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hubie writes:Every sheet of frost contains ionic defects and this team uses high voltage to polarize these ions and rip off the frost:

We hadn't heard from owl in a while, but he has more than made up for his temporary absence by submitting a couple of interesting, but unusual, stories. Here is the first one:owl writes:https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/11/2360474/-Resuscitating-a-1934-Briggs-amp-Stratton-washing-machine-engine%20-%20Fnord

DannyB writes:'Dilbert' creator Scott Adams dies at 68 after prostate cancer battle

JoeMerchant writes:Summary by Gemini:

owl writes:Recently there have been four different tech bloggers that have blogged about switching from Windows (and/or MacOS) to Linux.Is this the start of a trend?And will these bloggers influence some number of their readers to also make the switch?Are we seeing a tipping point where Windows (and somewhat MacOS) usage is beginning to collapse?Original SubmissionRead more of this story at SoylentNews.

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/china-expected-to-approve-h200-imports-in-early-2026-report-claims-tech-giants-alibaba-and-bytedance-reportedly-ready-to-order-over-200-000-nvidia-chips-each-if-green-lit-by-beijing

An Anonymous Coward writes:https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/these-dogs-eavesdrop-on-their-owners-to-learn-new-words/[ Links in article ]

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ultra-fast-quantum-tunneling-device.html

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagen-is-bringing-physical-buttons-back-to-the-dashboard-with-the-id-polo-ev-190246116.html?src=rsshttps://gizmodo.com/volkswagen-reveals-that-it-has-brought-back-physical-buttons-2000704178

hubie writes:A sit-stand ratio 'sweet spot' may boost office productivity:

canopic jug writes:The quite famous FOSS developer Poul-Henning Kamp (aka PHK) has posted his feedback to the EU regarding European Open Digital Ecosystems [Intro in Danish, article in English] and their call for evidence. In it he brings their attention to open standards in points 2 and 3:

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/a-2000-year-old-fingerprint-may-solve-mystery-of-scandinavias-oldest-wooden-boat/

hubie writes:Research explores what happens when people face goal obstacles:

hubie writes:A new study shows that star ratings of books are not always accurate:

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://gizmodo.com/nasa-postpones-iss-spacewalk-over-medical-issue-considers-early-crew-return-2000707453

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/09/microbe_martian_habitats/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/oceans-are-struggling-to-absorb-carbon-as-microplastics-flood-their-waters/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-ancient-bees-built-nests-inside-animal-bones/

hubie writes:If companies insist on bricking gadgets, this is a better way to do it:

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows-laptops/dell-reveals-people-dont-care-about-ai-in-pcs-and-a-new-truly-embarrassing-windows-11-fail-shows-why

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/your-daily-cup-of-tea-could-help-fight-heart-disease-cancer-aging-and-more/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://phys.org/news/2025-12-runaway-stars-dark-milky.html

janrinok writes:https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/07/datacenter_tax_breaks_virginia/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/some-people-get-drunk-without-drinking-and-scientists-finally-know-why/

jelizondo writes:National Geographic published an interesting article about renewable energy myths.

Bali is preparing to introduce a law which will require tourists to declare personal bank account information for a period of three months in order to visit the island. This law is intended to filter out less desirable travellers to promote "high quality tourism" in a move to counter the bad behaviour of boorist visitors over the last several decades. This change will come on top of the recently applied tourist levy and tightening of the management for incidents involving tourists.Would you give your latest three bank statements to the Bali government in order to visit?Original SubmissionRead more of this story at SoylentNews.

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-silently-kills-windows-and-office-phone-activation-and-forces-online-activation-with-a-microsoft-account-windows-users-are-now-herded-into-an-online-only-portal-for-activation

jelizondo writes:The Economic Times published an hilarious article about a mathematician opinion of AI for solving math problems:

upstart writes:Californians can now submit demands requiring 500 brokers to delete their data:

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-found-a-way-to-help-the-brain-bounce-back-from-alzheimers/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/04/ai_agents_insider_threats_panw/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/openai-bets-big-on-audio-as-silicon-valley-declares-war-on-screens/

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:Strong subsidies keep Tesla on top in Norway:

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-create-a-periodic-table-for-artificial-intelligence/

fliptop writes:Head-up displays or HUDs were meant to simplify driving, but Ford may have found a very unconventional way to rethink them:

jelizondo writes:The BBC has an interesting report on a French university training spies:

canopic jug writes:The videos from the 39C3 are all in place, and Cory Doctorow's fast-paced talk, A post-American, enshittification-resistant Internet, is among them.That talk is worth special mention. Don't be put off by the gratuitous cursing or the CCC's misspelling of the name Internet. And because it's often easier, and always faster, to just read text than slog through a video, Cory has also posted a transcript of his presentation:

DrkShadow writes:https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pNid=99&pOid=76137Proposed is a plan to impact gravity waves, imparting more energy unto them, by using lasers - much like the LIGO interferometer, but in reverse. By imparting energy from light into the gravity waves, we subtly change the gravity wave itself, and can measure the amount of energy taken from the light source. Thus, we can measure properties about the gravity wave - and, perhaps, the graviton.

janrinok writes:https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ice-home-food-scientist-easy.html

janrinok writes:https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say-ozempic-could-change-how-you-feel-after-drinking-alcohol/

PiMuNu writes:A study done by a technology tracker run by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) - an independent think tank, indicates that China is leading research in nearly 90% of the crucial technologies that "significantly enhance, or pose risks to, a country's national interests."

An Anonymous Coward writes:https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/29/stingless-bees-from-the-amazon-granted-legal-rights-in-world-first

janrinok writes:https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/lisuans-g100-series-has-reportedly-begun-shipping-out-to-customers-in-first-batch-of-deliveries-chinas-first-homegrown-6nm-gpus-are-no-longer-a-show-floor-exclusive

janrinok writes:https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-mandates-50-domestic-equipment-rule-chipmakers-sources-say-2025-12-30/China is requiring chipmakers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment for adding new capacity, three people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing pushes to build a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain.The rule is not publicly documented, but chipmakers seeking state approval to build or expand their plants have been told by authorities in recent months that they must prove through procurement tenders that at least half their equipment will be Chinese-made, the people told Reuters.The mandate is one of the most significant measures Beijing has introduced to wean itself off reliance on foreign technology, a push that gathered pace after the U.S. tightened technology export restrictions in 2023, banning sales of advanced AI chips and semiconductor equipment to China.While those U.S. export restrictions blocked the sale of some of the most advanced tools, the 50% rule is leading Chinese manufacturers to choose domestic suppliers even in areas where foreign equipment from the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Europe remain available.[...] "Authorities prefer if it is much higher than 50%," one source told Reuters. "Eventually they are aiming for the plants to use 100% domestic equipment."[...] China's President Xi Jinping has been calling for a "whole nation" effort to build a fully self-sufficient domestic semiconductor supply chain that involves thousands of engineers and scientists at companies and research centers nationwide.The effort is being made across the wide supply-chain spectrum. Reuters reported earlier this month that Chinese scientists are working on a prototype of a machine capable of producing cutting-edge chips, an outcome that Washington has spent years trying to prevent."Before, domestic fabs like SMIC would prefer U.S. equipment and would not really give Chinese firms a chance," a former employee at local equipment maker Naura Technology, said, referring to the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation"But that changed starting with the 2023 U.S export restrictions, when Chinese fabs had no choice but to work with domestic suppliers."Read more of this story at SoylentNews.

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:Major releases still coming out, and enthusiasts collecting discs:

hubie writes:Strengthening asphalt roads with a unique green ingredient: Algae:

janrinok writes:https://phys.org/news/2025-12-venus-cloud-highlights-combining-polarization.html

hubie writes:New study shows that everyday conversations can delay eye movements, essential for safe driving:

janrinok writes:https://scitechdaily.com/mystery-solved-scientists-discover-why-colorectal-cancer-defies-immune-system-rules/