air traffic control, air travel, airlines, AirTrafficControl, AirTravel, atc, bill, congress, faa, fcc, Federal Aviation Administration, FederalAviationAdministration, flying

It took awhile, and the price tag is quite a bit steeper than previously thought (shocking, right?), but the FAA is finally getting the funding it needs to bring the nation's air traffic control system up to date. Congress just passed the bill to make it happen, allotting $11 billion to the FAA to upgrade the nation's 35 busiest airports air traffic controls from radar to GPS. The deadline for the conversion is June 2015, and when complete, it'll allow for more precise positioning of aircraft -- GPS pings for the planes' locations every second, while radar updates their locations every 6 to 12 seconds. With such technology enabled, airplanes will be able to take-off and land more closely together while utilizing steeper descents than is currently possible to conserve fuel. So, now that we've got the new traffic control system to improve airline punctuality, we just need the FAA and the FCC to team up and eliminate the "Terrible 10,000 feet" and flying might actually be fun.

Congress passes bill giving the FAA $11 billion to get off radar, onto GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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amd, arm, rory read, RoryRead, slate, tablet

Chipzilla has long been atop the PC chip manufacturing mountain, with AMD running a rather distant second. That's why AMD's new top man, Rory Read, plans to move the company in a more mobile direction. Speaking at the company's analyst day, Read stated that the chipmaker will focus on outflanking Intel in the tablet space and by growing its business in cloud computing and emerging markets like China (read: entry-level PCs and devices). As to whether AMD would venture into the smartphone space, Read was quite clear in stating that there were no plans to do so. But, he did make mention of being flexible when it came to chip architecture, including using 3rd party IP in developing new silicon -- so a switch to ARM may not be out of the question. How will AMD accomplish its new goals? By focusing on execution of its technology rather than trying to be on the bleeding edge -- sound familiar?

Continue reading AMD's new plan: focus on tablets, cloud computing and developing markets

AMD's new plan: focus on tablets, cloud computing and developing markets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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credit card, credit cards, CreditCard, CreditCards, electronic payments, ElectronicPayments, emv, master card, MasterCard, mobile payments, MobilePayments, mobilepostcross, payment, payments, roadmap, smart card, SmartCard

It's been over fifteen years since MasterCard, Visa and Europay developed EMV technology to make your credit cards more secure, but it has yet to really catch on here in the US. However, MasterCard has created a master plan to help usher in the EMV era and sound the death knell for the magnetic strip. Why? The EMV infrastructure is far more fraud-resistant because each transaction is authenticated dynamically using cryptographic algorithms and a user-specific PIN. That's why MasterCard plans to help build out the EMV POS infrastructure by April of next year and have its secure e-payment system functioning at ATMs, online and with its myriad mobile payment options as well. For now, the nuts and bolts of how the credit card firm plans to bring its plan to fruition are few, but more details will be forthcoming, and there's a bit more info at the source and PR below.

Continue reading MasterCard reveals roadmap for our electronic payment future: EMV in, magnetic strips out

MasterCard reveals roadmap for our electronic payment future: EMV in, magnetic strips out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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9 nanometers, 9Nanometers, 9nm, carbon, carbon nanotubes, CarbonNanotubes, IBM, moores law, MooresLaw, research, science, silicon, transistor

It's not the smallest transistor out there, but the boffins at IBM have constructed the tiniest carbon nanotube transistor to date. It's nine nanometers in size, making it one nanometer smaller than the presumed physical limit of silicon transistors. Plus, it consumes less power and is able to carry more current than present-day technology. The researchers accomplished the trick by laying a nanotube on a thin layer of insulation, and using a two-step process -- involving some sort of black magic, no doubt -- to add the electrical gates inside. The catch? (There's always a catch) Manufacturing pure batches of semiconducting nanotubes is difficult, as is aligning them in such a way that the transistors can function. So, it'll be some time before the technology can compete with Intel's 3D silicon, but at least we're one step closer to carbon-based computing.

IBM builds 9 nanometer carbon nanotube transistor, puts silicon on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D, 3d camera, 3d rangefinder camera, 3dCamera, 3dRangefinderCamera, microsoft, pairing, patent, patent application, patent applications, PatentApplication, PatentApplications, patents, rangefinder, uspto, wireless

IBM may be the king of patents, and Apple's patent applications grace these pages rather frequently, but Microsoft's not one to rest on its IP laurels, either. A couple of newly published patents out of Redmond have made their way to the web: one for securely pairing wireless devices and one for 3D rangefinder camera technology. The pairing tech works via a direct connection between devices using Bluetooth or WiFi and an automated, two-step authentication process. First, a request is sent by an initiating handset and is authenticated by its target using an address book of recognized devices. Next, the two devices exchange encrypted security keys to cement their digital friendship, leaving you free to exchange your favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 or latest LOLcat pictures with the greatest of ease.

Microsoft's other patent of interest is for "a 3D camera for determining distances to regions in a scene." That's not a new concept by any means, but this new bit of IP integrates all the functions of such an imager on a single chip. Essentially, it claims an image sensor, a light source to illuminate the scene being shot and a controller to gate the pixels on the sensor on and off and correct for inaccuracies caused by other light sources. It works by projecting the light source and determining the distance to various points based upon the time it takes for the light to bounce off the target and reach the camera sensor. Want to know more? You can haz all the patent particulars at the source links below.

Microsoft patents method for secure pairing of devices wirelessly and a 3D rangefinder camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10 petaflops, 10Petaflops, fujitsu, fujitsu k, fujitsu k supercomputer, FujitsuK, FujitsuKSupercomputer, hands-on, japan, multicore, petaflop, petaflops, SPARC64, Sparc64Viiifx, supercomputer, Yuichiro Ajima, YuichiroAjima

Fujitsu's K supercomputer was on our radar before it was even completed, and naturally, we let you know when it smoked the competition and became the supercomputing speed king. So, when we had the opportunity to see a piece of K at Fujitsu's North America Technology Forum today, we couldn't pass it up. In case you forgot, K is a massive machine powered by 864 racks with 24 boards per rack housing SPARC64 CPUs. We got to see one of those boards, and Yuichiro Ajima -- who designed the inter-connection chips (ICC) on them -- was gracious enough to give us some more info on this most super of supercomputers.

As you can see in the gallery above, each board has extensive plumbing to keep the SPARC silicon running at a manageable 32 - 35 degrees Celsius (90 - 95 Fahrenheit) under load. Underneath that copper cooling system lies four processors interspersed between 32 memory modules (with 2GB per module) and four ICCs lined up next to the board's rack interconnect ports. Currently, the system takes 30 megawatts to do its thing, though Ajima informed us that K's theoretical max electricity consumption is about double that -- for perspective, that means K could consume the entire output of some solar power plants. When asked if there were plans to add more racks should Fujitsu's supercomputer lose its crown, Ajima-san said that while possible, there are no plans to do so -- we'll see if that changes should a worthy opponent present itself.

Update: Turns out the K's power consumption resides around 13 megawatts, with a max consumption of 16MW at its current configuration. The facility in Kobe, Japan where K resides can deliver up to 24 megawatts, so expansion is possible, but none is currently planned.

Eyes-on the innards of Fujitsu's K supercomputer (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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cooling, gallium arsenide, GalliumArsenide, laser, lasers, niels bohr institute, NielsBohrInstitute, optomechanics, quantum physics, QuantumPhysics, research, science, Semiconductor, semiconductors, University of Copenhagen, UniversityOfCopenhagen

Ah, lasers. Those wonderful, super intense beams of light that we've seen used in headlights, projectors, and naturally, death rays. Like us, researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen figure there's nothing lasers can't do, and have figured out a way to use them to cool a bit of semiconducting material. This bit of black magic works using a membrane made of gallium arsenide and is based upon principles of quantum physics and optomechanics (the interaction between light and mechanical motion).

Turns out, when a one millimeter square membrane of gallium arsenide is placed parallel to a mirror in a vacuum chamber and bombarded with a laser beam, an optical resonator is created between them that oscillates the membrane. As the distance between the gallium arsenide and the mirror changes, so do the membrane's oscillations. And, at a certain frequency, the membrane is cooled to minus 269 degrees Celsius -- despite the fact that the membrane itself is being heated by the laser. So, lasers can both heat things up and cool them down simultaneously, and if that confuses you as much as it does us, feel free to dig into the science behind this paradoxical bit of research at the source below. In other news, left is right, up is down, and Eli Manning is a beloved folk hero to all Bostonians.

Researchers use lasers to supercool semiconductor membranes, blow your mind originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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avatar art, bryn oh, daughter of gears, Dulce, IBM, immersiva, metaverse, narrative, rabbicorn, second life machinima, virtual worlds

Immersiva is one of the most icon simulators in any metaverse, Bryn Oh‘s, (Immersiva’s creator), artistic soul flows, breathes, and evolves on a checker board grid that immerses you in lucid dreams and stories. Bryn’s free expression has had a profound effect on the residents of Second Life, and Immersiva is a grid favorite, it’s a place that always surprises.

So, it was such a surprise to hear, (from Bryn herself), that Immersiva was to shut down… with no good reason given. That news  hurt, shocked and sadden me. I felt as if one of the last great SL creators was about to disappear from the metaverse, as so many have before her.  Too many fantastic virtual artist have move out of SL, either to pursue real life artistic endeavors, or they immigrated to other open spaces.  My heart broke at the news of Immersiva’s shutdown, and Bryn herself lamented that the experience was like the image of Marty and his siblings faded in the foreground.

It got me reminiscing on all the times I’ve paid a visit to Immersiva and other Bryn Oh builds around the Second Life grid. I have always been fascinated by her work, and I feel connected to the spirit she evokes.  Both of my avatars have modeled with Immersiva in the background, and since Immersiva is a living and breathing simulator there is always something new to experience.

Bryn Oh’s Second Life builds seems like a faded memory now, I will charish these snapshots and archive them, I will not let Bryn’s Oh fade in vain! So Heartbreaking. =[

Huh? What was that Bryn? You found some funding? For another year and six months? Really?? …
YAY! \o/ … Yes! That’s excellent news! Immersiva is not going away yet, and in fact Bryn is asking for support to extend Immersiva’s breath and life. This is a great gift, Byrn! I’m so excited to see what you build, and the experiences you create. Check Out Byrn’s Crowd Funding site!

Byrn Oh is a true artist, she tells stories and brings them to life, she connects to your emotions and makes you think. Immersiva must stay open for as long as Bryn has something to say. Check out The Rabbicorn Story and Anna’s Many Murders.

Oringal Post Feb.  15, 2010
Immersiva, created by Bryn Oh and donated to Second Life residents by Dusan Writer, is one of the most artistic and existential simulators in world. Byrn Oh’s work strikes deep cords in one’s soul, it opens the cracks into ones dreams and distant memories, while telling the stories of our collective childhood.

Traveling through the simulation and zooming into the detailed builds one gets the sense of slipping in between time and space, stepping through portals of blinding light and falling into voids. Immersiva is the place in our minds that time and space forgot, a place that is both run down and working, a place that allows the visitor to dream up their own reality and sense of what it all means.

The builds and landscape are beautifully crafted and Bryn Oh’s use of particle noise is perfectly executed. I’ve taken several trips to the sim and I will make many more, Ms. Oh likes to keep busy so she’s always adding and taking away from the experience, which keep the simulation exciting and new. Below you will find a slide show of my experience with Immersiva and machinima videos created by Ms. Oh herself.

Check out my Immersiva Flickr set.

ahrs, Dulce, flashlight, gps, image stabilization, ImageStabilization, laser, laser pico projector, LaserPicoProjector, lasers, pico projector, PicoProjector, robot, robots, sriranjan rasakatla, SriranjanRasakatla, torch, video, way go, WayGo

We love just about anything involving lasers or robotics here at Engadget, so naturally, we're intrigued by Sriranjan Rasakatla's Way-Go flashlight that combines the two. It's comprised of a laser pico projector, GPS module, altitude and heading reference system (AHRS) to not only light your path but also tell you which way to go. It can be used strictly as a flashlight, but users can also input starting and destination points to have the Way-Go guide them. There's also a wander mode that displays info about your surroundings as you stroll around -- though naturally, such information must be pre-programmed into the device. Because it displays stuff that needs reading, the projector's connected to servos that can keep it locked on a projection point to keep it readable no matter how much you move the Way-Go around. Rasakatla sees the device being useful in search and rescue, backcountry trekking, and campus tour guiding -- odd, 'cause in our day, kids walking around campus at night were trying to find out where the party was at, not learn about the architecture of the academic buildings. Regardless, you can see the Way-Go in action after the break.

Continue reading Way-Go flashlight uses lasers to light your path, GPS to tell you where to go

Way-Go flashlight uses lasers to light your path, GPS to tell you where to go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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apple, clothes, clothing, Dulce, exercise, fitness, fitness tracking, FitnessTracking, intellectual property, IntellectualProperty, ip, nike plus, NikePlus, patent, patents, shoes

There's a huge problem with working out that has yet to be solved: when, precisely, do our workout clothes become too worn to wear anymore? Apple knows we can't be wasting endless minutes looking for holes and tears in our shirts and pants, so it's just obtained a method patent to let you know when your gear is past its prime. The patent claims sensor-equipped garments that can track how you use them, report that info back to a central database and alert you when the clothing has reached "its expected useful lifetime." (Read: it's time to buy some new, undoubtedly more expensive gym clothes.) This latest bit of IP doesn't just cover clothing either, Cupertino's claiming the same method for running shoes, too. The footwear bit also provides real-time feedback that compares your current running style to an established profile to keep your workouts consistent -- useful feature, that, though we can't imagine such iShoes would make the folks in Niketown too happy. We're not sure how Apple aims to make the needed wearables equipped with embedded electronics, but we can offer you plenty of typically broad patent legalese explaining the system that'll get you buying them at the source below.

Apple patents clothes that track how you wear them, tell you when it's time to update your wardrobe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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