Worldwide wrap

In this week's wrap, we unpack YouTube's new comment moderation tool, which looks to reduce distasteful rhetoric; and highlight a concept to rid the atmosphere of space junk.

Get the details on these stories and more below.

YouTube is set to improve its commenting feature. At present, the latest posts appear at the top of the comment section. The new system includes a set of criteria to determine what posts will appear directly under the video window. The overhaul will see posts by the video creators themselves and comments from their Google+ friends, as well as "popular personalities" with engaged conversations, being prioritised.

The move is intended to create conversations around content and to discourage one-off statements and the nasty vitriol that often populates the site's comments section. The moderation tool will block certain words, which the video-sharing service hopes will reduce distasteful comments altogether. The updated commenting system is also intended to more tightly integrate with YouTube and Google+.
Via: Wired

Most mobile device users have experienced battery-related problems. The team from Lilliputian are attempting to improve this situation with a device that will charge any USB 2.0 compatible device on the go. Called Nectar, it provides two weeks to a month of power in a single, portable, recyclable power pod. According to Mouli Ramani, VP of marketing and business development at Lilliputian, the power pack uses a solid oxide fuel cell, or what Lilliputian terms a silicon power cell. It works by pumping gas mixed with a little air into a really small package, added to what Ramani terms the company's "secret sauce", which then converts into electricity.

The biggest advantage of silicon cells is that they are really small and light, making them ideal for portable charging. The size of these cells also scales down production costs, meaning the tech can be made very cheaply. "Unlike a nuclear power plant or a coal power plant, we are actually working with power that is good for cellphones, digital cameras, laptops - really for any consumer electronics. That's the focus," he told Mashable. The Nectar is set to retail for $9.99.
Via: Mashable

In the past, Californian teens who posted evidence of their youthful escapades on Facebook, Twitter and Google had no legal right to request that any silliness documented online be removed. But governor Jerry Brown's recent signing of the Privacy Rights for California Minors in the Digital World law, more commonly called "the eraser law", could soon allow them to do so. The law dictates that online sites must remove posts when a Californian minor asks them to. The law only comes into effect in January 2015 and does not extend to content shared by third parties.

According to California state senator Darrell Steinberg, legislators are working with Web-based businesses in an attempt to help teens better manage their online identities. Some companies already have an erase function, says Steinberg, adding that the law is the California government's way of mandating that sites are required to have one.
Via: Techradar

Urban planning and product design experts are promoting sensor technology as a way to develop lighting solutions that could change how people interact with their surroundings. This trend has been dubbed 'Responsive Environments'.

Clyde, an LED desk lamp that can be programmed with several personalities to react to a specific person or environment, is an example of this expressive lighting tech. The lamp uses open source Arduino software, which allows programmers to teach Clyde to respond with different colours and intensities of light in different conditions. Clyde was developed by Canadian design company Fabule Fabrications and successfully backed through Kickstarter. "Sensing and networking help us create environments that are 'smart', but when it comes to homes, we strongly believe that we need spaces that are warm, welcoming and expressive, as well as smart," said Amanda Williams, co-founder of Fabule Fabrications.
Via: PSFK

The Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Swiss Space Systems (S3) have formed a partnership to address the problem of space junk.

EPFL is developing a vehicle called 'Clean Space One' and S3 is responsible for actually sending the contraption into space in the most cost-effective manner. After being transported 70km above Earth using an A300 jetliner and a vehicle called a Suborbital Reusable Shuttle (SOAR), the Clean Space One attaches to dead satellites and takes them back into the Earth's atmosphere to safely burn up. The A300 and the SOAR will be reusable. The system is scheduled to be tested in 2018.
Via: Examiner

Scientists from the University of California are reporting an advance in smartphone-based imaging that could help physicians in far-flung and resource-limited locations monitor how well treatments for infections are working by detecting, for the first time, individual viruses.

The researchers developed various compact microscopes that can be fitted onto smartphones to detect microbes or to check patients' eyesight. The team set out to build on these advances and produce a more refined imaging device that works on the nanoscale to count the number of sub-micron bacteria or viruses in a sample. As a result, the microscopes can detect individual viruses and determine viral load - the severity of infection - which can indicate the effectiveness of a treatment.
Via: Science Daily