Comment Re:Well now they are sure to get noticed... (Score 4, Funny) 74
Good thing Slashdotters don't read articles. Otherwise we would be an accessory to linking an article about linking articles.
Comment Re:How small can computers get? (Score 2, Insightful) 143
That's only if a human needs to interface with it directly. If the tiny computer had networking capabilities, you could access it through that. How about a pre-programmed computer that collect data from their surroundings? They could be injected into a person's blood stream for health monitoring, spread around the worlds oceans, and even dispersed in the atmosphere. And that's just one direction that you could go with this. Don't limit your thinking to the computer that you're sitting in front of.
Submission + - Surveillance system tracks faces on CCTV (guardian.co.uk)
Zephida writes: "Engineers at British defence company BAE Systems, which is working on the technology, claim it is even able to automatically follow a target even if they change their appearance by changing their clothes or hiding beneath a hat.
"Today the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance relies on a small, highly-trained team to identify and track suspicious individuals," said Andrew Cooke, project manager at BAE Systems. Automating elements of the system — and employing techniques to prevent suspects from throwing a team off their scent — enables a single operative to track multiple targets with as much, or even greater, precision than before."
The Integrated Surveillance of Crowded Areas for Public Security (Iscaps) project is part of a joint initiative with around Europe to develop security systems for potential deployment around the continent."
"Today the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance relies on a small, highly-trained team to identify and track suspicious individuals," said Andrew Cooke, project manager at BAE Systems. Automating elements of the system — and employing techniques to prevent suspects from throwing a team off their scent — enables a single operative to track multiple targets with as much, or even greater, precision than before."
The Integrated Surveillance of Crowded Areas for Public Security (Iscaps) project is part of a joint initiative with around Europe to develop security systems for potential deployment around the continent."
Submission + - Tolerated Use of Copyrighted Material
ArieKremen writes: Tim Wu at 'The Slate' discusses copyright and tolerated use of copyrighted material in the digital world (http://www.slate.com/id/2175730/entry/0/). He starts with examples describing two competing interests of the copyright owner: increased visibility vs. protection of copyrighted material. The gist of the story is a paradox, where the current law is so expansive and extreme that the very firms, ie. the copyright owners, that first sought it cannot even make of the law. He points out that while in a functioning political system a copyright reform would be negotiated between all involved parties, this is not applicable to the US. BTW, the article is part of a series discussing versus aspects of laws in the US. Worth reading!
Submission + - MoveOn.org Reverses: Allows Critical Ads on Google
reset_button writes: Slashdot had previously reported that Google had removed an advertisement that was critical of the left-leaning political advocacy group, MoveOn.org. Google responded that MoveOn.org had asked Google to remove an advertisement because it infringed on their MoveOn.org trademark. After facing a barrage of criticism, MoveOn.org is now allowing Google to run the advertisements, permitting an influential Republican senator to criticize the organization. MoveOn.org's communications director says, "We don't want to support a policy that denies people freedom of expression."
Submission + - "All Quiet Alert" issued for the sun
radioweather writes: "The phrase sounds like an oxymoron, and maybe it is, but
the sun is
extremely quiet right now, so much in fact that the
Solar Influences Data Center in Belgium has issued
an unusual "All
quiet alert" on October 5th.
Since then, the sunspot number has remained at zero. Because solar cycle 24 has not yet started. There are signs that the sun's activity is slowing. The solar wind has been decreasing in speed, and this is yet another indicator of a slowing in the suns magnetic dynamo. There is talk of an extended solar minimum occurring.
There are a number of theories and a couple of dozen predictions about the intensity solar cycle 24 which has yet to start. One paper by Penn & Livingstonin 2006 concludes: "If [trends] continue to decrease at the current rate then the number of sunspots in the next solar cycle (cycle 24) would be reduced by roughly half, and there would be very few sunspots visible on the disk during cycle 25."
We'll know more in about six months what the sun decides to do for cycle 24."
Since then, the sunspot number has remained at zero. Because solar cycle 24 has not yet started. There are signs that the sun's activity is slowing. The solar wind has been decreasing in speed, and this is yet another indicator of a slowing in the suns magnetic dynamo. There is talk of an extended solar minimum occurring.
There are a number of theories and a couple of dozen predictions about the intensity solar cycle 24 which has yet to start. One paper by Penn & Livingstonin 2006 concludes: "If [trends] continue to decrease at the current rate then the number of sunspots in the next solar cycle (cycle 24) would be reduced by roughly half, and there would be very few sunspots visible on the disk during cycle 25."
We'll know more in about six months what the sun decides to do for cycle 24."
Submission + - NASA puts Windows XP into Space Shuttle (gerhards.net) 2
rgerhards writes: "Windows XP will fly on auxiliary computers in the space shuttle for the first time this October. NASA has upgraded some laptops from Windows ME to Windows XP."
Submission + - Drop 'kiss of life', urge medics
gollum123 writes: "from the BBC Advising first-aiders to give the "kiss of life" is off-putting and unnecessary, say medics ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6454013.stm ). Not only are bystanders less likely to help someone who has collapsed if they have to do mouth-to-mouth ventilation, many are unable to perform it properly. Chest compressions alone are just as good if not better in most cases, a Japanese study in The Lancet shows. Studies show less than a third of people who collapse in public are helped by a bystander. Surveys reveal many would-be first-aiders are put off by the idea of giving the kiss of life — for fear of catching an infectious disease, for example. And when bystanders do assist, giving mouth-to-mouth can steal time from giving essential chest compressions. Dr Ken Nagao and colleagues at the Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo say in these circumstances it would be better for all parties to stick to giving chest compressions alone, which they called cardiac-only resuscitation."
Speed Found to be Key to Galaxy Formation 61
QuantumCrypto writes "The All-wavelength Extended Groth strip International Survey (AEGIS), a collaborative effort involving nearly 100 scientists in half a dozen countries, revealed a new principle in the formation of all galaxies, from disk-like spirals, cloud-like ellipticals, and just irregulars. In essence the morphology of the galaxies depends on total mass involved and the internal speed it generates. 'By defining a new speed indicator, their analysis has managed to make sense out of very chaotic-looking objects,' said Sandra Faber, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz."
Anti-Matter's Potential in Treating Cancer 216
eldavojohn writes "The BBC is taking a look at how atomic physicists are developing cancer treatments. A step past radiotherapy, the CERN institute is publishing interesting results: 'Cancer cells were successfully targeted with anti-matter subatomic particles, causing intense biological damage leading to cell death.' The press release from last year is finally sparking interest in the medical community."
Submission + - OneGeology project launches
An anonymous reader writes: A project bringing together scientists from more than 55 countries, start next week, will pool national geological survey information and present it on the Internet for all to see.
From the article:
"The geological data exists. What we are trying to do is unlock it and make it universally available," Ian Jackson of the British Geological Survey told a news conference on Thursday. "It is like piecing together a global jigsaw puzzle."
"We believe that increasing the availability of geological data will increase our knowledge of environmental factors that affect human health and welfare," he added.
One aim will be to start to identify deep geological structures that might be used for the safe long-term storage of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity."
Submission + - Type of stem cell found to reside in transplanted
stemceller writes: "Type of stem cell found to reside in transplanted lungs from PhysOrg.com
A new study involving a type of stem cells from the lungs of transplant patients demonstrates for the first time that these progenitor cells reside in adult organs and are not derived from bone marrow, which leads to the possibility that the cells may be able to help with the rejection of donated organs and with various kinds of lung disease. [...]"
A new study involving a type of stem cells from the lungs of transplant patients demonstrates for the first time that these progenitor cells reside in adult organs and are not derived from bone marrow, which leads to the possibility that the cells may be able to help with the rejection of donated organs and with various kinds of lung disease. [...]"
Orbital Express Launches Tonight 137
airshowfan writes "When a geosynchronous satellite is launched into space, no human ever gets to touch it again. This means that, other than for minor software issues, there is no way to fix it if it breaks, so it has to work perfectly, almost autonomously, for 20 years non-stop. There is also no way to refuel it once it's out of thruster fuel, the reason why it can't last more than 20 years even if it gets to that mark working very well, with batteries and solar cells still going, which is often the case. If only there were a robotic spacecraft in geostationary orbit that could change broken satellite components and refuel those older satellites, then satellites would be a lot less risky and would last a lot longer. Does this robotic spacecraft mechanic sound like science fiction? It launches tonight."
Submission + - The energy problem, and what we can do to solve it
notyou2 writes: "Steve Chu, Nobel prize winner and Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, recently presented a talk at Google. It's a balanced look at all aspects of the energy problem and its effects, from global warming to emerging technologies, and well worth viewing. 'Among America's most serious concerns are (i) national security, which is intimately tied to energy security, (ii) economic competitiveness, and (iii) the environment. These issues transcend our national boundaries and have serious implications for the world. At the core of these problems is need to secure clean, affordable and sustainable sources of energy. Solutions must come from a combination of improvements on both the demand and supply side, and science and technology will be an essential part of the solution. After briefly describing the energy problem, the remainder of the talk will describe areas of research that may lead to transforming technologies.'"
Submission + - Portable CD players put hospital patients at risk
coondoggie writes: "According to a new study released today you should be more worried about your portable CD player than cell phones in a hospital situation. And outside of that, those store theft alert systems aren't too good for your health either if you have heart problems. In a letter to the editor published in the journal details the first known case of a portable CD player causing an abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) recording within a hospital setting. The recording returned to normal when the CD player, which the patient was holding close to the ECG lead, was turned off. So while most hospitals ban cell phone use, few restrict CD players. But they have it backwards apparently as calls made on cell phones have no negative impact on hospital medical devices, dispelling the long-held notion that they are unsafe to use in health care facilities, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1226 9"
