News from the web

Google Earth For almost a century, aerial photographers have been documenting mysterious, millennia-old structures built from low walls of stone in the rocky lava fields, known as harrat, in Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. This desert region, blistered with volcanic mounds, is nearly devoid of life. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / HeLa cells, long after it was apparent they were trying to take over the world. (credit: Tom Deerinck/NIH) Normally, news involves something that is, as the name implies, new. But this week, attention was given to a problem in biology that is anything but new. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Protesters shout slogans against US President Donald Trump during a demonstration in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as the Dream Act, near the Trump Tower in New York on October 5, 2017. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Scott Olson) Verizon’s long-rumored live TV streaming service appears to be having some issues. Bloomberg reported this past March that the telecom giant was planning to launch an online TV service that would ostensibly compete with the likes of Dish’s Sling TV and AT&T’s DirecTV Now over the summer. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Ethanol Plant, Milton, Wisconsin. (Photo by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images) (credit: Getty Images) In an October 19 letter to corn-belt lawmakers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt said that he won’t seek any rollback to biofuel blending rules, according to Reuters. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: International Fund for Animal Welfare) Why are humans so smart? We must have evolved in an environment that made more intelligent individuals likely to survive. ...   Ars Technica

How much will the second flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft cost? We don't know. (credit: NASA) This week, the US Government Accountability Office reported on progress the space agency is making to prepare the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and launch systems at Kennedy Space Center for future missions. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Thomas Trutschel / Getty Images) In the beginning of 2017, Twitter said it would take on harassment and hate speech. CEO Jack Dorsey said the company would embrace a 'completely new approach to abuse on Twitter' with open dialogue along the way. For months, though, the company has offered few details about what it would do, or when. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Aurich / Thinkstock / Taito) Developers that want to stop cheaters in their Windows games are getting a little additional system-level help from Microsoft via TruePlay, a new API being rolled out through Windows 10's Fall Creators Update. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Bed bug feeding on a human. (credit: Getty | VW Pics) British Airways has apologized to a Canadian family who reported being feasted upon by a pack of bedbugs during an overnight flight from Vancouver to London earlier this month, CTV Vancouver reported. Szilagyi posted pictures of bites on her daughter's calves on Twitter. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Oliver Morris/Getty Images)) In response to an Ars report on a court hearing in New York on October 17, New York City and New York City Police Department officials attempted to clarify the nature of the issues surrounding a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit legal defense organization Bronx Defenders. ...   Ars Technica

(credit: PROUnknownNet Photography) As the trend of backyard flock tending skyrocketed in recent years, so has deadly infections, the Associated Press reports. Since 2015, the number of Salmonella infections from contact with backyard poultry has quadrupled across the nation. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen, at the Volkswagen Preview Night prior to the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. (credit: Sean Gallup | Getty Images) Well, this one will certainly set the cat among the pigeons. Via the Daily Kanban, we came across this video of Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller ripping Tesla during a panel discussion on the future of the automotive industry. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Marcus Hutchins, security researcher for Kryptos Logic. In May, he registered a domain name that neutralized the WCry ransomware worm. In August, he was charged with developing malware called Kronos. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Amazon's campus in South Lake Union, Seattle. (credit: Joel Rogers / Getty Images) Cities around the country are pulling out all the stops to entice Amazon to set up its second headquarters in their area. The online retail giant is taking proposals from around North America, and today's the deadline. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos. (credit: Dave Maass) Facebook is Struggling to live up to the responsibility it faces for adequately securing the vast amount of personal information it amasses, the social network's top security executive said in a leaked phone call with company employees. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / A New Caledonian crow uses a serrated leaf edge to pull grubs out of a hole in a log. (credit: Mark Sibley) Crows share an interesting set of behaviors with humans: they like to play, and they often use tools. We know that humans play to learn. When toddlers knock over a pile of blocks, they're developing the ability to build and measure objects in the real world. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / An officer demonstrates Axon Citizen, a new Web portal to submit data to police. (credit: Axon) Axon, the company formerly known as Taser, either wants to encourage helpful citizens or snitches—depending on how you feel about talking to police—to come forward. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / A Lyft-branded car picks up a passenger in San Francisco on June 20, 2015. (credit: Ramin Talaie | Getty Images) In September, we found out that Alphabet was possibly about to invest in the ride-hailing company Lyft. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Droplets of a gallium/indium alloy. (credit: Collin Ladd, NC State University) The discovery of graphene—a one-atom-thick sheet of covalently bonded carbon atoms—inspired the research community to generate a variety of 2D materials. ...   Ars Technica

The 2014 Mac Mini. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) More than 1,000 days have passed since Apple updated its Mac mini hardware. Since then, Apple has launched the Apple Watch, AirPods, the retina MacBook, and the Touch Bar MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the Mac mini has existed in a state of arrested development. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / SANTA ROSA, CA -OCTOBER 14: The ruins of houses destroyed by the Tubbs Fire are seen near Fountaingrove Parkway on October 14, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 40 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Officials expect the death toll to rise and now estimate that 5,700 structures have been destroyed. ...   Ars Technica

Greetings, Arsians! Courtesy of our friends at TechBargains, we have another round of deals to share. Today's list includes the usual slew of PC and laptop discounts, including savings on a Dell XPS Tower desktop, several Dell laptops, and even a Star Wars-themed Lenovo notebook. ...   Ars Technica

Blue Origin New space company Blue Origin has spent the better part of this decade developing a powerful rocket engine for use in its orbital rocket, New Glenn, and potentially other US-based launchers. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge / Man posing for stock image is really surprised by the size of his bill. (credit: Getty Images | sturti) Frontier Communications' purchase of FiOS and DSL networks from Verizon last year led to immediate problems for customers that took weeks to resolve. More than a year later, some ex-Verizon customers in Florida say they are still having major problems with their new provider. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Media for Medical) Chronic intestinal disturbances may in part be handed down from above, according to a study published Thursday in Science. Intestinal pathogens can lurk in the mouth and—at just the right moments—interlope in the gut to help trigger severe, recurring bouts of inflammation, researchers found. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Jeff Dunn) Sonos is finally girding itself for the smart speaker wars. With Amazon’s Echo line of speakers proving a surprise hit and the usage of digital assistants growing generally, wireless speaker pioneer Sonos has launched its first voice-enabled speaker, the Sonos One. ...   Ars Technica

When we last checked in on the state of Denuvo copy protection in PC games, the latest version of the best-in-class DRM provider had provided about a month's worth of usable piracy prevention for survival-horror title 2Dark. Fast forward to the current holiday season, and major Denuvo releases are being publicly cracked within a day of their launch. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Flatiron School) In recent years, dozens of coding schools and boot camps have opened up, promising that they can teach students enough software programming that they can get a high-paying job in just a few months. ...   Ars Technica

Enlarge (credit: Google Fiber) Google Fiber has begun taking signups in Louisville, Kentucky, after a tumultuous process involving lawsuits filed against the local government by incumbent broadband providers. ...   Ars Technica

Resomonics has released another update to its flagship library for Kontakt, Reflection. Version 1.7 is free for existing owners and contains updates to the filters for both the Layers page and [Read More]   KVR Audio

FXpansion has released three new Geist Expanders: Geist Expander: Modular Drums is a set of percussive content that takes advantage of the complex, diverse and often unpredictable nature of modular [Read More]   KVR Audio

ocenaudio, the free audio editor application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, has been updated to v3.3. Changes in v3.3.0: Add shortcut configuration for canvas. Fix UI for hiDPI on Windows. Fix [Read More]   KVR Audio

LoopLords has announced the release of Replikator, a plugin instrument inspired by the sound of Blade Runner's soundtrack originally composed by Vangelis. The VST/AU plugin instrument features [Read More]   KVR Audio

Rast Sound has announced the release of Inca Spirit Vocals, a new sample library for Kontakt and WAV, as the 5th installment of their World Vocals series. The library provides colorful and deep [Read More]   KVR Audio

Heavyocity Media has released Intimate Textures, a small ensemble strings virtual instrument, and the first installment in their NOVO Packs line. Intimate Textures is designed to combine the [Read More]   KVR Audio

AudioThing has updated Outer Space to version 1.1.0. New features/fixes: Added: Volume/Pan for each head. Added: Low/Hi Cut for feedback section. Added: Ducking. Added: Pre-Emphasis. Added: Rate [Read More]   KVR Audio

Numerical Audio has updated Italizer to version 1.1.0 including various improvements and a dedicated AUv3 Tape Echo unit. What's new: Tape Echo can now be used as a separate AUv3 effect independently [Read More]   KVR Audio

NUGEN Audio has announced a dither update for ISL 2st, its intelligent look-ahead brick-wall limiter that provides transparent true-peak limiting for all stereo and mono content, alongside a [Read More]   KVR Audio

Hora Music has announced that its first software, Treasure, an emulation of the famous Roland TR808 in VCV Rack modules, will be released in November 2017. It includes: All the TR808 drum sounds [Read More]   KVR Audio

Intua has updated BeatMaker 2 to v2.6.4. Changes since 2.6.2: Dropbox is back. Added Bluetooth MIDI support. Fixed iPhone 8/8+ UI glitches. Compatibility with iOS11. Older (32-bits) iPad/iPhones/iPod [Read More]   KVR Audio

solar3d-software has updated VCommander, the software editor/librarian for the Access Music's 'Virus' synthesizer product line, to version 4.0.4. They've added a useful feature to lock patches [Read More]   KVR Audio

Avid has updated Pro Tools to v12.8.2. An extensive list of what's changed is available in the Avid Knowledge Base at avid.force.com/pkb/articles/readme/Pro-Tools-12-8-2-Release-Notes [Read More]   KVR Audio

Audio Helper Project has updated Samplism to version 1.1.0. New Features: Added [Expand All] and [Collapse All] menus in the Library List view, the Tag List view and the Audio Unit List view. [Read More]   KVR Audio

SampleScience has announced the release of Thales Model I version 1.2.1. The updated version includes new features: LP/HP filter. Glide control for mono and legato modes. Revamped GUI. LFO waveform [Read More]   KVR Audio

NuSpace Audio has updated Muze to version 1.1.7. Maintenance Fixes: Added early modulation, balanced left and right reflection density, and improved performance to the Velvet Reverb. H-Mod will [Read More]   KVR Audio

Dmitry Sches has announced the release of Thorn, a new software synthesizer plug-in for macOS and Windows. Thorn is described as a modern synthesizer that is flexible and easy to use. The sound [Read More]   KVR Audio

Tritik has updated their free bitcrusher plugin Krush to v1.1.1. Changes: Fixed: wet/dry parameters not correctly recalled when linked. Fixed: automation of certain parameters not working in [Read More]   KVR Audio

XLN Audio has announced the release of the Boutique Mallets ADpak for Addictive Drums 2. Boutique Mallets is the first ADpak played with both felt mallets and sticks and is described as the perfect [Read More]   KVR Audio

Zero-G has announced the release of Ethera Soundscapes 2.0 – a major update to the original which delivers an extra 6GB of new content and new features. Packaging three instruments in one, [Read More]   KVR Audio

Vengeance Sound has updated VPS Avenger to v1.2.5. Added: Progress bar for function 'publish expansion'. Fixed: ARP muting itself on touching notes. Minor issue on loading NPoint Envelopes. [Read More]   KVR Audio

Maizesoft has updated Maize Sampler to v2.4.2. Changes: Added instrument level low pass and high pass filter. Fixed a bug where serial number is not correctly verified. Fixed audio glitch when [Read More]   KVR Audio

Applied Acoustics Systems has released Pivotal, a new sound bank for the Ultra Analog VA-2 synthesizer and AAS Player plug-ins in collaboration with sound designer Daniel Stawczyk. Pivotal presents [Read More]   KVR Audio

Seaweed Audio has announced that Fathom Synth has been updated with a new Phasor audio effect in version 1.0.15. The effect is built on eight separate phasing channels, each running independently [Read More]   KVR Audio

Matthieu Brucher has updated Audio ToolKit to version 2.2.0 with the major introduction of vectorized filters. This means that some filters (EQ for now) can use vectorization for maximum performance. [Read More]   KVR Audio

Rocky Mountain Sounds has announced the release of Majestica Vol 1 for Omnisphere 2. Here's what they say: Majestica is focused on hybrid live performance and studio-ready pads - ready for cinematic [Read More]   KVR Audio

Blue Cat Audio has released Plug'n Script 3.0, a new version of their scripting plug-in that can be programmed to create custom audio and MIDI effects or virtual instruments inside most Digital [Read More]   KVR Audio

SoloStuff has updated SoloRack to v1.1 including 7 new modules. Some of them are included in the 'System B'. New in this update: Added S321 FM/PM VCO (Included in System B). Added S206 Pole [Read More]   KVR Audio

Le Sound By AudioGaming has updated AudioMotors Pro to version 3.3 which enables several real-time controls: Range: Previously known as 'Freeze Size', it is now a real-time parameter. This is [Read More]   KVR Audio

MusicDevelopments has updated RapidComposer to v3.31. This maintenance update includes small improvements and bug fixes. Changes since the previous version: Key-switch articulations send a 'Note [Read More]   KVR Audio

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Drums: Drum Set Pro is a portable drum kit that you can take with you wherever you go. Whether you know how to play the drums or not, you'll still be able to rock out on these drums and have fun. Features: • 4 different drum sets to choose from Standard Set...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Sheet Music & Tablatures: PhonicScore lite is the award winning digital sheet music reader - the perfect tool for your collection of digital music sheets, learning and practicing piano, guitar, violin, voice or any other instrument.You can add, manage and view your own...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Rythme Mach. & Loops: Appendix A1 Dub Machine from the set A1 Instruments, a comprehensive set of drum kit sounds. The main screen is composed of 10 keys, buttons form a circular shape. The keys are made in soothing colors. Cymbals, drums and other percussion...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Controllers: Sound Byte Control lets you control a copy of Sound Byte running on a remote computer from your iPad. Now you can run Sound Byte for all your sound clip playback needs, without being tied down to your desktop or laptop computer. Note that this is a remote...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / Effects: Pro quality studio reverb effect. - Use it with Audiobus, Interapp Audio, iTunes music library and multichannel audio interfaces. Enhance and enrich your recordings and live sound with the perfect sonic texture of your choice. Record, process and export...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / Effects: Pro quality studio reverb effect. - Use it with Audiobus and Interapp Audio. Free version of the ultimate reverb for your iDevice (the AD 480 pro, more about it below). Features of the AD 480 free: one hour trial period of the pro features...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / Effects: Pro quality studio reverb effect. - Use it with Audiobus and Interapp Audio. The AD 480 basic is the small brother of the AD 480 pro, the ultimate reverb for your iDevice (more about the AD 480 pro below). Features: one hour trial period of the pro...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / MultiTracks: Create and save complete multi-track music projects on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Record, sequence, edit, mix and render complete songs. NOTE: There are two FL Mobile Apps in the store - 'FL Studio Mobile HD' and 'FL Studio Mobile'. These are...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / ToolBox: Essential guitar utilities, with a steam-punk themed twist! Guitar machine is the ultimate assistant for tuning, timing, and chords, for the steam-punkishly minded guitarist. Special Introductory Sale We love Guitar Machine so much, we want to share it with...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Drums: Street Drummer is more fun than any other music app in the whole Appstore. Try it out for yourself! Features: 8 different drums Includes bass drums, snares, toms, cymbals, high hat, and more! Choose between two percussion sets each with their own sounds...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: WHAT IS 'VOCALIZE IT'? It's an app created with 'lo studio del canto di Simone Moscato' to help who wants to exercise their voice without the need to have or know how to play an instrument. WHO NEEDS IT? A so dynamic and easy to use tool is designed for both...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Controllers: Want to make and remix music? If you love electronic music, youâ€ôll love Launchpad. Enter an inspiring world of music creation and remixing on your iPhone & iPad. Launchpad is the number-one app for making and remixing electronic music. The new real-time...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Multi-Instruments: Have fun with ARK-1 Arabic Keyboard, 16 instruments with 21 beats to play along all in one APP. Record export and share your own music with the ability to apply Arabic Scales ~Features~: *16 real sound Instruments (7 Free, unlock all by one IAP):...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Tuners: Labor Day Offer, 25% OFF Tune your mandolin with precision and ease, within seconds! · The most accurate - displays the exact sound frequency in Hz. · Instant load and fastest tuning - the only tuner optimized for 64 bit. · Tuning fork - tune by ear if...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: About moâ€ôrhythm djembe/dunun play along Moâ€ôRhythm Beginning African Drumming Play Along App is the brain-child of world-renowned percussionist Monette Marino. Designed to provide you with a platform to practice individual drum parts on your real...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Pianos: This funny app enables you to record a sound and play it on a piano! Awesome information: 1. For iPhone 5s and higher. 2. The recording lasts for a maximum of 3 seconds. No worries about filling your iPhone's memory if you forget to stop it! 3. The piano is...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Drums: Rockin' Drums Free will have you rockin' from the moment you start playing! Utilizing the latest technology and decades of real drum experience, Rockin' Drums Free is perfect for drummers of all ages and experience. There are 14 different professionally...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Chords and Scales: Suggester is a tool to assist in the creation of songs and chord progressions. This app will help you find chords that work together. It is efficient and fun; use it to build musical phrases that will carry emotion through tension and release....   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Tuners: Tune your guitar, bass or other instruments with n-Track Tuner. Use this tuner in an easy, intuitive and free way with the integrated microphone of your smartphone. Downloaded over 5 million times! Just put your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad next to your instrument...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Games, Ear Trainig: 楽譜ãÂ?΋Â?™ã‚‰ãÂ?™ã‚‰èª­ã‚Â?るよãÂ?†ãÂ?«ãÂ?ªã‚‹ãƒˆãƒ¬ãƒ¼ãƒ‹ãƒ³ã‚°ã‚¢ãƒâ€îã ...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: Ballet Class is the APP with piano music for your dance lesson. So many tunes to use for all exercises. With Ballet Class, you can choose the piano piece you prefer among a list of tunes, composed and played by professional pianists, ordered according to...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Drums: Become a new ROCK STAR! Know the REAL DRUM: The best and most complete App Store free app. Super simple to use, the app simulates a real battery on your phone/tablet screen. To play it, simply tap your fingers on the drum parts and the sound of the instrument...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Games, Ear Trainig: 'AURALBOOK is an artificial intelligence music teacher with real human character. It has started the revolution of music education' Bloomberg Businessweek 'AURALBOOK is an effective tool to learn aural skill. Students show significant progress in...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / MultiTracks: Now free to download* Blocs Wave is a fun and beautifully designed music app for making and recording new music quickly. For songwriters and electronic music makers alike, it is an on-the-move powerful portable music studio. Start new musical ideas by...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Metronomes: Smart Metronome turns your iPhone into a simple, stylish and very accurate metronome! It contains three modes; Normal, Repeat and Program. Normal Mode Start practicing instantly, just like with any basic metronome. Enjoy its beautiful look with realistic...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Portable Studio / MultiTracks: Great songs can come from anywhere. That’s why we designed Spire to go everywhereâ€â€?helping you record in professional quality any time inspiration strikes. With Spire’s award-winning audio technology, you can effortlessly translate...   440Software

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: An educational game to learn the location of notes on the fretboard of the bass guitar. Eleven instruments are available, including guitars (acoustic and electric), mandolin, ukulele and banjo. You are presented with a random note on the fretboard, and are...   440Software