Space Wallpaper
Wednesday, October 12th, 2005
This site has a large collection of free wallpaper-sized images related to space and space exploration. Some of the pictures are really good.
Archive for October, 2005
The vi editor, Microsoft edition
Tuesday, October 11th, 2005
For all you old-school UNIX/Linux weenies out there (thanks Josh):
I don’t think Microsoft is ever going to live down that paperclip.
Nanotube RAM
Monday, October 10th, 2005
A company named Nantero has created a 10-gigabit RAM chip based on nanotube transistors.
Nanotube RAM (NRAM) uses carbon nanotube transistors instead of conventional silicon transistors. It is non-volatile, like flash memory, but does not degrade over time as is the case with flash. It is also ten times faster and uses substantially less power than flash. In addition, NRAM is “highly resistent to heat, cold, and magnetism”.
The technology is currently not a viable replacement for flash memory in gadgets like iPods because it is too large—the 10Gb wafer is 13cm (5in) in diameter. It is not clear whether Nantero expects the size to decrease in the future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case. At the very least, they could make the chip more 3-dimensional, thus converting a flat, thin wafer into more of a cube.
Solid-state memory is much faster than mechanical hard drives, and this technology has the potential to replace conventional hard drives completely. There is already some headway in this direction, and I expect NRAM to join the movement.
UPDATE: The nature.com article has become subscription-only, so you won’t be able to read it unless you (or your library) have a subscription to Nature.
Autonomous Robotics: The DARPA Grand Challenge
Monday, October 10th, 2005The DARPA Grand Challenge is a government-sponsored competition to see if robotic vehicles can successfully navigate a great distance (approximately 150 miles) without human intervention. The race course includes obstacles such as tunnels, ditches, and berms. The initial prize was $1 million, with each successive race worth more until someone wins.
The first race in March 2004 was a fiasco, with the best entry covering only 7 miles of the 142-mile course. This year’s race, however, saw five vehicles complete the 131-mile course, with Stanford University winning the $2 million prize. This increase in performance over a mere 19 months is pretty impressive and bodes well for the future of robotic intelligence.
Chessboxing
Monday, October 10th, 2005
Chessboxing is a sport where competitors alternate between chess and boxing. You can win the competition via the chess game (checkmate or time expired) or the boxing (knockout or TKO). I don’t expect it to become popular, just because the potential audience—one that can enjoy the nuances of both chess and boxing—isn’t large enough.
World’s Oldest Living Creature
Monday, October 10th, 2005This tortoise was captured in 1835 by Charles Darwin on his famous journey, and it’s still alive:
Python Eats Alligator
Thursday, October 6th, 2005In Florida, a python apparently bit off too much while eating an alligator, and it exploded. (Note that the news.com.au and foxnews.com stories include pictures, which are a bit graphic.)
How to Bring Down a Cellular Network
Wednesday, October 5th, 2005
A new type of denial-of-service attack. It’s still conceptual, but probably not for long.
Real Men Use Duct Tape
Monday, October 3rd, 2005I can’t believe they’re actually selling duct tape bandages, but they’re definitely something no real man should go without:
