Friday, July 24, 2009

'Bacterial Computers': Genetically Engineered Bacteria Have Potential To Solve Complicated Mathematical Problems

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2009) — US researchers have created 'bacterial computers' with the potential to solve complicated mathematics problems. The findings of the research demonstrate that computing in living cells is feasible, opening the door to a number of applications. The second-generation bacterial computers illustrate the feasibility of extending the approach to other computationally challenging math problems.

I just learned something important today about the retirement system and I wanted to correct any misinformation I might have given to folks. If you came on board prior to September 2001 you are under the legacy ERFC plan and obviously post 9/2001 you are on the new plan. Sick leave never applies to the VRS system which is the larger of the two checks.

I had thought that both ERFC plans allowed you to apply any remaining sick leave at retirement as service credit toward ERFC but I was mistaken. Folks who came to FCPS post 9/2001 will not be able to apply their remaining sick leave to their ERFC retirement as service credit. It is still a wise idea to save your sick leave because if you ever need to take time of to recover from something like a a surgery or to take FMLA. Sorry if I confused anyone before.

Reprogrammed Mouse Fibroblasts Can Make A Whole Mouse

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2009) — In a paper publishing online July 23 in Cell Stem Cell, Dr. Shaorong Gao and colleagues from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2009) — The laboratory for photovoltaics of the University of Luxembourg has produced its first thin film solar cells made from compound semiconductors, already reaching a 12 percent efficiency. Thin film solar cells are considered the next generation of solar cells and are expected to be considerably cheaper because they need much less material and energy in their production than today's photovoltaic modules.

Gaming On Windows 7

Posted by Soulskill on Friday July 24, @04:52AM
from the extreme-minesweeper dept.

Jason Wilson writes"Windows 7 comes out Oct. 22, and many gamers are wondering whether it will be a boon for gaming, as Microsoft promised Vista would, or a disappointment (like Vista was at its launch). Former ExtremeTech editor Jason Cross, who's covered games and tech for 13 years, discusses the pluses and minuses of Windows 7 for gamers — how it differs from Vista, if it'll run older games, and the benefits of 64-bit computing. 'Windows 7 basically takes the Vista codebase and rewrites, refines, optimizes, and overhauls most of the internal stuff without making dramatic changes to the driver stacks that Vista did over WinXP. The changes to the fundamental driver models are small and mostly serve to improve performance. Plus, the hardware makers — especially the graphics guys — are on top of the changes this time around. Nvidia and ATI have been shipping quite good Win7 graphics drivers for months now.'"

The Rocky Road To Wind Power

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 23, @07:40PM
from the must-save-many-megawatts-to-outweigh dept.

Hugh Pickens writes"The NY Times has an interesting story on the logistical problems involved in transporting disassembled towers that will reach more than 250 feet in heightfrom ports or factories to the remote, windy destinations where the turbines are erected. In Idaho trucks laden with tall turbine parts have slammed into interstate overpasses requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. In Texas the constant truck traffic is tearing up small roads in the western part of the state where the turbines are being rapidly erected. And in Maine a truck carrying a big piece of turbine got stuck for hours while trying to round a corner near Searsport."

"'It left a nice gouge in Route 1,' said Ben Tracy, who works nearby at a marine equipment store and saw the incident. On a per-turbine basis, the cost of transportation and logistics generally varies from around $100,000 to $150,000, said John Dunlop, an engineer with the American Wind Energy Association, and experts say that transportation logistics are starting to limit how large — and as a result how powerful — wind turbines can get. There is talk of breaking a blade up into multiple pieces, but 'that's a very significant structural concern,' says Peter Stricker, vice president at Clipper Windpower who added that tower bases were getting too large to squeeze through underpasses. But a partial solution may be at hand. While vast majority of turbine parts now travel by truck, in Texas and elsewhere, some wind companies are looking to move more turbine parts by train to save money. But even the train routes must avoid low overpasses when big pieces of wind turbines are aboard. 'It's not your typical rail-car shipments,' said Tom Lange, a Union Pacific spokesman."

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Video: MIT working on rapid recharging for electric vehicles

by Vladislav Savov, posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 7:43AM

MIT's electric vehicle prototype may be a long way off from being completed, but if we let that stop us from discussing EVs, we might never talk about them. The headline ambition of this project is a full recharge within 10 minutes, which would eliminate somewhere between four and ten hours of waiting. Speedwise, the Electric Vehicle Team is aiming for a 100 mph top speed from a 250-horsepower / 187 kilowatt AC induction motor, and anot unheard of 200-mile cruising range. To achieve their rapid juicing ambition, the students will strap 7,905 lithium iron-phosphate cell batteries fromA123Systems to a gutted 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid body. The batteries' low internal resistance is what makes things possible, but further hurdles, such as finding a sufficiently powerful energy source, would have to be overcome before any sort of widespread use may occur. Video after the break.

[Via PC World]

Stop And Smell The Flowers -- The Scent Really Can Soothe Stress

ScienceDaily (July 23, 2009) — Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

Transformers Special Edition Chevy Camaro Unveiled

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday July 23, @03:28AM
from the nerds-roll-out dept.

roelbj writes"Automotive stories are few and far between on Slashdot, but today's news from Chevrolet might just make a few readers' mouths water at the chance to own their own Bumblebee. Today at Comic-Con, General Motors officially announced the 2010 Chevy Camaro Transformers Special Edition. The $995 appearance package can be applied to LT (V6) and SS-trim Camaros in Rally Yellow with or without the optional RS package."

Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday July 23, @12:54AM
from the batteries-not-included dept.

SpuriousLogic writes"A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed. Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already built elements of a rat brain. He told the TED global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses. Around two billion people are thought to suffer some kind of brain impairment, he said. 'It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years,' he said."

Google Wave Reviewed

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday July 22, @08:46PM
from the what's-the-skinny dept.

Michael_Curator writes"Developers are finally getting their hands on the developer preview of Google's Wave, which means we can finally get some first-hand accounts of what it's really like to use, unfiltered by Google's own programmers. Ben Rometsch, a developer with U.K. Web development firm Solid State, blogged that, it's 'probably the most advanced application in a browser that I've seen.' Wave is like giant Web page onto which users can drag and drop any kind of object, including instant messaging and IRC [Internet Relay Client] clients, e-mail, and wikis, as well as gadgets like maps and video. All conversations, work product and applications are stored on remote servers — presumably forever. 'It's like real time email. On crack,' he wrote. And unlike the typically minimalist Google UI, 'It feels a lot more like a desktop application that just so happens to live in your browser.'"User molex333 has already written a Slashdot app and shares his initial reactions here.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Video: Google Wave public beta rolling out in September

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 22nd 2009 at 7:30AM

It's hard to tell if Wave -- Google's new collaborative, universal messaging platform -- is revolutionary or simply, well, neat. It's like a telephone, great when everyone else has one but not so useful if you're the only one. At least that's how it seems after watching the near-universally acclaimed demo presented at Google I/O back in May. Starting September 30th, Google will open up the beta to 100,000 of its closest friends. Just hit the appropriate read link below to register for an invite or click through to watch the 1 hour and 20 minute demonstration. Go ahead, work can wait, innovation can't.

Are We What Our Mothers Ate?

ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Mothers' health in the days and weeks prior to becoming pregnant may determine the health of offspring much later in life, according to results of studies reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, which takes place July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. These studies demonstrate that maternal nutrition, protein intake and level of fat in the diet may cause epigenetic changes in the developing fetus that can have long-term health consequences.

Radar Could Save Bats From Wind Turbines

Posted by kdawson on Wednesday July 22, @02:09AM
from the holy-pressure-drop dept.

mknewman sends in an MSNBC piece on a promising way to keep bats from straying into wind farms — by using radar."Bats use sonar to navigate and hunt. Many have been killed by wind turbines, however, which their sonar doesn't seem to recognize as a danger. Surprisingly, radar signals could help keep bats away from wind turbines, scientists have now discovered. ...some researchers have raised concerns that wind turbines inadvertently kill bats and other flying creatures. ... The bats might not be killed by the wind turbine blades directly, but instead by the sudden drop in air pressure the swinging rotors induce... The researchers discovered that radar helped keep bats away, reducing bat activity by 30 to 40 percent. The radar did not keep insects away, which suggests that however the radar works as a deterrent, it does so by influencing the bats directly and not just their food. Radar signals can lead to small but rapid spikes of heat in the head that generate sound waves, which in turn stimulate the ear. A bat's hearing is much more sensitive than ours. It may be so sensitive that even a tiny amount of sound caused by electromagnetic radiation is enough to drive them out."

Laser Ignition May Replace the Spark Plug

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday July 21, @11:11PM
from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong dept.

dusty writes"Laser Focus World has a story on researchers from Ford, GSI, and The University of Liverpool and their success in using near-infrared lasers instead of spark plugs in automobile engines. The laser pulses are delivered to the combustion chamber one of two ways. One, the laser energy is transmitted through free space and into an optical plug. Two, the other more challenging method uses fiber optics. Attempts so far to put the second method into play have met some challenges. The researchers are confident that the fiber-optic laser cables' technical challenges (such as a 20% parasitic loss, and vibration issues) will soon be overcome. Both delivery schemes drastically reduce harmful emissions and increase performance over the use of spark plugs. So the spark plug could soon join the fax machine in the pantheon of antiquated technologies that will never completely disappear. The news release from The University of Liverpoolhas pictures of the freakin' internal combustion lasers."

Medieval UK Battle Records Released Online

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday July 21, @07:18PM
from the next-year-at-agincourt dept.

eldavojohn writes"Do you have ancestors who served in the British military under Henry V or fought in the Hundred Years War? Look them up online now that 250,000 medieval battle records are online and available for searching. According to the project details (PDF): 'The main campaigns of the period were to France but there were others to Flanders, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, a much wider geographical spectrum than before 1369. In addition, garrisons were maintained within England (such as that held at the Tower of London), the Channel Islands, Wales and the marches, as well as at Calais and in Gascony. In the fourteenth-century phase of the Hundred Years War, the English also held some garrisons in areas of northern France, and in the fifteenth century phase, there was a systematic garrison-based occupation of Normandy and surrounding regions...'"

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

I would never ever do any of these.

http://www.manolith.com/2009/07/20/19-amazing-acts-of-death-defiance/

Signs, Signs Everywhere Signs

Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:

'Dr. Jones, at your cervix.'

**************************

In a Podiatrist's office:

'Time wounds all heels.'

**************************

On a Septic Tank Truck:

Yesterday's Meals on Wheels

**************************

On a Plumber's truck:

'We repair what your husband fixed.'

**************************

On another Plumber's truck:

'Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.'

**************************

On a Church's Bill board:

'7 days without God makes one weak.'

**************************

At a Tire Store:

'Invite us to your next blowout.'

**************************

On an Electrician's truck:

'Let us remove your shorts.'

**************************

In a Non-smoking Area:

'If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate
action.'

**************************

On a Maternity Room door:

'Push. Push. Push.'

**************************

At an Optometrist's Office:

'If you don't see what you're

looking for, you've come to the right place.'

**************************

On a Taxidermist's window:

'We really know our stuff.'

**************************

On a Fence:

'Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!'

**************************

At a Car Dealership:

'The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment.'

**************************

Outside a Car Exhaust Store:

'No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.'

**************************

In a Vets waiting room:

'Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!'

**************************

In a Restaurant window:

'Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up.'

**************************

In the front yard of a Funeral Home:

'Drive carefully. We'll wait.'

**************************

And don't forget the sign at a RADIATOR SHOP:

'Best place in town to take a leak.'

**********************

Sign on the back of yet another Septic Tank Truck:

'Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises'

C. Difficile Spores Spread Superbug

ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — New research suggests that antibiotic treatment could be asymptomatically inducing the transmission of the healthcare-acquired infection, C. difficile,contributing to the outbreaks that have recently been widely reported in hospitals and other settings. A team of scientists have successfully mirrored the infection cycle of C. difficile by generating a 'mouse hospital' with conditions mimicking the human environment in which C. difficile is transmitted.

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 21st 2009 at 5:28AM

We don't know where, and we don't know why, but we sure like the idea of this Microsoft toaster that etches little Redmond flags into delicately baked slices of Wonder. Of course, if Microsoft really did make a toaster it would likely require an upgrade to your bread. And if Apple made a toaster, the bread would be non-removable. Oh!

And if... go ahead, add your own in the comments below.

[Thanks abrahamvir, images courtesy of mazw220]

Monday, July 20, 2009

Controlling The Electronic Surface Properties Of A Material

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2009) — It's commonly accepted that electrical resistance of a given material cannot be adjusted as is the case with, for example, density and color. However, Dr Meike Stöhr and her collaborators have now succeeded in developing a new method to selectively tune surface properties such as resistance.

How not to get Best Buy to fix your broken TV

by Peter Rojas, posted May 30th 2005 at 1:19PM

We've all been completely pissed off with Best Buy for one reason or another, but no matter how infuriatingly incompetent their people can be, it's probably not a good idea to follow Marlene Anne Bagnall's strategy for getting what you want out of them. She found out the hard way that while pulling a gun on the Best Buy television repairman and telling him that, "You're not leaving until the TV is fixed," actually isn't a good way to get your TV fixed, it is an excellent way to get yourself charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment. The repairman, who had already tried and failed to fix her TV several times, calmed her down by calling Best Buy and getting them to agree to give her a new TV, then left and called the cops.

Best Buy's secret intranet site exposed

by Jeannie Choe, posted Mar 3rd 2007 at 2:05PM

Those looking for a good buy, nay, the best buy, would be wise to note Best Buy's recently exposed secret intranet site, allegedly used to prevent customers from reaping the benefits of discounts advertised on BestBuy.com. Two Connecticut stores denied customers of discounted prices advertised on BestBuy.com by referencing the visually identical intranet site, which doesn't always reflect the lowest prices. The site, quickly disclosed by a local publication, was then put under investigation, yielding vague answers from Best Buy and no clear explanation of why it even exists. Best Buy issued a statement assuring their intent was not to mislead the customer and that they are "reminding [their] employees how to access the external BestBuy.com web site to ensure customers are receiving the best possible product price." Whether or not Best Buy encourages the ol' switcharoo is still up in the air, with local officials' investigations being hindered by BestBuy's "fuzzy responses" -- but somethingtells us they're not to be trusted.

PS3 hopefuls, part III: Best Buy shoos away Burbank campers

by Paul Miller, posted Nov 14th 2006 at 10:31AM

You know, for a minute there, just a fleeting moment, we thought Best Buy was for serious about its attempt this year at making the procurement of a next-gen console a bit less of the painful, scarring memory that the Xbox 360 launch was for many. Sure, Best Buy still might have a few tricks up its sleeve to appease the next-gen faithful, but to us this newfound love and acceptance of console crazies was best represented by the burgeoning line of Burbank-campers. But no longer. After waiting 4 days for the campers to settle in, Best Buy kicked the whole group of its property on Friday afternoon. No word on whether the decision is from corporate, the local mall or the local Best Buy management, but we do know that it's 4 days of non-showering, job-quitting and engagement-postponing all for naught. A true modern tragedy.

Geek Squad technician arrested for invading customer's shower

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 14th 2007 at 11:11AM
Sure, it's easy (and sadistically enjoyable) to bust on Best Buy, especially when it considers frugal shoppers "devils" and shoos away loyal customers holding down the fort for a PS3, but the latest knockagainst the retailer will be even tougher to shake. While it's no surprise that BB cashiers aren't the easiest to deal with when bringing back demolished goods, a pair of sisters also realized major holes in the company's personality screening process over at Geek Squad. Reportedly, a hired technician actually set up a cameraphone to record one of the siblings whilst she was taking a shower, but obviously wasn't sly enough to hide the "blinking red record light" from view. Subsequently, the violated duo supposedly ganked the internal flash card, made haste for a Verizon store to confirm the contents, and of course, phoned up the boys in blue to come take care of business. Needless to say, the shady criminal is now facing "two counts of invasion of privacy and one count of child molestation," but apparently it's still not a crime to charge clueless customers outrageous rates to tackle the simplest of tasks. Sheesh, where's the justice?

Universal mirrors: more useful, less fun than carnival mirrors

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 20th 2009 at 6:33AM

You know those invisibility cloaks scientists have been struggling to master for decades? This here is said cloak's perfect opposite, and it's bending our minds in ways you can hardly fathom. Ulf Leonhardt, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, has worked with a brilliant team of scientists in order to construct what he calls a universal mirror, or if we're being proper, an omnidirectional retroreflector. Unlike conventional mirrors which simply reflect objects at 90 degrees, this concoction reflects objects back at any angle. In other words, a device such as this would make aircraft, boats and satellites entirely easier to track with radar, but it'll have to mature quite a bit before it's ready for that kind of action. The current build is just a single centimeter high and ten centimeters in diameter, and as with invisibility cloaks, the main ingredient here is metamaterials that we won't pretend to fully understand. Just one word of caution, boffins -- don't let Geek Squad get ahold of this stuff.