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This Real-Time Map Shows You the Amazon Forest Fires

Andrew Orr ·

Ever since Jair Bolsonaro proclaimed that economic growth was more important than protecting the Amazon, there have been 74,155 fires. For the past three weeks, a giant fire has been blazing its way through the forest, and an interactive map lets you watch it.

Many of the fires are set by farmers to clear land. In early August, farmers in the Amazon self-declared a “fire day” to burn trees, emboldened by the fact that the government isn’t enforcing rainforest protections that are part of national law.

“It’s very rare to have fires starting naturally in the Amazon,” says Weisse. “And so almost everything that we’re seeing is a result of human activity, and it’s mostly happening along roads or in farms or where people are.”

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Study Claims iPhone 7 Exceeds Radiation Limit

Andrew Orr ·

The Chicago Tribune claims that its study of iPhone 7 and other smartphones exceed the safety limit for cellphone radiation. Using a “tub of clear liquid, specially formulated to simulate human tissue” it found radiation exposure from the iPhone 7 was more than double what Apple reported from its own testing. Apple disputes the study, and the FCC will conduct further studies.

Cellphones use radio waves to communicate with a vast network of fixed installations called base stations or cell towers. These radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, in the same frequency range used by TVs and microwave ovens.

This kind of radiation, also known as radiofrequency energy, shouldn’t be confused with ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays, which can strip electrons from atoms and cause serious biological harm, including cancer.

Of course, there is no conclusive evidence that non-ionizing radiation is powerful enough to have a measurable effect on the human body. John Kheit and I agree to disagree 😉

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Facebook Document Sheds Light on Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Charlotte Henry ·

NBC’s Dylan Byers had a fantastic scoop this morning. He got hold of an internal Facebook document that indicated Facebook learned about the potential Cambridge Analytica issue in September 2015. That is contrary to what Mark Zuckerberg said in his testimony.

The document reveals that Facebook first learned about unconfirmed reports of a potential data violation in September 2015 and sought to address the issue but was not made aware of the full scope of the problem until a Guardian report was published in December 2015. Mark Zuckerberg has testified that Facebook learned from The Guardian report that developer Aleksandr Kogan sold user data to Cambridge Analytica, a violation of Facebook’s policy prohibiting researchers from selling or sharing data with third parties.

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If There Really is an iPhone 'Pro' Coming, Just How Will it be so?

John Martellaro ·

Once you name a product “Pro,” you have a lot of explaining to do. At 9to5Mac, Ben Lovejoy explains, referring to a previous post.

Just the idea of a ‘Pro’ iPhone is a little annoying.

Don’t misunderstand me. Modern iPhones are amazing devices. There was a time when such a powerful and flexible pocket computer would have stretched the credibility of science fiction stories, yet we now take them totally for granted.

And they are sometimes used for professional purposes. There are, for example, all those ‘Shot on iPhone’ movies and ads. But let’s not kid ourselves about those. The reasons for shooting on iPhone have little to do with it being a ‘pro’ device.

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6-Month Scribd Subscription for Books, Audiobooks, Magazine Articles: $35

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal today on a six month subscription for Scribd, which gives you access to bestselling and award-winning books and audiobooks, plus articles from leading magazines, newspapers, even sheet music. It requires iOS 10 and later, Android 4.4 and later, or Kindle Fire OS 4 or later. You can get a 6-month subscription for $35 through our deal, and there’s a one year option available in the deal listing, too.