Tim's back, Brian's back and Peter's back. And this week they'll be joined by a very special guest in the form of gdgt's Ryan Block, in a slightly more accommodating studio. Also, there may or may not be one very special piece of eyewear. Only one way to find out! Join along, after the break.
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By Charles M. Sennott, GlobalPost
Amid the haunting ruined tents at FOB Lagman, where an Afghan Army battalion has taken over for an American brigade combat team. (Ben Brody/GlobalPost)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan ? The impending drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan is readily visible at the larger bases. Two years ago, Forward Operating Base Pasab in Kandahar was home to barely 800 soldiers. Now closer to 5,000 Americans and thousands more Afghan troops make do inside its perimeter, brought in from outposts that have been closed or turned over to Afghan security forces.
The burgeoning Kandahar Airfield is plagued by long lines at the chow halls, laundry machines and shops. The internet, never fast in Afghanistan to begin with, slows down more with every wave of soldiers that arrives; many have little work to do other than packing up.
Some bases recently turned over to the Afghans look abandoned?haunted, even. Forward Operating Base Lagman in Zabul, once the major American-Romanian base in the province, is now home to just a few companies of Afghan soldiers.
Dozens of dark, empty tents where US soldiers once slept now flap in the breeze, doors open to the spring dust storms. Air conditioners with crushed radiators, not worth hauling away, line the alleys between the tents, next to broken bedframes.
A rutted gravel plain lies on the former site of Lagman's bazaar ? a collection of about ten small shops selling souvenirs, jewelry, cheap knives, Pashtun clothes, rugs, pirated DVDs and local drinks. Not a trace of the bazaar remains ? the few Afghan soldiers there now don't have enough disposable income to keep the shops open.
"We hauled away a lot of the scrap metal and junk from Lagman before we did the handover, but the [Afghan soldiers] got upset with us," said Col. James Crider, commander of 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. "They said, 'scrap to you is cash to us.' Now we'll leave the scrap behind."
The bases are being renamed as they are handed over. FOB Lagman was originally named for Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman, a soldier from Yonkers, N.Y. who was killed in action in 2004. The base's new Dari name roughly means "Sniper Striker Camp," but it may have lost something in the translation.
Of course, with a new mission comes new watch words. "Right-sizing" is the military jargon of the moment; it describes leaving Afghans with equipment and facilities that will meet their needs, without overburdening them with complex maintenance and training requirements. "Retrograde" is how one says "draw down operations" in Army-ese. When a soldier is seen standing idly, officers might yell, "Hey, go retrograde something!"
Right-sizing a base sometimes means moving the walls to make it smaller or larger, and it almost always means removing generators, air conditioners, surveillance cameras, weather stations ? anything that would take more fuel than the Afghans can afford or more training than they will get. Some scanning equipment used at checkpoints has to be removed because its internal components are classified, and there are concerns that they could be reverse-engineered.
At FOB Pasab, soldiers are right-sizing the base by building a smaller base inside of it. When the building is complete and the US troops are ready to leave next year, they will demolish the outer walls and leave what remains for the Afghan soldiers and district officials.
Truly retrograding a base is a huge undertaking for US forces, so they prefer to hand bases over to Afghan troops whenever possible. A base the Afghans can't use has to be completely dismantled and bulldozed to the ground to prevent the Taliban from occupying it or making a propaganda film amid the ruins and claiming victory over a surge operating in retrograde.
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Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
Share ] Contact: Daniel Cochlin
daniel.cochlin@manchester.ac.uk
44-161-275-8382
University of Manchester
Writing in Nature Communications, the researchers report the first graphene-based transistor with bistable characteristics, which means that the device can spontaneously switch between two electronic states. Such devices are in great demand as emitters of electromagnetic waves in the high-frequency range between radar and infra-red, relevant for applications such as security systems and medical imaging.
Bistability is a common phenomenon a seesaw-like system has two equivalent states and small perturbations can trigger spontaneous switching between them. The way in which charge-carrying electrons in graphene transistors move makes this switching incredibly fast trillions of switches per second.
Wonder material graphene is the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material, and has the potential to revolutionise a huge number of diverse applications; from smartphones and ultrafast broadband to drug delivery and computer chips. It was first isolated at The University of Manchester in 2004.
The device consists of two layers of graphene separated by an insulating layer of boron nitride just a few atomic layers thick. The electron clouds in each graphene layer can be tuned by applying a small voltage. This can induce the electrons into a state where they move spontaneously at high speed between the layers.
Because the insulating layer separating the two graphene sheets is ultra-thin, electrons are able to move through this barrier by 'quantum tunnelling'. This process induces a rapid motion of electrical charge which can lead to the emission of high-frequency electromagnetic waves.
These new transistors exhibit the essential signature of a quantum seesaw, called negative differential conductance, whereby the same electrical current flows at two different applied voltages. The next step for researchers is to learn how to optimise the transistor as a detector and emitter.
One of the researchers, Professor Laurence Eaves, said: "In addition to its potential in medical imaging and security screening, the graphene devices could also be integrated on a chip with conventional, or other graphene-based, electronic components to provide new architectures and functionality.
"For more than 40 years, technology has led to ever-smaller transistors; a tour de force of engineering that has provided us with today's state-of-the-art silicon chips which contain billions of transistors. Scientists are searching for an alternative to silicon-based technology, which is likely to hit the buffers in a few years' time, and graphene may be an answer."
"Graphene research is relatively mature but multi-layered devices made of different atomically-thin materials such as graphene were first reported only a year ago. This architecture can bring many more surprises", adds Dr Liam Britnell, University of Manchester, the first author of the paper.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 30-Apr-2013 Share ] Contact: Daniel Cochlin
daniel.cochlin@manchester.ac.uk
44-161-275-8382
University of Manchester
Writing in Nature Communications, the researchers report the first graphene-based transistor with bistable characteristics, which means that the device can spontaneously switch between two electronic states. Such devices are in great demand as emitters of electromagnetic waves in the high-frequency range between radar and infra-red, relevant for applications such as security systems and medical imaging.
Bistability is a common phenomenon a seesaw-like system has two equivalent states and small perturbations can trigger spontaneous switching between them. The way in which charge-carrying electrons in graphene transistors move makes this switching incredibly fast trillions of switches per second.
Wonder material graphene is the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material, and has the potential to revolutionise a huge number of diverse applications; from smartphones and ultrafast broadband to drug delivery and computer chips. It was first isolated at The University of Manchester in 2004.
The device consists of two layers of graphene separated by an insulating layer of boron nitride just a few atomic layers thick. The electron clouds in each graphene layer can be tuned by applying a small voltage. This can induce the electrons into a state where they move spontaneously at high speed between the layers.
Because the insulating layer separating the two graphene sheets is ultra-thin, electrons are able to move through this barrier by 'quantum tunnelling'. This process induces a rapid motion of electrical charge which can lead to the emission of high-frequency electromagnetic waves.
These new transistors exhibit the essential signature of a quantum seesaw, called negative differential conductance, whereby the same electrical current flows at two different applied voltages. The next step for researchers is to learn how to optimise the transistor as a detector and emitter.
One of the researchers, Professor Laurence Eaves, said: "In addition to its potential in medical imaging and security screening, the graphene devices could also be integrated on a chip with conventional, or other graphene-based, electronic components to provide new architectures and functionality.
"For more than 40 years, technology has led to ever-smaller transistors; a tour de force of engineering that has provided us with today's state-of-the-art silicon chips which contain billions of transistors. Scientists are searching for an alternative to silicon-based technology, which is likely to hit the buffers in a few years' time, and graphene may be an answer."
"Graphene research is relatively mature but multi-layered devices made of different atomically-thin materials such as graphene were first reported only a year ago. This architecture can bring many more surprises", adds Dr Liam Britnell, University of Manchester, the first author of the paper.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uom-ghs042913.php
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Two recent-ish Research Panel Day Researches looked at curing a couple of food-related ailments, a fish bone in the throat and a dose of hiccups.
On the 18th and 19th of March 2012 197,678 members of their monitor panel were asked how they most often got a fish bone unstuck from their throats. The most popular solution with 59.1% of the votes was swallowing a mouthful of rice, the Japanese variant on the method my mother taught me, swallowing dry bread. Next was 13.0% who don?t do anything in particular, 6.3% gargle, 3.7% get tweezers, etc and fish it out themselves, 2.1% go to hospital, and 4.6% some other technique. Furthermore, 9.7% had never had a fish bone stick, and another 1.4% don?t eat fish.
Back in 2011, on the 17th and 18th of June of that year, 162,994 members of their monitor panel were asked what they do when they cannot stop hiccuping. The most popular solution was holding one?s breath, with 42.5% doing this; I do this and press down on my diaphram at the same time. 30.5% gulp a glass of water, 10.8% slowly breath in, 7.0% drink from the other side of a glass, 5.3% get people to suprise them, 1.9% get people to slap them on their back, and 0.4% grab their tongues in their hands and pull it for several seconds! There were 21.7% who used other techniques (hopefully none the above-pictured one!), and just 1.2% who have never had the hiccups.
Read more on: fish bone,hiccup,research panelPermalink
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatJapanThinks/~3/H7oRNxWMA7Y/
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This application obtained by The Associated Press shows the short form for the new federal Affordable Care Act. The first draft was as mind-numbing as a tax form. Tuesday the Obama administration unveiled simplified application forms for health insurance benefits under the federal health care overhaul. The biggest change: a five-page short form that single people can fill out. That total includes a cover page with instructions, and an extra page to fill out if you want to designate someone to help you through the process. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
This application obtained by The Associated Press shows the short form for the new federal Affordable Care Act. The first draft was as mind-numbing as a tax form. Tuesday the Obama administration unveiled simplified application forms for health insurance benefits under the federal health care overhaul. The biggest change: a five-page short form that single people can fill out. That total includes a cover page with instructions, and an extra page to fill out if you want to designate someone to help you through the process. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Flow chart shows simplified process for applying for health insurance subsidies
WASHINGTON (AP) ? After a storm of complaints, the Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled simplified forms to apply for insurance under the president's new health care law. You won't have to lay bare your medical history but you will have to detail your finances.
An earlier version of the forms had provoked widespread griping that they were as bad as tax forms and might overwhelm uninsured people, causing them to give up in frustration.
The biggest change: a five-page short form that single people can fill out. That form includes a cover page with instructions and another page if you want to designate someone to help you through the process.
But the abridged application form for families starts at 12 pages, and grows as you add children. Most people are expected to take another option, applying online.
The ease or difficulty of applying for benefits takes on added importance because Americans remain confused about what the health care law will mean for them. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Tuesday found that 4 in 10 are unaware it's the law of the land. Some think it's been repealed by Congress. In fact, it's still on track.
At his news conference Tuesday, President Barack Obama hailed the simplified forms as an example of how his team listened to criticism from consumer groups and made a fix. The law's full benefits will be available to all next year, he emphasized, even if Republicans in Congress still insist on repeal and many GOP governors won't help put it into place.
When the first draft of the application turned out to be a clunker, "immediately, everybody sat around the table and said, 'Well, this is too long, especially...in this age of the Internet,'" Obama recounted. "'People aren't going to have the patience to sit there for hours on end. Let's streamline this thing.'"
The flap over the application forms was a "first test" of the administration's ability to confront problems as they emerge, said Sam Karp, vice president of programs at the California HealthCare Foundation.
"Being nimble enough to identify, then fix, problems will be critical to successfully enroll millions of Americans who will become newly eligible for coverage," he said.
The applications will start becoming familiar to consumers less than six months from now, on Oct. 1, when new insurance markets open for enrollment in every state. They are not for people already signed up in their employer's plan, only the uninsured.
Filling out the application is just the first part of the process, which lets you know if you qualify for financial help. The government asks to see what you're making because Obama's Affordable Care Act is means-tested, with lower-income people getting the most generous help to pay premiums. Consumers who aren't applying for financial help still have to fill out a five-page form.
Once you're finished with the money part, actually picking a health plan will require additional steps, plus a basic understanding of insurance jargon.
Under the law, middle-class people who don't get coverage through their jobs will be able to purchase private insurance. Most will be able to get tax credits to make their premiums more affordable. The lowest-income uninsured people will be steered to government programs like Medicaid.
Benefits begin Jan. 1, and nearly 30 million uninsured Americans are eventually expected to get coverage.
While the first drafts of the applications were widely panned, the new forms were seen as an improvement. Still, consumers must provide a snapshot of their finances to see if they qualify for help. That potentially includes multiple sources of income, from alimony to tips to regular paychecks.
The list includes: unemployment, pensions, Social Security, other retirement checks and farming and fishing income. Individuals will have to gather tax returns, pay stubs and other financial records before filling out the application.
"Given the amount of information necessary to determine eligibility, it's hard to see how the forms could be any shorter," said Robert Laszewski, a former insurance executive turned industry consultant.
Although the new forms are shorter, the administration wasn't able to get rid of all the complexity. One question asks family applicants with at least one member covered through a job for "the lowest-cost plan that meets the minimum value standard offered only to the employee." Huh?
Administration officials expect most people to apply online. The process will route consumers to either private plans or Medicaid. Identification, citizenship and immigration status, as well as income details, are supposed to be verified in close to real time through a federal "data hub" pinging Social Security, the Homeland Security department and the Internal Revenue Service.
Under Obama's overhaul, insurers will no longer be able to turn away the sick or charge them more. The pitfalls of giving the wrong answer to a health care question will be gone, but consumers who underestimate their incomes could be in for an unwelcome surprise later on in the form of smaller tax refunds.
Among the sections eliminated in the new form was one that asked applicants if they also wanted to register to vote. Some congressional Republicans had criticized that, calling it politically motivated.
Associated PressSAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) ? Everyone got stood up at one Southern California high school's prom. The dance itself was a no-show.
KABC-TV Los Angeles reports (http://bit.ly/18lwRRb ) dozens of tuxedo-clad and corsage-wearing teens from Bloomington High School traveled 40 miles to Santa Anita Park on Saturday, only to discover they hadn't been told that the date of the big night had changed.
Instead of the enchanting evening they were expecting, students were served chicken strips in a hastily arranged small hall where someone played music from a laptop computer.
The San Bernardino County school's calendar and the prom invitations listed the event on April 27, but it was slated for May 4.
Principal Ignacio Cabrera says there was miscommunication with event planners.
A semi-formal substitute event is planned for May 18.
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Twitter is working on its own Google Glass app, called, you guessed it, Twitter for Glass. While nothing?s been made official, one beady-eyed developer spotted a number of Google-staffers sending tweets with the name of the app tagged onto their missives.
Developer Jon Gottfried spotted the tweets, which used the hashtag #throughglass, because he?s already working on a third-party Twitter Glass app and was using the same hashtag to test his own handiwork.
What makes Gottfried think this is an official Twitter effort is the fact it uses the company?s own name in the title. No third party apps can have the word Twitter as part of their handle. There?s also the fact that a number of Google staffers have sent tweets using the app.
Twitter has refused to comment on the story. However, with Google Glass grabbing the headlines right now, surely it?ll only be a matter of time before it gets the green light.
Via All Things D
Source: http://tech.uk.msn.com/news/google-glass-twitter-app-in-the-works
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