Log'N'Rock: Log'N'Rock News

Fraudsters are continuing their switch from traditional card fraud to raiding online bank accounts, research suggests.

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Illegal file-sharers should be fined, rather than have their internet connection cut off, says the boss of BT.

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Yesterday, Colorado's state legislature finalized a bill to increase the state's renewable energy standard to 30 percent by 2020.

Colorado was one of the first states to adopt a renewable energy standard at all, committing in 2004 to get 10 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2015 and increasing that to 20 percent by 2020 in 2006.  This latest measure puts the state right behind California, who has the highest standard at 33 percent by 2020.

The bill also requires utilities to get 3 percent of their electricity from distributed sources like rooftop solar and other smaller wind and solar installations in order to give a boost to local renewable energy and construction companies.  That requirement alone will be responsible for 1 GW of clean energy, save 6.8 billion gallons of water and reduce emissions by 30 million tons of CO2 a year.

via Climate Progress

 

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A never-before-seen reaction in nanotubes could make for batteries that pack a mighty punch, say researchers.

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Electronics giant Sony says its new 3D television will be on sale in Japan from June, with a cost of £2,600 for a 46-inch screen model.

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The merging of social networks and games is set to dominate this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

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A plan to create a .xxx net domain for adult content will be revisited three years after it was rejected by internet regulators.

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Hard drives are about to undergo one of the biggest format shifts in 30 years but it could cause problems for Windows XP users.

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Warren County Kentucky is building the first net-zero energy school in the country.  Richardsville Elementary School will operate free of the grid by generating its own renewable energy, incorporating smart architectural features and a major emphasis on efficiency.

The list of features for this school is mind-boggling.  The school will have thin-film PV roof arrays, solar water heating, geothermal HVAC, insulated concrete form walls, a rainwater collection system and energy-efficient lighting.  The building is designed to take full advantage of natural light and wind for cooling. The plot of land includes a reclaimed brownfield, preserved woodland, a protected stream and bioswales.

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A new report from technology research corporation iSuppli warns that we're facing a global LED shortage in 2010.  Hooray!

Why am I cheering?  Because the reason for this shortage is a huge surge in demand for the energy-efficient lighting in the electronics industry.  Yes, it's bad that the supply is low, but it's great news that the use of more efficient lighting is becoming more mainstream.

The report says that demand for LEDs is expected to rise by double-digit percentages for at least the next three years.  In 2009, 63 billion units were consumed out of the 75 billion unit capacity worldwide.  The worst-case scenario is a rise in prices for mid-range and high-end computers and HDTVs because of their larger displays.

The solution is simple enough though:  increase production.  The two largest suppliers have gotten the hint -- Aixtron and Veeco Instruments are doubling their production by the end of this year.

via PC Mag

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The US eases sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to allow the export of web services that help the spread of information.

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Questions used as security checks on websites need to be replaced by better tests to see who someone is, say researchers.

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The Queen warns that businesses in developing nations are missing out because the internet is an "unaffordable option" in many areas.

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Almost four in five people worldwide see internet access as a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

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A new study from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies has identified on-road transportation as the most significant overall source contributing to global warming. Power generation, while having the greatest total impact, also includes a large number of compounds that increase cloud reflectivity and provide other effects to offset some of the warming they are responsible for.

In the study, rather than looking at specific chemicals and compounds, the range of airborne pollutants is broken down by economic sector. The study looks at the range of gases and aerosols that are released by each of 13 sectors of the economy, and finds that on-road transportation has the greatest overall effect on global warming.

The intent of this study is to make the information about climate change more accessible and understandable. "We wanted to provide the information in a way that would be more helpful for policy makers," according to Nadine Unger, leader of the research team. "This approach will make it easier to identify sectors for which emission reductions will be most beneficial for climate and those which may produce unintended consequences."

No one should mistake the point of this study to indicate that coal burning and other power-generation and industrial processes are benign and therefore do not need to be scaled back. Although industrial processes mitigate their adverse effects with regard to global warming, the sulfates and aerosols that are beneficial in this one manner are responsible for a range of other, negative environmental impacts.

The paper was published online on Feb. 3 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

via: Worldchanging

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