BertieBaggio - Slashdot User

Submission + - Faster Than Light "Warp Drive" Proposed (discovery.com)

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BertieBaggio

on Tuesday July 29, 2008 @10:05AM

BertieBaggio writes: "Discovery News is running a story about two physicists that have boldly outlined how an engine that manipulates extra dimensions could be created that would bend — but not break — the laws of physics.

The warp engine is based on a design first proposed in 1994 by Michael Alcubierre. The Alcubierre drive, as it's known, involves expanding the fabric of space behind a ship into a bubble and shrinking space-time in front of the ship. The ship would rest in between the expanding and shrinking space-time, essentially surfing down the side of the bubble.
The physicists argue that the ship itself wouldn't be moving faster than light, so Einstein's relativity is not broken.
The fabric of space has moved faster than light before, says Cleaver, right after the Big Bang, when the universe expanded faster than the speed of light.

I'll be convinced when they get to Alpha Centauri and back in less than 8 and a half years."

Submission + - Google Loses Employee Data

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BertieBaggio

on Thursday July 10, 2008 @09:46AM

BertieBaggio writes: "It's not just governments and survey companies that lose data. ZDNet reveals that Google's employees personal data has been stolen:
Records kept at Colt Express Outsourcing Services, an external company Google and other companies use to handle human resources functions, were stolen in a burglary on May 26. An undisclosed number of employees' details and those of dependents such as names, addresses, and Social Security numbers were on the stolen computers. It is understood that Colt did not employ encryption to protect the information.

To be fair to Google, it was an HR outsourcing company that lost the data, and Google has offered to pay affected employees for a year's identity protection. But it just goes to show you can't be too careful with your data."

Submission + - EU To Mandate CFL In Homes

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BertieBaggio

on Sunday March 11, 2007 @01:54PM

BertieBaggio writes: "How many EU leaders does it take to change a light bulb? Hot on the heels of similar moves by Australia and California to energy-saving CFL bulbs, EU leaders have told the European Commission to rush through proposals to replace incandescent light bulbs in the homes of all 490 million EU citizens. Sales of incandescent bulbs are likely to be phased out in favour of compact fluorescents, but existing stocks can still be used. This plan is part of the drive to cut CO2 emissions by 20% by the year 2020.

Engadget also has coverage of the story"

Submission + - Debate on whether Vista will slow Net traffic

Submitted by

BertieBaggio

on Wednesday September 06, 2006 @05:21PM

BertieBaggio writes: "ZDNET is carrying a story about the potential implications of Microsoft's implementation of networking protocols in its upcoming Vista operating system:

"Microsoft's launch of Windows Vista could slow down or stall traffic on the Net, said Paul Mockapetris, who is widely credited with inventing the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). Mockapetris believes Vista's introduction will cause a surge in DNS traffic because the operating system supports two versions of the Internet Protocol, a technology standard used to send information over computer networks."

This isn't the first time Microsoft has been in the news over the potential ramifications of its network stack implementation; but does Mockapetris have a valid point with serious consequences, or is David Ulevitch right when he claims, "DNS can be improved, but predicting its collapse is just spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt)." ?"

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