So...exactly how many years away are we from a real, honest-to-goodness working Star Trek universal translator? You know, a device that will actually interpret and convert another language into our own so we could carry on a regular conversation with a foreign speaker with little to no interruption? We aren’t there yet...but we’re making moves.

In fact, we now have a version of that all-encompassing translation tool covering virtually everything — and it’s already online now. 

And if you think Google Translate is the height of what online language translators can handle these days, LingvaNex Translator is ready to shock you.

Just like Google Translate and others, LingvaNex can handle your text, a document, or a website and instantly translate all of it into any of 112 different languages.

But where LingvaNex truly shines is when it gets turned loose on everything else. Used on your phone, LingvaNex can facilitate a voice-to-voice conversation between speakers with a language barrier, translating spoken word into your preferred language. Its auditory skills also allow you to play an audio file or a podcast and get a complete translation of the file’s contents.

In case that isn’t enough to impress, LingvaNex also tackles images with ease, identifying words in a picture and providing you with their meaning. Another impressive feature is the augmented reality mode, which allows you to put your mobile device camera on foreign text and have it virtually translated on your screen. The value of that feature alone while traveling in another country could be incredibly valuable. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/04/lingvanex-is-like-google-trans.html

The past six weeks have been a whole new world for those who have spent years investing on Wall Street. Massive swings sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak have triggered one of the most volatile markets in world history, soaring and plunging day-to-day, often with almost no discernible rhythm or reason.

With instability as the new normal in financial centers worldwide, one thing should be crystal clear to anyone interested in investing and trading stocks. Now, more than ever, you better do your homework.

For those feeling brave enough to dip their toe in investing right now, The Wall Street Survival and Stock Trading Guide Bundle can be the background you need to make all the difference between assembling a solid portfolio and losing your shirt.

The course pulls together eight courses focused on building an understanding of how Wall Street works and how to create profit through day trading.

The entire package is led by a full-time day trader and investor Travis Rose. Over the past five years, Rose has watched all the highs and lows of trading and constructed these courses to help make sure new traders don’t make some of the mistakes he made toward achieving financial freedom.

Under Rose’s instruction, students will open with a step-by-step beginner's guide to getting started with stock market investing, including everything from how to get an account started, understanding price fluctuations, and what you should look for to find your first winning stock.

Through lectures, quizzes, ebook studies and more, first-time investors will explore tactics for creating a trading plan that minimizes risk, simple technical and fundamental analysis for high-probability trades, how to read the stock "tape" like a professional trader to land a competitive edge ,and even trading psychology and tips to keep emotions in check during high-pressure sessions. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/learn-how-to-invest-wisely-reg.html

Fifty years ago today at Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard gunned down four students and wounded nine more during a demonstration against the invasion of Cambodia. The tragedy inspired Neil Young to write the epic social commentary "Ohio" for his band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. (Video below.)

Above is the Isley Brothers's masterful and moving medley of "Ohio" and Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun" from their 1971 album Givin' It Back.

If you don't know, now you know.

From John Lombardi's coverage of the Kent State Massacre in Rolling Stone's June 11th, 1970 issue:

“A lot of the Guards were young and they looked scared,” [24-year-old Howard] Ruffner remembers, and then some kid with a black flag was down in front of them trying to get the students to charge. “Kill the pigs! The pigggs!!” he was screaming and the gas blew in clouds. But this time the students were picking up the canisters and throwing them back, and it didn’t even matter that the gas wasn’t having much effect, was in fact blowing up and over the heads of the combatants in the strong wind and back toward the football field where it managed to burn the eyes and lungs of some people who wanted nothing to do with any of this, including a blind student and his girlfriend who were crawling along the Spring grass in panic, digging at their tearing eyes and vomiting. A lot of kids who had just been standing around watching began to yell then, and everything got louder.

The Guards had run out of tear gas and were retreating up the hill, to the left of Taylor Hall, when some of the students began to throw rocks.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/on-the-50th-anniversary-of-ken.html

Back in 1982, John Warnock couldn’t get his employer Xerox to see the true value of new specialized printing software for graphics. Instead, he gathered some colleagues and formed Adobe in his garage. His vision led to innovation and almost 40 years later, the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of apps has over 18 million subscribers and is synonymous with all forms of digital creation. 

If you aren’t intimately familiar with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, then you probably need a firm guide to help you navigate those powerful, yet occasionally treacherous waters with the training in The 2020 Adobe Graphic Design Certification School of courses.

This three-course collection sears right into the heart of the Creative Cloud, offering up a 40-plus hour, top to bottom look at three of the most widely used digital creative venues anywhere.

Everyone everywhere has at least heard of Adobe Photoshop — but mastering the world’s most popular photo editing software is another story.  In this beginner-friendly training, students earn fast, practical, in-depth knowledge of creating in Photoshop from importing images to adjustments to composition and filters. Users also develop the design skills required to produce eye-catching images and how to turn them into new and original digital creations.

Adobe Illustrator shifts the focus from images to vector graphics -- and over nearly 100 lectures, you’ll master the Illustrator interface and all the tools for crafting sharp, scalable illustrations of any type, including drawings, paintings, logos, typefaces and more. Even beginning Illustrator users will have the background to create special effects that will work for both conventional printing as well as electronic publishing.  Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/photoshop-illustrator-and-in.html

Orange County, Florida police arrested Richard J. McGuire, 42, who had been illegally camping on the abandoned "Discovery Island" at Disney World. All Disney parks are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, besides, Discovery Island has become overgrown and the structures decayed since it closed as an attraction in 1999. (Above is 2017 video of the property.) From the New York Times:

As a deputy arrived, Disney staff members were helping a small boat with Mr. McGuire aboard to shore, according to an arrest report.

Mr. McGuire told the authorities that he had reached the island on Monday or Tuesday to go camping and that he planned to stay there for “approximately one week,” the report said.

Told that the area was restricted, Mr. McGuire said he was unaware of that and described the island as looking “like a tropical paradise,” the report said.

(Thanks, Charles Pescovitz!)

image: detail of photo by Gmaletic (public domain) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/illegal-camper-on-disney-world.html

Every week, we scare up a couple dozen awesome new deals for you to jump all over in the Boing Boing Store. Sometimes, you do, sometimes, you don’t, but with everything happening, it’s not uncommon for at least one or two to slip past your radar in a given week. 

Hey, it happens. We get it. It still doesn’t mean you should sleep on some of this cool stuff though. Therefore, we’re showcasing some of the week’s latest and greatest offers here all in one place so you don’t forget. It’s the least we can do. You’re welcome.

Get outside

Look, one of these days soon, the world is going to ramp back up again, so these items should help you accelerate back into the great outdoors.

The Splat 3N1 Flexible Tripod ($18.99; originally $24.99) has five flexible and extremely durable legs that can adjust to any surface and hold action cameras, regular cameras, and smartphones in countless positions to help you snap the perfect shot, no matter where you are.

Of course, if you’re out and about, sturdy protection like the Active Rugged Case for iPhone 11 ($39.99; originally $49.95) with a sleek design wrapped in hydrophobic leather will keep your iPhone safeguarded against unexpected splashes, sweaty workouts, and any other potentially dangerous adventures.

Also built to survive the outdoors, the Active Strap Modern Leather Strap for Apple Watch ($49.99; originally $69.95) uses waterproof Heinen leather from Germany designed to thrive in tough workouts without snapping like those cheap plastic watch bands. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/heres-your-last-chance-to-n.html

Deadliest day comes as state officials reopen parts of economy and stay-at-home orders expire

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/in-u-s-2909-people-die-of-c.html

Well, that's curious.

Something's oddly different about the message delivered by the American president on World Press Freedom Day.

It's very different than the messages sent by other heads of state from around the globe.

Can't quite put my finger on it.

Something about Trump's tone.

Here are Press Freedom Day messages from a few other heads of state: leaders from Greece, Namibia, Lithuania, and the Maldives. pic.twitter.com/LcyCS56tzx

 Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 3, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/u-s-presidents-message-on.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/at-this-taiwan-nightclub-they.html

The miniature model supercomputers that Cray salespeople carried sometimes hit eBay, and they're getting quite pricey. This 3.75" tall scale model of the Cray X-MP, once the world's fastest computer, is on offer for $700. I wonder, if you put a Rasberry Pi in it, would the resulting machine be faster than a Cray X-MP? The X-MP offers four processors and 800 megaflops, according to Wikipedia; a Pi 4, with four cores, cracks 2 gigaflops in this benchmarking roundup. In this test, a Pi Zero (240 megaflops) outpaces a Cray 2 at calculating digits of Pi, but the consensus seems to be that the Cray would roast it at linear algebra, the sort of work supercomputers were made for.

This listing is for a Cray salesman's kit model used for sales calls for potential X-MP customers. The X-MP was Cray Research's second computer, following the Cray-1. It was the world's fastest computer from 1983-1985. This Cray X-MP scale model comes in four pieces. The computer floor is made from a 12.25"x7.5"x0.25" black Lucite. The Lucite has a white "felt" fabric has squares laid out that represent 2 foot square raised computer room floor tiles. The largest part of the model is the X-MP processor. The diameter of the "C" is 5.5". This, and the other two X-MP pieces, are all 3.75" tall. The second piece that connects to the X-MP with two arms is the SSD (Solid-State Device). The third piece, which sits part from the X-MP/SSD complex, is the IOS (Input-Output Subsystem).

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/miniature-model-cray-x-mp-supe.html

From South Korea's Cheongwadae, the executive office and official residence of the Republic of Korea's head of state, a cryptic statement about North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's recent absence from public life.

'Kim Jong-un appears not to have undergone surgery.'

Speculation ranged from coronavirus to surgery to death.

From South Korea's Yonhap News Agency:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears not to have undergone surgery, a presidential official said Sunday, flatly denying speculation over Kim's health.

"There were media reports speculating about Chairman Kim's surgery, citing a change in the way he walks," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters, saying the presidential office judges this not to be true.

When asked whether the North Korean leader did not even go through a relatively moderate medical procedure, the official replied yes.

The official, who asked not to be named, however, refused to unveil the grounds that this judgment was made upon.

[IMAGE: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) cuts a ribbon for the completion of a fertilizer factory in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on May 2, 2020.] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/kim-jong-un-appears-not-to-h.html

“More than 3.44 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 243,015 have died,” Reuters calculated as of 0200 GMT on Sunday, based on public health data from around the world.

At least 66,441 people in the U.S. are confirmed to have died of COVID-19, as of May 3.

There is widespread understanding that the U.S. death toll undercounts coronavirus deaths, in part because of problems with access to testing.

Does this look like a flattened curve?

Does this look like a good time to lift restrictions?

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/coronavirus-more-than-66441.html

I had seen Bowie and Cher's disco goofball Young Americans medley from her show, circa 1975 (where David still manages to rise about the cheese), but I can't believe that, until last night, I'd never encountered this rather singular performance of him singing "Fame" on the show. As the video description points out, this performance uses a different backing track for him to sing to than the one found on the record, also making it extra special.

Fame, what you need is in the limo Fame, what you get is no tomorrow

If this track, that Carlos Alomar guitar strut, and that rhythm section don't make you at least think about clucking around your hab unit like a funky chicken, you ain't doin' it right. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/03/bowies-intense-performance-o.html

No two minds work alike. Some function best when they focus, immerse in an idea and marinate in it a bit. Others stay open and know a eureka moment of inspiration is right around the corner, ready to pounce when it’s least expected. Some curate ideas and stockpile them for the perfect moment. Some attack when faced with a problem-solving event.

If you’re like Kevin McCallister, maybe your ideation and problem-solving come with a very tactile, straight-forward solution. But for those who want to develop rock-solid plans and flesh out their best ideas logically, framework is often key. The MindMaster mind mapping software offers that framework to create fresh new ideas without losing momentum or critical details.

Mind mapping can help bring all your thoughts, plans, and ideas from your brain into a visual reality, so MindMaster makes it easy to structure those thoughts and ideas, find connections, gather supporting data, and help bring form to your great notions.

MindMaster lets you catalog your brainstorms in the way that works best for you. You can choose from 12 different structures like a tree map, a timeline, a circle map, or others. You can construct it using 33 different themes, each suited to a particular style from business mapping to more personal pursuits. And users have access to over 700 different clipart images to customize your mind map any way you like.

Meanwhile, each bullet point on your map can be supported with important details, like callouts, relationships, summaries, marks, notes, hyperlinks, and more. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/this-mind-mapping-app-brings-o.html

David Icke, the longtime UK conspiracy theorist who finally became a social media star thanks to the the coronavirus pandemic, was banned today by YouTube.

His sudden rise on the platforms became embarassing proof of their distinterested enforcement of anti-misinformation policies. But Facebook finally took action yesterday, with Google following suit today. He's still ranting away happily on Twitter. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/youtube-bans-david-icke.html

“Lighten the load.”

This wonderful video is a couple of weeks old, but I'd missed it when it was first making the rounds. A Dublin farmer gave himself a quick lockdown haircut using sheep shears.

Four minutes. No nonsense.

VIDEO: Donie Anderson via Storyful

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/sheep-farmer-in-dublin-gives-h.html

A species of giant hornets native to Asia, nicknamed “murder hornets,” with mandibles that look like spiky shark fins they use to bite the heads off honeybees. People who've been stung by these hornets say their venom and stingers feel like hot metal driving into skin.

They make an appearance in the viral video above, by YouTube persona Coyote Peterson.

“Murder hornets” have arrived in the United States. And scientists fear they may further destroy fragile honeybee populations, reports Mike Baker in the New York Times. The story opens with a beekeeper realizing his hive has been decimated by the 'murder hornets':

With queens that can grow to two inches long, Asian giant hornets can use mandibles shaped like spiked shark fins to wipe out a honeybee hive in a matter of hours, decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young. For larger targets, the hornet’s potent venom and stinger — long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit — make for an excruciating combination that victims have likened to hot metal driving into their skin.

In Japan, the hornets kill up to 50 people a year. Now, for the first time, they have arrived in the United States.

Mr. McFall still is not certain that Asian giant hornets were responsible for the plunder of his hive. But two of the predatory insects were discovered last fall in the northwest corner of Washington State, a few miles north of his property — the first sightings in the United States.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/murder-hornets-arrive-in-t.html

Man, 2020 is weird. And it's only May.

Kim Jong Un and Brett Kavanaugh star in the latest reelection video promo for impeached and unfit U.S. President Donald Trump.

Here's the original Trump tweet with the video.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/kimjongun-kavanaugh-trump.html

The U.S. government spent $30 billion last month in stimulus payments last month to most healthcare providers that billed Medicare last year, part of the $2.3 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress to address the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic.

“That speed resulted in taxpayers’ money flowing to some companies and people facing civil or criminal fraud investigations,”. Reuters reports, citing “defense lawyers and others representing more than a dozen firms and people facing such inquiries.”

“I have an enormous amount of frustration with the way the Trump administration is distributing these dollars, and examples like these magnify the consequences of the White House’s efforts to limit transparency and stonewall oversight,” Senate Finance Committee ranking member Senator Ron Wyden told Reuters.

Excerpt:

Reuters interviewed six defense lawyers and others representing more than a dozen healthcare providers facing civil or criminal inquiries who received the money, including a pain medicine doctor who recently settled a civil false claims case, and an operator of an assisted living facility who is planning to plead guilty to healthcare fraud.

“The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing,” said Joel Hirschhorn, an attorney who represents the pain medicine doctor and the operator of the assisted living facility.

The lawyers who spoke to Reuters declined to identify their specific clients, citing confidentiality rules.

The surprise deposit of funds has led attorneys to scramble to warn clients to be ready to return the money.

“There is no such thing as a windfall from the government,” said Sam J.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/healthcare-providers-facing-cr.html

It’s going to be a very unusual, and likely a somewhat subdued Mother’s Day this year. Unless you live with your Mom, there’s a better than average chance you haven’t seen her in a while. And with everyone practicing social distancing, it really isn’t a good idea to make a surprise appearance or take her out for a celebratory meal...assuming there were any places you could even take her right now.

Moms all get it. They understand their kids won’t be there this year. But if we’re being honest, that still won’t make it any easier.

While many are in rough times financially right now, we’d suggest this might be a good year to make a little bit of an extra effort for Mom. And while flowers are a perennial favorite for a reason, they likely won’t survive quarantine, so no one other than Mom will get to see them.

Instead, get her a special little something from New York-based Rose Box.  Rose Box will send Mom one or more of their gorgeous, Ecuadorian-sourced roses, all preserved to stay fresh for one whole year. Rose Box roses are dipped in natural plant dyes and a non-toxic mixture to enhance their vibrant color and maintain their beauty for 12 months. Then, they’re dried, boxed, and delivered right to your Mom’s doorstep.

Rather than flowers that come and go in a week, your Mom’s arrangement can be a focal point of her kitchen, mantle or dining room for an entire year. And in addition to making her happy every time she sees it until next Mother’s Day, just think of what a constant 12-month reminder of your dutifulness and love could do for your stock. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/mothers-day-roses-that-last.html