Comment Tests Vertical Videos For Mobile? (Score 4, Informative) 31
How about turning the phone sideways.
Comment What's next? (Score 1) 116
Installing non-IOS OS on Apple hardware?
Submission + - Highway 1 in Big Sur has been closed for 838 days (x.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Highway 1 in Big Sur has been closed for 838 days. In that time China has built 3500 miles of high speed rail, and California hasn't been able to fix a quarter mile of highway.
Your blue-state tax dollars at works.
Your blue-state tax dollars at works.
Submission + - Qatar and China Are Pouring Billions Into Elite American Universities (thefp.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Foreign countries such as China and Qatar have poured $29 billion into campuses over the past few years. ‘Hostile powers are buying influence on American campuses at an industrial scale.’
Submission + - Peking U. Just Made the World's Fastest Transistor and It Is Not Made of Silicon (zmescience.com)
schwit1 writes: The new transistor runs 40% faster and uses less power.
With a slender sheet of lab-grown bismuth and an architecture unlike anything inside today’s silicon chips, they’ve built what they call the world’s fastest and most efficient transistor. Not only does it outperform the best processors made by Intel and TSMC, but it also uses less energy doing so. And most important of all, there’s no trace of silicon involved.
This two-dimensional, silicon-free transistor represents a radical rethinking of what chips can be and how they can be made.
Rather than silicon, the Peking University team built their transistor using bismuth oxyselenide (BiOSe) for the channel, and bismuth selenite oxide (BiSeO) as the gate material.
These materials are part of a class known as two-dimensional semiconductors — atomically thin sheets with exceptional electrical properties. Bismuth oxyselenide, in particular, offers something silicon struggles with at ultra-small sizes: speed.
Electrons move through it faster, even when packed into tiny spaces. It also has a higher dielectric constant, meaning it can hold and control electric charge more efficiently. That makes for faster switching, reduced energy loss, and — very importantly — a lower chance of overheating.
“This reduces electron scattering and current loss, allowing electrons to flow with almost no resistance, akin to water moving through a smooth pipe,” Peng explained.
The interface between these materials is also smoother than that of common semiconductor-oxide combinations used in industry today. That means fewer defects and less electrical noise.
All of this adds up to stunning results. According to the team, their transistor can run 40% faster than today’s most advanced 3-nanometer silicon chips — and it does so while using 10% less energy.
With a slender sheet of lab-grown bismuth and an architecture unlike anything inside today’s silicon chips, they’ve built what they call the world’s fastest and most efficient transistor. Not only does it outperform the best processors made by Intel and TSMC, but it also uses less energy doing so. And most important of all, there’s no trace of silicon involved.
This two-dimensional, silicon-free transistor represents a radical rethinking of what chips can be and how they can be made.
Rather than silicon, the Peking University team built their transistor using bismuth oxyselenide (BiOSe) for the channel, and bismuth selenite oxide (BiSeO) as the gate material.
These materials are part of a class known as two-dimensional semiconductors — atomically thin sheets with exceptional electrical properties. Bismuth oxyselenide, in particular, offers something silicon struggles with at ultra-small sizes: speed.
Electrons move through it faster, even when packed into tiny spaces. It also has a higher dielectric constant, meaning it can hold and control electric charge more efficiently. That makes for faster switching, reduced energy loss, and — very importantly — a lower chance of overheating.
“This reduces electron scattering and current loss, allowing electrons to flow with almost no resistance, akin to water moving through a smooth pipe,” Peng explained.
The interface between these materials is also smoother than that of common semiconductor-oxide combinations used in industry today. That means fewer defects and less electrical noise.
All of this adds up to stunning results. According to the team, their transistor can run 40% faster than today’s most advanced 3-nanometer silicon chips — and it does so while using 10% less energy.
Submission + - As of July 1, Academic Publishers Can't Paywall NIH-Funded Research (x.com)
An anonymous reader writes: NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has announced that the NIH Public Access Policy, originally slated to go into effect on 12/31/2025 will now be effective 7/1/2025. Read more in his statement
Submission + - U.S., Ukraine Sign Minerals Deal in Major Breakthrough for Peace Talks (nationalreview.com)
schwit1 writes: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have signed a long-anticipated deal that gives the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for a promised security guarantee to protect Kyiv from future Russian aggression, signaling President Donald Trump’s commitment to ending the war.
The deal was signed Wednesday afternoon on Trump’s 100th day in office by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, as the latter visited Washington, D.C., to finalize the details. The Treasury Department confirmed the signed deal, called the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine,” Bessent said in a statement. “And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The minerals deal grants the U.S. access to Ukraine’s natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil, and natural gas, according to Bloomberg. It also lays out details about the economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine.
The deal was signed Wednesday afternoon on Trump’s 100th day in office by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, as the latter visited Washington, D.C., to finalize the details. The Treasury Department confirmed the signed deal, called the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine,” Bessent said in a statement. “And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The minerals deal grants the U.S. access to Ukraine’s natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil, and natural gas, according to Bloomberg. It also lays out details about the economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Submission + - Tiny 3D Printed Material is as Strong as Steel but as Light as Styrofoam (zmescience.com)
An anonymous reader writes: When 3D printing is combined with machine learning, magic happens at the nano scale.
For years, scientists have been hunting for futuristic materials that could outperform steel and iron — ideally, at a fraction of the environmental cost. Globally, an estimated 1,881 million tonnes of steel are consumed annually, but the traditional production of these metals is water- and energy-intensive. The steel industry alone accounts for a staggering 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Enter nano-architected materials — specially engineered 3D-printed structures that combine lightweight design with remarkable strength, electrical, and thermal properties. Built from repeating units as small as 1 to 100 nanometers, these materials form intricate frameworks known as nanolattices.
Now, researchers at the University of Toronto have taken a big leap in this field. By combining machine learning with 3D nano-printing, they’ve created the strongest nano-architected material to date — with the strength of steel and the weight of Styrofoam.
For years, scientists have been hunting for futuristic materials that could outperform steel and iron — ideally, at a fraction of the environmental cost. Globally, an estimated 1,881 million tonnes of steel are consumed annually, but the traditional production of these metals is water- and energy-intensive. The steel industry alone accounts for a staggering 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Enter nano-architected materials — specially engineered 3D-printed structures that combine lightweight design with remarkable strength, electrical, and thermal properties. Built from repeating units as small as 1 to 100 nanometers, these materials form intricate frameworks known as nanolattices.
Now, researchers at the University of Toronto have taken a big leap in this field. By combining machine learning with 3D nano-printing, they’ve created the strongest nano-architected material to date — with the strength of steel and the weight of Styrofoam.
Submission + - Huge reproducibility project fails to validate dozens of biomedical studies (archive.is)
An anonymous reader writes: In an unprecedented effort, a coalition of more than 50 research teams has surveyed a swathe of Brazilian biomedical studies to double-check their findings — with dismaying results.
The teams were able to replicate the results of less than half of the tested experiments1. That rate is in keeping with that found by other large-scale attempts to reproduce scientific findings. But the latest work is unique in focusing on papers that use specific methods and in examining the research output of a specific country, according to the research teams.
The results provide an impetus to strengthen the country’s science, the study’s authors say. “We now have the material to start making changes from within — whether through public policies or within universities,” says Mariana Boechat de Abreu, a metascience researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in Brazil and one of the coordinators of the project.
The work was posted on 8 April to the bioRxiv preprint server and has not yet been peer reviewed.
The teams were able to replicate the results of less than half of the tested experiments1. That rate is in keeping with that found by other large-scale attempts to reproduce scientific findings. But the latest work is unique in focusing on papers that use specific methods and in examining the research output of a specific country, according to the research teams.
The results provide an impetus to strengthen the country’s science, the study’s authors say. “We now have the material to start making changes from within — whether through public policies or within universities,” says Mariana Boechat de Abreu, a metascience researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in Brazil and one of the coordinators of the project.
The work was posted on 8 April to the bioRxiv preprint server and has not yet been peer reviewed.
Submission + - SPAM: Amazon Backs Down On "Trump tariff" added to the price of imported goods
An anonymous reader writes: Reuters reported Amazon's claim that only "its low-cost Haul unit had considered listing import charges for goods in light of new U.S. tariffs but denied looking at such a plan for its main website."
"The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and (is) not going to happen," the company told Reuters, adding that "teams discuss ideas all the time."
But Nick Sortor reported that "minutes after President Trump called Jeff Bezos this morning, Amazon CAVED and backtracked on their plans." Bezos isn't CEO any longer, but he can still jerk some chains.
Whatever the truth is, what a shame Amazon isn't sticking to its guns. As I wrote earlier today, breaking out taxes and letting consumers know up-front where their merchandise is coming from would be a big win. Even that, however, wouldn't be enough to fix what's wrong with the Amazon-China Connection.
THAT’S A SHAME BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING AN EASY WAY TO SPOT THE MADE-IN-CHINA CRAP
Link to Original Source
"The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and (is) not going to happen," the company told Reuters, adding that "teams discuss ideas all the time."
But Nick Sortor reported that "minutes after President Trump called Jeff Bezos this morning, Amazon CAVED and backtracked on their plans." Bezos isn't CEO any longer, but he can still jerk some chains.
Whatever the truth is, what a shame Amazon isn't sticking to its guns. As I wrote earlier today, breaking out taxes and letting consumers know up-front where their merchandise is coming from would be a big win. Even that, however, wouldn't be enough to fix what's wrong with the Amazon-China Connection.
THAT’S A SHAME BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING AN EASY WAY TO SPOT THE MADE-IN-CHINA CRAP
Link to Original Source
Submission + - Most Gen Z Graduates Now Think College Was Waste of Money (newsweek.com)
An anonymous reader writes: "For Boomers, a college degree in any area was sufficient to secure a middle management position and have a good life. With each passing generation, new technologies and the relentless corporate drive to create shareholder wealth have eliminated jobs for people without specialized skills."
Lyons added that two forces were contributing to the growing negative appeal of college degrees: an oversaturation of degrees in the market but also the degrees themselves being insufficient to cover the market's demand for technical expertise.
"The skill set for employment in today's post-industrial economy requires technical skills that are not typical of what baby boomers, Gen Xers, or even millennials required to succeed," Lyons explained. While colleges have tried to offer highly technical degrees — for their graduates — landing a job can be "a bit like threading a needle."
He went on to add that in generations prior, a college degree was relatively rare, so it carried a career premium. But the "academic arms race" made it so degrees were necessary but, at the same time, not enough.
Throughout the years, college in the United States has become much more expensive. In 1963, the average cost for tuition and room and board of a four-year degree was $11,411. In 1980, it was $10,097. It rose to $13,819 in 1990. The trend continued into 2016, with total costs amounting to $26,559, and by 2022, costs jumped again to $27,673.
Lyons added that two forces were contributing to the growing negative appeal of college degrees: an oversaturation of degrees in the market but also the degrees themselves being insufficient to cover the market's demand for technical expertise.
"The skill set for employment in today's post-industrial economy requires technical skills that are not typical of what baby boomers, Gen Xers, or even millennials required to succeed," Lyons explained. While colleges have tried to offer highly technical degrees — for their graduates — landing a job can be "a bit like threading a needle."
He went on to add that in generations prior, a college degree was relatively rare, so it carried a career premium. But the "academic arms race" made it so degrees were necessary but, at the same time, not enough.
Throughout the years, college in the United States has become much more expensive. In 1963, the average cost for tuition and room and board of a four-year degree was $11,411. In 1980, it was $10,097. It rose to $13,819 in 1990. The trend continued into 2016, with total costs amounting to $26,559, and by 2022, costs jumped again to $27,673.
Submission + - AB 1228 One Year Later: Over 22,000 Fast Food jobs have been lost in California (californiaglobe.com) 2
An anonymous reader writes: Assembly Bill 1228, the extremely controversial law that raised the fast food minimum wage to $20 an hour in California, turned one year old on Tuesday. And the differences between now and a year have been shown to be pretty stark.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics (CES), 22,717 fast food jobs have been lost in the past year when seasonally adjusted. The Berkeley Research Group also found that fast food prices in California have gone up by 14.5% since a year ago – about double the national average of 8.2%. And that’s not even getting into the 89% of all restaurants in the state reducing employee hours to offset rising costs, with 87% planning additional cuts over the next year.
That’s where we are a year later.
For those who support AB 1228, they have been hard pressed to find anything positive about it for well over a year. AB 1228, authored by then-Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Los Angeles), was one of the most contentious bills in 2023. The Holden bill originally tried for a $22 wage for fast food workers, but it was negotiated down, with the $20 amount narrowly passing both houses in the California legislature and being signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Before April 1, 2024, thousands of fast food jobs were shed by companies in anticipation for the higher costs, including Pizza Hut who let go 1,200 drivers alone. Lawmakers also knew that there was suddenly going to be a lot of lost jobs, and hastily brought in exemptions for fast food restaurants in airports, stadiums, theme parks and other major public areas.
Nonetheless, job losses quickly mounted after April 1st of last year when the law went online. Not only job losses either – many workers found that they were now working fewer hours or lost a shift as a result. In addition, restaurants automated what they could to avoid the higher wages, including investing in touch screen kiosks over having more traditional cashiers. Some fast food restaurants also closed, as the 25% wage increase from $16 to $20 ruined their thin profit margins.
If only California legislators who voted for it could be forced to pay for the mess they've created.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics (CES), 22,717 fast food jobs have been lost in the past year when seasonally adjusted. The Berkeley Research Group also found that fast food prices in California have gone up by 14.5% since a year ago – about double the national average of 8.2%. And that’s not even getting into the 89% of all restaurants in the state reducing employee hours to offset rising costs, with 87% planning additional cuts over the next year.
That’s where we are a year later.
For those who support AB 1228, they have been hard pressed to find anything positive about it for well over a year. AB 1228, authored by then-Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Los Angeles), was one of the most contentious bills in 2023. The Holden bill originally tried for a $22 wage for fast food workers, but it was negotiated down, with the $20 amount narrowly passing both houses in the California legislature and being signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Before April 1, 2024, thousands of fast food jobs were shed by companies in anticipation for the higher costs, including Pizza Hut who let go 1,200 drivers alone. Lawmakers also knew that there was suddenly going to be a lot of lost jobs, and hastily brought in exemptions for fast food restaurants in airports, stadiums, theme parks and other major public areas.
Nonetheless, job losses quickly mounted after April 1st of last year when the law went online. Not only job losses either – many workers found that they were now working fewer hours or lost a shift as a result. In addition, restaurants automated what they could to avoid the higher wages, including investing in touch screen kiosks over having more traditional cashiers. Some fast food restaurants also closed, as the 25% wage increase from $16 to $20 ruined their thin profit margins.
If only California legislators who voted for it could be forced to pay for the mess they've created.
Submission + - SPAM: Annoyed ChatGPT users complain about bot's relentlessly positive tone
An anonymous reader writes: "Users complain of new "sycophancy" streak where ChatGPT thinks everything is brilliant."
You want your globe-ruling AI to be less nice? Have you thought that through?
Link to Original Source
You want your globe-ruling AI to be less nice? Have you thought that through?
Link to Original Source
Submission + - SPAM: The U.S.S. Robert A. Heinlein Campaign
An anonymous reader writes: We want the new Secretary of the Navy – John Phelan — to name a future DDG-51 Flight III
destroyer for Robert A. Heinlein.
************************
It is the prerogative of the Secretary of the Navy to name Navy vessels. Navy policy is to name destroyers for deceased members of the Navy.
We want the new Secretary of the Navy – John Phelan — to name a future DDG-51 Flight III destroyer for Robert A. Heinlein.
This would happen if lots of people write asking him to name a future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for Heinlein.
Phelan’s address is:
The Honorable John Phelan
Secretary of the Navy
Room 4E686
Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301
More information may be found at the Campaign website.
Link to Original Source
************************
It is the prerogative of the Secretary of the Navy to name Navy vessels. Navy policy is to name destroyers for deceased members of the Navy.
We want the new Secretary of the Navy – John Phelan — to name a future DDG-51 Flight III destroyer for Robert A. Heinlein.
This would happen if lots of people write asking him to name a future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for Heinlein.
Phelan’s address is:
The Honorable John Phelan
Secretary of the Navy
Room 4E686
Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301
More information may be found at the Campaign website.
Link to Original Source
Submission + - SPAM: Taiwan Drone Alliance Quadruples Size, Fortifies Supply Chain
schwit1 writes:
Taiwan’s state-backed drone industry alliance has grown from 50 members at its September 2024 inception to more than 200 today and is expeditiously decoupling from China-based supply chains, Chairman Hu Kai-Hung tells Aviation Week.
Hu, who also serves as the chairman of Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), says that the drone alliance is laser-focused on creating a “non-red supply chain”—the red referring to China—to align with the requirements of the U.S., which has flagged the security threats posed by Chinese drones.
Members of the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (Tediboa) are required to prove the origin of their components, Hu says.
USA should be doing the same.
Related: Drones now account for 80% of casualties in Ukraine-Russia war.
That's remarkable. Artillery — the previous champ — topped out last century at 60-70% of casualties, depending on the war.
Link to Original Source
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