Comment Today is Saturday (Score 1) 162
"Sunday" is currently last.
Do we expect it to surge ahead tomorrow, or drop further behind?
Li-Ion Batteries Get Green Seal of Approval 69
thecarchik writes "It is not an easy task to compare the environmental effects of battery powered cars to those caused by conventionally fueled automobiles. The degree to which manufacture, usage and disposal of the batteries used to store the necessary electrical energy are detrimental to the environment is not exactly known. Now, for the first time, a team of Empa scientists have made a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) or ecobalance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, in particular the chemically improved (i.e. more environmentally friendly) version of the ones most frequently used in electric vehicles. Researchers decided to find out for sure. They calculated the ecological footprints of electric cars fitted with Li-ion batteries, taking into account all possible relevant factors, from those associated with the production of individual parts all the way through to the scrapping of the vehicle and the disposal of the remains, including the operation of the vehicle during its lifetime."
Submission + - Freetype lands in... Office (tinypic.com)
phy_si_kal writes: Now Microsoft must love free software.
Indeed, Office 2011 for Mac (beta 5 at least) uses Freetype! Screenshot at: http://i35.tinypic.com/jazx2t.jpg
Somehow they figured out the free software "clean room implementation" of their own (patented) TrueType technology must better suit their needs.
Indeed, Office 2011 for Mac (beta 5 at least) uses Freetype! Screenshot at: http://i35.tinypic.com/jazx2t.jpg
Somehow they figured out the free software "clean room implementation" of their own (patented) TrueType technology must better suit their needs.
Comment Re:Huh. (Score 1) 179
Opera Mobile has exactly the same feature of displaying a thumbnail of a bookmarked page, however it *reloads* the page to generate the thumbnail immediately after it is bookmarked.
The first time this happened I was puzzled about why it didnt just resize the existing on-screen rendering. The privacy advantages are significant, if not obvious.
Brick Shooting Shotgun Built From Lego By 15-Year-Old 70
Lanxon writes "A mildly terrifying young Brit named Jack Streat has managed to build a series of working guns, including a Lee Enfield bolt-action sniper rifle, entirely out of Lego and rubber bands, reports Wired. Streat, who lists himself as 15 years old on his profile, has constructed an enormous and diverse armory of weaponry that fire either rubber bands or Lego bricks. Most are based on real-life guns, including a Steyr AUG, a Tommygun, an AK-47, a belt-fed M429 PARA, an Arctic Warfare sniper rifle, a Glock 17, a pair of semi-automatic TEC-9s, a SPAS 12 pump-action shotgun and a minigun that he calls the Obliterator."
Comment Re:He's right (Score 1) 186
Which satnav system doesnt support an optional 2D map?
The problem with a 3D display is that perspective means that proportionally more pixels are used for the features next to you, and behind you. The features on the road ahead are shrunken. That's the opposite of how I would want the pixels used.
Submission + - Google demonstrates quantum computer image search (newscientist.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Google's web services may be considered cutting edge, but they run in warehouses filled with conventional computers. Now the search giant has revealed it is investigating the use of quantum computers to run its next generation of faster applications.
Writing on Google's research blog this week, Hartmut Neven, head of its image recognition team, reveals that the Californian firm has for three years been quietly developing a quantum computer that can identify particular objects in a database of stills or video.
Google has been doing this, Neven says, with D-Wave, a Canadian firm that has developed an on-chip array of quantum bits – or qubits – encoded in magnetically coupled superconducting loops.
Writing on Google's research blog this week, Hartmut Neven, head of its image recognition team, reveals that the Californian firm has for three years been quietly developing a quantum computer that can identify particular objects in a database of stills or video.
Google has been doing this, Neven says, with D-Wave, a Canadian firm that has developed an on-chip array of quantum bits – or qubits – encoded in magnetically coupled superconducting loops.
Comment Hey! (Score 1) 166
I AM a naturally-bred man-bear-pig, you insensitive clod! Reset your scale to a measurement more appropriate!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go feed my mother..
Comment In classic games (Score 1) 346
A donkey kong clone on - if I remember right - the zx81, allowed you to climb up the stack of ramps then jump over the damsel in distress that was supposed to be your target. Jump onto donkey kong's arm, over his head onto the other arm, then make an adrenaline-filled slow-motion fall down the full height of the screen back to where you started.
Well, you had to be there.
Comment Re:When can I start placing orders? (Score 1) 67
Prototypes? Only if you expect to get everything right first time. Rework would be impossible with the conductors and components inaccessible.
Submission + - Developer creates DIY 8-bit CPU (wired.com) 1
MaizeMan writes: Not for the easily distracted. A Belmot software developer's hand built CPU was featured in wired recently. Starting with a $50 wire wrap board Chamberlin built his CPU with 1253 pieces of wire, each wire wrapped by hand at both ends. Salvaging parts from 70's and 80's era computers, the final result is an 8-bit processor with keyboard input, a USB connection and VGA graphical output. More details on the developer's blog
Comment Re:all this data yet so much gets missed (Score 1) 139
.... also exitahead has a rss feed of music on ebay matching a lastfm profile so it has new music as well as older, hard to find, releases.
I think it is a healthy sign that lastfm have such a broad community of third party developers, but some of these add-ons really should be core features of their service by now. They seem to have been focused on trying to be social networking, neglecting their users that just want to find music.
Comment Blaze of glory (Score 1) 309
I think thats the point. Having the opportunity to angrily smash at the keyboard is a release of the tension from the moments before your death. It would be much less fun if you respawned instantly, and were deprived of that release.
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