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Submission + - SPAM: Q-CTRL unveils jam-proof positioning System that's 50X more accurate than GPS

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Q-CTRL developed a new system called “Ironstone Opal,” which uses quantum sensors to navigate without GPS. It’s passive (meaning it doesn’t emit signals that could be detected or jammed) and highly accurate.

Instead of relying on satellites, Q-CTRL’s system can read the Earth’s magnetic field, which varies slightly depending on location (like a magnetic fingerprint or map). The system can determine where you are by measuring these variations using magnetometers.
Link to Original Source

Comment Re:Thermals? (Score 5, Insightful) 92

I think you perfectly summarized the point of this controversy. Everyone agrees that trees cause air movement. Now Makarieva and proponents of her theory claim this air movement has significant impact on moisture distribution, and show some math to back up their claim. Opponents say air movement caused by trees is "obviously negligible". I would say it's at least worth to study it further.

Comment Re:Glad to see it on Slashdot (Score 1) 92

But that would get a lot more page views and comments. Which is why they do it.

I understand it. Still I find it sad, that is more profitable to be one of thousands websites providing the same, general, easy to consume news, than to be a unique place serving a community of faithful users. It may be a reflection of a general, although equally sad rule, that it's better to be a small fish in a mass market than a king of a niche market.

Submission + - Facebook Research releases tech to create 3D models of people from photographs (github.io)

Submitted by shirappu
shirappu writes: The technology, called PIFuHD, takes photographs of people and reconstructs them in 3D. The tech works on deep neural networks with multi-level architecture that allows for high resolution and accuracy in 3D models even at low levels of memory. More is available in the detail-heavy research paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.004...

Applications for this kind of automated image digitization include medical imaging and virtual reality, and the researchers have released a version of the model for users to try out themselves on Google Colab (link: https://github.com/facebookres...)

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: How do you limit the charging range of a laptop battery? (linrunner.de)

Submitted by weilawei
weilawei writes: If you're anything like me, you've got a slew of devices with lithium-based batteries in them. The conventional wisdom is to cycle them between 20 and 80% for a good compromise between usability and battery life. How then, do you automate the process to avoid over- or undercharging? TLP provides some power management features that fit the bill—but they mostly rely on proprietary support found only in Thinkpad laptops. Do you remove and store your laptop battery at a medium charge when you run the laptop off an AC adapter?

Submission + - Purism announces shipments of Librem 5 security and privacy focused phone

Submitted by Ocean Consulting
Ocean Consulting writes: It is here! Purism announces shipment of the Librem 5. Librem 5 is a landmark mobile device with a dedicated platform, runs PureOS Linux, and is the first mobile phone to seek hardware certification from the Free Software Foundation. Initially a crowd sourced funding campaign, the phone embraces principles of free software and user privacy. IP native communication is supported via Matrix. Privacy features include hardware kill switches for camera, microphone, cellular, wifi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Submission + - Florida citrus trees to be sprayed with thousands of kilograms of antiobiotics (nature.com)

Submitted by memnock
memnock writes: From the journal Nature: "In the next month or so, orange trees across Florida will erupt in white blossoms, signalling the start of another citrus season. But this year, something different will be blowing in the winds. Farmers are preparing to spray their trees with hundreds of thousands of kilograms of two common antibiotics to combat citrus greening, a bacterial disease that has been killing Florida citrus trees for more than a decade."

Submission + - Stallman on making a deal with the Devil (gnu.org)

Submitted by markjhood2003
markjhood2003 writes: In an essay published for LibrePlanet March 23/24 2019, Richard Stallman of the FSF advocates for an explicit recognition and tolerance of the devil of non-free software at install fests:

Install fests invite users to bring their computers so that experts can install GNU/Linux on them... This presents the install fest with a dilemma. If it upholds the ideals of freedom, by installing only free software from 100%-free distros, partly-secret machines won't become entirely functional and the users that bring them will go away disappointed... My new idea is that the install fest could allow the devil to hang around, off in a corner of the hall, or the next room. (Actually, a human being wearing sign saying “The Devil,” and maybe a toy mask or horns.) The devil would offer to install nonfree drivers in the user's machine to make more parts of the computer function, explaining to the user that the cost of this is using a nonfree (unjust) program.

Comment There was no leak (Score 5, Interesting) 127

by JarekC (#57467564) Attached to: Senators Demand Google Hand Over Internal Memo Urging Google+ Cover-up
The tricky part is there was no leak. The data was available, but there is no evidence of any unauthorized access. So technically they were not required to report the leak, because there was no leak.

Let's say they promised to keep your cash safe, then kept the safe unlocked for a couple of months, then realized what's up and locked it before anyone noticed. Are they legally obliged to tell you about it?

So even if they are assholes from moral point of view, legally they may be clean.

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