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High-yield yeast converts 97 percent of a plant to biofuel

The Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center announced a major breakthrough in the biofuel field yesterday: a newly developed strain of yeast capable of producing more than three times the amount of fuel from plant matter as the current record holder. The Center has teamed with Mascoma LLC to develop the new strain, dubbed C5 FUEL. Existing biofuel yeast strains generally only convert about 30 percent of a plant’s sugars and cannot effectively convert tough xylose sugars. C5 however can ferment up to 97 percent of plant sugars into ethanol, including the xylose that other strains can’t break down. What’s more, it does all that in just 48 hours as opposed to the multiple days or weeks that other strains require. The BESC team presented its findings at the 31st International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis on Thursday morning. They hope that the discovery will help make ethanol-based biofuels more accessible to the consumer market. “Driving down the cost to develop, verify and consolidate bioprocessing was at the heart of the BESC effort when we began in 2007, and this achievement allows us to advance to the next challenge, ” BESC Director Paul Gilna said in a statement. “This accomplishment represents a clearly impactful example of how our partnering with industry can accelerate the translation of our research capabilities and findings into commercial products.” Up next, the BESC hopes to perform the same biochemical gymnastics with thermophilic bacteria , which would produce fuel directly from biomass in just one step. [Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images (Top) – ORNL (inline)] Filed under: Science Comments Source: Oak Ridge National Lab

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High-yield yeast converts 97 percent of a plant to biofuel

Windows will make it easier to remote-control Linux PCs

In case there was any doubt that Microsoft’s war against Linux is ( mostly ) over , the company just offered another olive branch. The company has revealed that its PowerShell team is working on support for the Secure Shell protocol and shell sessions (aka SSH) to make it easier for Windows- and Linux-based PCs to connect to and remotely control each other. While SSH has been an option in the Windows world, Microsoft’s Angel Calvo says there have been “limited implementations” so far — this would simplify things and give you “tight integration” with Windows that wasn’t feasible before. It’s too early to tell when the feature will be available, but it’s at least in the cards. The move isn’t completely surprising. As Calvo notes, the “changes in leadership and culture” in Redmond made this possible. CEO Satya Nadella is interested in spreading Microsoft’s services (such as Azure ) to every platform that can use them, rather than insisting on Windows-only solutions like his predecessors. SSH support should make it easier to integrate Microsoft’s technology into environments where Linux has a solid foothold, whether it’s a data center or your home network. [Image credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit] Filed under: Software , Microsoft Comments Via: Phoronix Source: MSDN Blogs

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Windows will make it easier to remote-control Linux PCs

Senate passes USA Freedom Act (update: signed by Obama)

For the first time since the 9/11 attacks, both houses of Congress have agreed to limit the government’s domestic surveillance powers. Earlier today, the Senate voted 67 to 32 and passed the USA Freedom Act , echoing the House’s vote in May. The bill is designed to counter the Patriot Act’s controversial section 215 — the bit that enabled the NSA to collect phone records en masse, request “roving wiretaps” and seize business files — just one day after the provision officially expired. Update : According to several press reports , tonight President Obama signed it into law. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) had been lobbying hard to maintain the Patriot Act, even after the House passed the Freedom Act with broad bipartisan support. He then had to endure fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) filibustering a reauthorization vote last week to ensure that the Patriot Act would expire before it could be reauthorized. What’s more, the Senate today also voted down McConnell’s three amendments for the Freedom Act. These provisions would have all but gutted the new legislation. They’d have required companies to inform the government six months heads-up if they want to keep call data for less than the requisite 18 months, delaying the Freedom Act’s implementation by six months and granting the secretive FISA courts full control over its own proceedings. The USA Freedom Act says that the FISA court can’t sign off on a general warrant like that: the govt has to ask for *specific* information. – Danny O’B (@mala) June 2, 2015 It should be noted however, that the passage of the Freedom Act will temporarily restart the Patriot’s phone data collection apparatus that expired on Sunday for at least six months while the NSA wraps up the program. The EFF and ACLU both have hailed the decision as a partial victory for privacy. Per an ACLU statement: The passage of the USA Freedom Act is a milestone. This is the most important surveillance reform bill since 1978, and its passage is an indication that Americans are no longer willing to give the intelligence agencies a blank check. It’s a testament to the significance of the Snowden disclosures and also to the hard work of many principled legislators on both sides of the aisle. Still, no one should mistake this bill for comprehensive reform. The bill leaves many of the government’s most intrusive and overbroad surveillance powers untouched, and it makes only very modest adjustments to disclosure and transparency requirements. The USA Freedom Act bill now goes to the White House for President Obama’s signature. He has been rumbling for the past few weeks about the need to extend the Patriot Act. However he’s already said he would and it’s hard to imagine that he’d risk going against such a widely supported bill and potentially face an embarrassing veto override vote heading into his final year in office. So, for now at least, American’s phone records appear to be safer from the Feds’ prying eyes. [Image Credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Internet Comments Source: US Senate

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Senate passes USA Freedom Act (update: signed by Obama)

Here’s that ‘Fallout 4’ trailer you’re looking for

Fallout 4 is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, and so far, this is what it looks like. First, the rumors are true: Fallout 4 is set in Boston, as demonstrated by scenes from an alternate-universe Scollay Square, the real-life Boston city center established in 1838 and demolished in 1962, plus other landmarks in the video. Bethesda’s 24-hour Fallout 4 teaser site hit zero this morning, revealing a trailer and pre-order links, plus a nudge to tune into the company’s presentation at E3 on June 14th. The teaser site also went live a tad early , letting the world peek platform details and a few screenshots ahead of the actual announcement. Watch the first Fallout 4 trailer below. Filed under: Gaming , HD Comments

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Here’s that ‘Fallout 4’ trailer you’re looking for

‘World’s smallest’ USB 3.0 flash drive is about the size of a dime

Thanks to Moore’s Law we’ve seen flash drives grow steadily smaller and smaller as storage capacity does exactly the opposite . To wit, the new SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 USB 3.0 storage unit is perhaps the tiniest we’ve witnessed yet. The company claims the device is smaller than a dime and the 128GB of space can store some 16 hours of 1080p video with read speeds clocking in at up to 130MB per second. Gizmodo Australia notes that this isn’t the most expedient drive available, but hey, given the rather diminutive footprint it’s probably pretty safe to leave permanently stuck in your gadget of choice . That minuscule size comes at a steep price though: $119 for the 128GB model — or 1, 190 dimes. Filed under: Storage Comments Via: Gizmodo Australia Source: SanDisk

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‘World’s smallest’ USB 3.0 flash drive is about the size of a dime

Intel beefs up fifth-gen Core chips with IRIS graphics

Intel has revealed a crop of new fifth-gen Core chips for mobile and desktop that should tide over power-users and gamers until next-gen ” Skylake ” CPUs arrive later this year. There are five new models for desktop and five for mobile, all of which pack Iris Pro 6200 graphics for the first time. The most interesting model for desktop users is the Core i7-5775-C, a CPU that will replace the current i7-4790S for around $365. Thanks to the new Iris chip, Intel says that model will double its predecessor’s graphics performance and boost media chores by 35 percent. The top new laptop model is the $623 Core i7-5950HQ chip, which doubles the overall performance of older i7-5600U models. Obviously, a mobile CPU that pricy is destined for only the best gaming and graphics-targeted laptops. But if you end up with any of the new Core i7 or i5 models, you’re going to get a big boost in graphics performance without the added cost of discreet AMD or NVIDIA chips. Intel says that the arrival of Iris Pro-level to LGA desktop chips means faster media encoding, better 4K support and smoother gaming on ultrabooks, mini PCs, all-in-ones and other small form factor PCs. You’ll see new systems packing the chips within 30-60 days. Filed under: Desktops , Laptops , Intel Comments Source: Intel

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Intel beefs up fifth-gen Core chips with IRIS graphics

Hold on, now GameStop’s buying Think Geek

There was a hushed silence as the Priest shouted “should anyone have an objection to the marriage of ThinkGeek and Hot Topic , speak now or forever hold their peace.” Suddenly, a side-door slammed open as GameStop rushed in, demanding that the ceremony stop, because it alone was ThinkGeek’s one true love. Hot Topic blanched as ThinkGeek struggled to make eye contact, before nodding in agreement, apologizing and bolting from the altar. As ThinkGeek and GameStop ran down the aisle, arm in arm, the online retailer knew that it had done the right thing because, after all, GameStop had loads more money. The purchase between Hot Topic and GeekNet, ThinkGeek’s parent company, was seen by many, including us, as a done deal. At the last minute, however, it appears that GameStop stepped in with a better offer, pledging to buy the company’s shares for $20 a pop — compared to the $17.50 price Hot Topic had agreed. As part of the deal, Hot Topic will receive a “termination fee, ” the value of which hasn’t been disclosed, but will probably not be enough to ease the pain that only comes when your corporation is jilted. The press-release makes mention of GameStop using the company to broaden its “product offering in the fast-growing collectibles category.” It makes a big chunk of sense, since the store is suffering at the hands of its online rivals and has recently decided to go into the retro gaming business in a big way. Perhaps, much in the same way that Radio Shack stopped being a supply store for ham radio enthusiasts, GameStop will soon become a place you go to buy things other than games. Filed under: Misc , Internet Comments Via: Jon Erlichman (Twitter) Source: GameStop

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Hold on, now GameStop’s buying Think Geek

Microsoft WiFi could be another reason to get Office 365

Although Microsoft already offers millions of WiFi access points around the world through Skype , it appears the company has bigger plans for its wireless internet service. If a new (barebones) website is to be believed, the Skype branding could be dropped in favor of a new platform called Microsoft WiFi. According to the site, the service will increase the number of hotspots from around 2 million to 10 million and make them available to Office 365 Enterprise subscribers and those who have bought a Surface 2 or Microsoft’s Work & Play Bundle. Although the website has yet to officially launch, Microsoft has already provided an interactive map detailing where million of its access points are located. Boingo, Xfinity WiFi and Gowex hotspots are prominent in the US, while access points from BT and The Cloud are available in the UK. There’s no word on how you pay for Microsoft WiFi, or whether you need to given that Skype minutes are already included in other Office 365 packages, but the company is continuing to take a multi-platform approach with its apps. It’ll support Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, automatically connecting you to a WiFi hotspot when you’re in range, regardless of who operates it. Filed under: Internet , Software , Microsoft Comments Source: Microsoft WiFi

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Microsoft WiFi could be another reason to get Office 365

Next for Qualcomm: faster Wi-Fi and a gateway to cheap tablets

Computex is the perfect sort of tech convention for a chip giant like Qualcomm. It’s all about companies showing off their wares so that other companies will actually want to buy them. And this year, Qualcomm made two major announcements that should intrigue plenty of potential customers: Advancements in MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple input/multiple output) technology, which aims to make our 802.11ac Wi-Fi speeds more efficient and ultimately faster, as well as a partnership with AllWinner , a Chinese firm that designs low-cost mobile chips. MU-MIMO and you As much as we all rely on Wi-Fi these days, even fairly modern wireless tech can be absurdly inefficient, especially when you’ve got multiple devices using a single access point. That’s something the wireless industry aims to solve with MU-MIMO, an upgraded version of the MIMO standard (which brought us faster Wi-Fi speeds years ago). As we move towards bandwidth-heavy applications like 4K video streaming, it’ll be particularly important to make sure your network is making the most of its bandwidth. Qualcomm was the first company to launch products using MU-MIMO over a year ago, but those were mainly focused on commercial access points. Now the company is broadening support for consumer routers with its new QCA9984 chip, as well as enterprise access points with the QCA9994. Both offer four simultaneous wireless streams (think of them as adding more lanes to your router’s highway of Wi-Fi traffic), up from just three streams from last year’s parts. They can also hop between wireless channels to take advantage of all the wireless spectrum in your home, and they support wider 160MHz 802.11ac channels (even if they’re not right next to each other). If you don’t care about the nitty gritty of how MU-MIMO works, you just need to understand this: Your Wi-Fi is about to get a lot better – and just in the knick of time. Qualcomm’s been seeding the technology in its Wi-Fi chips for the past year. If you’ve got a new Android phone or PC running a Qualcomm chipset, you’ll be ready to take advantage of all MU-MIMO has to offer when you upgrade to an 802.11ac router using Qualcomm’s tech. The company expects to have customers using its new MU-MIMO chips in products by the end of the year. “We’re now in a kind of ramp-up place, we’ve delivered and are shipping [MU-MIMO] products, ” Todd Antes, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Atheros, told us. “Now we’re in the phase of seeing OEMS launch products. We’re hoping by 2016 this becomes a standard feature in 802.11ac clients and access points.” AllWinner for the win You’ve probably never heard of AllWinner, but it’s quickly earned a name for itself in China with its inexpensive chip designs, which helped to kick off the rush of white-label tablets. Those are tablets that get licensed by other companies and sold for cheap all over the world (you can find a few Walmart). But while they’re not the sexiest devices around, the white-label tablet market is growing fast and it likely won’t slow down anytime soon. So it makes perfect sense for Qualcomm to team up with AllWinner and take advantage of their access with that market. “I think both of us bring a very unique capability to the partnership, ” said Seshu Madhavapeddy, vice president of mobile product management at Qualcomm. “You can basically credit [AllWinner] for creating the white-label tablet market in China, and we bring capability in connected chipsets, whether it’s 3G or 4G. We brainstormed with AllWinner and figured the best way to bring our technology to bear in that market is to partner with them.” The partnership will see AllWinner offer Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 and 210 chip designs to customers building LTE-enabled tablets. While AllWinner has chip designs of its own , it doesn’t have any that integrate LTE radios, which is basically Qualcomm’s specialty. Qualcomm was quick to point out it’s not investing in AllWinner, rather the two companies will simply benefit from each other’s strengths. The partnership is similar to the one Intel recently struck with RockChip to get into China’s cheap tablet market. So, in a sense, Qualcomm also had to find a partner or risk losing out. One potential problem for Qualcomm is that the white-label tablet market isn’t exactly known for well-made wares. But the company thinks it can help fix that. “I think that the white-label market in China is making huge strides in improving quality, as well as in their engineering innovation capability, ” Madhavapeddy said. “So what might have been true last year is not going to be true this year. And we think as Qualcomm we’ll bring a high level of innovation to this market.” Filed under: Tablets , Wireless , Mobile Comments

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Next for Qualcomm: faster Wi-Fi and a gateway to cheap tablets

ASUS’ new Transformer Book is a Windows 10 hybrid with USB Type-C

As we approach the launch of Windows 10 , we’ll be seeing more and more devices — especially portables — featuring the slim and reversible USB Type-C port. One of such is the refreshed ASUS Transformer Book aka T100HA, a 10.1-inch two-in-one that will arrive in Q3 2015 with Intel’s new Atom x5 (“Cherry Trail”) processor plus 4GB of RAM. The tablet part weighs just 580 grams and is 8.54mm thick, but still offers up to 14 hours of battery life and a rear camera. Alas, that’s all we know so far about this machine, so we’ll keep an eye on further information when it’s ready. Filed under: Laptops , Tablets , ASUS Comments

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ASUS’ new Transformer Book is a Windows 10 hybrid with USB Type-C