Wednesday 20 February 2013

Mount Etna's new eruption caught on video


Credit: Klaus Dorschfeldt/ ZME Science

http://www.livescience.com/27235-mount-etna-eruption-video.html     / Italy ash lava gas shooting first big eruption most active volcanoes strong flashes in the volcano's New Southeast Crater clearly visible Sicilian foothills short violent eruptive bursts active activity tallest volcano Europe Bocca Nuova crater visible spotted from space /

How Gracenote is building a car stereo that senses your driving mood (Flash video)

http://gigaom.com/2013/02/19/how-gracenote-is-building-a-car-stereo-that-senses-your-driving-mood/ / hacking hack Ford Focus tap into vehicle performance data feeds into the car’s infotainment system car plays different songs depending how you’re driving /

Genes are not esoteric knowledge • Gene expression

This item includes a story about a man who discovered that his wife was his half sister.  How would you feel?  The couple already had children.  What would you tell them?  When? 

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2013/02/genes-are-not-esoteric-knowledge/#.USRb4_1hiK0     /in vitro fertilization IVF sperm donor lesbian advice columnist husband wife half-brother half-sister parent biological father wife three children information for them biological father counselor reproductive technology sort through your emotions healthy children informed of this coefficient of relatedness children’s parents 1/4 genotyped sequenced pedigree constructed products consanguineous relationship would genome signs of inbreeding genetic origins genetic information disseminated manipulated  offspring genetic background adulthood ubiquity personal genomics inbreeding depression higher risk for morbidity later in life incest genetically equivalent avunculate marriage half-siblings aunt uncle niece nephew /

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" & the great 48fps debate (video)


Credit: The Hobbit/ Peter Jackson/ Digital Trends

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-48fps-debate/     / frames per second five films are nominated Academy Award Oscar Visual Effects category amazing tricks filmmakers effects teams big screen nominee stand out director Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings prequel audiences Middle-Earth middle earth three-part adventure special effects cutting edge photographic trickery hit experience upgraded technology visual effect 48fps shoot project the movie at 48 frames-per-second speed twice the industry standard polarized fans critics blur fast movements camera moving around quickly image judder or strobe 3-D Blu-Ray players high-definition television IMAX format higher speed improves clarity of images smooths transition between frames filmmakers audience /

Facebook, Twitter, Apple hack sprung from iPhone developer forum

http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/02/web-forum-for-iphone-developers-hosted-malware-that-hacked-facebook/     / website infect engineers espionage malware identified iPhone developer forum investigation hacking incident Web page website iphonedevsdk.com expose visitors previously undocumented vulnerability Oracle's Java browser plugin zero-day zero day exploit attackers install collection malware Java-enabled computers visited the site compromised watering hole attack compromise site popular population desired hacking victims using security vulnerabilities install code Web server hosting which injects attacks into the HTML sent to its visitors hosts a Web forum for iPhone developers netted hack hacking hackers access computers software engineers developers working mobile application projects exploit attack theft usernames passwords source requested anonymity press sinkholed command and control server should check their systems /

Exercising with friends in a webcam fitness class with Wello (video)


Credit: Wello/All Things D

http://allthingsd.com/20130219/exercising-with-friends-in-a-webcam-fitness-class/     / three friends for a Circuit Training workout class at their homes our trainer was in California Wello website computer webcams one-on-one, trainer-led exercise classes Group Workouts up to five participants plus a trainer cost solo sessions first group class free tested how the site works /

Tesla Model S controversy • Understanding the effects of temperature on electric vehicle efficiency & range


Credit: Tesla/ AnandTech

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6759/tesla-model-s-effects-of-temperature-on-ev-efficiency-and-range     / EV electric vehicle LiIon lithium ion battery charge recharge Tesla Model S New York Times article engineer  understand how EVs work nor how to drive them Elon Musk Matlab data tailor your driving style to suit the powertrain performance in cold weather hot weather hard numbers battery performance reduced in more extreme environmental conditions, consume more energy  in those extreme climates quantifying technology background Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility APRF engineers scientists test advanced technology vehicles in their temperature controlled dynamometer facility sustain temperatures -5 F to 100 F research Department of Energy Vehicle Technology Program DoE laboratory lab instrumentation collect speed and consumption metrics data setsdynamometer researchers Downloadable Dynamometer Database heater load climate control air conditioning load efficiency performance impact of temperature energy consumption range UDDS Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule CS cold start HS is hot start /