Science X Newsletter Friday, Oct 24
Dear buntheun keun,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 24, 2014:
************************************************
Spotlight Stories Headlines
************************************************
FLATLAND, WE HARDLY KNEW YE: UNIQUE 1-D METASURFACE ACTS AS POLARIZED BEAM SPLITTER, ALLOWS NOVEL FORM OF HOLOGRAPHY
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-flatland-knew-ye-unique-d.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MOLECULAR BEACONS SHINE LIGHT ON HOW CELLS 'CRAWL'
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-molecular-beacons-cells.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
RESEARCHERS FIND FERNS COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO DECIDE GENDER
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-ferns-gender.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
TOMORROW'S TABLETS? LOOK, NO HANDS
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-tomorrow-tablets.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
POWERFUL NEW SOFTWARE PLUG-IN DETECTS BUGS IN SPREADSHEETS
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-powerful-software-plug-in-bugs-spreadsheets.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
EBOLA'S EVOLUTIONARY ROOTS ARE MORE ANCIENT THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT, STUDY FINDS
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-ebola-evolutionary-roots-ancient-previously.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
EIGHT MONTHS ON 'HAWAIIAN MARS' TESTS RIGORS OF EXPLORATION
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-months-hawaiian-mars-rigors-exploration.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
SCIENTISTS ENGINEER TOXIN-SECRETING STEM CELLS TO TREAT BRAIN TUMORS
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-scientists-toxin-secreting-stem-cells-brain.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
LI-ION BATTERIES CONTAIN TOXIC HALOGENS, BUT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES EXIST
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-li-ion-batteries-toxic-halogens-environmentally.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
TEAM INFUSES SCIENCE INTO 'MINECRAFT' MODIFICATION
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-team-infuses-science-minecraft-modification.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MAGIC LEAP MOVES BEYOND OLDER LINES OF VR
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-magic-older-lines-vr.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
ICELANDIC VOLCANO SITS ON MASSIVE MAGMA HOT SPOT
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-icelandic-volcano-massive-magma-hot.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
NEW COMPOUNDS REDUCE DEBILITATING INFLAMMATION
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-compounds-debilitating-inflammation.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MYCOLOGIST PROMOTES AGARIKON AS A POSSIBILITY TO COUNTER GROWING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-mycologist-agarikon-possibility-counter-antibiotic.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
LIQUID HELIUM OFFERS A FASCINATING NEW WAY TO MAKE CHARGED MOLECULES
http://phys.org/news/2014-10-liquid-helium-fascinating-molecules.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
************************************************
Latest News On TECHNOLOGY:
************************************************
UK WIND POWER SHARE SHOWS RECORD RISE
The United Kingdom wind power production has been enjoying an upward trajectory, and on Tuesday wind power achieved a significant energy production milestone, reported Brooks Hays for UPI. High winds from Hurricane Gonzalo were the force behind wind turbines outproducing nuclear power plants on Tuesday—supplying 14.2 percent of all electricity, compared with nuclear's 13.2 percent. For a 24-hour period, said the BBC, "spinning blades produced more energy than splitting atoms." Gonzalo brought gusts of up to 70 mph to the northern parts of the UK, according to National Grid.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-uk-power.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
TOMORROW'S TABLETS? LOOK, NO HANDS
Engineers in a suburban Chicago office complex have designed a new microphone that they say will be key to the future of smartphone and tablet technology because it gives consumers the ability to operate hand-held devices without touching them.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-tomorrow-tablets.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
POWERFUL NEW SOFTWARE PLUG-IN DETECTS BUGS IN SPREADSHEETS
An effective new data-debugging software tool dubbed "CheckCell" was released to the public this week in a presentation by University of Massachusetts Amherst computer science doctoral student Daniel Barowy. He spoke at the premier international computer programming language design conference known as OOPSLA, in Portland, Ore.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-powerful-software-plug-in-bugs-spreadsheets.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
LI-ION BATTERIES CONTAIN TOXIC HALOGENS, BUT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES EXIST
Physics researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered that most of the electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries—commonly found in consumer electronic devices—are superhalogens, and that the vast majority of these electrolytes contain toxic halogens.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-li-ion-batteries-toxic-halogens-environmentally.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
TEAM INFUSES SCIENCE INTO 'MINECRAFT' MODIFICATION
The 3-D world of the popular "Minecraft" video game just became more entertaining, perilous and educational, thanks to a comprehensive code modification kit, "Polycraft World," created by University of Texas at Dallas professors, students and alumni.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-team-infuses-science-minecraft-modification.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MAGIC LEAP MOVES BEYOND OLDER LINES OF VR
Two messages from Magic Leap: Most of us know that a world with dragons and unicorns, elves and fairies is just a better world. The other message: Technology can be mindboggingly awesome. When the two messages combine, the company's aura becomes evident as movers in newer realms of augmented reality. The people behind this Florida-based company believe that the future of computing should be derived from respecting human biology, physiology, creativity, and community. So why, they ask, can't computing feel completely natural? Why can't computing and technology bend to us, to our experience? Describing their technology, they said "our team dug deep into the physics of the visual world, and dug deep into the physics and processes of our visual and sensory perception." They created what they call a Dynamic Digitized Lightfield Signal, which is biomimetic. That is the core and they added hardware, software, sensors, core processors, and, they said, "a few things that just nee!
d to
remain a mystery." On their site page for developers, they said, "Using our Dynamic Digitized Lightfield Signal, imagine being able to generate images indistinguishable from real objects and then being able to place those images seamlessly into the real world."
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-magic-older-lines-vr.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
GLOBAL BOOM IN HYDROPOWER EXPECTED THIS DECADE
An unprecedented boom in hydropower dam construction is underway, primarily in developing countries and emerging economies. While this is expected to double the global electricity production from hydropower, it could reduce the number of our last remaining large free-flowing rivers by about 20% and pose a serious threat to freshwater biodiversity.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-global-boom-hydropower-decade.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
REVIEW: APPLE PAY IS GREAT, AT STORES THAT ACCEPT IT
When Apple Pay launched Monday, my editors decided I needed to go shopping.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-apple-great.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MICROSOFT'S EXPANDING CLOUD PLATFORM SHINES BRIGHTLY
At a small gathering in San Francisco for reporters and analysts earlier this week, Microsoft announced a number of new cloud products and services.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-microsoft-cloud-platform-brightly.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
GLASS MAKER DEALS TO EXIT APPLE, ARIZONA PLANT
Nearly 2,000 furnaces installed in a factory to make synthetic sapphire glass for Apple Inc. will be removed and sold under a deal between the tech giant and the company that had been gearing up to produce huge amounts of the product for use in Apple's products.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-glass-maker-exit-apple-arizona.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
CALIFORNIA STARTUP UNVEILS GUN TECHNOLOGY FOR COPS
A Silicon Valley startup has developed technology to let dispatchers know when a police officer's weapon has been fired.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-california-startup-unveils-gun-technology.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
ONLINE ANONYMITY ISN'T AS EASY AS THE FIRMS OFFERING PRIVACY APPS WANT YOU TO THINK
In a post-Snowden world, anonymity is what people want online. Smartphone apps offering anonymous messaging are popping up everywhere – Secret, Whisper and now Yik Yak. The latest additions to privacy-protecting technology, they claim to provide anonymous, location-based confession, expression, and discussion platforms.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-online-anonymity-isnt-easy-firms.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
EVALUATING POWERFUL BATTERIES FOR MODULAR GRID ENERGY STORAGE
Sandia National Laboratories has begun lab-based characterization of TransPower's GridSaver, the largest grid energy storage system analyzed at Sandia's Energy Storage Test Pad in Albuquerque, N.M.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-powerful-batteries-modular-grid-energy.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
RESEARCHERS INCREASE THE SWITCHING CONTRAST OF AN ALL-OPTICAL FLIP-FLOP
Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York have increased the switching contrast of a particular kind of all-optical flip-flop by 28 dB, resulting in a switching contrast of 36.6 dB. This could provide a huge leap in the performances of a range of photonic techniques, such as all-optical packet switching, all-optical label addressing, and square-wave clock generation, as well as other photonic devices housing semiconductor optical amplifiers or even passive nonlinear media.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-contrast-all-optical-flip-flop.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
NEW OSCILLATOR FOR LOW-POWER IMPLANTABLE TRANSCIEVERS
Arash Moradi and Mohamad Sawan from Polytechnique Montreal in Canada discuss their new low-power VCO design for medical implants. This oscillator was implemented to provide the frequency deviation of frequency-shift-keying (FSK) modulation in implantable radio-frequency (RF) transceivers.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-oscillator-low-power-implantable-transcievers.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
AMAZON'S LOSS MAKES HOLIDAYS A QUESTION MARK
Amazon's trademark smile icon is becoming more of a grimace. The world's largest online retailer reported a wider third-quarter loss than analysts expected and gave a disappointing holiday forecast.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-amazon-loss-holidays.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MICROSOFT DROPS NOKIA NAME FROM SMARTPHONES
Microsoft said Friday it was dropping the Nokia name from its Lumia smartphones, rebranding following the acquisition earlier this year of the Finnish group's handset division.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-microsoft-nokia-smartphones.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MICROSOFT'S GARAGE BECOMES AN INCUBATOR OF CONSUMER APPS
For five years now, The Garage has served as Microsoft's incubator for employees' passion projects, an internal community of engineers, designers, hardware tinkerers and others from all different parts of the company who work on their own or with others on pet projects, some of which could potentially benefit the company.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-microsoft-garage-incubator-consumer-apps.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
YELP ADDS HOTEL AND WINERY BOOKINGS WITH NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Travelers often turn to Yelp to check out consumer reviews of hotels before they go on vacation, and now they can book a room directly through its site and app thanks to a partnership with startup Hipmunk.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-yelp-hotel-winery-partnerships.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
APPLE TO OPEN 25 NEW STORES IN CHINA IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS
Tim Cook is in China this week, where he announced plans to open 25 new Apple stores in its Greater China region in the next two years.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-apple-china-years.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
CAN WHISPER, AN APP FOR ANONYMOUS CONFESSIONS, PROTECT USERS' IDENTITIES?
Can an app that people anonymously share confessions on, some of which become fodder for news stories, protect the users' identities? That's the issue surrounding Whisper this week.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-app-anonymous-users-identities.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
STATES ASCEND INTO THE CLOUD
Seven years ago, the state of Delaware started moving computer servers out of closets and from under workers' desks to create a consolidated data center and a virtual computing climate.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-states-ascend-cloud.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
NEW SOCIAL NETWORK FOR TEENAGERS EXPERIENCES A GROWTH SPURT
The millionaire creator of a Facebook competitor for teenagers, Pascal Lorne needed, well, teenagers.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-social-network-teenagers-growth-spurt.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
HACKER GETS PRISON FOR CYBERATTACK STEALING $9.4M
An Estonian man who pleaded guilty to orchestrating a 2008 cyberattack on a credit card processing company that enabled hackers to steal $9.4 million has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a federal judge in Atlanta.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-hacker-prison-cyberattack-94m.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
ERICSSON PROFIT DOWN 10 PCT DESPITE HIGHER SALES
Wireless equipment maker Ericsson says its third-quarter earnings slumped 10 percent despite higher sales due to increased operating costs and negative effects from currency hedging.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-ericsson-profit-pct-higher-sales.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
SHOULD THE JAPANESE GIVE NUCLEAR POWER ANOTHER CHANCE?
On September 9, 2014, the Japan Times reported an increasing number of suicides coming from the survivors of the March 2011 disaster. In Minami Soma Hospital, which is located 23 km away from the power plant, the number of patients experiencing stress has also increased since the disaster. What's more, many of the survivors are now jobless and therefore facing an uncertain future.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-japanese-nuclear-power-chance.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
QUEEN SENDS HER FIRST TWEET, SIGNED 'ELIZABETH R'
Queen Elizabeth II has sent her first tweet—though she kept things traditional, signing off with "Elizabeth R."
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-queen-tweet-elizabeth.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
STUDENTS WIN CHALLENGE FOR REAL-TIME TRAFFIC APP
Three University of Texas at Arlington Computer Science and Engineering students have won a $10,000 prize in the NTx Apps Challenge for a smart traffic light network that adjusts traffic light schedules to make traffic flow more efficient.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-students-real-time-traffic-app.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
BEYOND GOPRO: SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS CAN MEASURE EVERYTHING WITH APPS, HARDWARE
At the end of a long day on the slopes, there's only one reward as sweet as a cold beer and a fireplace to warm your toes - recounting your epic moves through the powder.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-gopro-skiers-snowboarders-apps-hardware.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
AMBITIOUS EU TARGETS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGIES MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE
The European heads of governments are currently in Brussels negotiating the targets for the European climate and energy policy for the year 2030. There seems to be a fundamental consensus for tightening the binding climate target. Yet, there are still significant differences of opinion as to the further development of the target for renewable energies: How far should the share of renewable energies in total energy consumption be increased by 2030? And should renewables targets also be specified for individual member states or only for the EU overall?
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-ambitious-eu-renewable-energies-economic.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
NBCUNIVERSAL SETTLES WITH UNPAID INTERNS FOR $6.4M
NBCUniversal will pay $6.4 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by unpaid interns who worked on "Saturday Night Live" and other shows who claim they are owed wages, according to court documents.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-10-nbcuniversal-unpaid-interns-64m.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
*****************************************************************************
This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as buntheun.dany@blogger.com
