Why Screws Tighten Clockwise

One of the six simple machines, a screw is nothing more than an inclined plane wrapped around a center pole. While today screws come in standard sizes, and typically are tightened by turning clockwise (and loosened by turning counterclockwise), this is a recent invention. A great example of how things that seem simple can be really hard to do right, the development of the predicable system we enjoy today took 2, 000 years to invent. Read more…

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Why Screws Tighten Clockwise

Apple has released iOS 8.0.2, which addresses the issues caused by the previous update, among other

Apple has released iOS 8.0.2, which addresses the issues caused by the previous update, among other fixes. Read more on 9to5 Mac . Read more…

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Apple has released iOS 8.0.2, which addresses the issues caused by the previous update, among other

How An Octogenarian Preserved An Endangered Native American Language

It’s easy to take translations for granted when Google can swap between Albanian and Zulu with the click of a button, but even that tech has real world limitations. Marie Wilcox is the last fluent speaker of Wukchumni, one of 130 different endangered Native American languages in the United States that don’t have any kind of digital—or analog—legacy. Read more…

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How An Octogenarian Preserved An Endangered Native American Language

2015 Corvette Valet Mode Recorder Illegal In Some States

innocent_white_lamb writes: The 2015 Corvette has a Valet Mode that records audio and video when someone other than the owner is driving the car. Activating the Valet Mode allows you to record front-facing video as well as capture audio from within the car so you can help keep your Corvette safe when it’s in the hands of others. Well, it turns out that recording audio from within the car may be considered a felony in some states that require notice and consent to individuals that they are being recorded. Now GM is sending notices out to dealerships and customers alerting them to this fact as well as promising a future update to the PDR system. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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2015 Corvette Valet Mode Recorder Illegal In Some States

Euclideon Teases Photorealistic Voxel-Based Game Engine

MojoKid writes Not many would argue that current console and PC graphics technologies still haven’t reached a level of “photo-realism.” However, a company by the name of Euclideon is claiming to be preparing to deliver that holy grail based on laser scanning and voxel engine-based technologies. The company has put together a six-minute video clip of its new engine, and its genuinely impressive. There’s a supposed-to-be-impressive unveil around the two minute mark where the announcer declares he’s showing us computer-generated graphics rather than a digital photo — something you’ll probably have figured out long before that point. Euclideon’s proprietary design purportedly uses a laser scanner to create a point cloud model of a real-world area. That area can then be translated into a voxel renderer and drawn by a standard GPU. Supposedly this can be done so efficiently and with such speed that there’s no need for conventional load screens or enormous amounts of texture memory but rather by simply streaming data off conventional hard drives. Previously, critiques have pointed to animation as one area where the company’s technique might struggle. Given the ongoing lack of a demonstrated solution for animation, it’s fair to assume this would-be game-changer has some challenges still to solve. That said, some of the renderings are impressive. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Euclideon Teases Photorealistic Voxel-Based Game Engine

South Australia Hits 33% Renewal Energy Target 6 Years Early

ferrisoxide.com writes: South Australia has hit its target of 33% renewable energy by 2020, 6 years earlier than expected, delivering clean power to the state through investment in wind, solar and geothermal energy — mothballing one coal-fired power station in the process. Not content to rest on their laurels, the SA government has now announced a new “stretch” target of 50% by 2025. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill declared that despite initial upfront costs to renewable energy generators such as wind farms, the 50 per cent target will not add one extra dollar to energy prices. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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South Australia Hits 33% Renewal Energy Target 6 Years Early

Here’s the same picture taken with every iPhone that has existed

Though the new iPhone is called the iPhone 6, we’re actually on the 8th generation of iPhone that has existed. But who cares about that. Let’s just see how much the camera—maybe the most important feature on the iPhone after messaging— has improved over those 8 generations. Hint: a lot. Read more…

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Here’s the same picture taken with every iPhone that has existed

China’s National Gallery Will Be One of the Largest Museums on Earth

The sprawling Hermitage Museum has long reigned as the world’s largest museum—but China has plans to come close to it with a huge new building for the National Art Museum of China , the design plans for which were recently released by French architect Jean Nouvel. Read more…

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China’s National Gallery Will Be One of the Largest Museums on Earth