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Power

7th-Grader Designs Three Dimensional Solar Cell 719

Hugh Pickens writes "12-year-old William Yuan's invention of a highly-efficient, three-dimensional nanotube solar cell for visible and ultraviolet light has won him an award and a $25,000 scholarship from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. 'Current solar cells are flat and can only absorb visible light'" Yuan said. 'I came up with an innovative solar cell that absorbs both visible and UV light. My project focused on finding the optimum solar cell to further increase the light absorption and efficiency and design a nanotube for light-electricity conversion efficiency.' Solar panels with his 3D cells would provide 500 times more light absorption than commercially-available solar cells and nine times more than cutting-edge 3D solar cells. 'My next step is to talk to manufacturers to see if they will build a working prototype,' Yuan said. "If the design works in a real test stage, I want to find a company to manufacture and market it.""
Space

Submission + - Rare dead star found near Earth

mernil writes: "Astronomers have spotted a space oddity in Earth's neighbourhood — a dead star with some unusual characteristics. [...] If confirmed, it would be only the eighth known "isolated neutron star" — meaning a neutron star that does not have an associated supernova remnant, binary companion, or radio pulsations."
Windows

Submission + - Is Windows actually as secure as Linux? (integratedwebs.com)

erat123 writes: "I've been working with Windows my entire life. I've also been working and learning Linux for a few years now. I know Linux doesn't get virus' or if it does, they just arent able to get past the file security settings. I've notice when I install Windows XP, I am asked to input my primary user name, and if I wish, some additional names for other users. I enter my login name and continue with the installation. When I log into Windows, I am granted administrative privileges to the system. And you wonder why Windows is prone to attacks. My question is, if we, or Microsoft, were to take the time to lock down the OS in such a way that you would be running as a standard user, and my Battle Field 2 would run without problems, would there be a need for virus software any longer? I've tested this theory and I've been running my Windows XP Pro SP2 computer for a year now, and I haven't recieved a single virus, and the only spyware I've gotten is those tracking cookies. What are your thoughts on this? Maybe Windows can be a secure OS, if just thought through."

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