Facebook, Google launch $15 mn prize for scientists who cure deadly diseases

The founders of Google, Facebook and other tech giants have announced a new multi-million-dollar prize for scientists who are working to cure the world’s most devastating diseases. Mark Zuckerberg, his partner Priscilla Chan, Google co-founder Sergei Brin, 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki and Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner will launch 15 million dollars annual Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in hopes of curing cancer and other diseases

Five scientists will be given three million dollars for ‘recognizing excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life,” the New York post reports. Zuckerberg said in a statement that he believes the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences has the potential to provide a platform for other models of philanthropy, so people everywhere have an opportunity at a better future.

According to the paper, the inaugural year of the prize, however, has gone to 11 scientists who will each receive three million dollars to further their scientific research. Among this years winners were Charles L. Sawyer, who the committee singled out for his work on cancer genes, and Shinya Yamanaka, whose research focuses on stem cells. Art Levinson, chairman of the board of Apple and Chairman and former CEO of Genentech, will serve as the Chairman of the Board of Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation, which will distribute the prize money each year, the report said.

The first 11 recipients of the Breakthrough Prize are:

– Cornelia I Bargmann

– David Botstein

– Lewis C. Cantley

– Hans Clevers

– Napoleone Ferrara

– Titia de Lange

– Eric S. Lander

– Charles L. Sawyers

– Bert Vogelstein

– Robert A. Weinberg

– Shinya Yamanaka

All prize winners have agreed to serve on the Selection Committee of the Foundation to choose recipients of future prizes.

“We are thrilled to support scientists who think big, take risks and have made a significant impact on our lives. These scientists should be household names and heroes in society,” said Anne Wojcicki. “Curing a disease should be worth more than a touchdown,” said Sergey Brin. “Priscilla and I are honored to be part of this,” said Mark Zuckerberg. “We believe the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences has the potential to provide a platform for other models of philanthropy, so people everywhere have an opportunity at a better future.” “Solving the enormous complexity of human diseases calls for a much bigger effort compared to fundamental physics and therefore requires multiple sponsors to reward outstanding achievements,” said Yuri Milner.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/facebook-google-launch–15-mn-prize-for-scientists-who-cure-deadly-diseases/1077600/0

Microsoft users say goodbye to Hotmail, hello to new Outlook.com

Microsoft has announced that its new webmail service, Outlook.com, is now set to replace Hotmail.com. The software giant said that Outlook.com is coming out of beta testing and is now ready for primetime. The service, which was announced last July, now has 60 million users and will now replace Microsoft’s older webmail system. Microsoft”s Hotmail, which was originally MSN Hotmail, has been online since 1997. Hotmail users will still keep their Hotmail.com email addresses and their contacts and emails will all be moved over, they will just now get a new user interface and all the new features of Outlook.com, ABC News reports. According to the report, Outlook.com was designed with a similar aesthetic to Microsoft”s Windows 8 operating system.

It also includes new social features and a sorting option called Sweep, the report said. The Sweep feature moves newsletters, promotional messages and other recurring emails into their own folders or to the trash, it added.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/microsoft-users-say-goodbye-to-hotmail-hello-to-new-outlook.com/1076963/

Facebook Connect glitch sidelines host of websites, including NBC News, CNN and The Washington Post

A Facebook software glitch temporarily sidelined websites synced to a feature that lets people’s identities at the leading social network follow them around the Internet.

A Facebook Connect software glitch caused social network members trying to visit any of a wide array of websites including NBC News, CNN and The Washington Post to be routed to an error page.

Connect lets outside websites sync with the social network so people can do things such as post “Likes” or comments back to friends, or log in using their Facebook identities.

The problem reportedly affected people logged in at Facebook who tried to visit websites synced to the Connect feature.

“For a short period of time, there was a bug that redirected people logging in with Facebook from third-party sites to Facebook.com,” the California-based social network said in an email statement.

“The issue was quickly resolved, and Login with Facebook is now working as usual.”

Facebook did not indicate how long the glitch lasted, but websites claiming to have been vexed by the problem reported that it lasted from less than 15 minutes to nearly an hour.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/facebook-connect-glitch-sidelines-host-of-websites-including-nbc-news…/1071419/

New Facebook app allows tracking users’ location ‘even when phone not being used’

Social networking giant Facebook will release a new mobile app that will allow a user’s location to be tracked even when the phone is not being used.

The location app is designed to allow Facebook users to find friends in the area.

It will run even if the program isn’t open on a user’s handset.

Facebook already has a mobile “Find Friends” app, which allows users to let others know where they are by “checking in” at a bar, a library etc, the Telegraph reports.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the app, which is set to be launch in mid-March according to the Bloomberg report, could then prove useful to the social networking site in the way they target advertising based on the places their users visit.

Earlier, Facebook updated its internal search engine to allow members to search more easily through their friends” profiles.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-facebook-app-allows-tracking-users-location-even-when-phone-no…/1070210/

 

Finally, Google’s ‘X Phone’ Takes Real Shape

Bangalore: For the past few weeks, the tech arena has been heating up with rumors of an ultimate Android, Google’s X Phone. Google has finally decided to end the speculations by making clear that the Motorola made X Phone will be announced at its annual Google I/O conference in May.

The details of the forthcoming Google and Motorola initiative got revealed through a 600-page forum, picked up by one of the Internet sites, Droid Life. Even though the X Phone, as known now, would make its formal debut in mid-May at the developer conference, the phone isn’t expected to hit the markets until July 8.

The device caught in the limelight due to its rumored hi specs and its proposed release across all carriers at the same time, unlike the other flagships

As per the reports, the Motorola X Phone will not be considered as a “Nexus” handset and the company ensures to release the product with a few preloaded applications and games. Customers purchasing this model especially through Google Play will have unlocked bootloaders and can uninstall the software, if the rumors prove to be true eventually. Unfortunately, those customers buying through Verizon will have to unlock the bootloader by paying $15 fee monthly.

The Android Smartphone will be offered to “all carriers”, which might include its big four providers or other players as per the reports in the U.S. On account of this, the Verizon model is expected to fetch $299 with a contract, but the other versions could be sold unsubsidized.

There’s sufficient amount of time before Google I/O starts off on May 15. Hence, we can expect a lot more surprises, rumors and reports regarding the details on the X Phone.