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Latest Slashdot News:• IBM Releases Power7 Processor Dan Jones writes "As discussed here last year IBM has made good on its promise to release the Power7 processor (and servers) in the first half of 2010. The Power7 processor adds more cores and improved multithreading capabilities to boost the performance of servers requiring high up-time according to Big Blue. Power7 chips will run between 3.0GHz and 4.14GHz and will come with four six or eight cores. The chips are being made using the 45-nm process technology. New Power7 servers (up to 64 cores for now) are said to deliver twice the performance of older Power6 systems but are four times more energy efficient. Power7 servers will run AIX and Linux." And reader shmG notes Intel's release of a new Itanium server processor after two years of delays. The Power7 specs would seem to put the new Intel chip in the shade. • Oracle Drops Sun's Commitment To Accessibility An anonymous reader writes "What I feared has come true: after buying Sun Oracle had a look at its accessibility group and made big cuts in it by firing the most important contributors to the Linux accessibility tools. This is a very sad day for disabled people as it means we do not really have full-time developers any more." The coverage in OSTATIC has a few more details including the caution: "This just shows that all too few companies are sponsoring a11y work. If one company laying off a couple of developers spells trouble for the project then there were problems before that happened" (thanks to reader dave c-b for pointing this out). • Virtualizing a Supercomputer bridges writes "The V3VEE project has announced the release of version 1.2 of the Palacios virtual machine monitor following the successful testing of Palacios on 4096 nodes of the Sandia Red Storm supercomputer the 17th-fastest in the world. The added overhead of virtualization is often a show-stopper but the researchers observed less than 5% overhead for two real communication-intensive applications running in a virtual machine on Red Storm. Palacios 1.2 supports virtualization of both desktop x86 hardware and Cray XT supercomputers using either AMD SVM or Intel VT hardware virtualization extensions and is an active open source OS research platform supporting projects at multiple institutions. Palacios is being jointly developed by researchers at Northwestern University the University of New Mexico and Sandia National Labs." The ACM's writeup has more details of the work at Sandia. • Study Says OOXML Unsuitable For Norwegian Government angry tapir writes "Microsoft's XML-based office document format OOXML does not meet the requirements for governmental use according to a new report published by the Norwegian Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (DIFI). The agency wants to start a debate over the report as part of its work on standards in the Norwegian government. (As we discussed a week ago Denmark has already decided to choose ODF over OOXML)" • Virus-Detecting "Lab On a Chip" Developed At BYU natharward writes "A new development in nano-level diagnostic tests has been applied as a lab on a chip that successfully screened viruses entirely by their size. The chip's traps are size-specific which means even tiny concentrations of viruses or other particles won't escape detection. For medicine this development is promising for future lab diagnostics that could detect viruses before symptoms kick in and damage begins well ahead of when traditional lab tests are able to catch them. Aaron Hawkins the BYU professor leading the work says his team is now gearing up to make chips with multiple progressively smaller slots so that a single sample can be used to screen for particles of varying sizes. One could fairly simply determine which proteins or viruses are present based on which walls have particles stacked against them. After this is developed Hawkins says 'If we decided to make these things in high volume I think within a year it could be ready.'" • Google Shooting For Smartphone Universal Translator nikki4 writes to tell us that in giving some major improvement tweaks to its existing voice recognition tool for the Smartphone Google is aiming for new translator software that will provide instant translation of foreign languages. "The company has already created an automatic system for translating text on computers which is being honed by scanning millions of multi-lingual websites and documents. So far it covers 52 languages adding Haitian Creole last week. Google also has a voice recognition system that enables phone users to conduct web searches by speaking commands into their phones rather than typing them in. Now it is working on combining the two technologies to produce software capable of understanding a caller’s voice and translating it into a synthetic equivalent in a foreign language." • New Material Transforms Car Bodies Into Batteries MikeChino writes "As battery manufacturers race to produce more efficient lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles some scientists are looking to make the cars themselves a power source. Researchers are currently developing a new auto body material that can store and release electrical energy like a battery. Once perfected scientists hope the substance will replace standard car bodies making vehicles up to 15 percent lighter and significantly extending the range of electric vehicles." • Verizon Blocking 4chan An anonymous reader writes "According to 4chan's owner and administrator 'moot' Verizon has explicitly blocked all traffic on their network from boards.4chan.org where all of 4chan's boards are located. Moot explains that only traffic to and from port 80 is being dropped and they were able to confirm that it was intentional. 4chan's downtime for Verizon users has been in effect for at least 72 hours since Saturday February 7." • A Reflection On Sun Executive Payouts For Failure With the Oracle/Sun merger finally completing at the end of January one former Sun worker has taken the time to reflect a bit on the extravagant compensation and golden parachutes that the former executives at Sun are receiving for failing at their jobs. "I think it's fair to say that for all the miscues that eventually led to its demise the company created many products and technologies of value along the way enough so that Oracle thought it was worth it to acquire them and try to keep them going. However I think that it's equally fair to conclude that after years of running losses including about $2 billion in fiscal 2009 so that a buyout was necessary to avoid looming bankruptcy Sun's executives did nothing to deserve lavish rewards by any conceivable meaning of the word 'deserve.' But what actually happened is by now a familiar story. [...] And here's a prediction that I feel quite certain of: if against expectations and my hopes Ellison drops the ball and things start going south for Oracle it's the employees who will suffer for it and he'll be doing just fine." • Turns Out You Actually Can Be Bored To Death A study conducted by researchers at University College London shows that boredom can kill you. The researchers found that people who reported feeling a great deal of boredom were 37 per cent more likely to have died by the end of the study. Martin Shipley who co-wrote the report said "The findings on heart disease show there was sufficient evidence to say there is a link with boredom." Philly Business:• Business news in brief >> read more or comment • Scrap metal yard looks to leave Platt Bridge site The ugly mountain of crushed metal heaped at the foot of the Platt Memorial Bridge near the airport - the gateway to Philadelphia for millions of visitors - could soon be gone. >> read more or comment • LEHB works to keep police health-care costs under control Amber DiMarino Joe Hinchliffe and Phyllis Squillaciotti thought something was off. Reviewing medical bills for Philadelphia police the trio repeatedly noticed two bills for visits to the eye doctor on the same day. >> read more or comment • Law Review: Health-care debate is good business for lobbyists Is it possible that the election of the first Republican senator from Massachusetts in more than a generation will boost revenues of select Philadelphia law firms? >> read more or comment • MGM Mirage selling 50% stake in A.C.'s Borgata MGM Mirage Inc. has officially put its 50 percent ownership of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City on the block. >> read more or comment • PhillyDeals: Optimistic words from SAP's new (co-)CEO SAP AG's sales boss Bill McDermott was in Hawaii on Sunday rewarding top sellers when the business software giant named him co-chief executive officer following the surprise resignation of Leo Apotheker who'd been sole CEO at the Germany-based business software giant. >> read more or comment • Fears grow of lingering debt troubles in Greece ATHENS Greece - While some European experts believe Greece may need a bailout to restore confidence in its finances a growing chorus of voices is predicting a less dramatic but potentially more corrosive outcome: a years-long grind of fiscal pain that neither plunges Greece into default on its massive debt nor restores its finances to health. >> read more or comment • Harry Gross: Questions about 'longevity insurance' Dear Harry: I have never believed that "there's nothing new under the sun." Our insurance broker has come to us with what he described as a new concept in insurance called "longevity insurance." Since my wife and I have parents and aun >> read more or comment • Multiple storms deplete snow-removal budgets Haverford Township Manager Larry Gentile sick of this weather is "ready to move south."His snow-removal budget has already gone there. >> read more or comment • Recall for 170000 Priuses in Japan TOKYO - Toyota said today it was recalling 170000 Prius hybrid cars in Japan for braking problems and will soon disclose details of its global plans for a fix. >> read more or comment • Dow finishes below 10000 NEW YORK - The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 10000 for the first time in three months yesterday on nagging concerns about debt loads in Europe. >> read more or comment • Toyota has strong ties in D.C. WASHINGTON - The U.S. lawmakers now investigating Toyota's recall of 2.3 million vehicles include a senator who has tramped along through fields as its executives scouted plant sites and a congresswoman who owes much of her wealth to a Toyota supplier. >> read more or comment • Boeing's 747-8 freighter takes off on its first flight EVERETT Wash. - Boeing Co.'s giant 747-8 freighter - the biggest plane the company has ever built - took off on its first flight yesterday a year later than originally planned. >> read more or comment • World's tallest tower closed a month after opening The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks. >> read more or comment • Judge promises to rule on SEC BofA settlement A judge has promised to decide by the end of next week whether to approve a $150 million settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of America over civil charges alleging the bank misled shareholders when it acquired Merrill Lynch last year. >> read more or comment • Dow closes below 10000 for first time in 3 months The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 10000 for the first time in three months Monday on nagging concerns about debt loads in Europe. >> read more or comment • CertainTeed settles lawsuit CertainTeed Corp. Valley Forge said it agreed to settle a class-action suit contending the company's organic asphalt roofing shingles were subject to premature failure and otherwise did not perform as customers could reasonably expect. The company denied the allegations but the sides agreed to settle to avoid the cost of further litigation. A value of the settlement was not disclosed though CertainTeed agreed to "enhanced compensation" for removing and replacing the shingles during the warranty period. The shingles made between 1987 and 2005 used felt reinforcement in contrast to the fiberglass reinforcement now used. - Paul Schweizer >> read more or comment • Reports: Toyota plans to recall 300000 Priuses Toyota plans to recall about 300000 Prius hybrids worldwide over a brake problem and is likely to notify both the U.S. and Japanese governments Tuesday news reports said as a top executive will testify before U.S. lawmakers about defects that have tarnished its reputation for quality and safety. >> read more or comment • MGM Mirage selling 50% stake in A.C.’s Borgata MGM Mirage Inc. has officially put its 50 percent ownership of the Borgata Casino Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on the block. >> read more or comment • PA budget due Tuesday; will Rendell cut pensions? "Will Rendell ask taxpayers to pay more? Or future retirees to accept less?" >> read more or comment Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce:Philadelphia Tech News:• Tech Stocks: Tech stocks lose luster at the market close (Market Watch) Amazon.com Inc. shares fail to hang onto earlier gains by the close of trading Monday while Electronic Arts Inc. also has its sails trimmed as the tech sector got caught up in a broad-market retreat shortly before the market closed Monday. read more >> • Training Innovation: Setting Philadelphia City's Youth on Technology Track to Success (PRWeb) PAT is Changing the Lives of Our Philadelphia City Youth and Answering the Call for Skilled Auto Technicians. (PRWeb Feb 8 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3575044.htm read more >> • Training Innovation: Setting Philadelphia City's Youth on Technology Track to Success (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) PAT is Changing the Lives of Our Philadelphia City Youth and Answering the Call for Skilled Auto Technicians. read more >> • Monday's Sports Scoreboard (AP via Yahoo! Philippines News) All Times Eastern National Football League No games today. National Basketball Association Orlando 123 New Orleans 117 F Dallas 127 Golden State 117 F L.A. Lakers 101 San Antonio 89 F National Hockey League Philadelphia 3 New Jersey 2 F San Jose 3 Toronto 2 F Phoenix 6 Edmonton 1 F Colorado 5 St. read more >> • Monday's Sports Scoreboard (AP via Yahoo! Singapore News) All Times Eastern National Football League No games today. National Basketball Association Orlando 123 New Orleans 117 F Dallas 127 Golden State 117 -4 L.A. Lakers 99 San Antonio 87 -4 National Hockey League Philadelphia 3 New Jersey 2 F San Jose 3 Toronto 2 F Phoenix 6 Edmonton 1 F Colorado 5 St. read more >> • 2-9 Sports Scoreboard (Minot Daily News) Pro Basketball National Basketball Association EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB Boston 32 17 .653 — Toronto 28 23 .549 5 New York 19 31 .380 131⁄2 Philadelphia 19 31 .380 131⁄2 New Jersey 4 46 .080 281⁄2 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Orlando 35 17 .673 — Atlanta 32 17 .653 11⁄2 Charlotte 24 25 .490 91⁄2 Miami 24 27 .471 101⁄2 Washington 17 32 .347 161⁄2 Central Division W L Pct GB ... read more >> • USA TODAY Super 25 boys basketball rankings (USA Today) Unbeaten Northland (Columbus Ohio) tops the high school boys basketball rankings read more >> • Officials with NextGen aviation research center connect with local business community (Press of Atlantic City) Bart Mueller of the South Jersey Transportation Authority listens as Gordon Dahl South Jersey Economic Development District talks at a sold-out panel discussion on the NextGen aviation tech park. read more >> • Monday's Sports Scoreboard (AP via Yahoo! Asia News) All Times Eastern National Football League No games today. National Basketball Association New Orleans vs Orlando 8 p.m. Dallas vs Golden State 10:30 p.m. San Antonio vs L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m. National Hockey League New Jersey vs Philadelphia 7 p.m. San Jose vs Toronto 7 p.m. Edmonton vs Phoenix 9:30 p.m. St. read more >> • PhillyDeals: Optimistic words from SAP's new (co-)CEO (The Philadelphia Inquirer) SAP AG's sales boss Bill McDermott was in Hawaii on Sunday rewarding top sellers when the business software giant named him co-chief executive officer following the surprise resignation of Leo Apotheker who'd been sole CEO at the Germany-based business software giant. read more >> << Next Page >> |
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