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Power

Training Under Way For New Nuclear Plant Operators In S. Carolina 74

"Start thinking about getting your tinfoil hat radiation hardened," writes an anonymous reader, and excerpts thus from ABC News: "Southern Co. in Georgia and SCANA Corp. in South Carolina are the first to prepare new workers to run a recently approved reactor design never before built in the United States. Training like it will be repeated over the decades-long lifetime of those plants and at other new ones that may share the technology in years to come. Both power companies are building pairs of Westinghouse Electric Corp. AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta and SCANA Corp.'s Summer Nuclear Station northwest of Columbia, S.C. While the nuclear industry had earlier proposed a larger building campaign, low natural gas prices coupled with uncertainty after last year's disaster at a Japanese nuclear plant have scaled back those ambitions." Getting a new nuclear plant approved is a long haul.
Hardware

Submission + - MIT discovers a new state of matter, a new kind of magnetism (extremetech.com)

MrSeb writes: "Researchers at MIT have discovered a new state of matter with a new kind of magnetism. This new state, called a quantum spin liquid (QSL), could lead to significant advances in data storage, superconductors, and long-range quantum entanglement communications. Generally, when we talk about magnetism’s role in the realm of technology, there are just two types: Ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. Ferromagnetism has been known about for centuries, and is the underlying force behind your compass’s spinning needle or the permanent bar magnets you played with at school. In ferromagnets, the spin (i.e. charge) of every electron is aligned in the same direction, causing two distinct poles. In antiferromagnets, neighboring electrons point in the opposite direction, causing the object to have zero net magnetism. In combination with ferromagnets, antiferromagnets are used to create spin valves: the magnetic sensors used in hard drive heads. In the case of this new state of matter, quantum spin liquids, the material is a solid crystal — but the internal magnetic state is constantly in flux. The magnetic orientations of the electrons (their magnetic moment) fluctuate as they interact with other nearby electrons. “But there is a strong interaction between them, and due to quantum effects, they don’t lock in place,” says Young Lee, senior author of the research. It is these strong interactions that apparently allow for long-range quantum entanglement."

Comment In before "It's not the voltage that'll get you.." (Score 1) 1

As a former business owner that had to address the risk of materials theft, I support the idea of business owners being allowed to take reasonable measures to prevent this type of loss. Potentially killing the possible drunk homeless guy looking for shelter seems a bit "unreasonable" to me. Our solution was to analyze the potential loss over the course of five years and then accepting the need to spend a good portion of that in setting up a very high quality monitoring, recording and reporting system. We then put up lots of notices and worked with the local police to convince them to step up patrols in the area. Our loss prevention solutions reduced our overall risk which resulted in a lower insurance rate and our neighbor businesses benefited as well. We saw an almost one hundred percent reduction in theft attempts and in three years, each of the small number of successful attempts ended in prosecution and in one case, full recovery of all the stole items. In retrospect however, shocking the shit out of the thieving bastards and catching it all on tape would have been more fun.

Comment Re:Put badge in microwave for 10 seconds. (Score 1) 743

Except the school itself offered to provide a card to the kid that did not have the chip enabled. This was a conciliatory effort that, although well meaning, had little practical influence on the desires of the parents. And although my personal beliefs that humans were put on this planet by mystical beer swilling pandas with mad kung-fu skills conflict with those of the kid and her parents, I understand the concept of the slippery slope. If all of us give in just a little bit today, then what logical argument can we present in ten years when the authorities ask for just a little bit more.
Privacy

Submission + - Student Expelled for Refusing Location Tracking RFID Badge (infowars.com)

Atrox Canis writes: As discussed here previously on /. the magnet school, John Jay High School in San Antonio, TX has moved forward with "full implementation" of the RFID badge program. One student has refused to wear the badge and has now been informed that she must transfer back to her home school
Security

Submission + - John McAfee's Is Now Blogging as a Fugitive, Isn't Bad at It (vice.com)

pigrabbitbear writes: "Whether or not you’ve been following the saga of cyber security millionaire and bath salt aficionado John McAfee, you’re going to want to check out his new blog, The Hinterland. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an apparent madman. This is the same man who’s wanted by police for questioning regarding the murder of his neighbor, American ex-pat Gregory Faull, who had recently filed a complaint against McAfee for “roguish behavior.” If you’re wondering what exactly that could mean, look no further than The Hinterland."
Security

Submission + - UN to Seek Internet Kill Switch Next Month (thenewamerican.com)

helix2301 writes: "The United Nations and a wide swath of its autocratic member regimes were drafting a plan to give a little-known UN agency control over the online world. Among the most contentious schemes: a plot to hand the International Telecommunications Union a so-called “kill switch” for the Internet that critics say would be used to smash free speech."
IBM

Submission + - IBM kills Lotus brand, readies beta of Notes/Domino Social Edition (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: "IBM is planning to release on Dec. 14 a public beta of Notes and Domino 9.0 Social Edition that will no longer use the Lotus brand. IBM has decided to offer a public beta, the first in a long time for Notes and Domino, because of the importance of the release, Ed Brill, director of product line management and in charge of IBM's Collaboration Solutions, said in a blog post."

Submission + - RIAA Data Shows P2P Users Spend Nearly 50% More on Music Than Non-P2P Users (michaelgeist.ca) 1

An anonymous reader writes: File sharing of music has been part of the Internet landscape for well over a decade, but the debate over its economic impact continues to rage. The issue has come to fore once again in recent weeks after Columbia University's American Assembly released an excerpt of a report that found that peer-to-peer users purchase 31 percent more downloads than non-P2P users. Michael Geist now reports that the RIAA's response — through the NPD Group — contained basic math errors as it double counted sales data and significantly understated the spending difference between P2P users and non-P2P users.

Comment No really, Texas sucks, don't move here. Seriously (Score 1) 1

The perception that Texas is a bunch of redneck cowboys and slack-jawed mouth breathers should be enough to stop all you coastal dwellers to stay the fuck away. Please, we beg you, don't even think about it. You'll hate it. It's a desolate wasteland. Move along, nothing to see here. True story... I was working with a network engineer from New York who was visiting our cable show production facility in Arlington, TX. After work, we were heading out to get some dinner and he asked me "So, do you guys here all go out to the desert to shoot your guns?" I had the good sense to say "No, we sometimes light 'em up right here in town." I really hope it was enough to discourage him from ever coming here to stay.

Comment Re:Right (Score 2) 314

While I understand that you wouldn't want to rely on someone with criminal background for your security, I don't see why bankruptcy should play a role.

Deep financial problems render the subject prone to coercion. "Look Tech Guy, I can help you with your bills. Get you out of trouble. All you gotta do is..."

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