Solar System in a Can May Reveal Hidden Dimensions. dylanduck writes "A model solar system, made of tungsten and placed in space, could reveal hidden spatial dimensions and test alternative theories of gravity. If the system's 'planets' moved slightly differently to the way predicted by standard gravity, it would signal the presence of new physical phenomena." From the article: "Once at the Lagrange point, the artificial solar system would be set in motion inside the spacecraft. An 8-centimetre-wide sphere of tungsten would act as an artificial sun, while a smaller test sphere would be launched 10 cm away into an oval-shaped orbit. The miniscule planet would orbit its tungsten sun 3,000 times per year." [Slashdot]

 

12:06:52 PM    comment []

 

A House For One Red Paperclip. Tim_F writes to mention the news that Kyle MacDonald (the guy trying to trade a red paperclip for a house) has succeeded in his quest. His recently traded a KISS Snowglobe in exchange for one afternoon with Alice Cooper. He in turn traded the snowglobe to an enthusiastic snowglobe collector, for a role in a movie. From the article: "Now, the town of Kipling, Sask., located about two hours east of Regina with a population of 1,100, has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie. MacDonald and his girlfriend will fly to the town next Wednesday. 'We are going to show them the house, give them the keys to the house and give them the key to the town and just have some fun,' said Pat Jackson, mayor of Kipling." [Slashdot]

 

12:04:16 PM    comment []

 

Tim Bray: The Prompt of Doom. So that's what that dialog is called. (The perhaps-too-obvious-to-mention temporary solution is to ask whether to remember the password after the server says it's correct.) [Hack the Planet]

 

12:00:38 PM    comment []

 

Negroponte: $100 laptops due next year.

(InfoWorld) - M.I.T. Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte showed off the latest prototype of the US$100 computer to a gathering of educators in San Diego Thursday.

Telling the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) that "children are the main agents of change," the author of the best-selling "Being Digital" said he expects millions of the low-cost laptops to be distributed to children in developing countries starting next year, according to a statement issued after the event.

The focal point of Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child initiative -- which aims to produce a $100 laptop computer for distribution to children in developing countries -- features a hand crank that generates the two watts of power the machine needs to operate. It uses a Wi-Fi mesh to connect to the Internet, and runs open-source software. All of the components are chosen for low power usage and low cost to make the portable computers as inexpensive as possible.

NECC members got an early look at one of the project's most innovative developments: a dual mode display that can be easily viewed in natural and artificial light, which helps to reduce the machine's power consumption.

Despite these efforts, the price tag of each computer still comes in at $130-140, although Negroponte and others involved in the project believe the cost will drop as component prices decrease.

More information about this effort to reduce the digital divide can be found at the One Laptop Per Child Web site.

By Steven_Schwankert@idg.com (Steven Schwankert). [InfoWorld: Top News]

 

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Taipei to embrace net telephones. The city of Taipei, in Taiwan, could have 200,000 people making phone calls using wi-fi by the end of 2006. [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]

 

11:54:18 AM    comment []

 

Week in pictures: Techie's road trip wrap-up. Reporter Daniel Terdiman grades the gadgets used on his journey through the Pacific Northwest. Also: Views of a timely bridge and homey domes. [CNET News.com]

 

11:52:58 AM    comment []

 

Headset Transmits Voice by Bone. Can you hear me now? A Bluetooth mobile-phone headset uses bone-conduction technology to convert vibrations from your jaw into sound, so you can call from noisy places and be heard. In Gear Factor. [Wired News: Top Stories]

 

11:50:50 AM    comment []

 

Crabzilla Takes Tokyo. A new DVD release from Japan brings DIY animation to the Tokyo monster-movie genre. By Brian Ashcraft from Wired magazine. [Wired News: Top Stories]

 

11:47:52 AM    comment []

 

Gamer Grads Pitch Next-Gen Games. New projects from USC's first Interactive Media graduates are a universe away from the usual commercial fare. By Evan Shamoon from Wired magazine. [Wired News: Top Stories]

 

11:46:57 AM    comment []