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owl writes:

https://www.righto.com/2012/02/apple-didnt-revolutionize-power.html

The new biography Steve Jobs contains a remarkable claim about the power supply of the Apple II and its designer Rod Holt:

Instead of a conventional linear power supply, Holt built one like those used in oscilloscopes. It switched the power on and off not sixty times per second, but thousands of times; this allowed it to store the power for far less time, and thus throw off less heat. "That switching power supply was as revolutionary as the Apple II logic board was," Jobs later said. "Rod doesn't get a lot of credit for this in the history books but he should. Every computer now uses switching power supplies, and they all rip off Rod Holt's design."

I found it amazing to think that computers now use power supplies based on the Apple II's design, so I did some investigation. It turns out that Apple's power supply was not revolutionary, either in the concept of using a switching power supply for computers or in the specific design of the power supply. Modern computer power supplies are totally different and do not rip off anything from Rod Holt's design. It turns out that Steve Jobs was making his customary claim that everyone is stealing Apple's revolutionary technology, entirely contrary to the facts.

The history of switching power supplies turns out to be pretty interesting. While most people view the power supply as a boring metal box, there's actually a lot of technological development behind it. There was, in fact, a revolution in power supplies in the late 1960s through the mid 1970s as switching power supplies took over from simple but inefficient linear power supplies, but this was a few years before the Apple II came out in 1977. The credit for this revolution should go to advances in semiconductor technology, specifically improvements in switching transistors, and then innovative ICs to control switching power supplies.

Original Submission

As discussed in this press release (and picked up by auto industry sites), https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/first-partial-driving-automation-safeguard-ratings-show-industry-has-work-to-do recent tests on "Level 2" types of driving automation suggest that more development is needed.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is introducing a new ratings program to encourage automakers to incorporate more robust safeguards into their partial driving automation systems. Out of the first 14 systems tested, only one earns an acceptable rating. Two are rated marginal, and 11 are rated poor.

"We evaluated partial automation systems from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Genesis, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Tesla and Volvo," IIHS President David Harkey said. "Most of them don't include adequate measures to prevent misuse and keep drivers from losing focus on what's happening on the road."

The Teammate system available on the Lexus LS is the only system tested that earns an acceptable rating. The GMC Sierra and Nissan Ariya are both available with partial automation systems that earn marginal ratings. The LS and Ariya each offer an alternative system that earns a poor rating. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, Genesis G90, Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, Tesla Model 3 and Volvo S90 also earn poor ratings, in some cases for more than one version of partial automation.
[...]
The new IIHS ratings aim to encourage safeguards that can help reduce intentional misuse and prolonged attention lapses as well as to discourage certain design characteristics that increase risk in other ways — such as systems that can be operated when automatic emergency braking (AEB) is turned off or seat belts are unbuckled.

Scores are awarded based on a battery of tests conducted over multiple trials, and some performance areas are weighted more heavily than others.

upstart writes:

Starbucks' Odyssey Web3 rewards program ends on March 31 and its NFT marketplace will be shifted over to Nifty:

Starbucks is pulling the plug on Odyssey, its Web3 rewards program that gave members access to collectible NFTs. The company updated its FAQ on Friday to let members know that the beta program is closing on March 31, and they have a little over a week left to complete any remaining activities (called journeys). Those will shut down March 25. Users won't lose their Stamps (Starbucks' NFTs), which are hosted on Nifty Gateway, but they'll have to sign up for Nifty using their Starbucks Rewards email to access them there, if they haven't already.

[...] In a conversation with TechCrunch published just last month, Odyssey community lead Steve Kaczynski emphasized the community element, saying, "I've seen that people who live in California in the Starbucks Odyssey community are really good friends with people in Chicago and they have met up in real life at times. This never would have happened if not for Web3." But it's 2024, and brands and consumers alike have long since moved on from NFTs. (Naturally, Forum3, which worked with Starbucks on Odyssey, seems to have pivoted to AI).

Original Submission

taylorvich writes:

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-crystals-stellar-aging-stars-delay.html

In 2019, astronomers discovered a group of white dwarfs that mysteriously stopped cooling. These "forever-young" stars remain at a near-constant surface temperature for at least eight billion years—an incredible length of time, considering the universe is 13.8 billion years old.

Something is fueling these stars from within, but given that they had run out of their nuclear fuel source, scientists were unsure what could be keeping them shining so brightly. Our research, recently published in Nature, presents the solution to this conundrum.

Using information gathered by the Gaia space observatory of the European Space Agency, researchers discovered that some white dwarfs essentially stop cooling.

By studying how white dwarfs are distributed as a function of temperature (from hot to cold) in the Gaia data, astronomers noticed an accumulation of white dwarfs at intermediate temperatures. This indicates that some white dwarfs spend more time at these intermediate temperatures—eight billion years more than thought possible.

White dwarfs are weird. A mere teaspoon of material from their cores weighs several tons. Under such extreme densities, matter can behave strangely. Even though the interiors of white dwarfs are millions of degrees hot, the density is high enough that they can freeze into a solid state. They form crystals out of the carbon, oxygen and other elements present in their interiors.

The formation of these crystals normally starts at the center of the star, where density is highest. As the white dwarf cools down, more crystals are formed in successive layers until almost the whole star is completely solid.

However, this inside-out crystallization does not apply to all white dwarfs. We discovered that the heaviest elements present in white dwarfs are expelled from the crystals as they are formed, just as salt is expelled from ice crystals when seawater freezes.

The crystals become less dense than their surroundings, and float up like ice cubes in a glass of water. As the crystals do not stay in place, the core cannot simply freeze from the inside out.

The movements created by the floating crystals reshuffle the chemical layering inside the star. Gradually, the heaviest elements are transported toward the center. This releases a steady flow of gravitational energy that keeps the star shining at a near-constant temperature for billions of years.

More information: Simon Blouin, Buoyant crystals halt the cooling of white dwarf stars, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07102-y. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07102-y

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owl writes:

https://niemczuk.tech/2024/02/11/detailed-macrophotography-of-PCBs

I had to create scans of a small flex PCB to capture more details than a flat scanner could give me. Of course, this task turned out harder than I imagined. I already had a good camera, but I was lacking a good macro lens. Buying one turned out to be hard because the highest magnification ratios on most macro lenses are 1:1. The better ones are, of course, pricier.

After browsing some extreme macrophotography forums, I discovered that some people use microscope objectives with their cameras.

Those microscope objectives are divided into two groups: infinity-corrected and non-infinity-corrected. What does this mean? The non-infinity-corrected objective focuses the captured image on a plane some distance after the objective. The infinity-corrected objective collimates the captured light into a parallel beam. The second type is useful if you need to Fourier transform the image by transparency masks or do other fancy scientific image transformations. Filtering light is easier if you work with a parallel beam. To use this type of objective in macrophotography, you need an additional lens to focus the parallel beam to an image on the sensor plane.

The first type of microscope objective can be used directly with your interchangeable lens camera. The only thing you need is an extension tube, which can be 3D printed in an hour. I found a great Thingiverse repository that contains extension tubes for microscopic objectives with various camera mounts. Together with the cheapest 4X non-infinity-corrected, achromatic microscope objective gives decent results.

Original Submission

bootsy writes:

Herb Sutter has an interesting article on his blog about approaches to improve security in C++ and modifying the language to assist with stopping programming errors that lead to exploits.

https://herbsutter.com/2024/03/11/safety-in-context/

There are two interesting insights. Firstly. most CVEs come from issues that could be dealt with with small changes to C++ that are being proposed.
The second is that even coding in languages with automatic memory allocation can still have massive vulnerabilties. Even code written in Rust has vulnerabilities so the language alone is not the whole problem.

In that context, I'll focus on C++ and try to:

• highlight what needs attention (what C++'s problem "is"), and how we can get there by building on solutions already underway;
• address some common misconceptions (what C++'s problem "isn't"), including practical considerations of MSLs; and
• leave a call to action for programmers using all languages.

tl;dr: I don't want C++ to limit what I can express efficiently. I just want C++ to let me enforce our already-well-known safety rules and best practices by default, and make me opt out explicitly if that's what I want. Then I can still use fully modern C++... just nicer.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Government wants flying taxis to take off in 2 years:

The first flying taxi could take off in the UK by 2026 and become a regular sight in our skies two years later, if a government announcement goes to plan. The Future of Flight action plan, developed with the aerospace industry, also says drones and other flying vehicles will become more autonomous. It predicts that the first pilotless flying taxi will take off in 2030.

But experts say hurdles such as infrastructure and public acceptance need to be overcome first.

There are a number of different models, but most flying taxis look like a futuristic helicopter and can usually carry about five people. They are part of a family of vehicles called "eVTOLs" - which stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The technology for them exists now, but it is likely that the aircraft will start off as exclusive modes of transport - replacing expensive journeys currently done by helicopters.

The Department for Transport also plans to allow drones to fly beyond visual line of sight - meaning the person controlling the drone cannot see it in the air. Some of the uses of unmanned drones include transporting medical supplies, delivering post in rural areas and tracking down criminals on the run. Their use is still in early stages, but the plan suggests drone deliveries would be commonplace by 2027.

The biggest obstacles to getting flying taxis into the air are infrastructure and public perception, says Craig Roberts, head of drones, at consultancy firm PwC.

Last year, he co-authored a report on the topic, in collaboration with the government, on the viability of the technology.

[...] No other mini airports have been built or trialled since the demonstration two years ago. But according to the government plan, the first vertiport (airport for vertical vehicles) will be operational this year.

The UK's aerospace regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, is consulting on proposals for vertiports at existing aerodromes. New regulation would almost certainly need to be created if the government's aim of bringing in autonomous air taxis by 2030 is to be met.

Original Submission

taylorvich writes:

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-method-woodland-resource.html

Vegetation plays a vital role in regulating the percentage of precipitation reaching the ground to nourish the root systems of plants both in the canopy and undergrowth, which consequently supports the survival of the entire forest ecosystem. Water arrives to the ground via multiple mechanisms, including throughfall (water falling directly through the canopy) or stemflow (water flowing down stems and trunks), while some is intercepted by the canopy leaves and does not reach ground level.

New research, published in Water Resources Research, has focused on pour points, locations where water flowing under the branches detach. These are distinguished from the large drops falling from leaves, known as drip points.

A pour point is formed when the raindrops, initially intercepted by leaves or the top half of the branch, flow to the underside of branches, coalesce with other droplets to form a rivulet, but fall before becoming a part of stemflow.

The detachment of the rivulet can occur where multiple branches converge or where a single branch changes in angle, leading to a pour point. These are important as they considerably increase water received from the canopy to the forest floor at fixed points, thereby supporting enhanced infiltration of water to the ground.

The volume of water received at pour points is impacted by a number of factors, such as the structure of the branches, leaf surface area (foliation), and the volume of rainfall. The larger water droplets occurring at these points have more kinetic energy than normal rainfall, meaning that they create more pronounced dips in the soil upon impact, thus augmenting infiltration efficiency.

[...] Measuring the water content of soil directly below pour points, the research team found 20%–30% of the seasonal rainfall volume infiltrated to a depth of 1 m here, compared to just 5% in control test areas away from pour points. This makes pour points important zones for groundwater recharge and storage in the forest ecosystem, although in the study site one pour point was identified per ~30 m2, matching the distribution of banksia trees, being one pour point per tree on average.

This particular study site in Western Australia is important as it overlies a significant source of groundwater that supplies the population of Perth. Therefore, the ability of pour points to potentially recharge groundwater supplies at this site (and at others via other trees globally), is vital for supporting water resources management both for forests and humanity.

More information: Ashvath S. Kunadi et al, Introducing Pour Points: Characteristics and Hydrological Significance of a Rainfall‐Concentrating Mechanism in a Water‐Limited Woodland Ecosystem, Water Resources Research (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023WR035458

Original Submission

Just a brief update - but welcome news for a change.

After a long wait (and after a query to the IRS regarding the progress of our application), fliptop has received news verbally that we have been approved by the IRS for Not For Profit status. The essential paperwork should be with fliptop by the end of the week. Once it has been received we can then move ahead to create a company. Again, we cannot guess how long this process will take but it is the final step required before the community can take control of the site and its assets.

My grateful thanks to fliptop for his efforts.

upstart writes:

Cisco acquires Splunk in $28 billion cybersecurity deal:

The merger will "revolutionize the way our customers leverage data to connect and protect every aspect of their organization," said Chuck Robbins, Cisco's chair and CEO, in a statement.

Networking giant Cisco acquired digital infrastructure company Splunk and says the merger will allow them to "supercharge" and revolutionize the way it wields artificial intelligence for its customers.

Cisco announced plans to acquire software company Splunk in September 2023 and announced the completion of the deal on Monday in a press release.

The acquisition of Splunk now makes Cisco one of the largest software companies in the world, Cisco said in the release.

"We will revolutionize the way our customers leverage data to connect and protect every aspect of their organization as we help power and protect the AI revolution," Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said in a statement.

[...] Cisco acquired Splunk for roughly $28 billion, or about $157 per share in cash, the companies said. Combined, Cisco and Splunk "can create new profitable revenue streams," they said.

Original Submission

taylorvich writes:

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-bridge-origami-power.html

For the first time, load-bearing structures like bridges and shelters can be made with origami modules—versatile components that can fold compactly and adapt into different shapes—University of Michigan engineers have demonstrated.

It's an advance that could enable communities to quickly rebuild facilities and systems damaged or destroyed during natural disasters, or allow for construction in places that were previously considered impractical, including outer space. The technology could also be used for structures that need to be built and then disassembled quickly, such as concert venues and event stages.

"With both the adaptability and load-carrying capability, our system can build structures that can be used in modern construction," said Evgueni Filipov, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and of mechanical engineering, and a corresponding author of the study in Nature Communications.

Principles of the origami art form allow for larger materials to be folded and collapsed into small spaces. And with modular building systems gaining wider acceptance, the applications for components that can be stored and transported with ease have grown.
...
A key to the breakthrough came in the form of a different design approach provided by Yi Zhu, research fellow in mechanical engineering and first author of the study.

"When people work with origami concepts, they usually start with the idea of thin, paper-folded models—assuming your materials will be paper-thin," Zhu said. "However, in order to build common structures like bridges and bus stops using origami, we need mathematical tools that can directly consider thickness during the initial origami design."

upstart writes:

Researchers managed to crack Meta's Quest VR system, allowing them to steal sensitive information, and manipulate social interactions:

In the attack, hackers create an app that injects malicious code into the Meta Quest VR system and then launch a clone of the VR system's home screen and apps that looks identical to the user's original screen. Once inside, attackers can see, record, and modify everything the person does with the headset. That includes tracking voice, gestures, keystrokes, browsing activity, and even the user's social interactions. The attacker can even change the content of a user's messages to other people. The research, which was shared with MIT Technology Review exclusively, is yet to be peer reviewed.

A spokesperson for Meta said the company plans to review the findings: "We constantly work with academic researchers as part of our bug bounty program and other initiatives."

VR headsets have slowly become more popular in recent years, but security research has lagged behind product development, and current defenses against attacks in VR are lacking. What's more, the immersive nature of virtual reality makes it harder for people to realize they've fallen into a trap.

"The shock in this is how fragile the VR systems of today are," says Heather Zheng, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, who led the team behind the research.

The inception attack exploits a loophole in Meta Quest headsets: users must enable "developer mode" to download third-party apps, adjust their headset resolution, or screenshot content, but this mode allows attackers to gain access to the VR headset if they're using the same Wi-Fi network.

Developer mode is supposed to give people remote access for debugging purposes. However, that access can be repurposed by a malicious actor to see what a user's home screen looks like and which apps are installed. (Attackers can also strike if they are able to access a headset physically or if a user downloads apps that include malware.) With this information, the attacker can replicate the victim's home screen and applications.

Then the attacker stealthily injects an app with the inception attack in it. The attack is activated and the VR headset hijacked when unsuspecting users exit an application and return to the home screen. The attack also captures the user's display and audio stream, which can be livestreamed back to the attacker.

Original Submission

mrpg writes:

https://www.engadget.com/framework-laptop-16-review-modular-wonder-mediocre-gaming-laptop-150026910.html

If you're a PC hardware geek who's been dreaming of a laptop that you can upgrade far beyond the life cycle of a typical machine, Framework's modular notebooks must seem like a miracle. The American company has a straightforward pitch: What if your laptop could be nearly as customizable as a desktop, with the ability to swap components out for repairs and upgrades? What if we could put an end to disposable hardware? We were intrigued by Framework's original 13-inch notebook and its Chromebook variant, despite some rough edges and a basic design. Now, with the Framework Laptop 16, the company is targeting the most demanding and (arguably) hardest group of PC users to please: Gamers.

Framework has already proved it can build compelling modular laptops, but can the Laptop 16 cram in powerful graphics, a fast display and other components to keep up with the likes of Alienware, Razer and ASUS? Sort of, it turns out — and there are plenty of other tradeoffs for living the modular laptop dream. Hardware quirks abound, battery life is mediocre and it still looks like a totally generic machine. But how many other notebooks could let you completely upgrade your CPU or GPU in a few years? Who else offers a customizable keyboard setup? In those respects, the Framework 16 stands alone.

[...] I was genuinely bummed to discover that it was a fairly mediocre gaming machine, at least for its high price.

What do you think? Is having a laptop that you can upgrade more important than having the fastest laptop on the block? What price would you pay for being able to upgrade your hardware?

Original Submission

canopic jug writes:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which aims to promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences, and culture, has added Berlin's techno scene to its cultural heritage list.

According to UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage refers to mainly cultural forms of expression, which are directly linked to human creativity and traditions, and which people pass those on through generations and are constantly evolving.

This includes practices, rituals, knowledge, skills and performing arts such as music, dance and theater, which are meant to be preserved and kept alive.

"Kraftwerk and African-American DJs and producers like Underground Resistance from Detroit, made a significant contribution to the creation and spread of techno culture," said Leichsenring.

– Berlin techno on Germany's intangible cultural heritage list, Deutsche Welle

And

Techno is a fundamental part of the city, according to Peter Kirn, a Berlin-based DJ and music producer. In 2021 he told the Observer: "In other cities, people wouldn't accept music that's really hard or weird and full of synthesisers and really brutal, distorted drum machines. You can't play that at peak hour in a club, let alone over lunch. And here it's totally acceptable to play that over lunch.

– Germany adds Berlin's techno scene to [UNESCO] cultural heritage list, The Guardian.

And

Over the course of the 1980s, the Berlin club scene developed into one of the world's leading centres of the beloved techno subculture of the time.

The electronic music genre in particular became a kind of soundtrack to the years following German reunification, symbolised by legendary clubs such as Tresor, which opened in 1991, and the annual Love Parade.

– Berlin's techno scene added to UNESCO World Heritage list, The Local DE.

Previously:
(2020) Florian Schneider, Kraftwerk Co-Founder, Dies Aged 73
(2016) German Federal Constitutional Court: Artistic Freedom Sometimes Takes Precedence Over Copyright

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Tick-killing pill shows promising results in human trial

If you have a dog or cat, chances are you've given your pet a flavored chewable tablet for tick prevention at some point. What if you could take a similar pill to protect yourself from getting Lyme disease?

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals is developing such a pill for humans—minus the tasty flavoring—that could provide protection against the tick-borne disease for several weeks at a time. In February, the Irvine, California–based biotech company announced results from a small, early-stage trial showing that 24 hours after taking the drug, it can kill ticks on people, with the effects lasting for up to 30 days.

"What we envision is something that would protect you before the tick would even bite you," says Bobby Azamian, CEO of Tarsus.

Lyme disease is a fast-growing problem in the United States, where approximately 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for it each year, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number is likely an overestimate, because many patients are treated after a tick bite even if an infection isn't confirmed, but it underscores the burden of Lyme disease on the health care system—which researchers at the CDC and Yale University put at nearly $1 billion per year.

Original Submission