Phys.org Newsletter Monday, May 5
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Latest News On TECHNOLOGY:
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NEW MOBILE APP USES AUGMENTED REALITY TO ENHANCE LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT HISTORIC SITES
Virginia Tech researchers are testing a new mobile software app that will allow school children visiting historic sites to learn in new, interactive ways via augmented reality.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-mobile-app-augmented-reality-historic.html#nwlt
'DIGITAL BY DEFAULT' – EFFICIENT EGOVERNMENT OR COSTLY FLOP?
The Australian federal government's recently published National Commission of Audit's recommendation 62: e-Government suggests the government accelerate its transition to online service delivery that:
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-digital-default-efficient-egovernment-costly.html#nwlt
AFTER LONG WAIT, IRAQ AUTHORISES 3G FOR MOBILE FIRMS
Iraq's cabinet announced Monday it has authorised mobile phone firms to use third-generation frequencies, after years of promises amid the frustrated pleas of cellular operators.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-iraq-authorises-3g-mobile-firms.html#nwlt
AFFINITY GAMING REPORTS PAYMENT SYSTEM WAS HACKED
A Las Vegas company that owns casinos in four states says its system for processing credit and debit card information has been hacked.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-affinity-gaming-payment-hacked.html#nwlt
RESEARCHER'S RISK EXPOSURE INDEX (REI) USED BY THE UN OFFICE FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
"From Superstorms to Factory Fires: Managing Unpredictable Supply-Chain Disruptions," published recently in the Harvard Business Review, describes a method developed by MIT professor David Simchi-Levi, founder of the MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation, to manage unpredictable supply chain disruptions. This method helps prioritize the financial impact of risk through the Risk Exposure Index (REI), enabling companies to focus mitigation efforts on the most important suppliers and risk areas. The method was implemented successfully at Ford Motor Company.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-exposure-index-rei-office-disaster.html#nwlt
INEXPENSIVE, FLEXIBLE LARGE AREA NEUTRON DETECTORS TO MONITOR MOVEMENT OF FISSILE MATERIALS
Researchers in the US are capitalising on the falling cost of TFT-based flat panel display manufacture to produce inexpensive, flexible large area neutron detectors to help monitor the movement of fissile materials.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-inexpensive-flexible-large-area-neutron.html#nwlt
HOW A 'SENSOR SOCIETY' QUIETLY TAKES OVER
As our cars, phones and computers get "smarter" they – and the companies that provide them – know a lot more about us than they used to.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-sensor-society-quietly.html#nwlt
TARGET'S CEO IS OUT IN WAKE OF BIG SECURITY BREACH (UPDATE)
Target's CEO has become the first boss of a major corporation to lose his job over a breach of customer data, showing how responsibility for computer security now reaches right to the top.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-ceo-steinhafel-breach.html#nwlt
EU, JAPAN TO START CYBER-SECURITY DIALOGUE
The European Union will discuss Internet security during talks this week in Brussels with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a senior EU official said Monday.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-eu-japan-cyber-security-dialogue.html#nwlt
GAME DEVELOPERS SAY SUCCESS HINGES ON MORE THAN JUST PROGRAMMING SKILLS
Aspiring game developers may want to bone up on their interpersonal skills. A forthcoming study from North Carolina State University and Microsoft Research finds that game developers need a suite of non-programming skills – including communication skills – that are considered less important in other fields of software development.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-game-success-hinges-skills.html#nwlt
LIFE-CHANGER OR DEATH SENTENCE? MADRID'S ELECTRIC BIKES
Politicians say Madrid's shared electric bicycle scheme, due to launch this month, can change the lives of citizens—but others warn it will put their lives in danger.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-life-changer-death-sentence-madrid-electric.html#nwlt
MIAMI LOOKS BEYOND BEACHES, BIKINIS TO TECH
Famed for its beaches, cruises and cafecitos, South Florida is now angling to become one of the next U.S. tech hot spots by leveraging its role as the gateway to Latin America and luring northern entrepreneurs with cheap living costs and lots of sun.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-miami-beaches-bikinis-tech.html#nwlt
ENERGY TOWER FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICITY SET FOR ARIZONA
Solar Wind Energy Tower (SWET) with a focus on "solar wind downdraft tower" structures for producing electricity last month announced it got the green light from San Luis, Arizona, to develop such a tower in the city, which is located on the southwest corner of Arizona, a border town to San Luis, Sonora, Mexico.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-energy-tower-electricity-arizona.html#nwlt
TWITTER, AMAZON TEAM UP FOR IN-APP PURCHASING
Amazon rolled out a new feature Monday allowing Twitter users to select items for purchase on the online retail site without leaving the messaging platform.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-twitter-amazon-team-in-app.html#nwlt
ENERGY-SUBSIDY REFORM CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH PROPER PREPARATION, OUTSIDE PRESSURE
Reform of energy subsidies in oil-exporting countries can reduce carbon emissions and add years to oil exports, according to a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-energy-subsidy-reform-proper-pressure.html#nwlt
IBM DEEPENS MOVE INTO COMPUTER DEFENSE
IBM on Monday moved deeper into defending business computers with a new service aimed at thwarting hackers before they do damage.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-ibm-deepens-defense.html#nwlt
JURY HOLDS LINE ON DAMAGES IN APPLE PATENT CASE (UPDATE)
Jurors on Monday held the line on its $119.6 million damages award to Apple in its latest patent battle with smartphone rival Samsung in Silicon Valley.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-jury-line-apple-patent-case.html#nwlt
NEW THEORY COULD REDUCE NUMBER OF SENSORS REQUIRED FOR TERAHERTZ IMAGING SYSTEMS
Terahertz imaging, which is already familiar from airport security checkpoints, has a number of other promising applications—from explosives detection to collision avoidance in cars. Like sonar or radar, terahertz imaging produces an image by comparing measurements across an array of sensors. Those arrays have to be very dense, since the distance between sensors is proportional to wavelength.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-05-theory-sensors-required-terahertz-imaging.html#nwlt
