33121729
submission
bonch writes:
Autoparts manufacturer Delphi has developed a diesel-like ignition engine running on gasoline, providing a potential 50 percent efficiency improvement over existing gas-powered engines. Engineers have long sought to run diesel-like engines on gasoline for its higher efficiency and low emissions. Delphi's engine, using a technique called gasoline-direct-injection compression ignition, could rival the performance of hybrid automobiles at a cheaper cost.
33121459
submission
bonch writes:
In an attempt to bring more content to the struggling social network, Google has announced it will be phasing out the +1 button on YouTube in favor of a Google+ Share link. Previously, the +1 button behaved similarly to Facebook's "Like" as a lightweight method of marking content you found interesting without embedding it directly in your stream. The new Google+ Share button will instead embed the content in your stream for followers to view and comment on.
33121117
submission
bonch writes:
Firefox 13 beta has added a "Reset Firefox" button that migrates bookmarks, cookies, and other data to a new profile while deleting the old one. Add-ons and tabs do not survive the transition, though they may be supported in a future update. The feature is intended to avoid complicated troubleshooting steps and allow users to start over with a fresh installation of Firefox simply by visiting the Help menu.
32940249
submission
bonch writes:
After telling people to buy an upgrade to CS6 to address a security vulnerability in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash CS5, Adobe has now reversed course and will release patches for CS5. The original decision to recommend the CS6 upgrade was widely criticized, especially since CS5 was the most recent version of the affected applications up until just last week.
32907125
submission
bonch writes:
Chinese physicists have transmitted information via quantum entanglement at a distance of 100 kilometers. While not 'teleportation' in the science fiction sense, the team used a known method for transmitting information via entangled photons across a lake, paving the way for satellite-based quantum communication, according to the researchers.
32906883
submission
bonch writes:
Apple will replace Google Maps with an in-house mapping solution in iOS 6, putting to use technology they purchased from Placebase, C3 Technologies, and Poly9. By tapping a button, the user can enter a 3D view, with geography derived from C3's de-classified missile target algorithms. The new Maps app is expected to be a headline feature and may be introduced at Apple's developer conference in June.
32885169
submission
bonch writes:
HBO's Game of Thrones is the most pirated show of the year, and critics blame HBO's limited access. The show isn't available on Hulu or Netflix, iTunes only offers season one, and HBO's streaming site requires a cable account. HBO co-president Eric Kessler believes the move away from traditional television toward an internet-based model is a fad that will pass once the economy recovers.
32884823
submission
bonch writes:
22 percent of California eighth-graders passed a national science test, ranking California among the worst in the U.S. according to the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The test measures knowledge in Earth and space sciences, biology, and basic physics. The states that fared worse than California were Mississippi, Alabama, and a tie between the District of Columbia and Hawaii.
32884619
submission
bonch writes:
Scientists from the College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University have successfully grown new teeth from stem cells. After extracting stem cells from existing oral tissue, the cells are molded into the shape of a tooth using a polymer scaffold. Using this method, teeth have already been successfully grown in mice and monkeys, with human clinical trials under way.
32878979
submission
bonch writes:
Wal-mart, Deere, Hewlett-Packard, Las Vegas Sands, Qualcom and others are under investigation for violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Wal-mart is suspected of bribing Mexican officials to quickly obtain store permits, while former employees of HP are being investigated for alleged bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion to land a Russian IT contract for a former German subsidiary. Even U.S. movie studies are under investigation for using bribes to influence the Chinese entertainment industry. In total, at least 81 public companies are being probed by the SEC for FCPA violations.
32878287
submission
bonch writes:
DVDs and Blu-Rays will begin displaying two unskippable anti-piracy screens, each 10 seconds long, shown back-to-back. Six studios have agreed to begin using the new notices. Of course, pirated versions won't contain these 20-second notices; however, an ICE spokesman says the intent isn't to deter piracy but to educate the public.
32873907
submission
bonch writes:
Forbes contributer Tim Worstall points out that the NY Times article claiming Apple pays less than 10 percent of its profit in taxes was based on a flawed assumption of the corporate tax system. The 9.8% figure came from Greenlining Institute, who compared Apple's 2011 profits to taxes calculated according to 2010 profits. In the corporate tax system, estimated quarterly tax payments are made based on the previous year's profits until actual profits are calculated at the end of the trading year, when the balance is then paid to the IRS.
32873255
submission
bonch writes:
A Barcelona GNU conference featuring Richard Stallman has been cancelled. Details are sketchy, but Stallman apparently fell ill on stage and required immediate ambulance assistance.
32631953
submission
bonch writes:
Apple has quietly replaced the iPad 2's A5 with a smaller 32nm die that increases battery life by 15 to 30%. It's theorized that Apple is using the iPad 2 as a test bed for the new hardware platform, which shrinks the surface area of the A5 to 57% of the previous size.
32631699
submission
bonch writes:
Feds seized a hip-hop website based on RIAA claims of copyright infringement for prerelease music tracks and held it for a year before giving it back due to lack of evidence. Unsealed court records show that the government was repeatedly given time extensions to build a case against Dajaz1.com, but the RIAA's evidence never came. The RIAA has declined to comment.
