events – Page 297

Intel Flagship Core I7-6950X Broadwell-E To Offer 10-Cores, 20-Threads, 25MB L3

MojoKid writes: Intel has made a habit of launching enthusiast versions of previous generations processors after it releases it a new architecture. As was the case with Intel’s Haswell architecture, high-end Broadwell-E variants are expected and a it looks like Intel is readying a doozy. Recent details revealed show four new processors under the new HEDT (High-End Desktop) banner for Broadwell, which is one more SKU than Haswell-E brought to the table. The most intriguing of the new chips is the Core i7-6950X, a monster 10-core CPU with Hyper Threading support. That gives the Core i7-6950X 20 threads to play with, along with a whopping 25MB of L3 cache. The caveat is the CPU’s clockspeed — it will run at just 3.0GHz (base), so for applications that aren’t properly tuned to take full advantage of large core counts and threads, it could potentially trail behind the Core i7-6700K, a quad-core Skylake processor clocked at 3.4GHz (base) to 4GHz (Turbo). Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Intel Flagship Core I7-6950X Broadwell-E To Offer 10-Cores, 20-Threads, 25MB L3

Dubai Buys Commercial Jetpacks For Firefighters

_Sharp’r_ writes: Want to fly a jetpack? Join the fire department in Dubai. In a skyscraper filled city where cops drive Ferraris and Lamborghinis, it was actually cheaper to buy twenty $150K jetpacks (plus two simulators) for fire rescue rather than find 2700 ft ladders. Slashdot has had stories about these coming for five years. A VR-headset based jetpack flight-simulator for the masses would be fun, too, even better if the object were to put out fires in skyscrapers.. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Dubai Buys Commercial Jetpacks For Firefighters

Windows 3.1 Glitch Causes Problems At French Airport — Wait, 3.1?

OakDragon writes: Microsoft has tamped down the earth on XP’s grave, steered Internet Explorer toward the nursing home, and is trying to convince everyone Windows 10 is a bright up-and-comer. But in the Paris airport of Orly, a system called DECOR — which helps air traffic controllers relay weather information to pilots — is running on Windows 3.1. That program suffered a glitch recently that grounded planes for some time. The airport actually runs on a variety of old systems, including Windows XP and UNIX. Maintenance is a problem. There are only three people in Paris that work on DECOR issues, and one of them is retiring soon. Hardware is also an issue. “Sometimes we have to go rummaging on eBay to replace certain parts, ” said Fiacre. “In any case, these machines were not designed to keep working for more than 20 years.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Windows 3.1 Glitch Causes Problems At French Airport — Wait, 3.1?

Quantum Dots Made From Fool’s Gold Boost Battery Performance

Science_afficionado writes: A lot of attempts have been made to use nanocrystals to improve battery performance, but the results have been disappointing. The problem is that when the size of the crystals drop below a certain size they begin to react chemically with the electrolytes which prevents them from recharging. Now, however, a team of engineers from Vanderbilt University report in an article published in the journal ACS Nano that they can overcome this problem by making the nanocrystals out of iron pyrite, commonly known as fool’s gold. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Quantum Dots Made From Fool’s Gold Boost Battery Performance

Google’s cars have driven 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket

This afternoon Aleksandr Milewski posted a picture that suggested the ticket-less streak might come to an end, but now Google says its car was flagged down because it was going so slowly. These new prototype models are classified as “Neighborhood Electric Vehicles” and have their speeds capped at 25mph, so they stick to slower-moving streets. The officer had some questions about the car, which is apparently common for the cartoony vehicles. According to Google, its self-driving vehicles have driven 1.2 million miles, or the equivalent of 90 years of experience for an average person — and probably still can’t get an insurance discount. Source: Aleksandr Milewski (Facebook) , Google Self-Driving Car Project (G+)

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Google’s cars have driven 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket

Cyberpunk PC classic ‘System Shock’ is getting a proper remake

While System Shock might have only just received a facelift when it launched on GOG.com earlier this year, an entire remake of the legendary PC game is now in the works — and perhaps even System Shock 3 . And if you’ve never heard of System Shock ? You should have: both the creators of BioShock and Deus Ex were involved in the game, which is a 1994 classic in its own right. Night Dive, the same company that was tasked with this year’s digital renovation, will handle the remake. It’s picked up full rights to the franchise. Via: PC World Source: Fast.Co

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Cyberpunk PC classic ‘System Shock’ is getting a proper remake

Facebook brings 360-degree videos to iOS as content creation ramps up

360-degree videos made their way into Facebook’s News Feed back in September, but it was only available for web and Android users. Now, however, iOS users can join in on the fun as well thanks to a new Facebook update that is being rolled out today. There’s also good news for Gear VR owners: you’ll now be able to play back those videos from News Feed without ever taking your headset off, making it that much easier to delve into new immersive experiences. At the same time, plenty of publishers have jumped on the 360 video bandwagon — ABC News, BuzzFeed, FrontLine, Nickelodeon and many more will be publishing new 360-degree clips onto Facebook starting today. Source: Facebook

Uber signs up TomTom to provide navigation for its drivers

After losing out to a consortium of Germany’s biggest car makers over the purchase of Nokia’s HERE Maps , Uber has set about building its own mapping and navigation services . They’re not quite ready for prime time, so the company has had to rely upon a number of popular mapping services, including Google (which also serves as an investor), to help both users and drivers understand exactly where they are. Today, Uber has added TomTom to the list, with the Dutch company confirming that it will also support the private hire taxi firm. Source: TomTom (Businesswire)

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Uber signs up TomTom to provide navigation for its drivers

Explore 4,500 British Museum artifacts with Google’s help

The British Museum in London holds an array of beautiful and historically significant artifacts including the Rosetta Stone, which helped historians to understand the ancient hieroglyphics used in Egypt. Today, the organisation is teaming up with Google to bring its various collections online as part of the Google Cultural Institute . The search giant has been developing this resource for years by continually visiting and archiving exhibits around the world. With the British Museum, an extra 4, 500 objects and artworks are being added to its collection, complete with detailed photos and descriptions. Source: Google Cultural Institute

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Explore 4,500 British Museum artifacts with Google’s help

6 insane plans to hack the planet’s ecosystems

This week, weather experts at the United Nations announced that carbon dioxide concentrations are higher than ever . The report calls on world leaders to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions at the UN climate talks taking place next month in Paris. However, government leaders aren’t the only people who can help save the world. In fact, some of the craziest schemes to halt, slow or even reverse global warming have come from other sources. Some are incredibly affordable and others require backing from investors. Some promise to be wildly successful, while a few have already stumbled. Read on to learn about some of the wildest ideas we’ve heard for fighting climate change .Slideshow-340870

Ken May

Tag: events