erikaaboe - Slashdot User

Why Ultra-Efficient 4,000 mph Vacuum-Tube Trains Aren't Being Built 625

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday July 11, 2012 @04:47PM from the all-about-the-benjamins dept.

cylonlover writes "In the 1800s, when pneumatic tubes shot telegrams and small items all around buildings and sometimes small cities, the future of mass transit seemed clear: we'd be firing people around through these sealed tubes at high speeds. And it turns out we've got the technology to do that today – mag-lev rail lines remove all rolling friction from the energy equation for a train, and accelerating them through a vacuum tunnel can eliminate wind resistance to the point where it's theoretically possible to reach blistering speeds over 4,000 mph (6,437 km/h) using a fraction of the energy an airliner uses – and recapturing a lot of that energy upon deceleration. Ultra-fast, high efficiency ground transport is technologically within reach – so why isn't anybody building it? This article looks into some of the problems."

Microsoft Patches "Google Hack" Flaw In IE 142

Posted by timothy on Thursday January 21, 2010 @05:40PM from the you-saw-this-coming dept.

An anonymous reader writes "As expected, Microsoft has issued an out-of-band security patch to address a remote code execution hole in Internet Explorer that was used in the recent Chinese attacks disclosed by Google. Ars Technica has all the download links you need."

Police Called Over 11-Year-Old's Science Project 687

Posted by samzenpus on Saturday January 16, 2010 @05:37PM from the duck-and-cover dept.

garg0yle writes "Police in San Diego were called to investigate an 11-year-old's science project, consisting of 'a motion detector made out of an empty Gatorade bottle and some electronics,' after the vice-principal came to the conclusion that it was a bomb. Charges aren't being laid against the youth, but it's being recommended that he and his family 'get counseling.' Apparently, the student violated school policies — I'm assuming these are policies against having any kind of independent thought?"

Tower Switch-Off Embarrasses Electrosensitives 292

Posted by samzenpus on Friday January 15, 2010 @03:03PM from the radiation-placebo dept.

Sockatume writes "Residents in Craigavon, South Africa complained of '[h]eadaches, nausea, tinnitus, dry burning itchy skins, gastric imbalances and totally disrupted sleep patterns' after an iBurst communications tower was put up in a local park. Symptoms subsided when the residents left the area, often to stay with family and thus evade their suffering. At a public meeting with the afflicted locals, the tower's owners pledged to switch off the mast immediately to assess whether it was responsible for their ailments. One problem: the mast had already been switched off for six weeks. Lawyers representing the locals say their case against iBurst will continue on other grounds."

Comment Re:I do this now (Score 1) 265

by erikaaboe on Saturday February 14, 2009 @09:11PM (#26860101) Attached to: Rabbit Ears To Stage a Comeback Thanks To DTV

Do you have a source for this info?

Comment Re:I do this now (Score 1) 265

by erikaaboe on Saturday February 14, 2009 @09:08PM (#26860079) Attached to: Rabbit Ears To Stage a Comeback Thanks To DTV

If you spring $30-$50 for an omnidirectional TV antenna you can hang it in a close closet or attic. I had the same problems with the rabbit ears (40 miles from towers.)So I bought a DB4 from Antennas Direct or Channel Master and now get 2x the channels. It is made for roof mount but is hidden away and works well.

Submission + - The "L Prize" - Solid State Lighting (lightingprize.org)

Submitted by erikaaboe on Thursday May 29, 2008 @03:13PM

erikaaboe writes: The US Department of Energy is announcing "The L Prize" as "the first government-sponsored technology competition designed to spur lighting manufacturers to develop high-quality, high-efficiency solid-state lighting products to replace the common light bulb." Their project website is at www.lightingprize.org So when will the Compact Fluorescent Lamp become the 8-track tape of the lamp world?

Comment Re:Tracking Hardware?!?!?! (Score 1) 108

by erikaaboe on Friday January 04, 2008 @11:51PM (#21919070) Attached to: Reverse Engineer Finds Kindle's Hidden Features

Not to worry, you are probably already carrying a "tracking device" in your pocket RIGHT NOW! All recent issue mobile phones have location capabilities by triangulating multiple signals off of towers. In the US it is to help 911 services locate people. In Europe, it helps the bad guys look for Jason Bourne. If you stress about it you may be able to navigate the menus and turn that feature off.

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