Slashdot: Hardware
http://hardware.slashdot.org/
News for nerds, stuff that mattersen-usCopyright 1997-2008, SourceForge, Inc. All Rights Reserved.2009-07-10T14:50:21+00:00SourceForge, Inc.help@slashdot.orgTechnologyhourly11970-01-01T00:00+00:00Slashdot: Hardwarehttp://s.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicslashdot.gif
http://hardware.slashdot.org/
Getting a Classic PC Working After 25 Years?
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/kzFTSMdgNVY/Getting-a-Classic-PC-Working-After-25-Years
tunersedge writes "Yesterday I dug out of my parents' basement a PC they had bought brand new in 1984: Epson Equity I personal computer; 512K RAM; 82-key keyboard; 2 (count 'em!, 2) 5.25" floppy disk drives; 13' RGB monitor (with contrast/brightness knobs); handy on/off switch; healthy 25-year-old yellowed plastic; absolutely no software. (My mom ran a pre-school, and they used it to keep records and payroll. I cut my programming teeth on this thing. GW-Basic was my friend. Kings Quest screens took 2 minutes to load when you walked into a new one.) When I resurrected this machine I pulled the case off, dusted out a little, and plugged it in. It actually fired up! I'm stoked, except the disks we had are missing. What I'm looking to do is either buy some old working disks with whatever I can find (MS-DOS 3.22, GW-Basic, whatever), or try and recreate some using a USB-based floppy drive and some modern software. Has anyone tried to resurrect a PC this old before?"<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/10/1334244/Getting-a-Classic-PC-Working-After-25-Years?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/10/1334244"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/10/1334244/Getting-a-Classic-PC-Working-After-25-Years?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5VnkWUhNuM6hhfk22WNG6gk4pM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5VnkWUhNuM6hhfk22WNG6gk4pM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5VnkWUhNuM6hhfk22WNG6gk4pM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/f5VnkWUhNuM6hhfk22WNG6gk4pM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/kzFTSMdgNVY" height="1" width="1"/>kdawson2009-07-10T14:15:00+00:00hardhacklotus-123-babyhardware4848,46,38,23,7,1,1http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/10/1334244/Getting-a-Classic-PC-Working-After-25-Years?from=rssBest Mouse For Programming?
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/EseI_MdkBb0/Best-Mouse-For-Programming
LosManos writes "Which is the best programming mouse? Mandatory musts are wireless, and that it doesn't clog up like old mechanical mice. Present personal preferences are for: lots of buttons, since if I have moved my hand away from the keyboard I can at least do something more than move the pointer; sturdy feeling; not too light, so it doesn't move around by me accidentally looking at it." What would you recommend?<p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/215228/Best-Mouse-For-Programming?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/09/215228"></a></p><p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/215228/Best-Mouse-For-Programming?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
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<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/AiJncZS2HhrnDYZEcsiwmCT5qtU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/AiJncZS2HhrnDYZEcsiwmCT5qtU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/EseI_MdkBb0" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-09T21:14:00+00:00inputdevkeep-it-away-from-cigarettes-and-drugsaskslashdot470470,467,344,243,44,30,16http://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/215228/Best-Mouse-For-Programming?from=rssMIT Develops Camera-Like Fabric
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/48-QNXcSIuk/MIT-Develops-Camera-Like-Fabric
suraj.sun writes "Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a fabric made of a mesh of light-sensitive fibers that collectively act like a rudimentary camera. The fibers, which each can detect two frequencies of light, produced signals that when amplified and processed by a computer reproduced an image of a smiley face near the mesh. 'This is the first time that anybody has demonstrated that a single plane of fibers, or "fabric," can collect images just like a camera but without a lens,' said Yoel Fink, an associate professor of materials science, who along with colleagues described the approach in a the journal Nano Letters. MIT suggested that the technology, if developed further, could give a soldier a uniform that would help him see threats in all directions. Optical fiber webs, by distributing the chore across a large area, would be less susceptible to damage in one area."<p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/038237/MIT-Develops-Camera-Like-Fabric?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/09/038237"></a></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/038237/MIT-Develops-Camera-Like-Fabric?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aXV6UQ7s5AGh92yUxT_MPzuV2kc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aXV6UQ7s5AGh92yUxT_MPzuV2kc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aXV6UQ7s5AGh92yUxT_MPzuV2kc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aXV6UQ7s5AGh92yUxT_MPzuV2kc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/48-QNXcSIuk" height="1" width="1"/>samzenpus2009-07-09T11:57:00+00:00inputdevwho-are-you-wearingscience7777,72,57,35,10,4,3http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/09/038237/MIT-Develops-Camera-Like-Fabric?from=rssUS Offering $45M For Huge Wind Energy Test Bed
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/hCDhyvZ6hqg/US-Offering-45M-For-Huge-Wind-Energy-Test-Bed
coondoggie writes "On a day when one of the largest wind farm plans bit the dust, the US Department of Energy is offering up a five-year, $45 million grant to design and build a large dynamometer facility for testing 5 to 15 MW rated wind turbines and equipment. The DOE says such a facility is needed as the US has fallen behind other countries in the race to build ever-larger wind turbines for energy production. According to the DOE, the average size of wind turbines installed in the United States in 2007 increased to roughly 1.65 MW. Additionally, turbines already developed range in the 2.5 MW to 3.5 MW capacity sizes; with plans being developed for even greater power ratings. The larger wind turbines have outpaced the availability of US-based testing facilities, the DOE stated."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2213252/US-Offering-45M-For-Huge-Wind-Energy-Test-Bed?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/2213252"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2213252/US-Offering-45M-For-Huge-Wind-Energy-Test-Bed?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Zur4fpYU4UxeVakg3lVMWHjUqPA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Zur4fpYU4UxeVakg3lVMWHjUqPA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Zur4fpYU4UxeVakg3lVMWHjUqPA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Zur4fpYU4UxeVakg3lVMWHjUqPA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/hCDhyvZ6hqg" height="1" width="1"/>samzenpus2009-07-08T23:21:00+00:00powerblow-baby-blowhardware9090,84,66,57,21,8,8http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2213252/US-Offering-45M-For-Huge-Wind-Energy-Test-Bed?from=rssHow Heavy Is a Petabyte?
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/wK5WAe2K5bE/How-Heavy-Is-a-Petabyte
Jon Morgan writes "Whilst heaving around numerous data storage systems to sell (they weigh A LOT!), we got to wondering: How heavy is a Petabyte of data storage? Our best guess is 365KG, which is 6 million times lighter than in 1980! But is there a lighter way to store a Petabyte?"<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2159259/How-Heavy-Is-a-Petabyte?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/2159259"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2159259/How-Heavy-Is-a-Petabyte?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BdszjnT5jH9hhvBui25IeEEQWko/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BdszjnT5jH9hhvBui25IeEEQWko/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BdszjnT5jH9hhvBui25IeEEQWko/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/BdszjnT5jH9hhvBui25IeEEQWko/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/wK5WAe2K5bE" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-08T22:21:00+00:00storagebut-electrons-don't-weigh-anythinghardware487487,482,369,264,69,45,29http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/2159259/How-Heavy-Is-a-Petabyte?from=rssAtari 1200XL Stacked Up Against a Dell Inspiron
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/HxUq3_DNeKc/Atari-1200XL-Stacked-Up-Against-a-Dell-Inspiron
Bill Kendrick writes "My first computer was the short-lived 1200XL model of the Atari 8-bit computer line. I finally got ahold of one again, after having to settle with a lesser Atari system. My immediate reaction was: 'Damn, it's as big as my Dell Inspiron laptop!', and I couldn't resist doing one of those side-by-side comparisons, complete with photos of one system sitting atop the other. (I also put the 1983 storage and speeds in 2009 terms, for the benefit of the youngin's out there.) While in many ways the Atari pales in comparison to the latest technology they cram into laptops, I do get to benefit from SD storage media. It also still boots way faster than Ubuntu on the Dell, has a far more ergonomic keyboard, and is much more toddler-proof."<p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1917200/Atari-1200XL-Stacked-Up-Against-a-Dell-Inspiron?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/1917200"></a></p><p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1917200/Atari-1200XL-Stacked-Up-Against-a-Dell-Inspiron?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J1GWrHEad9p355ForEinel9Bdvs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J1GWrHEad9p355ForEinel9Bdvs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J1GWrHEad9p355ForEinel9Bdvs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J1GWrHEad9p355ForEinel9Bdvs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/HxUq3_DNeKc" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-08T20:12:00+00:00portablesok-it's-actually-stacked-on-topmobile241241,238,211,156,34,21,11http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1917200/Atari-1200XL-Stacked-Up-Against-a-Dell-Inspiron?from=rssCan Urine Rescue Hydrogen-Powered Cars?
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/bGwGWseR-j8/Can-Urine-Rescue-Hydrogen-Powered-Cars
thecarchik writes with this interesting excerpt: "It takes a lot of energy to split hydrogen out from the other atoms to which it binds, either in natural gas or water. Which means energy analysts are skeptical about the overall energy balance of cars fueled by hydrogen. Ohio University researcher Geraldine Botte has come up with a nickel-based electrode to oxidize (NH2)2CO, otherwise known as urea, the major component of animal urine. Because urea's four hydrogen atoms are less tightly bound to nitrogen than the hydrogen bound to oxygen in water molecules, it takes less energy to break them apart."<p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1816227/Can-Urine-Rescue-Hydrogen-Powered-Cars?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/1816227"></a></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1816227/Can-Urine-Rescue-Hydrogen-Powered-Cars?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0hvnCpSQcBUn2nlEmYOk2TXvZK4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0hvnCpSQcBUn2nlEmYOk2TXvZK4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0hvnCpSQcBUn2nlEmYOk2TXvZK4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0hvnCpSQcBUn2nlEmYOk2TXvZK4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/bGwGWseR-j8" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-08T18:43:00+00:00transportationuse-every-part-of-the-animalnews305305,299,245,188,53,32,18http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1816227/Can-Urine-Rescue-Hydrogen-Powered-Cars?from=rssPickens Calls Off Massive Wind Farm In Texas
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/uwrdm9F8Yts/Pickens-Calls-Off-Massive-Wind-Farm-In-Texas
schwit1 writes with this excerpt from an AP report: "Plans for the world's largest wind farm in the Texas Panhandle have been scrapped, energy baron T. Boone Pickens said Tuesday, and he's looking for a home for 687 giant wind turbines. Pickens has already ordered the turbines, which can stand 400 feet tall — taller than most 30-story buildings. 'When I start receiving those turbines, I've got to ... like I said, my garage won't hold them,' the legendary Texas oilman said. 'They've got to go someplace.' Pickens' company Mesa Power ordered the turbines from General Electric Co. — a $2 billion investment — a little more than a year ago. Pickens said he has leases on about 200,000 acres in Texas that were planned for the project, and he might place some of the turbines there, but he's also looking for smaller wind projects to participate in."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/167212/Pickens-Calls-Off-Massive-Wind-Farm-In-Texas?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/167212"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/167212/Pickens-Calls-Off-Massive-Wind-Farm-In-Texas?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GOmNPdN4bK-T_7TEVp-pH81bf30/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GOmNPdN4bK-T_7TEVp-pH81bf30/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GOmNPdN4bK-T_7TEVp-pH81bf30/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GOmNPdN4bK-T_7TEVp-pH81bf30/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/uwrdm9F8Yts" height="1" width="1"/>Soulskill2009-07-08T16:35:00+00:00poweri-told-you-those-wind-seeds-were-a-scamhardware411411,402,333,277,106,51,33http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/167212/Pickens-Calls-Off-Massive-Wind-Farm-In-Texas?from=rssNASA Uses AI Customer Service Robot In <em>Second Life</em>
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/rVv6NR4UbV8/NASA-Uses-AI-Customer-Service-Robot-In-emSecond-Lifeem
Linguo writes "Fusing human psychology with an advanced artificial intelligence engine, MyCyberTwin's virtual humans are being used by organizations like NASA and National Australia Bank to improve their customer support levels. MyCyberTwin technology is designed to allow almost anyone to build a virtual, artificial human — called a CyberTwin — which can handle such tasks as personalized customer support, client sales or even entertainment and companionship. CyberTwins can take the form of a clone of yourself, or a representative of your company, and they can live in almost any digital environment, including Web sites, virtual worlds, blogs, social network pages and mobile phones."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1537220/NASA-Uses-AI-Customer-Service-Robot-In-emSecond-Lifeem?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/08/1537220"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1537220/NASA-Uses-AI-Customer-Service-Robot-In-emSecond-Lifeem?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_a_y6nr2mU9MOmQxd5cd_21_CJs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_a_y6nr2mU9MOmQxd5cd_21_CJs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_a_y6nr2mU9MOmQxd5cd_21_CJs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_a_y6nr2mU9MOmQxd5cd_21_CJs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/rVv6NR4UbV8" height="1" width="1"/>Soulskill2009-07-08T16:13:00+00:00robotget-a-first-artificial-lifehardware4545,45,25,16,4,2,1http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/08/1537220/NASA-Uses-AI-Customer-Service-Robot-In-emSecond-Lifeem?from=rssEpic Sticking With Classic Controllers For Now
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/732R_Bg0r4s/Epic-Sticking-With-Classic-Controllers-For-Now
Cliff Bleszinski, design director for Epic Games, said in an interview with Develop that while motion control schemes like Project Natal look interesting, Epic will probably be sticking with classic controllers "for the foreseeable future." He said, "Microsoft came down a few weeks before E3 and gave us a demo, and they're now shipping out the dev kits; I think it's great. When you start combining the motion-capture, the facial recognition, and the vocal recognition you can create some unique experiences. And of course more accessibility is always a good thing. When you build an interface like that though you need to [specifically] design a game for it. It can't just be tacked on."<p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/1512225/Epic-Sticking-With-Classic-Controllers-For-Now?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/07/1512225"></a></p><p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/1512225/Epic-Sticking-With-Classic-Controllers-For-Now?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lCix1lFHQpDArs1PWt8LH2DMcIE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lCix1lFHQpDArs1PWt8LH2DMcIE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lCix1lFHQpDArs1PWt8LH2DMcIE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lCix1lFHQpDArs1PWt8LH2DMcIE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/732R_Bg0r4s" height="1" width="1"/>Soulskill2009-07-07T15:23:00+00:00inputdevno-hand-wavinggames6464,61,50,33,14,8,4http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/1512225/Epic-Sticking-With-Classic-Controllers-For-Now?from=rssIncandescent Bulbs Return To the Cutting Edge
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/m7AFv3KBV18/Incandescent-Bulbs-Return-To-the-Cutting-Edge
lee1 writes "A law in the US that is due to take effect in 2012 mandates such tough efficiency standards for lightbulbs that it has been assumed, until recently, that it would kill off the incandescent bulb. Instead, the law has become a case study of the way government regulation can inspire technical innovation. For example, new incandescent technology from Philips that seals the traditional filament inside a small capsule (which itself is contained within the familiar bulb). The capsule has a coating that reflects heat back to the filament, where it is partially converted to light. The sophisticated ($5.00) bulbs are about 30% more efficient than the old-fashioned ($0.25) kind, and should last about three times as long. So they are less economical than compact fluorescents, but should emit a more pleasing spectrum, not contain mercury, and, one supposes, present the utility company with a more desirable power factor."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0716247/Incandescent-Bulbs-Return-To-the-Cutting-Edge?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/07/0716247"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0716247/Incandescent-Bulbs-Return-To-the-Cutting-Edge?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ECx3ZCuC3opJW4_Bgct_bm2OF2w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ECx3ZCuC3opJW4_Bgct_bm2OF2w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ECx3ZCuC3opJW4_Bgct_bm2OF2w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ECx3ZCuC3opJW4_Bgct_bm2OF2w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/m7AFv3KBV18" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-07T09:09:00+00:00powerabstract-standards-mean-more-flexibilityhardware560560,560,468,387,80,30,16http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0716247/Incandescent-Bulbs-Return-To-the-Cutting-Edge?from=rssRobot Invented To Crawl Through Veins
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/WkuJ5cmC2Ac/Robot-Invented-To-Crawl-Through-Veins
Slatterz writes "Scientists from Israel's Technion University have unveiled a tiny robot, made using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, purportedly able to crawl through a person's veins in order to diagnose and potentially treat artery blockage and cancer. The little robot — with a diameter of just one millimeter — has neither engine nor onboard controls, instead being propelled forward by a magnetic field wielded on it from outside the patient's body."<p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0012256/Robot-Invented-To-Crawl-Through-Veins?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/07/0012256"></a></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0012256/Robot-Invented-To-Crawl-Through-Veins?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rHCpUrIUeQkbaHrUAzLAjMdd4l0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rHCpUrIUeQkbaHrUAzLAjMdd4l0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rHCpUrIUeQkbaHrUAzLAjMdd4l0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rHCpUrIUeQkbaHrUAzLAjMdd4l0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/WkuJ5cmC2Ac" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-07T00:39:00+00:00biotechoh-no-not-creepyscience9999,83,72,53,20,8,5http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/07/0012256/Robot-Invented-To-Crawl-Through-Veins?from=rssData Center Power Failures Mount
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/lIQxMjjk3nY/Data-Center-Power-Failures-Mount
1sockchuck writes "It was a bad week to be a piece of electrical equipment inside a major data center. There have been five major incidents in the past week in which generator or UPS failures have caused data center power outages that left customers offline. Generators were apparently the culprit in a Rackspace outage in Dallas and a fire at Fisher Plaza in Seattle (which disrupted e-commerce Friday), while UPS units were cited in brief outages at Equinix data centers in Sydney and Paris on Thursday and a fire at 151 Front Street in Toronto early Sunday. Google App Engine also had a lengthy outage Thursday, but it was attributed to a data store failure."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/2244205/Data-Center-Power-Failures-Mount?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/06/2244205"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/2244205/Data-Center-Power-Failures-Mount?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
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<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ThxsGmZYB_ZYWqLJrpJeSdxKa5M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ThxsGmZYB_ZYWqLJrpJeSdxKa5M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/lIQxMjjk3nY" height="1" width="1"/>timothy2009-07-06T23:58:00+00:00powersend-money-drugs-and-sealed-lead-acid-batterieshardware100100,96,81,61,26,17,15http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/2244205/Data-Center-Power-Failures-Mount?from=rssSony Files Patent On "Any-Object" Motion Control
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/KX-MSXOSJp0/Sony-Files-Patent-On-Any-Object-Motion-Control
Oracle Goddess writes "Sony filed a patent for a system where a camera can dynamically map any real world object for use in a video game. The patent states that the objects 'include items such as coffee mugs, drinking glasses, books, bottles, etc.' While these are given as examples, the object mapping system is not limited to those objects; it can identify any three dimensional object. The system looks similar to Microsoft's Project Natal, but instead of driving with an imaginary steering wheel, players can use an everyday item like a plate. Although this may seem a bit silly at first, the eventual uses for such a system could be wide-ranging and lead to novel and useful controllers for all sorts of systems and applications."<p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1859223/Sony-Files-Patent-On-Any-Object-Motion-Control?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/06/1859223"></a></p><p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1859223/Sony-Files-Patent-On-Any-Object-Motion-Control?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/NYkB7LTf4JjTdydc5fK2gDn1_gE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/NYkB7LTf4JjTdydc5fK2gDn1_gE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/NYkB7LTf4JjTdydc5fK2gDn1_gE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/NYkB7LTf4JjTdydc5fK2gDn1_gE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/KX-MSXOSJp0" height="1" width="1"/>Soulskill2009-07-06T19:15:00+00:00inputdev+1-car-keys-of-smitinggames6969,66,53,43,10,5,1http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1859223/Sony-Files-Patent-On-Any-Object-Motion-Control?from=rssNanopillar Solar May Cost 10x Less Than Silicon
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/R9CG6-TWbXQ/Nanopillar-Solar-May-Cost-10x-Less-Than-Silicon
Al writes "A team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a new kind of flexible solar cell that could be far cheaper to make than conventional silicon photovoltaics. The cells consist of an array of 500-nanometer-high cadmium sulfide pillars printed on top of an aluminum foil — the material surrounding the pillars absorbs light and releases electrons, while the pillars themselves transport the electrons to an electrical circuit. The closely packed pillars trap light between them, helping the surrounding material absorb more. This means the electrons also have a very short distance to travel through the pillars, so there are fewer chances of their getting trapped at defects and its possible to use low-quality, less expensive materials. '"You won't know the cost until you do this using a roll-to-roll process," says lead researchers Ali Javey. "But if you can do it, the cost could be 10 times less than what's used to make [crystalline] silicon panels."'"<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1545213/Nanopillar-Solar-May-Cost-10x-Less-Than-Silicon?from=rss"><img src="http://hardware.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=09/07/06/1545213"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1545213/Nanopillar-Solar-May-Cost-10x-Less-Than-Silicon?from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p>
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<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UJOnmSXc6z5qEcvF4L5JAPzIezk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UJOnmSXc6z5qEcvF4L5JAPzIezk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~4/R9CG6-TWbXQ" height="1" width="1"/>ScuttleMonkey2009-07-06T16:53:00+00:00powerhot-off-the-presseshardware199199,195,165,137,44,26,11http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/07/06/1545213/Nanopillar-Solar-May-Cost-10x-Less-Than-Silicon?from=rssSearch SlashdotSearch Slashdot storiesquery
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