Computer Science / Hardware — View Comments
25
fev 08
A new wireless technology has been developed that should serve as an extremely fast replacement for technologies such as Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB), says Australian research group NICTA. Nicknamed GiFi, the process would use a chip (not pictured) that transmits at an extremely high 60GHz frequency versus the 5GHz used for the fastest forms of Wi-Fi. The sheer density of the signal would allow a chip to send as much as five gigabits per second. While the spectrum would limit the device to the same 33-foot range as Bluetooth or UWB, it could theoretically transfer an HD movie to a cellphone in seconds, the researchers claim.
The technology could also be used for beaming full HD video in real-time and could be used by notebooks and other computers to wirelessly connect virtually all the expansion needed for a docking station, including a secondary display and storage. Mixing and signal filtering would keep the signal strong versus the longer-ranged but slower and more drop-prone Wi-Fi option of today.
NICTA does not expect a production-grade chip to leave the development stage until early 2009 but notes that any future chip would likely cost about $10 or less to build. This and a small design would allow cellphones and other small devices to add the technology without significantly drive up the price, according to the company. The change opens the possibility of a successor to UWB and its related technology Wireless USB, which matches the same range but roughly the same 480Mbps peak speed of its wired equivalent.
Business / Computer Science / Hardware / Software — View Comments
22
fev 08
My friend Camilo Telles did his master thesis on this exact subject, he projected this camera entirely in wood and cheap web cameras, he also wrote a software to integrate all the images in one single, it’s not his work, but it’s similar and very interesting.
Reference: http://adn.blam.be/papervision/
Life / Politics — View Comments
16
fev 08
Better late, then never. In my vacations I watched Sicko, Michael Moore’s movie about heath care in the United States. He shows a number of situations where it simply doesn’t work.
People that has a private plan and got rejected when a serious decease like cancer appeared, or even people that were pretty well, but had their lungs burned because they wanted to save lives after the 09/11 accident.
A comparison is made to a different health care system applied in countries like, Canada, United Kingdom, France and Cuba. The idea is simple, everybody pays taxes and this includes health care, the same for everyone, if you are healthy you pay for those who aren’t.
In the private model, the idea is to reject more people to make more revenue, this kill people, in the public plan the idea is to make people more healthy to make more revenue, this save people.
It’s a complicated move for a country that has a private model, but it’s statistically proved that works better then the private model, people are healthier, has a better quality of life and live longer.
Entertainment / Life — View Comments
13
fev 08
Everyone that worked for an internet service provider has a funny story to tell, I have a few too, normally they are related to situations in the call center, but this is about the maid.
We had a fm radio station as a client, among other things we broadcasted online their shows, since it was a long time ago, we had to use a combination of a sound board and a sound system, it was always in the correct station and on all day long.
One day a new maid came, she started cleaning the place happily and felt so comfortable with the tremendous silence and no one around. Everything was ok but when she found the radio it was about to get wonderful, she had an idea:
- I can use some music!
As she was a fervent religious, she loved Christian songs, she changes the station right away to her favorite, turn the volume up and continue to work more then happily.
Few minutes later our phone rings, it was someone from the radio office asking why the hell was their site playing Christian Songs?!
Computer Science / Software — View Comments
12
fev 08
If you look major book sellers for Linux Kernel books, you will be disappointed, there aren’t many titles available, I remember a long time ago, when Alessandro Rubini wrote his first book about Linux Device Drivers, I think it was the first big hit, then shortly it became obsolete, as Linux runs fast.
Accordingly to Amazon the most popular Linux Kernel book nowadays is Linux Kernel Development written by Robert Love, in it’s second edition focused in version 2.6.
I was deeply involved in other subjects, reading piles of books when it came out few years ago. Right now in my vacations I had the opportunity to start reading it, you know, writing kernel code makes me relax, and I must say, Robert has talent, it’s very well written, clear and a not so simple subject becomes accessible, I recommend.
