These trending YouTube videos make a slam dunk

Every week, I try to stay on top of what is trending on YouTube because I always find new music videos from top artists, sports replays that people watch over and over, and tons of videos of whatever is the big news of the day. But there are also hidden gems that I might miss if I didn't jump in to see why they're so popular right now.

This week I found a collection of cool videos you should definitely check out. They don't follow any specific theme, but I'm sharing them here because I found them either funny or interesting.

To start, YouTuber IISuperwomanII makes tons of funny videos, but this one that conveys what people are really thinking at work got me laughing. It's over-exaggerated, I think (I hope), but I'm betting you'll see some similarities with your workplace.

Next, from the YouTube channel called List25, you get to see a list of things you learned when you were young that turned out to be wrong. Wait, you CAN start a sentence with because?

I don't usually do sports replays in these posts, but when YouTuber The Shimmy Master posted this Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk from the NBA All Star game this weekend, I had to share. You're not going to get a dunk photo with Steph Curry in it, apparently.

Finally, this last one is so good it's almost worthy of an article on its own. Popular stunt and action video guys Dude Perfect bring in a billiards trick-shot master to demonstrate his best tricks. Seriously, can these even be real?

Will Pluto have the last laugh? NASA scientists want to make Pluto a planet again

A group of NASA scientists has proposed a new definition of what constitutes as a planet, possibly opening the door for Pluto to return to its former status.

First discovered and classified as a planet in 1930, Pluto had its planetary status dragged out from under its cosmic feet in 2006 because there appeared to be other objects like Pluto beyond the eighth planet (Neptune.) Pluto was thus demoted to a “dwarf planet.”

The demotion of the planet is quite simply “bulls***,” Alan Stern, principal investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto told Business Insider in 2015. 

And two years later, Stern and his colleagues are not backing down from that belief, Gizmodo reports.  In a proposal sent to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for approval, the team suggests that a new definition of a planet, that is more in line with “scientific classification and peoples’ intuition.”

“In the mind of the public, the word 'planet' carries a significance lacking in other words used to describe planetary bodies,” the proposal states. “In the decade following the supposed 'demotion' of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union, many members of the public, in our experience, assume that alleged 'non-planets' cease to be interesting enough to warrant scientific exploration.”

Wait, what? Pluto a planet again?

The scientists suggest planets should constitute as “round objects in space that are smaller than stars,” thus excluding white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes from the planetary status.

"A planet is a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters,"  the proposal elaborates, noting that the Earth's moon would constitute as a planet under the new definition.

Stern and his colleagues note that the IAU’s definition of a planet is too narrow and recognizes planets only as objects that orbit our sun and "requires zone clearing, which no planet in our solar system can satisfy since new small bodies are constantly injected into planet-crossing orbits."

While this isn’t the first time that researchers have spoken out against Pluto's demotion, the proposal forces the International Astronomical Union to make a decision.

Stay tuned, you may need to relearn that there are nine planets in our solar system

Kubernetes on Microsoft’s Azure Container Service is now generally available

Kubernetes, the Google-incubated open source container orchestration system, is quickly becoming the de facto standard for managing large container deployments. Microsoft launched a preview of support for Kubernetes in its Azure Container Service last year; today it is taking this service out of beta and making it generally available.

This means the service is now backed by an SLA, and users will be able to get support contracts from Microsoft. Maybe more importantly, though, Microsoft also added two pivotal new features with this update: the ability to easily scale Kubernetes clusters up and down and support for high-availability setups with multiple masters.

In the preview, as Microsoft partner architect (and co-founder of the Kubernetes project) Brendan Burns told me, users were only able to set up a cluster and test it, but if they wanted to make it larger or smaller, they’d have to tear it down. You’d think easy scaling is one of the main reasons for using a container orchestration service, but Burns argued that this was still a preview and that the company didn’t expect users to run it in production (though some did).

The team also did a lot of work on Kubernetes itself to add support for Windows Server Containers, which enable Windows users to package their containers, which can then run on Windows Server 2016. With this update, Kubernetes on the Azure Container Service now supports Windows Server Containers in preview. Burns said that the company has seen a lot of interest in this feature. “I think that’s a reflection of the fact that these containerize workflows improve developer productivity whether they are new applications or existing applications you’re packaging for Windows Server Containers.”

Burns also noted that the team improved command-line support for using Kubernetes on the Azure Container Service. In addition, the team updated its support for Mesosphere’s DC/OS to the latest version.

Burns is talking at Containerworld today and he gave me a brief preview of his talk. What it really comes down to is that containers have moved into the mainstream. “There has been this notion of container infrastructure that it was something to pay attention to — but now it’s just infrastructure,” he told me. The reason for the quick ascent of containers, he thinks, is that it solves a lot of pain — and it does so quickly. “No matter what you’re doing, this change has benefits for you, especially if you can forget about not just the physical hardware but also the virtual machines,” he said.

Verizon Reaches Deal for Lowered Yahoo Price After Hacks

Verizon Communications Inc. will acquire Yahoo! Inc.’s Internet properties at a $350 million discount after revelations of security breaches at the web company.The acquisition, now valued at $4.48 billion in cash, is expected to close in the second quarter, the companies said in a statement Tuesday. In addition to the price cut, Verizon and the entity that remains of Yahoo after the deal, to be renamed Altaba Inc., will share any ongoing legal responsibilities related to the breaches.

The move brings Verizon another step closer to adding Yahoo and its billion users as it tries to expand beyond a maturing wireless and landline business into mobile media and advertising ventures. The company is also exploring other acquisitions at a time when regulations are loosening and broader M&A strategies are taking hold under a deal-friendly President Donald Trump.

The revised terms provide a “fair and favorable outcome” for shareholders, said Marni Walden, Verizon’s executive vice president and president of product innovation and new businesses. “It provides protections for both sides and delivers a clear path to close the transaction in the second quarter,” she said.

Verizon executives had some misgivings about the deal in recent months, frustrated by a lack of progress in investigating the security breaches, Bloomberg reported in October. Still, the companies have been working on combination plans, including more than 20 integration tracks to bring Yahoo’s business into the fold.

Shares of Verizon climbed 0.5 percent to $49.43 at 9:40 a.m. in New York. Yahoo, based in Sunnyvale, California, rose 0.7 percent to $45.40. Yahoo shareholders would have to approve the revised deal.

Hacking Revelations

Yahoo said in December that cyberthieves in 2013 siphoned information including users’ e-mail addresses, scrambled account passwords and dates of birth. The stolen data may allow criminals to go after more sensitive personal information elsewhere online. The announcement followed news in September of a 2014 breach that affected at least 500 million customer accounts.

Last month, Yahoo said the sale would be delayed to the second quarter as the company assesses the impact from the breaches and meets closing conditions. The deal was first announced in July and had been set to wrap in the first quarter of 2017.

Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer has been under pressure to conclude the deal. Her failure to turn around the company led to a bidding process that Verizon won in July. Mayer was running the company when both of the hacks took place.

“It is an important step to unlock shareholder value for Yahoo, and we can now move forward with confidence and certainty,” Mayer said of the transaction.

Yahoo had said it hadn’t been able to identify the “intrusion” associated with the theft by a third party in August 2013. The event was unearthed by forensic experts after law enforcement investigators warned the company about a potential breach.

The attacks on Yahoo’s system have sparked concerns from regulators and prompted lawsuits. In November, the company said it was cooperating with federal, state, and foreign governmental officials and agencies seeking information about the 2014 hack, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In December, following the admission of a second hack, a White House spokesman said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was probing the Yahoo hack as well.

Under the amended terms, the data breaches or losses won’t be taken into account in determining whether a “business material adverse effect” has occurred or whether certain closing conditions have been satisfied.

The $350 million discount was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal. Bloomberg reported last week the two companies were close to an agreement on a reduced price.

Nokia 8 Android Phone Price Leaked Ahead of Launch in Online Listing

A new Nokia Android phone has been spotted on the Chinese e-commerce website up for pre-registrations. The smartphone, which is listed on JD.com in China, seems a flagship device going by the price tag in the listing. Nokia 8 is likely to be the long-rumoured flagship Nokia P1 Android phone that is widely expected to launch on Nokia's February 26 event at MWC 2017.

Nokia 8 Price

The alleged Nokia 8 carries a price tag of CNY 3,188 (roughly Rs. 31,000) in the JD.com listing. Unfortunately, it's hard to confirm the authenticity of the online listing of the Nokia 8.

With less than a week left in the event slotted by HMD Global on Sunday, the e-commerce listing tips that we can expect the Nokia 8 to be announced. The images accompanied in the online listing appear to show concept renders of a Nokia smartphone with near bezel-less display.

Nokia 8 Specifications

On the specifications front, the rumoured Nokia 8 is said to be powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 processor while sport a 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display. The handset is further likely to feature a 24-megapixel rear camera with OIS alongside a 12-megapixel front camera. Nokia 8 is expected to be announced in two storage versions - 64GB and 128GB. Both the models are rumoured to come with expandable storage support via microSD card slot (up to 256GB). It is said to run Android 7.0 Nougat.

Nokia 8 Launch Date

For the upcoming event, HMD Global is widely expected to bring back the refresh of the Nokia 3310 feature phone which has hogged all the limelight. Other Nokia phones expected to debut later this week include two budget Nokia devices - Nokia 3 and Nokia 5. Nokia 6, the smartphone touted as the comeback device for Nokia, is also expected to see global availability details out at the same event.

Top 5 Nokia Phones to Look For in MWC, 2017

Nokia is all set to launch a range of phones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, Barcelona. Speculations about the Finnish company’s phone models are doing the rounds with some of the phones already being listed on various E-commerce websites.

HMD Global, the company now whole sole responsible for manufacturing, selling and promoting Nokia phones throughout the globe, has slotted the event and is all set to take the centre stage with its launches.

So here we take a look at the top 5 Nokia phones rumoured to be launched at the MWC, 2017.

1. Nokia 8

Even before its launch, the Nokia 8 smartphone has already been listed on a Chinese E-commerce website for pre-registration.

Till now, the phone has been spotted in two colours, Black and Grey. As the rumours go, the expected flagship smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and run on Android Nougat OS.

It will sport a 5.7-inch display screen with a super AMOLED panel and a screen resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels.

Nokia 8 might also come with a 24-megapixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). There are also reports of Carl Zeiss optics being used in it. While the front camera will support a 12-megapixel lens.

The phone is expected to feature 4GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB.

The expected launch price for the smartphone will be around Rs 30,000.

2. Nokia 6

Nokia 6 is expected to be Nokia’s comeback device and has already been launched in China officially. Its global variant is anticipated to be announced at the MWC.

As for the China variant, the smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. It comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD 2.5D Gorilla Glass display.

With a metal unibody and a fingerprint scanner, Nokia 6 is powered by a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery. The dual-sim smartphone supports 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

On the camera front, the phone comes with a 16MP f/2.0 camera with PDAF along with dual-LED Flash. While on the front, there is an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera.

Nokia has also taken care of the smartphone’s audio output with Dolby Atmos-powered dual amplifier speakers.

The expected launch price for the smartphone in India is under Rs 20,000

3. Nokia 5

The company is expected to launch the stripped down version of Nokia 6 at the MWC too. This smartphone will be targeted at the affordable market segment.

The Nokia 5 smartphone might feature a 5.2-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel density.

Also, the phone might be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with a 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory.

The device is expected to run Android Nougat OS and have a 13-megapixel rear camera along with a 5-megapixel selfie camera.

The device is again expected to be priced under Rs 20,000.

4. Nokia 3

Another budget segment attempt might be made by Nokia in the form of Nokia 3. Nokia 3 looks to be a low-end copy of Nokia 5 with more or less the same specifications.

The only difference between them being the processor. While the Nokia 5 might come with an Octa-core processor, Nokia 3 might just make do with a Quad-core processor along with an Android Marshmallow operating system.

The phone is expected to be launched around Rs 15,000.

ndroid Marshmallow operating system.

The phone is expected to be launched around Rs 15,000.

5. Nokia 3310

The much-awaited feature phone of Nokia is also expected to be launched in the MWC. As per rumours, the phone might come to India by as soon as May and will be priced around Rs 4,000.
As per the speculations, the device may come with a 1.5-inch display and an 8GB internal storage.

Known for its long battery life, Nokia 3310 might be powered by a 1650 mAh battery.

With the line-up of Nokia phones under speculation, it is guaranteed that the phones will be high on specs and performance, low on price and will bring a lot of nostalgia along for the Indian phones users.

WhatsApp adds a touch of Snapchat with 'Status' feature

Facebook seems to have a thing for Snapchat Stories. The popular feature, on the social network that's giving Facebook a run for the money, lets people post a string of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. In August, Facebook-owned Instagram introduced its own version, called Instagram Stories. And Facebook is currently testing Facebook Stories in its mobile app in Ireland.

Now a similar feature is coming to another Facebook-owned

app. WhatsApp, which has more than a billion users, on Monday introduced a revamped version of its Status feature. Users will be able to share a string of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Where have we heard that one before?

Previously, the Status feature let you display only simple things like "at school" or "at the movies" or some similar snippet you'd written yourself.

With the revamped feature, you can share photos, videos, and GIFs and punch them up with emojis, text and drawings. You'll be able to share them with all your contacts. WhatsApp also said the new feature is encrypted end-to-end.

Snapchat, which announced its filing for an IPO earlier this month, is manna for young people. Nearly 70 percent of all 18- to 24-year-olds in the US use the app, according to ComScore. Facebook has noticed.

Instagram's version of Stories has been popular. The feature has 150 million daily users, and last month Instagram said Stories would start showing ads.

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said in a blog post that the new version of Status is meant to coincide with the app's eighth birthday, on February 24. Facebook bought the app in 2014 for $19 billion.