Chad's News

The US Navy is attempting to develop a superlaser for use on its ships, and the latest prototype can burn through 20 feet of steel per second at 14 kilowatts. The power level needs to reach 100 kilowatts to be useful in the field, and the Navy’s ultimate goal is to reach a megawatt and be able to pierce 2000 feet of steel per second. Expect this technology to be deployed sometime in the next 10-20 years.

Link: http://www.wired.com/…
(via Engadget)

Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 last week, to positive reviews. Major features include a cleaner, more minimal browser interface, a la Chrome; significant speed increases, both in rendering and JavaScript execution, and the addition of hardware acceleration for graphics; better support for web standards; some HTML5 support; integration with Windows 7; and more security/privacy guards, including a private browsing mode. Unfortunately for quite a few users, however, IE9 will only work on Windows Vista or later.

Link #1: http://arstechnica.com/…

Link #2: http://lifehacker.com/…

Link #3: http://www.techrepublic.com/…

Last September, the Lord of the Rings Online MMORPG switched from paid subscriptions to a free-to-play model. The result has been a tripling of revenues and a significant increase in the number of players. The core game is free, but you can pay for expansions or a full VIP membership.

Link: http://www.gamasutra.com/…
(via Slashdot)

With last weekend’s switch to daylight saving time in the United States, many iPhones moved back an hour instead of forward. The glitch hit all of Verizon’s and some of AT&T’s iPhones. It can be fixed by restarting the phone or switching it to and from airplane mode.

Link: http://mashable.com/…
(via The Daily Caller)

Did you know that the Earth’s north magnetic pole isn’t fixed, and it moves about 40 miles per year? In fact, several years ago it left Canada and is now over international waters, heading towards Siberia. And since compasses point “north” towards the magnetic pole (versus the real north pole) this movement can have a tangible effect on compass readings. For example, the Tampa, FL airport recently changed its runway designators to account for the changes to magnetic north. This NOAA article shows the locations of the magnetic pole from 1831 to 2007.

The latest release of Apple’s iOS (version 4.3) now makes your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing other devices to connect to the internet via the phone. Your plan must include data tethering in order for this feature to work.

Thanks to Josh for this topic.

Link: http://touchreviews.net/…

Apple announced the iPad 2 on Wednesday, and Engadget has full coverage. Major changes include a reduction in thickness and weight, a dual-core CPU, and the addition of two cameras and a gyroscope. It will begin shipping on March 11th.

As part of the release, the price for the existing iPad is being cut by $100. If you were unlucky enough to purchase an iPad during the two weeks prior to the March 2nd announcement, you’re eligible for a $100 refund. But be quick, you only have 14 days to apply for it!

Link #1: http://www.engadget.com/…

Link #2 (Apple Return Policy): http://www.apple.com/…

The linked article explains garbage collection in solid-state drives (SSDs), including what it is, why it’s needed, and and why you should consider it when purchasing an SSD. The author also discusses the SSD “trim” function: what it does, when it’s necessary, and which OS versions support it.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

Near field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology limited to distances of a few inches. It has the potential to add a whole new paradigm to cell phone use, potentially replacing credit/debit cards and smart cards, or allowing the phone to process tickets or coupons. Expect NFC to be included in the next cell phone you purchase.

Link: http://dailycaller.com/…

The mineral zinc, which can be purchased inexpensively in pill form, is very effective at treating the common cold. Take it as soon as symptoms start to appear. This will reduce both the length of the cold and the severity of the symptoms.

Link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/…
(via Lifehacker)

Here at the Chad’s News network command center, we use OpenDNS and have previously written about using Google’s DNS resolver instead of the one provided by your ISP. Google and OpenDNS are recommended because of their reliability, speed, and features, but it may not always be advantageous to use them. Akamai is a content delivery company with web servers around the world. They deliver content for their customers using algorithms to determine which Akamai server is physically closest to the location of the person downloading the material. This significantly speeds up the delivery and also balances the load across multiple sources. But it appears that one of the ways Akamai determines your physical location is via the DNS resolver that you’re using. And as the linked article explains, this creates bottlenecks for OpenDNS and Google DNS. By switching back to his ISP’s DNS resolver, the author was able to shorten a 2+ hour iTunes video download into less than 20 seconds.

Link: http://joemaller.com/…
(via Slashdot)

Long-time Chad’s News readers will recall this post, where we learned that a dog’s tongue bends down instead of up when drinking water. If that wasn’t weird enough, the linked article explains how a cat drinks—turns out that its tongue doesn’t even penetrate the surface of the water.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…