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Graphics

Submission + - Nvidia rolls out 'tri-SLI (reghardware.co.uk)

Submitted by DeeQ
DeeQ writes: Nvidia has launched its anticipated 'Tri-SLI' technology as "3-way SLI", allowing gamers to connect not one, not two but three graphics cards in co-operative rendering harmony.

They have to be Nvidia GeForce cards, natch, but when connected deliver up to 2.8 times the performance of a single GPU. That, the company claimed, is enough to allow games 60fps frame-rates at a resolution of 2560 x 1600 with 8x anti-aliasing enabled.

As expected, 3-way SLI works on systems build upon Nvidia's nForce 680 SLI chipset, and requires three GeForce 8800 GTX or 8800 Ultra cards. A special three-card connector links the three add-in boards.

Oh, and you'll need an 1100W power supply with six six-pin PCIe power connectors... phew
The Internet

Submission + - Digg still affected by year-old controversy

Submitted by holy_calamity
holy_calamity writes: A researcher at UCSD suggests that Digg is still feeling the consequences of annoying its top users back in September 2006. At the time, Kevin Rose responded to accusations that relatively small numbers of users had control of Digg's frontpage by tweaking his algorithm to penalise people that often digg the same stories. Top ranked users got angry and even quit Digg. In a paper in the pre-print Arxiv, the researcher used data scraped from digg to show "a general decline in individual user participation on Digg" that persists today. After the recent Facebook u-turns, proof that annoying your users can have long-lasting effects.
Linux Business

Submission + - Stock exchange embraces Linux

Submitted by
E5Rebel
E5Rebel writes: "The New York Stock Exchange is investing heavily in x86-based Linux systems and blade servers as it builds out the NYSE Hybrid Market trading system that it launched last year. Flexibility and lower cost are among the goals. But one of the things that NYSE Euronext CIO Steve Rubinow says he most wants from the new computing architecture is technology independence. Interestingly, while Linux is embraced, virtualisation is rejected because it slows processing speeds.... http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/infrastructure/applications/news/index.cfm?newsid=6673"
Businesses

Submission + - Computer knowledge 'undervalued' (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by
pthompson
pthompson writes: "Computer skills are still undervalued in the UK board room, according to Microsoft. In a survey of 500 UK business leaders, knowledge of IT was seen as only the seventh most important workplace skill."
Wireless Networking

Submission + - Xbox messing with WLANs? (networkworld.com)

Submitted by netbuzz
netbuzz writes: That's the suspicion of the IT staff at Morrisville State College in New York, who report that the Xbox 360 emits a strong signal that's doing strange things to other equipment. What's not clear is whether the signal disrupts the college's WLAN access points or students' wireless notebooks. There is some anecdotal evidence, however, that it at least affects other radios in the same 2.4GHz band. Tests are being conducted. Microsoft mum, so far.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/121307-microsoft-xbox-jams-wireless-lans.html
Sony

Submission + - Sony Makes Battery-Free Camera (fastsilicon.com)

Submitted by
mrneutron2003
mrneutron2003 writes: "Sony , purveyor of rootkits and exploding batteries, has just released a battery-less digital camera apparently for those times when your in the middle of the Australian Outback or the frozen wastelands of the Antarctic, and can't find a battery store or a charger outlet. The device, shaped somewhat like a pizza-cutter, has an external wheel that you "roll" for approximately 15 seconds to generate the amount of electricity needed to operate the camera. For one photo. It is no suprise too, that this is currently a Japanese market item only. Good proof-of-concept perhaps, but a fundamentally stupid idea.
http://www.fastsilicon.com/off-the-wall/sony-makes-battery-free-camera.html"
Space

Submission + - Catch the Meteor Show Tonight

Submitted by
Reservoir Hill
Reservoir Hill writes: "Many meteor showers tend to disappoint, but the annual Geminid shower which peaks tonight, is expected to be a great one with forecasters predicting one or two shooting stars per minute during the peak hours. The moon is near its new phase, so skies will be dark. Meteors could start showing up anytime after dark this evening, low on the eastern horizon but a better display should begin after 10 pm local time, when the constellation Gemini, from which the meteors emanate, rises higher into the Eastern sky. By 2 am local time Gemini is directly overhead, and meteors will streak outward in all directions like spokes on a wheel. Here's some tips: Turn off all lights, indoors and out, dress warmer than you think necessary, give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness, lie back on a lounge chair or blanket and scan as much of the sky as possible, and don't use binoculars or telescopes — meteors move too fast. If you live in the city, get out of town — city lights will overpower most of the meteors. "At first you might not see very many meteors — but be patient," said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. "The show really heats up after midnight and by dawn on Friday.""
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Time Warner 'traffic shapes' ircdig.com. (ircdig.com)

Submitted by jomammy
jomammy writes: "It seems that Time Warner has decided to implement 'Packet Shaping' for it's Road Runner broadband service, which has essentially blocked most server ports used by IRCDIG.COM for daily operation. Main one being of course HTTP port 80. They do this in an attempt to force people to pay more for certain packages that will unblock these ports. These packages have the same speed capabilities and same crappy service as the normal ones, they are just not 'shaped'."

Looks like Time Warner's questionable tactics have hit an ever increasingly popular irc search engine. I am surprised to learn that this site was hosted on a residential cable line. Will net neutrality ever be a reality in the states?
The Courts

Submission + - "Open Sourcing" the Law (resource.org)

Submitted by
slcdb
slcdb writes: "Most of the codified laws of the land, such as the Unites States Code, have been freely available online for some time. But case law, a significant body of the law, has mostly only been available to law firms and others who can afford to pay for expensive subscriptions to services like Westlaw and LexisNexis. One Carl Malamud has begun to open the source of "the operating system of our society". With the help of the EFF, Carl has recently secured access to a "huge chunk" of case law, much of it going back to the 1950s and some going back as far as 1754. His non-profit company, Public.Resource.Org, is using open source tools to massage the data and put it online."
Biotech

Submission + - Conversations between bacteria

Submitted by
Roland Piquepaille
Roland Piquepaille writes: "Did you know that bacteria 'talked' with each other by using small molecules to coordinate their behavior and decide when it's a good time to infect you? A recent American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac briefly describes how UK researchers are working toward a Rosetta stone for microbes' secret language (scroll to article #3 in the PressPac). Their method, known as 'quorum sensing,' decodes 'the structure and function of compounds involved in this signaling process.' The researchers think they can now develop artificial signals to interfere with this signal process and that this could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Read more for additional details and a picture showing how the researchers learned the language of bacteria."
Privacy

Submission + - Japan to Fingerprint, Photograph all Foreigners (theage.com.au)

Submitted by
MochaMan
MochaMan writes: "As of this Tuesday, November 20th, Japan will be requiring mandatory fingerprinting and mug shots of all foreigners entering the country, making it one of only two countries in the world to do so. The program goes further than the US program in that it also applies to visa-holders and permanent residents. The prints will be stored and shared with other governments. The Japanese government has produced an explanatory video, and even a promotional PDF poster. Japanese and international civil rights groups have raised concerns that the practice is both an invasion of privacy and discriminatory. An online petition to abolish the program is available. Is the age of privacy over?"
Education

Submission + - 10 tips for recruiting entry-level technical talen (networkworld.com)

Submitted by BobB
BobB writes: Progressive companies understand that paying close attention to how talent is developed and grown is itself a rewarding experience, one that mutually benefits both institutions of higher learning and corporate America. This is particularly true for entry-level positions.Across companies and industries, there is a frequent cry about the shortage of entry-level technical talent. Here are 10 simple ways to nurture, develop and recruit entry-level technical talent.

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