Knowledge Update

​Las Vegas, March 20 (IANS) Software giant IBM on Monday launched a new cognitive assistant that leverages the capabilities of IBM Watson to help IT professionals effectively manage and protect networks of smartphones, tablets, laptops, internet of things (IoT) devices and other endpoints.

​San Francisco, March 20 (IANS) In a fresh bid to take on rivals like Apple, Google and Snap, Facebook is reportedly foraying into consumer hardware products that may involve next-gen cameras, augmented reality (AR) devices, drones and even a brain scanning technology. At its "Building 8" facility, the company is working on at least four unannounced consumer hardware products, Business Insider reported on Monday. The hardware group is expected to play a key role in Facebook's developer conference in April. Facebook is yet to confirm this but according to the report, the company is set to take a big step toward becoming a multi-product hardware company. "Building 8 will include a big retail push complete with warehouse operations, different retail experiences, and a 'global contact centre footprint'," the report said. To make efficient hardware for its Oculus virtual reality headsets and internet drones, Facebook has also built a new facility at its US campus which is called "Area 404". The 22,000-square-foot lab at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters will help the social networking giant perform fast prototyping and modelling of new hardware products and components, reports said. This facility, mostly operational, will reportedly support Facebook's Connectivity Lab which focuses on bringing internet access to developing countries and remotest areas via drones and satellites. The lab will also help towards developing better virtual reality headset. Facebook is also working on its solar-powered craft Aquila that will beam the internet down to the estimated four billion people worldwide. However, in its first test flight, Aquila crash-landed because of strong winds that rendered its autopilot system confused. "Over the next year we're going to keep testing Aquila -- flying higher and longer, and adding more planes and payloads. It's all part of our mission to connect the world and help more of the four billion people who are not online access all the opportunities of the internet," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had written in a post.

London, March 20 (IANS) UK-based retail chain Marks and Spencer on Monday became the latest firm to pull its online advertising from Google platforms over fears it is appearing next to extremist content. It follows a UK government decision to remove its adverts from YouTube -- which is owned by Google -- after it emerged they had appeared alongside content from supporters of extremist groups, the BBC reported. RBS, Lloyds and HSBC also announced similar moves over the weekend. Google has said it does not always "get it right" and will improve. The move follows a recent investigation by The Times, London, which found adverts from a range of well-known firms and organisations had appeared alongside content from supporters of extremist groups on the YouTube video site. An ad appearing alongside a video earns the poster about 6 pounds ($8) for every 1,000 clicks it generates, meaning brands may have unwittingly contributed money to extremists. Last week, ministers summoned Google for talks at the Cabinet Office after imposing a temporary restriction on the government's own adverts, including for military recruitment and blood donation campaigns. Others such as fastfood chain McDonald's, beauty giant L'Oreal and luxury carmaker Audi, as well as the BBC, the Guardian and Channel 4, have suspended their advertising on both Google's search engine and YouTube site. Sky News and Vodafone are also considering suspending their ads.

​San Fransisco, March 20 (IANS) Apple's recently submitted application for an unnamed "wireless device" to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval turns out to be a door access system, most likely to be used for the Apple Park campus. "The manual for model 'A1844, which supports both NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy, includes wiring instructions, and in fact says that users have to present the company provided credential to the reader," appleinsider.com reported on Monday. The new 175-acre Apple Park near Cupertino will be open to employees from April, while the construction of buildings and parklands is scheduled to continue through the year, the US tech giant announced earlier this year. In honour of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' memory and his contribution to Apple, and his vision to make Apple Park a centre for creativity and collaboration, the theatre at the campus will be named the Steve Jobs Theatre. Apple Park will include a visitors centre with an Apple Store and cafe open to the public, a 100,000-square-foot fitness centre for Apple employees and development facilities and the Steve Jobs Theatre. The Park has been designed in collaboration with "Foster + Partners" and it replaces five million-square-foot of asphalt and concrete with grassy fields and over 9,000 native and drought-resistant trees, and is powered 100 per cent by renewable energy. In the past few months, Apple has submitted two other wireless devices for FCC approval, identified as A1845 and A1846.

​Toronto, March 20 (IANS) Nearly 20 per cent of people receiving treatment for hypertension do not actually have a problem, but they are often misdiagnosed as a result of doctors using manual devices to measure blood pressure, a study has showed.

"About 20 per cent of people receiving treatment for hypertension don't actually have a problem and do not need medication. This is due mainly to the fact that their blood pressure was improperly measured," said lead author Janusz Kaczorowski, Professor at Universite de Montreal in Canada.

More than half of doctors in the study, published in the journal Canadian Family Physician, were found using manual devices to measure blood pressure, a dated technology that often leads to misdiagnosis.

A survey among Canadian family doctors in 2016 revealed that 52 per cent of the 769 respondents used a manual tensiometer to measure blood pressure. Only 43 per cent used an automatic device.

"Clinicians should use automatic devices," Kaczorowski said. 

Automated measurement has the advantage of eliminating what's known as white-coat syndrome -- which refers to artificially high blood pressure resulting from the stress of being in a doctor's office and human interaction.

Clinicians should adopt these devices to detect individuals likely to suffer from high blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

It is possible to lower blood pressure through a healthy diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, reduced intake of dietary sodium, avoidance of exposure to tobacco products, and stress management, the researchers suggested. 

​London, March 20 (IANS) Middle-aged men with high body mass index (BMI) and prediabetes condition cannot process carbohydrate-rich foods in the evening, as it may have a negative effect on their blood glucose regulation, a study has showed.

The findings showed that the internal clock influences how people with impaired glucose metabolism react to foods rich in carbohydrate, fats and protein. 

"The study shows that at least for men with a glucose metabolism disorder, the time of day at which they eat a high-carbohydrate meal is relevant," said Katharina Kessler at German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) in Germany. 

Interestingly, the effect was not observed in healthy men, although there was a general decline in glucose tolerance during the course of the day, Kessler said. 

For the study, reported in the journal Scientific Reports, the team conducted a nutrition study on 29 men, with an average age of 46 years and an average BMI of 27, meaning they were normal to very overweight. 

The participants followed two different diets. Participants in group A consumed carbohydrate-rich foods (containing starch and sugar) from the morning until about 1.30 p.m. and high-fat foods from 4.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Participants in group B ate high-fat foods in the morning and high-carbohydrate foods in the afternoons and evenings. 

"When we compared the blood glucose measurements according to the two diets, their blood glucose levels after diet B averaged 7.9 per cent higher than after diet A, in which the participants consumed a high-fat meal in the evening," Kessler noted. 

Thus, people who already have a disturbed glucose metabolism should orient themselves on their internal clock and avoid high-carbohydrate meals in the evening, the researchers recommended.

​London, March 20 (IANS) Love to drink hot chocolate? Beware, it may be as salty as seawater with 16 times more salt than the maximum target, researchers warned.

The findings showed that each serving of chocolate powder is worse than eating a bag of crisps. Out of the 28 food categories analysed, only 'bread rolls' were found to reach the agreed salt reduction.

Most people were found to eat one third more than the maximum recommended intake which may lead to higher blood pressure, putting strain on the heart, arteries, kidneys and brain and eventually leading to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease.

"Salt is the forgotten killer. We are shocked to see that many food manufacturers and retailers are still failing to meet the salt reduction targets, despite having had years to work towards them," Katharine Jenner, nutritionist at Consensus Action on Salt and Health -- a Britain-based organisation, was quoted as saying to the telegraph.co.uk.

Further, a huge disparity in similar food products was found. 

A shopping basket of everyday items could contain 57g more salt depending on which brands were selected.

Some breakfast cereals contained just three per cent of the salt, compared to others, the researchers said.

Reducing daily salt intake from 8g to 6g per day could prevent 14,000 deaths a year, the researchers noted.

​Oslo, March 20 (IANS) Norway has toppled Denmark from the number one position as the "happiest country in the world", according to a United Nations report on Monday.

The Scandinavian nation, which was ranked fourth in last year's report, jumped to the top this year on the basis of several key calculations, including levels of caring, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, good governance, honesty, health and income.

Other factors by which 155 countries were measured in the annual World Happiness Report are: inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e. a lack of corruption in government and business), and social support.

Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic came last in the World Happiness Report.

Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table, with the US and Britain at 14th and 19th, respectively, reported BBC.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict have predictably low scores. 

Syria placed 152 of 155 countries -- Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.

The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Happiness on March 20.

​London, March 19 (IANS) Even if you have the very best Wi-Fi system available, you won't get more than 300Mbit per second speed in total.

However, researchers now claim to have achieved Wi-Fi at a lightning speed of 42.8Gbit per second which is 100 times faster.

​Toronto, March 19 (IANS) Allowing your kids play out in the open can help them develop a deep love for nature as they grow, a study has shown. "Developing positive experiences in nature at a young age can influence our attitudes and behaviours towards nature as adults," said Catherine Broom, Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia in Canada. In the study, published in the Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 87 per cent of children who played outside as children expressed a continued love for nature as young adults. Of that group, 84 per cent said taking care of the environment was a priority. "It is important to study these childhood experiences in order to develop environmental awareness and action in the next generation," Broom added. For the study, the team interviewed 50 university students between the ages of 18 to 25. Of the group, 100 per cent of females stated that they loved nature and 87 per cent of males responded the same. Environmental awareness programmes at a young age can also help develop children's awareness and action, the researchers added. "Our findings imply that providing positive childhood experiences in nature, such as outdoor school programmes, may help to develop care for the environment in adults," Broom noted. The researchers suggested that schools and early childhood classroom activities should connect positive experiences in nature with mindful learning and reflection that help empower students to take a personal role in protecting the environment by recycling, turning off the lights, and using alternative transportation methods. "Students need to learn and have a conscious understanding that the decisions we make each day can influence our environment, such as where we buy our food and how we use the Earth's natural resources," Broom said.