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Submission + - DSA recently announced new requirements to improve (pass-test.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Accordingly to recent news from DSA -

Proposals to improve skills and safety for new motorcycle riders, drivers of lorries and buses and new drivers who want to tow medium sized trailers were published today by the Department for Transport (DfT) in conjunction with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

The measures are contained in a consultation on the implementation of new European requirements on driver testing, training, examination and licensing which come into force in 2013. Other motorists will not be affected.

The main aspects of the new requirements are:

Motorcyclists -

The current two categories of motorbike will be replaced with three — A1 (up to 125cc), A2 (up to 35Kw) and A (above 35Kw) — and new rules introduced for riders of larger bikes. Riders wanting to progress to larger categories of motorbikes will have to take additional training or a further test and there will be a rise in the minimum age from 21 to 24 for those wishing to start riding larger bikes without previous experience.

Trailer towing -

  New car and light van drivers wanting to tow trailers may also be affected. The consultation proposes that drivers will be able to tow a slightly larger trailer on a normal car driving licence (category B), if they take a further test or undertake training. There will also be a restriction on the overall size of the vehicle/trailer combination that can be driven on a category B+E licence entitlement (car/light van plus trailer).

Licence renewals for bus and lorry drivers — at present, drivers of medium-sized and large buses and lorries need to renew their licences every five years once they reach the age of 45. Over-45s also need to demonstrate their fitness to drive through a full medical report. From 2013, under-45s who drive these vehicles will also need to confirm medical fitness and renew their licence every five years. However, under-45s will not require a full medical report and will still only need to renew their photograph every 10 years. All other drivers and riders will continue to renew their driving licences every 10 years as is currently the case.

Driving examiners -

Compulsory initial qualification, periodic training and quality assurance checks for driving examiners will be required for driving examiners. The DSA already fulfils most of these requirements but the introduction of periodic training will enhance these existing arrangements.

Are you preparing for car theory test or motorbike theory test ?

You can download all official driving theory test questions including new case studies and how to prepare for driving test; driving test free download is also available.
Visit link -
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Driving theory test CD / download application contains ALL official DSA driving theory test multiple choice questions, mock theory test and hazard perception demo clips for car drivers and motorcyclists.
Application also contains other information about driving theory test, practical test etc.
You can try the theory test application before buying. Once you are happy you can buy theory test software (with motorcycle driving theory test questions, car driving theory test questions, hazard test clips) from herehttp://www.pass-test.co.uk/common/buy_now.aspx

Driving theory test & download program prices are very competitive, the prices almost 75% cheaper than the driving test CDs available in market. So why wait, spend less money and pass in first attempt.

Submission + - Australian R18+ Games Discussion Paper Released

Submitted by
The Solitaire
The Solitaire writes: "The Australian Government's discussion paper on the possibility of an R18+ rating for video games has finally been released — you can find it over at the Attorney General's Department website.

The Commonwealth Government has released a discussion paper which briefly summarises the key arguments for and against an R 18+ classification for computer games. Censorship Ministers have considered the issue of an adult classification for computer games on several occasions. However, they have not undertaken public consultation on this issue.
Submissions are being sought on whether the Australian National Classification Scheme should include an R 18+ classification category for computer games. Submissions can be made by downloading and completing the submission template. Submissions may also be mailed or faxed. The discussion paper and submission template contain the contact details for making a submission.

Just a word to anyone planning to write submissions: keep them civil — I know the poor guy who has to read them all."

The Internet

Submission + - Broadband Rights & The Killer App of 1900 (publicola.net)

Submitted by newscloud
newscloud writes: Tech writer Glenn Fleishman compares the arguments against affordable, high speed, broadband Internet access in each home to arguments made against providing for common access to electricity in 1900 e.g. "...electric light is not a necessity for every member of the community. It Is not the business of any one to see that I use electricity, or gas, or oil in my house, or even that I use any form of artificial light at all." Says Fleishman, "Electricity should go to people who had money, not hooked up willy-nilly to everyone...Like electricity, the notion of whether broadband is an inherent right and necessity of every citizen is up for grabs in the US. Sweden and Finland have already answered the question: It’s a birthright" In the meantime, DIY: cut your cable bill.
Games

Submission + - Australian Gov considers R18+ games classification (computerworld.com.au)

Submitted by Sharky2009
Sharky2009 writes: Following years of lobbying by gamers and the local games industry, the Federal Government has finally released a discussion paper on the introduction of an R18+ classification for computer games in Australia.

The paper, Should The Australian National Classification Scheme Include An R18+ Classification Category For Computer Games?, asks the community to contribute its ideas on whether the categories of the National Classification Scheme (NCS) should apply to computer games in the same manner as it does for films.

Although the NCS allows for the sale of R18+ DVDs, it does not allow the sale of R18+ computer games anywhere in Australia.

Submission + - Graphene Nanoelectronics on stage at IEDM (his.com)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Graphene, sometimes described as an unrolled carbon nanotube, is a one-atom-thick sheet of bonded carbon atoms with exceptional electronic, thermal and mechanical properties that give it great potential for electronics applications.

This year, graphene has received special attention at the 55th International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM), the world’s premier forum for the presentation of applied research in microelectronic, nanoelectronic and bioelectronic devices., held at the Hilton Baltimore on December 7-9, 2009.

The IEDM's Emerging Technologies session has featured a series of invited talks from leading experts on graphene nanoelectronics, including progress in how to integrate graphene into field-effect transistors, interconnects and other IC applications; graphene-based heterojunction devices that exhibit full quantum transport; spin transport valves that may lead to spintronics-based graphene devices; and nano-electro-mechanical devices.

Prof. Yuji Awano, from Keio University, has shown the prominence of graphene as an emerging research material both for front-end devices such as transistors, and back-end devices, such as interconnects. Dr Awano, who was previously with Fujitsu, has shown the recent progress of material technologies in industrial and academic research centers in Japan.

Dr Yu-Ming Lin from IBM has shown the realization of graphene FETs usable in amplifiers up to frequencies as high as 50 GHz, the fastest ever reported. Considering that this impressive performance was achieved with a rather long gate length (350 nm), the work opens up the possibility that graphene one day may replace silicon for MOSFETs in analog electronics.

Prof. Philip Kim, of Columbia University, has reported the fabrication of graphene nanoribbon structures, focusing on the obtained gap inversely proportional to the ribbon width and on the presence and role of edge disorder. Dr Kim has also presented the fabrication of lateral graphene heterojunction devices with a top gate structure.

Prof. Giuseppe Iannaccone, from the University of Pisa, has highlighted the special role of modeling in the early evaluation of different technology options, before actual fabrication challenges have been overcome. Iannaccone has proposed tunnel field effect transistors based on bilayer graphene and graphene epitaxially grown on a silicon carbide, as very promising for ultralow power graphene chips, given their excellent performance at very low supply voltage.

Prof. Masashi Shiraishi from Osaka University, presented results on generation, control, and manipulation of spin current in single- and multi-layer graphene at room temperature. This basic science experiments can be important milestones for future graphene spin transistors.

The peculiar mechanical properties of graphene can be exploited in Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS). Prof. James Hone, from Columbia University, reported on the fabrication and modeling of high-frequency NEMS resonators with electrical readouts. They could represent a first step towards a completely new class of sensor applications.

Submission + - XFX HD5770 Video Card Review @ Tweaknews (tweaknews.net)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: XFX's version of the HD5770 videocard is a great performing DirectX 11 videocard for the money. This videocard and its excellent reference cooling loves to overclock and performs beyond expectations for a mainstream videocard. In fact, two of them would make a highly affordable crossfire setup for slightly over US$350.

Submission + - ATI Users still in limbo Re: The Saboteur (ea.com)

Submitted by Klim.Johnson
Klim.Johnson writes: Despite being on the market for over a week, Pandemic's final release under EA is still plagued with crippling issues. Despite giving no ETA on a patch to repair the problems 90% of ATI/Windows 7/Vista users are facing (they cause the game to be unplayable) EA continues to sell the game on it's website with no warning. What makes matters worse is that EA appears to be ignoring all questions in regards to the patch leaving ATI users who purchased the game in limbo. Companies must be held accountable for their actions. Releasing an unplayable game and continuing to sell it without warning is unacceptable.
Politics

Submission + - America's Most Persecuted Minority: The Individual (irabrodsky.com)

Submitted by ibrodsky
ibrodsky writes: It’s often the renegades who make the great discoveries and produce the great inventions. When Harvey Feigenbaum began writing about the use of ultrasound to examine the heart, none of the established medical journals would publish his papers. Nor would the journals publish Willem Kolff’s articles about implantable artificial organs. Society told them they were wrong—they knew they were right.
Privacy

Subverting Fingerprinting 169

Posted by kdawson from the on-a-stalk dept.
squizzar writes in with news of a 27 year old Chinese woman who was discovered to have had her fingerprints surgically swapped between hands in order to fool Japanese immigration. "It is Japan's first case of alleged biometric fraud, but police believe the practice may be widespread. ... The apparent ability of illegal migration networks to break through hi-tech controls suggests that other countries who fingerprint visitors could be equally vulnerable — not least the United States, according to BBC Asia analyst Andre Vornic." Time for some biometric escalation. Could iris scans be subverted as easily?

Submission + - Gmail corrupting Droids.Nightmare for Verizon?

Submitted by wallyma
wallyma writes: Google can now corrupt physical devices at their most basic levels with just a gmail account, and will not provide email or phone support when problems arise.Verizon will refuse to help Droid owners if google corrupts phone. Customer calls upon the powers of...SLASHDOT.

This droid OS is corrupt and flashes black screen when docked. SD card removed. When new gmail account is created after hard reset it works. Hard reset with old account with 200+ contacts and calendar it fails.Tried multiple docks. Have replaced the phone itself!!
Verizon couldn't figure this out.When customer pointed out that google accounts are causing the problem, supported ended right there.Customer must email google at google.com/support. There is no phone#. There is no email, there are only forums.

$500 has been spent on the phones with $200 monthly bill and no one will support these phones. This phone cannot function without a gmail account, and yet verizon can't contact google to fix the issue. The issue is that now google is saving all customers information/OS Data/contacts/calendar...etc, and if any of this data is corrupt the customer loses everything. As it stand the customer cannot strip the droid data from their gmail account.

I am not a writer if you deem this a story please use it, rewrite it, contact me for any information. i have posted to google forums.

Submission + - Time Warner Cable to "Roll Over or Get Tough"? (rolloverorgettough.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Time Warner Cable are running a campaign that asks customers whether they should "Roll Over or Get Tough" with TV networks that are asking for up to 300% price hikes for their programming. From their site:

The networks shouldn't be in the driver's seat on what you watch and how much you pay. You're our customers, so help us decide what to do. Let us know if you want us to Roll Over, or Get Tough. We're just one company, but there are millions of you. Together, we just might be able to make a difference in what America pays for its favorite entertainment.

Earlier this year TWC sought to impose sky-high tiered pricing for its ISP customers, but finally relented in April after much heavy criticism.

Submission + - Reach out to an unhappy customer, get fired. (dustincurtis.com)

Submitted by thatseattleguy
thatseattleguy writes: It started with a blog post complaining about the poor user interface design of American Airlines website (including a suggested redesign). The poster didn't expect a response, but received a nice and detailed email from a UI guy there, explaining why it was often tricky to good design at large companies, due to all of the different interests — but says that good stuff is coming, even if it may take some time.

So, how did AA respond when they learned of this? It fired the guy.

http://techdirt.com/articles/20091106/0337536829.shtml
Idle

Submission + - Beta Coffins on Sale at Wal-Mart

Submitted by nightcats
nightcats writes: Describing it as a "limited beta test," Wal-Mart announced its plans to offer coffins to its shoppers. The question, of course, is: how quickly can Death get to RC and will it ever go gold? In the Wal-Mart world, of course, beta comes with a price: $900 for a Mom or Dad coffin, all the way up to $2900 for a bronze sarcophagus. The Wal-Mart logo says it all: "save money, die better."

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