Comment Privacy? (Score 1, Insightful) 549
Surely the car wouldn't send the data anywhere; it would just be used to disable the ignition. How is this an invasion of privacy?
Comment 3D ICs? (Score 2) 48
Could this be the answer to cooling 3D ICs too? Layers of this stuff inbetween the layers of silicon. The thermal regulation seems to be where most 3D ICs fall down.
Comment Re:another vapourware story (Score 1) 48
The main problem with CNT is the health concerns. Because it's such a new material, nobody really knows what will happen if it gets released into the environment. It's already widely accepted that they might be carcinogenic if inhaled, but obviously nobody wants to do studies. Most of these projects fall down at the H&S hurdle.
Comment Re:TFA is already /.'ed (Score 1) 335
That just raises a nasty cause/effect paradox.
Collision of Two Asteroids Spotted For the First Time 31
sciencehabit writes "Astronomers report that a small asteroid located in the inner asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter took a major hit early last year. Previously rendered only in artists' conceptions, the first asteroid collision known in modern times revealed itself in a tail of debris streaming from what astronomers at first assumed was a comet. Instead of a steady stream of dust, however, they found boulders near the object with dust moving away from them."
Submission + - Intel to purchase McAfee for $7.68bn (bbc.co.uk)
numb7rs writes: The BBC has picked up on the story of Intel purchasing antivirus giant McAfee. Hopefully they can figure out how to stop the software being so bloated.
Comment Re:Dasher (Score 2, Interesting) 104
I used to use Dasher on my old iPAQ from 2004. For the first couple of weeks, it was only slightly better than the OSK. Then as its dictionary of my words (and my practice) grew, I could eventually use it at speeds rivalling a QWERTY keyboard, probably after a couple of months or so.
It also looked awesome while you 'typed'. Like some sort of bizarre arcade game.
It also looked awesome while you 'typed'. Like some sort of bizarre arcade game.
Submission + - Scientists create mini 'black hole' (veracium.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A group of Chinese researchers have created an artificial mini "black hole" capable of absorbing electromagnetic waves coming in from all directions, according to research published in the current issue of New Journal of Physics. The researchers took advantage of the special properties of metamaterials, a class of ordered composites which can distort light and other waves, to realize a an omnidirectional electromagnetic absorber in microwave frequencies.
Submission + - Google to retain EU search queries? (techworld.com)
ChiefMonkeyGrinder writes: European MPs are calling for laws to require Google to retain more data. More than 300 MEPs have signed a written declaration that urges the European Data Retention Directive is extended to cover web search providers, under the guise of protecting children. Max Cooter at Techworld writes: "Law makers of every nationality and every political hue appear to have ready-made excuse for restrictions of civil liberty and monitoring of perfectly legal activities. .... I think it's true to say that 99.99 percent of us are against child abuse and paedophilia but do lawmakers really think that even more computer legislation is the answer to prevent this happening? It won't but it does add another level of compliance for organisations to worry about and it's yet another blow against personal privacy."
Also:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/03/declaration_29/
Also:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/03/declaration_29/
Cutting Umbilical Cord Early Eliminates Stem Cells 139
GeneralSoh writes "Delaying clamping the umbilical cord at birth may have far-reaching benefits for your baby, according to researchers at the University of South Florida's Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair — and should be delayed for at least a few minutes longer after birth. This new recommendation published in the most recent Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (14:3) notes that delaying clamping the umbilical cord allows more umbilical cord blood and crucial stem cells to transfer from mama to baby."
Moscow Police Watch Pre-Recorded Scenes On Surveillance Cams 114
An anonymous reader writes "During several months of 2009, Moscow police looked at fake pictures displayed on their monitors instead of what was supposed to be video from the city surveillance cams. The subcontractor providing the cams was paid on the basis of 'the number of working cams,' so he delivered pre-cooked pictures stored on his servers. The camera company CEO has been arrested."
Mars Images Reveal Evidence of Ancient Lakes 128
Matt_dk writes "Spectacular satellite images suggest that Mars was warm enough to sustain lakes three billion years ago, a period that was previously thought to be too cold and arid to sustain water on the surface, according to research published today in the journal Geology. Earlier research had suggested that Mars had a warm and wet early history but that between 4 billion and 3.8 billion years ago, before the Hesperian Epoch, the planet lost most of its atmosphere and became cold and dry. In the new study, the researchers analysed detailed images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is currently circling the red planet, and concluded that there were later episodes where Mars experienced warm and wet periods."
Comment RE: Newtons Rings type experiment. (Score 2, Insightful) 72
While similar in effect to an interference patter type experiment, the actual physics behind the experiment in the article is subtly different. A 'Newtons Rings' type pattern emerges when the distance between the two (partially) reflective surfaces are a certain distance apart, coinciding with an integer value of wavelengths of the light involved. This can can, in theory, be any distance, as long as exact number of wavelengths fit inside. For example, standard interferometers can have distances as large as a centimetre, which is huge compared to the wavelength of visible light.
The effect described is based on the distance between two very reflective surfaces being smaller than the wavelength of light involved, thus preventing the light from travelling further down the waveguide. The taper on the waveguide means that as you go to shorter wavelengths of light, it can travel further, thus generating a 'trapped rainbow' of visible light inside the waveguide.
A key difference to note is that the fringe pattern generated by an interferometer type setup repeats itself as you increase/decrease the distance between the two reflective surfaces, so generating a series of lines or concentric circles. The setup with the 'trapped rainbow' will create a single rainbow pattern.
The effect described is based on the distance between two very reflective surfaces being smaller than the wavelength of light involved, thus preventing the light from travelling further down the waveguide. The taper on the waveguide means that as you go to shorter wavelengths of light, it can travel further, thus generating a 'trapped rainbow' of visible light inside the waveguide.
A key difference to note is that the fringe pattern generated by an interferometer type setup repeats itself as you increase/decrease the distance between the two reflective surfaces, so generating a series of lines or concentric circles. The setup with the 'trapped rainbow' will create a single rainbow pattern.
