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Phoenix666 writes:

NASA wants scientific computer experts to take a look at one of its oldest software suites in the hope they can speed it up.

The code in question is called "FUN3D" and was first developed in the 1980s. It's still an important part of the agency's computational fluid dynamics (CFD) capability, and had its most recent release in September 2016.

The agency is now sponsoring a competition with the aim of getting it to go at least 10 times faster. If you can crank it up to ten thousand times faster – without any loss of accuracy – all the better.

Michael Hetle, program executive at NASA's Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program (TACP) explains that "some concepts are just so complex, it's difficult for even the fastest supercomputers to analyse these models in real time. Achieving a speed-up in this software by orders of magnitude hones the edge we need to advance our technology to the next level".

[Update: Original story title was taken directly from the referenced article; updated to remove condescension. --martyb]

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Based on current projections for sales and NAND/DRAM pricing, Samsung's semiconductor revenues are likely to grow larger than Intel's during the second quarter of 2017. Intel has held the #1 spot in the industry since 1993:

Samsung's positioning is strengthening not just because of increased demand for RAM and flash memory, but because an ongoing NAND shortage is keeping prices high. Analysts blame a rocky transition from 2D to 3D NAND, increased demand from Chinese smartphone manufacturers, and the increasing popularity of SSDs as factors in the shortage.

On top of the RAM business, Samsung also says it's seeing solid demand for 14nm SoCs, image sensors, and other smartphone chips. The company expects its new 10nm process to keep the business growing. Samsung manufactures its own Exynos SoCs as well as some of Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips and some of the A-series chips Apple uses across its iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV lineups.

IC Insights report.

Related:
Samsung's Exynos 8895 to be the First 10nm Chip on the Market
Samsung's 10nm Chips in Mass Production, "6nm" on the Roadmap
Moore's Law: Not Dead? Intel Says its 10nm Chips Will Beat Samsung's

Original Submission

takyon writes:

When will the HAMR drop? Supposedly in late 2018:

Seagate last week made two rather important announcements regarding its current and upcoming hard drives. First, the company said that it had shipped 35 million HDDs based on shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology. Second, the manufacturer confirmed plans to launch commercial hard drives based on its heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology by the end of 2018, the first time the company set a precise launch timeframe for such HDDs.

[...] This is not the first time that Seagate has made a HAMR-related announcement, but this is the first time when the company has set a particular launch timeframe for such drives. Previously, Seagate has implied that the first HAMR-based HDDs would feature a capacity of 16 TB, which is a significant increase from 12 TB hard drives due to be released in the coming weeks. Given the fact that data centers cry out for high-capacity drives, it is inevitable that HAMR-based HDDs with increased performance and higher capacities will be in high demand. Keeping in mind that late 2018 (by "late" companies usually mean the fourth quarter) is over a year away, Seagate is not sharing details about experimental deployments of HAMR-based HDDs that may be planned for 2017/early 2018.

An upcoming Western Digital 14 TB 3.5" HDD will store 1.75 TB per platter.

Original Submission

butthurt writes:

WQAD-TV in SeattleMoline, IL alerts us that

The article goes on to explain that the meteors originate from Halley's Comet, which will next approach Earth in 2061. Mark your calendars!

further information:
Wikipedia article

additional coverage:

• KVOA-TV
• International Business Times Australia
• The Monitor Daily
• Sky & Telescope (N.B. this is from 2016)
• Market Business News (N.B. this is from 2016)

[Update: Corrected station's location: WQAD is in Moline, IL (not Seattle) --martyb]

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Google announced in March its intent to stop trusting all Symantec-issued digital certificates due to the certificate authority's failure to play by the rules. Symantec, its subsidiaries and its partners had been accused of making too many exceptions from Baseline Requirements (BR) in favor of their customers.

The developer of the Chrome web browser initially proposed the reduction of the validity period for newly issued Symantec certificates to nine months or less, gradual distrust and replacement of all existent certificates, and the removal of extended validation (EV) status for Symantec certificates.

[...] After some debate, Google made a second proposal that involves Symantec partnering with one or more existing CAs and using their infrastructure and validation process. Symantec would still handle business relations with customers and all CAs would be cross-signed by the company.

[...] Mozilla has advised Symantec to accept Google's second proposal and said it's open to discussing its implementation. However, if Symantec refuses, Mozilla may take alternative action to "reduce the risk from potential past and future mis-issuances by Symantec, and to ensure future compliance with the BRs and with other root program requirements."

Source: http://www.securityweek.com/mozilla-tells-symantec-accept-googles-ca-proposal

Original Submission

takyon writes:

An alleged copy of an Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc has appeared online, leading to speculation that AACS 2.0 has been cracked:

While there is no shortage of pirated films on the Internet, Ultra-high-definition content is often hard to find. Not only are the file sizes enormous, but the protection is better than that deployed to regular content. UHD Blu-Ray Discs, for example, are protected with AACS 2.0 encryption which was long believed to unbreakable.

A few hours ago, however, this claim was put in doubt. Out of nowhere, a cracked copy of a UHD Blu-Ray Disc surfaced on the HD-focused BitTorrent tracker UltraHDclub. The torrent in question is a copy of the Smurfs 2 film and is tagged "The Smurfs 2 (2013) 2160p UHD Blu-ray HEVC Atmos 7.1-THRONE." This suggests that AACS 2.0 may have been "cracked" although there are no further technical details provided at this point. UltraHDclub is proud of the release, though, and boasts of having the "First Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc in the NET!"

[...] If the encryption has indeed been broken it will be bad news for AACS, the decryption licensing outfit that controls it. The company, founded by a group of movie studios and technology partners including Warner Bros, Disney, Microsoft and Intel, has put a lot of effort into making the technology secure.

"Atmos" refers to Dolby Atmos (see PDF list).

[Update: It is fitting to note that one of our most prolific story submitters happened to garner submission number 20,000! Congrats and many thanks to Takyon, and to all the rest of the SoylentNews community who have made this achievement possible. --martyb]

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Uber has been accused of stealing trade secrets from Google's self-driving car division Waymo. Now, Uber may face an injunction forcing it to immediately halt its testing of driverless cars in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Arizona:

Two giants in self-driving car technology will face each other in court on Wednesday. Ride-sharing firm Uber is accused of stealing trade secrets from Waymo - the company spun out from Google's self-driving division.

[...] Both sides will make their case to a judge in San Francisco on Wednesday morning in a bitter dispute that has become the talking point of Silicon Valley. A judge will consider granting a preliminary injunction that would force Uber to immediately suspend use of the technology while legal proceedings were continuing. In an increasingly angry battle, Waymo has accused Uber of being engaged in a "cover-up".

Look for a ruling soon:

Alsup is not expected to rule immediately on Wednesday, but he may intimate which way he is leaning. At a hearing last month, Alsup warned Uber that it may face an injunction, saying of the evidence amassed by Waymo: "I've never seen a record this strong in 42 years."

Update: The judge in the case has said that he has not seen a "smoking gun" indicating that Uber knew that Anthony Levandowski possessed Waymo trade secrets.

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

SQL and relational database management systems or RDBMS were invented simultaneously by Edgar F. Codd in the early 1970s. The simple fact that both arrived early in the life of computing, and that for 90% of the time they just work, means databases have become a 'solved problem' you no longer need to think about.

It's like how MailChimp has become synonymous with sending email newsletters. If you want to work with data you use RDBMS and SQL. In fact, there usually needs to be a good reason not to use them. Just like there needs to be a good reason not to use MailChimp for sending emails, or Stripe for taking card payments.

But people do use other other email automation software and payment solutions, just like people use NoSQL databases. Yet even with other database technology available, albeit less mature technology, SQL still reigns and reigns well.

So, finally, here are 8 reasons we still use SQL 43 years after it was first cooked up.

It's clickbait, I tell ya!

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

• 1. Simple mathematics
• 2. Battle-tested
• 3. Knowledge and community
• 4. Simplicity
• 5. Ubiquity
• 6. Open Source and interoperability
• 7. Why code when you can use SQL?
• 8. SQL/RDBMS and NoSQL/DBMS databases play different roles

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

Guns are not a part of the culture of my homeland, except perhaps for the occasional Bollywood movie in which the bad guy meets his demise staring down the wrong end of a barrel.

My childhood in India was steeped in ahimsa, the tenet of nonviolence toward all living things.

The Indians may have succeeded in ousting the British, but we won with Gandhian-style civil disobedience, not a revolutionary war.

I grew up not knowing a single gun owner, and even today India has one of the strictest gun laws on the planet. Few Indians buy and keep firearms at home, and gun violence is nowhere near the problem it is in the United States. An American is 12 times more likely than an Indian to be killed by a firearm, according to a recent study.

It's no wonder then that every time I visit India, my friends and family want to know more about America's "love affair" with guns.

I get the same questions when I visit my brother in Canada or on my business travels to other countries, where many people remain perplexed, maybe even downright mystified, by Americans' defense of gun rights.

I admit I do not fully understand it myself, despite having become an American citizen nearly a decade ago. So when I learn the National Rifle Association is holding its annual convention here in Atlanta, right next to the CNN Center, I decide to go and find out more.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/28/world/indian-immigrant-nra-convention/index.html

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

Linux Mint terrorist Samata Ullah has been jailed for eight years by Cardiff Crown Court.

Ullah, as we reported on Friday, was caught with, among other things, a USB cufflink loaded with a copy of the Linux distro.

The former insurance worker pleaded guilty to five terrorism charges, including being a member of Islamic State and two charges of possessing terrorist material.

Vice's Motherboard offshoot had a look round his "basic Wordpress" blog aimed at promoting Islamic State propaganda. They noted that police investigators seized more than 6.1 terabytes of data from his Cardiff home.

Pronunciation tip: the 'll' in 'Ullah' is a voiceless lateral fricative.

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

For decades, various manufacturers have dabbled in flat-proof bicycle tires that have a solid or foam-filled core. The problem is, those tires tend to be heavy, plus there's no way of adjusting their firmness. Italian startup MrWolf is now offering an alternative, in the form of the Banger. Not only is it lighter and more adjustable than a solid tire, but it reportedly also gives mountain bikers a smoother ride than they'd get with regular tires.

Designed specifically for mountain bikes and e-bikes, the Banger is a loop of "technopolymer" (i.e: a proprietary low-density foam) that sits inside a regular third-party tubeless tire. Once installed, it occupies 95 percent of the tire's inner volume, which would otherwise be filled with air. That does still leave some room for air, however, so it remains possible to adjust the hardness according to rider weight, trail conditions, or other factors.

The rider can still continue on the Banger in the event of a tire puncture.

Also at MTB magazine.

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

When it comes to software patents, the US is no longer the place to be. China might be it and as the EPO mimics China — as disturbing as that may be also in the human rights aspect — patent law firms now openly say that it's easier to get (and/or defend) software patents in Europe than it is in the US.

Over the past 3 years we have been writing a lot about Alice — the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision that ended a lot of software patents in the US. For software patents to withstand a court's scrutiny (the higher, the harder) has become the exception rather than the norm. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has just reaffirmed this position (late on Friday). There is still no sign — however remote — that SCOTUS will revisit a case like Alice, but sites like Watchtroll work hard lobbying for such a thing to happen. We last gave an example of that approximately one week ago. Just escalated up to SCOTUS were a bunch of cases that involve no software patents at all; there was also Sandoz v Amgen.

Source: http://techrights.org/2017/04/30/not-overturning-alice/

[Ed. Note: The Alice decision referred to is Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International. See also: A non-paywalled article about Sandoz v. Amgen.]

Original Submission

NotSanguine writes:

MedicalXpress.Com is reporting on new research into how cancer metastasizes. In a paper published on 18 April 2017 in Cell Reports, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) identified pathways used by cancer to spread beyond their primary tumors.

From the MedicalXpress article:

Even in remission, cancer looms. Former cancer patients and their doctors are always on alert for metastatic tumors. Now scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered why some cancers may reoccur after years in remission.

The findings, published recently in the journal Cell Reports, show that invasive tumors can begin sending out tumor cells far earlier than previously thought. These escaping cells—which can enter the bloodstream before the primary tumor is detected—may seed secondary tumors that don't show up for years.

Importantly, the scientists demonstrated that the escaping tumor cells reach the bloodstream by entering blood vessels deep within the dense tumor core, upending the long-held belief that metastatic cells come from a tumor's invasive borders.

"The actual process of cancer cell dissemination via hematogenous routes is a relatively under-studied process, but we finally have an answer as to where it takes place," said TSRI Assistant Professor Elena Deryugina, who led the study in a long-term collaboration with TSRI Staff Scientist William Kiosses.

Journal Reference: Intratumoral Cancer Cell Intravasation Can Occur Independent of Invasion into the Adjacent Stroma

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

When Skytorrents first showed up, advertising an ad-free and privacy-focused service, we were skeptical. They wouldn't be the first to start this way but change their tune when visitors started coming in.

[...] "We will NEVER place any ads. The site will remain ad-free or it will shut down. When our funds dry up, we will go for donations. We can also handover to someone with similar intent, interests, and the goal of a private and ad-free world," Skytorrents' operator informed us.

[...] Users will not be able to create an account, for example, as that created a weak spot. The same is true for Javascript, which isn't used at all.

"For example, using a CDN breaches user privacy. As far as complete privacy is concerned, either there is complete privacy or zero privacy. For maintaining complete privacy, we do not use cookies, java scripts or user logins. We also do not have any moderators," Skytorrents informed us.

Damn, even we use cookies for log-ins.

Source: https://torrentfreak.com/skytorrents-a-refreshing-ad-free-and-privacy-focused-torrent-site-170430/

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

MP3 decoding was already free and got recently included in Fedora. But now, encoding is also free according to Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS: "On April 23, 2017, Technicolor's mp3 licensing program for certain mp3 related patents and software of Technicolor and Fraunhofer IIS has been terminated." The Wikipedia MP3 article confirms that.

So, do you still use an MP3 library or have you switched to another format or means of listening to music such as (spying built-in) streaming services?

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

A new Fraunhofer technique makes it possible to bend sheet glass into complex or unconventional shapes with the help of laser beams. This opens up a whole new range of potential products for architects and designers. The researchers are taking advantage of a particular attribute glass has of becoming viscous and therefore malleable when exposed to high temperatures. Precise calculations and gravity do the rest.

A laser beam moves across the surface of the glass with absolute precision, following a preprogrammed if still invisible path. Every now and then, the beam stops, changes position and moves on. The four-millimeter-thick sheet of glass is in an oven that has been preheated to just below the temperature at which glass begins to melt. The glass now starts to soften at the points the laser has heated and, thanks to gravity, the heated portions sink as if they were made of thick honey. Once the desired form has been achieved, the laser is switched off and the glass solidifies again. The result is a fascinating shape with bends featuring small radii, waves and round protrusions.

This is how lasers can be used to help bend sheet glass in a process developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg im Breisgau. The whole process is based on a particular physical characteristic of the material; unlike metal, for instance, glass does not have a definitive melting point at which it liquefies. Instead, when exposed to a certain temperature range, it softens and becomes malleable.

Original Submission