Welcome to truter.org
Welcome to truter.org, a collection of news articles and stuff of personal interest. Some of my Internet projects are hosted on this site, and otherwise you're looking at the latest effort to improve my web design skills. This page was last updated on Saturday 28 January 2012 at 06:09, enjoy.
Today's quotable quote
Henry David Thoreau: Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.
This day in history
27 January: National Geographic Society Founded (1888). The National Geographic Society is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. It was founded in 1888 by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists and, by the turn of the 21st century, boasted approximately nine million members. It has supported more than 7,000 major scientific projects and expeditions, including those of the Leakey family, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall.
Live on the net
Study: Energy Efficiency in Apartments Could Save $3.4... »
Energy-efficiency upgrades in U.S. apartment buildings could cut energy bills by almost $3.4 billion annually nationwide, according to a new report this week from think tanks CNT Energy and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. forbes: Saturday, 28 January at 06:00.
Twitter boycott looms with censorship accusations »
When Twitter announced it would withhold tweets country-by-country based on local restrictions, it said it was being more transparent. But some users disagree. cnet news: Saturday, 28 January at 05:53.
Knowledge Is A Universal Natural Resource -- And Locking... »
One of the more important points in understanding some of the fights over the ridiculousness of today's copyright and patent laws is to recognize how knowledge (information) is a natural resource. It is the input that makes other great things. Economist Paul Romer's famous research really showed how knowledge and information as a resource is what creates economic growth. Once you recognize that fact, you begin to run into problems when you think about locking up that natural resource. Think of other natural resources. Do we think the world is better off if there's a greater supply of each of those? An abundance? If we have an abundance of wheat, that's a good thing. If we have an abundance of energy, that's a good thing. There may be side effects of such abundances, but the overall abundance is something worth cherishing. techdirt: Saturday, 28 January at 05:39.
Political Science: For a Moon Colony, Technology Is the... »
Newt Gingrich campaigned at the Republican Jewish Coalition Rally in Delray Beach, Fla., on Friday. nyt: Saturday, 28 January at 05:14.
RIM CEO eyes "significant" plans for BlackBerry »
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Research in Motion's Thorsten Heins plans to waste no time in his new job. The BlackBerry maker's chief executive said he will present the board with his plan for company's future in just a matter of weeks. reuters: Saturday, 28 January at 04:39.
<em>Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry</em> Documents... »
wired: Saturday, 28 January at 03:22.
NY inmate guilty of seeking $890M in tax refunds »
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- A jury has convicted a New York prison inmate of falsely filing tax returns seeking $890 million in refunds.... ap: Saturday, 28 January at 02:15.
Next-generation Vehicle Protection Jammer protects against... »
Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are one of the largest sources of coalition casualties in Iraq. Many of these IEDs take the form of roadside bombs, which are hidden on or alongside a road, then detonated when a moving vehicle passes near them. While there is more than one way of causing these bombs to detonate, they are often set off by a hidden human observer, using a radio-control device. Forces using the new Vehicle Protection Jammer from EADS subsidiary Cassidian, however, should find themselves at a greatly-reduced risk of such attacks... Continue Reading Next-generation Vehicle Protection Jammer protects against IEDs. gizmag: Saturday, 28 January at 01:54.
DealBook: Buzz on a Facebook I.P.O. Grows Louder »
Facebook may file a prospectus as early as next week, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who demanded anonymity because discussions are private. But the company is still hammering out a final date. nyt: Saturday, 28 January at 01:08.
UFC President Calls Out Anonymous, Plugs SOPA, Gets KTFO »
Dana White may think twice before picking a fight with the world's largest hacker collective. dailytech: Saturday, 28 January at 01:00.
Space weather center to add world's first 'ensemble... »
Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. science daily: Saturday, 28 January at 00:39.
Secret Windows 8 Weapon: Kinect Built Into Your Laptop »
The Windows release of Kinect is coming up in a couple days, but for most people that won't be a major event: the Kinect they have is sitting on their TV or in a drawer, waiting to be taken out for an impromptu Dance Central 2 party. Of the 10 million Kinects out there, the only ones connected to computers are the ones being fiddled with by the various hackers and students making science projects out the things.But according to the Daily, Microsoft is hoping to remedy this particular situation by building Kinect sensors right into your laptops. TechCrunch alum Matt Hickey got to handle a pair of prototypes, which were confirmed to be official, not just one of the many experiments that hide within Microsoft's various lairs. techcrunch: Saturday, 28 January at 00:39.
January Seeing Above-Average Tornado Action »
Month could wind up as third busiest for January tornadoes. live science: Saturday, 28 January at 00:31.
Flaw In YouTube Takedown Process Exposed »
slashdot: Saturday, 28 January at 00:14.
Photos: Anniversary of NASA's Worst Tragedies »
Late January is always a dark time of year for NASA's astronaut program; the anniversaries of its three worst accidents all happen in the same week. The Apollo 1 astronauts died in a cockpit fire on Jan. 27, 1967. The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff Jan. 28, 1986. And the space shuttle Columbia broke up on return to earth Feb. 1, 2003. abcnews: Saturday, 28 January at 00:11.
Closing thoughts on Apple's greedy, "crazy... »
This week's discussion of Apple's new license agreement for its iBooks Author program was what the State Department calls a "full and frank exchange of ideas." If you missed the debate, here's... zdnet blogs: Saturday, 28 January.
Juniper Stock Drops on Disappointing Forecast »
Shares in Juniper Networks declined sharply in extended trading on a diminished first-quarter profit forecast that implies spending cuts by Internet service providers. businessweek: Friday, 27 January at 23:27.
Scratching An Ankle Is Hard To Beat »
Scratching an itchy ankle is more satisfying than relieving an itch on your back or arm. Even if you thought you knew that, scientists now have evidence to back up your hunch. npr: Friday, 27 January at 22:25.
Making memories last: Prion-like protein plays key role in... »
Memories in our brains are maintained by connections between neurons called "synapses". But how do these synapses stay strong and keep memories alive for decades? Neuroscientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have discovered a major clue from a study in fruit flies: Hardy, self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse protein are an essential ingredient for the formation of long-term memory. physorg: Friday, 27 January at 22:11.
Ode To Ice »
Discover the secret life of ice--what makes it cloudy or clear, why cracks form on ponds. Science Friday visited Queens ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto in his studio and spoke with ice researcher Erland Schulson, of Dartmouth University, to find out why ice is an interesting subject for artists and scientists. npr: Friday, 27 January at 20:00.
'Microplastic' threat to shores »
Microscopic plastic debris from washing clothes is accumulating in the marine environment and could be entering the food chain, a study warns. bbc: Friday, 27 January at 19:39.
Can we trust a model that predicts traffic chaos during... »
Models can help us unravel complexity and predict the future, but they're only as good as the data and people who built them. guardian: Friday, 27 January at 18:17.
Virtual trees sway in wind just like the real thing »
Animators will soon be able to construct startlingly realistic sylvan beauty in movies and video games with a new system for generating 3D virtual trees. new scientist tech: Friday, 27 January at 17:53.
Detroit Symphony offering series of free webcasts »
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has launched a webcast player that will allow music lovers to enjoy an upcoming performance of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 and other concerts online for free in the comfort of their homes. newsvine: Friday, 27 January at 17:42.
Web economy to double by 2016 »
The value of the internet economy in the G20 will rise from £1.5trillion to £2.7trillion by 2016, a new report commissioned by the Boston Consulting Group claims. telegraph: Friday, 27 January at 17:26.
The Ultimate Mel Brooks Movies Quiz »
Mel Brooks is the master of satire and parody, mocking everything from wild westerns to wacky space flicks. All that comedy gold has won him Tonys, Emmys, Oscars, Grammys and the right to say "It is good to be the King." howstuffworks: Friday, 27 January at 16:15.
Acta protests break out as EU signs up »
MEPs of 21 EU states, including the UK, have signed off on the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. guardian: Friday, 27 January at 11:43.
Intellectual Interests Genetically Predetermined? »
Does depression help people do art? Does autism help people do science? Does the normal mind without enough of either come up short in creativity? Not sure. But relatives of those with depression have different intellectual interests than relatives of those who have autism. A hallmark of the individual is the cultivation of personal interests, but for some people, their intellectual pursuits might actually be genetically predetermined. Survey results published by Princeton University researchers in the journal PLoS ONE suggest that a family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging. Although preliminary, the findings provide a new look at the oft-studied link between psychiatric conditions and aptitude in the arts... future pundit: Friday, 27 January at 10:19.
UT researchers' innovation addresses major challenge of... »
A new physical form of proteins developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin could drastically improve treatments for cancer and other diseases, as well as overcome some of the largest challenges in therapeutics: Delivering drugs to patients safely, easily and more effectively. eurekalert: Friday, 27 January at 07:00.
Scientists: Haiti, DR may facing big quake period »
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic could be in for a period of periodic powerful earthquakes, according to a scientific study released Thursday.... ap: Friday, 27 January at 05:46.
Volunteers sought for simulated Mars mission »
Cornell is working with the University of Hawai'i-Manoa to conduct a three-year NASA study on the diets and food issues of six volunteers who spend four months in a simulated Mars habitat. cornell: Friday, 27 January.
With new game, Zynga spells B-I-N-G-O »
csmonitor: Friday, 27 January.
The TV on Your Shirt »
Adafruit Industries announces a new wearable technology platform. technology review: Friday, 27 January.
Babette's errant email cripples German parliament »
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German parliament's email system was hampered for several hours for more than 4,000 staffers and deputies when hundreds of workers responded to an errant email sent by one staffer named "Babette" to all 4,032 co-workers. reuters: Thursday, 26 January at 16:31.
This Totem Went All Tetris On Your Desktop »
By David Ponce Lexon’s MINITOTEM is meant for the office. In one efficient stack, you get a pen cup, storage for paper clips, a clock, tape dispenser (tape included), and a 4 USB plug hub. All these objects nestle into one another more efficiently than even your best game of Tetris and make for a [...] ohgizmo: Thursday, 26 January at 12:20.
The Frager Factor: Seller Schilling, Meet Buyer Whiteley:... »
“I hadn’t dealt with Frank before and didn’t know who I was dealing with. The prices were high – but they are good domain names and I should get good returns by using them. I think the fascinating thing at the moment is that there still isn’t really a fixed way of valuing a domain yet.” corank: Saturday, 21 January.
Why You Should Consider Hiring a Dog Walker »
If you're looking to hire a dog walker, there are several resources available. Your vet can most likely recommend a reliable walker. Your local shelter or pet store may know of walkers they can recommend as well; some pet stores or vets may even offer walking as a service themselves. You can also find one on a directory website like DogWalker.com. With a little shopping around, you can provide your dog with the quality exercise routine it deserves. corank: Thursday, 19 January.
Recurring words: accusations, apple, censorship, drops, eyes, facebook, science, social, twitter, virtual.