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Funding Goal
For 6-month period:
2022-07-01 to 2022-12-31
(All amounts are estimated)
Base Goal:
$3500.00

Currently:
$438.92

12.5%

Covers transactions:
2022-07-02 10:17:28 ..
2022-10-05 12:33:58 UTC
(SPIDs: [1838..1866])
Last Update:
2022-10-05 14:04:11 UTC --fnord666

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Idiosyncratic use of punctuation - which of these annoys you the most?

  • Declarations and assignments that end with }; (C, C++, Javascript, etc.)
  • (Parenthesis (pile-ups (at (the (end (of (Lisp (code))))))))
  • Syntactically-significant whitespace (Python, Ruby, Haskell...)
  • Perl sigils: @array, $array[index], %hash, $hash{key}
  • Unnecessary sigils, like $variable in PHP
  • macro!() in Rust
  • Do you have any idea how much I spent on this Space Cadet keyboard, you insensitive clod?!
  • Something even worse...

[ Results | Polls ]
Comments:56 | Votes:100

posted by martyb on Tuesday November 21 2023, @11:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the not-so-hot-shot? dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA), the University of Adelaide (UoA) and Yale University have demonstrated the potential use of multimode optical fiber to scale up power in fiber lasers by three-to-nine times but without deteriorating the beam quality so that it can focus on distant targets.

The breakthrough is published in Nature Communications.

Co-first author Dr. Linh Nguyen, a researcher at UniSA's Future Industries Institute, says the new approach will allow the industry to continue squeezing out extremely high power from fiber lasers, make them more useful for the defense industry, and for remote sensing applications and gravitational wave detection.

"High-power fiber lasers are vital in manufacturing and defense, and becoming more so with the proliferation of cheap, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in modern battlefields," Dr. Nguyen says.

"A swarm of cheap drones can quickly drain the missile resource, leaving military assets and vehicles with depleted firing power for more combat-critical missions. High-power fiber lasers, with their extremely low-cost-per-shot and speed-of-light action, are the only feasible defense solution in the long run.

"This is known as asymmetric advantage: a cheaper approach can defeat a more expensive, high-tech system by playing the large number."

In delivering an asymmetric advantage this advanced capability has the potential to provide a strong deterrent effect, aligning well with the objectives of the Defense Strategic Review and AUKUS Pillar 2 objectives.

Dr. Ori Henderson-Sapir, project investigator at the UoA's Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, says that Australia has a long history of developing innovative fiber optics technologies.

"Our research launches Australia into a world-leading position to develop the next generation of high-power fiber lasers, not only for defense applications, but to aid new scientific discoveries."

The researchers have demonstrated the technology in fiber lasers and will report their findings at Photonics West held in San Francisco in early 2024.

Journal information:
Nature Communications


Original Submission

posted by martyb on Tuesday November 21 2023, @06:29PM   Printer-friendly
from the paws-of-clay dept.

The Telegraph is reporting that Aardman Studios is running out of its unique clay. The studio is famous for its Wallace & Gromit animated films, which features characters made from said clay. Unfortunately the factory which made the special clay has gone under and although Aardman Studios bought out their stocks as they closed, the studio is now running terminally low on the clay:

This Plasticine-like substance is an animator's dream: it's easy to mould, yet keeps its shape under hot studio lights. But in March this year, the only factory that made it, on the outskirts of Torquay, shut up shop. When its closure was announced, Aardman bought up every last block of Lewis Newplast that remained in the warehouse – enough for just one more film: the new Wallace & Gromit, coming in 2024. After that, until a suitable replacement can be found, or invented, that's it.

Also at Gizmodo.

Here's to hoping for an alternative source for the clay.


Original Submission

posted by on Tuesday November 21 2023, @06:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the keep-it-in-the-family dept.
Hi Soylents. As a member of the governance committee I was asked to post an article for cirulation to the community at large showing off the latest set of bylaws being discussed. It is the opinion of those involved that we are nearing a completed document. It seemed appropriate now to publicize those efforts wider for discussion and suggestions. At some time after these bylaws have been finalized we will seek to get a community vote approving them.

The governance committee meets weekly in IRC @ chat.soylentnews.org in #governance and in #meeting-discuss Currently we are meeting Wednesdays at 2100 UTC. The next meeting will be after the holidays, November 29th.

The contents of these channels are logged and available https://logs.sylnt.us/%23governance/index.html and https://logs.sylnt.us/%23meeting-discuss/index.html

The meeting minutes can be found in requerdanos journal https://soylentnews.org/~requerdanos/journal/ who is the acting secretary of the Governance Committee.

A great majority of governance notes has happened in the journals of myself and other governance members.

I urge anyone with an active interest or comments to come forward and comment in the #meeting-discuss channel at any time, meeting or not, and to post forth any comments, questions, support, or participation interest there or in these journals and postings. Whatever your experience or insights - myself and I would imagine the entire staff and governance committee would be thrilled to interact and is open to any participation by the community at this time.

Previous Draft Journals:
https://soylentnews.org/~kolie/journal/16578
https://soylentnews.org/~kolie/journal/16541
https://soylentnews.org/~kolie/journal/16476
https://soylentnews.org/~kolie/journal/16476
https://soylentnews.org/~janrinok/journal/16281
https://soylentnews.org/~janrinok/journal/15740

Bylaws - Proposed Draft 9

BY-LAWS OF SoylentNews

A DELAWARE NON-STOCK Corporation

QUALIFYING FOR NONPROFIT, TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

ARTICLE I
REGISTERED AGENT AND REGISTERED OFFICE; OFFICE LOCATIONS

Section 1.01 Name; Registered Agent and Registered Office. The name of the organization is SoylentNews Corporation (the "Corporation"). The registered agent and registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware shall be as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation, as it may be amended.

Section 1.02 Principal and Other Offices. The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the "Board" or "Board of Directors") shall determine (and may change) the location of the Corporation's principal office in its reasonable discretion; the Board may also cause the Corporation to have such other offices within or without the State of Delaware or the United States as it deems appropriate, in its reasonable and good faith discretion.

ARTICLE II
Purpose

Section 2.01 The purposes of the Corporation shall be those set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate"), as it may be amended.

ARTICLE III
Members

Section 3.01 Membership; Classes of Membership. Membership in the Corporation shall be available on such bases and terms, and subject to such qualifications and criteria, as the Board determines, in its reasonable and good faith discretion. Initially, the Corporation shall have two classes of membership: (1) one class for the members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, which shall consist of two groups. One group will have voting rights among members ("Voting Director Members ") and the other group will have a seat on the Board of Directors but no voting rights ("Non-Voting Director Members") collectively the ("Director Members"), and (2) a second class for Community Members, which shall have their own seperate class of voting rights ("Community Members" and, collectively with the Director Members, the "Members").

Section 3.02 Meetings. The annual meeting of the Director Members (the "Annual Meeting of the Director Members") for the election of Directors and delivery of a financial statement, shall be held each year at the place (including by electronic means such as a website providing conference services), time, and date, as may be fixed by the Board. Special meetings of the Director Members shall be held whenever called by resolution of the Board, the Secretary, if any, or by a written demand to the Secretary or other officer designated by the Board made by at least thirty percent (30%) of the Director Members eligible to vote. The Secretary or another officer tasked with such role shall, upon receiving written demand or resolution, promptly give notice of such meeting as provided in Section 3.03, or, if the Secretary fails to do so within five (5) business days thereafter, any Member signing such demand may give such notice. The Chairman of the Board (the "Chairman") shall preside at the meetings of the Members, or in the absence of the Chairman, an acting Chairman shall be chosen by and from among the Members present. The Secretary of the Corporation or another officer designated for such role shall act as secretary at all meetings of the Members, or, in the absence of the Secretary or the appropriate designated officer, an acting Secretary shall be chosen by the Members present.

Section 3.03 Notice of Meetings. Written notice of the place, date, and hour of any meeting shall be given to each Director Member entitled to vote at such meeting by mailing the notice by first class mail with postage prepaid, by personal delivery, or by email not less than ten (10) nor more than fifty (50) days before the date of the meeting. When such preference is provided, each Director Members preferred method of notice shall be used. Notice of any meeting other than the Annual Meeting of the Director Members shall indicate the person or persons calling the meeting, and notice of any special meeting shall also indicate the purpose(s) for which it is called. Director Members may waive the prior notice requirement expressly or by attending the meeting (other than for the purpose of contesting appropriate notice and calling thereof).

Section 3.04 Quorum. At all meetings of Director Members, fifty percent (50%) of the Director Members eligible to vote, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, the Director Members present in person shall adjourn the meeting from that time until a quorum is present. Notice of the new meeting is not required if the time and place for the new meeting is announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, and at the new meeting any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.

Section 3.05 Voting. Except as otherwise provided by statute or these by-laws, the vote of a majority of the Director Members present at the time of a vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the Director Members. At any meeting of the Director Members, each Voting Director Member present, in person or by proxy, shall be entitled to one (1) vote. The record date of eligibility of voting rights shall be set by the Board no less than one (1) day before the date of the meeting. At all elections of Directors, the voting may but need not be by ballot and a plurality of the votes of the Director Members present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors shall elect.

Section 3.06 Proxy. Every Director Member entitled to vote at a meeting of Director Members or to express consent or dissent without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such Director Member by proxy. Every proxy must be in writing and signed by the Director Member or the Director Member's duly authorized agent, or by email setting forth information from which it can be reasonably determined that the proxy was authorized by such Director Member. No proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the date thereof unless otherwise provided in the proxy. Every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the Director Member executing it, except as otherwise provided by law. For the purposes of conducting meetings, all proxies shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation or, upon the absence of a Secretary, the presiding Director Member appointed to act as secretary of the meeting. Authorization for a proxy shall be valid only for a singular meeting identified directly in the proxy authorization. Each natural person shall only be able to represent a single proxy vote per issue.

Section 3.07 Action without a Meeting. Action may be taken without a meeting on written consent (which can be solicited by the Corporation to all Director Members and returned by the Director Members in electronic form, such as email) setting forth the action to be taken, signed by such Director Members as would be required to take the relevant action at a meeting. Such consent may be written or electronic. If consent is electronic it must be able to be reasonably determined to have been sent by the Director Member. In the event action is taken by written consent, the Members not voting thereon shall be given prompt notice of actions taken by written consent without a meeting. The request of such consent shall be made publicly before the request is made as a Meta posting on soylentnews.org or on an earmarked journal entry from an account earmarked for such publications. The results of such a request shall be similarly published as a Meta posting on soylentnews.org or on an earmarked journal entry from an account earmarked for such publications.

Section 3.08 Community Members. As noted in Section 3.01, Community Members shall have their own distinct voting rights for substantive management, governance, or control rights over the Corporation. The Board of Directors may elect to call a meeting of the Community Members, in its discretion, on such terms as it deems fit. The Board may further seek the informal, non-binding guidance of the Community Members in connection with any issue, topic, or decision to be made, or may form a temporary or ongoing advisory board with respect to an issue, topic, or decision to be made, or to ensure an independent decision in the case of a decision or transaction involving a conflict of interest affecting one or more Board members. Formal voting exercised by the Community Members under the provisions provided for them in the bylaws, or in instances of voting specifically requested by the Board Members, shall be considered binding and the results of such a vote shall have higher precedence and authority than any other voting class.

ARTICLE IV
Community Members

Section 4.01 Definition. The Community Members shall consist of registered users of the SoylentNews.org website who maintain an active account in good standing of the site policy. Each unique natural person who qualify is entitled to one vote as a Community Member. The Secretary shall be responsible for overseeing the maintenance of such a record of users and for determining who qualifies for eligibility as a Community Member during voting by the community members.

Section 4.02 Voting Procedures. The election of or replacement for any Director Members shall be conducted by a vote of the Community Members. Any natural person willing and legally able shall be eligible for election. Elections shall use proportional ranked choice voting using the Droop quota for voting calculations. In cases of election or positions being voted on, the community members shall be given a period of one week before any voting to submit names to be voted on. Community members shall be given a period of voting of four weeks for any vote before them. A super-majority of the board may vote to change an individual case of the communities' voting period duration but may not do so if the duration would be less than one-hundred and sixty eight (168) hours. The total vote of the community members shall be the number of votes cast by all eligible Community Members for each vote. Voting for changes to the bylaws may be accomplished by a simple vote requiring the supermajority of the total vote of the Community Members. All other voting shall require a simple majority of the total vote as its quota. Changes to the bylaws may only be made through a Community Member vote.

Section 4.03 Vote Qualification. Each Community Member shall be considered eligible for a vote if that Community Member qualifies under the definition of a Community Member as defined in Section 4.01 for a period of not less than thirty (30) days prior to the start of the voting period. The topic of a vote may be proposed by any Community Member. For such a proposal to be considered by a vote of the community it must be either (a) sponsored by any Director Member or (b) have the approval of a minimum of 10% of the active users of the website in the last weekly report as recorded by the SoylentNews platform. Technical measures may be used to ensure the integrity of the voting. The Secretary shall oversee that these criteria and measures are used to maintain a list of valid voting Community Members for each vote as appropriate.

ARTICLE V
Board of Directors

Section 5.01 Board Powers and Number. The affairs and property of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors (the "Board"), subject to applicable law and in accordance with the purposes and limitations set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation and herein. The number of voting directors shall be at least seven (7) and may be increased to a total of nine (9). Within the specified limits, the numbers of directors can be increased or decreased from time to time, by resolution of the Board, but such action by the Board shall require a vote of a majority of the Entire Board and no decrease shall shorten the term of any director then in office. As used in these by-laws, the term "Entire Board" shall mean the total number of directors entitled to vote which the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board. The board shall consist of (a) three (3) Voting Director Members to include the administrative officers consisting of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer and (b) four (4) Voting Director Members who shall be representatives of the Community Members and (c) Non Voting Director members defined by a staff policy ratified by the board defining a Management Group.

Section 5.02 Election and Term of Office. The initial directors shall be the persons named in the Certificate of Incorporation and shall serve until the first Annual Meeting of the Director Members. Thereafter, to become a director, a person shall be nominated and elected by the community members as detailed in Section 4.02 at a meeting of Director Members for the purpose of the annual election of Directors. Directors shall hold office for a term of one (1) years, and each shall serve for such term and until the election and qualification of a successor, or until such director's death, resignation, or removal. Directors may be elected to any number of consecutive terms.

Section 5.03 Qualification for Directors. Each director must be a natural person and shall be at least 18 years of age. The Board may set such other qualifications for directors as it deems necessary or appropriate, in its good faith discretion. Any director must be a Director Member, and should a director no longer be a Director Member (or vice versa), he or she shall be immediately removed as a director and shall no longer be a Director Member, receiving no compensation for his or her membership interest.

Section 5.04 Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies. Newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors, and vacancies occurring for any reason, including any vacancy occurring by reason of the death, resignation, or removal of a director, may be filled by holding community election for the available position(s) as specified in Section 4.02. Each director so elected shall serve until the next Annual Meeting of the Director Members or until such director's successor is elected or appointed and qualified.

Section 5.05 Removal. Any director may be removed at any time by a vote of a majority of Director Members (excluding from the numerator and denominator the director(s) to be removed). Removal by voting of the Community Members need not to be with cause.

Section 5.06 Resignation. Any director may resign from the Board at any time by giving prior written notice to the Board. Unless otherwise specified in the notice, the resignation shall take effect at the time of receipt by the Board or such officer. The acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. No resignations shall discharge any accrued obligation or duty of a director. As set forth above, resignation as a director shall terminate the former director's Director Member status.

Section 5.07 Meetings. The annual meeting and regular meetings of the Board shall be held at such times and places as may from time to time be fixed by the Board or may be specified in a notice of meeting. Special meetings of the Board may be held at any time upon the call of the President or as determined by the Board in each case at such time and place as shall be fixed by the person or persons calling the meeting, as specified in the notice thereof.

Section 5.08 Notice of Meetings. Notice of a meeting may be sent by mail, telephone, facsimile transmission, telegraph, courier service, electronic mail or hand delivery, directed to each director at his or her address or contact information as it appears on the records of the President. Each director's preferred method of communication shall always be used if one has been provided to the Corporation. Such notice shall state the time and place where the meeting is to be held and to the extent possible, the purpose(s) for which the meeting is called. Notice shall be deemed to have been given when sent, and if by mail, when deposited in the United States mail with prepaid postage thereon. Notice of any regular meeting for which the time and place is not fixed by the Board must be given to each director not less than three (3) days before such meeting. Notice of a special meeting of the Board must be given to each director not less than three (3) days before such meeting, provided, however, that notice of special meetings to discuss matters requiring prompt action may be given no less than forty-eight hours before the time at which such meeting is to be held if given personally, by telephone, by facsimile transmission or by electronic mail, unless the meeting relates to an emergency which must be resolved within forty-eight hours, in which case notice shall be given as promptly as possible. Notice of a regular or special meeting need not be given to a director who submits a signed waiver of notice before or at the meeting's commencement, or who attends the meeting without protesting (not later than the commencement of the meeting) the lack of notice to him or her. The community members shall be notified of all meetings in the form of a Meta article to SoylentNews or to a specific SoylentNews journal earmarked for the committees use. The notification to the community members shall be made at least three days in advance of the meeting.

Section 5.09 Quorum. At each meeting of the Board, the presence of a majority of the Entire Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or any specified item of business. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting to another time without notice other than by announcement at the meeting, until such a quorum is present, except that notice of such adjournment shall be given to any directors who were not present at the time of the adjournment.

Section 5.10 Voting. Except as otherwise provided by statute or these by-laws, the vote of a majority of the directors present at the time of a vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the Board.

Section 5.11 Meeting by Remote Communication. Any one or more members of the Board or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or such committee by means of a conference telephone, video conference, internet-based meeting forum, internet relay chat (IRC), or similar communications equipment. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting provided that all persons participating in the meeting can hear and or otherwise materially participate with each other at the same time and each director can participate in all matters before the board, including, without limitation, the ability to propose, object to, and vote upon a specific action to be taken by the board or committee. The preferred method of remote communication for meetings shall be a publicly visible and accessible internet relay chat service. In the event that the preferring method is unavailable, the board shall use free and open alternatives when such alternatives are recommended or visible for all official business to remain inclusive and transparent to the Community Members.

Section 5.12 Action without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee consent in writing to the adoption of a resolution authorizing the action. Such consent may be written or electronic. The resolution and written consents thereto by the members of the Board or such committee shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board or such committee.

Section 5.13 Director Compensation. Generally, the Corporation shall not pay compensation to directors for services rendered to the Corporation in their capacity as directors, except that directors may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the Corporation. However, the Board may determine to compensate one or more of the directors for their services as such, in its discretion. In addition, a director may receive compensation, in the Board's discretion, for the performance of services provided to the Corporation in any capacity separate from his or her responsibilities as a director such as, without limitation, service as an Officer of the Corporation.

Section 5.14 Staff Delegation. The board shall create and ratify a staff policy detailing the structure, description, operations, and policies of a staff group. The staff group shall consist of one or more teams as determined by the staff policy each with its own team leader. The team leaders shall be collectively referred to as the ("Management Group") as referenced in Section 5.01 and have non-voting seats on the board. The staff shall be responsible for the daily operations of SoylentNews as outlined in the staff policy. Director Members are ineligible to be concurrently serving the role of a Director Member and that a team leader / member of the management group. The membership of a Director Member on the staff team shall be at the sole discretion of the team leader and is otherwise fully encumbered by the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of the staff policy.

ARTICLE VI
Committees

Section 6.01 Executive Committee and Other Committees of the Board. The Board, by resolution adopted by a majority of the Entire Board, may designate from among the directors an Executive Committee and other committees of the Board consisting of three (3) or more directors. Each committee of the Board shall have such authority as the Board shall by resolution provide; and the Executive Committee shall have all the authority of the Board, except that no such committee shall have the ability to address those matters prohibited to be addressed by the full Board under the DGCL.

Section 6.02 Quorum and Action by Committee. Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board, a majority of all of the members of a committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the vote of a majority of all of the members of a committee shall be the act of the committee. The procedures and manner of acting of the Executive Committee and of the committees of the Board shall be subject at all times to the directions of the Board.

Section 6.03 Alternate Members. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member or members at any meeting of such committee.

Section 6.04 Reporting. The official business and meetings and resolutions of the committee shall be documented and made publicly available for official record. Notifications of meetings shall be given to the community a minimum of 72 hours in advance of the meeting, however reasonable effort shall be made to post these meetings as soon as they are scheduled, and shall be made in the form of a Meta article to SoylentNews or to a specific SoylentNews journal earmarked for the committees use.

ARTICLE VII
Officers, Employees, and Agents

Section 7.01 Officers. The officers of the Corporation shall consist at least of a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The Board may from time to time create vacancies for such other officers, including one or more Vice Presidents, as it may determine. All officers shall be elected by the Community Members from slates of candidates eligible and willing to serve, the composition of which may be determined by the Board or the President or such other Officer to whom the Board delegates such task. While the President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be Director Members, any other officer may but need not be a director or a Community Member.

Section 7.02 Election, Term of Office, and Qualifications. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by a majority vote of the Board at the annual meeting of the Board, and each officer shall hold office until such officer's successor is elected and qualified or until such officer's earlier death, resignation, or removal. Except as may otherwise be provided in the resolution of the Board choosing an officer, no officer need be a director. One person may hold, and perform the duties of, more than one office, except that the same person may not hold the offices of President and Secretary. All officers shall be subject to the supervision and direction of the Board. The Board may set such qualification requirements for officers as it deems appropriate, and may cause the Corporation to set the terms of and enter into an executive employment agreement with any person.

Section 7.03 Removal. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by a vote of a majority of the Entire Board.

Section 7.04 Resignations. Any officer may resign at any time by giving at least ten (10) days' written notice to the Board. Unless otherwise specified in the notice, the resignation shall take effect at the time of receipt by the Board. The acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 7.05 Vacancies. A vacancy in any office arising from any cause shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by Community Member voting.

Section 7.06 President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board and Director Members. He or she shall have the general powers and duties of supervision and management of the Corporation which usually pertain to his or her office, and shall keep the Board fully informed of the activities of the Corporation. The President shall perform all such other duties as are properly required of him or her by the Board. He or she has the power to sign and execute alone in the name of the Corporation all contracts authorized either generally or specifically by the Board, unless the Board shall specifically require an additional signature.

Section 7.07 Vice President. Each Vice President may be designated by such title as the Board may determine, and each such Vice President in such order of seniority as may be determined by the Board, shall, in the absence or disability of the President perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President. Each Vice President also shall have such powers and perform such duties as usually pertain to his or her office or as are properly required of him or her by the Board.

Section 7.08 Secretary. The Secretary shall record and keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board and Director Members (or Community Members, if so called) in books kept for that purpose. He or she shall see that all notices and reports are given and served as required by law or these by-laws. He or she shall affix the corporate seal to and sign such instruments as require the seal and his or her signature and shall perform all duties as usually pertain to his or her office or as are properly required of him or her by the Board. All records of official meetings, actions, minutes shall be published on a publicly available and accessible platform for the community to read. The location shall be posted permanently in an appropriate location on the main website.

Section 7.09 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of all moneys received and paid by him or her on account of the Corporation. The Treasurer shall exhibit at all reasonable times the Corporation's books of account and records to any of the directors of the Corporation upon request at the office of the Corporation. He or she shall render a detailed statement to the Board of the condition of the finances of the Corporation at the annual meeting of the Board and shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to his or her office or as are properly required of him or her by the Board. The Treasurer shall be responsible for producing a yearly balance sheet and profit and loss statement reflecting the true status of the business as reported to the IRS. This report shall be made publicly visible and accessible to the Community Members in a place notified to the Community Members via the website or appropriate postings. Personal identifying information may be scrubbed from these reports but the services, role, and function or service such rendered shall not be obfuscated.

Section 7.10 Employees and Other Agents. The Board may from time to time appoint such employees and other agents as it shall deem necessary, each of whom shall have such authority and perform such duties as the Board may from time to time determine. To the fullest extent allowed by law, the Board may delegate to any employee or agent any powers possessed by the Board and may prescribe their respective title, terms of office, authorities, and duties.

Section 7.11 Compensation. Any officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation is authorized to receive reasonable compensation for services rendered to the Corporation when authorized by a majority of the Entire Board, in its discretion.

ARTICLE VIII
Execution of Instruments

Section 8.01Contracts and Instruments. The Board, subject to the provisions of Section 9.01, may authorize any Officer or agent of the Corporation to enter into any contract, to execute and deliver any instrument, or to sign checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or may be confined to specific instances. No instrument required to be signed by more than one Officer may be signed by one person in more than one capacity unless called upon by the terms of such instrument. Any contract under consideration by the board and/or executed by the board shall be disclosed to the community members and the discussion of such shall be open to the public and recorded and published for public viewing.

Section 8.02 Tax Status-Related Filings. The Board, subject to the provisions of Section 9.01, may authorize any Officer or other agent to make, complete, and file (or cause to be filed) any document with any government agency, including the Internal Revenue Service and any filings necessary to cause the Corporation to become or to remain tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 8.03 Deposits. The funds of the Corporation shall be deposited in its name with such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as the Board or any Officer, to whom the Board has delegated such power, may from time to time designate.

ARTICLE IX
Indemnification and Insurance

Section 9.01 Indemnification. The Corporation may, to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, indemnify any person made, or threatened to be made, a party to any action or proceeding with any third-party by reason of the fact that he or she, his or her testator or intestate, was a director or officer of the Corporation, against judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees. No indemnification may be made to or on behalf of any such person if, in the determination of the Board (excluding the affected director(s)), (a) his or her acts were committed in bad faith or were the result of his or her willful misconduct or active and deliberate dishonesty and were material to such action or proceeding, or (b) he or she personally gained or sought to gain a financial or other benefit or other advantage or opportunity to which he or she was not entitled in connection with his or her actions or inactions in connection with service to the Corporation.

Section 9.02 Insurance. The Corporation shall have the power, but not the obligation, to purchase and maintain insurance to indemnify the Corporation for any obligation which it incurs as a result of its indemnification of directors and officers pursuant to Section 8.01 above, or to indemnify such persons in instances in which they may be indemnified pursuant to Section 8.01 above.

Section 9.03 Indemnification Agreements. The Board may cause the Corporation to enter into agreements which provide for the contractual indemnification of directors, officers, employees, or third parties, including agents, service providers, consultants, tax advisors, and others. The Board may approve a form of such contract including indemnification (such as a form of employment agreement, consulting agreement, etc.) with implementation and execution of such agreements delegated to one or more Officers.

ARTICLE X
Interested Party Transactions

Section 10.01 Conflict of Interest Policy. The Board may determine to adopt a Conflict of Interest Policy governing situations where it faces a financial or other conflict or seeks to engage in an interested party transaction. For purposes of these by-laws, an "interested party transaction" is any contract or other transaction between the Corporation and (a) any present director or any individual who has served as a director in the five (5) years preceding the transaction ("past director"), (b) any family member of a present or past director, (c) any corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity in which a present or past director is a director, officer, or holder of a financial interest, (d) any present officer or any individual who has served as an officer in the five (5) years preceding the transaction ("past officer"), (e) any family member of a present or past officer, or (f) any corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity in which a present or past officer is a director, officer, or holder of a financial interest. If such a policy is adopted, in any instance where the Corporation proposes to enter into an interested party transaction, it shall follow the procedures and rules set forth in the Corporation's Conflict of Interest Policy.

Section 10.02 Approval other than Pursuant to Conflict of Interest Policy. If the Board does not or has not yet developed a Conflict of Interest Policy, the Board may approve an interested party transaction with the consent or approval of a majority of the directors that are not involved in the interested party transaction on a determination that the transaction (a) is in the best interests of the Corporation, (b) is fair to the Corporation and reasonable in its terms, (c) is in alignment with or not opposed to the Corporation's mission and charitable objectives, and (d) does not create an appearance of impropriety that might impair Member or public confidence in, or the reputation of, the Corporation (even absent any actual conflict or wrongdoing). The Board shall make a written record of its decision-making process in connection with an interested party transaction.

ARTICLE XI
Amendments

Section 11.01 These by-laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by the affirmative vote of the majority of the Entire Board present at any meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present, except a two-thirds vote of the Entire Board shall be required for any amendment to add or remove a provision of these by-laws requiring a greater proportion of directors to constitute quorum or a greater proportion of votes necessary for the transaction of business. Such action is authorized only at a duly called and held meeting of the Board for which written notice of such meeting, setting forth the proposed alteration, is given in accordance with the notice provisions for special meetings set forth herein. If these by-laws are altered, amended, or repealed by the Board, there shall be set forth in the notice of the next meeting of members for the election of directors the by-laws so adopted, amended, or repealed, together with a concise statement of the changes made. Any such change under this section shall still be required to meet the requirements of Section 4.02 requiring a community vote to adopt such changes.

ARTICLE XII
Non-Discrimination

Section 12.01 In all of its dealings, neither the Corporation nor its duly authorized agents shall discriminate against any individual or group for reasons of race, color, creed, sex, age, culture, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, mental or physical handicap, or any category protected by state or federal law.

ARTICLE XIII
Reference to Certificate of Incorporation

Section 13.01 References in these by-laws to the Certificate of Incorporation shall include all amendments thereto or changes thereof as of the relevant time unless specifically otherwise stated by these by-laws. In the event of a conflict between the Certificate of Incorporation and these by-laws, the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern.

ARTICLE XIV
General Provisions

Section 14.01Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the calendar year unless otherwise provided by the Board.

Section 14.02Seal. The Corporation is not required to have a corporate seal. Should it determine to use a seal, the corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation, the year of its organization, and such other terms as are required. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any manner reproduced.

Section 14.03Books and Records. The Corporation shall keep at the office of the Corporation correct and complete books and records of the activities and transactions of the Corporation, including the minute book, which shall contain a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation, a copy of these by-laws and all prior versions thereof (if and as applicable), all resolutions and written consents of the Board and General Members, and all minutes of meetings of the Members and meetings of the Board and committees thereof.

Section 14.04Records Retention and Destruction Policy. The Corporation may adopt such record keeping policies and procedures as necessary for its business, regulatory, and tax-exempt status.

Section 14.05Annual Returns; Necessary Filings. The Entire Board shall review the Corporation's annual filing(s) with the Internal Revenue Service prior to it being filed. The Board may delegate to one or more Officers the preparation of filings and reports related to the Corporation's tax-exempt status or any other matter, subject to the Board's oversight, and may employ consultants or advisers, including legal or tax counsel, in connection with the preparation and/or review of such material(s).

Section 14.06Electronic Signatures. Wherever a written instrument is required to be executed hereunder, an electronic signature, to the extent permitted by applicable law, shall be deemed to be a written signature.

* * * * *

posted by martyb on Tuesday November 21 2023, @01:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the slow,-slow,-slow-your-boat? dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

YouTube has been on a monetization push recently, as it began blocking ad-blockers and pushing users to buy YouTube Premium. That move makes sense in many ways, as the platform needs to make money to survive and compensate creators who depend on the platform for their living. But some other actions by YouTube make less sense. Users are now reporting that YouTube has begun slowing down its desktop website for some Firefox and Edge users, and we are perplexed.

Redditor vk6_ has shared a video showing a five-second delay when loading into a YouTube video on Mozilla Firefox. Upon manually changing the user agent on the browser to Chrome, the five-second delay no longer appears. The video has been reproduced below:

Redditor vk6_ further notes that this isn’t a bug on Firefox. The JavaScript code for the YouTube client on the desktop reportedly contains code that adds the artificial five-second delay. Others have chimed in, pointing out the exact place to find this piece of code.

We can confirm that the above-mentioned snippet of code exists. However, we cannot confirm if the code does indeed add a five-second delay after checking for the user’s browser of choice.

You can verify the existence of the code by inspecting this YouTube Javascript file and locating the following snippet of code with the find function (press Ctrl and F to open the finder):

For me, YouTube works equally well across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Other team members also could not replicate this delayed behavior across browsers.

However, multiple users have reported the same across Firefox and Edge. The users claim to have experienced the delay without any extensions enabled, indicating that the delay could be on a per-account basis. The delay also does not trigger just once; it is reportedly triggered every time YouTube links are opened in a new tab.


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Tuesday November 21 2023, @08:28AM   Printer-friendly

Huawei could say goodbye to Android apps for good next year:

The US sanctions knocked the wind out of Huawei's smartphone business. Due to the ban, the Chinese company could not use US technology in its phones, which also cut off its access to Android. To ensure its survival and as a part of its strategy to diversify away from US tech, Huawei announced HarmonyOS in August 2019, its cross-platform Android replacement. Despite the company claiming otherwise, the OS was based on Android and supported Android apps. Four years later, Huawei appears ready to ditch Android app support in its OS.

HarmonyOS phones sold in China have never shipped with access to Google Play Services and the Play Store. But since the underlying OS was based on Android, you could sideload popular Android apps from third-party app stores with ease. With HarmonyOS Next — the upcoming major release of Huawei's operating system, the Chinese company will drop support for all Android libraries. This effectively means it won't be possible to sideload or install Android APKs on Huawei phones running HarmonyOS Next.

[...] While Huawei officially announced HarmonyOS Next earlier this year, little is known about the changes it will bring besides dropping Android app support. The OS itself may continue to use AOSP as its base but skip including support for Android app libraries.

Even then, the implications of this move on Huawei's phones sold internationally are unclear. While such phones also miss out on Play Store support, you could sideload popular Android apps on them. Without the necessary app libraries, though, this won't be possible. Given the company's minuscule international market share, it's likely not too worried about this.

HarmonyOS powers more than smartphones — it is also found on Huawei's other devices, including tablets, smartwatches, and IoT products. It is seemingly already running on over 700 million devices in China, with 2.2 million app developers creating apps for the platform.


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posted by martyb on Tuesday November 21 2023, @03:43AM   Printer-friendly
from the where-will-you-put-it? dept.

Giant Telescope – 8x the Size of Earth – Reveals Unprecedented View of Colossal Cosmic Jet:

Using a network of radio telescopes on Earth and in space, astronomers have captured the most detailed view ever of a jet of plasma shooting from a supermassive black hole at the heart of a distant galaxy.

The jet, which comes from the heart of a distant blazar called 3C 279, travels at nearly the speed of light and shows complex, twisted patterns near its source. These patterns challenge the standard theory that has been used for 40 years to explain how these jets form and change over time.

A major contribution to the observations was made possible by the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, where the data from all participating telescopes were combined to create a virtual telescope with an effective diameter of about 100,000 kilometers.

Their findings were recently published in Nature Astronomy.

Blazars are the brightest and most powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation in the cosmos. They are a subclass of active galactic nuclei comprising galaxies with a central supermassive black hole accreting matter from a surrounding disk. About 10% of active galactic nuclei, classified as quasars, produce relativistic plasma jets. Bazars belong to a small fraction of quasars in which we can see these jets pointing almost directly at the observer.

The new window on the universe opened by the RadioAstron mission has revealed new details in the plasma jet of 3C 279, a blazar with a supermassive black hole at its core. The jet has at least two twisted filaments of plasma extending more than 570 light-years from the center.

"This is the first time we have seen such filaments so close to the jet's origin, and they tell us more about how the black hole shapes the plasma. The inner jet was also observed by two other telescopes, the GMVA and the EHT, at much shorter wavelengths (3.5 mm and 1.3 mm), but they were unable to detect the filamentary shapes because they were too faint and too large for this resolution," says Eduardo Ros, a member of the research team and European scheduler of the GMVA. "This shows how different telescopes can reveal different features of the same object," he adds.

[...] The Earth-to-Space Interferometer RadioAstron mission, active from July 2011 to May 2019, consisted of a 10-meter orbiting radio telescope (Spektr-R) and a collection of about two dozen of the world's largest ground-based radio telescopes, including the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope. When the signals of individual telescopes were combined using the interference of radio waves, this array of telescopes provided a maximum angular resolution equivalent to a radio telescope of 350.000 km in diameter – almost the distance between the Earth and Moon. This made RadioAstron the highest angular resolution instrument in the history of astronomy.

Journal Reference:
Antonio Fuentes, José L. Gómez, José M. Martí, et al. Filamentary structures as the origin of blazar jet radio variability, Nature Astronomy (DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02105-7)


Original Submission

posted by martyb on Monday November 20 2023, @11:02PM   Printer-friendly
from the good-question dept.

https://www.10stripe.com/articles/why-is-56k-the-fastest-dialup-modem-speed.php

If you've ever had dialup internet service, or still do, or just know someone that does, you have probably heard terms like "56k modem". "56k" has become almost synonymous with dialup Internet access. But it's such an arbitrary number. It's not divisible by ten, it's not a power of two... so why was it chosen as the fastest dialup speed? For the answer, we will have to travel back in time quite a while.

Our visitors from Google should be warned that this is not a "stripped down" explanation; it is intended for relatively technical readers. But if you really want to know where this magic number comes from, you need to understand some of the technical background. As we shall see, "56k" was not just pulled out of a hat.

[...] Anyone that has ever used a dialup modem knows full well that they don't actually get to connect at that speed, though. And that their connection speed varies each time they dial in. There are two factors at work here.

The first is the FCC. If you are in the United States, the FCC places a restriction on the power output of devices connected to the phone network. The result is that you will never be able to connect at a speed faster than 53.3 kbit/s.

The second is the overall complexity of the phone network. 56 kbit/s (or 53.3 kbit/s) requires very good operating conditions, as it is really operating beyond the paramaters of what the phone network is required to be capable of. Operating at these speeds requires that there only be one ADC between the user and their ISP (which is not guaranteed to be true, but typically is), and that the copper wiring in the user's "local loop" have very good electrical properties. Part of the dialup process that is used to initiate a connection is an evaluation of the overall quality of the connection; if it is determined to be lacking, the modem will automatically drop down to a lower data rate.


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Monday November 20 2023, @06:17PM   Printer-friendly
from the recommended-daily-amount-of-Cheez-Its dept.

Nutrition experts are reviewing data on ultra-processed foods for 2025 guidance:

For the first time, health experts who develop the federal government's dietary guidelines for Americans are reviewing the effects of ultra-processed foods on the country's health—a review that could potentially lead to first-of-their-kind warnings or suggested limits in the upcoming 2025 guidance, The Washington Post reports.

Such warning or limits would mark the first time that Americans would be advised to consider not just the basic nutritional components of foods, but also how their foods are processed.

[...] Deirdre K. Tobias, a member of the guidelines advisory committee, told the Post that the study suggested ultra-processed foods seem to promote higher "passive intake" of calories beyond what our bodies need and that the numerous epidemiological studies suggesting a link between eating ultra-processed foods and having a higher risk of many diseases is "as compelling as it can be." She declined to comment directly on the upcoming guidelines, noting that the committee's work is underway.

The Post also notes that the food industry has strongly pushed back—writing directly to the committee telling them not to issue any warnings or limits. One key point of contention is that there is no exact or established definition of what counts as "ultra-processed." Generally, it is considered to include any industrially produced food product with artificial combinations of flavors and additives, such as artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and synthetic colors. Products that easily fit the definition include things like chips, frozen dinners, boxed sweetened cereals, chicken nuggets, and boxed macaroni and cheese.

Much to the dismay of nutrition experts, the National School Lunch Program allows its 30 million participating schools to serve products clearly in the ultra-processed food category, including Domino's pizza, Lunchables, and Cheez-Its. Currently, the products must only meet the federal dietary guidance's standards for things like sodium, fat, protein, and whole grains—regardless of how many other additives they include.


Original Submission

posted by martyb on Monday November 20 2023, @01:28PM   Printer-friendly
from the go-have-a-ball! dept.

Russia pivots to Chinese CPUs that aren't subject to US sanctions — Russia's homegrown Linux-based Alt OS now supports Chinese LoongArch chips

The Alt operating system developed by Moscow, Russia-based Basalt SPO has been recompiled to support Chinese Loongson processors based on the LoongArch architecture. Blacklisted Loongson has actively supported the porting process. The OS is available as a distro with a basic set of programs (Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice) that can be installed on desktops, workstations, and servers. The company says the product is offered 'as is,' and its commercial distributives will be available later.

Alt is now the first Russian operating system capable of running on Loongson's processors based on the 64-bit LoongArch architecture, such as LS5000 and LS6000 series, which some in Russia consider alternatives to x86 CPUs from AMD and Intel. Recently, China lifted the export ban on Loongson's latest CPUs to Russia, which opened doors to using these processors in desktops, laptops, servers, storage equipment, and other applications.


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Monday November 20 2023, @08:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the pay-up-or-we'll-report-you dept.

The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware operation has taken extortion to a new level by filing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission complaint against one of their alleged victims for not complying with the four-day rule to disclose a cyberattack:

Earlier today, the threat actor listed the software company MeridianLink on their data leak with a threat that they would leak allegedly stolen data unless a ransom is paid in 24 hours.

MeridianLink is a publicly traded company that provides digital solutions for financial organizations such as banks, credit unions, and mortgage lenders.

According to DataBreaches.net, the ALPHV ransomware gang said they breached MeridianLink's network on November 7 and stole company data without encrypting systems.

The ransomware actor said that "it appears MeridianLink reached out, but we are yet to receive a message on their end" to negotiate a payment in exchange for not leaking the supposedly stolen data.

The alleged lack of response from the company likely prompted the hackers to exert more pressure by sending a complaint to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about MeridianLink not disclosing a cybersecurity incident that impacted "customer data and operational information."

[...] In their own words, the attacker told the SEC that MeridianLink suffered a "significant breach" and did not disclose it as required in Form 8-K, under Item 1.05.

The SEC's new cybersecurity rules are set to take effect on December 15, 2023.

Originally spotted on Schneier on Security.

Related: Teens With "Digital Bazookas" Are Winning the Ransomware War, Researcher Laments


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Monday November 20 2023, @03:53AM   Printer-friendly
from the dystopia-is-now! dept.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/11/from-toy-to-tool-dall-e-3-is-a-wake-up-call-for-visual-artists-and-the-rest-of-us/

In October, OpenAI launched its newest AI image generator—DALL-E 3—into wide release for ChatGPT subscribers. DALL-E can pull off media generation tasks that would have seemed absurd just two years ago—and although it can inspire delight with its unexpectedly detailed creations, it also brings trepidation for some. Science fiction forecast tech like this long ago, but seeing machines upend the creative order feels different when it's actually happening before our eyes.

"It's impossible to dismiss the power of AI when it comes to image generation," says Aurich Lawson, Ars Technica's creative director. "With the rapid increase in visual acuity and ability to get a usable result, there's no question it's beyond being a gimmick or toy and is a legit tool."

[...] ChatGPT and DALL-E 3 currently work hand-in-hand, making AI art generation into an interactive and conversational experience. You tell ChatGPT (through the GPT-4 large language model) what you'd like it to generate, and it writes ideal prompts for you and submits them to the DALL-E backend. DALL-E returns the images (usually two at a time), and you see them appear through the ChatGPT interface, whether through the web or via the ChatGPT app.

[...] However, those scraped captions—written by humans—aren't always detailed or accurate, which leads to some faulty associations that reduce an AI model's ability to follow a written prompt.

To get around that problem, OpenAI decided to use AI to improve itself. As detailed in the DALL-E 3 research paper, the team at OpenAI trained this new model to surpass its predecessor by using synthetic (AI-written) image captions generated by GPT-4V, the visual version of GPT-4. With GPT-4V writing the captions, the team generated far more accurate and detailed descriptions for the DALL-E model to learn from during the training process.


Original Submission

posted by martyb on Monday November 20 2023, @03:39AM   Printer-friendly
from the it-was-uphill-both-ways dept.

On Nov 15, the Intel 4004, the world's first commercially produced microprocessor, was launched

The Intel 4004 was released on Nov 15 52 years ago, and it was an incredibly important chip with an interesting history.

On Nov. 15, 1971, the Intel 4004 CPU was released. It was the first commercially produced microprocessor and the first-ever CPU for Intel, which later went on to become a domineering force in the PC industry. It all started thanks to Nippon Calculating Machine Corp. asking Intel to produce 12 custom chips for the Busicom 141-PF printing calculator. Intel's engineers went on to recommend a family of just four chips instead, but one that could be used for a variety of products. These four chips were known as the MCS-4 (Micro Computer System, 4-bit), laying the groundwork for Intel to succeed as one of the most influential companies in modern electronics.

[...] In the Intel 4000 family, these were split up as follows:

  • Intel 4001: A 256-byte 4-bit ROM.
  • Intel 4002: DRAM with four 20-nibble registers. A nibble is four consecutive binary digits, otherwise known as half an 8-bit byte.
  • Intel 4003: I/O with a 10-bit static shift register with serial and parallel outputs.
  • Intel 4004: A CPU.

This system, when fully expanded, could interface with 16 4001 chips for a total of 4KB ROM, 16 4002 chips for 640 bytes of RAM, and any number of Intel 4003 chips. With these designs complete, Busicom went on to prototype the calculator that would use them. In April 1971, they could confirm that the calculator worked, packing one 4004, two 4002, three 4003, and four 4001 chips.

[...] At the time, the Intel 4004 really was as influential as the company made it out to be. It had 2,300 transistors, whereas nowadays, the Apple Silicon M3 Max has 97 billion. It was a massively important chip that changed the course of the computing industry forever, as it was a building block that engineers could purchase to customize with software. It was used in ATMs, pinball machines, and more.


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Sunday November 19 2023, @11:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the AI-overlords dept.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/11/ai-outperforms-conventional-weather-forecasting-for-the-first-time-google-study/

On Tuesday, the peer-reviewed journal Science published a study that shows how an AI meteorology model from Google DeepMind called GraphCast has significantly outperformed conventional weather forecasting methods in predicting global weather conditions up to 10 days in advance. The achievement suggests that future weather forecasting may become far more accurate, reports The Washington Post and Financial Times.

In the study, GraphCast demonstrated superior performance over the world's leading conventional system, operated by the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In a comprehensive evaluation, GraphCast outperformed ECMWF's system in 90 percent of 1,380 metrics, including temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, and humidity at various atmospheric levels.


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Sunday November 19 2023, @06:24PM   Printer-friendly

AMD Readies 8-Core Ryzen 7 5700X3D and 6-Core Ryzen 5 5500X3D With 96MB L3 Cache:

As per information from chi11eddog, a reliable source for hardware leaks regarding CPU and motherboard launches, AMD is reportedly in the process of developing at least two additional CPUs in the Ryzen 5000X3D series. One of these is a more affordable 8-core model known as the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, anticipated to boast a base clock of 3.0 GHz and a boost clock of 4.1 GHz. This particular CPU is expected to have clock speeds that are 400 MHz lower than the 5800X3D SKU.

[...] The current report does not offer details on the potential availability of the newly discussed CPUs. Right now, AMD has two new CPUs with 3D V-Cache. One is called the 5800X3D and is considered the best gaming CPU for the AM4 platform. The other is called the 5600X3D and can only be bought from MicroCenter in the United States. The prospect of AMD broadening the availability of 3D V-Cache options globally, rather than confining them to specific retailers, would indeed be noteworthy.

The introduction of the 5700X3D and 5500X3D models for the AM4 platform could make it better for gamers who don't want to spend too much money. The release of more cost-effective SKUs could offer gamers an attractive upgrade path without imposing a substantial financial burden, paving the way for a transition to newer AM5/LGA-1851 sockets in the future.

A noteworthy aspect of the X3D series is its compatibility with various entry-level motherboards. These CPUs do not support overclocking. Hence, their requirements are lower. Despite this limitation, these CPUs show superior performance in gaming tests compared to their non-X3D counterparts.

Source: @g01d3nm4ng0


Original Submission

posted by hubie on Sunday November 19 2023, @01:36PM   Printer-friendly
from the OBAFGKM dept.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/11/capacitor-based-heat-pumps-see-big-boost-in-efficiency/

Various forms of heat pumps—refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters—are estimated to consume about 30 percent of the world's electricity. And that number is almost certain to rise, as heat pumps play a very large role in efforts to electrify heating to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Most existing versions of these systems rely on the compression of a class of chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons, gasses that were chosen because they have a far smaller impact on the ozone layer than earlier refrigerants. Unfortunately, they are also extremely potent greenhouse gasses, with a short-term impact several thousand times that of carbon dioxide.

Alternate technologies have been tested, but all of them have at least one major drawback in comparison to gas compression. In a paper released in today's issue of Science, however, researchers describe progress on a form of heat pump that is built around a capacitor that changes temperature as it's charged and discharged. Because the energy spent while charging it can be used on discharge, the system has the potential to be highly efficient.

[...] For hydrofluorocarbons, the difference in heat content can be controlled by altering the pressure. Compressing a gas will heat it up while lowering the pressure cools it down. However, various other materials undergo similar heating and cooling in response to other external influences, including physical stress, magnetic fields, or electric fields. In many cases, these materials remain solid despite experiencing significant changes in temperature, which could potentially simplify the supporting equipment needed for heating and cooling.

In the new work, done by researchers mostly based in Luxembourg, the researchers focused on materials that change temperature in response to electric fields, generically known as electrocalorics. While a variety of configurations have been tested for these materials, researchers have settled on a layered capacitor structure, with the electric field of the material changing as more charge is stored within it. As charge is stored, an electrocaloric material will heat up. When the charge is drained, they'll draw in heat from the environment.

This has a significant advantage regarding the power needed for the device to operate since the current generated when draining the capacitor can just be used to power something. There's a little energy lost during the round-trip in and out of storage, but that can potentially be limited to less than one percent.

Journal Reference:
Junning Li et al., High cooling performance in a double-loop electrocaloric heat pump, Science, 16 Nov 2023 Vol 382, Issue 6672 pp. 801-805 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5477


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2