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IBM

Submission + - [Yet another] patent with a prior art gallery

An anonymous reader writes: IBM has filed a patent for external memory

IBM is pitching the invention as a technology that could provide a cheaper and more flexible way to temporarily upgrade the available memory in computing systems ranging from PDAs to servers. According to the description of the patent, the technology includes three separate parts — a connector, a container to hold RAM as well as a cable that couples the connector to the container.
I'm not sure if the cable, and the fact that the memory is exchangeable make this "unique" enough to patent, but it reminds me a lot of the memory expansions you could get for the N64, or the fast load cartridges for the Commodore 64.
The Courts

Submission + - The McMissile Incident

dthx1138 writes: "A North Carolina woman has been convicted of throwing a "missile" weapon into an occupied vehicle while driving. The missile in question happens to be an empty McDonald's soft drink cup; as such the case has now become known in the local media as the "McMissile incident." Apparently the conviction was based upon a statue from the 1920s that describes a missile is "any object propelled by force." From the article:

Jessica Hall, of Jacksonville, N.C., was convicted by a Virginia jury of maliciously throwing a missile into an occupied vehicle, a felony in Virginia. The instructions given to the jury said that any object propelled by force can be considered a missile. In Hall's case, it was a McDonald's cup filled with ice.

This begs the question: what role should specific scientific wording play in legislation? Would a mimnimum kinetic energy requirement for the projectile have helped in this incident?"
Media

BBC and YouTube Deal in the Works? 152

Algis writes to tell us the BBC is in the process of striking a deal with YouTube to allow BBC content to be posted on YouTube. Previously the BBC has demanded quite a few video be removed from the Google-owned video sharing site. "The deal between YouTube and the BBC however, is more interesting still, since YouTube is a global service that is completely free to all users. Shows cannot be downloaded from YouTube. Instead, they're watched online on the YouTube website, or the YouTube player is embedded in other websites for no cost to the user. This is the nature of content sharing that has seen YouTube grow from a company making no money, to a company worth almost $2billion to Google, in less than two years. Quite what the BBC-YouTube deal will entail is anyone's guess. It is highly, highly unlikely to include full-length current BBC shows. What could be possible is the addition to YouTube of much older shows, such as classics like 'The Young Ones' or 'Faulty Towers', in an effort to boost the shows' exposure and increase DVD sales of these shows."
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Is Coal (Yes, Coal) the Next Hot Technology?

nlseaver writes: From a greenhouse gas perspective, coal is one of our dirtiest sources of energy. It's also widely available and cheap, and so it will continue to be a critical source of energy in the twenty-first century. Despite hopes for "clean coal" technology, no clear solution has emerged. Furthermore, because no policy framework (like a carbon tax or incentives to invest in clean technology) yet exists, coal companies are putting into place long-lived "dirty" coal facilities. As the article states: "Within the next few years, power companies are planning to build about 150 coal plants to meet growing electricity demands. Despite expectations that global warming rules are coming, almost none of the plants will be built to capture the thousands of tons of carbon dioxide that burning coal spews into the atmosphere." http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tnt get=2007/02/21/business/21coal.html&tntemail1=y
Power

Submission + - Fuel tanks made of corncob waste

Roland Piquepaille writes: "After yesterday's story about wild grass used to produce clean fuel, let's look today at how corncob waste can be used to created carbon briquettes with complex nanopores capable of storing natural gas. These methane storage systems may encourage mass-market natural gas cars. In fact, these "briquettes are the first technology to meet the 180 to 1 storage to volume target set by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2000." They can lead to flat and compact tanks and have already been installed in a pickup truck used regularly by the Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality. And as the whole natural gas infrastructure exists already, this new technology could be soon adopted by car manufacturers. Read more for additional details and an illustration showing the whole process, from the corncob to the pick up truck."
Editorial

Submission + - Bush on Iraq: Do we need more or less troops?

nickull writes: "In response to the recent declaration that Tony Blair will pull about 1600 troups from Iraq in the near future, the Mercury News reports:

"WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said Wednesday that Britain's decision to withdraw 1,600 troops from Iraq is a positive sign that fits with the overall strategy for stabilizing the country." Is this the same Bush administration that declared it needs to send more troops to Iraq?"
Space

Submission + - ROCKET EXPLOSION

PhreakOfTime writes: http://www.spaceweather.com/ ROCKET EXPLOSION: What was it? It was a mystery for almost 24 hours until satellite expert Daniel Deak matched the trajectory of the plume in Palmer's photo with the orbit of a derelict rocket booster — "a Briz-M, catalog number 28944." One year ago, the Briz-M sat atop a Russian Proton rocket that left Earth on Feb. 28, 2006, carrying an Arabsat-4A communications satellite. Shortly after launch, the rocket malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in the wrong orbit and the Briz-M looping around Earth partially-filled with fuel. On Feb. 19, 2007, for reasons unknown, the fuel tanks ruptured over Australia.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft apologises for serving malware

dark_15 writes: "Microsoft has apologized for serving malware via its websites and Windows Live Messenger software. APC reader Jackie Murphy reported the problem: 'With Microsoft launching Vista along with their Defender software to protect users from viruses and spyware, it seems therefore to be an oxymoron that they have started to putting paid changing banner advertisements for malware, on the popular MSN groups servers.'"
Education

Submission + - Contracts required for training dollars?

Rev Cacher writes: Since certifications make you more valuable, it seems reasonable that a company would want to protect their investment in your education. Does your company require that you sign an agreement to stay there for a certain period of time prior to sending you to certification classes? What is a reasonable time? Does it depend on how much is being spent on the class, such as you must stay for X months for every $1000 spent on you?

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