Comment Re:It's not 3D (Score 1) 249
That is a good idea. It's not quite the same experience as viewing them on the same display, where both people could point at the same object in the same 3D location in front of them.
Comment Re:It's not 3D (Score 1) 249
I didn't say you were wrong.
The (active) stereo glasses are nice, especially with head tracking. It generally gives a good 3D experience.
The autostereo (no glasses) approach is a good idea, but I haven't heard of great experiences with them yet. They will probably eventually be more useful.
The (active) stereo glasses are nice, especially with head tracking. It generally gives a good 3D experience.
The autostereo (no glasses) approach is a good idea, but I haven't heard of great experiences with them yet. They will probably eventually be more useful.
Comment Re:It's not 3D (Score 1) 249
For multiple tracked stereo views, the really good display would need much higher refresh rates and specialized emitters and glasses.
Multiple tracked people seeing their own tracked view would divide the refresh rate in half for each extra person. For example, two persons' view (with 2 stereo eyes each) requires four images. A 120Hz refresh divided by four only appears as 30Hz. Maybe having two views is reasonable, but more than that is not likely (there are limits to eye and glasses refresh rates).
Multiple tracked people seeing their own tracked view would divide the refresh rate in half for each extra person. For example, two persons' view (with 2 stereo eyes each) requires four images. A 120Hz refresh divided by four only appears as 30Hz. Maybe having two views is reasonable, but more than that is not likely (there are limits to eye and glasses refresh rates).
Microsoft Pushes For Single Global Patent System 495
Xerolooper writes "What would the world be like if everyone could enjoy the same patent system we use in the USA? From the article: 'A senior lawyer at Microsoft is calling for the creation of a global patent system to make it easier and faster for corporations to enforce their intellectual property rights around the world.' They have already attracted opposition from the open-source community and the Pirate Party. According to the article, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will be meeting in Geneva on the 17th and 18th of September."
NASA Explores the Moon's Water/Oxygen Deposits 73
destinyland writes "NASA's LCross mission will now test whether the moon's hydrogen and oxygen deposits could be converted into air, water, and even fuel. A dramatic crash by the rocket's upper stage will blast 200 tons of moon rock up 10 kilometers from a dark crater — where its constitution can be measured by LCross's instruments. (NASA predicts 'a number of different ways that we'll be able to create water from whatever form of lunar hydrogen we find' on the moon, noting recent missions have already confirmed the presence of oxygen in moon rocks, while the sun delivers a constant stream of hydrogen.) Carrying water to the moon costs $100,000 a kilogram, so these experiments could be a crucial step to getting more people on the moon."
Using a House's Concrete Foundation To Cool a PC 465
Agg writes "Well the slab gets poured on Wednesday so I thought I would sink 6 meters of copper pipe in the slab so that I can run my water loop through it when the house is finished. I hope to have water year round at about 16deg [about 61F]. No need for radiators or fans with chilled water coming straight out of the slab!"
UK's FSA Finds No Health Benefits To Organic Food 921
blackbeak writes "The UK Food Standards Agency's 'Independant Organic Review' results were just released, and the BBC rushed to publish the findings in the shockingly titled article, 'No Health Benefits to Organic Food.' From the article, 'There is little difference in nutritional value and no evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce, UK researchers found.' A peek into the research at Postpeakpublishing provides a slightly deeper look."
Funds Dwindle To Dismantle Old Nuclear Plants 315
Hugh Pickens writes "The Associated Press reports that the companies who own almost half the nation's nuclear reactors are not setting aside enough money to dismantle the reactors, so many plants may sit idle for decades, posing safety and security risks as a result. The shortfalls in funding have been caused by huge losses in the stock market that have devastated the companies' savings and by the soaring costs of decommissioning. Owners of 19 nuclear plants have won approval to idle their reactors for as long as 60 years, presumably enough time to allow investments to recover and eventually pay for dismantling the plants and removing radioactive material. But mothballing nuclear reactors or shutting them down inadequately presents the risk that radioactive waste could leak from abandoned plants into ground water or be released into the air, and spent nuclear fuel rods could be stolen by terrorists. The NRC has contacted 18 nuclear power plants to clarify how the companies will address the recent economic downturn's effects on funds to decommission reactors in the future, but some analysts worry the utility companies that own nuclear plants might not even exist in six decades."
First MS Retail Stores Will be In Scottsdale, AZ and Mission Viejo, CA 189
UnknowingFool writes "MS has announced the locations of its first two retail stores. The first one will be located at The Shops in Mission Viejo, CA sometime in the fall. There is an existing Apple store at the location. The second one will be located in Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, AZ. That location does not have an Apple store. According to Corporate Communications Director Kim Stocks, the locations were picked because they were 'hot markets,' presumably meaning high traffic. Also, the stores will sell laptops, Zunes, Xbox 360s, MS and 3rd party software. No details on which laptops were provided."
US Supercomputer Lead Sparks Russian Govt's Competitive Drive 74
CWmike writes "Russia's launch of Sputnik in 1957 triggered a crisis of confidence in the US that helped drive the creation of a space program. Now, Russia is comparing the US's achievements in supercomputing with theirs, and they don't like what they see. In a speech on Tuesday, Russia's President, Dmitry Medvedev, criticized his country's IT industry almost to the point of sarcasm for failing to develop supercomputing technology, and urged a dramatic change in Russia's use of high-performance computing. Medvedev, at the opening address of a Security Council Meeting on Supercomputers in Moscow, told attendees that 476 out of the 500 supercomputers on the Top500 list were manufactured in the United States. 'Therefore, in general, our situation is very difficult,' he said."
Comment Ah, great advice! (Score 1) 882
I can just see tomorrow's article about slashdotter road rage victims who took this article's advice. Luckily, if this happens to me, I have a plan to explain the logic in detail to calm the other driver down.
Armadillo Aerospace Flight Paves Way For Science Payloads 63
Matt_dk writes "Armadillo Aerospace conducted two groundbreaking atmospheric test flights this weekend with their 'Mod' vertical-takeoff-vertical-landing rocket, a vehicle familiar to anyone who has followed NASA's Lunar Lander Challenge competitions. Flying from their test facility in Caddo Mills, Texas, Armadillo Aerospace first completed a milestone flight under a NASA contract, using methane fuel and liquid oxygen as propellant. Later that same afternoon, a second successful low-altitude flight was performed using a 'boosted hop' trajectory of the same type that will be used for suborbital flights to space."
How Microsoft Has Changed Without Bill Gates 493
mightysquirrel writes "It's been a year since Bill Gates left Microsoft in his official capacity. At the time many speculated his departure would spark a significant shift in Redmond. But how much has really changed during Microsoft's first year without Gates?"
How Heavy Is a Petabyte? 495
Jon Morgan writes "Whilst heaving around numerous data storage systems to sell (they weigh A LOT!), we got to wondering: How heavy is a Petabyte of data storage? Our best guess is 365KG, which is 6 million times lighter than in 1980! But is there a lighter way to store a Petabyte?"
Pirate Party Coming To Canada 394
An anonymous reader writes "After scoring a surprise electoral win in Sweden and getting high-profile support in Germany, The Pirate Party is coming to Canada. The party's goals are fairly simple. People should have the right to share and copy music, movies and virtually any material, as long as it is for personal use, not for profit. It opposes government and corporate monitoring of Internet activities, unless as part of a criminal investigation. It also wants to phase out patents."
