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Uber To Pay $20 Million For Misleading Drivers’ Earnings

Reginald Edward
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0
Uber To Pay $20 Million For Misleading Drivers’ Earnings

On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Uber has agreed to pay the federal government $20 million after the ride-sharing company recruited potential drivers with “exaggerated earnings claims”.

The Federal Trade Commission argued that Uber overestimated the potential yearly and hourly income an Uber driver could earn in certain cities. In addition, the ride-sharing company misinformed potential drivers about the the company’s financing options.

The Federal Trade Commission points out that Uber claimed on the company’s website that UberX driver’s median income was over $90,000 in New York. But, in actuality, the FTC alleges that the drivers’ annual median income nearly $30,000 less than Uber’s estimates in New York. In fact, the FTC argues that less than 10% of all drivers in New York actually made $90,000 a year.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission explained that the company misinformed their Vehicle Solutions Program consumers and in turn, many drivers received worse monthly payment rates on average than typical consumers with similar credit scores. Not to mention, Uber also claimed the cars leased under the Vehicle Solutions Program would have unlimited mileage, when in actuality the leases actually did have mileage limits.

The director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Jessica Rich, asserted that people signing up to drive for uber should not be taken advantaged of.

“Many consumers sign up to drive for Uber, but they shouldn’t be taken for a ride about their earnings potential or the cost of financing a car through Uber,” Rich said. “This settlement will put millions of dollars back in Uber drivers’ pockets.”

It’s important to note that Uber runs a tight ship when it comes to the type of cars they allowed to be used through their program. For example, in New York City, the car cannot be older than 5 years old and the vehicle must pass an Uber inspection.

This news comes after General Motors announced a new program to allow potential Uber drivers the ability to rent a car. Through the General Motors’ subsidiary company, Maven, aspiring Uber drivers would have the ability to rent a car from the Maven fleet for $179 a week. The program would provide unlimited miles and car insurance. Not to mention, drivers who decide to rent the car through the program can use the vehicle for personal use when they are not working.

Western Union to Pay $586 Million to the Feds After Department of Justice Investigation

Reginald Edward
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0
Western Union to Pay $586 Million to the Feds After Department of Justice Investigation

Western Union announced on Thursday that the company will $586 million to the federal government following an investigation with the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission following.

Western Union explained that after a previously reported investigation focusing on the company’s anti-fraud program, anti-money laundering operations, and misconduct, the company will have to pay a total of $586 million to the federal government. The money would then be used to reimburse consumers who were reported victims of fraud from 2004 to 2012.

“We share the government’s goal of protecting consumers and the integrity of our global money transfer network, and we worked hard to resolve these matters with the government, Western Union explained in a statement. “We are committed to enhancing our compliance programs to prevent illicit activity on our network and protect customers who transfer money to friends, family and businesses.”

Western Union explained that they now spend approximately $200 million every year to follow rules and regulations to prevent money laundering, and fraud.

Western Union is one of the most popular payment services in the world. Billions of dollars are transferred around the world. In fact, by 2015, the company completed over 200 million consumer transactions around the world, moving $82 billion of money between consumers.

It’s important to note that Western Union tells their consumers not to send money to people they do not know in order to avoid fraud committed by internet cybercriminals. With that being said, Western Union is still able to profit off of scams and fraudsters using the service.

Then in 2015, the Central Bank of Ireland fined Western Union €1.75m for failing to prevent money laundering and reportedly funding terrorists. Derville Rowland, Ireland’s Central Bank’s Director of Enforcement announced in a statement, that the fine reflects the company’s failure to respect anti-money laundering procedures.

“The Firm is a global market leader in the provision of payment services.  I am therefore concerned that this firm failed to have in place sufficiently robust systems and procedures to train agents, to monitor and identify suspicious activity in respect of smaller transactions, and to maintain appropriate records,” she said.

Western Union’s stock closed down 3.3% on Thursday evening.

Google Continues to Innovate with Offline Search Feature

Jonathan Antonio
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Google Continues to Innovate with Offline Search Feature

Internet connections have come a long way since the mid-1990s. High speed internet connections allow for websites to load in a matter of seconds instead of minutes. But, there are times when internet connections are less than optimal making it difficult for users to search for the latest trending topic. In order to address this problem, Google has come up with a solution.

Google announced on their blog on Thursday that their updated Google app for Android allows for the app to deliver search results as soon as the internet connection improves. In turn, users will be able to save searches offline until they are connected back to the internet.

Worried about data issues and battery life? Google also announced that the new feature will not drain battery life and will have a low impact on data usage.

The new feature is available on the most recent version of the Google app on Android devices. “So before you head out the door, make sure the Google app is running the latest version for Android, and the next time you hit a spotty network, your results are covered,” Google’s Product Manager Shekhar Sharad explained.

Google is constantly innovating and updating their products. Yesterday, Google announced major updates to their Google+ platform. Then, Google’s YouTube announced a new Super Chat feature. Not to mention, a new Ad balance feature for Adsense publishers or the ability to book an Uber through their Google Maps application.

Overall, Google is continuing to invest in new features for Google application users, which begs the question: what is next for Google in 2017? The company announced the release of Waymo, their self-driving software car company and the acquisition of Twitter’s developer tools Fabric but, the future of the search engine giant remains to be seen. However, the recent innovations illustrates Google’s plan towards a better customer experience.

Sitting Down All Day Ages You By 8 Years, Study Finds

Brent Edward
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0
Sitting Down All Day Ages You By 8 Years, Study Finds

The rise of technology has transitioned people from working in factories and farms to sitting in front of computers. In fact, recent research has shown that more and more teenagers are spending nearly their entire day in front of some sort of screen. But, new research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that sitting down for long periods of time makes people grow older faster.

Researchers explain that elderly women who sit for more than 10 hours per day with very low physical activity has cells within their body that are approximately 8 years older in comparison to women who do not sit all day.

Ultimately, researchers explain that age is basically just a number and what people do can have a direct an impact on the aging process.

Aladdin Shadyab, PhD, lead author of the study explains, “Our study found cells age faster with a sedentary lifestyle. Chronological age doesn’t always match biological age.”

The study, which was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, specifically points out that women who sit down for 10 hours per day had shorter telomeres than women who were physically active.

Telomeres are repetitive segments of DNA found at the end of each and every chromosome. As a cell grows older, telomeres grow shorter and shorter. Consequently, scientists correlate short telomeres with age.

“We found that women who sat longer did not have shorter telomere length if they exercised for at least 30 minutes a day, the national recommended guideline,” said Shadyab.

Shadyab explained that further research should focus on how exercise impacts telomere length in both men and younger populations.

The study begs the question, can physicians and researchers reverse aging with telomere extension? Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine were able to increase the length of human telomeres by delivering making modifications to messenger RNA – RNA delivers the DNA instructions from genes to the cell’s protein making centers.

Stanford professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford explained that this new procedure has ability to turn back “the internal clock in these cells by the equivalent of many years of human life.”

NASA Finds Possible Mud Cracks Suggesting Ancient Wet Past

Megan Diane
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0
NASA Finds Possible Mud Cracks Suggesting Ancient Wet Past

NASA announced on Tuesday the discovery of possible mud cracks on Mars.

Researchers using NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover announced that they found pieces of rock with shallow ridges that resembles dried mud that you would see on planet earth.

If true, NASA reports that this will be the first observation of mud cracks discovered by the Curiosity mission suggesting that there was a point in time when Mars was not a dry planet but, featured wetter conditions. In addition, this discovery lends credibility to the Curiosity rover discovery of ancient lakes.

A Team member behind the Curiosity rover mission, Nathan Stein, explained in a statement, “Even from a distance, we could see a pattern of four- and five-sided polygons that don’t look like fractures we’ve seen previously with Curiosity,” Stein explained. “It looks like what you’d see beside the road where muddy ground has dried and cracked.”

Mud Cracks NASA
The network of cracks in this Martian rock slab called “Old Soaker” may have formed from the drying of a mud layer more than 3 billion years ago. The view spans about 3 feet (90 centimeters) left-to-right and combines three images taken by the MAHLI camera on the arm of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

In addition, Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada explained that ancient lakes may have existed and then disappeared illustrating changing ancient geological features of the red planet. “The ancient lakes varied in depth and extent over time, and sometimes disappeared. We’re seeing more evidence of dry intervals between what had been mostly a record of long-lived lakes.”

So when will astronauts roam Mars and search for water? It may be a while before scientists actually reach the red planet and reconfirm the the Curiosity rover’s results. In fact, last October, researchers suggested that traveling to Mars may actually cause brain damage. A study published by the University of California, Irvine, suggested that cosmic radiation may impair memory and cause damage to the brain. Ultimately, space is a beast that is yet untamed and poses unique radioactive particles that have the potential to damage the central nervous system.

Until researchers discover how to reach Mars safely, NASA will continue to use their Curiosity rover to roll around the red planet and collect data.

Biologist Names Newly Discovered Moth After Donald Trump

Megan Diane
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0
Biologist Names Newly Discovered Moth After Donald Trump

Donald Trump maybe having the best month ever. The President-elect and 2016 U.S. Presidential election winner is only a few weeks away from becoming the 45th President of the United States. But, that is not the only honor being bestowed on the next president of the free world. Scientists have named a newly discovered moth after Donald Trump.

A biologist decided to name a moth that lives in parts of California and Mexico the Neopalpa donaldtrumpi. The moth has features that resembles Donald Trump including a crown with yellow tinted scales.

It’s important to note that naming a newly discovered animal is pretty commonplace. In fact, there are nine species of animals named after President Barack Obama.

For instance, Aptostichus barackobamai also known as the ‘trapdoor spider’ was named by biologist Jason Bond of Auburn University after he discovered the spider in California. What makes the Aptostichus barackobamai special? Apparently, the spider has ability to ambush insects, frogs and other animals after the spider builds hidden trapdoors.

Outside of the ‘trapdoor spider’, Paragordius obamai is also named after President Barack Obama. Paragordius obamai is a type of parasite that can grow up to 30 centimeters long inside a cricket. University of New Mexico biologists discovered the hair worm in Kenya. Biologists named the hair worm after President Obama as the U.S. President’s father is from a city Kenya.

Then, there’s Etheostoma Obama a fish found in a Tennessee river. The fish is known to swim fast through the Tennessee river and was discovered by biologists working for an environmental consulting firm. Biologists said they named the fish after Barack Obama because of Obama’s commitment to protecting the environment.

Expect more and more scientists in the near future to name their discoveries after the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Update (Thursday, January 19, 2017): Edited the title to ‘Biologist Names Newly Discovered Moth After Donald Trump’.

60% of Primates are Threatened to Become Extinct, Study Finds

Megan Diane
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0
60% of Primates are Threatened to Become Extinct, Study Finds

Biologically, primates are the closest relatives humans have to the animal kingdom. They play a key role in research, religions, and societies around the world. However, a new study reveals that the future of our nonhuman cousins are in jeopardy.

Researchers from the National Autonomous University of New Mexico and the University of Illinois’ Department of Anthology, have discovered that approximately 60% of primate species are now threatened to become extinct and another 75% have their populations declining.

Alejandro Estrada and his team of researchers point out that this is being caused by the destruction and loss of habitats that once belonged to these primates.

More specifically, Estrada explains in his study published in the journal Science Advances, “mainly global and local market demands, leading to extensive habitat loss through the expansion of industrial agriculture, large-scale cattle ranching, logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building, and the construction of new road networks in primate range regions.”

Scientists also explain that hunting and illegal trade of primates as pets also contribute to the destruction of primate species. Estrada’s explanation to save primates is somewhat complicated. Apparently, low income human populations live in areas that are in close proximity to primates. Consequently, the growing levels of poverty puts primates at risk.

Estrada explains, “Given that primate range regions overlap extensively with a large, and rapidly growing, human population characterized by high levels of poverty, global attention is needed immediately to reverse the looming risk of primate extinctions and to attend to local human needs in sustainable ways.”

Primates are not the only animal threatened to become extinct. Earlier this month, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the North American Bumble Bee as an endangered species. In fact, researchers point out that the number of bumble bees have dropped by over 80% in the last few years and that is problematic. The White House reports that the economic value of bees is estimated to be $9 billion every year.

2016 Was the Hottest Year Ever Recorded, Study Finds

Megan Diane
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0
2016 Was the Hottest Year Ever Recorded, Study Finds

In Atlanta, Georgia the temperature is a warm 73 degrees, which is over 10 degrees higher than 50 years ago. Now, new research by NASA reveals that the world is getting warmer every year.

A new research report by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals that 2016 was the warmest year ever recorded.

Researchers point out that the it was nearly two degrees warmer than the mid-20th century average. In turn, 2016 is the third year in a row for record setting global temperature increases.

Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) explain, that Earth’s average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees since the late 1800s. In fact, researchers argue that the change is propelled by increased carbon dioxide and human-made gases emitted into the planet’s atmosphere.

NASA researchers point out that most of the global warming took place in the last 35 years, with 16 of the 17 warmest years ever taking place following 2001. In addition, researchers explain that the warmest months on record occur from January through September.

“2016 is remarkably the third record year in a row in this series,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. “We don’t expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear.”

This news comes after a report revealed that the North Pole is 50 degrees above average. Researchers at Climate Central announced in a report that the Arctic region is currently experiencing record-high temperatures. More over, the weather in the Arctic region at this time of the year is typically 20 degrees below zero. However, last December the temperatures in the North Pole were above 32 degrees, which is higher the freezing point for water.

The rise in temperatures in the North Pole can have disastrous consequences for animals that depend upon the cold temperatures. For instance, scientist pointed out that in 2013 over 60,000 reindeers died in Russia as a result of warming temperatures.

Twitter Waves Goodbye to Fabric as Google Agrees to Buy Twitter’s Developer Tools

Jonathan Antonio
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0
Twitter Waves Goodbye to Fabric as Google Agrees to Buy Twitter’s Developer Tools

Twitter has suffered several quarters of losses and a new acquisition by Google shows how not only how the Twitter corporation plans to stay alive but, how Google plans to profit off of Twitter. The day after Twitter shut down their Vine app, Twitter’s developer program Fabric is going to be acquired by Google.

Launched in 2014, Fabric’s goal was to provide tools to help developers create apps. Since then, the company has grown to reach over 2 billion active mobile devices. The program helps developers understand their users and in turn help them grow their business.

“Today we enter the next chapter for Fabric and are pleased to announce that we’ve signed an agreement for Fabric to be acquired by Google and for our team to join Google’s Developer Products Group, working with the Firebase team, Rich Paret, Fabric’s VP of Engineering & GM explained in a blog post.

Paret explained that after meeting with Google they “realized that our missions are the same”.

Google also explained that their plan is to improve and expand their Firebase platform. Firebase product manager, Francis Ma, explained that Fabric helped create great tools for developers including Answers and Fastlane. In the next few weeks, Ma explains that the two companies will work together to “combine our strengths” during their transition period. Ultimately, Google explains that their goal is to deliver a complete set of features for mobile application development programs.

“We’re committed to making mobile app development seamless, so that developers can focus more of their time on building creative experiences,” Ma explained.

Twitter
NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 7: The Twitter logo is shown in front of the NYSE on November 7, 2013 in New York (Anthony Correia / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Google’s acquisition of Fabric comes after Twitter announced 9% layoffs in the company. Twitter reported that they will start to focus on increasing growth in order to increase the company’s revenue. Then, Twitter announced that they would be shutting down the Vine application, an app that competed directly with Instagram. Unfortunately for Twitter, Instagram won the war. In fact, following the release of Instagram video, usage of the Vine app to decrease by 70 percent.

Netflix Beats Expectations As the Streaming Giant Continues to Grow

Reginald Edward
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0
Netflix Beats Expectations As the Streaming Giant Continues to Grow

Earnings season is officially here and many analysts have their eye on Netflix. The streaming entertainment company published their fourth-quarter results today and the company reported continued growth.

Netflix revealed that the company’s global streaming revenue has grown 41% from 2015 to 2016 to over $2 billion. In addition, operating profits reached $154 million, which was higher than the company predicted.

In addition, Netflix added over 7 million net subscribers in the quarter, which was a little higher than 2 million members than the company initially predicted. The entertainment company pointed out that this quarter was the largest quarter of new subscribers in the company’s history. In fact, within the U.S., the streaming giant added 1.93 million members this quarter and increased revenue by 27% in comparison to 2015. Meanwhile, international membership grew by 5.12 million in the fourth quarter, again beating expectations.

Netflix
The Cast of “Stranger Things” arrives at the Weinstein Company and Netflix 2017 Golden Globes After Party on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. (CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Netflix also explains that they are learning how to determine the best content for their audiences around the world. The company points out the success of shows like Marvel’s Luke Cage, The Crown, and Black Mirror were able to globally entertain audiences. In addition, Trollhunters was the company’s most-watched original kids programming. Furthermore, Netflix’s first Brazilian original series 3% did exceptionally well. In turn, making it the most watched original show in Brazil and in other Latin American countries.

“We continue to invest in local programming to complement our content offering and as a means to introduce new members to our global library,” Netflix explained in their earnings report. “We are focusing on local content that travels pan-regionally or across multiple territories, such as Japanese anime and Turkish dramas,” the streaming company added.

The streaming giant did point out that while Net Neutrality is important from a public policy standpoint. However, the company does not believe they would be financially impacted, which is important because many analysts believe the end of net neutrality could have disastrous consequences for the company, if enacted.

In addition, Netflix pointed out their biggest competition lied with Facebook’s growing presence of video, the possibility of Apple branching off as a video content provider, and essentially media becoming a TV to internet diaspora.

So what’s next for Netflix?

The company projects that in the next three months the streaming giant will gain more nearly another 9 million subscribers globally. In addition, the company predicts memberships will increase following their upcoming content line-up in the second half of 2017. Moreover, the streaming giant will invest over $6 billion on content, which is an increase of $1 billion in comparison to 2016.

Netflix stock price rose by 7.8% on Wednesday evening in after-hours trading.

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