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Biotech

Submission + - Growing metals on cotton

Roland Piquepaille writes: "Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have created a new form of metal crystals grown on cotton. They've used acid-treated cellulose fibers from cotton to crystallize them. Then, they grew all kinds of metal nanocrystals measuring between 2 and 200 nanometers on what they call "a cotton assembly line." They successfully built nanocrystals of gold, silver, palladium, platinum, copper or nickel. And they think that this technology could be used in a wide range of applications, including biosensors, biological imaging, drug delivery and catalytic converters. I must admit that these researchers are pretty inventive. In a previous work, they've turned instant petrified wood into super ceramics."
Linux Business

Submission + - Free Software Foundation fights against M$-Novell

head_dunce writes: "Peter Brown, executive director of the Free Software Foundation, is fighting against the Microsoft-Novell deal, "to make sure such deals don't make a mockery of the goals of free software. Whenever a new method comes along to effectively turn free software into proprietary software, we will adjust the license." The foundation will seek public comments on the draft for 60 days before finalizing the new license agreement, which will go into effect from June 26."
Space

Submission + - Overcoming of Gravitation (Real Theory)

hgreend writes: "Gyro-dynamical nature of gravitation" There were many attempts to explain the nature of gravitation. Scientists disputed at XVII century, whether gravitation is a consequence of external influences or it is an internal property of physical bodies? Whether objects in space directly are attracting each other or their movement are impacts of certain particles? The idea about an direct attraction was not acceptable for some scientists (R.Dekart, etc.) and they considered that movement of the big objects is caused only by action of the smallest invisible particles. This point of view has received the further development at XVIII century and it is known under the name of "the screen theory" (M.Lomonosov, at XIX-th century — V.Thompson). According to this theory all Universe is filled with the smallest particles which chaotically move with the big velocities in all directions. Separate objects are bombarded by particles from different directions equally. Two objects are screens for such particles, and between them the density of particles appears less than "outside". As a result — the difference of pressure is created: "from within" — is less, "outside" — it is much more, and bodies "are pushed" in the direction to each other, creating effect of the gravitation.The simple and evident (at the first sight) "screen-theory" comprised many contradictions that had led to refusal of such a "model". There were also other attempts to explain the gravitation as proceeding from "magnetic" reasons. I.Kepler adhered to the point of view, that the Sun lets out "magnetic lines" and thus forces planets to rotate around the Sun. The quantitatively-descriptive understanding of gravitation managed to be made to English scientist I.Newon. Using I.Kepler's laws, he understood that the unknown force, holding planets in the respective orbit, decreases in an inverse proportion to a square of the distance. As a result — he had received an analytical model of dependence between masses M and m of phisical objects and from the distance R between them which subsequently has been referred to the famous Universal Gravitation Law: Fg=G*Mm/R (2(degree)) where G=6.673*10(-11(degree))N*m(2(degree)/kg(2(degree)) The law discovered by I.Newton described well the natural phenomena. But it was only quantitative side of the gravitation. Neither during I.Newton's time, nor later the secret of the physical nature of gravitation was not discovered. At the beginning of XX-th century the Einshtein's theory of the relativity was appeared. In the framework of this theory the gravitation is examined as a property of the space-temporal geometry. Depending on the mass of a substance the space curvature is changing and movement of physical objects in such a space looks as appearing of the gravitation. To an essence, the theory of the relativity has disregarded the physical nature of gravitational forces in general. All gravitational phenomena are reduced to deformation of space geometry and the mechanism of influence of such a deformation on physical objects is not explained till now. Today, after 300 years developments of the physics from the moment of opening the Universal Gravitation Law still there is no answered to a question, what is gravitation. Despite of searching all new elementary particles which could be carriers the gravitation ("gravitons"), despite of creating newest theories of multi-dimensional spaces (the theory of "membranes", etc.) essential promotion in understanding of physical essence of the gravitation phenomenon is not visible. The author offers physical model of generating "gravitons" which allows to answer some questions, connected to gravitational phenomena. Main ideas by which the author was guided at the approach to his gravitational model are: the first: material objects inside the atom rotate around of a certain local axis. Such a rotation in physics has been referred to so called "spin" — (spinning — quickly to rotate as a spindle of a distaff). "Spin" is an integral property of an electron, as well as structural units of nucleus (protons and neutrons). Therefore, it is difficult to imagine, that such a complex movement of material objects at the nuclear level does not cause the same physical effects, as the complex movement of material objects at the macro-level. Therefore, for example, an electron, rotating around the nucleus, having respective "spin", should submit to the same laws of precessional-rotary movement, as the precessed macro-object upon which Coriolise's forces, as it is known, are acting. the second: such a fundamental substance of microcosm, as the proton, cannot be characterized by an irrational measure of its mass, because the proton is the construction unit of our world, beginning with it (a nucleus of the atom of hydrogen, as it is known, has only one proton). From the point of view of the author it is "not presentably" to determine the mass m of the proton as 1.67E(-27)kg. It is improbable as well, that the proton mass is equal to a rational fraction 112/67*E(-27) from something initial, with what the creation of the material world had began (as it is known the rational fraction 112/67*E(-27)= 1.671642*E(-27)). So, for example, the fraction 112/67 can reflect the fact, that the mass of the proton is multiple to sixty seven units of an initial smallest substance (quark). The Nature aspires to the simplicity and therefore 67 kinds of quarks would be too much. the third: the mass of the proton m=1.67*E(-27) kg is the value received on the basis of the plurality of experiments and this number is initially insufficiently exact. Therefore with same accuracy (it can be also the greater) it is possible to write the value of the proton mass as 1.66666666(6)*E(-27)kg and this number is the known natural fraction, i.e. Mp=5/3*10(-27(degree))kg The same is possible to tell about the above mentioned fundamental constant of gravitation G which can be written with not smaller accuracy as G=6.66666666(6)*E(-11)Nm^2/kg^2. But this infinite decimal fraction is the fission product on same "mystic" number 3. As a result — we receive the gravitational constant as a proper rational fraction, namely: G=2/3*10(-10(degree))N*m(2(degree))/kg(2(degree)) the fourth: the smallest unit (quantum) of gravitation (v-graviton) is caused by the precessional-rotary movement of the proton inside the nucleus and by the velocity of the light. Not describing the possible internal structure of the proton, we are able to determine the quantum Coriolis's force fg which is caused by complex movement of the proton, precessing with the greatest possible velocity c and having the respective spin. According to Coriolis's theory it is determined as: Fg=2mpcv where m=5/3*10^-27 kg — the mass of the proton; c — 3*10^8 m/sec — the velocity of the light in vacuum that is the precession velosity of the proton; n- an integrated frequency, describing the angular rotational velocity of the proton around of its local axis, and n=cN/L; N and L — are integers, and L is a value, multiple to three. Terefore, the last formula can be written as follows: fg=2(N/L)mpc(2(degree))=2(N/9)*5/3*10 (-27(degree))*9*10 (16(degree)) It is easy to notice that at N=2 we receive the value fg=20/3*10^-11 which is the above mentioned gravitational constant G, that is gravity quantum fg=(2/3)(2(degree))mpc (2(degree))=G This result is the confirmation of the fourth above postulate, and the Newton's law assumes the following view: Fg=(2/3)(2(degree)) mpc (2(degree))Mm/R (2(degree)) Hence, each spinning object (i.e. micro-object, having respective spin) in the nucleon of the atom produces one quantum of the above mentioned Coriolis's force fg which can be considered as a "vector-graviton" or " v-graviton ". An unique material solid, being separate in an ideal environment in the Universe (if such a separate solid somewhere would exist) is characterized by perfect balance of its "v-gravitones" on the nuclear level and therefore elementary particles — "v-gravitones" — would act upon such a separate solid in all directions from inside and such a solid would stay motionless in the space. At rapproachement of two material solids their masses bend the temporal-space geometry and therefore the perfect balance of "v-gravitones" inside both solids is broken; and as a result — appears a nonzero stream of "v-gravitons" which we perceive at the macro-level as a gravitational force. From the point of view of the offered gravitational model the elementary quanta of the gravitation ("v-gravitones") is practically impossible to register as they never leave limits of the material object and gravitational forces can be shielded only due to compulsory reduction of temporal-space curvature. Such a r-deformation of the space curvature is possible under condition of understanding of physical nature of vacuum which at present is actively investigated by scientists in Russia and Ukraine. The material and copyrights belong: www.gyro-turbine.com Lykhovyd Yuriy. M. Kyiv, Ukraine. (priority date: 20.jan.2007) ©
HP

Submission + - Europe exec confirms Google Phone

cyberianpan writes: So Google has confirmed that it is working on a phone News.com The head of Google in Spain and Portugal has confirmed that Google is working on a mobile phone. "Some of the time the engineers are dedicated to developing a mobile phone," Ok this could be the 20% free time development but publicising that would be stupid. Obviously this phone could link in with Google Earth/Maps... it is a marketers dream regards targeted advertising, literally the shops may talk to you when you pass about products that they know you want. Thos could lead to Goolge having more power than any IT company ever. Obviously barriers present, chiefly in that Google doesn't have mobile phone networks & thus would have to cut deals.
Handhelds

Submission + - Sign language for your cellphone

Roland Piquepaille writes: "If you live in the UK, you now have an access to a dictionary of 5,000 words in British Sign Language (BSL) and their accompanying downloadable videos for your cellphones. The interface of this video dictionary, available at Mobilesign.org is even more Spartan than Google's home page. But it's very easy to use: you either search for a word to know if a language sign is associated with it or browse an alphabetical list. Then you download the compact video for your phone. The Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) of the University of Bristol has released this free tool for everyone who works with deaf people, has deaf customers or just want to learn the BSL signs. Their next step will be to provide users with a phrasebook. Read more for additional details and a picture showing a user of this new dictionary."
United States

Submission + - The C flag flies again...

elsrik writes: CommodoreGaming has emerged with a line of PCs geared for gaming performance. "Driven by a team of gaming veterans and enthusiasts across a broad range of disciplines Commodore Gaming is a passionate provider of products and services for the mobile, PC and Video game market. Having acquired the Commodore brand in late 2005 as part of a joint venture with Commodore International Corporation, Commodore Gaming aims to re-establish the brand as a leader in its industry." as seen at http://commodoregaming.com/
Networking

Submission + - Researchers aim to revamp "ossified" Inter

coondoggie writes: "So if you had to design the Internet form the ground up what would you make it look like? That's what's on the table at Standord university where researchers this month will are launching a new program called the Clean Slate Design for the Internet. ''How should the Internet look in 15 years?'' asks Nick McKeown, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science who is leading the effort in a statement.McKeown and his colleagues already have identified and begun working on four projects that constitute the initial research direction of the program. Here's a look at them: ETHANE: A prime example is a prototype 400-user wireless network in the Gates Computer Science Building called Ethane. According to the University's Web site Ethane is a backwards compatible Network Access Control architecture... http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1250 8"
Education

Museum IDs New Species of Dinosaur 79

Uryugen writes "A new dinosaur species was a plant-eater with yard-long horns over its eyebrows, suggesting an evolutionary middle step between older dinosaurs with even larger horns and the small-horned creatures that followed, experts said. The dinosaur's horns, thick as a human arm, are like those of triceratops — which came 10 million years later. However, this animal belonged to a subfamily that usually had bony nubbins a few inches long above their eyes"
Encryption

Submission + - Hide secret messages in images on the internet

Andrew Lee writes: "This program lets you hide arbitrary text messages inside image files. It is different than other stego tools in that it encodes the message by making visible changes to the image, rather than encoding the message in non-visible parts of an image file's data. In theory you can even print out the image and scan it back in to retrieve the secret message.

http://www.picsecret.com/"
Windows

Submission + - Vista Download Disaster

SkinnyGuy writes: "Downloading Windows Vista sounds like a great idea — until you actually do it. Looks like Microsoft hasn't thought out all the fine details. PC Magazine's own publisher gave it a shot and recounts his sorry tale to columnist Lance Ulanoff. Some other tales of woe appear in the associated forum."
Google

Submission + - Vint Cerf on Net Security, Hacking, and Acting

ancientribe writes: Father of the Internet Vint Cerf talks candidly in this article about his being a Googler, and the biggest problems with Internet security and what he sees as the most promising solutions. He says that he's only done a little casual hacking, and that the term 'hacker' no longer comes with the honor it once did. Cerf also reveals in this personal look at the Internet icon that his real dream was to be an actor.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=118 596&WT.svl=news1_1
Hardware Hacking

DIY Laptop 178

Brietech writes "Ever felt like building your own laptop from (almost literally) scratch? This is a microcontroller-based "laptop" built from the ground up from a handful of chips and other hardware found lying around. It runs a self-hosted development environment, allowing the user to write and edit programs in "Chris++" on the machine, and then compile and run them. The carpentry looks like it could use some work, but it's a neat project!"

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