Heat wave risk rising with emissions. For the first time, a study ties human-influenced global warming to the likelihood of extreme summers. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]
Author: Vince Kimball
North American birds on the decline
North American birds on the decline. Nearly a third of native bird species – even common ones – are seeing striking losses, says survey. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]
Voting errors tallied nationwide
Voting errors tallied nationwide. More than 4,000 votes vanished without a trace into a computer's overloaded memory in one North Carolina county, and about a hundred paper ballots were thrown out by mistake in another. In Texas, a county needed help from a laboratory in Canada to unlock the memory of a touch-screen machine and… Continue reading Voting errors tallied nationwide
Bush tries to mend ties to Canada
Bush tries to mend ties to Canada. OTTAWA — Working to mend the frayed relations between their countries, President Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada sought to project a unified front yesterday during Bush's first official visit to Canada, pledging to work together to fight terrorism and promote trade between the neighboring nations.… Continue reading Bush tries to mend ties to Canada
I-93 tunnels said to need constant care
I-93 tunnels said to need constant care. The Big Dig's tunnels are structurally sound, despite hundreds of leaks, but keeping them safe will require constant inspection and an ongoing leak-patching program, two consulting engineers told a legislative panel yesterday. [BostonGlobe-FrontPage]
Threads cannot be implemented as a library
Threads cannot be implemented as a library. Interesting HP paper on why threads cannot be implemented as a library in a way that guarantees correct results. Haven't had time to read it yet, but I recall this exact issue coming up in our recent discussion of C++. [Ceejbot]
Python 2.4
Python 2.4. Language geek day continues with the release of Python 2.4. In addition to the language changes, performance is better as well. Major steps forward since 2.2, which wasn't released all that long ago. [Ceejbot]
Belkin's Pre-N Delivers Promised Speed
Belkin's Pre-N Delivers Promised Speed. The industry rightly has qualms about pre-802.11n labeled devices, but speed sells: If we've learned anything from the 108 Mbps and 125 Mbps branding on a variety of Wi-Fi gateways, it's that speed apparently does sell even if standards built the foundation on which Wi-Fi thrives. Belkin's pre-802.11n (high-throughput standard)… Continue reading Belkin's Pre-N Delivers Promised Speed
Lying Makes Brain Work Harder
Lying Makes Brain Work Harder. Researchers expose differences in brain activity between people who fib and those who don't. Brain scans reveal that it really is easier to tell the truth. [Wired News]
Searching Smarter, Not Harder
Searching Smarter, Not Harder. When it comes to searching, more is not always better. Data experts are honing topic maps to better classify the information that's out there. By John Gartner. [Wired News]