Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
China

Building Material Absorbs and Releases Heat 98

Zothecula writes "Researchers at the Ningpo, China campus of the University of Nottingham (UNNC) have created a new heat-regulating material that could be used to cut the heating and cooling costs of buildings. The non-deformed storage phase change material (PCM) can be fixed so that it starts absorbing any excess heat above a pre-determined temperature and releasing stored heat when the ambient temperature drops below the set point. The researchers say the material can be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes, even small enough so that it can be sprayed as a microscopic film to surfaces in existing buildings."
Cloud

Ask Slashdot: How Do I Scrub Pirated Music From My Collection? 758

An anonymous reader writes "I tried out Google Music, and I liked it. Google made me swear that I won't upload any 'illegal' tracks, and apparently people fear Apple's iCloud turning into a honeypot for the RIAA. My music collection comprises about 90% 'legal' tracks now — legal meaning tracks that I paid for — but I still have some old MP3s kicking around from the original Napster. Moreover, I have a lot of MP3s that I downloaded because I was too lazy to rip the CD version that I own. I wanted to find a tool to scan my music to identify files that may be flagged as having been pirated by these cloud services; I thought such a tool would be free and easy to find. After all, my intent is to search my own computer for pirated music and to delete it — something that the RIAA wants the government to force you to do. But endless re-phrasing on Google leads to nothing but instructions for how to obtain pirated music. Does such a tool exist or does the RIAA seriously expect me to sift through 60 GB of music, remember which are pirated, and delete them by hand?"
Android

Franken Bill Would Protect Consumers Location Data 90

GovTechGuy writes "Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) unveiled a new bill on Wednesday that would require firms like Apple and Google to obtain consent from consumers before collecting or sharing their smartphone location data with third parties. The bill would cover all mobile devices including tablets and require firms to inform consumers when they collect their data and allow them to delete it when requested."

Comment Re:It's even worse than a lack of inflation (Score 1) 768

The BitCoin system has guaranteed deflation because lost hashes disppear from the monetary system forever

Deflation is actually built in intentionally if you look at it's production curve (and assume market growth). The claim is that deflation is not an issue, though I'm not sure how much/if this is backed up by theory. I have yet to hear a well supported argument about the merits a deflationary currency.

In addition, the current total value of the BitCoin currency (expessed in any normal monetary unit you'd care to name) is far too small to be a viable currency

Why do you say that? By what standard? It's total value is only important with regard to the size of the market which uses it. As long as its growth matches market growth, the value of the market vs other currencies should not be the thing that gets in the way.

It would have to deflate by several thousand percent to be any more than a niche currency

I think that's the hope.

Since no one would volunteer to be the victims of such deflation, BitC's are doomed to irrelevancy.

Who are the "victims" of deflation? Deflation results is effectively appreciation of the currency. Anyone holding them gains wealth. And that's effectively deflation problem in that people would rather hold than spend when holding effectively increases wealth.

Comment Re:Is the gold rush over? (Score 1) 768

The "get in early" aspect applies to lots of things that are not pyramid schemes. If that was enough to make the determination, then the whole of financial markets would be a pyramid scheme.

If you are of that opinion, well, fair enough, but that doesn't invalidate Bitcoin.

Comment Re:Bitcoin (Score 1) 768

Being backed by a government means that it's backed by the common interests of a large population, and that it's backed by the laws of the country. These provide predictability/stability.

Bitcoin is not yet backed by the common interests of a large population, but it is backed by the rules built into the software. While bitcion is unstable right now, it is most likely because of the small common interest population (the relative small size of the goods market), its rules are more stable than a governments, and from the perspective has the potential to be more stable if it ever gains a large enough common interest population.

Biotech

Biological Lasers 90

MancunianMaskMan writes "Sharks in the seas all around the world are interested in this story, though the less scientifically-minded will read the summary on the beeb web site about laser light produced by a living cell. The technique starts by engineering a cell that can produce a light-emitting protein that was first obtained from glowing jellyfish."
Science

Stamping Out Low-Cost Nanodevices 24

RogerRoast writes "Vanderbilt University scientists report that they have developed a simple technique for stamping patterns invisible to the human eye onto a special class of nanomaterials. According to the article, the method works with materials that are riddled with tiny voids that give them unique optical, electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. 'It's amazing how easy it is. We made our first imprint using a regular tabletop vise,' Sharon M. Weiss the lead author said. The article was published in the latest issue of the journal Nano Letters."
Microsoft

Confirmed: Microsoft Says It Will Open Source VB 6 205

msmoriarty writes "Microsoft told a group of MVPs today at Tech-Ed that it plans to take Visual Basic 6 open source and will release the source code on CodePlex. A source at the event said that Microsoft is planning to release only the VB6 language on codeplex – not Visual Studio or related tools." Update: 05/20 02:24 GMT by T : Alas, too good to be true. msmoriarty writes with an apologetic retraction: "We got it wrong — Microsoft denied and went back to our source and they pulled confirmation. Our apologies."

Slashdot Top Deals

"Given the choice between accomplishing something and just lying around, I'd rather lie around. No contest." -- Eric Clapton

Working...