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Data Storage

Researchers Explore Quantum Dot Based NVRAM 49

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property brings us an article describing the possibility of a new type of non-volatile storage based on quantum dot technology. So far, researchers in Germany have achieved 10ns access times and 0.7Hz refresh rates. Their calculations predict that the access time could be maintained for up to a million years. We have discussed other technologies based on quantum dots, such as solar panels and information teleportation. From the Ars Technica article: "Quantum dots can do this because there is more design freedom in setting them up. Normal flash memory relies on the huge potential barrier created by a silicon oxide layer. However, to get electrons across that barrier when writing data to a flash cell requires a lot of energy, energy that destroys the silicon oxide layer. Quantum dots, in contrast, have tunable properties, so the barrier can be kept low."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft deprecating some OOXML functionality (fanaticattack.com)

christian.einfeldt writes: "According to open standards advocate Russell Ossendryver, Microsoft will be deprecating certain functionality in its Microsoft Office Open XML specification. Ossendryver says the move is an attempt to quiet critics of the specification in the run up to the crucial February vote as to whether Microsoft OOXML will be included as a second standard for e-documents, along with the existing ODF ISO standard. ECMA, the Microsoft-led industry standards group formally offering OOXML to ISO, confirms in a 21 December 2007 announcement that issues related to the "leap year bug", VML, compatibility settings such as "AutoSpaceLikeWord95" and others will be "extracted from the main specification and relocated to an independent annex in DIS 29500 for deprecated functionality." Ossendryver is not convinced that deprecation will work, calling the deprecation proposal a 'smoke screen' and a 'bomb disguised as a standard' because 'every application will need to support the deprecated features in order to read files with the deprecated features.' Ossendryver also points out that legacy formatted Microsoft Office documents will still remain non-standard under the new proposal for deprecation."
Handhelds

Submission + - Windows-based iPhone rival for business users

MsManhattan writes: High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) has unveiled a touch-screen mobile device that offers many of the same features as the iPhone but with an emphasis on business applications vs. entertainment value. The HTC Touch is based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional OS and features a 2.8-inch touch screen offering access to emails, contacts and appointments. But unlike the iPhone, which will feature large internal flash memory capacity for music and movie storage, the HTC Touch offers a microSD drive, and a 1G-byte microSD card comes with the handset.
OS X

Submission + - HardOCP spends 30 days with MacOSX (hardocp.com)

boyko.at.netqos writes: "Hardocp.com has published "30 days with MacOSX" — with the same author from "30 days with Linux" and "30 days with Vista" doing the evaluation. Ultimately he likes the stability and security but other concerns keep him from recommending it.

From the article: "The hardware lock-in and lack of quality freeware makes owning and maintaining a Macintosh an expensive endeavor....Apple has historically been criticized for its use of proprietary, non-upgradeable components in its systems, but in the early-to-mid-2000s, Macs started to once again "play well with others" and made computers whose lives could be extended through consumer or third-party upgrades. A move to the Intel architecture may have caused some to anticipate that Apple would move further in this direction, but it seems to have moved further away from it....In my earlier evaluation of Ubuntu Linux, I wrote: "Linux has some glaring flaws, but it also has some amazing capabilities that can't be found anywhere else — at least without spending a lot of money. It would be accurate here to say: "Mac OS X has some amazing capabilities, but you spend a lot of money." Indeed, it seems the preferred method for solving Mac computer problems is to buy your way out of it. Slow computer? Buy a new one. Want to convert a file? Buy a utility. Want to do simple tasks? Buy a commercial program. Peripherals don't work? Buy replacements.""

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