Chinese law makes independent mapmaking a crime (you may not document “the shapes, sizes, space positions, attributes, etc. of man-made surface installations”) and requires tech companies to randomly vary the locations of all landmarks by 100-500m. (more…)
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_applyChinaLocationShift: In China, national security means that all the maps are wrong
mikejuk writes: Details of the next in the family of the successful Raspberry Pi family have become available as part of FCC testing documents. The Pi 3 finally includes WiFi and Bluetooth/LE. Comparing the board with the Pi 2 it is clear that most of the electronics has stayed the same. A Raspberry Pi with built in WiFi and Bluetooth puts it directly in competition with the new Linux based Arduinos, Intel’s Edison and its derivatives, and with the ESP8266 — a very low cost (about $2) but not well known WiFi board. And of course, it will be in competition with its own stablemates. If the Pi 3 is only a few dollars more than the Pi 2 then it will be the obvious first choice. This would effectively make the Pi Zero, at $5 with no networking, king of the low end and the Pi 3 the choice at the other end of the spectrum. Let’s hope they make more than one or two before the launch because the $5 Pi Zero is still out of stock most places three months after being announced and it is annoying a lot of potential users. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Raspberry Pi 3 Brings Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Supercomputers are absurdly impressive in terms of raw power , but it comes at a price: size and energy consumption. A multi-university team of researchers might’ve sidestepped that, though, with protein-powered biocomputers . Lund University notes that where this should really be helpful is with cryptography and “mathematical optimization” because with each task it’s necessary to test multiple solution sets. Unlike a traditional computer, biocomputers don’t work in sequence, they operate in parallel — leading to much faster problem solving. The biocomputer in action, with proteins finding their way to the solution set at the bottom. Oh and about that energy efficiency? Lund’s Heiner Linke says that they require less than one percent of the power a traditional transistor does to do one calculation step. The CBC reports that the model biocomputer used in the experiment is only about the size of a book, rather than, say, IBM’s Watson (pictured above) that’s comprised of some 90 server modules. The ATP-powered biocomputer is admittedly limited for now (it’s only solved 2, 5, 9), but the scientists involved say that scalability is possible and we might not be far off from seeing the tech perform more complex tasks. “Our approach has the potential to be general and to be developed further to enable the efficient encoding and solving of a wide range of large-scale problems, ” the research paper says. Via: The CBC Source: PNAS , Lund University
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Scientists built a book-sized, protein-powered biocomputer
Flight prices fluctuate quite a bit, so if you want to grab a good deal, you have to swoop in at the right time. CheapAir.com’s “when to buy” tool reveals the prime booking window for cheap flights between two cities. Read more…
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CheapAir’s “When to Buy” Tool Tells You the Prime Booking Window for Cheap Flights
The Ogasawara Islands, just south of Japan, are a beautiful and geologically active spot. In 2013, members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force noticed a “hot spot” among the islands, near the Nishinoshima volcano. In 2015 they returned, and found a small, entirely new islet, just south of the main volcano. Read more…
Lucas123 writes: With the price of lithium-ion batteries continuing to plummet, already dropping 65% since 2010, electric vehicles will become cheaper to own by the mid-2020s, according to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The report also forecasts that sales of EVs will hit 41 million by 2040, up from 462, 000 in 2015. By 2040, EVs will make up 35% of new light-duty vehicle sales, even if the price of crude oil goes back up from $33 today to $70 in the future. The adoption of EVs will displace about 13 million barrels of oil per day by 2040, when the clean-energy cars represent about one-quarter of cars on the road. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Bloomberg Predicts EVs Cheaper than IC Engine Cars Within 10 Years
DVDFab, a software tool for ripping and decrypting DVDs and Blu-ray discs, will not be upgraded to support newer Ultra HD (4K) Blu-ray discs. Fengtao Software, which makes DVDFab, said in a statement that it “will not decrypt or circumvent AACS 2.0 in the days to come. This is in accordance with AACS-LA, (which has not made public the specifications for AACS 2.0), the BDA [Blu-ray Disc Association] and the movie studios.” AACS-LA is the body that develops and licenses the Blu-ray DRM system. Curiously, Fengtao’s announcement comes just a day after SlySoft—the company that makes the ripping tool AnyDVD—ceased operations and vanished from the Web . All that’s left is a cryptic message on SlySoft’s website: “Due to recent regulatory requirements we have had to cease all activities relating to SlySoft Inc.” Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments
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Next-gen Ultra HD Blu-ray discs probably won’t be cracked for a while
jlp2097 writes: It looks like the recent activities by Hollywood studios and the AACS LA finally led to the closing of Slysoft Inc, creator of the popular AnyDVD HD tool for creating personal backups of BluRay/DVD/etc. Slysoft Inc’s website confirms the closing due to “recent regulatory requirements”. The final nail in the coffin has also been confirmed with slightly more details in their forum: “this is final. Slysoft is gone.” Sad to see them go — it looks like legitimate buyers of BluRays will now have to find other sources for backing up their property to HTPCs and NASes. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Slysoft (of AnyDVD Fame) Closes After Increased International Pressure By AACS
Netflix is preparing to release its new, 12-part original anime series Perfect Bones. It’s not the streaming service’s first original anime, but it’s the first time the company is launching a whole series in 190 countries simultaneously. Netflix’s first “original” title, Knights of Sidonia, can be more appropriately described as an exclusive, since it already aired in Japan before it arrived on the platform. This one will completely bypass Japanese TV. Netflix VP Erik Barmack said in a statement: In an era where the Internet knows no bounds, we are proud to deliver high quality original Anime to fans all over the world, at the exact same time , no matter where they live whether it be Japan, France, Mexico, the US, and beyond. Perfect Bones is directed by Kazuto Nakazawa (who also did Kill Bill 1’s animated sequence) for Production I.G. That’s the famed anime studio behind several popular titles, including Attack on Titan and Psycho Pass , as well as sci-fi classic Ghost in the Shell . In the world of Perfect Bones, geneticists are on a quest to create the “perfect human” to maintain universal peace. Unfortunately, their research subjects are kidnapped by an evil organization that plan to use them to achieve a “new world order.” Netflix didn’t say when the series will be available, so keep a close eye on the app or website to catch it as soon it’s up. Source: Netflix
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Netflix to stream original anime by ‘Attack on Titan’ producer
Before you call fake, know that both you and this custom built computer are being tricked in two very clever ways. Read more…