detection technique through gravitational lensing. This phenomenon is caused by the presence of an object so massive – a galaxy or a supermassive black hole – that it warps spacetime. Light coming from a distant source therefore appears distorted when it passes close by.

But while we can observe a galaxy, we literally cannot see a black hole. This cosmic object has the peculiarity of being so dense that not even light can escape, therefore making it invisible.

This time, the astronomers were “very lucky,” James Nightingale, an astronomer at Britain’s Durham University and lead author of the study, told AFP. They were able to observe light from a galaxy that is far beyond the black hole and whose orbit appears to be deflected by the black hole, about two billion light-years from Earth.

It is said that most galaxies have a black hole at their center. But to detect their presence, until now it has been necessary to observe the energy emissions they produce by absorbing matter that has dared to get too close. Or by noting their influence on the trajectories of the stars orbiting them.

100,000 lenses

However, these techniques only work for black holes that are close enough to Earth.

The gravitational lensing technique allows astronomers to “detect black holes in the 99% of galaxies that are currently inaccessible to traditional observation” because they are too distant, says the astronomer.

There are about 500 gravitational lenses, at least one of which is now attributed to a supermassive black hole. But “this landscape will change dramatically,” said James Nightingale.

The European Space Agency’s Euclid mission, scheduled for launch in July, will usher in “a big data era” for black hole hunters by producing a high-resolution map of part of the universe, he adds.

According to the scientist, in six years of observation, Euclid was able to detect up to 100,000 gravitational lenses, including possibly several thousand black holes.

The astronomer and his colleagues’ discovery was based on computer simulations and images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

These observations confirm and explain those made 18 years ago by a Durham University astronomer and colleague of James Nightingale, Alastair Edge, who suggested the presence of a black hole at the center of the galaxy Abell 1201.

NASA is looking for students from accredited colleges and universities across the United States to solve a dust cloud problem during the moon landing, with a $10,000 grand prize up for grabs.

“The moon is covered in a coarse-grained, rocky material called regolith, which can be lifted from the surface during landing and ascent. Understanding and reducing these effects are key challenges […] for safe access to the lunar surface,” said lead researcher Ashley Korzun of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in a statement released last week.

Not only would this dust create a more difficult landing environment, but it would also damage any infrastructure the US space agency plans to build on the lunar surface, she continued.

NASA has asked students at accredited colleges and universities across the United States to find solutions to manage or prevent dust clouds from landing on an “unprepared” surface like that of the moon, it said in its press release.

The US Federal Space Agency will select 12 teams to compete in the first Human Lander Challenge in June 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Each team is paid $7,000 to create a technical document and design mockups or prototypes to be presented to a panel of experts.

The winning team will take home $10,000, while 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded $5,000 and $3,000 respectively.

Almost a year after the launch of Windows 11, Microsoft is already working on a more modern and modular version of its flagship operating system, with better security and faster updates. This initiative, called CorePC, would allow Windows to better adapt to different devices while still supporting existing applications. CorePC would serve many of the same purposes as the Windows Core OS (including Windows 10X, which was discontinued shortly before the release of Windows 11), which Microsoft touted as a modular modernization of its operating system.

Microsoft has been trying to modernize the Windows platform for many years. The most recent attempt was Windows Core OS, an attempt to provide a modular operating system that stripped the platform of legacy features and application compatibility in favor of lighter weight, faster installation of updates, and much stronger security. However, Microsoft was never able to ship a version of Windows Core OS that supported all mainstream PC form factors, although it tried. Windows 10X was Microsoft’s latest attempt in this direction.

But the project was canceled in 2021 after months of internal testing and years of development on Windows Core OS itself. After the release of Windows 10 in July 2015, it took a little more than six years until Microsoft rolled out a real successor, Windows 11, on October 5, 2021. A few months after the launch, rumor has it that the Redmond-based company is already preparing for the search for a much more modular operating system to deliver a product over Windows Core OS for traditional PCs.

The project would be called CorePC and would share the same goals as Windows 10X, but with native support for legacy apps on devices that require it. CorePC would be designed as a modular and customizable variant of Windows, allowing Microsoft to exploit different form factors. Not all Windows PCs require full Win32 application support, and according to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, CorePC should allow the Redmond company to configure “editions” of Windows with different levels of functionality and compatibility with applications.

In other words, CorePC would pave the way for new Windows configurations that will evolve according to the computer’s hardware. One of the most notable changes cited by the sources is that the CorePC project will use “state separation” and split Windows into multiple partitions, just like iOS and Android. This could make it harder for malware to infect the system while making updates faster. As a reminder, the separation of states allows for faster updates and a more secure platform thanks to read-only partitions that the user and third-party applications do not have access to.

State separation also enables faster and more reliable system reset functionality, which is important for Chromebooks in education. (The current version of Windows isn’t a separate platform, meaning the entire system is installed on a single writable partition. System files, user data, and program files are all stored in one place.) Here’s how an education-focused variant might have a lighter footprint like ChromeOS , which runs only the Edge browser, web apps, Office, and Mule Android apps.

Conversely, CorePC could also offer full versions of Windows that support all the current features and capabilities of the modern Windows 11 desktop. .) Microsoft is also reportedly working on a version of CorePC designed to compete with Apple Silicon, which has been built into new Macs more than two years ago. Microsoft’s “Silicon-Optimized” variant is said to improve the operating system’s performance and capabilities when paired with certain hardware.

Finally, Microsoft would (unsurprisingly) integrate AI into the heart of the new operating system. In particular, Microsoft would have planned to use AI to analyze the content of the screen and provide appropriate contextual cues. It looks like a system-wide extension of the AI ​​capabilities of upcoming versions of the Office suite. By the time you can get your hands on it, the Redmond firm reportedly intends to use CorePC from the next major release of Windows (probably Windows 12), which is slated for 2024. By then the company could change.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has noted on the Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Workstation pages that Windows 10 downloads will be discontinued as of January 31, 2023, and Windows 10 licenses can no longer be purchased except from existing third-party license resellers. In summary, Windows 11 will be the only operating system that Microsoft will allow for purchase. Windows 10 will continue to be supported through October 14, 2025 with security updates that help protect PCs from cyber threats. So far, Statcounter notes that only 20% of users have upgraded to Windows 11, with 73% still using Windows 10.

In addition, other sources are already speculating about the hardware requirements for the next major version of Windows. At the moment, it’s simply impossible to predict what those of a hypothetical Windows 12 will look like. Expect the current minimum specs (4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a 720p notch) to be updated, according to multiple sources. In fact, the next Windows should rely heavily on AI.

And since, according to them, AI requires a lot of computing power, the hardware requirements should inevitably be increased. Chips designed specifically to support AI tools should be on the market by then. AMD is working on AI processors, and it’s likely that Intel and ARM will eventually follow suit.

And you ?

What is your opinion on the topic?

What do you think of the rumor about the arrival of a hypothetical Windows 12 in 2024?

What do you think of the likely changes this new operating system could bring?

What do you think of Microsoft’s idea of ​​making Windows more modular? What would be the benefits?

Do you have experience with Windows 10X? If so, share it with the community.

See also

Microsoft could start developing Windows 12 in March, according to a rumor from German media that cites an internal source

Microsoft is already working on Windows 12, although it is difficult to get users to adopt Windows 11, Windows 12 could be released next year, 2024

Microsoft will stop selling Windows 10 licenses on January 31, 2023, and the operating system will receive updates until October 14, 2025

What is almost dead that has eight hairy legs, so many eyes, and that leaps out of its hole to devour poor, unwary prey? One could think of the beginning of a dark horror story that young ants told each other in the evenings to scare each other. And yet aren’t we saying that fiction is catching up with reality? Unless it’s the other way around.

The world of small animals is inhabited by extremely strange creatures. You may have heard of those ants “zombified” by a horrible parasitic fungus, or those burrowing spiders, predators on the lookout, emerging from a burrow camouflaged by some sort of trapdoor made of silk and rubble pounce on their prey. Mix the two and you get what looks like the new species of parasitic fungus close to the Ophiocordyceps made famous by The Last of Us game and series.

This was brought to light by scientists working to determine the remaining biodiversity in a forest north of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Several arachnids and insect-parasitic fungi caught their attention, and while more analysis is needed before these species can be officially declared new, they are unknown to the mycologists who made up the team. One of the species close to those that produce “zombified” ants, and described as “really awesome” by mycologist João Araújo of the New York Botanical Garden, who discovered them, attacks trapdoor spiders, but nothing’s wrong.” shows for now states that it controls the movements of the infected arachnid before killing it.

Amazon comes up with the idea of ​​putting a warning label on frequently returned items. The company says it wants customers to be better informed to find out if it meets their needs. It’s also an opportunity for Amazon to manage fewer order returns.

How do you know if the product you buy on Amazon is of good quality? There’s the note on his card that could be a first clue. Comments can also be helpful in forming an opinion. Also brand awareness or your experience with it. But there could also be a new criterion soon, which The Information Site reiterated on March 27, 2023.

Our colleagues report an experiment with a display system used to warn when the product is returned a little too often. The warning notice takes the form of an orange insert placed fairly high up on the form; the message only says that it is a “commonly returned product” but invites you to refer to the opinions and the details of the product.

A number of items were tagged, including a record player and two dresses, according to The Information. The reviews were quite good, but in the comments, netizens complained about damaged products or not the right size. This cannot represent a problem with the goods themselves, but a delivery or ordering issue.

Amazon’s return policy includes the ability to return most items within 30 days of receipt, with a refund typically taking two weeks. These returns are basically free of charge. New items must be returned new, unused and complete. The full rules are available on Amazon.

Beneficial for the Internet user and for Amazon

A spokesman told The Information that this new display system, whose generalization conditions are still unclear across the entire platform, will primarily benefit the group’s customers. It would be, according to Amazon, that its customers would make better purchasing decisions considering that the product they want is often returned.

The conditions that trigger the display of this footage are not specified, nor is it stated whether this mark can disappear after a period of time without too frequent a return being observed. For example, is it based on a percentage of purchases? Or over a certain period of time? These criteria can also change over time or depending on the type of product.

This warning system is also interesting for the company to avoid purchases that would lead to product returns. These recommendations come at a cost for the ecommerce giant. These are products that have an increased environmental footprint because of these comings and goings. These are also goods that have to be relocated and that require some space in the warehouses.

The cost of these returns is not specified, but it appears to be a significant concern for the group if they decide to deploy a more visible signal. According to The Information, the company has already started warning people not to validate the order. A problem that would have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis when everyone was ordering online.

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Apple unveiled its classic app on Tuesday. It is available for free on iPhone only for Apple Music subscribers. It offers exclusive content such as current concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic and new previews and is characterized by a flexible search function and a wide range of suggestions for newcomers.

“Apple developing this service, Presto moving into streaming, Universal interested in Hyperion shows that classical music and its audience have a certain interest. Obviously only Spotify hasn’t figured it out yet. » Didier Martin, CEO of independent publisher Outhere, nicely summarizes the general mood of the classical music community regarding the arrival of Apple; It also defines a strategy aimed at both finding a target audience and offering a new service.

The cocoon

Have you noticed the Rolex advertisement when you go to the opera in the cinema? You can find it when you buy Opéra Magazine. The main feature of the classic Apple is to be an application for iPhone at the time of launch. Not available on computer or Android. For what ? To try to bring a supposedly educated and wealthier clientele into the Apple universe and sell them tablet phones and AirPods (AirPods+, which are in-ear or AirPods Max, the Bluetooth headset).

That has a consequence. When pre-announcing the service, Apple insisted on HD quality 24-96 and 24-192. Don’t forget to set the audio quality under “Music” to “lossless, high quality” on the latest iPhone generation. This is not the default. But even so, as confirmed by Michel Forbes of Tendances Electronics Design magazine, host of the Café audiophile, “the Bluetooth transmission protocol peaks at 48 kHz”. Perhaps we could consider connecting the phone to a digital-to-analog converter connected to an amplifier via the USB-C socket? But that’s not using a phone.

This gap seems to have appeared in Apple’s eyes because the ubiquitous HD logos or hints 24-96 and 24-192 on Qobuz and Presto do not appear. A “Lossless High Resolution” logo emerged during Tuesday’s very select press conference. At the moment we know that we are listening to a document “without loss in high quality” without knowing what it is.

Much more than a decal of Apple Music’s classic section, the application continues to make way for an acronym that seems to intrigue the “techno” milieu: Dolby Atmos. This technology brings a certainly spatialized sound, but mostly with “creamy” coated artificial timbres, as evidenced by listening to Shostakovich by Kirill Petrenko or Zarathoustra by François-Xavier Roth. “The Atmos process is spectacular and scientifically worked out, but it requires 30 loudspeakers,” explains Michel Forbes. “Thanks to an algorithm, we go from a ‘surround mix’ to a ‘binaural mix’ for headphones. With 30 choices to make; the risks are great. » Dolby Atmos can be removed in the phone settings.

exclusivity and research

Compared to the topics examined on Tuesday, Apple’s spearhead is a very effective positioning in exclusive products. Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 by Semyon Bychkov on Pentatone, which will be released on April 7th, is already available on Classic Apple. Recently there were concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic with Franz Welser-Möst, Daniel Barenboim, Tugan Sokhiev and Alain Altinoglu, the New York Philharmonic, an excellent 1st Beethoven concert with Alice Sara Ott and Karina Canellakis.

But listening to a Mahler 7th symphony by Daniel Barenboim in Vienna, even on the comfy AirPods Max, reminds one of Marc Zisman’s common sense observation, of Qobuz: “Despite increasing usage over the phone, the computer remains first tools of our customers. » Where is the digital-to-analog decoder of an audiophile streaming? On a computer connected to a channel … Unless you wait for your Mercedes EQE with the Dolby Atmos option, a listening option that we’ll save you the price of.

The listening platform Idagio is the first “victim” of the classic Apple. Apple’s search tool is very flexible, insensitive to linguistic peculiarities and small errors. If you search for “Beethoven Symphony 7 Karajan” you will find several versions, while with Idagio you need to know how to find your way, just search for the symphony and then select Karajan among the conductors.

Apple has also more or less fixed Primephonic’s shortcomings. When searching for Handel’s Messiah or an opera, the information certainly comes out in a different order (sometimes the soloists, sometimes the orchestra, sometimes the conductor at the top), but the conductor is no longer relegated to the end, and we have a pragmatic one perception of the proposed versions. However, the size of the pockets is more comfortable with Presto.

The core goal

Qobuz and Presto have a more precise idea of ​​the “core target”, which will mainly focus on monitoring the news of publications. Apple, aiming at a wider audience, wants to reassure with lists of the most important things. “On general platforms, playlists account for more than 90% of listening, while on Idagio more than 30% of listening results from a listener’s search,” Till Janczukowicz, the platform’s founder, told us.

Apple has a very ingrained list logic. Playlists are labeled wall to wall by genre, artist, instrument, and even recorder. The “Conductors” and “Soloists” sections are based on legends and not on the stars of the hour, who do well everywhere else. Personal libraries and other classic Apple playlists are imported into Apple Music.

The results are clear: Apple has done a good job, but Qobuz (in Quebec in May) and Presto can open the champagne because they have all the means to keep the “core target” of traditional customers for three reasons. First, possible integration with high-fidelity channels. Then clarity on the proposed audio format. Finally access to 70,000 digital booklets at Presto and several hundred thousand at Qobuz.

As for Apple, the proposal is evolving with open questions: the real opening of the classic Apple to the computer and Android will be “later” for the first and “soon” for the second, without further details. . The specific platform does not change the way artists are compensated, so the answer we were given, and a clarification of the sound definition seems far from the agenda.

To see in the video

A dozen citizens attended the information session tonight to set the guidelines for the future of water master plan organized by the Charlevoix Montmorency watershed organization.

Several measures have been sought by citizens, including continuous monitoring of surface waters, inspection of sewage systems, increasing riparian strips along the Du Gouffre River and targeting areas where this is a problem. Citizens suggested maintaining public access to the river and discussing this with farmers.

The master plan serves as a planning tool that provides a portrait of the area. It is accompanied by an action plan. It was also the fifth information meeting for the organization.

“Today we met with stakeholders from the municipal, economic and municipal sectors. We will analyze all collected information in the coming weeks. We will use it to create our action plan and to define our objectives and directions,” specifies Corinne Dupont-Rachiele, environmental project manager.

The organization has also updated mapping of watercourses. In addition, an analysis of the characteristics of the flood plains was carried out.

Over the past 10 years, more than 200 achievements have been made in the area that stretches from Quebec City to Baie-Sainte-Catherine. Several measures have already been implemented or are in the implementation phase.

“We need to do our part, in partnership with communities, to monitor water quality. We also carried out the characterization and identification of the sources of contamination. A navigation impact monitoring has been carried out for Lake Nairne in Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs,” adds Ms. Dupont-Rachiele, environmental project manager.

A preliminary version of the action plan will be presented in autumn 2023. It will be finalized with community stakeholders. The master plan must be submitted by March 1, 2024.

However, the OBV has no coercive power. For example, he cannot impose any measures. It makes recommendations to the 27 communities that are represented in its vast territory.

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