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Comment Richter scale...? (Score 1) 72

by ProgramErgoSum (#34008622) Attached to: IBM Says New Software Will Help Predict Natural Disasters
"IBM says it has patented a natural disaster warning system, which uses analytic techniques that accurately and precisely conducts post-event analysis of seismic events, such as earthquakes, as well as provide early warnings for tsunamis, which can follow earthquakes. " Without this invention, couldn't we have just read the Richter scale readings to do the prediction that this patent purports to do ?

Comment I am not very tech literate... (Score 1) 249

by ProgramErgoSum (#33945594) Attached to: One Step Closer To Speedier, Bootless Computers
so, pardon my lack of depth. But, why are bootless computers so important ? Is it merely "convenience factor" - bullock cart as opposed to an auto-mobile ? Or, are there technical problems whose solutions depend on bootless computers ? For example, accurate time keeping does have important implications in certain fields (astronomy, navigation, etc.)
Iphone

Submission + - Plane Finder iPhone app - aid to terrorist ? (ndtv.com) 1

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: The Plane Finder AR application, developed by a British firm for the Apple iPhone and Google's Android, allows users to point their phone at the sky and see the position, height and speed of nearby aircraft. It also shows the airline, flight number, departure point, destination and even the likely course-the features which could be used to target an aircraft with a surface-to-air missile, or to direct another plane on to a collision course, the 'Daily Mail' reported. The programme, sold for just 1.79 pounds in the online Apple store, has now been labelled an 'aid to terrorists' by security experts and the US Department of Homeland Security is also examining how to protect airliners.

The new application works by intercepting the so-called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcasts (ADS-B) transmitted by most passenger aircraft to a new satellite tracking system that supplements or, in some countries, replaces radar.

Comment Biometrics - Why not only DNA ? (Score 1) 166

by ProgramErgoSum (#33518538) Attached to: Biometric IDs For Every Indian Citizen
A biometric like iris scan or a fingerprint would be an image. Whereas, DNA could be broken into sets of 'codons' and hence probably a text string. (See item 6 at http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BA/DNA_Fingerprinting_Basics.php) So, from a database point of view a biometric like iris scan would be an image whereas DNA would be VARCHAR ? Therefore, wouldn't it be easier to save/search/match/etc. DNA information ?
Space

Submission + - Space is the final frontier for evolution, study c (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: Charles Darwin may have been wrong when he argued that competition was the major driving force of evolution.

But new research identifies the availability of "living space", rather than competition, as being of key importance for evolution. The study conducted by PhD student Sarda Sahney and colleagues at the University of Bristol is published in Biology Letters. ...

Professor Mike Benton, a co-author on the study, explained that "competition did not play a big role in the overall pattern of evolution".

"For example, even though mammals lived beside dinosaurs for 60 million years, they were not able to out-compete the dominant reptiles. But when the dinosaurs went extinct, mammals quickly filled the empty niches they left and today mammals dominate the land," he told BBC News.

Submission + - India not taking American jobs: US Chamber of Comm (ndtv.com)

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: Corporate America has come down heavily against all those in US who of late have been alleging that Indian companies grab most of the H-1B work visas thus taking away most jobs from Americans.

In a latest report on immigration, US Chamber of Commerce, which is world's largest chamber with more than three million members, asserted that such an allegation against Indian companies is "hyperbole".

"While some have expressed fears that H-1B professionals hired by Indian companies threaten the US workforce or have expressed concern that Indian companies do not sponsor many of their employees for green cards the actual numbers are such as to make any concerns overwrought, even if using a simplistic, zero-sum view of the labour market," US Chamber of Commerce said in its latest report.

Submission + - Windmill generates electricity at any elevation. (oneindia.in)

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: Birudev Hazare, a 34-year-old from Manjari village in Pune has invented a unique windmill, which generates electricity in any desired quantity.

The innovation can be constructed anywhere, he says, unlike regular windmills that require elevated areas for their installation.

The 50-horsepower windmill, which initially requires electricity to start, does not need any fuel to run.

Link to Australian patent : http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/applicationDetails.do?applicationNo=2009100798

Submission + - Indian scientists hail 'multi-purpose' chillis (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: "Scientists in India say their chilli stun grenade for fighting terrorists could be adapted for other purposes. They say that "civilian variants" include the use of chillis for crowd control and chilli-based aerosol sprays as a "safety device" for women. But the scientists say that the main aim of their work with chillis will still be to neutralise terrorists and insurgents. ... Classic Tabasco sauce and Jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units. One bhut jolokia packs more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measure for a chilli's spiciness."
Botnet

Submission + - Microsoft shuts down global spam network (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by ProgramErgoSum
ProgramErgoSum writes: Microsoft has won court approval to shut down a global network of computers which it says is responsible for more than 1.5bn spam messages every day.

A US judge granted the firm's request to shut down 277 internet domains, which it said were used to "command and control" the so-called Waledac botnet.

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