tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62823543103054081192024-03-12T21:23:32.889-07:00Pyratooth´s PostingsPyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.comBlogger345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-1315892490242696252010-06-13T06:51:00.000-07:002010-06-13T08:18:23.906-07:00Pac-man, Oil Leaks And SinkholesOkay, we've had a couple of days last week that were 25+ which is welcome. It still seems like that cold winter wasn't all that long ago, so it's good to finally walk in the sun!<br /><br />Following another visit to Tokyo at the beginning of last month, it's been quiet again on here, so it's time to update with the news I've been gathering.<br /><br />The big news at the moment (aside from the start of the World cup in South Africa), is the capping of the leaking oil pipe in the Gulf of Mexico caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8657100.stm">This article</a> from the BBC came about a week after the accident happened and BP have only just managed to arrange a cap so that some of the oil can be tapped off, after their <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10174861.stm">top-kill</a> method failed. The hole still isn't fully plugged and revised estimates of the amount of oil leaking before the cap at 20-40K barrels per day. Needless to say Obama has been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10302371.stm">applying pressure</a> on BP to fix things as soon as possible, what with this being the largest environmental disaster in US history. Meanwhile Sir David King <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10278831.stm">points out</a> that accessing oil in increasingly remote locations such as deep sea should be a warning that it's high time we reduced our fossil fuel dependence.<br /><br />Pac-man turned 30 last month and it turns out that the shape of our munching friend is in fact based on a Pizza. <a href="http://www.nu.nl/games/2251557/pac-man-werd-ontwikkeld-vrouwen.html">This article</a> from Nu.nl describes how the idea was to create a game including cake and sweets to try to get more women into amusement arcades. To celebrate the birthday, Google added a version of the game to the company's logo, which <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10153286.stm">according </a>to the BBC cost $120m in lost productivity.<br /><br />And there's good news for gamers. Two hours of adrenaline pumping gaming action is equivalent to the same high as a line of coke. Nu.nl <a href="http://www.nu.nl/games/2254289/twee-uren-gamen-gelijk-lijntje-cocaine.html">reports </a>on British therapist Steve Pope's explanation as to why some teenagers play truant. And if the adrenaline becomes too much, in this busy world of always online, mobile communications, a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8714177.stm">moment for reflection</a> could actually be healthy.<br /><br />On the subject of gaming, I've only come across mole-rats as mutant creatures in Fallout 3. Apparently the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10088502.stm">real-deal</a> have a social behaviour more characteristic of ants than mammals. They look like one of nature's freak experiments, not unlike the duck-billed platypus.<br /><br />Not only Pac-man, but also the VW camper which <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8704175.stm">celebrates </a>60 years since it first went into production. Made famous during the hippie years, it is also popular with a some well-known celebrities.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8g_GeQR8fJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8g_GeQR8fJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Italian_Job">You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off</a>. A <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10161486.stm">botched </a>raid by a group of German robbers left a bank building in tatters and the ATM intact.<br /><br />Don't mess with comic book heroes. The owner of a comic book store who dressed as Spiderman for a promotional event in Adelaide, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8659278.stm\">caught a thief</a> red handed - way to go Spidy!<br /><br />In yet more proof that the human face aren't that far removed from our primate cousins, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8659000/8659411.stm">this report</a> from the BBC describes how observation of Bonobo chimps shows them sahking their heads in a disapproving "no" gesture.<br /><br />Newcastle Brown Ale is no longer brewed in the Newcastle area. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8696240.stm">reports </a>on how production has now moved to Yorkshire with over 50 jobs losses. Furthermore there is more sold in the US than there is in the UK. A sad day indeed.<br /><br />Google are expected to be releasing ChromeOS in the not too distant future, though the Financial Times <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d2f3f04e-6ccf-11df-91c8-00144feab49a.html">report </a>they have apparently ditched using Windows in the lap citing security issues.<br /><br />Lot's of news that makes science fiction become reality. As if we haven't screwed up the balance of nature enough, Nature News <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100502/full/news.2010.213.html">reports </a>how lasers could be used to stimulate condensation in the air producing showers on demand. Reminds me of Kate Bush's Cloudbusting. Next up, like something from a science fiction move, the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10150614.stm">reports </a>on a zombie satellite that required a complex space manoeuvre to avoid a collision.<br /><br />French scientists have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to create electricity. <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218092846.htm">This article</a> from Science Daily desceribes how a catcus was used as a bio fuel cell to create an alternative source of solar energy. One of the short-term applications would be to add such a cell under the skin of patients relying on biomedical devices.<br /><br />The Mars500 project <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10197470.stm">has begun</a>, with 6 volunteers being locked into a module with nothing more than a slowly degrading email connection to the outside world, while they perform simulated planet surface missions.<br /><br />Like something from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119644/">Fringe</a>, a British scientist has implanted himself with a chip, not unlike those used to chip pets, and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10158517.stm">successfully infected</a> external systems. Considering the potential for RFID ships in the future this is a wonderful proof of concept. Another surreal incident that could just as easily have come from the same show. a sink hole caused by recent floods in Guatemala left a perfectly round 60 metre shaft where a road juntion and buildings once stood.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g219x6DlVRQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g219x6DlVRQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />Finishing on a sci-fi note, June is the month that Star Trek fans visit <a href="http://www.google.nl/images?q=Planet+Vulcan&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=vPEUTK-IEZWJOMHXmNIF&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEEQsAQwAw">Vulcan</a>...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan,_Alberta">Canada</a>, and this year is a bit special as the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10203567.stm">reports</a>, because the legendary Leonard Nimoy has visited the small town personally to put it firmly on the map and show appreciation for support of the franchise after all these years.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-13137505130957449702010-05-02T09:34:00.000-07:002010-05-02T11:18:56.838-07:00Imposed Internet SabbaticalMy internet connection died on the 26 March 2010. I had an old suybscribtion that I was, to be honest, paying too much for. The modem somehow seemed to have lost its settings and couldn't contact the DNS server - no IP, no internet.<br /><br />So I took the opportunity to purchase an upgrade (which will be done in two phases), and hopefully I'll have a fibre connection of around 40mbps in a month's time.<br /><br />In the meantime there have been quite a few stories, so I'll try to summarise them chronologically here. First up the victim of the lorry shunt that so was so widely publicised on the net has <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1259610/My-nightmare-oblivious-60mph-tanker-driver-shunted-sideways-A1-minute.html">spoken of her fear</a>. <br /><br />A chilling tale from history, which is maybe somewhat appropriate now given the plethora of vampire related TV shows and films the last couple of years, such as Moonlight, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and even less directly related series like Charmed and Supernatural. The BBC's tale starts in Glasgow in 1954 when an <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8574484.stm">urban myth </a>was generated suurounding monsters seen in a graveyard. It was eventually attributed to hallucinations caused by reading sinister comic books and so the authorities clamped down on the publications. The sorry part is that they were looking for a scapegoat to ban American comic books which were supposedly a bad influence on children, which reminds me all to much of the current crusade against video games.<br /><br />The UK finally has its <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8579270.stm">own space agency</a> says the BBC. After many years participating in ESA, the new agency is supposed to manage budgets and make decision making more efficient. I hope that the fact the UK has its own logo, that maybe there will be more promotion for space technology and engineering in general to inspire young people.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/436202main_pacmanmimas-full.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/436202main_pacmanmimas-full.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />If that's not enough, Pacman lives on the Saturnian moon Mimas courtesy of this image from NASA.<br /><br />In an Easter related post, the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8580146.stm">report </a>on how the depiction of The Last Supper has grown from a meager to a super-sized feast. Over the years meals have grown in size along with general prosperity, and painters through the centuries have reflected this in their translations of Jesus' final meal.<br /><br />Portal is to get a sequel - hooray! Following a mysterious couple of updates involving strange transmissions from the radios to be found in each level, and a subtle change in the closing scene of the game, Valve have confirmed the suspicions. Furthermore, Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/doing-science-jonathan-coulton-to-create-music-for-portal-2.ars">reports </a>that Jonathan Coulton who got so much publicity from "Still Alive" will be doing music for the new game, due out at the end of this year in time for Christmas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ic.tweakimg.net/ext/i/imagenormal/1260262857.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 244px;" src="http://ic.tweakimg.net/ext/i/imagenormal/1260262857.jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Tweakers.net <a href="http://tweakers.net/nieuws/66352/browsers-moeten-cookies-van-reclamenetwerken-standaard-weigeren.html">report </a>that the European privacy watchdog want to impose the restriction of cookies, such that users must always be explicitly given the choice of whether to allow them or not for every site they visit. This may be a pain for Joe Average who does not realise that login sessions and shopping baskets are powered by them, potentially creating more harm than good. It would be a step in the wrong direction if users for "Always accept" when the goal of the EDPS is to avoid the creation of clandestine browsing profiles about users.<br /><br />Justice has come for Omari Roberts who was attacked by two robbers as he entered his mother's home one night and stabbed one of them to death. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8629395.stm">reports </a>that the second robber changed his story which corroborated Omari's version of events and the case was dismissed. And so it should have.<br /><br />Climate change has conveniently solved the problem of a disputed Bay of Bengal island by making it <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8584665.stm">disappear beneath the waves</a>, according to the BBC. Scientists say it won't be last one either.<br /><br />In OS land, the next version of Ubuntu Lucid Lynx will not only shift from brown to aubergine in its default theme, it will also incorporate a music store, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2010/03/hands-on-ubuntu-one-music-store-will-rock-in-lucid-lynx.ars">say </a>Ars. In the meantime, Microsoft are promising h.264 support and full HTML compatibility, but Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/can-microsoft-really-build-a-better-browser.ars">questions </a>their philosophy of bring fixed releases, rather than their competitors more frequent updates, which provide new functionality as it becomes available.<br /><br />Another famous TV actor Robert Culp has passed way. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8586296.stm">reports </a>on how he made his fame in America with Bill Cosby in the series I Spy, but is a recognised face in many later films and TV shows. RIP Robert.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Fucking,+5121+Tarsdorf,+Braunau+am+Inn,+Ober%C3%B6sterreich,+Austria&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.885545,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fucking,+Austria&cd=1&geocode=FY123QIdijvEAA&split=0&ll=48.068237,12.860298&spn=0.160596,0.291824&z=11&iwloc=A&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&q=Fucking,+5121+Tarsdorf,+Braunau+am+Inn,+Ober%C3%B6sterreich,+Austria&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.885545,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fucking,+Austria&cd=1&geocode=FY123QIdijvEAA&split=0&ll=48.068237,12.860298&spn=0.160596,0.291824&z=11&iwloc=A" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />The famous Austrian village proudly boasts its own beer, appropriatly named Fucking Hell, which <a href="http://www.nu.nl/opmerkelijk/2213238/fucking-hell-toch-europees-merk-bier.html">according to </a>Nu.nl has been approved as a registered European beer brand.<br /><br />The catholic church are having a hard time of it lately with all those pedo-priests being exposed <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8587082.stm">says </a>the BBC. An isolated case, then maybe a verbal apology and a promise to make things right would have been sufficient. But this is endemic and as far as I'm concerned it's time of an independent investigation to expose the cover-up and protection that the Vatican must have been giving all these years.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lAl28d6tbko&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lAl28d6tbko&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />There's been a hell of lot hype around the iPad, an oversized iPhone with no keyboard. Our friends at Blendtec haven't let us down.<br /><br />Further news in brief; Ricky <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8594121.stm">came out</a>, anthropologists discover the ancient human <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8583254.stm">X-woman</a>, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8587131.stm">Ada Lovelace</a>, Babbage's assistant and the first ever programmer is still the number one tech heroine, Apple <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5520479/a-letter-apple-wants-its-secret-iphone-back">lost </a>their next-gen iPhone, the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8607214.stm">Nord Stream </a>pipeline construction has begun while in America an <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/04/it-looks-like-time-to-build-an-atlantic-seaboard-wind-grid.ars">Eastern seaboard windfarm </a>is on the cards, , life on Earth has been found that <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8609246.stm">does not require oxygen</a>, and Graham Norton disrupts the season's opening episode of Doctor Who...<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8642854.stm">again</a>.<br /><br />Oh, and one more thing: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/sco-loses-again-jury-says-novell-owns-unix-svrx-copyrights.ars">SCO does not own Unix</a>!Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-91917079136285832582010-03-20T10:40:00.000-07:002010-03-20T12:23:17.075-07:00Supersonic Cars, 25 Years .com, Leprechauns And Lorry ShuntingSpring is finally here, with temperatures exceeding 10C for the first time in 4 months! It sure has been long winter.<br /><br />Funny how the media grabs a topic and milks it. Not only Toyota and GM have had large scale recalls recently, but Honda are also doing it to 400K vehicles in the US <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8571118.stm">says </a>the BBC. Since the media keep reporting this, many would think this is some kind of new wave sweeping the auto industry, when in fact recalls are not unusual.<br /><br />Richard Noble and hist crew are going at it again, with the sequel to Thrust SSC. The new supersonic car called <a href="http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/">Bloodhound </a>will have expanding aluminium wheels to cope with the forces it will have to endure. The attempt to push the land speed record to 1000mph is set for the end of 2011 in South Africa.<br /><br />The internet celebrated a milestone this week with the 25th anniversary of Symbolic's registration as the first commercial (.com) domain. The BBC explains the history <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8567414.stm">here</a>.<br /><br />Peter Graves of Mission Impossible series fame passed away <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8567400.stm">this week</a>. RIP: mission accomplished!<br /><br />More evidence about the online music sales business model, with <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8567099.stm">the report</a> that the amount from online royalties is growing faster than the decline from CDs and DVDs. Now when the publishers going to stop whining and embrace the new medium.<br /><br />It seems that modern day scientists are a short sighted folk. Like GM crops that only seem to be tested against a single cause and effect, we now have a proposal to add iron to the worlds seas, so that their ability to absorb CO2 is increased. Unfortunately the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8569351.stm">reports </a>that more iron means that the algae produce more of a nerve toxin that affects marine life and birds.<br /><br />TCO is the key cost factor for enterprises and Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/survey-macs-cost-notably-less-to-support-than-windows-pcs.ars">reports </a>on a survey by the Enterprise Desktop Alliance that Macs are in the long run cheaper to maintain than Windows PCs.<br /><br /><object height="320" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Id_kGL3M5Cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Id_kGL3M5Cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="320" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br />The Playboy Channel got some early morning airplay in parts of North Carolina this week. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8571798.stm">tells </a>of how the preview windows of a children's on demand station were showing hot babes instead.<br /><br />The French have made a TV program based on the famous 1960s experiment, where members of the public take part in an experiment in which a man is given electric shocks when answering questions incorrectly, the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8573755.stm">reports</a>. Television is reaching new levels of sensationalism, so personally this stuff is unnecessary for me. But I wonder how long will it be before it we get copycat shows sold throughout the rest of the world?<br /><br />It was St. Patricks Day this week and the BBC has an article on how officers in Nashville decided to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8573736.stm">celebrate </a>by shooting a leprechaun. In this case it was a bank robber, who together with his getaway driver were deactivated following a shootout.<br /><br />In yet another example of how much big brother power the web potentially has and how the weakest link in cyber security are the employees, Wired <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8573736.stm">reports </a>on how an ex-garage worker used a remote deactivation system to set off the horns on 100 vehicles. It was only that he left his IP address unprotected that authorities managed to trace him.<br /><br />The Amsterdam Historical Museum are showing an exhibit from by Kienholz depicting the red light district in the 1980s. It is not as likely to shock the Dutch residents as much as those in London, where it has already been shown in the National Gallery.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AbSpPOeeuyA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AbSpPOeeuyA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />The Polish Auschwitz trio that nicked the famous sign from the site have been sentenced to up to 2.5 years in jail <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8574343.stm">say </a>the BBC. A trial was deemed unnecessary since the perpetrators had already admitted to the theft.<br /><br />Science <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/327/5972/1527-b/DC1">reports </a>on the creation of a 3D invisibility cloak of nanometer scale that hides a bump, by using fibre type structures and a laser to change the refractive index. When the object is viewed from any angle, the surface appears flat.<br /><br />Finally a bizarre film from YouTube prompts officers from North Yorkshire to re-investigate a motorway shunting incident.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lze88sU9IGg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lze88sU9IGg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object>Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-69060362653621657582010-03-14T11:43:00.000-07:002010-03-14T12:26:45.285-07:00Mad Toyota Hoaxes And Other StoriesThe media reported two Toyota incidents this week. The first one involving James Sikes who claimed his 2008 Prius accelerated out of control turned <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento.html">out to be BS</a>. His claims to the media have been dismissed on closer examination and he has a previous history of bankruptcy and insurance fraud. The <a href="http://www.ehlinelaw.com/pages/4108/new-york-prius-accident.htm">second incident</a> involved a housekeeper who hit a wall after an apparent sudden acceleration. In this case there were injuries, though it is too early to say if this was a driving error or a technical fault.<br /><br />The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8555378.stm">reports </a>on a plan to introduce a natural enemy of the Japanese knotweed, a plant introduced to the UK in Victorian times that is very hardy and has been even known to disrupt building sites. I do worry about these tactics in the same way as I do about GM foods, in that a proven one-to-one relation between pest and plant does not mean that there will be other consequences, such as effects on native species.<br /><br />More news on the Auschwitz sign theft. The Swedish suspect will be extradited to Poland to stand trial, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8562445.stm">according </a>to the BBC.<br /><br />The LHC will be a shutdown for a year at the end 2011 to repair errors in the design that prevent the machine from working at full power under safe conditions. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8556621.stm">reports </a>that scientists admit that unique projects of this size are their own prototypes, so their is always risk of a design fault. For conspiracy theorists, a year after the end of 2011 means the 2012, so those of us worried about black holes and the end of the world have something more to worry about.<br /><br />The 512-byte block size has had its day <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8557144.stm">say </a>the BBC. Disks have become so large that the number of blocks required for error detection reduces the effective amount left over for real use. 4K will be the new standard, but apparently Windows XP users will be out of luck because drivers will only 512 bytes, forcing disks to run in slower, compatibility mode.<br /><br />OnLive is finally scheduled to go live in June this year. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8556874.stm">call it</a> a console killer, and there conceptually it could be. I just hope they can guarantee the server power needed to run games like Crysis for thousands of user over the net and you'll probably need a decent multiple-Mbps connection too.<br /><br />My Mental Radio has been playing two tracks persistently this week. Maybe I should make this a regular feature:<br /><br />Long Long Way From Home - Foreigner<br />Lethal Weapon - Honeymoon SuitePyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-43218853257044598832010-03-06T08:40:00.001-08:002010-03-06T10:11:23.832-08:00March Is HereMarch is finally here though it's still rather cold for the time of year. Things are supposed to get more spring like next week. It's about time. It's rarely got above 4 or 5 degrees since the middle of December and though we haven't any really deep snowfall, we've had it regularly enough to disrupt traffic, rail and airports.<br /><br />This post summarises news from the past couple of weeks. China and its internet censorship policies have been cropping regularly in the press. <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7009749.ece">This report</a> from The Times online suggests that China are indeed bugging western nations.<br /><br />In a follow up to the pinching of the sign at Auschwitz, the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8493723.stm">reports </a>that a Swede is being sought by authorities for authorising the theft.<br /><br />The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8493092.stm">reports </a>on a study in which people are about 20ms faster when reacting rather than initiating. This would mean that the one who draws first in a gun fight would be at a disadvantage.<br /><br />There is an official explanation about why WTC 7 collapsed in what appeared to be a controlled demolition. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7485331.stm">report </a>states that media film never saw the side of the building that was facing the twin towers when they collapsed and that this side was badly damaged by debris. Also the building was constructed over metro so that that it was more likely to fall in on itself. I'm afraid is does not convince me. If only one side of the building was affected, I still cannot understand why the 47 story tower came straight down.<br /><br />New Scientist <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18522-offtheshelf-camera-hacked-to-grab-highspeed-video.html">reports </a>on how physiologists have hacked a 25fps camera to produce 400fps images!<br /><br />Ants will sacrifice themselves by moving out of a colony if they find themselves sick <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8516000/8516017.stm">says </a>the BBC. Also bat's are <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0008993">not affected</a> by alcohol when it comes to flying.<br /><br />The Brits have decided to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8518982.stm">start drilling</a> for oil in the Falkland islands. Argentina is not pleased and has the backing of the likes of Chavez who says the time for playing empire is long over.<br /><br />The British National Archives have released UFO files. Read them <a href="http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/">here</a>.<br /><br />Yes, no, yes...finally! The Dutch have NS have announced that from March 2010 it will be possible to internet in the train! Story from Tweakers.net <a href="http://tweakers.net/nieuws/65689/ns-start-in-maart-met-internet-in-treinen.html">here</a>.<br /><br />It is possible to bank sleep. If you know you are going to have a long day then extra sleep beforehand will make you feel fitter <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8504867.stm">say </a>the BBC.<br /><br />I have to admit liking girls with curves and broad hips. <a href="http://www.nu.nl/lifestyle/2191251/zandloperfiguur-werkt-als-drug-mannenhersenen.html">This article</a> from Nu.nl explains that the site of an hourglass figure tickles part of the brain associated with rewards and has a drug inducing effect. I'm not complaining, though some people don't appreciate the female figure, especially when a Venus de Milo is created <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8551528.stm">out of snow</a>.<br /><br />Apple's iTunes store has celebrated their <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8536145.stm">10 billionth</a> download. Now when is the music industry going to get up of its arse and do something constructive, now that there is proven business model for selling music online.<br /><br />Men At Work's fight over the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8536689.stm">kookaburra </a>is not over yet according to the BBC. EMI have backed them up saying that the copyright does not actually belong to the company making the claim.<br /><br />A drop of oil in some acid can <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/ja9076793">solve a maze</a> faster than a rat.<br /><br />It has taken longer than I thought but Ars Technica <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/02/internet-overtakes-print-in-news-consumption-among-americans.ars">reports </a>on how the internet has finally beaten print as a primary news source in the US.<br /><br />In a worrying development, a GM potato has been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8545503.stm">approved </a>for use by farmers. Though luckily not fit for human consumption, it is impossible to test every effect and side-effect from using a GM crop, affecting parasites, the food chain etc.<br /><br />A report from Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/03/coming-to-a-p2p-network-near-you-your-medical-records.ars">indicates </a>that it is possible to obtain medical records using P2P techniques. Think twice about sending medical information in plain email or storing it on your PC.<br /><br />While publishers are <a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1073399p1.html">afraid to touch</a> 6 Days In Falluja, there is more <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8548707.stm">evidence </a>that munitions have caused birth defects in the city.<br /><br />The recent 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chili may have caused the Earth's rotation to speed up, shaving 1.26 microseconds of a day. BBC explains the mechanics <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8547955.stm">here</a>.<br /><br />Ubuntu have dropped their Earthy brown tints for a more purple/aubergine style. There's more to see at Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/ubuntu-dumps-the-brown-introduces-new-theme.ars">here</a>.<br /><br />In the true spirit of openness and freedom, North Korea have introduced their own Linux distribution, <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http://ashen-rus.livejournal.com/4300.html&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1#cutid1">Red Star</a>. Meanwhile in South Korea, a couple have been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8551122.stm">arrested </a>for neglecting their newborn as a result of internet addiction.<br /><br />Finally some amazing photo shots, the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8530165.stm">first </a>from the Boneyard, the largest plane cemetery in the world and the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4392965590">second </a>courtesy of NASA and their Blue Marble project.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-27248509218677020352010-01-31T06:49:00.000-08:002010-01-31T08:03:16.990-08:00Welcome to 2010!It's been a busy couple of months what with moving house in November and of course Christmas and New Year. Finally I have made time to publish all those links that I saved. So here a summary of what I thought were notable events around the turn of the new decade.<br /><br />First off, a public protest at the weak security of Facebook. I don't have an account on it because I find it far too easy to profile me and then there's the duty of updating your status and checking your "wall". Maybe I'm just anti-social in its most literal form, but it could be worse; I could be using Twitter. In any case Facebook <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/10/facebook.groups.hacked/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn">got hacked in November</a> to prove a point. <br />So, after that the Iranian cyber army had a go at Twitter in December. Gory details <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/18/twitter.hacked/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn">here</a>.<br /><br />Intel and AMD <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8357266.stm">settled up</a> in November. There has always been rivalry between the two, especially since AMD needs rights from Intel to be able to do anything with the common or garden x86 PC architecture. But Intel have been hit some anti-trust litigation and shown to have played some dirty tricks to maintain their market lead.<br /><br />Copier paper could be the future of battery technology <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8401566.stm">according to</a> the BBC. One advantage is that being lighter than traditional materials, it is an ideal applications in electric cars.<br /><br />For the James Bond wannabes, the CIA have <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8380329.stm">published a manual</a> on their tricks of deception.<br /><br />Octopus have one of the largest brains in the marine world. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8408233.stm">This article</a> from the BBC shows how they pick up coconut shells and carry them off, using them as a protective cover.<br /><br />A novel use for an old red phone box; a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/8385313.stm">village public library</a>.<br /><br />The genetic code of cancer <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8414124.stm">has been cracked</a> according to the BBC. Smokers trigger a gene mutation every 15 cigarettes and it is hoped that by tracking gene mutations caused by cancer, it will be possible to prevent and maybe even cure some types in the future.<br /><br />However metal god Ronnie James Dio was <a href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=131004">diagnosed with stomach cancer</a>. Let's hope he's up and running again soon.<br /><br />In the run up to Christmas it was revealed that the Vatican did not provides its full cooperation with regard to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8382010.stm">child abuse cases</a> in Ireland.<br /><br />"Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow". A New Zealand billboard caused a stir shortly before christmas, as described in <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8417963.stm">this</a> BBC article.<br /><br />A vocal protest at the British royal family outside a premiere in London. Whether you agree or not with the sentiment, at least it shows there is some freedom of speech in the UK. You'd probably be arrested for this in US.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qAQrsA3m8Bg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qAQrsA3m8Bg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />The Italian police managed to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8388128.stm">prang their prize Lambo</a>.<br /><br />"Arbeit Macht Frei". The Auschwitz sign <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8420053.stm">got nicked</a> by a couple of Poles in December. Luckily the sign was later tracked down although it had been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8423827.stm">cut into three</a> sections. To me that's as bad as desecrating a grave.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8389482.stm">Risky domain names</a> sees Cameron (.cm) at the top of the list, followed by China (.cn) and Samoa (.ws).<br /><br />Marilyn Monroe liked the odd <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8390220.stm">bit of pot</a> according to the BBC.<br /><br />The LHC has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8375486.stm">finally done</a> its first bit of sub-atomic smashing - hurray! Then we had <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/02/lhc_power_failure_again/">another power failure</a> in December - boo! Though in related news, it probably won't hit the carts but a song <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8430362.stm">has been recorded</a> about the LHC in celebration of the Higgs boson. The intention is to promote and inspire science to the younger generation.<br /><br />As The World Turns, one of the longest running soaps ever has finally been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8403036.stm">terminated</a>.<br /><br />This happened above Norway, sparking all kinds of UFO fears or the second coming. It was probably a Russian missile outside the Earths atmosphere that went awry, but it paints a pretty picture.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iIg5eczY5Ms&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iIg5eczY5Ms&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />Christmas Day had just been and gone when Turkey demanded they <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8432314.stm">wanted the bones of St. Nicholas back</a>. Perfect timing.<br /><br />A Spanish MP was used as the basis for a digital <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8463657.stm">photo fit of Osama Bin Laden</a>. The FBI used the photo without the MPs permission. Think twice about that mugshot they take when you cross the US border.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/8459230.stm">RIP Otto</a>, who at over 20 years old was officially the world's oldest dog. Also <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8376053.stm">RIP Lucky</a>, the worlds oldest sheep at 23 years old.<br /><br />Gunsights with <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8468981.stm">biblical references</a> inscribed on them. Fuel to the fire for those who think the current conflict in Afghanistan isn't in some way regligiously motivated.<br /><br /><a href="http://oldcomputers.net/">Old computers</a> illustrates how much has changed in such a short time. Ideal for those who understand the bits and bytes and are looking for a trip down memory lane.<br /><br />Humunculus. Rotting fruit has never been so scary.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5hyvdKpufUI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5hyvdKpufUI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><br /><br />A an environmentally friendly <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8350770.stm">"cloud" tower</a> above London is one architects dream for the Olympic village.<br /><br />Tactical Nuclear Penguin is at 32% the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm">world's strongest beer</a>.<br /><br />Oink, the membership driven site where you could access your MP3s from anywhere has finally been <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/oink-founder-free-after-two-plus-years-of-legal-troubles.ars">cleared of all piracy charges</a>.<br /><br />Men respond to the smell of ovulating women, from an <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113122514.htm">article</a> in Science daily. However claiming prior art, this looks very similar to a 2007 IgNoble involving <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6H-4PS640T-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8ab256182d3cbfef93ca7b34b5116303">lap dancers</a>.<br /><br />And finally, as the result of a Chinese hacking incident involving Google and an Internet Explorer exploit, Microsoft have finally declared IE6 officially <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/01/microsoft-wants-you-to-ditch-windows-xp-and-ie6-for-security.ars">dead</a>. Now that is a resounding start to the New Year!Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-43570429019676446512009-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:002009-11-08T08:55:42.889-08:00McLaren T.27Unexpected move for a F1 team, but they have developed a short range electric vehicle for cummting and short runs, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8344532.stm">says</a> the BBC. The design is such that its is as light as possible (600kg), can travel up to 60mph and does 100 miles on single charge. Three prototypes are planned for the coming year and a half.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-28625451028344218612009-11-08T08:34:00.000-08:002009-11-08T08:50:10.949-08:00Bald Bears And Bird StoriesSome nature related articles this week. The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8345550.stm">first</a> is about bears in a Leipzig Zoo that are going bald. Vets are not entirely sure of the cause but suspect that it may have to do with the climate. The bears in question are from South America and not used to a temperate climate. The zoo admits that they are not very good at reproducing original habitat and that hte same problem has been seen at other zoos.<br />Then we have a video of the spatuletail hummingbird's mating ritual. The little fellow has a fork tail with a blue flap at each end and uses these while flitting from branch to branch to impress the female. Slow motion video from the BBC is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8338000/8338728.stm">here</a>.<br />Finally a sad story about a spoonbill that was being tracked by a nature conservation trust. The birds are rare and protected in the Netherlands. Nu.nl <a href="http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/2117574/lepelaar-harrie-gesneuveld-in-frankrijk.html">reports</a> on the bird, named Harrie being shot by a French hunter on its trek to Africa for the winter.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-87527540231869859072009-11-08T08:26:00.001-08:002009-11-08T08:31:23.899-08:00Intel Charged With BriberyFollowing <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8047546.stm">hot on the heels</a> of the European anti-trust case against Intel, they are now being done by a court in a New York for bribery, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8343179.stm">according</a> to the BBC. Now I'm not an AMD fan-boy, though I tend to find AMDs product are better value in low-mid range of processors. But when Intel have been paying off computer makers to favour their gear, it kind of makes you want to favour the competition doesn't it?Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-63395174857678341992009-11-08T08:20:00.000-08:002009-11-08T08:25:53.881-08:00New Anti-Terrorist Weapon: BearsThe BBC has a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm">story</a> on a a camp of Kashmir militants that was attacked by a bear. Two militants were killed. Turned out that the cave they were sheltering in was the bear's den. Although armed with assault rifles, they so taken by surprise that they fled.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-80277640865383362712009-11-08T08:16:00.000-08:002009-11-08T08:20:32.077-08:00Illegal Music Downloaders Buy MoreIn yet more evidence against the practices of the RIAA and such, The Independent has <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/illegal-downloaders-spend-the-most-on-music-says-poll-1812776.html">news</a> of a study carried out on internet users between the ages of 16 and 50 and their downloading habits. The evidence showed the users who downloaded MP3s illegally spent more on music than those that didn't, indicating that file sharers are music lovers. Yet another call to the record industry to change business models.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-57392773385827404312009-11-01T06:50:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:55:16.204-08:00Boulder Colorado Naked Pumpkin Run Falls FlatThe BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8336308.stm">reports</a> on how the police successfully scared off competitors on the traditional Halloween naked pumpkin run in Boulder, Colorado. Threats of arrests for indecent exposure were enough to stop revelers, who normally run down the street in nothing but shoes and a pumpkin on their head. Although there were some competitors, the police say they were sufficiently covered to avoid arrest and a potential listing in the sex offenders register.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-10717758864811764142009-11-01T06:40:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:50:00.221-08:00Fallout 3: Golden Joystick Game Of The YearCongratulations to Bethesda for winning the <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=226385">Ultimate Game award</a>. As far as I'm concerned it was well deserved. I've yet to play the downloadable content expansions, so maybe I'll buy the special edition that comes with the expansions. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_10000000/newsid_10002600/10002660.stm">report</a> that the awards are in their 27th year and this time 1.2m people voted!Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-36213268737455883492009-11-01T06:34:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:38:26.007-08:00Scientology Convicted Of FraudThe French have convicted the church of Scientology of fraud and fined them 600K Euros. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8327569.stm">reports</a> that the case came about after two women alleged they were manipulated into paying thousands of Euros to the church in th '90s. The church say they will appeal and are confident of winning since this has happened before in other countries. France, like Germany, consider the church a sect and not a religion.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-87855538989617721842009-11-01T06:29:00.001-08:002009-11-01T06:32:52.752-08:00Curry Kills CancerOnce again the medical benefits of curry have been shown, thanks to work by the Cork Cancer Research Centre. This time curcumin is shown to be effective against throat cancer, killing cells within 24 hours of introduction and even triggering cancer cells to kill themselves, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8328377.stm">says</a> the BBC. Now where's that madras?Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-28795085026031929732009-11-01T06:22:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:28:48.811-08:00Happy 40th Birthday Arpanet!The first step towards the internet, DARPA's Arpanet, took place 40 years ago this week. The BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8331253.stm">reports</a> on how a remote login was established between UCLA and Stanford networks, with the intention of better utilisation and sharing of computer resources. The test proved that it was possible to connect two networks with a telephone line. The test proved that packet switching (breaking large messages down into chunks and sorting them like a post office sorting office) was more efficient than having to wait for a complete message to arrive before forwarding it. This was the first step towards a "network of networks", the building blocks of todays internet.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-41800371226484410502009-11-01T05:59:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:22:04.768-08:00Hold You Wii Costs $16mThe radio station promotion in January 2007 that cost a woman her life from water poisoning has been ordered to pay $16m compensation, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8333197.stm">said</a> the BBC. The Hold Your Wee For A Wii contest involved participants drinking water without taking a leak, with the one holding out the longest winning a Wii console. Jennifer Strange lost the competition but also paid with her life not long afterwards.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-64557337343858295982009-10-25T08:11:00.000-07:002009-10-25T08:16:22.750-07:00Jesus In IKEAFollowing reports in recent years ranging from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPo411ysueM">toast</a> to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8071865.stm">marmite</a>, it seems the son of God also likes his Swedish furniture, with his face turning up at the Glasgow IKEA store, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6373674/Jesuss-face-spotted-on-the-toilet-door-in-Ikea-Glasgow.html">says</a> The Telegraph. Is this another sign of the second coming, Armageddon or 2012? Or we does the Internet generation just have a really good imagination.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-51520379737330123732009-10-25T08:02:00.000-07:002009-10-25T08:06:32.179-07:00Missing The Airport By 150 MilesThis week should reveal some interesting results about what really happened on NW188 to Minneapolis, which failed to make radio contact and missed the airport by 150 miles. Air traffic controllers feared a hijacking and had to request nearby planes to make contact on the last known frequency before the pilots responded. Contrary to media reports there was no alcohol or arguing involved, though perhaps a heated discussion was to blame. CNN reports <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/10/23/airliner.fly.by/index.html?iref=mpstoryview">here</a>.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-43897907862114478462009-10-25T07:46:00.000-07:002009-10-25T08:02:26.348-07:00Windows 7It's here. The Vista killer. There seems to be too much hype at the moment about what kind of new features it brings. Looking around it seems like they've taken feedback from users to optimise performance and touch up the user experience a bit over the last 2.5 years. To be honest looking at the reviews and Microsoft's own requirements for <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/system-requirements.aspx">Vista</a> and <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/system-requirements.aspx">Windows 7</a>, Windows 7 looks like Vista, has the same requirements as Vista with a more user friendly UAC and a bit of extra eye candy like tool bar preview Windows.<br />What's pissing me off a bit is the calls in the media that Windows 7 seems to have a smaller footprint than Vista. The system requirements from Microsoft themselves show that the footprint is the same and in fact 7 requires slightly more minimum disk space. Even Vista came with a miniumum requirements list that 7 doesn't seem to have. If this was based on user experience I could understand it, but it is the media that are saying and I'm sure they haven't tried to install it on 5 year old hardware. Also don't forget that 2.5 years has passed so 7 on new hardware will always be faster than Vista was on what was new hardware 2.5 years ago.<br />So if you ask me, this looks more like what Windows 98SE was to Windows 98 than anything truly groundbreaking. I do agree with the claim that this could be the last tru client OS from MS, considering the growing importance of mobile and cloud computing. In any case, MS had a launch party, reported on The Register <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/22/windows_7_launch_party/page2.html">here</a>.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-80170492115101905782009-10-18T05:36:00.000-07:002009-10-18T05:46:35.513-07:00R2D2 In Star Trek XI<a href="http://luuk1983.tweakblogs.net/blog/2939/r2d2-in-star-trek-(2009).html">This</a> blog post tells of a cameo appearance of R2D2 in the latest Star Trek film. Industrial Light and Magic which was first set up by George Lucas of Star Wars fame included the droid in the scene in which the enterprise comes out of warp into a debris field around Vulcan.<br /><object width="400" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_tGTS1nUidM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_tGTS1nUidM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="320"></embed></object>Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-11844848259228989702009-10-18T05:32:00.000-07:002009-10-18T05:36:42.330-07:00Sci-Fi RealityThe BBC magazine has an <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8310420.stm">article</a> about applications of technology popular in science fiction series. Unfortunately the only thing that looks to have any kind of application is induction as means to wireless charge electronic devices, though personally I find induction which is used for toothbrushes and shavers very ineffecient, when at the same time we are supposed to be saving energy.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-20615144810843063402009-10-18T05:24:00.001-07:002009-10-18T05:30:16.483-07:00Smartphones Sap Cellular CapacitySmartphones are selling like hot cakes at the moment, while the rest of the mobile market sags. However their increased popularity may have an undesired side effect. Ars <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/10/smartphones-suck-8x-more-cellular-capacity-than-laptops.ars">reports</a> on how smartphones consume up to 8 times as much cellular bandwidth than laptops because they are constantly determining their location and other actions that a laptop connection that does not. It takes only three smartphones to generate the same signaling impact as a laptop, though of course the amount of data downloaded is much smaller.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-9293386199197147572009-10-18T05:18:00.000-07:002009-10-18T05:24:03.571-07:00Computer Game ViolenceTwo cases this week of how computing games lead to violence (yeah, right). <a href="http://www.sk-gaming.com/content/26654-Starcraft_player_charged_after_knife_attack">Firstly</a> a Finnish guy gets so pissed off with his broken Internet connection during a spot of online play, that he decides to go out and stab the first person he finds, in this case a 15 year old girl. <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/13/florida.teen.burned/index.html">Secondly</a> a disagreement that started with the purchase of a video game led to a teenager being set alight. I hope this doesn't fuel the whole violence debate again. Some groups just need a scapegoat instead of looking at the real issues of responsibility and upbringing.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282354310305408119.post-73160535333539666382009-10-18T05:08:00.000-07:002009-10-18T05:18:26.236-07:00'Leccy MagneticThe BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8307804.stm">reports</a> on how spin ice has been used to demonstrate magnetic currents, in a similar way to how electric currents exist. I always find experiments at a few degrees Kelvin a little hard to fathom, since the best they can do is demonstrate the existence of a property or behaviour. In this case decaying muons were used to show the direction of movement of the magnetic charge, not unlike iron filings. By placing a magnetic field on one side of the crystals, they were able to show that the magnetic particles were attracted in the same way that a electrons do in an electric field. Manipulating these magnetic currents could have computing applications, but once again, we are talking about very specific properties of very specific materials at a few degrees K. They'll need to find similar propoerties in more accessible materials if this is going to be applied to anything at all.Pyrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632722140983652973noreply@blogger.com0