...will he ever win?
Performing atomic, molecular, and optical measurements at high precision requires very precisely calibrated optical equipment. One method for achieving precision, which won its developers the 2005 Nobel Prize in physics, is known as a frequency comb. These combs create a clear series of evenly-spaced spectral lines that can be put to a variety of uses. Until now, frequency combs have been confined to visible light frequencies, but new developments have extended their usefulness into the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. The extreme UV corresponds to quantum transitions in many molecules, as well as nuclear oscillations that may power the next generation of nuclear clocks.
Researchers (Arman Cingöz, Dylan C. Yost, Thomas K. Allison, Axel Ruehl, Martin E. Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, and Jun Ye) in Colorado and Michigan built a frequency comb that produces attosecond-range pulses of light. (One attosecond is 10-18 second, or one quintillionth of a second.) Directing this into a special cavity containing xenon gas, they produced a clear coherent spectrum spanning the extreme ultraviolet.
This not only improves on previous experiments in ultraviolet optical combs; it may provide a new test for potential variations in the fine-structure constant, one of the fundamental physical constants.
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February 02, 2012 02:30 PM
Microsoft's new version of Internet Explorer has barred browser plugins in the Metro environment. But Microsoft has revealed a method that plugin-dependent websites can use to leap over Metro's walls and reach the green fields of the conventional Windows desktop, where Flash is still allowed to roam free.
The relevance of proprietary browser plugins is declining as standards-based Web technologies mature. Native Web technologies don't yet supply complete functional equivalence with the capabilities of plugins, but the open Web has the advantage of greater ubiquity.
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February 02, 2012 02:05 PM
It might just be a case mod, but we love [Eduard]‘s take on a modern Macintosh LC (translation). The donor motherboard came from a disused home server, and the LC came from [Eduard]‘s childhood memories of playing Glider and The Incredible Machine.
The case was donated from a venerable Macintosh LC, manufactured circa 1990. The original LC had a Motorola 68020 CPU, which [Eduard] upgraded to an Intel Atom board. It was a somewhat tricky build – he adapted a 90 Watt power supply from a piece of old office equipment to power the new Intel board. With a great deal of very careful Dremel work, the old-school Apple logo was modified into a power button for the new computer.
For frequent readers of Hack a Day, it’s no surprise that we’ll grab up any old Apple or Mac build. [Kevin] built a weather station and analog joypad for his Apple IIc, We’ve seen custom Mac ROM SIMMS, and of course [Sprite_tm]‘s amazing SE/30 emulation. If you’ve got something that will send our 68k senses tingling, send it on into the tip line.
Filed under:
hardware 
February 02, 2012 02:01 PM
"Lucky me," writes Joe from the Submit-To-WTF Visual Studio Add-In, "I just inherited a home-grown system information application."
"Judging from the code the previous programmer wrote, this is sadly one of the better pieces."
Public ReadOnly Property BatteryPercent()
' This code will retrieve the BatteryLifePercent property and convert it to a percent.
Get
If SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "1" Then
Return "100%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.99" Then
Return "99%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.98" Then
Return "98%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.97" Then
Return "97%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.96" Then
Return "96%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.95" Then
Return "95%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.94" Then
Return "94%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.93" Then
Return "93%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.92" Then
Return "92%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.91" Then
Return "91%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.9" Then
Return "90%"
'...
'snip
'...
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.2" Then
Return "20%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.19" Then
Return "19%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.18" Then
Return "18%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.17" Then
Return "17%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.16" Then
Return "16%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.15" Then
Return "15%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.14" Then
Return "14%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.13" Then
Return "13%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.12" Then
Return "12%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.11" Then
Return "11%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.1" Then
Return "10%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.09" Then
Return "9%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.08" Then
Return "8%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.07" Then
Return "7%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.06" Then
Return "6%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.05" Then
Return "5%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.04" Then
Return "4%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.03" Then
Return "3%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.02" Then
Return "2%"
ElseIf SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryLifePercent.ToString = "0.01" Then
Return "1%"
Else
Return "NA"
End If
End Get
End Property
February 02, 2012 02:00 PM
Just because the Oracle v. Google case has not been set for trial (and won't be until at least the time at which Oracle provides its third attempt at a damages report) does not mean the court can't move the case along, and that is what Judge Alsup has done with his latest order. In an attempt to narrow the issues to be argued at trial, Judge Alsup's latest order (708 [PDF; Text]) focuses on the copyright issues and directs the parties to provide opening briefs in which they identify each remaining claim of copyright liability and the affirmative defenses to each such claim. In addition, the parties are to identify those issues that should be resolved by the court and those underlying facts that first need to be decided by the jury.
This order adds to a somewhat lengthy litany of filings due from each party under various orders in effect at this time. The timeline for those responses is:
February 02, 2012 01:50 PM
K-TOR has added a new portable charging device to its lineup. The new Power Box puts your legs to work toward converting kinetic energy to electricity. Use it enough and you might just get your weekly workout. It is quite simply a pedal-powered generator equipped with a dual-pronged outlet so that you can plug in an AC adapter and charge your device directly from your leg power. The box works for devices rated 20W and below, including low-power netbooks, tablets, smartphones, video devices and portable game systems. ..
Continue Reading
Charge your phone using pedal power with the K-TOR Power BoxSection: ElectronicsTags: Charging,
Electricity,
Exercise,
Generator,
Kinetic Energy,
Pedal-powered,
Portable,
Power
Related Articles:
February 02, 2012 09:23 AM
First off, a small order of business. The National Weather Service is predicting a pretty hefty storm here in Colorado over the next couple days. This has its positive side for our beloved ski/snowboard industry, but we have also seen the effects on class attendance here at SparkFun. We have always proceeded with the policy that classes take place rain or shine, but in the interest of our customers safety we are instituting a rain check policy. If the weather makes class attendance a safety issue we will reschedule a class or refund with a pre-reserved slot in the same class at a later date. If we cancel a class due to weather we will contact customers via email the night before. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this going to cause, but we feel like taking our classes should not be a matter of life and death. And if the snow is that good you should be on a chair lift anyway! Now on to today's business...
One of my favorite movies (nay, films) of all time is "Young Frankenstein,"so when I recently came across this project from SparkFun Engineer Chris Taylor, I was downright giddy. Whether your pronounce it "Frahnk-in-schteen"or "Frank-in-stine,"I think all Mel Brooks aficionados will agree that this project is awesome.
Chris doesn't often work with his door closed, but when he does, his coworkers usually announce their presence with a ceremonial "rap-tap-tap"on his office door. Chris decided to have a little bit of fun with that.
Using a piezo sensor, an MP3 Player shield, an Arduino, and a healthy dose of duct tape, Chris rigged up a system that morphs a gentle knock at the door into a resounding bang - inspired by the sound created by the large Gothic door knockers in "Young Frankenstein."Check out the above video to see this project in action or read the tutorial for more info and to see how you can make your own.
February 02, 2012 07:00 AM
While bike helmets have become lighter and more comfortable to wear in the last couple of decades, their shape has remained largely unchanged. Not surprising when you consider the shape of people's heads hasn't really changed that much recently. As a result helmets are as awkward to carry around and take up just as much space in a bag as they ever did. Unfortunately, this leads many to risk their safety by just leaving the things at home rather than deal with the hassle. Not content with this state of affairs, designer Patrick Jouffret and engineer Philippe Arrouart came up with a bike helmet design that folds down to a much more convenient size when not on your noggin...
Continue Reading
Overade foldable bicycle helmet design saves space as well as your skullSection: Urban TransportTags: Cycling,
Foldable,
Helmets,
Safety
Related Articles:
February 02, 2012 06:59 AM
Over the course of a year, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) scans the entire sky. During February, its instruments are aligned in the correct direction to intercept atoms that have crossed the boundary from interstellar space into our solar system, become caught by the Sun's gravity and slung around the star. This has now allowed IBEX to capture the most complete glimpse of the material that travels in the galactic wind in the space between star systems. The results indicate this material doesn't look like the same material that makes up our solar system...
Continue Reading
IBEX space probe provides a peek at interstellar materialSection: Science and EducationTags: Cosmic,
Galaxy,
Ibex,
NASA,
Solar System,
Space,
Spacecraft
Related Articles:
February 02, 2012 04:33 AM
Even better, we also exceeded our "behind the scenes" goal, which was
to sign up at least 400 new members over the two months. I'm really
thrilled to welcome so many new supporters, including our 423 new
associate members.
On behalf of everyone here at the FSF, I'd like to thank all of you
who donated and joined, and all of you who helped promote the effort
through your networks. The amount of response this year was incredibly
gratifying, and makes me feel extremely optimistic about what we can
get done in the year ahead.
I'd specifically like to thank Mark Holmquist, who referred 15 of
those 423 new members all by himself, our intern emeritus Danny
Piccirillo who went above and beyond in getting the word out, Max and the gang from
reddit, and everyone who donated $500 or more to appear on our
ThankGNU list.
We had a lot of fun writing the fundraiser pieces this
year describing the work of the different staff members here at the
FSF, and how we could get more done in each area with increased
financial support. We didn't get a chance to write about everyone yet
(like, ahem, me!), but we'll pick up where we left off next time.
Thank you to all of you who wrote to us with encouraging comments
about this series of articles — of course we always worry about
annoying our supporters by being too pushy, so it was very good to
hear that the articles were worthwhile reading.
Now that you've given us a vote of confidence to do more for you, it's
time for us to get to it!
You can keep tabs on our work by signing up for our monthly Free
Software Supporter newsletter (along with occasional interim
updates), and subscribing to our blogs RSS feed.
I hope to see all of you in person at
LibrePlanet this March in Boston! And for
anyone who will be at FOSDEM this weekend, look me
up.
February 02, 2012 04:03 AM
