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Firefox 3 Release Date - June 17
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 14, 2008
Mozilla Wednesday set next Tuesday, June 17, as the release date for Firefox 3.0, the first major upgrade of the open-source browser in nearly 20 months. "We're proud to announce that we're ready," said Mike Beltzner, Mozilla's product lead. "It is our expectation to ship Firefox 3 this upcoming Tuesday, June 17," he said in a short message posted to the company's developer center...
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Why some USB Drives are Born Better
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 14, 2008
Most USB 2.0 flash drives look the same, but that doesn't mean they perform the same. Differences in the type of memory and, to a lesser extent, the type of I/O controllers used by USB drives can make one device perform two or three times faster and last (theoretically, at least) 10 times longer than another, even if both sport the USB 2.0 logo. Unfortunately for the average user, there are...
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Phoenix Inspects Martian Soil
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 14, 2008
New observations from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander provide the most magnified view ever seen of Martian soil, showing particles clumping together even at the smallest visible scale. In the past two days, two instruments on the lander deck - a microscope and a bake-and-sniff analyzer -- have begun inspecting soil samples delivered by the scoop on Phoenix's Robotic Arm. "This is the first...
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OLED Touch Panels Ready for Mass Production
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 15, 2008
Taiwan-based RiTdisplay has developed OLED panels with touch functionality, which is now ready for volume production once orders are received, according to the company. The OLED capacity touch panel adopts STMicroelectronics' controller IC, and currently three sizes - 1.1-, 1.8- and 3.1-inch -have been developed, the company said. RiTdisplay is a leading supplier of OLED panels, with its...
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Plutoids - Pluto-Like Min-Planets new Name
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 15, 2008
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has decided that Pluto - and other dwarf planets in the Solar System that share similar characteristics - should now be sub-classified as "plutoids". The revised classification comes almost two years after Pluto was demoted from "planet" to "dwarf planet" in order to dispel inconsistencies in Solar System nomenclature that have arisen as more orbiting...
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USB 3.0 Specs Will be Free Says Intel
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 15, 2008
Intel plans to make the specification for a USB 3.0 host controller freely available during the second half of this year, hitting back at rumors the chip maker wanted to keep the technology for itself. The specification will be made available under a contract that doesn't require royalty payments. "Basically: free, gratis, unpaid, zero dollars, free of charge, at no cost, on the house," wrote...
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First US Army Satellite Launch in 50 Years
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Iddo Genuth on June 15, 2008
After a 50-year hiatus from launching its own satellites, the United States Army plans to build and launch miniature communications satellites. As part of the $5 million Operationally Responsive Space program, engineers met in March to begin drafting the most logical methods of satellite deployments for the military. The program was started in May 2007 after Congress wanted the Army to reconsider...
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Plastics Unite to Make Unexpected 'Metal'
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Ehud Rattner on June 16, 2008
Jamming the right two pieces of plastic together creates a thin but strongly conducting channel along the junction that acts like a metal, say Dutch researchers. The discovery could lead to a whole new way of making electronics from non-metallic materials, and even new superconductors. Alberto Morpurgo's team at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands attached a micrometer-thick...
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Scared Expression Brings Survival Advantage
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Ehud Rattner on June 16, 2008
You wrinkle your nose and squint when you see a dead rat in the road, but open your eyes, nose and mouth wide when you see a live one in your bedroom. Why? Common facial expressions like disgust and fear, new research suggests, do more than just convey how you are feeling - they alter your sensory relationship to the world around you. Charles Darwin, noticing that some facial expressions seem to...
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Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope
via TFOT - The Future Of Things by Ehud Rattner on June 16, 2008
Microsoft recently presented a new web application that enables computers to function as virtual telescopes - bringing together imagery from the best ground and Space-based telescopes in the world. As a result, users have a chance to virtually explore the universe, using a multitude of 'tours'. The 'tours' are interactive, allowing the user to pause, play, rewind, and fast forward...
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