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Australian scientists unveil single-atom transistor->

Submitted by dov_0
dov_0 writes "A team of Australian physicists have created an accurate single-atom transistor, which could prove a critical building block toward the development of super-fast computers.
The tiny electronic device, described today in a paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, uses as its active component an individual phosphorus atom patterned between atomic-scale electrodes and electrostatic control gates."

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Comment: Re:Waiting for MS to underbid (Score 1) 319

by dov_0 (#37887954) Attached to: Schools In Portugal Moving To OSS

I think he is mostly refering to older hardware, not modern hardware.

That is something I am curious about to. A lot of old hardware isn't supported anymore by modern drivers in new linux kernels. Possibly most of it is FOSS anyway and so you could (given the needed knowledge) recompile them to work for modern distros but I can see where a gov implementation would get stuck there. Not to say I don't like the idea, I fricking love it. Still I really don't think much of the IT skills of the gov sector (in any country).

This problem is lessened by the machines involved probably having been purchased in large numbers. All that is required is to get the OS running on one machine, then roll it out to the 10,000 or so identical machines from the same purchase. Personally though I've been setting up free student computers for years using, at times, some very old hardware. I have very rarely had any driver issues at all.

Comment: Re:The quick answer: (Score 3, Interesting) 158

by dov_0 (#36709248) Attached to: 5 Concerns About Australia's New Net Filter

The other angle is that Australia has always had censorship. Radio and TV are censored. Video games were logically censored to keep things in line with alread excepted policy. I'm personally surprised that censorship of the Internet has taken so long. I used to run a PC repair business and every customer with children and some without were concerned about what is available on the internet and many asked me to install Net Nanny or some other similar service. Any internet filter that filters out things like child porn and bestiality will be, except for some vocal small groups, quite popular here.

As for the 'oversights' outlined by the parent, Australians trust our governments a lot more than people in the US. Up until not too many years ago all of our public utilities were government owned, we have free government run or supplemented health care, education and payments and job training for the unemployed. It is quite natural to us that there should be censorship and I think the majority if Australians would be quite happy for the government to be doing it without questioning things too much.

Comment: Re:Calibration? (Score 2) 238

by dov_0 (#35571456) Attached to: System Measures Stress In Emergency Callers' Voice

How well does this thing work with child callers, or those with developmental disabilities who do not respond 'normally' to emergency situations?

Or how does it work with people who just don't flip out easily? As an ex firefighter, I don't stress out easily. Panicking or stressing out is for AFTER the emergency when you have time. When I have to make an emergency call, I'm not enormously stressed at all - I'm just focusing on getting across the required information as clearly as possible.

Comment: Re:Considering ..... (Score 1) 769

by dov_0 (#35471092) Attached to: Japan Battles Partial Nuclear Meltdown

I think it's incredible how safe their reactors are and when you consider what has happened, I think this should calm many people's fear of nuclear energy.

Now, the disposal of the waste ....

Especially when one considers that this is at an OLD plant. The new reactors being developed in China literally cannot melt down. Even if you stop the coolant completely.

Comment: Re:Depends (Score 2) 417

by dov_0 (#35400710) Attached to: Disarm Internet Trolls, Gently

Treating them like an adult ("why do you say that Windows is a load of pigs' livers?") will maybe get them to respond to the question in an adult-sense (come back, Eric Berne...) but life's too short.

Just don't respond, add them to your ignore list and do something more productive.

I agree. The approach in the article might work for some trolls, but only those who have an agenda related to the topic being discussed in some way. Goatse trolls. How do you respond to that? "Yes, it's ok you like stretched arseholes and bowel lining. Thank you for sharing?!?!" Or anti-semitic/racist comments? Seriously, 'don't feed the trolls' is still the best advice in most cases.

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