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Submission + - NOAA: Earth smashed a record for heat in May, 2014, effects to worsen 2

Submitted by Freshly Exhumed
Freshly Exhumed writes: Driven by exceptionally warm ocean waters, Earth smashed a record for heat in May and is likely to keep on breaking high temperature marks, experts say. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Monday said May's average temperature on Earth of 15.54 C beat the old record set four years ago. In April, the globe tied the 2010 record for that month. Records go back to 1880. Experts say there's a good chance global heat records will keep falling, especially next year because an El Nino weather event is brewing on top of man-made global warming. An El Nino is a warming of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that alters climate worldwide and usually spikes global temperatures.

Comment Poorly Designed Roadways Addressed By This (Score 4, Interesting) 243

by Freshly Exhumed (#47190961) Attached to: New Car Can Lean Into Curves, Literally

This adaptive suspension technology can be valuable for addressing poor roadway design, such as opposite-camber banking (yes, such things exist and can be very dangerous in poor weather). One of the most egregious examples of opposite-camber banking occurs in Canada between Vancouver and Burnaby, BC on Boundary Drive on which vehicles travel steeply downhill, typically in rain, and are presented with an opposite-camber dogleg turn about half the way down. So, while everyone is riding their brakes their vehicle suddenly gets crossed up. Since it is noticeably uncomfortable in a low-slung sports car, it is more than an annoyance on buses and in large trucks. Redesigning/repairing those poor roadways can take years, so any step by vehicle makers to have this kind of adaptable suspension is worthwile.

Submission + - Brownsville SpaceX space port faces more regulatory hurdles (examiner.com)

Submitted by MarkWhittington
MarkWhittington writes: It turns out that the recent FAA environmental impact statement that seemed to give a stamp of approval for the proposed SpaceX space port in south Texas is not the end of the regulatory process, but the end of the beginning. A story in the Brownsville Herald reminds us that the report has kicked off a 30 day review period after which the FAA can allow SpaceX to apply for a launch license to start work on the Brownsville area launch facility. And that in turn kicks off a 180 day process during which the FAA makes the decision whether or not to grant the required licensing and permits.

But even that is not the end of the regulatory hurdles that SpaceX must face before the first Falcon rocket roars into the skies over the Gulf of Mexico. The Longview News-Journal reports that a number of state and federal agencies must give their approval for various aspects of the space port before it becomes operational. For instance, the Texas Department of Transportation must give approval for the movement of utility lines.

Environment Texas still opposes the space port since it is close to a wild life reserve and a state park. SpaceX has already agreed to enact measures to minimize the impact the space port would have on the environment, “such as containing waste materials from the construction and enforcing a speed limit in the control center area.” Environment Texas is not impressed, however. Whether it is disposed to make trouble in the courts is an open question.

Submission + - Scientists race to save Miami coral doomed by dredging

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Miami scientists are scrambling to rescue a crop of coral at the bottom of one of the world’s busiest shipping channels that they say could hold clues about climate change. 'The coral, which may hold clues about how sea life adapts to climate change, is growing in Government Cut. The channel, created more than a century ago, leads to PortMiami and is undergoing a $205 million dredging project — scheduled to begin Saturday — to deepen the sea floor by about 10 feet in time for a wave of new monster cargo ships cruising through an expanded Panama Canal starting in 2015. Endangered coral and larger coral have already been removed by a team hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the dredging work. But the remaining coral, deemed “corals of opportunity” in Corps lingo, can be retrieved with a permit. The problem, scientists say, is they only had 12 days between when the permits were issued last month and the start of dredging, not nearly enough time to save the unusual colonies thriving in Government Cut.'

Submission + - Canada poised to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 JSFs (reuters.com) 2

Submitted by Freshly Exhumed
Freshly Exhumed writes: 'Canada is poised to buy 65 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, sources familiar with the process told Reuters. A detailed, 18-month review of Canada's fighter jet needs has concluded that the government should skip a new competition and proceed with the C$9 billion ($8.22 billion) purchase, three sources said.' When the F-35 purchase was first proposed, Canadians were alarmed by the colossal price tag, and also that no fly-off competition had been conducted or was planned. This latest news is sure to rekindle criticism that the RCAF's requirements seem to have been written after the fact to match the F-35's capabilities (or lack thereof).

Submission + - Google leapfrogs Apple as world's most valuable brand (cnn.com)

Submitted by mpicpp
mpicpp writes: Well, guess that argument's settled for now. Google is a more valuable brand than Apple.

At least that's the assessment of an annual study by Millward Brown, a communications company that ranks Google as the world's most popular brand, topping Apple, which had held the top spot for the past three years.

And, yes, we realize the report will change virtually no minds in the tech world's long-running battle of fan loyalty. But it's fun to talk about.

According to the 2014 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking, Google's brand value rose 40% last year, to $159 billion. Apple, meanwhile, slipped 20% to $148 billion.

According to the report, it was Google's spirit of innovation, and Apple's perceived lack of it, that led to the flip-flop.

Submission + - 7.1 billion people, 7.1 billion mobile phone accounts activated

Submitted by Freshly Exhumed
Freshly Exhumed writes: Tomi Ahonen's newly released 2014 Almanac reveals such current mobile phone industry data gems as: 'The mobile subscription rate is at or very very nearly at 100%. For 7.1 Billion people alive that means 7.1 Billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide.' Compared with other tech industries, he says: 'Take every type of PC, including desktops, laptops, netbooks and tablet PCs and add them together. What do we have? 1.5 Billion in use worldwide. Mobile is nearly 5 times larger. Televisions? Sure. We are now at 2 Billion TV sets in use globally. But mobile has 3.5 times users.' Which Mobile Phone OS is the leader? ''Android has now utterly won the smartphone platform war with over 80% of new sales. Apple's iPhone has peaked and is in gradual decline at about 15% with the remnant few percent split among Windows, Blackberry and miscellaneous others.'

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