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Instagram update makes direct messaging way less confusing

Image: vicky leta/mashable 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Instagram is making itself a better app by taking some cues from Snapchat.

The former photo-sharing app is launching a new version of Direct, its one-to-one and group messaging, with more features. Starting Tuesday, disappearing photos and videos will appear in the same text threads as other messages with friends.

SEE ALSO: In defense of Snapchat, a manifesto

Prior to this update, Instagram’s chat screen featured annoying bubbles at the top bar that hosted ephemeral messages from friends (the Snapchat copycat feature introduced in November 2016). Other chats were below:

Instagram Direct in November 2016

Image: instagram

Now, these chats are combined into individual threads for one-to-one messages and for group messages:

Instagram Direct in April 2017

Image: instagram

It seems strange to not have combined the two earlier. For Instagram it appears the disappearing messaging feature was a slow rollout. Can’t surprise Instagram users with a full blown transformation to Snapchat all at once, eh?

Instagram users can now access the blue camera icon in three different places on the Direct screen. The camera icon appears three places on the Direct screen: at the bottom; next to each individual thread; and within individual threads.

So many ways to create content! Instagram created a 47-second video to show what you could send, using the characters rock, paper and scissors with the song “Sonny’s Boogaloo” by Sonny Knight and The Lakers playing in the background.

Unlike Snapchat, Instagram threads will display the actions that take place. Even though a photo disappears, for example, the text thread will show that a person had sent a photo. As before, senders are notified if you screenshot a thread. Snapchat also has Bitmoji and video and audio calls as exclusive features for now.

Still, Instagram has the bigger audience. Instagram reported Tuesday that the number of people using Direct has grown from 300 million in November 2016 to 375 million every month. Snapchat does not report monthly active users but last touted 161 million daily active users.

WATCH: This tricycle for adults will have you looking like the coolest kid on campus

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2oyPN1D

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Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly numbers boost – BBC News

Image copyright Iain H Leach

Image caption The small pearl-bordered fritilary saw its number more than double last year

As scientists record one of the worst years on record for British butterflies, one species is bucking the trend in Scotland.

The annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme found that the populations of 40 out of 57 species declined in 2016.

But the small pearl-bordered fritillary thrived. The butterfly, which is commonly found in Scotland and Wales, saw its numbers more than double.

Experts believe it benefitted from a warm start to the summer.

Volunteers taking part in the monitoring scheme recorded a 109% increase in its numbers in Scotland between 2015 and 2016.

Prof Tom Brereton, head of monitoring at Butterfly Conservation, said the small pearl-bordered fritillary usually flies in June and July in Scotland.

He added: “Over that period the weather wasn’t too bad, it was warmer than average and a bit sunnier – good conditions for them to emerge and fly and get through the season.”

Prof Brereton also pointed to the success of the northern brown argus, which saw a population increase of 38% in Scotland. That butterfly is also active in June and July.

They were two of few success stories uncovered by the scientists however, who blamed the mild winter and cool spring for an overall decline in butterfly numbers.

Image copyright Iain H Leach

Image caption Volunteers involved in the monitoring scheme recorded a drop in the number of Grayling butterflies

Mild winters can lead to increased disease, predation or disruption of overwintering behaviour, while cold springs can lead to shortened life spans.

In Scotland, they found that the number of Grayling butterflies had dropped by 61% on the previous year.

They also recorded a long-term decline in the abundance of large white butterflies – their numbers have fallen by 75% over the last decade.

And the pearl-bordered fritillary – which emerges a couple of months earlier than the small pearl-bordered fritillary – saw its population tumble by 54%.

Across the UK, scientists said butterflies suffered their fourth worst year on record last year.

Prof Brereton, said: “Worryingly, not even the pleasant summer weather of 2016 was enough to help butterflies bounce back from a run of poor years.

“The results show that butterflies are failing to cope with our changing climate and how we manage the environment. As butterflies are regarded as good indicators of environmental health this is hugely concerning for both wildlife and people.”

Image copyright Steve Maskell

Image caption The number of large white butterflies has dropped by 75% over the last decade

The monitoring scheme is led by Butterfly Conservation, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

It involves thousands of volunteers collecting data throughout the summer at more than 2,000 sites across the UK.

Read more: http://bbc.in/2p7TMzQ

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Google remembers a pioneer of Indian art with doodle inspired by his works

Image: GOOGLE SCREENGRAB

Search giant Google rolled out an artsy surprise for Indian users by paying a tribute to “pioneering artist” Jamini Roy on his 130th birth anniversary. It created a beautiful horse doodle inspired by the master’s Black Horse painting.

It further allowed users to take a tour of Roy’s artworks and collections on Google Arts & Culture. The virtual exhibit was curated by Google and the National Gallery of Modern Art.

SEE ALSO: Google Doodle Pays Homage to Marie Curie

Roy was among India’s leading modernists in the 20th century and a globally renowned figure too. Originally trained in the British academic style of painting, his earlier works had shades of European impressionism and portraiture.

Recipient of the Padma Bhushan award, #JaminiRoy displayed a brush-stroke of brilliance on every canvas. #GoogleDoodle http://pic.twitter.com/qBPVenZ105

Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 11, 2017

But he shunned his Western training eventually and turned to India’s folk and tribal art forms in the wake of nationalist sentiments sweeping the country in the early 1920s.

He took to portray his own people the men, women and children of Bengal (his native land and the bastion of India’s freedom movement) and developed a distinctive style that was bold, vibrant and refreshing.

Roy believed that like Chinese landscapes, nonessential background details needed to be discarded. Hence, the subjects stood out beautifully in all his works.

Image: GOOGLE SCRRENGRAB

Image: GOOGLE SCRRENGRAB

Image: GOOGLE SCRRENGRAB

Image: GOOGLE SCREENGRAB

Image: GOOGLE SCREENGRAB

Roy was awarded the Viceroy’s gold medal in 1934. By the 1950s, Roy’s work had been exhibited in London and New York. He also won India’s third-highest civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan, in 1954.

In the 1970s, the Ministry of Culture declared him one of the country’s “nine masters” whose artworks are considered national treasures.

Indians on social media were delighted with Google’s tribute to the legend.

Now this should make everyone proud when @GoogleIndia creates a Doodle for one of India’s greatest painters’, Jamini Roy http://pic.twitter.com/Ses3tEpowO

Indranil Roy (@indraroy) April 11, 2017

So glad they remembered… No one paints eyes of such simple beauty any more! http://pic.twitter.com/5vvdSfda3Y

Priyodorshi (@priyodorshi) April 11, 2017

Good to see @Google #doodle honouring painter #JaminiRoy, one of most significant modernists in the world of Indian fine arts on birth anniv http://pic.twitter.com/7jaVHoPsrm

Kaushal K Vidyarthee (@vidyarthee) April 11, 2017

Good to see #GoogleDoodle with artist #Jamini Roy who developed a uniquely Indian idiom in his art. Approaching #Easter, enjoy #LastSupper http://pic.twitter.com/xAvMi2JrI0

ASHOK ALEXANDER (@alexander_ashok) April 11, 2017

Lovely google doodle on Jamini Roy’s 130th birth anniversary. http://pic.twitter.com/fL4nVevFUr

joybhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) April 11, 2017

Wow Google Doodle honours eminent artist #JaminiRoy ‘s 130 bday.His paintings uniquely reflected d innocence n beauty of rural bangla lives. http://pic.twitter.com/KFnwktPOPc

Madhavi() (@MadhaviZiya) April 11, 2017

Good to see @Google #doodle honouring painter #JaminiRoy, one of most significant modernists and national treasure of India.

Abhas Mishra (@AbhasMishra) April 11, 2017

Well done, Google!

WATCH: Google Doodle Marks Anniversary of Roswell Incident and Other News You Need to Know

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2p8dwDE

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United’s Munoz Goes From Savior to Man on the Hot Seat Real Fast

For most of his 19-month tenure, United Continental Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz has cleaned up messes left behind by others. Now hes mopping up a PR disaster thats unfolded under his watch.

After United ordered a passenger forcibly removed from a plane in Chicago shortly before departure to make room for a United employee, Munozs initial response made the company a punch line on social media. He said United had to “re-accommodate the man, who was bloodied in the encounter with security officials. In a subsequent letter to employees, the CEO called the customer “disruptive and “belligerent when he would not voluntarily relinquish his seat.

“Its sort of a self-immolation and makes you wonder about his choice as CEO,” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, said of Munozs handling of the crisis. He “worked at Coke and Pepsi and AT&T, and someone would have thought he had a better customer sensitivity.”

Almost 24 hours later, after global condemnation of the airlines behavior had time to sink in, Munoz struck a far more contrite tone.

QuickTake Can Airlines Really Do That? Bumping and the Law

“The truly horrific event that occurred on this flight has elicited many responses from all of us: outrage, anger, disappointment. I share all of those sentiments,” Munoz said in a statement. “I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard. No one should ever be mistreated this way.”

Thorough Review

He committed the third-largest U.S. airline to “a thorough review” of its policies for handling oversold flights and vowed to report back to the public by April 30. “I promise you we will do better,” he said.

Yet the damage had already been done. With a few ill-chosen words, Munoz stoked the flames of an already raging social-media firestorm and squandered goodwill he had worked hard to generate by forging a turnaround plan since joining the company in September 2015. He has overseen a 23 percent stock rally since then, compared with 13 percent for the Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index.

Previously known for his deft touch in rescuing United from a corruption scandal, weathering a proxy fight and winning unprecedented labor peace, now hes the head of an airline that, for some passengers, has instantly become Public Enemy No. 1.

Read more: Airline bumping and the law — a QuickTake

The fallout continued Tuesday with some people saying on Uniteds Facebook page that they would boycott the Chicago-based carrier. Others said on Twitter that theyd canceled their United-affiliated credit cards — a key revenue source for airlines.

In China, a crucial part of Uniteds lucrative trans-Pacific network, the incident was a focus of social media and editorials in the state-controlled Global Times newspaper. The hashtag #UnitedForcesPassengerOffPlane was the top trending item on Sina Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter, with more than 270 million views. The man who was removed, David Dao, appeared to be of Asian descent.

Dao is receiving treatment in a Chicago hospital for his injuries, according to a statement from lawyers who said they represent him. Video posted to Facebook and Twitter showed him as he was dragged out of his seat and down the aisle of the plane after refusing to give up his seat.

United Overhaul

For Munoz, the timing of the worldwide outcry is, at the very least, extremely awkward and at worst a serious setback for his overhaul of United, which suffered for years as the industry laggard in both profitability and on-time performance. In an ironic touch, Munoz just last month was named “Communicator of the Year for 2017” by PRWeek. The public-relations industry publication said Munoz “has shown himself to be a smart, dedicated, and excellent leader who understands the value of communications.”

In 2015, Munoz took over as CEO from Jeff Smisek, who was ousted amid a federal investigation into ties between the carrier and the former chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. The next month, Munoz suffered a serious heart attack and underwent a transplant in early 2016. He bounced back only to face a proxy challenge from two hedge funds. United named a new chairman and agreed to add new board members approved by PAR Capital Management and Altimeter Capital Management.

Within months after the board tussle, Munoz had unveiled a $3.1 billion plan to cut costs and boost revenue, and he set the stage for labor peace for the first time since the 2010 merger with Continental Airlines that created the company. He also brought in new senior leadership including President Scott Kirby, who previously served in the same position at American Airlines Group Inc. This year, Uniteds market value surpassed that of American, which generates more in annual sales.

After debacle ousting a passenger, United is feeling the sway of consumers in Asia http://bit.ly/2p82KgH via @bv http://pic.twitter.com/8WE8QRIOnA

Bloomberg (@business) April 12, 2017

Some Credit

The Monday incident comes two weeks after United drew social-media scorn for enforcing its employee dress code for those who fly as non-revenue passengers, such as relatives of employees. Two young girls flying from Denver were told to change their leggings before boarding. In response, the airline then took efforts to tell “our regular customers” that “leggings are welcome.”

In his letter to United workers Monday night, the CEO said he stood behind employees and criticized the passenger for refusing to deplane. Sara Nelson, international president of the flight attendants union representing United, said the incident was the most severe customer backlash shed seen in 20 years on the job and was “completely unacceptable.” Still, employees were grateful to have a chief executive who “has their backs.”

“When something like this happens and people have to go to work and have order in their workplace to keep everyone safe, it can be incredibly demoralizing,” Nelson said. “Some credit needs to be given to him.”

Read More: PR Nightmares – United Seat Fiasco Among Worst Corporate Gaffes

Read more: https://bloom.bg/2p82BtH

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CNN Exclusive: Classified docs contradict Nunes surveillance claims, GOP and Dem sources say

Washington (CNN)After a review of the same intelligence reports brought to light by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers and aides have so far found no evidence that Obama administration officials did anything unusual or illegal, multiple sources in both parties tell CNN.

Their private assessment contradicts President Donald Trump’s allegations that former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice broke the law by requesting the “unmasking” of US individuals’ identities. Trump had claimed the matter was a “massive story.”

However, over the last week, several members and staff of the House and Senate intelligence committees have reviewed intelligence reports related to those requests at NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland.

One congressional intelligence source described the requests made by Rice as “normal and appropriate” for officials who serve in that role to the president.

And another source said there’s “absolutely” no smoking gun in the reports, urging the White House to declassify them to make clear there was nothing alarming in the documents.

Still, some members of Congress continue to have concerns about the justification given for the unmasking requests and the standards for the intelligence community to grant such requests, which reveal the private data of US persons mentioned in intelligence reports based on routine intelligence collection aimed at foreign nationals.

Such collection regularly targets officials and nationals from Russia, Taiwan, Israel and other countries.

The lawmakers’ assessment comes after Trump, in a New York Times interview last week, accused Rice of breaking the law.

Trump has not revealed which intelligence reports he is relying on to make his charge that Rice may have acted illegally.

“I think it’s going to be the biggest story,” Trump said. “It’s such an important story for our country and the world.” He also called it “truly one of the big stories of our time.”

Asked by the Times if he believed Rice’s actions were criminal Trump responded, “Do I think? Yes, I think.”

Sebastian Gorka, a Trump foreign policy aide, cast Rice’s actions as worse than the Watergate scandal that felled President Richard Nixon in an interview with pro-Trump Fox News host Sean Hannity.

“Losing 14 minutes of audiotape in comparison to this is a little spat in the sandbox in the kindergarten,” Gorka said.

Rice defended her actions last week on MSNBC, saying her requests were “absolutely not for any political purposes, to spy, or anything.”

“There were occasions when I would receive a report in which a US person was referred to — name not provided, just a US person — and sometimes in that context, in order to understand the importance of the report, and assess its significance, it was necessary to find out, or request the information as to who the US official was,” Rice said.

“The notion that some people are trying to suggest, is that by asking for the identity of a person is leaking it, is unequivocally false,” she said. “There is no connection between unmasking and leaking.”

Rice is among the list of witnesses that House and Senate Intelligence officials want to interview as part of its probe into Russian attempts to meddle with the US elections. House Democrats and Republicans on the Intelligence Committee are near agreement on the list of witnesses to interview, with the GOP mostly focusing on people who may have leaked classified information and the Democrats hoping to question Trump associates who may have ties to Russia.

But the House review has been thrown into turmoil after Nunes last month expressed alarm about the unmasking of US persons, including Trump advisors, caught up in incidental collection. He reviewed the documents on White House grounds with the help of White House officials, despite House Speaker Paul Ryan saying Nunes informed him that the information came from a “whistleblower.”

Critics said Nunes appeared to be giving political cover to Trump in the aftermath of the president’s unsubstantiated tweet last month that Obama ordered wiretaps of Trump Tower to spy on him during the campaign.

Nunes’ office has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.

Nunes last week abruptly recused himself temporarily from the Russia investigation as the House Ethics Committee announced it is investigating whether he revealed classified materials, but he is still serving as chairman of the panel.

Read more: http://cnn.it/2p7SZyT

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Honey trap: New Zealand devises manuka test to fight fakes

Government has tested 800 samples from around the world to create a benchmark definition for the prized product

The New Zealand government has tested 800 samples of honey from around the world to establish a scientific definition of genuine manuka honey and crackdown on alleged fakes.

Jars purporting to be New Zealand manuka were pulled from UK shelves including at Fortnum & Mason earlier this year when it was discovered they were fake amid a craze for the product, which is highly valued for its medicinal properties.

The demand has pushed the cost of some jars to NZ$590 (327) but has also encouraged unscrupulous producers to fake the active manuka content, leptosperin, in their product.

After three years of testing honey samples, New Zealands ministry of primary industries (MPI) has released a scientific definition to be used to authenticate manuka honey destined for export in a bid to restore consumer confidence.

The new definition means that honey must have five attributes four chemicals and one DNA marker – in order to be classified as genuine New Zealand manuka.

Questions have been raised in overseas markets about the authenticity of some honey being sold as New Zealand manuka honey, said Bryan Wilson, deputy director-general of MPI.

It is important that overseas regulators have confidence in the assurances we give them about New Zealand manuka honey, and that consumers in those countries are confident they are getting the real deal. If not, our access to markets could be put at risk or we may lose the premium price which our bee products command overseas.

The authentication test is being embraced by industry officials in New Zealand, who say the honey business is long-overdue for increased regulation and government testing.

Hive thefts, vandalism and poisonings have become standard fare in the New Zealand manuka industry, with most professional beekeepers the victim of one or more serious crimes.

In the six months prior to January more than 400 bee or honey thefts were recorded, according to New Zealand police.

In 2010 the top price fetched for bulk manuka honey was NZ$37.50/kg (22/kg). Today it can command more than NZ$100/kg.

The export to the UK, China and other countries is expected to reach NZ$400m in the next few years.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2o524aa

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Why Sean Spicer Shouldn’t Be Fired For Hitler Comments

Bringing up Hitler is almost always a bad move, which Sean Spicer learned the hard way when he made poorly worded statements that Hitler did not use chemical weapons the same way President Bashar al-Assad is doing in Syria. Instead of dropping gas on people with airplanes, Spicer said, Hitler brought people into Holocaust centers, by which he presumably meant concentration camps. A more seasoned spokesperson or a Chuck Klosterman fan would have known to avoid talking about Hitler altogether.

In his excellent book about villains, I Wear The Black Hat, Klosterman described the inherent dilemma of saying anything about Hitler, noting that even his Jewish friends who insisted that Hitler be in his book also warned him that, [p]eople will go crazy if you write about Hitler. It doesnt matter what your argument is. Klosterman theorized that the only safe thing to do was to write the sentence Hitler was evil over and over again, and he was probably right. So Spicer, should not have been surprised when his bumbling remarks about an extremely sensitive subject led to justifiable outrage.

To his credit, Spicer did the right thingapologizing for his comments sincerely and profusely, and explaining that trying to compare Assad and Hilter was a mistake he will not make again. But for some, Spicers apology was not enough. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said that Spicer must be fired for downplaying the horror of the Holocaust. Charles P. Pierce wrote in an Esquire column titled Fire This Man that Spicers statement ought to be a career-killer. And though Pelosi and Pierce would be right to call for the firing if Spicers misstatements were what he actually believed, they are wrong to do so in this instance.

More importantly, by demanding yet another firing of yet another person who speaks for a living based on a poorly-worded statement, Pelosi, Pierce, and others are not helping their own cause. One of the primary reasons voters gravitated toward Donald Trump was as a backlash to political correctness. Trying to foster a country in which anyone can lose their job for making a dumb statement is not going to win those voters back. Its time for those who fuel the perpetual outrage machine to learn this lesson.

Everybody, and I mean everybody, says foolish, poorly worded, or insensitive things from time to time. Beloved liberal Joe Biden said that as a candidate, Barack Obama was the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. After bowling a 129, the ever careful Obama said he bowled like it was the Special Olympics, or something. The more people speak, the more foolish things they are going to say. Its a direct correlation.

For most of American history, isolated misstatements or insensitive comments like Bidens, Obamas, or even Spicers were forgiven as long as the speaker apologized. Joe Biden was not kicked off Obamas ticket for his remarks. George W. Bush made enough verbal mistakes to fill a page-a-day calendar, but was also able to make it through two full terms as President. But in the past decade our collective intolerance, yes, intolerance for such comments has dwindled, especially from many people on the political left.

In 2012 HBOs show Girls faced frequent criticism from media outlets for being racist for no other reason than the fact that its four main characters were white women. In 2015 Colin Cowherd was taken off the air at ESPN while during a conversation about the intelligence of baseball players, he made the factually accurate statement that, The Dominican Republic has not been known in my lifetime as having world-class academic abilities. Shortly after the 2016 election, there was a glut of articles on websites like Slate implying that nearly all Trump supporters were racists or misogynists.

In 2017, it seems like a week rarely goes by without a politician, comedian, sportscaster, or corporation making headlines with a few ill-conceived words and getting fired, boycotted, or shunned as a consequence. And while there is no doubt that the people who are outraged sincerely believe their venom is justified, those same people fail to realize that they are alienating huge chunks of Americans, including fellow liberals. The perpetual outrage machine is both widening political divisions and preventing worthwhile, sincere discussions on critical subjects in the social justice arena.

Spicers comments about the Holocaust were admittedly worse than Cowherds about baseball players or HBOs casting of Girls, but that is beside the point. Most people do not want to live in a country where you can apologize when you make a foolish statement, but still lose your job anyway. Republicans and Democrats alike do not want political opponents to call for their partys representative to step down every time that representative makes a gaffe. Trump voters who may have genuine concerns about transgender individuals or innocently held opinions about the Black Lives Matter movement will be reluctant to voice them if they are afraid of being villainized for doing so. The perpetual outrage machine is not getting the kind of results we want.

So though Im no fan of Sean Spicer, I find myself in the awkward position of arguing that he should not lose his job over the remarks he made today. If Nancy Pelosi wants to start a campaign to fire Spicer for his consistent lies and half-truths, Id be a supporter. But the man should not lose his job for some poorly chosen words that he sincerely apologized for; not because there is anything special about Sean Spicer, but because nobody should lose their job for that.

Read more: http://huff.to/2o58iGN

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Selfridges ad of ‘thin’ model cleared by watchdog – BBC News

Image copyright PA

Image caption The Advertising Standards Authority concluded the model did not appear to be “significantly underweight”

A fashion advert for Selfridges has been cleared by the advertising watchdog following a complaint the model in it looked “unhealthily thin”.

A promotional email from the department store in January showed a model standing side on in a long blue dress.

It prompted a reader to complain the woman was too thin and question whether the advert was socially irresponsible.

But the Advertising Standards Authority concluded the model did not appear to be “significantly underweight”.

Selfridges said the woman was not positioned in a way that was intended to exaggerate her slimness.

The company said that while they accepted the model was thin, the general public’s perception of weight and whether or not an individual looked unhealthily thin was a subjective matter.

The Advertising Standards Authority said the image emphasised the model’s slenderness through her pose and the style of clothing, but said she appeared to be in proportion.

“We considered most people, including young children and women, would interpret the ad as focusing on the design and fit of the dress, rather than on desirable body image,” it said.

“We considered that, although the model was slim, she did not appear to be unhealthily thin or significantly underweight and therefore concluded the ad was not irresponsible.”

‘Unobtainable’ body type

Selfridges welcomed the ruling but disputed the email was an advert, describing it instead as a “fashion image sent to selected customers by email”.

Denise Hatton, chief executive of the National Council of YMCAs, a founding partner of Be Real, which campaigns to change attitudes to body image, said: “We’ve seen positive advances in the fashion industry over the last few years, including from Selfridges themselves, which shows that there is a shift towards more responsible advertising and portraying of diversity.

“However, the recent advert is another example where a slim body is still favoured over others, despite the fact that it doesn’t reflect the majority of customers.

“Idealising a body type that’s unobtainable for most people can lead to unhealthy methods of weight loss.”

Read more: http://bbc.in/2o52qxo

from Selfridges ad of ‘thin’ model cleared by watchdog – BBC News

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This startup wants to run the internet of things via nano satellite

The launch of the Falcon 9 Space X rocket at the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Image: HANDOUT/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

We’re hurtling towards a future where everything from cows to toasters will be internet-connected. But do we have the infrastructure to support this digital web?

An Australian startup wants its nano satellites to help form the backbone of the internet of things. Founded in 2015, Adelaide-based Fleet announced a A$5 million ($3.8 million) Series A funding round Tuesday, to help build its satellite constellation.

SEE ALSO: These American tech companies are heading south to list. But why?

CEO and cofounder Flavia Tata Nardini said the team realised early on that the estimated 75 billion devices due to come online by 2025 couldn’t do so without the right tools in place. “Our idea was to try and enable this revolution, because it’s really happening, it’s going to change the industry, but it’s not as simple as everyone says,” she explained.

In the past, nano satellites have been used for scientific missions, but more recently for commercial activities like Earth observation and mapping. Plant Labs, the California company founded by Australian Chris Boshuizen, is one player in this space. But Tata Nardini wants her constellation to help network smart devices and sensors across industries.

“Fleet is playing in a space device connectivity which is quite unique. We want to be frontrunners,” she said.

Atlassian cofounder and Fleet investor Mike Cannon-Brookes said in a statement the company was solving an important problem: “How do we bring all the devices and technology we’ve created together to work as one?”

“Once live, Fleet will solve an innumerable amount of the world’s problems as it enables the potential of technology to be turned on,” he added.

Of course, telecommunication companies such as Vodafone are also looking at 5G mobile networks, among other measures, to support the internet of things, but Tata Nardini thinks her tiny satellites could play a role.

“Connecting people is actually quite different than infrastructure for things and devices,” she said. “It’s less data, different timing things need an infrastructure themselves.”

There’s also the matter of getting the devices into space, and the team is currently working on locating launch procurement in the U.S.

“Connecting people is actually quite different than infrastructure for things and devices.”

For now, Fleet plans to run pilot programs in different markets including agriculture, transport and oil and gas, before launching the first couple of satellites in 2018.

If all goes to plan, the entire 100-nano satellite constellation should come online over the next four years.

Originally from Italy, Tata Nardini moved to Australia “for a love story.” She’s worked with the European Space Agency, among others, but said Fleet’s devices will be designed and built in Australia.

After launch, they will serve a significant part of the globe. “Most of South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and in the future, we hope to cover part of the United States and Europe,” she added. “Europe is well connected, however when you go into oceans, imagine cargo or shipping containers moving from one continent to the other connectivity is just not there. There’s a big opportunity.”

But while the private space industry is taking off globally with headline-grabbing companies like America’s Space X and Blue Origin, Tata Nardini is adamant Australia need its own dedicated space agency to keep pace. She called for the government to step up.

“A space agency forces collaboration and innovation. I do think it’s necessary,” she said. “The government has to keep up support and make radical changes in the coming years.”

WATCH: Ford created a crib that’ll trick your baby into falling asleep

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2osCYFr

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Republicans avert disaster in Kansas but 2018 trouble looms

(CNN)Republican Ron Estes beat back a surprisingly strong challenge from an unheralded and underfunded Democratic challenger to claim a special election victory in Kansas’ 4th district on Tuesday night.

A win is a win — and Republicans avoided the catastrophic outcome of losing in a congressional district where President Donald Trump won by 27 points last November. But in Estes’ victory there are warning signs for Republicans preparing for the first midterm election of the Trump presidency in 2018.

“This should be a wakeup call to the Administration and the Republican Congress,” said one Republican House member granted anonymity to offer an unvarnished view of what the special election meant. “The Democratic base is fully mobilized and unlikely to be defused. We will have to beat them. That will take motivating our base. So far we have not.”

In Tuesday’s special election, Democratic early vote was almost twice as large as that for Republicans, according to figures provided to me by a prominent Republican pollster. That’s a sure sign of a base enthusiasm disparity. And in a district where there are typically twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats, early vote was 44.5% Democratic and 43.5% Republican.

Republicans appeared to do just enough in the final days to drive their voters to the polls; a visit to Wichita on Monday by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as well as robo-calls from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and a $100,000 ad buy by the House Republican campaign committee may have done just enough.

Base enthusiasm is a problem for the party in power — always has been, always will be. When you win and control everything, you get complacent.

But, Republican problems with their most loyal voters look to be exacerbated by two other factors: Lingering uncertainty about Trump and questions about whether a party that played the loyal opposition for the better part of the last decade can actually govern.

While Trump won the Wichita-based 4th district overwhelmingly in November 2016, much of that vote had to do with the person he was running against. Hillary Clinton was — and is — deeply unpopular in Kansas. But, Trump doesn’t have Clinton to run against anymore.

In fact, the coming midterm election will likely not be regarded as a choice between the two parties’ competing visions for the country but rather a referendum on how well Republicans have done when given control of the whole shebang.

The early returns on that electoral investment are not promising. Trump’s travel ban, which remains popular within the GOP base, is caught up in legal wrangling and, before that, was prematurely rolled out and plagued with problems. The much-promised “repeal and replacement” of the Affordable Care Act never even came close to happening. Aside from the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, congressional Republicans have very little to take to their voters as proof that they have delivered.

“Due to the failure of House Republicans to pass repeal and replace, we have not proven we can transform ourselves from an opposition party to a governing party,” said the GOP House member. “If we do not make that transition in the weeks and months ahead we become a minority party in 2018.”

It’s worth noting here that the Kansas special election — like all special elections — isn’t a perfect lens through which to see 2018. For example, Estes was the sitting state treasurer in a state government run by the deeply unpopular Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican. (Democratic nominee James Thompson regularly referred to his opponent as “Brownbacker Ron Estes.”) That won’t be the case in many districts the two parties fight over in 2018.

National Democratic Party committees also spent nothing on Thompson’s behalf despite the closeness of the race in its final week — a strategy not likely to be repeated either. (Liberal groups bashed national Democrats for missing an opportunity although a case can be made that the national Democratic party swooping in could have been more hindrance than help to Thompson’s chances.)

Caveats aside, the broad message from Kansas is this: Republican survived disaster, but even in their victory alarms can be heard going off.

Next week’s special election In Georgia’s 6th district — a seat Trump carried by only one point in 2016 — will be a more fair fight than this Kansas seat. Lose that one and what is a low murmur of concern right now will turn into something more like a stampeding panic.

Read more: http://cnn.it/2ptb3Tz

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Nicole Richie gets slapped in the face by ‘Talk Stoop’s’ Cat Greenleaf

Talk about an epic fail.

Nicole Richie appeared on Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf on Sunday to discuss her new scripted show Great News when she was asked about the greatest news shes heard all week.The 35-year-old actress responded sarcastically that its supposed to rain three times this week in Los Angeles when the 45-year-old host went to high-five The Simple Life alum.

NICOLE RICHIE IS ‘NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE’ FOR ‘WILD’ BEHAVIOR

However, Greenleaf missed and instead accidentally slapped Richie in the face, prompting her Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses to fly off her head and land several feet away.

Omigod! screamed Greenleaf, who covered her mouth and appeared mortified by the unscripted incident. When asked if she was all right, Richie quickly recovered and posed with her hand behind her head, smiling.

That was the craziest high-five of all time, said Greenleaf. Im sorry. Im notoriously clumsy!

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I can see that, joked Richie. Out of my left eye only.

Richie continued to make fun of the incident and even remarked at one point that she was just abused like two seconds ago.

The star concluded the interview by discussing the upcoming comedy and answering rapid-fire questions about her favorite things.

Read more: http://fxn.ws/2ptfa1T

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Oh nothing, just the Queen feeding an elephant called Donna

Queen Elizabeth II makes friends with Donna, a 7-year-old Asian Elephant.

Image: DAVID ROSE – WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGES

For most fans of the royal family, meeting the Queen would make their lives complete. But today an elephant named Donna didn’t just meet the Queen, she got hand-fed a banana by Her Majesty.

SEE ALSO: Princess Charlotte hugged a balloon display and yelled ‘Dada’

And the 7-year-old Asian Elephant could not have looked more delighted.

.@ZSLWhipsnadeZoo Read all about The Queen feeding an elephant @ZSLWhipsnadeZoo here http://bit.ly/2psWOhC http://pic.twitter.com/edyEgPoOnH

The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 11, 2017

The Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh was opening a new centre for elephant care at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, near London when she met Donna.

Donna, naturally, didn’t turn up her nose to being fed by the Queen. She accepted the banana with open arms or trunks, rather.

Image: David Rose – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Queen also met a baby elephant called Elizabeth, who was named after Her Royal Highness.

The Centre is home to a herd of nine Asian elephants and is set in 30 acres of land, including baby Elizabeth – named after Her Majesty. http://pic.twitter.com/Sja1LWpA6t

The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 11, 2017

Adorable!

WATCH: Princess Charlotte and Prince George’s balloon game reminds us of what childhood’s really like

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United CEO Apologizes Again After First Mea Culpa Falls Flat

United Continental Holdings Inc. struggled to contain spiraling fallout over a passengers forcible removal from a flight as efforts at damage control fell flat. Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz even made another attempt at saying he was sorry.

On Tuesday he offered his “deepest apologies for what happened” and said the airline would conduct a review of its procedures and policies to be completed by April 30.

Oscar Munoz

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

“No one should ever be mistreated this way,” he said in a statement, calling the event “truly horrific.”

Recordings of the incident posted on social media spread quickly around the globe and sent people into a rage. They showed officers pulling a passenger from a flight Sunday evening after he refused to give up his seat and then dragging him down the aisle as travelers yelled at them to stop.

The chilling scene was turning into a public-relations disaster for United, whose fumbling response only served to demonstrate how a normally routine consumer interaction can expand into a brand-damaging event in a world of smartphones and Facebook. 

The passenger, David Dao, was receiving treatment in a Chicago hospital for his injuries, according to a statement from lawyers at the firms Golan Christie Taglia and Corboy & Demetrio who said they represent him. His family “wants the world to know that they are very appreciative of the outpouring of prayers, concern and support,” the statement said.

Re-Accomodate

Munoz initially apologized for “having to re-accommodate these customers” but the CEO called the passenger “disruptive” and “belligerent” in a subsequent message to employees.

“It was probably the most tone-deaf response Ive seen to this type of issue — possibly ever,” Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at New York University, said on Bloomberg Television. “Its as if they literally sat around and thought, How could we make a bad situation worse.”

QuickTake Quicktake: Airlines and the Law

Uniteds statements illustrate its “callousness toward the traveling public with the permission of the federal government,” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said in a statement. He called for the U.S. Transportation Department to immediately suspend rules that allow carriers to overbook and remove passengers.

United said initially that the flight was overbooked, its staff chose Dao among others and he didnt want to get bumped. But the airline later said it needed room for its own employees to keep other flights on schedule.

The stock fell 1.1 percent to close at $70.71 in New York, recovering from an intraday drop of 4.4 percent.

Joke Fodder

United was the butt of jokes by late-night comedians and by Tuesday in China, the incident was even a focus of social media and a government editorial. The hashtag #UnitedForcesPassengerOffPlane was the top trending item on Sina Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter, with more than 270 million views by evening in China. The man who was removed appeared to be of Asian descent.

Read more: Airline bumping and the law — a QuickTake

Chinas state mouthpiece the Global Times questioned in an editorial if “the victims Chinese ethnicity potentially made a difference” in how the passenger was treated. An online petition called “Chinese Lives Matter” calling for a U.S. investigation into the case has garnered 38,000 signatures.

Top Communicator

In an ironic touch, Munoz just last month was named “Communicator of the Year for 2017” by PRWeek. The public-relations industry publication said Munoz “has shown himself to be a smart, dedicated, and excellent leader who understands the value of communications.” 

Munoz received support from flight attendants. His letter to United workers Monday night was only meant to boost employee morale in a very trying time, said Sara Nelson, international president of the flight-attendants union for United.

“When something like this happens and people have to go to work and have order in their workplace to keep everyone safe, it can be incredibly demoralizing,” she said. “Some credit needs to be given to him.”

Routine Overselling

The incident showed how airline bumping can veer into confrontation. Carriers around the world routinely oversell their flights because people dont always appear for a flight. Overselling is a way to cover that situation while maximizing the airlines revenue.

The swift social-media condemnation, which extended to Washington, was sparked because the man wasnt being ejected for misbehavior or a security threat.

Video posted to Facebook and Twitter showed the man being dragged out of his seat and down the aisle of Flight 3411 to Louisville, Kentucky, from Chicago. The man said he was a doctor and had to be in Louisville on Monday for work, according to a Twitter account by a passenger who said he was on the flight.

Crew Requirements

United required the seats on the Chicago plane to accommodate several crew members who needed to get to Louisville to avoid canceling other flights, spokesman Charles Hobart said. The flight wasnt oversold, he said.

“Its not something we want to do, but occasionally, its something we have to do,” Hobart said. “This was an instance where, unfortunately, we had to request the assistance of law enforcement because we had to get that aircraft off the ground.”

Uniteds response didnt satisfy Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who called the incident “disturbing” and Munozs statement an “empty apology.” Eleanor Holmes Norton, a nonvoting House Democrat representing the District of Columbia, called for Congressional hearings.

Incremental Risk

The incident poses an incremental risk of inviting a response from lawmakers, Buckingham analyst Daniel McKenzie wrote in a note to investors. 

“Its a brand damaging event, but its unlikely investors will be able to pinpoint the fallout in UALs revenue production,” he wrote. Shareholders are more worried about competition and whether the carrier will miss revenue targets this summer as it increases seat availability, McKenzie said.

But NYUs Galloway said “heads should roll” at United because it will cost the airline both in terms of direct response by passengers and in damage to its image longer term. Potential travelers finding similar fares on United and a competitor may choose the rival because of the video, he said.

“The airline industry is fairly competitive and often times you have more than one option at the same price,” he said. “At a minimum, this is a tie breaker. And in the airline industry, there are a lot of ties presented to consumers.”

The incident came two weeks after United drew social-media scorn for enforcing its dress code for people who fly as nonrevenue passengers, such as employees. A girl flying from Denver was told to change her leggings before boarding. In response, the airline then took efforts to tell “our regular customers” that “leggings are welcome.”

Carriage Contract

Uniteds contract of carriage says it chooses passengers to be bumped based on fare class, itinerary, status in its frequent-flier program, “and the time in which the passenger presents him/herself for check-in without advanced seat assignment.” That means those who pay more for a ticket and those who fly the airline frequently are less likely to be selected for an involuntary bump, criteria that arent unique to the Chicago-based carrier.

A volunteer is paid for the seat and booked on another flight. But if there arent enough volunteers, an airline resorts to the involuntary method. When it goes wrong, it can get ugly. Thats one reason JetBlue Airways Corp., for example, doesnt do it.

Last year, the 12 largest U.S. airlines bumped slightly more than 40,600 of 659.7 million passengers, for a rate of 0.62 per 10,000 passengers, down from 0.73 per 10,000 in 2015, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Read more: https://bloom.bg/2pthAha

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Kansas election: Ron Estes scrapes Republican victory deep in Trump heartland

Both president and Mike Pence joined last-minute effort to get out vote in Congressional election that hinted voter loyalty may be shifting

A feeble win for a Republican in a special congressional election in deep Donald Trump country on Tuesday hung tantalizingly, for Democrats, as a potential signal of voter discontent with the president and of a restored congressional majority in the unexpectedly near future.

But the apparent single-digit victory by state treasurer Ron Estes over Democrat James Thompson in Kansas fourth congressional district was explained away by Republicans as the result of low turnout and voter discontent with one of the countrys least popular governors.

Republicans from the president down made the election, in a district Trump won by 27 points in November, a focus over the last week, with Trump calling Estes a wonderful guy on Twitter Tuesday morning. Trump and vice president Mike Pence recorded robocalls to stoke Republican turnout in the race, and senator Ted Cruz hosted a rally in Kansas Monday.

Thompson, a first-time candidate, blamed the national pressure for derailing his surprisingly strong bid.

Im probably not supposed to say this, but Mr Estes did not beat us, Thompson told supporters Tuesday night. It took a president of the United States, and the vice president, the Speaker of the House, a senator coming into our state, and a bunch of lies, to try to drum up a vote.

The chairman of the national Republican congressional committee said the result heralded victories to come. By electing Ron Estes, Kansas rejected the far-left policies of liberal activists and voted to keep delivering on the promises we made to the American people, Steve Stivers said in a statement.

The special election was held to replace CIA director Mike Pompeo, who was the representative for Wichita, Kansas and environs before being elevated by Trump. The Associated Press called the race at about 10.45pm ET.

Estes ran behind Trump by double digits in many counties, while Thompson performed better than 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The district has not sent a Democrat to Capitol Hill in more than 20 years.

A drag on Estes performance, however, was governor Sam Brownback, whose veto of bipartisan legislation to expand healthcare in the state survived a challenge in the legislature earlier this month. Brownback, who helped to ruin the states credit rating and kill economic growth by enacting a purist program for fiscal austerity, is the second-least-popular governor in the nation, according to recent polling. (Trump intimate Chris Christie topped the list.)

Sensing blood in the water, Democrats poured in hundreds of thousands of dollars in last-minute contributions for Thompson. Republicans responded in kind.

Senator Ted Cruz was sent to headline a rally in the run-up to the Kansas election. Photograph: Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

The prize was elevated for Democrats because the district is home to Koch Industries, the business concern of Charles and David Koch, the Republican mega-donors.

The pot was sweetened for Democrats by the prospect of a heartland collapse for the presidents party fewer than 100 days into Trumps presidency. With the failure of a Republican-led Congress to pass healthcare legislation and seemingly tough going ahead for a similar effort to enact tax reform, progressives are nursing hopes that a strong result in the 2018 midterm elections could strip Trump of the chance to notch a first legislative victory.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2ptaA3S

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Americans Need To Know Trump’s Endgame For Syria, Duckworth Tells Constituents

PALATINE, Ill. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) challenged President Donald Trump to state his administrationsendgame for military involvement in Syria following the U.S. militarys missile strike on a Syrian air field last week.

Speaking to a full house of constituents at a town hall in the Chicago suburb of Palatine on Tuesday night, Duckworth was asked what was accomplished with the first direct assault on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assadand what the long-term strategy would be.

Duckworth said that she wants to know, too and that Trump needs to provide those answers quickly.

The Trump administration needs to come forward and [state] its goal. Come forward and tell us the truth, Duckworth responded.

Following the town hall, constituents like Lisa Goranson, 58, and Sue Walton, 80,were troubled by Trumps sudden shift on involvement in Syria.

Its about the long term, not just the one time, Walton said.

Its like something just happened that the president didnt define and theres no plan, Goranson added. What happens to the country after this?

Trumps administration thus far lacks a clear policy on Syria, and its actions have been murky in both their intent and legality.

Though Trump was criticalof plans to attack Syria during President Barack Obamas administration, he said he changed his mind after more than 70 Syrian civilians were killed in last weeks poison gas attack.The Trump administration later said the U.S. airstrike was retaliation for the gas attack, which was allegedly carried out by theAssadregime.

Duckworth, however, was dubious about the administrations rationale.

Why is it we retaliated when they hit innocent people with chemical weapons but not with barrel bombs? she said of the Assad regimes systematic use of barrel bombs on rebel-held towns throughout Syrias ongoing civil war.

The Trump administration has contradicted itselfon what the U.S. policy is toward Syria:Secretary of State Rex Tillersonsaid Sunday that there has beenno change, but the Trump-appointed U.N. ambassador,Nikki Haley,indicated that Assad should be ousted.

At the town hall, Duckworth agreed,calling Assad a butcher who needs to be removed, but she said the difficult but necessary answers must come from Trumps White House.

They need to say what their endgame is. Is it regime change? How many years of engagement? How many troops?

The answers should also be carefully considered, Duckworth warned.

It is so easy to sound the drums of war. It is so much harder to keep peace, said Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who is among just four senatorsto have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

If our troops go to war and could use a broken-down helicopter pilot who walks with a limp and a cane, I will go, added Duckworth, who lost her right leg and part of her left leg and injured her arm when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004. But I will also be the first person to question why were doing that. Im going to stand on that Senate floor and ask that tough question.

Though Duckworth could not predict what the Trump administration would do regarding Syria, constituents at the town hall appeared pleased with her promise to push for accountability from the president and from her fellow members of Congress.

Other responses, including her call to reopen the borders to Syrian refugees, received cheers at the lively but polite town hall. Attendees ranged in age from elderly voters to a shy grade-school girl who asked Duckworth if it was fun to be a senator. (Duckworths response, in short: Its complicated.)

If any Republican opponents showed up, they remained inconspicuous. The audience was overwhelmingly progressive and included grassroots activists, city-dwelling citizens concerned about gun control and women still donning pink hats from Januarys Womens March(Duckworth was a speaker at the Washington march).

Tuesdays event lacked the fireworks of other recent town halls, where members of Congress particularly Republican lawmakers who pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act or otherwise supported Trump policies have faced off against angry constituents.

Trump and his administration were frequent targets of criticism by Duckworth and attendees. Other concerns raised included environmental protection, immigration reform and calls for an independent investigation into Russias role in the 2016 election.

Read more: http://huff.to/2o4lNqp

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China’s Xi tells Trump he wants peaceful solution to North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Trump in a phone call Wednesday that Beijing is willing to work with Washington on ending North Koreas nuclear weapons program, but wants to do so through peaceful means.

Xi told Trump that China insists on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson to the area and the conducting of the biggest-ever U.S.-South Korea military drills.

“China insists on realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula … and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side over the issue on the peninsula,” Xi was quoted as saying by state media.

TRUMP WARNS CHINA ON NORTH KOREA: HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR WE WILL

The call came after Trump warned in a pair of tweets Tuesday that North Korea is looking for trouble and vowed to get Kim Jong-Uns regime under control with or without Chinas help.

I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem! Trump tweeted.

He added in a second tweet: North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.

Trump and other U.S. officials have repeatedly called on China to leverage its status as North Korea’s biggest economic partner and source of food and fuel aid to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

China has said that it is in full compliance with sanctions enacted under U.N. Security Council resolutions and in February, suspending imports of coal from North Korea a key source of foreign currency for Kim.

However, Beijing also said it will not countenance measures that could bring about a collapse of the regime that could release a flood of refugees across its border, destabilize northeast Asia and result in a U.S.-friendly government taking power in Pyongyang.

North Korea has drawn U.S. ire recently following a series of ballistic missile tests. There is also fear the countrys nuclear program is progressing.

Pyongyang said Monday it would hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences if there was any further military action after the USS Carl Vinson arrives in the area of the Korean Peninsula.

Adding to tensions, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that activity appeared to be taking place at a North Korean nuclear test site ahead of the April 15 anniversary of the communist country’s founding.

Fox News Cody Derespina and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ryan Gaydos is a news editor for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @RyanGaydos.

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Glass-bottomed pool 500 feet above downtown Houston

(CNN)If spectacular heights give you that sinking feeling, then this is not the swimming pool for you.

A post shared by Market Square Tower (@marketsquaretower) on Apr 6, 2017 at 2:19pm PDT

The clip shows a brave soul slipping their bare feet along the pool’s eight-inch-thick plexiglass bottom, which sits out 10 feet from the side of Market Square Tower.

It’s being billed as the tallest pool in Texas and the only glass-bottomed pool in Houston.

A post shared by Market Square Tower (@marketsquaretower) on Apr 7, 2017 at 10:12am PDT

Viewers around the world are split between wanting to plunge right in or grab their towel and run.

Anyone wanting to try it will have to befriend a resident though. The pool, which opened in October 2016, isn’t open to the public.

A post shared by Market Square Tower (@marketsquaretower) on Apr 3, 2017 at 12:31pm PDT

The building was designed by Houston’s Jackson & Ryan Architects and is the centerpiece of a wraparound rooftop terrace with views of the Houston skyline and Buffalo Bayou Park.

For less gung-ho residents, there’s a second resort-style pool on a lower terrace. It’s not the only Houston pool to make a splash recently.

The 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Houston, which opened in December 2016, has a Texas-shaped lazy river and an infinity pool on its rooftop, 110 feet above street level.

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And if you’re looking for apartment buildings with that added extra, you could always try Chongqing, China.

The southeastern city has been getting creative with its housing and transport solutions to accommodate its 49 million residents.

There’s a new 19-story apartment building which is not only close to the train station, but has a light-rail passenger train passing right through its middle.

There’s even a transit stop inside, on the sixth through eighth floors.

World’s best cities for swimming — from Rio and Sydney to Zurich and London

15 scary-but-awesome viewing platforms

Read more: http://cnn.it/2p4MgZy

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