Well, it depends. Less power means less heat, but if the advance also means higher density is possible, then your power-per-circuit drops, but your power-per-surface-area could potentially increase or break even (because you're using lower power per circuit, but more circuits).
Sure, it's obvious that connecting on the diagonal will save you distance. Duh.
However, no one has managed to do it reliably and successfully until now. So, clearly, there's more going on here than 'basic geometry'. The article doesn't go into any real detail about what the challenges were and how they were overcome, unfortunately, so those of us who know nothing about chip design will have to wait for more info.
--S
Tech is a Federal Depository Library (it's in the Federal index at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/ldire ct.html), but I don't know what that means for their access rules. They do check ID at the door, but it's possible that 'I'm here to look at government publications' is all you have to say to get in without one.
--S
Keeping America Informed is a pamphlet from the Federal Depository Library Program that outlines some facts about Federal Depositories. It specifically mentions "No-fee online access (through the Internet or dial-up) to the Federal Register, Congressional Record, Congressional bills introduced in the Congress, Code of Federal Regulations, Commerce Business Daily, public laws, and over 80 Government databases." Nowhere does it mention fee-free access to the entire Internet.
Do you have a reference to support your position that libraries serving as Federal Depositories are required to have open electronic access to the Internet?
It's also worth noting that an access-controlled wireless LAN is unlikely to be violation of such laws (if they exist) as long as it exists in parallel with an unrestricted method of access (such as a terminal lab).
Good point. Sorry about the tone of the initial reply.
In this case, given that the bacteria thrives best in high temperatures (130 F), and they're going to some lengths to create a growing environment for it, I don't think escape is a serious threat. It doesn't sound like THIS STRAIN of the bacteria could survive in the environment outside the plant.
Of coursem there are other strains. And admittedly, overproliferation of algae is a problem in some ecosystems ('algae bloom'). However, my understanding is that this general type of bacteria is one of the most common in the world - it probably exists in one form or another in just about every body of fresh water. You find green algae EVERYWHERE. There's very little risk of introducing it into a new environment that's not prepared for it. Anywhere it/can/ live, it's/already/ living.
That would be a problem, if the bacteria were turning CO2 into C and O2.
But it's not.
I don't know the precise reaction, but it's something similar to CO2 + H20 + light = O2 + some form of sugar. I don't know how much energy is required to keep the photosynthesis going, but I think it's less than was produced by the burning of the coal in the first place. So, this isn't a full-circle cycle...it's two steps forward and one step back.
Over the whole process, you're taking coal and oxygen and water and ending up with sugar and oxygen and energy released.
This bacteria has existed in nature for millions of years. I'm reasonably confident that growing cultures of it inside powerplants won't significantly affect the course of its evolution.
If you'd actually read the article, you might have realized that the system described therein is WITHIN the power plant, acting effectively as a filter that reduces the emissions of the plant...NOT a bacteria released into the wild that will eat CO2 already in the atmosphere. In fact, it's a bacteria that already exists in nature, not something being engineered.
I think that 'business information' pretty clearly != 'personal skills'. Business information would include things like the trade secrets and business practices you mentioned (upcoming plans for the business and its customers/suppliers, for instances) as well as business contacts - for instances, trading on your position as a representative of the company to get deals for your personal ventures.
After some investigation, I find you're correct - I was misinformed. In fact, AOL has apparently already been the subject of a class-action lawsuit under the ADA for failing to support access by the blind.
For more information: this page from the W3C has links to laws about web accessibility from several countries.
And yes, I realize US law doesn't apply in Australia. But the post I was responding to raised the issue of US law as an expansion of the topic.
Federal law requires that all websites USED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (that is to say, those created by government agencies and those intended for use by customers of companies who are government suppliers or contractors) must support access for the disabled. The law does not apply to private-sector websites with no connection to the government - nor, IMHO, does the government possess the ability to create a law that would, any more than they can require me to hire a sign-language interpretter if I want to stand on a soapbox in a public park and air my views. Such a requirement would have a chilling affect on the freedom of speach - placing a monetary cost on speach, and thus a potential barrier to expression - which I believe the court would find un-Constitutional.
Regarding IBM and the Olympics: When I was at IBM (until last month, I worked in a division closely connected with the 'Interactive Design' group that does these high-profile websites), accessibility was raised as an issue on a couple of projects, and an effort was made to make all of the designers aware that this was something that needed to be done. Though I don't know that it was ever handed down from on high, the general impression was that handicap accessibility for major websites was Policy. I'd say that someone really screwed the pooch on this one. However, if it wasn't specifically listed as a customer requirement in the Statement of Work, then it's legit to classify it as a DCR and put a pricetag on it.
1) A biological virus is a packet, formulated according to a strict protocol, for transmitting information (encoded as DNA). Everything else is just a reaction to the information on the part of the host.
2) The only rock Wayner threw was at Dyson, for making a comment that could be interpretted as alarmist.
--S
It's not spamming the viewer, in this case - it's spamming the server. Every document posted consumes finite server resources. That's a concern when the system doesn't charge for the use of space. What's the FINANCIAL end of Publius like? How are they planning on paying for it? Or are AT&T just establishing it out-of-pocket as a public good?
Frankly, the reporters who wrote the original story should have read the patent. There are some far more exciting things buried in it, particularly the one regarding generating plasma on the surface of an object.
They claim the plasma coating can:
Affect the speed of the coated object relative to the surrounding air, by varying the charge maintaining the plasma. IE: it can provide propulsion or braking. No word on how STRONG a force it can apply.
Reduce the turbulence created by movement through the surrounding air. IE: Improve aerodynamics and reduce air resistance.
Prevent the formation of ice on the coated body, and remove ice already present. Wouldn't you like THAT on your next plane?
Make the entire vehicle glow dimly, providing the world's best Daytime Running Lights.
Unix systems handle the largest databases known to mandkind as we speak.
Mmm. Possible, but I'm dubious. The 'largest databases known to mankind' have generally gotten that size by accumulating over many, MANY years; and they live on mainframes. For totally massive applications of brute force, there's still no beating Big Iron.
In fact, I believe that all states which collect sales tax collect tax on items purchased from out-of-state vendors, whether the medium of purchase is the Internet, mail order, or a telephone order. In many states, though I haven't checked them all, you will find a form in your state income tax booklet for remitting money to cover the tax on out-of-state purchases. Unsurprisingly, most people never pay this money, since most people aren't even aware they owe it, and most states do not aggressively try to collect it from the average individual. I suspect this is largely because it's too much trouble for them, and that if the federal government did something to make these purchases easier for the states to track, they would eagerly start collecting their money.
This is not actually an Internet-specific tax. Instead, it's a tax on things which are going to be used inside the state that the state hasn't been paid tax on. Usually, states cooperate and grand reciprocity, so if you paid state sales tax on it in SOME state, generally no other state will try to collect. It mostly only comes up in cases where the product was being shipped across state lines, so the shipper's state never collected any tax on it. There are a couple of situations where states actively pursue this. For instance, if you are a construction contractor and purchase your materials from an out-of-state supplier, the state may refuse you a building permit until you post a bond they can use to insure you pay the tax. (At least, that's what they do in Louisiana - I'm on a contract with their revenue department this month). Along the same lines, there are some products (alcohol comes to whichy ou can get into legal trouble for transporting into a state without paying tax. My mother once ended up in court for purchasing some wine at the package store on a military base (where state sales tax is not collected) and taking it home (off base). --Sean
This was my thought too (I work for IBM and I travel a lot, so I know their coverage is good). However, I believe IBM sold that part of their business to AT&T. Check out www.ibm.net. -S
I know this is going to seem like blasphemy to some people, but let's think a little bit about 'free' phone service...or, for that matter, 'free' anything. We all know bandwidth is never free - SOMEONE is paying for it, and if it's not you, then the person who IS paying for it is probably looking for a way to bill you for it. Dialpad and other internet telephony makes itself cheap by reducing the amount of bandwidth it uses (by sampling down the conversation to the point where it's almost unintelligible) and by using bandwidth most of us don't get billed for on a by-volume basis. Was Clemson wrong to ban it? Maybe. I don't have any evidence that it was really causing them bandwidth problems. But their most likely next move will be to raise student fees to cover the additional bandwidth expense. Then every student on campus will be subsidizing the long distance habit of the folks who want to call home every night. In this case, the cost may be minor. But the next time this debate comes around, for some other service, it might not be. Think about it. Free isn't always free.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, it depends. Less power means less heat, but if the advance also means higher density is possible, then your power-per-circuit drops, but your power-per-surface-area could potentially increase or break even (because you're using lower power per circuit, but more circuits).
--S
Sure, it's obvious that connecting on the diagonal will save you distance. Duh. However, no one has managed to do it reliably and successfully until now. So, clearly, there's more going on here than 'basic geometry'. The article doesn't go into any real detail about what the challenges were and how they were overcome, unfortunately, so those of us who know nothing about chip design will have to wait for more info. --S
IIRC, at least the first version of VisualAge Java was actually written in Smalltalk. Or so I was told back when I was working for Big Blue...
Tech is a Federal Depository Library (it's in the Federal index at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/ldire ct.html), but I don't know what that means for their access rules. They do check ID at the door, but it's possible that 'I'm here to look at government publications' is all you have to say to get in without one.
--S
Do you have a reference to support your position that libraries serving as Federal Depositories are required to have open electronic access to the Internet?
It's also worth noting that an access-controlled wireless LAN is unlikely to be violation of such laws (if they exist) as long as it exists in parallel with an unrestricted method of access (such as a terminal lab).
--S
Good point. Sorry about the tone of the initial reply.
/can/ live, it's /already/ living.
In this case, given that the bacteria thrives best in high temperatures (130 F), and they're going to some lengths to create a growing environment for it, I don't think escape is a serious threat. It doesn't sound like THIS STRAIN of the bacteria could survive in the environment outside the plant.
Of coursem there are other strains. And admittedly, overproliferation of algae is a problem in some ecosystems ('algae bloom'). However, my understanding is that this general type of bacteria is one of the most common in the world - it probably exists in one form or another in just about every body of fresh water. You find green algae EVERYWHERE. There's very little risk of introducing it into a new environment that's not prepared for it. Anywhere it
--Sean
That would be a problem, if the bacteria were turning CO2 into C and O2.
But it's not.
I don't know the precise reaction, but it's something similar to CO2 + H20 + light = O2 + some form of sugar. I don't know how much energy is required to keep the photosynthesis going, but I think it's less than was produced by the burning of the coal in the first place. So, this isn't a full-circle cycle...it's two steps forward and one step back.
Over the whole process, you're taking coal and oxygen and water and ending up with sugar and oxygen and energy released.
This bacteria has existed in nature for millions of years. I'm reasonably confident that growing cultures of it inside powerplants won't significantly affect the course of its evolution.
--S
If you'd actually read the article, you might have realized that the system described therein is WITHIN the power plant, acting effectively as a filter that reduces the emissions of the plant...NOT a bacteria released into the wild that will eat CO2 already in the atmosphere. In fact, it's a bacteria that already exists in nature, not something being engineered.
Next time, read first and critique second.
- US5519200: Identification and information storage devices
- US5629474: Production of a sensor for carbon monoxide or water vapor including a semi conductor metallic oxide, catalyst, and rheological agent
There are a few other patents for Edward W Williams in the UK, but it's not clear if it's the same person.I think that 'business information' pretty clearly != 'personal skills'. Business information would include things like the trade secrets and business practices you mentioned (upcoming plans for the business and its customers/suppliers, for instances) as well as business contacts - for instances, trading on your position as a representative of the company to get deals for your personal ventures.
After some investigation, I find you're correct - I was misinformed. In fact, AOL has apparently already been the subject of a class-action lawsuit under the ADA for failing to support access by the blind.
For more information: this page from the W3C has links to laws about web accessibility from several countries.
And yes, I realize US law doesn't apply in Australia. But the post I was responding to raised the issue of US law as an expansion of the topic.
Federal law requires that all websites USED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (that is to say, those created by government agencies and those intended for use by customers of companies who are government suppliers or contractors) must support access for the disabled. The law does not apply to private-sector websites with no connection to the government - nor, IMHO, does the government possess the ability to create a law that would, any more than they can require me to hire a sign-language interpretter if I want to stand on a soapbox in a public park and air my views. Such a requirement would have a chilling affect on the freedom of speach - placing a monetary cost on speach, and thus a potential barrier to expression - which I believe the court would find un-Constitutional.
Regarding IBM and the Olympics: When I was at IBM (until last month, I worked in a division closely connected with the 'Interactive Design' group that does these high-profile websites), accessibility was raised as an issue on a couple of projects, and an effort was made to make all of the designers aware that this was something that needed to be done. Though I don't know that it was ever handed down from on high, the general impression was that handicap accessibility for major websites was Policy. I'd say that someone really screwed the pooch on this one. However, if it wasn't specifically listed as a customer requirement in the Statement of Work, then it's legit to classify it as a DCR and put a pricetag on it.
-SM-1) A biological virus is a packet, formulated according to a strict protocol, for transmitting information (encoded as DNA). Everything else is just a reaction to the information on the part of the host. 2) The only rock Wayner threw was at Dyson, for making a comment that could be interpretted as alarmist. --S
It's not spamming the viewer, in this case - it's spamming the server. Every document posted consumes finite server resources. That's a concern when the system doesn't charge for the use of space. What's the FINANCIAL end of Publius like? How are they planning on paying for it? Or are AT&T just establishing it out-of-pocket as a public good?
They claim the plasma coating can:
Mmm. Possible, but I'm dubious. The 'largest databases known to mankind' have generally gotten that size by accumulating over many, MANY years; and they live on mainframes. For totally massive applications of brute force, there's still no beating Big Iron.
In fact, I believe that all states which collect sales tax collect tax on items purchased from out-of-state vendors, whether the medium of purchase is the Internet, mail order, or a telephone order. In many states, though I haven't checked them all, you will find a form in your state income tax booklet for remitting money to cover the tax on out-of-state purchases. Unsurprisingly, most people never pay this money, since most people aren't even aware they owe it, and most states do not aggressively try to collect it from the average individual. I suspect this is largely because it's too much trouble for them, and that if the federal government did something to make these purchases easier for the states to track, they would eagerly start collecting their money.
This is not actually an Internet-specific tax. Instead, it's a tax on things which are going to be used inside the state that the state hasn't been paid tax on. Usually, states cooperate and grand reciprocity, so if you paid state sales tax on it in SOME state, generally no other state will try to collect. It mostly only comes up in cases where the product was being shipped across state lines, so the shipper's state never collected any tax on it. There are a couple of situations where states actively pursue this. For instance, if you are a construction contractor and purchase your materials from an out-of-state supplier, the state may refuse you a building permit until you post a bond they can use to insure you pay the tax. (At least, that's what they do in Louisiana - I'm on a contract with their revenue department this month). Along the same lines, there are some products (alcohol comes to whichy ou can get into legal trouble for transporting into a state without paying tax. My mother once ended up in court for purchasing some wine at the package store on a military base (where state sales tax is not collected) and taking it home (off base). --Sean
This was my thought too (I work for IBM and I travel a lot, so I know their coverage is good). However, I believe IBM sold that part of their business to AT&T. Check out www.ibm.net. -S
I know this is going to seem like blasphemy to some people, but let's think a little bit about 'free' phone service...or, for that matter, 'free' anything. We all know bandwidth is never free - SOMEONE is paying for it, and if it's not you, then the person who IS paying for it is probably looking for a way to bill you for it. Dialpad and other internet telephony makes itself cheap by reducing the amount of bandwidth it uses (by sampling down the conversation to the point where it's almost unintelligible) and by using bandwidth most of us don't get billed for on a by-volume basis. Was Clemson wrong to ban it? Maybe. I don't have any evidence that it was really causing them bandwidth problems. But their most likely next move will be to raise student fees to cover the additional bandwidth expense. Then every student on campus will be subsidizing the long distance habit of the folks who want to call home every night. In this case, the cost may be minor. But the next time this debate comes around, for some other service, it might not be. Think about it. Free isn't always free.