Submission + - Power is just a printout away (sciencenews.org)
jinxed_one writes: Recent developments in nanotube technology is bringing us one step closer to being able to print batteries according to this article on Science News.
Submission + - Ham Radio Used for Emergency Call (ksl.com)
radicalbiscuit writes: Following a truck accident in a remote part of northern Utah without cell phone coverage, this fearless operator called for help with nothing but his trusty hand-held ham radio by his side. Another ham picked up the request for help and called it into the authorities. Just goes to show that demands for stability and coverage in communications can outweigh the growing need to listen to U2 on your phone.
Submission + - Black Screen of Death Not Related to Microsoft Pat (threatpost.com) 2
Trailrunner7 writes: The mysterious black screen of death problem that some Windows users have been experiencing in the last few days turns out not to be related to the latest round of Microsoft patches after all. Microsoft spent several days investigating claims by security vendor PrevX that the company's latest security updates had caused a registry problem that was in turn causing some Windows machines to display a black screen. The Microsoft Security Response Center could find nothing in the updates that was causing the problem, and neither could the company's support organization. The instability is more likely caused by infections by malware such as Daonol.
Submission + - British pub fined for WI-FI copyright infringement (zdnet.co.uk)
dhammabum writes: Few details yet but a British pub lost a civil case brought against it because someone allegedly downloaded copyrighted material on their WI-FI hotspot. I'm sure this will give the RIAA et al ideas for other countries. Should hotspot providers be considered carriers?
Modern Warfare 2 Not Recalled In Russia After All 94
thief21 writes "After claims that console versions Modern Warfare 2 had been recalled in Russia due to complaints from politicians and the gaming public over the infamous airport slaughter scene, it turns out the stories were completely untrue. Activision never released a console version of the game in Russia."
Instead, they simply edited the notorious scene out of the PC version. They did this of their own volition, since Russia doesn't have a formal ratings committee.
Sugar-Sensitive Tattoos Could Make Life Easier For Diabetics 5
mbstone writes "Aside from ending painful daily fingerpricking for millions, the invention of the color-changing blood sugar tattoo should also reduce the vast amount spent on glucose test strips ($1/test). Next, I want to see artistic diabetic tattoos that morph according to the wearer's blood sugar."
Submission + - SPAM: DNS Problem Linked To DDoS Attacks Gets Worse
itwbennett writes: The percentage of DNS systems on the Internet that are configured to accept DNS queries from anywhere, what networking experts call an 'open recursive' or 'open resolver' system, has jumped from around 50 percent in 2007, to nearly 80 percent this year, according to research sponsored by DNS appliance company Infoblox. As more consumers demand broadband Internet, service providers are rolling out modems configured this way to their customers said Cricket Liu, vice president of architecture with Infoblox. Georgia Tech Researcher David Dagon agreed that open recursive systems are on the rise, in part because of 'the increase in home network appliances that allow multiple computers on the Internet.... Almost all ISPs distribute a home DSL/cable device. Many of the devices have built-in DNS servers. These can sometimes ship in 'open by default' states.' What's worse, says Dagon, many of these devices do not include patches for a widely publicized DNS flaw discovered by researcher Dan Kaminsky last year.
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
Submission + - Antimatter in lightning (sciencenews.org)
AMESN writes: The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope launched last year detects gamma rays from light years away, but recently it detected gamma rays from lightning on Earth. And the energy of the gamma rays is specific to the decay of positrons, which are the antimatter flavor of electrons. Finding antimatter in lightning surprised researchers and suggests the electric field of the lightning somehow got reversed.
Submission + - Infinitely variable non-friction transmission (deseretnews.com) 3
ashmon writes: A Utah company claims to have a working CAD model of an infinitely variable, constantly engaged, metal to metal transmission. This is almost like a perpetual motion machine in the transmission world. They have a working CAD model and a prototype is on the way. It uses a chain instead of a belt, (which relies on friction, which introduces tremendous wear) like the current CVT's, (constantly variable transmissions) currently found in automobiles.
If the CAD model actually works, it will be a major breakthrough in the automotive industry, and will benefit MANY different industries. Basically anything that needs a transmission.
If the CAD model actually works, it will be a major breakthrough in the automotive industry, and will benefit MANY different industries. Basically anything that needs a transmission.
Submission + - A civilizational tipping point? (grist.org)
Death Metal writes: "We know there were social tipping points in earlier civilizations, points at which they were overwhelmed by the forces threatening them. For instance, at some point the irrigation-related salt buildup in their soil overwhelmed the capacity of the Sumerians to deal with it. With the Mayans, there came a time when the effects of cutting too many trees and the associated loss of topsoil were simply more than they could manage.
The social tipping points that lead to decline and collapse when societies are overwhelmed by a single threat or by simultaneous multiple threats are not always easily anticipated. As a general matter, more economically advanced countries can deal with new threats more effectively than developing countries can. For example, while governments of industrial countries have been able to hold HIV infection rates among adults under 1 percent, many developing countries' governments have failed to do so and are now struggling with much higher infection rates. This is most evident in some southern African countries, where up to 20 percent or more of adults are infected."
The social tipping points that lead to decline and collapse when societies are overwhelmed by a single threat or by simultaneous multiple threats are not always easily anticipated. As a general matter, more economically advanced countries can deal with new threats more effectively than developing countries can. For example, while governments of industrial countries have been able to hold HIV infection rates among adults under 1 percent, many developing countries' governments have failed to do so and are now struggling with much higher infection rates. This is most evident in some southern African countries, where up to 20 percent or more of adults are infected."
Submission + - Supercharged solar cells span the visible spectrum (blogspot.com) 3
An anonymous reader writes: Solar cells can be tuned to work great on sunny days, or great on cloudy days, by tuning them to either the red end or blue end of the visible spectrum. By combining materials for absorbing both, supercharged solar cells could revolutionize solar collectors. The researchers combined the materials in such as way that they may also be useful for ultraviolet lasers, wide-spectrum solid-state lighting and in new types of piezoelectric devices.
Submission + - Tesla becomes profitable (cnn.com)
d0rp writes: Tesla motors became profitable for the first time in July from sales of their Roadster 2 sports car. They also announced a deal with Daimler to develop an electric version of a Smart Car.
Submission + - salt water irrigation of normal farm crops (wired.co.uk)
An anonymous reader writes: Instead of using desalination plants for farm irrigation or salt water tolerant crops, they use plastic pipes that let only clean water filter out while holding the salt and dirt within (to be flushed away later). This should be cheap enough for 3rd world use, thereby allowing all fresh water to be used for human and animal consumption only. Assuming the pipes are cheap enough, this will massively effect the cost and quality of life for most of humanity.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2009-05/01/irrigation-system-can-grow-crops-with-salt-water.aspx
Submission + - Airline Says It Owns The Word "Northwest" 2
Freshly Exhumed writes: "Northwest® Airlines, the major airline whose market branding is being phased out after it was acquired by Delta, charges that it has exclusive ownership of the common, geographically descriptive term northwest." The Minnesota-based airline is going after the operator of a small, Spokane Washington web site that provides tourist information for visitors to the Pacific Northwest. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: '[the site's owner] said he has so far spent more than $4,000 in the past few months to defend his site, and he's looking at thousands more going forward as he faces battles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.' Presumably the Government of Canada will be the next Northwest® target victim, what with their use of the term to name some of their Territories since 1870. I don't suppose Northwest® can sue the world's cartographers, geocachers, boy scouts, etc. can they?"
Submission + - Rejected by Apple, iPhone Developers Go Undergroun
PainMeds writes: Apple's stepped up rejections are helping to foster competition in the app store marketplace. According to an article by Wired, developers aren't taking AppStore rejection lying down, but are turning to the hacking community's repository system for the iPhone to launch an app store of their own. The Cydia store is yielding notably higher sales for some application developers than Apple's AppStore, and is reportedly running on over 4 million Apple iPhone devices. In this store, developers are distributing applications they've written that push the limits of Apple's normal AppStore policies, with software to add file downloads to Safari, trick applications into thinking they're on WiFi (for VoIP), and enhance other types functionality. You'll also find the popular Google Voice application, which was recently rejected by Apple. Third party application development has been around since 2007, when the iPhone was originally introduced, and became so popular that a book was published by O'Reilly Media specifically geared toward writing applications before an SDK was available. The Cydia store acts as both a free package repository and commercial store front to third party developers.
