Sorry, I really meant to use the preview button. O.K., here the clickable link: Nature article: first paragraph.
Obviously also my statement about this material being insulating was wrong since the band gap only starts at 20 micron (on the low-energy side). Finally, most of the emission seems to be near 6 micron which is still well in the infrared (visible light is.4-.8 micron).
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/n ature/journal/v417/n6884/abs/417052a_fs.html
All-metallic three-dimensional photonic crystals with a large infrared bandgap
Three-dimensional (3D) metallic crystals are promising photonic bandgap structures: they can possess a large bandgap, new electromagnetic phenomena can be explored , and high-temperature (above 1,000 C) applications may be possible. However, investigation of their photonic bandgap properties is challenging, especially in the infrared and visible spectrum, as metals are dispersive and absorbing in these regions. Studies of metallic photonic crystals have therefore mainly concentrated on microwave and millimetre wavelengths. Difficulties in fabricating 3D metallic crystals present another challenge, although emerging techniques such as self-assembly may help to resolve these problems. Here we report measurements and simulations of a 3D tungsten crystal that has a large photonic bandgap at infrared wavelengths (from about 8 to 20 m). A very strong attenuation exists in the bandgap, 30 dB per unit cell at 12 m. These structures also possess other interesting optical properties; a sharp absorption peak is present at the photonic band edge, and a surprisingly large transmission is observed in the allowed band, below 6 m. We propose that these 3D metallic photonic crystals can be used to integrate various photonic transport phenomena, allowing applications in thermophotovoltaics and blackbody emission.
Doesn't this look like some explanation: the material (unlike metals) has a bandgap, i.e., is insulating and cannot absorb or emit radiation at low frequencies. So the energy has to be dissipated at higher (visible) frequencies. Apparently the output is higher than naive calculations would predict. So the puzzle is not why the frequency of the emitted light is so high, but why the output is so strong for a given temperature.
Sure, Peru's budget is not of sufficient scale to directly impact Microsoft's business. But it's a step and it's not the only step. People (and governments) start reading EULAs and start asking themselves why a contract should give much more power to their supplier than to themselves. Given Microsoft's increasingly restrictive license policy, the dependency on proprietary file formats obviously becomes even more scary.
In Germany, Microsoft's products (in particular the OS) are just being replaced in several government agencies, within the police etc. Every time it's some 10000 seats. Microsoft should be worried. Maybe they've overdone it and should start respecting their customers.
Actually, I once built an aluminum foil deflector for a Laptop (IBM Thinkpad 600). The problem was that it didn't work together with an Ericsson PCMCIA cell phone (while my NEC laptop had no such problem). Every time a connection was made, the mouse pointer would move erratically, windows would open and close and move around by themselves etc. rendering the machine totally unusable. Neither Ericsson nor IBM could help.
Finally, I ruled out driver or interrupt problems by demonstrating the same problems with a regular cell phone held nearby the computer. Apparently, the IBM laptop had insufficient shielding. All problems disappeared when I constructed a small aluminum shield which can be put on top of the external part of the card. This piece without material value still forms an essential part of my former boss's equipment, even after three years.
By the way: the distance needed (from an external cell phone) to disturb the computer was some 10 cm while the typical distance antenna-brain is clearly much smaller.
Slashdot Mirror
Sorry, I really meant to use the preview button. O.K., here the clickable link: Nature article: first paragraph. Obviously also my statement about this material being insulating was wrong since the band gap only starts at 20 micron (on the low-energy side). Finally, most of the emission seems to be near 6 micron which is still well in the infrared (visible light is .4-.8 micron).
Three-dimensional (3D) metallic crystals are promising photonic bandgap structures: they can possess a large bandgap, new electromagnetic phenomena can be explored , and high-temperature (above 1,000 C) applications may be possible. However, investigation of their photonic bandgap properties is challenging, especially in the infrared and visible spectrum, as metals are dispersive and absorbing in these regions. Studies of metallic photonic crystals have therefore mainly concentrated on microwave and millimetre wavelengths. Difficulties in fabricating 3D metallic crystals present another challenge, although emerging techniques such as self-assembly may help to resolve these problems. Here we report measurements and simulations of a 3D tungsten crystal that has a large photonic bandgap at infrared wavelengths (from about 8 to 20 m). A very strong attenuation exists in the bandgap, 30 dB per unit cell at 12 m. These structures also possess other interesting optical properties; a sharp absorption peak is present at the photonic band edge, and a surprisingly large transmission is observed in the allowed band, below 6 m. We propose that these 3D metallic photonic crystals can be used to integrate various photonic transport phenomena, allowing applications in thermophotovoltaics and blackbody emission.
Doesn't this look like some explanation: the material (unlike metals) has a bandgap, i.e., is insulating and cannot absorb or emit radiation at low frequencies. So the energy has to be dissipated at higher (visible) frequencies. Apparently the output is higher than naive calculations would predict. So the puzzle is not why the frequency of the emitted light is so high, but why the output is so strong for a given temperature.
In Germany, Microsoft's products (in particular the OS) are just being replaced in several government agencies, within the police etc. Every time it's some 10000 seats. Microsoft should be worried. Maybe they've overdone it and should start respecting their customers.
Finally, I ruled out driver or interrupt problems by demonstrating the same problems with a regular cell phone held nearby the computer. Apparently, the IBM laptop had insufficient shielding. All problems disappeared when I constructed a small aluminum shield which can be put on top of the external part of the card. This piece without material value still forms an essential part of my former boss's equipment, even after three years.
By the way: the distance needed (from an external cell phone) to disturb the computer was some 10 cm while the typical distance antenna-brain is clearly much smaller.