Root system significantly affects soil water movement in banana plantation
Xishuangbanna is one of the most suitable areas for banana cultivation in China. Heavy application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation in banana plantations has disturbed the soil environment. However, the basic characteristics of soi.....»»
Scientists develop new geochemical "fingerprint" to trace contaminants in fertilizer
An international team of scientists has uncovered toxic metals in mineral phosphate fertilizers worldwide by using a new tool to identify the spread and impact of such contaminants on soil, water resources, and food supply......»»
Merchants in Japan can finally use Tap to Pay for iPhone
Apple Tap to Pay has rolled out in another country, with Japanese users now able to take card payments directly from their iPhone.Tap to Pay is now available to merchants in JapanTap to Pay is Apple's system to allow iPhone users to take contactless.....»»
How I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be
Could you really control someone's hot water with just an email address? Enlarge / This is essentially the kind of water heater the author has hooked up, minus the Wi-Fi module that led him down a rabbit hole. Also, not 140-degre.....»»
Airborne technology brings new hope to map shallow aquifers in Earth"s most arid deserts
Water shortages are expanding across the Earth. This is particularly acute in desert areas of the Middle East that are subject to both drought and extreme conditions such as flooding. As a result of these uncertainties, there is an increasing relianc.....»»
Solar storm detected in deep sea observatories
The powerful solar storm driving the aurora borealis over global skies last weekend was also triggering the movement of compasses deep in the ocean, as revealed in new scientific findings shared today by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a University of V.....»»
Indy 500 at a crossroads: Iconic racing league is on cusp of starting its hybrid era
IndyCar is finally set to introduce its hybrid system this summer. That makes the 2024 Indy 500 the last time the open-wheel cars will run at the Brickyard without hybrid power......»»
A spider silk sound system: Webs match acoustic particle velocity for long-distance sound detection
The best microphone in the world might have an unexpected source: spider silk. Spiders weave webs to trap their insect snacks, but the sticky strands also help spiders hear......»»
Scientists use generative AI to answer complex questions in physics
When water freezes, it transitions from a liquid phase to a solid phase, resulting in a drastic change in properties like density and volume. Phase transitions in water are so common most of us probably don't even think about them, but phase transiti.....»»
Mixup of drinking and irrigation water sparks dangerous outbreak in children
Of 13 children sickened, 7 hospitalized and 2 had life-threatening complications. Enlarge / A child cools off under a water sprinkler. (credit: Getty | JASON SOUTH) In 1989, a city in Utah upgraded its drinking water sy.....»»
A golden layer unlocks sharper imaging and faster scanning with X-rays
Scientists have made a breakthrough in significantly improving the sharpness of X-ray imaging and potentially boosting the speeds at which X-ray scans can be processed. This lays the groundwork for both better medical imaging and faster security clea.....»»
iPadOS 18: What iPad Users Need to Know Right Now
As we push deeper into 2024, iPad users are starting to become more curious about Apple’s iPadOS 18 update. In this guide we’ll take you through everything we know, and think we know, about the iPad’s next operating system. It’.....»»
Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits
Payment for Ecosystem Services programs (PES) are important tools that governments around the world use to improve water quality, protect forests and wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon. Under these programs, landowners—usually farmers—are pai.....»»
iOS 18 will let you set custom voice phrases to trigger actions, no ‘Siri’ necessary
Today amid a wealth of accessibility announcements, including hands-free CarPlay and the futuristic Live Captions on Vision Pro, Apple announced that iOS 18 would be introducing a powerful new voice feature. Vocal Shortcuts will enable system-wide ac.....»»
Apple Previews iOS 18 Features for iPhone
Apple today released a preview of upcoming iOS 18 features for iPhone including Eye Tracking, Music Haptics, and Vocal Shortcuts. iOS 18 will make its official debut at WWDC 2024 in June, but Apple’s announced some of the operating system’.....»»
Android 15 Beta 2 Problems: What Pixel Users Need to Know
Google’s released Android 15 beta 2 for Pixel devices. As expected, the company’s upcoming operating system is still plagued with issues. Downloading the beta might be tempting, but this is unfinished software, and the Android 15 beta may.....»»
Apple Previews iOS 18 Features
Apple today released a preview of upcoming iOS 18 features for iPhone including Eye Tracking, Music Haptics, and Vocal Shortcuts. iOS 18 will make its official debut at WWDC 2024 in June, but Apple’s announced some of the operating system’.....»»
Could your car power your home? GM makes it a reality in EV truck demo.
GM's Ultium-based EVs can power your house during an outage. Enlarge / GM used a Silverado EV to power a 10,000-square-foot house as a demo of its Home Energy system. (credit: General Motors) LOS ANGELES—Let's face it:.....»»
New iPad Pro has larger magnets in different places and new speakers
The thin case of the new iPad Pro hides a redesign that sees brand new speakers alongside larger magnets for attaching to peripherals.Apple's new iPad ProApple's new iPad Pro is significantly thinner than its predecessor, and it now appears that in p.....»»
Method accelerates the development of sustainable biomaterials from years to minutes
A study, published in Advanced Materials on May 6, 2024, led by VTT's researchers, introduces a transformative approach that integrates synthetic biology with advanced machine learning and computational techniques to significantly accelerate the deve.....»»
Repurposed beer yeast encapsulated in hydrogels may offer a cost-effective way to remove lead from water
Every year, beer breweries generate and discard thousands of tons of surplus yeast. Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech have now come up with a way to repurpose that yeast to absorb lead from contaminated water......»»