What the Solar Impulse's under-the-radar flight says about the future of solar energy

The journey was slow, but successful, and the creators of the aircraft believe they've demonstrated the possibilities of solar energy ? on the ground

On May 3, the Solar Impulse, a conspicuously lanky solar-powered aircraft created at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, lifted off the runway at the Moffett Airfield near San Francisco to fanfare and international media attention. Forty-five days later, on June 16, it concluded its expedition, delivering its pilots safely to Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. ? an event which likely flew entirely under your radar, says The Washington Post's Dominic Basulto.

To be fair, the Solar Impulse isn't a spectacle like a rocket ship, or even the new Airbus "Flossie." Though it has the wingspan of a jumbo jet, the whole craft weighs 3,500 pounds ? about as much as a small car ? and can support just a tiny two-seat cockpit with no amenities, not even plumbing. Each seat is "like a really bad economy seat on an airliner," Gregory Blatt, a managing director of the company told The New York Times.

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And it doesn't exactly whiz through the air, either. Its 12,000 photovoltaic cells push the craft to an average cruising speed of just 44 mph. For an idea of what such a speed looks like on an airplane, see this video of the Solar Impulse landing in Cincinnati:

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But the Solar Impulse was not built with the future of commercial solar air travel in mind. Those involved insist that the project is largely symbolic, an opportunity to show the possibilities of solar energy.

"On the ground, the potential is huge and is readily available," Solar Impulse CEO Andre Borschberg told The Associated Press.

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Ernest Moniz, the head of the Department of Energy agreed that the plane probably won't change the way we fly ? but that it could impact the way we drive, build buildings, and power appliances.

Another possible angle for what the Solar Impulse's 45-day journey could symbolize: How long it is taking to fund, develop, and start using solar technology. The first photoelectric cell was built in 1888 by Russian physicist Aleksandr Stoletov. Only now (under the pressure of climate change and oil scarcity) are we transforming it into a viable energy source.

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Which isn't to say solar use isn't accelerating. The first quarter of 2013 was the biggest ever for the industry: Across the U.S., 723 megawatts of solar power were installed, bringing the total to 7,962 megawatts. For context, one megawatt of power can sustain about 1000 homes for one hour. We may even be on the cusp of a solar boom.

But Basulto thinks the enthusiasm gap between the time of Solar Impulse's take-off in California and its landing in Washington D.C. might say something about our collective attention span when it comes to renewable energy:

Solar Impulse's journey, in many ways, is a microcosm of our nation's love/hate relationship with renewable energy. We love the promise of clean energy and celebrate the arrival of the latest green gizmos, but we have very little patience for renewable energy strategies that take years, if not decades, to pay off. Our ability to embrace the journey of a zero-fuel airplane over a sustained, 45-day flight from San Francisco to Washington offers a gut-check: Are we, as a nation, able to sustain the march to a zero-fuel economy. [Washington Post]

Still, the Solar Impulse team isn't letting up. "The plane's designers say the successor airplane, already under development, needs crucial but incremental improvements," says the Times. The next version will have plumbing, and each seat "will be like a good business-class seat." That craft will hopefully be used by 2015 for a journey around the world. In the meantime, perhaps solar energy on the ground can catch up.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/solar-impulses-under-radar-flight-says-future-solar-143000275.html

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Mobile Helix launches HTML5 platform - Computer Business Review

Duncan Macrae Published 21 June 2013

Mobile Helix, the enterprise application and data security platform provider, has launched Link, which it describes as the industry?s first pure HTML5 platform.

Link unlocks enterprise productivity by combining unparalleled security for enterprise data; a unique, open HTML5 application development and delivery platform; and breakthrough patent-pending performance enhancement technology.

Link is designed with data security rather than device security at its core, delivering unparalleled security irrespective of the endpoint. The technology bridges the fixed/mobile application divide by allowing any existing or new browser-based enterprise application to be deployed across multiple device types, including mobile devices, PCs and laptops. Link supports iOS and Android now, and will support Windows 8, Mac OSX and Blackberry 10 later this year.

Link embraces HTML5 and extends the standard to meet the most exacting set of enterprise requirements, including data security, device capability integration and performance optimization. HTML is the most commonly used development platform within enterprises, meaning companies using Link do not have to invest in any additional skills or infrastructure to enable secure mobility across their business.

Seth Hallem, CEO of Mobile Helix, said: "Link is designed with unrestricted enterprise productivity at its core. It is the first product on the market to combine the unmistakable benefits of device-independent applications built using HTML5, with a disruptive data security platform that ensures sensitive corporate data is safe on any device.

"We believe the notion that fixed and mobile applications require different development, delivery and security solutions is fundamentally flawed. Enterprises don't have the time or budget to simply throw out years of investment in standards-based IT and take a completely new, and often proprietary, approach to mobility. IT needs a unified strategy for building new apps and converting existing ones, while still ensuring data is protected under any circumstance and on any computing device. Link achieves this goal without requiring complicated and costly new infrastructure or expertise."

Link is constructed with optimised data security, rather than device security at its core. This is a fundamental shift in the enterprise security model that leverages unique features of both mobile operating systems and modern browser technology. The result is a more robust, yet simpler, security system than existing PC-based and mobile-device-based solutions. Link achieves this without placing any restrictions or limitations on the devices used. Even when devices are 'rooted' or 'jailbroken', Link ensures that corporate data is not at risk. Link includes a secure container on the device, fully device-independent encryption of all data in motion and at rest, a sophisticated key management architecture that ensures encrypted data remains safe, and a comprehensive policy engine that allows IT to enforce policies on applications and data rather than on devices.

Maribel Lopez, founder and principal analyst of Lopez Research, commented: "Contrary to popular opinion, mobile operating systems aren't necessarily less secure than PC operating systems. A tablet or smartphone with the right data security posture can be as, if not more, secure than a typical corporate laptop. PCs are perceived to be safe because of the numerous security 'band aids' that are applied to them, such as anti-virus, full-disk encryption, DLP and network access control."

Link creates a common application environment by deploying applications through Internet browsers, embracing standards-based technology to deliver an open, end-to-end solution. This, in turn, extends existing enterprise application development, delivery infrastructure and expertise to mobile devices. Link integrates with existing IT processes and infrastructure to enable a simplified 'download free' application delivery and support model, removing the need for a separate enterprise app store, app catalogue, and dedicated distribution and update processes for every different application and mobile operating system.

Lopez added: "For employees to be effective in their roles, critical enterprise data and applications must flow unrestricted across devices and networks. The power of mobility is clear, yet the enterprise mobility market today is crowded and confusing. Firms need mobile solutions that can integrate with existing enterprise infrastructure."

Source: http://www.cbronline.com/news/mobile-helix-launches-html5-platform

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Obama to meet with privacy, civil liberties board

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is holding his first meeting with a privacy and civil liberties board Friday as he seeks to make good on his pledge to have a public discussion about secretive government surveillance programs.

Obama has said the little-known Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will play a key role in that effort. The federal oversight board reviews terrorism programs enacted by the executive branch to ensure that privacy concerns are taken into account.

The president is also tasking the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, to consider declassifying more details about the government's collection of U.S. phone and Internet records. Obama is specifically asking Clapper to review possible declassification of opinions from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which approves the data-mining efforts.

The government has already lifted some of the secrecy surrounding the programs following disclosures earlier this month about their existence by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. But the legal opinions from the highly secretive court remain private.

The privacy board was created in 2004 but has operated fitfully ever since, given congressional infighting and at times, censorship by government lawyers. The board was dormant during Obama's first term and only became fully functional in May, before the NSA programs became public.

The board's chairman, David Medine, said the five-member group has a "broad range of questions" to ask about the NSA's widespread collection programs. The board was given a classified briefing on the programs last week and plans to release a report eventually with recommendations for the government.

___

Follow Julie Pace at on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-meet-privacy-civil-liberties-board-100342780.html

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Pebble Mine: A Threat to Alaska's Salmon, People and Economy (Op-Ed)

Taryn Kiekow is a senior policy analyst for NRDC's marine mammal protection project;she contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Bristol Bay is located in the remote wildlands of southwest Alaska and supports the largest runs of wild salmon on the planet ? over half of the world's supply of sockeye.

Every year, some 40 million salmon return to spawnin the pristine rivers and streams of the Bristol Bay watershed. But right now, the future of this little-known natural jewel is caught up in a frenzied political fight, part of what the Washington Post calls President Barack Obama's biggest environmental decision that "you've never heard of."

That decision is whether to protect Bristol Bay from a proposed mega-mine called Pebble Mine ? a colossal, open-pit copper and gold mine that would be up to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long and 1,700 feet (518 meters) deep ? a huge worry for the residents of Bristol Bay who overwhelmingly oppose the project.

Although the mining industry is lobbying hard to build it, West Coast senators, House members and local businesses have lined up in opposition. And it's also something the Obama administration could easily stop.

Salmon are the lifeblood of the region. Alaska Natives have lived off salmonfor thousands of years, and their welfare, health and cultural stability are intricately tied to these fish. Salmon also support an abundance of wildlife ? from brown bears and eagles to whales and seals. [Fast-Evolving Fish Struggle to Spawn in Wild]

But the benefits of salmon to the region extend beyond sustenance: Salmon also form the economic backbone of the area.

An economic report released in April by researchers at the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research found that the Bristol Bay commercial salmon fishery is worth $1.5 billiona year, making it the most valuable wild-salmon fishery in the world. Not only do salmon sustain a prized commercial fishery, but they also sustain 14,000 jobs (according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s draft watershed assessment on Bristol Bay), world-class sports fishing and an economy for Alaska Natives.

Pebble Mine could put all of this at risk. If built as planned at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Pebble Mine would be the largest mine in North America, producing some 10 billion tons (9 billion metric tons) of toxic mining waste that would be stored in the rivers, streams and wildlands of Bristol Bay's high-quality salmon habitat. Even under the best conditions, it would be virtually impossible to keep the hazardous waste from leaking, putting salmon ? which are highly sensitive to even the slightest increases in copper ? in great jeopardy. And Bristol Bay provides challenging conditions: The extremely porous tundra sits in a seismically active area, and the ore, once exposed to air, will produce acid drainage.

The EPA re-released its draft Bristol Bay watershed assessment report in April, revealing the potential impacts of large-scale mining like the Pebble Mine on the watershed. The report's findings are shocking. Even in a best-case scenario ? operating at the highest industry standards and experiencing no leaks or failures ? Pebble Mine would destroy up to 90 miles (145 km) of stream, eliminate up to 4,800 acres (1,943 hectares) of wetlands, and dewater an additional 34 miles (55 km) of stream.

Even under routine operations, the construction and support of the mine would require a huge amount of infrastructure across land currently untouched by humans: from culverts and pipelines to power plants and tailings dams. Worse, a tailings dam failure could be "catastrophically damaging."

The EPA also found that large-scale mining could pose serious threats to wildlife and Alaska Native cultures.

It's no wonder that 85 percent of commercial fishermen in Bristol Bay, 81 percent of the Bristol Bay Native Corp.'s native shareholders and 80 percent of Bristol Bay residents oppose the Pebble Mine.

Right now, the people and wildlife of Bristol Bay are preparing for the annual return of the salmon. Commercial fishermen are readying boats and equipment. Alaska Natives are mending nets and smokehouses. Lodge owners and sportsmen are anticipating another lucrative tourist season. And hungry bears have awakened from hibernation.

The EPA is also preparing. The agency is accepting public comment on its draft watershed assessment. That draft has already undergone extensive public comment, including hearings in Alaska and peer review from a panel of 12 independent experts. Last year alone, the EPA received more than 233,000 public comments, over 90 percent of which urged the agency to protect Bristol Bay.

The EPA recently extended the current public comment period until June 30, in order to allow the public more time to weigh in. So far, the real winners of the extended comment period are pro-mining groups, who have recently generated a flurry of comments. According to a June 17, 2013 article in the Washington Post, the Competitive Enterprise Institute's (CEI) Resourceful Earth website has single-handedly flooded the docket with 99.25 percent of all anti-EPA comments. A conservative think tank, CEI is generally opposed to environmental regulations and has received millions of dollars over the years from the mining, oil and gas, and coal industries ? as well as from groups associated with the Koch brothers, the article adds.

Bristol Bay is too important to let the Koch brothers and mining interests win this fight. The EPA can stop the mine under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act ? something our government does sparingly and judiciously. If ever there were a case for using this power, Bristol Bay is the place. This is why NRDC asks everyone to join us and urge the Obama administration to protect the people, salmon, wildlife and businesses of Bristol Bay from the poisonous threats of the Pebble Mine. The future of one of the world's greatest natural treasures is at stake.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pebble-mine-threat-alaskas-salmon-people-economy-op-213457938.html

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After Microsoft hits reset on its Xbox DRM policies, gamers react ...

It seems like the backlash was too much for Microsoft: Yesterday, President Don Mattrick wrote a blog post officially walking back the changes the company had made to game DRM for the Xbox One, citing ?user feedback.?

?While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content,? Hattrick wrote.

Here?s a summary of the changes:

• No more constant internet connection needed for disc or downloaded games, but you do need one to set the system up initially.
• Users will be able to play offline, but will no longer have the ability to play a game without the disc in the tray.
• Sharing is at the owner?s discretion, but is limited to physical sharing of the disc. The Xbox Live library shares introduced by Microsoft no longer exist.
• Games are eligible for resale at the behest of retailers (like Gamestop).

Essentially, the Xbox One now, for all intents and purposes, operates the same way that the Xbox 360 does today ? no cloud, no sharing, and no Internet.

This extensive rollback of all of Microsoft?s changes to the console has lead fans to call it the ?Xbox 180? ? and has divided a gaming community that is now suddenly confused about how to feel towards the Xbox One.

The change hasn?t necessarily won back the hearts of gamers automatically ? some in the community are now reacting towards Microsoft?s seemingly ?all-or-nothing? behavior that sacrifices all of cloud gaming and sharing properties to bring offline play to the table.

A popular infographic posted onto /r/ gaming, entitled ?What We Want Xbox One,? shows how Microsoft could divide DRM based on media choice and gives a pretty clear indication that the only thing gamers want in this instance is choice. The choice to play into the DRM measures that unlock the access to the cloud, and the option to play offline at another time.

Still others are involved in the backlash to the second backlash, defending Microsoft and deriding others for complaining about the features in the first place. One notable person in this camp is Gears of War?creator?Cliff ?CliffyB??Bleszinski, who expressed concerns on Twitter that walking back the DRM meant Microsoft left small-time developers out in the cold and prey to the resale industry.

?I want *developers* who worked their asses off to see money on every copy of their game that is sold instead of Gamestop. F*ck me, right?? Bleszinski tweeted.

And, still others are concerned that Microsoft refuses to address the level of data collecting and privacy implications of the system itself, and continue to press the company on unveiling more information about the system as a whole.

Plenty of memes?still poke at Xbox One?s?other mandatory feature, the Kinect.?SlashGear has also reported that the Xbox Kinect may have to come with a warning sticker that announced the government may have access to the device if a new bill, entitled the ?We Are Watching You? Act, passes congress.?Microsoft has done very little to allay concerns about privacy, which still has the potential to turn away a large section of the fanbase.

In the long term, it?s hard to imagine that Microsoft has alienated its entire community wholesale, and that its snap-decisions will drastically affect the Xbox One or future consoles from the company. However, what this proves is that forced DRM by requiring a constant online connection or server check-ins will never fly with the core gaming fanbase. When purchasing a game, players want to feel a sense of choice and of ownership ? that the game is theirs. Microsoft?s DRM undermined ownership, so the community complained.

I believe that there is a way to successfully implement a cloud-based system, but the next company to take a crack at it needs to listen to the gamers. Because really, all they want is the option. Is that too much to ask?

Source: http://gigaom.com/2013/06/20/after-microsoft-hits-reset-on-its-xbox-drm-policies-gamers-react/

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'Man of Steel' takes flight with $125M debut

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Man of Steel" leaped over box office expectations in a single weekend.

The Warner Bros. superhero film earned $113 million in its opening weekend at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The retelling of Superman's backstory earned an additional $12 million from Thursday screenings, bringing its domestic total to $125 million. Original expectations for "Man of Steel" ranged from $75 million to $130 million.

"They finally got the Superman formula right," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "Superhero movies really are the bread and butter of the summer box office. The fact that 'Iron Man 3' has the biggest opening of the year so far and 'Man of Steel' has the second biggest opening of the year just proves that."

"Man of Steel," which stars Henry Cavill as Superman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane, also toppled the record for biggest opening in June held by the Disney-Pixar film "Toy Story 3," which banked $110 million when it opened in 2010. "Superman Returns," the previous Superman film starring Brandon Routh in the titular role, launched with a respectable $52.5 million in 2006.

Sony's "This Is the End" opened in second place behind "Man of Steel" with $20.5 million in its opening weekend. The comedy starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson as versions of themselves trapped in a mansion during the apocalypse opened Wednesday, earning a domestic total of $32.8 million. The film cost just $32 million to produce.

"We knew we were going to have competition, but we felt our movie stood on its own and had its own voice," said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of worldwide distribution. "I believe we've absolutely proven that. To have this amount of money in the bank with its cost of production, good reviews and word of mouth really puts our feet on solid ground."

In its third weekend at the box office, the Lionsgate illusionist heist film "Now You See Me" fleeced $10.3 million in third place, bringing its total domestic haul to $80 million. Universal's "Fast & Furious 6" arrived in fourth place with $9.4 million, while the studio's invasion horror film "The Purge" starring Ethan Hawke scared up $8.2 million in the fifth spot.

The super openings of "Man of Steel" and "This Is the End" helped to lift the box office 50 percent over last year when "Madagascar 3" and "Prometheus" held on to the top spots. "Man of Steel" will face off against stiff competition next week when Paramount's zombie thriller "World War Z" and the Disney-Pixar's prequel "Monster's University" both debut.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. "Man of Steel," $113 million.

2. "This Is the End," $20.5 million.

3. "Now You See Me," $10.3 million.

4. "Fast & Furious 6," $9.4 million.

5. "The Purge," $8.2 million.

6. "The Internship," $7 million.

7. "Epic," $6 million.

8. "Star Trek: Into Darkness," $5.6 million.

9. "After Earth," $3.7 million.

10. "Iron Man 3," $2.9 million.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-16-Box%20Office/id-72ab3a48d5c7459f8ec6caa5f2fff1bf

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Senators Skipped Classified Briefing to Fly Home (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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