So, basically, here's a patent on using metal-impregnated fabrics to interact with a capacitive touchscreen. Nothing really new here, just an obvious solution to a technical problem which perhaps was counted as an "invention" based on the following factors:
1. They filed for a patent. 2. They used a large number of big words. 3. They specifically mention a number of very fancy-sounding conductive materials. 4. They cited specific electrical values, which clearly means that science was involved.
I stumbled across this thing with one Google search after five minutes of experimentation to figure out what I needed to do with my gloves so that I wouldn't need to take them off to work my screen. Simple answer: I needed to use a conductor to my actual fingertip, and I felt the shiny silver metalized thread I had around could maybe be done with something fancier.
Five fucking minutes. Obvious problem... gloves making touchscreen useless, and obvious solution... make fingertip ground to wearer.
I could literally put a blob of JB Quik on my glove fingertip and then spend a few moments stabbing pinholes through it and the glove tip so that the conductive epoxy is smeared through the holes and would be touching my fingertip once dried, and it would work.
As if the patent system weren't already fucked enough... Congress is now managing to band together make it worse.
Yes, worse.
The backlog of applications isn't really a problem as much as that they hand out patents on pretty much anything. Switching formally to a "first to file" method is stupendously bad, since it would seem to simply be streamlining invention theft by whomever can figure out a way to fill out a patent application for anything not yet patented (which isn't much!). Whether it was invented by someone else, currently in development, or already to-market doesn't seem like it's even going to matter anymore.
So, George Lucas is suing a company that makes handheld lasers because they look too much like jedi lightsabers, which they claim to have the copyright on.
This fails to really convey the complete out-of-controlness about this particular model. The video demonstrates what could be considered a more or less average handheld blue laser... and then... well, you just have to see it.
Look directly into it and your children will probably be born blind.
Who will be posted to the position of Massachusetts Handicapper General?
Topic: Science
9:17 pm EDT, Aug 12, 2008
For those who missed it on Slashdot, Massachusetts (the people terrified of LEDs) has stuck another victory blow for Luddites everywhere.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette are reporting that a Mr. Victor Deeb, retired chemist has had his home raided by the Department of Environmental Protection because someone at the Fire Department got into a freaky panic fit after having come to deal with an accidental (and harmless) air-conditioner catching fire on the second floor of their home. Mr. Deeb's basement (which is where his lab is) spent three days entertaining DEP reps while they confiscated all of Mr. Deeb's lab equipment and supplies. The DEP says they found nothing any more dangerous than typical household cleaning products. The DEP says that basically, Mr. Deeb isn't getting any of this stuff back, either.
So, we've got this nice Fourth Amendment thing which protects us against unwarranted search and seizure and this is an excellent example of why you should make damn sure it's adhered to. Had Mr. Deeb objected, because the police and DEP did not have a search warrant, if said authorities had been brought before a judge, he might have gotten a fair shake and simply been asked to have someone from the DEP visit to have a look around to see that he's not say, pouring a bunch of lethal stuff down the sink unneutralized. Since he didn't stop them at the door, they were allowed to run amok in unthinking panic and basically empty his basement lab, which is probably going to set Mr. Deeb back a pretty penny indeed. (Aside: I would so sue them.)
Take look in the comments on the article. Someone signing off as "vmdeeb" has a pretty heavy-duty explanation of what Mr. Deeb was doing in his basement. While it's entirely possible it's just someone with a screw loose who posted that, it's also entirely plausible that Mr. Deeb himself was posting, explaining that he was doing research on ways to eliminate carcinogens from the environment. (Generally this would not involve germs, explosives, or anything even remotely toxic, especially considering you could buy these things containing these carcinogens in the toys section of your local Wal Mart.)
Here's the thing I find most horrifying about the article:
Pamela A. Wilderman, Marlboro’s code enforcement officer, said Mr. Deeb was doing scientific research and development in a residential area, which is a violation of zoning laws.
Apparently in Massachusetts, science has no place in the home. It confuses authorities and causes them to panic when confronted with anything more complex than screwing in a light bulb.
Ms. Wilderman goes on further to say even more horrifying things like:
"This is Mr. Deeb’s hobby. He’s still got bunches of ideas. I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary hom... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]
Who will be posted to the position of Massachusetts Handicapper General?
Topic: Science
9:16 pm EDT, Aug 12, 2008
For those who missed it on Slashdot, Massachusetts (the people terrified of LEDs) has stuck another victory blow for Luddites everywhere.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette are reporting that a Mr. Victor Deeb, retired chemist has had his home raided by the Department of Environmental Protection because someone at the Fire Department got into a freaky panic fit after having come to deal with an accidental (and harmless) air-conditioner catching fire on the second floor of their home. Mr. Deeb's basement (which is where his lab is) spent three days entertaining DEP reps while they confiscated all of Mr. Dees' lab equipment and supplies. The DEP says they found nothing any more dangerous than typical household cleaning products. The DEP says that basically, Mr. Deeb isn't getting any of this stuff back, either.
So, we've got this nice Fourth Amendment thing which protects us against unwarranted search and seizure and this is an excellent example of why you should make damn sure it's adhered to. Had Mr. Deeb objected, because the police and DEP did not have a search warrant, if said authorities had been brought before a judge, he might have gotten a fair shake and simply been asked to have someone from the DEP visit to have a look around to see that he's not say, pouring a bunch of lethal stuff down the sink unneutralized. Since he didn't stop them at the door, they were allowed to run amok in unthinking panic and basically empty his basement lab, which is probably going to set Mr. Deeb back a pretty penny indeed. (Aside: I would so sue them.)
Take look in the comments on the article. Someone signing off as "vmdeeb" has a pretty heavy-duty explanation of what Mr. Deeb was doing in his basement. While it's entirely possible it's just someone with a screw loose who posted that, it's also entirely plausible that Mr. Deeb himself was posting, explaining that he was doing research on ways to eliminate carcinogens from the environment. (Generally this would not involve germs, explosives, or anything even remotely toxic, especially considering you could buy these things containing these carcinogens in the toys section of your local Wal Mart.)
Here's the thing I find most horrifying about the article:
Pamela A. Wilderman, Marlboro’s code enforcement officer, said Mr. Deeb was doing scientific research and development in a residential area, which is a violation of zoning laws.
Apparently in Massachusetts, science has no place in the home. It confuses authorities and causes them to panic when confronted with anything more complex than screwing in a light bulb.
Ms. Wilderman goes on further to say even more horrifying things like:
"This is Mr. Deeb’s hobby. He’s still got bunches of ideas. I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Stargazers set sights on meteors
Topic: Science
12:25 pm EDT, Aug 11, 2007
Shooting stars are set to grace the night sky with a spectacular light display this weekend.
The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak during the early hours of Monday, but it will be visible from Saturday night until Tuesday morning.
well it's gone 2am Sat morning and i've just come in from the garden having spent some time drinking tea (decaff), listening to Joanna Newsom and then some Bach, and watching out for the first few meteors and i did see a couple and i'm hoping for more meteors and beautiful clear skies during the next few nights
'Germs' Debunked? Not Yet, But Another Wrinkle Emerges
Topic: Science
9:00 am EDT, Aug 9, 2007
For thousands of years, most people on earth lived in abject poverty, first as hunters and gatherers, then as peasants or laborers. But with the Industrial Revolution, some societies traded this ancient poverty for amazing affluence.
Historians and economists have long struggled to understand how this transition occurred and why it took place only in some countries. A scholar who has spent the last 20 years scanning medieval English archives has now emerged with startling answers (*) for both questions.
...
The basis of Dr. Clark’s work is his recovery of data from which he can reconstruct many features of the English economy from 1200 to 1800. From this data, he shows, far more clearly than has been possible before, that the economy was locked in a Malthusian trap — each time new technology increased the efficiency of production a little, the population grew, the extra mouths ate up the surplus, and average income fell back to its former level.
The event begins 54 minutes past midnight PDT (0754 UT) on August 28th when the Moon enters Earth's shadow. At first, there's little change. The outskirts of Earth's shadow are as pale as the Moon itself; an onlooker might not even realize anything is happening. But as the Moon penetrates deeper, a startling metamorphosis occurs. Around 2:52 am PDT (0952 UT), the color of the Moon changes from moondust-gray to sunset-red. This is totality, and it lasts for 90 minutes.
Night owls on the west coast and early risers on the east coast might catch this red moon...
