From Geeks are Sexy Technology News: WiFi Blocking Wallpaper
Home Network security seems to be a simple thing these days. It is not difficult to set your router with the proper security measures to stop others from hopping on your WiFi signal and getting that internet service you are likely over paying for.
Of course this magical block that keeps out WiFi pirates really comes down to a password. It’s a tiny bit more complicated than that, but for the most part this is all it takes to make your home network private instead of branding it a hotspot and sharing it like the town bicycle.
But of course there are ways around these security measures, and if you want to keep signal thieves out of your network, here a product that will likely stop them dead in their tracks.
WiFi Blocking Wallpaper.
With all the logic of a giant wall of stones, the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble developed a coating of silver ink that can be embedded into a wallpaper to block out the electromagnetic frequencies of wireless networks, but still allow the signals of cell phones to pass through. No word on how windows would affect this technology (We found a hole in their security – literally!)
The ING researchers have granted Finnish company Ahlstrom exclusive rights to manufacture the wallpaper, and it is expected to go on sale in 2013. They explain that it should cost the same as a mid-range traditional wallpaper.
To me this seems a little extreme, but there are some conspiracy theorists out there who I’m sure want a more fashionable alternative than a tinfoil hat to keep those invasive wireless signals out. And if fashion is a big concern and you do not care for the patterns offered, painting over or layering different wallpapers does not affect its ability to block WiFi.
I am sure there will be some application somewhere to some organization where security is never enough and they need walls that WiFi cannot pass through. I just can’t see this being a regular household precaution.
Maybe if I sell my house to people that peeve me off, I can put this stuff up just to know that they are likely going insane trying to figure out why their WiFi works awesome inside, but not in the backyard. That might be fun.
From Autoblog: Subaru Legacy that spent 3 months at bottom of Finnish lake starts on first try
Filed under: Wagon, Etc., Subaru
“Ja, that ice’ll hold ya.” Until it didn’t, and suddenly a man’s 1996 Legacy wagon was at the bottom of a shallow lake in Finland. Three months later, the Subaru wagon was dragged from its freshwater slumber, and while most people would just write the car off or at most turn it into a parts donor, curiosity got the better of the rescue squad.
Would it run? Just how bad was the damage? Before plunging below the surface, the owner did have time to shut the engine down and get his dogs out, so the boxer four didn’t aspirate any water and electrons weren’t coursing through the various circuits, two details that likely saved a bunch of damage. After removing a live fish from the engine bay, draining a lot of water from the fuel tank and crankcase, and a fresh fill of fluids and spark plugs, lo and behold, the SCUBA-ru chugged to life on the first try.
It’s not perfect; until the residual water works its way through the fuel system it’s going to feel a little low on power, and oxidation may start to fiercely assert itself. The smell is probably epic, too, but this is one funkbox with a great story.
from Autoblog
From AnandTech: ASUS Demonstrates Displays with Integrated Touch and WiDi
Years ago ASUS made the transition from being just a motherboard company to a notebook manufacturer. These days I’m getting the distinct impression ASUS would like to be much more than just a notebook company. It has been building everything from displays to routers for quite a while now, but ASUS is definitely ramping up its focus on all things peripheral to motherboards and systems.
At Computex we got a glimpse of two ASUS displays, one that brings integrated Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) technology (pictured above)Â and one that integrates touch. Although I wouldn’t rely on WiDi as a primary interface for my display due to latency, it does make it easier to temporarily “connect” another machine to your display.
The touch enabled model is obviously aimed at Windows 8 and I expect to see more touch enabled desktop monitors as Windows 8 officially launches. I don’t know that touch alone is a compelling feature for Windows 8, but it seems like it’s going to quickly become a requirement as it really is a more convenient way to interact with the Metro UI.
from AnandTech
From The UberReview: Self Stirring Pot is Ridiculously Simple
The Kuru-Kuru Nabe is a self-stirring pot that was invented by a Japanese dentist who goes by the name of Hideki Watanabe.
Watanabe created his initial prototype by using dental plaster to coat the insides of the pot so that it creates a natural whirlpool when boiled – simple and effective.
I find it interesting that a lot of people have translated “kuru-kuru†to “round and round†– my preferred translation would be “spinningâ€.
[Source]
from The UberReview
From The UberReview: Researchers Discover Plastic-eating Fungus
Researchers from Yale University have discovered a mushroom in the jungles of Ecuador that is able to survive on a diet of polyurethane.
The fungus, namely Pestalotiopsis microspore is able to survive by eating plastic alone and has no need for air or light. The discovery was made by students Jonathan Russell and Pria Anand, who have published their findings in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
The pair has isolated the enzyme within P. microspore that allows it to decompose plastic; the next step will be to extract the enzyme so that it can be put to work dealing with plastic waste. Now all we need is a mushroom that can dine on cesium and we’ll be set.
[Source]
from The UberReview
From Technology Review RSS Feeds: The Scientific Case For A Return To The Moon
The last controlled moon landing was in 1976. Now it’s time to go back and the reasons are more compelling than ever, argue space scientists
It’s almost 40 years since the last humans visited the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission of December 1972.