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Submission + - UltraRope Could Make Kilometer-High Elevators Possible (gizmag.com)

Submitted by Zothecula
Zothecula writes: As architects continue to design taller and taller buildings, a certain limitation of elevators is going to become more of a problem – using traditional steel lifting cables, they can’t go farther than 500 meters (1,640 ft) in one vertical run. Any higher, and the weight of all the cable required is simply too much. Currently in the world's few buildings that are over 500 meters tall, passengers must transfer from one elevator line to another, part way up. Thanks to a new lightweight material known as UltraRope, however, elevators should now be able to travel up to one kilometer (3,281 ft) continuously.

Submission + - Solar cycling across the Sahara (humansinvent.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Man crosses the Sahara with a custom-made solar-powered electric bike. The large solar panel was positioned above his head and this precarious journey through the desert.

Submission + - Professors say Massive Open Online Courses threaten their Academic Freedom (chronicle.com)

Submitted by McGruber
McGruber writes: The Chronicle of Higher Education has the news that American Association of University Professors (AAUP) believes that faculty members' copyrights and academic freedom are being threatened by colleges claiming ownership of the massive open online courses their instructors have developed.

The AAUP plans this year to undertake a campaign to urge professors to get protections of their intellectual-property rights included in their contracts and faculty handbooks.

According to former AAUP President Cory Nelson, "If we lose the battle over intellectual property, it's over. Being a professor will no longer be a professional career or a professional identity," and faculty members will instead essentially find themselves working in "a service industry." [Just like their graduate students?]

Submission + - New black holes found in Andromeda

Submitted by William Robinson
William Robinson writes: Astronomers have discovered 26 new likely black holes in the neighboring Andromeda galaxy — the largest haul of black hole candidates ever found in a galaxy apart from our own. The central region of the Andromeda galaxy is chock-full of black holes, according to extensive observations with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. 26 new stellar-mass black hole candidates have been identified, adding to nine previously known and bringing the grand total to 35. Scientists believe it may be 'tip of the iceberg'

Submission + - World's first iOS 7 step-by-step tutorials (iosguides.net)

Submitted by tomrudderham
tomrudderham writes: Many iPhone and iPad users are wondering how the new iOS 7 features work; after all there’s much to take in. iOS Guides has dug through windows, menus and other settings to come up with a selection of in-depth step-by-step guides. They include how to set animated wallpapers, how to use the new Control Center and more; each with large screen captures and clear, concise text. They’re a fascinating starting point for those that have just installed the new OS, or for those that want to see how iOS 7 really works when you dig down into it.

Submission + - Do-it-yourself brain stimulation has scientists worried (nationalpost.com)

Submitted by Freshly Exhumed
Freshly Exhumed writes: Dave Siever always fancied himself as something of a musician, but also realized he did not necessarily sing or play in perfect key. Then he strapped on the electrodes of a device made by his Edmonton company, and zapped his brain’s auditory cortex with a mild dose of electricity. The result, he claims, was a dramatic improvement in his ability to hear pitch, including the sour notes he produced himself. “Now I tune everything and I practise my singing over and over and over again, because I’m more sensitive to it.” Mr. Siever was not under the supervision of a doctor or psychologist, and nor is he one himself. He is part of an extraordinary trend that has amateur enthusiasts excited, and some scientists deeply nervous: do-it-yourself brain stimulation.The device he used delivers transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a technology that researchers worldwide have used to produce a flood of intriguing, if preliminary, studies in recent years. They suggest tDCS can both treat diseases like depression and make healthy people’s minds work better. The devices are also simple, cheap to make and relatively safe, helping drive a burgeoning DIY movement.

Submission + - SSDs: New King of the Data Center? (slashdot.org)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Flash storage is more common on mobile devices than data-center hardware, but that could soon change. The industry has seen increasing sales of solid-state drives (SSDs) as a replacement for traditional hard drives, according to IHS iSuppli Research. Nearly all of these have been sold for ultrabooks, laptops and other mobile devices that can benefit from a combination of low energy use and high-powered performance. Despite that, businesses have lagged the consumer market in adoption of SSDs, largely due to the format’s comparatively small size, high cost and the concerns of datacenter managers about long-term stability and comparatively high failure rates. But that’s changing quickly, according to market researchers IDC and Gartner: Datacenter- and enterprise-storage managers are buying SSDs in greater numbers for both server-attached storage and mainstream storage infrastructure, according to studies both research firms published in April. That doesn’t mean SSDs will oust hard drives and replace them directly in existing systems, but it does raise a question: are SSDs mature enough (and cheap enough) to support business-sized workloads? Or are they still best suited for laptops and mobile devices?

Submission + - New Bill Would Declassify FISC Opinions

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes: A group of eight senators from both parties have introduced a new bill that would require the attorney general to declassify as many of the rulings of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as possible as a way of bringing into the sunlight much of the law and opinion that guides the government’s surveillance efforts.

The bill comes in the aftermath of the National Security Agency leak scandal that revealed some pieces of the agency’s massive domestic surveillance program, including the collection of call data on millions of Verizon customers. The leaks also revealed the existence of a program called PRISM through which the NSA gets data on users from companies such as Google, Yahoo, Apple and Microsoft. Some of the key sponsors of the bill, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), have been vocal critics of the extent of government surveillance as well as the secrecy surrounding its interpretations of the Patriot Act.

Under the terms of the proposed law, the Justice Department would be required to declassify major FISC opinions as a way to give Americans a view into how the federal government is using the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Patriot Act. If the attorney general determines that a specific ruling can’t be declassified without endangering national security, he can declassify a summary of it. If even that isn’t possible, then the AG would need to explain specifically why the opinion needs to be kept secret.

Submission + - French car manufacturer Peugeot to release an Hybrid Air system (psa-peugeot-citroen.com)

Submitted by Jimpqfly
Jimpqfly writes: French cars manufacturer PSA (Peugeot) announced an Hybrid Air/Gasoline system, allowing to recycle energy loss from braking (coupling an air engine next to a classic gasoline engine).
A simple, smart, an environment friendly way to reach low fuel consumption (less than 3 liters per 100km / more than 80 mpg), without any impact on environment. Compared to electric recycling, the system is more affordable and simple, doesn't need battery recycling nor loading, and has a better global efficiency. You will also be able to drive the car at low speed only using the air system.
System could be released on market in 2016.

Submission + - UK's government COO really hates his IT department

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Last week, the UK government's chief operating officer, Stephen Kelly, was publicly slagging off his IT department for the time its takes to boot up his PC in the morning. Today, he gone one better, videoing the the seven minutes it takes to be up and running then posting it on YouTube.

Presumably Kelly was on the phone to his IT department shortly after publishing the videoing, explaining that anyone that cared could not watch him type in his user name and password, and asking for new logon credentials.

Submission + - As Apple Unveils 'iOS In The Car,' Hands-Free Technology Deemed Unsafe (medicaldaily.com)

Submitted by ewolfson
ewolfson writes: Apple on Monday revealed an updated operating system for its mobile platform that many car manufacturers intend to integrate into the dashboard by next year, offering a panoply of technology services to the driver by voice command. And by 2018, voice-activated computer dashboard systems will become standards, with a five-fold increase in the proportion of new cars with such systems.

However, scientific research since 2006 — including a new major study funded by the AAA — has shown that hands-free technology is just as distracting as handheld cell phones while driving a motor vehicle, and the distractions from cellular technology become increasingly worse with improved applications.

Submission + - Image sensors go organic (eetimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Two companies have combined their efforts to create organic image sensor that can be printed on a conformable plastic substrate. With conformable AMOLED displays being used for the production of curvilinear electronic equipment, such as novel designs of mobile phones, the ability to produce image sensors on the same substrate is clearly of interest.

Submission + - Half A Billion PCs To Ship In 2013, As Desktops And Laptops Dip But Tablets Grow

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The PC market (desktops, notebooks, and tablets) is expected to see almost half a billion units ship this year, 493.1 million to be exact, representing 7 percent year-on-year growth. Unsurprisingly, the key driver behind this growth will be tablets, accounting for 37 percent of the overall market and seeing 59 percent growth to 182.5 million units. The latest estimates come from Canalys, an independent analyst firm which says it stakes its reputation "on the quality of our data, our innovative use of technology, and our high level of customer service." Nevertheless, it's worth emphasizing that these are estimates, though they do line up with what the broader industry is seeing: desktops are down, laptops are down, but tablets are up.

Comment Re:Contribute to defense (Score 1) 860

by Dr. Tom (#43956019) Attached to: NSA WhistleBlower Outs Himself

Oh please, haven't you been paying attention? They just built another 60 megawatts of server space in MD, and not just because the Utah facility is full. The Utah facility, by the way, is measured in units of Facebook. As in, they can store 10 copies of ALL of Facebook. Plus a couple Youtubes.

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