New magnetic field theory gets us closer to nuclear fusion

Researchers from the US Department of Energy (DoE) and Princeton University have developed a new theory on plasma that could help scientists figure out solar flares and fusion power. Most fusion research is focused on “magnetic confinement” reactors that use powerful magnets to fuse hydrogen plasma into helium. One of the biggest problems with that technique is that the plasma itself spawns new magnetic fields, which play havoc with the reactions.

Plasma (the phase of matter that powers lightning and neon lights) often contains charged particle which generate magnetic fields, and those fields can break apart dramatically in a process known as magnetic reconnection. That causes solar flares (see the video, below), cosmic ray bursts and the northern lights on Earth. However, conventional theories can’t explain why the fields snap and reconnect so quickly, seemingly defying the laws of physics.

Magnetic reconnection is particularly irksome inside Tokamak magnetic confinement reactors. When fields created by the plasma shift suddenly, they can break the external fields holding the plasma in place, reducing the forces required to sustain the reaction.

To solve the problem, researchers examined something called “plasmoid instability,” which causes two-dimensional magnetic sheets to thin down into smaller “islands.” Once a sheet has broken down to a certain point, “the plasmoid instability occurs on a short time scale, leading to explosive growth of the plasmoids,” according to the paper. That causes the fields to reform in a different orientation, causing solar flares and other phenomena.

The researchers still aren’t sure why the plasma breaks down into islands, as that seems to defy the “power laws” of physics. Nevertheless, the work could help scientists better predict solar flares, erratic gamma ray blasts and other violent activities. Perhaps most importantly, it could lead to a better understanding of the magnetic fields caused by plasma inside Tokamak fusion reactors. If they can figure that out, we can solve pretty much all of our energy problems.

Via: Futurism

Source: AIP

Apple Testing More Than 10 Prototype iPhone Models, Including One With Curved OLED Display

Multiple sources have claimed Apple will launch its first iPhone with a curved OLED display next year, and now The Wall Street Journal has thrown its weight behind those rumors.

The report claims an OLED version could be introduced as one of several new iPhone models unveiled next year, but it would have a higher price tag than current iPhone models.

OLED displays are thinner, lighter, and allow for flexible designs, but they are also up to $50 more expensive to produce than traditional LCD displays, according to analysts cited.

OLED displays can also be more energy efficient, as unlike LCD displays, they do not require a backlight to illuminate the screen. When displaying black pixels, OLED displays are completely off, which could preserve battery life.

Apple is said to have more than 10 different iPhone prototypes under development, so it may decide not to launch a version with an OLED display next year, according to the report. Previous reports said Apple will also launch new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models with traditional LCD displays next year.

Apple will likely tap Samsung as its primary OLED display supplier, but it wants LG Display, Japan Display, and Sharp to ramp up production for 2018, the report added, corroborating information heard previously. Sharp President and CEO Tai Jeng-wu confirmed Apple’s plans to switch to OLED technology last month.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: The Wall Street Journal, OLED
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Samsung opens up Galaxy S7 Nougat beta program to more users

A second chance to test Nougat on the GS7 — but it’s not yet clear how many countries are included.

It appears Samsung has opened up the Galaxy Beta program to more users in the UK, following the initial rollout earlier this month. This gives Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners a second change to try pre-release versions of Nougat for the phones, after the first wave of places were quickly snapped up.

As before, you just need to download the Galaxy Beta app and hit the “Registration” button, then follow the instructions.

There’s been talk that Samsung may also open up the beta program to more countries, however we’ve yet to confirm this. So far, though, we were able to sign up for the program on a UK-spec device and update to the latest beta build, whereas last week the program was full. (Several users over on XDA are reporting the same.) If you’d previously flashed the first (leaked) beta build, this is your chance to get up-to-date on the latest build — Samsung has already pushed out two updated betas in quick succession as it makes changes and improvements to its Nougat firmware.

So if you weren’t able to sign up for the beta program during the first wave, it’s worth trying again now. And be sure to let us know if you’re successful down in the comments!

More: How to sign up for the Galaxy Beta Program

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Grab Google Home for just $74.25 at Best Buy with Visa Checkout

The lowest price yet on Google Home.

Google Home is selling for $99 at various retailers during the holiday season, and now Best Buy is discounting the device by an additional $25 if you’re using Visa Checkout to complete your payment, bringing it down to just $74.25. That’s $55 off on a product that made its debut last month. If you’ve been holding out on getting a Google Home, now’s the time to take the plunge.

Visa is rolling out promotions at other retailers to incentivize Visa Checkout. Here’s the full list of offers:

• 1-800-Flowers: 20% off through December 31. Must use promo code VC20 and pay with Visa Checkout.
• Best Buy: $25 off $100+ from November 27 through December 25, while supplies last. 1/person.
• Fandango: Buy two or more movie tickets on Fandango using Visa Checkout and get one in your order free December 22-26.
• NewEgg: $20 off a $100 purchase on Newegg.com when you pay with Visa Checkout and use promo code VCOGREEN16 on December 12.
• Rakuten: $20 off $75+ when you use promo code: VISAFRIDAY on November 25, while supplies last. Limit 1 per customer.
• Shutterfly: Get a mug from November 30 through December 13 and January 3 through February 29. Redeem w/code for ceramic mug w/future order. Limit 1 per person.
• Staples: $25 off $100+ from November 24 through November 27.

With Visa Checkout, you don’t necessarily have to use a Visa card, as the payment option works with all major credit and debit cards, including MasterCard, American Express or Discover cards.

Best Buy is offering $25 off on any purchase of $100 or more when you use Visa Checkout, so you can use the added savings to same some cash on Google Wifi pre-orders, a Chromebook, or any other product that costs more than $100. When it comes to Google Home, the deal is working without the need to add any filler items to get the overall cart value to $100. As mentioned above, the deal is limited to one order per customer.

See at Best Buy

OnePlus 3T pre-release launch draws impressive crowds

OnePlus’ pre-release launch at the O2 Store on Oxford Street was notable for more than one reason. First, it marks the first proper high street retail launch for the brand’s smartphones in the UK. Second, the queues outside the door were more reminiscent of an iPhone launch than the early release of an Android phone.

Just as the doors opened at 3:02pm on Thursday, 24 November, a long line snaked out the door and around the corner spanning the whole length of the store’s side-facing windows. As time passed, the line only seemed to get longer with more than 100 people eager to get their hands on the OnePlus 3T.

02-UK

None were more eager than Alexander, a keen OnePlus fan who arrived at the store at around 11:50am to make sure he got his hands on the new gadget before anyone else. What Alexander didn’t know before walking in, however, was that OnePlus and O2 were ready to surprise him by giving him his desired 128GB model completely free of charge, along with some other goodies.

Thankfully, no one outdoors in the queue was left to suffer in the cold. A dedicated team was handing out Boosts, mince pies, hot chocolate, coffee and loads of other tasty snacks to keep up morale while they waited to get their hands on the OnePlus 3T.

Pocket-lint

Once in the store, OnePlus had a cool Dash Charge game set up. It was essentially a Temple Run style game which used a Kinect sensor to move past obstacles and to collect as much virtual charge as possible. The player with the highest score at the end of the evening would receive another OnePlus 3T for free as a prize.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a OnePlus launch without branded t-shirts, ruck sacks, messenger bags and cases being handed out to visitors.

All in all, it was a very successful event. To draw the crowds it did, and to create so much buzz and excitement is a big deal for a brand which isn’t that well known yet in the UK.

Final Fantasy 15 Sony Walkman, headphones and speaker will have fans freaking

Final Fantasy 15 (or XV, as it’s officially designated) makes its long awaited debut tomorrow, 29 November, and Sony Japan has crafted some special edition audio products to celebrate.

The daddy of three limited edition devices is a Final Fantasy 15 Sony Walkman A digital music player, in charcoal black and with the XV logo emblazoned on the back. It also sports 8-bit versions of the lead characters, Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto. It also has special icons, themed around the game.

The A35HN-NW/FF comes with 16GB of storage for 33,880 yen (around £240) and the A36HN-NW/FF with 32GB of storage costs 38,880 yen (£280).

Sony has also adorned a pair of its h.ear on MDR-100A over-sear headphones with the XV logo. They cost 24,380 yen (£175). And the wireless portable h.ear on Bluetooth speaker – the SRS-HG1 – gets the full Final Fantasy makeover. That retails for 29,380 yen (£210).

Sadly, while all of the special edition products are released in Japan tomorrow, it doesn’t seem they’ll make it this way too. You might want to check import shops or resellers though, as they might have some stock coming over.

If not, you can always make do with a copy of the game. It’s soon to be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with midnight openings at many stores tonight.

How to Delete iCloud Calendar Spam Without Alerting Spammers

A large number of iCloud users have reportedly received spam in the form of unsolicited Calendar event invitations over the last week.

Suspect Black Friday offers for cheap goods have been appearing in personal iCloud calendars, with the default options to “Accept” or “Decline” appearing at first to be the only way to respond to them.

Unfortunately choosing any of these options simply notifies the spammer that the account is live and ready for more unsolicited offers. Instead, users are advised to try the following alternative method for removing the spam events on their iOS devices.

Open the Calendar app and tap the “Calendars” button at the bottom of the screen.

Tap the Edit button and on the next screen, select the “Add Calendars” option.

Give the calendar an easily recognizable throwaway name, like “Spam”, and tap “Done” at the top of the screen until you’re back on the Calendar screen.

Select the spam invitation and move it to the “Spam” calendar you just made.

Tap the “Calendars” button at the top of the screen, tap the “i” button next to the Spam calendar, and on the next screen, tap “Delete Calendar” at the very bottom of the screen menu.
That should rid you of the unwanted spam event, leaving spammers none the wiser.

Update: Some readers have noted another option is to change iCloud calendar settings to receive event notifications by email rather than as in-app notifications. Logging into iCloud via a web browser, open the Calendar, click the cog in the bottom left corner to go to Preferences -> Advanced and then select “Receive event invitations as: Email”. This lets users delete the spam calendar events as emails instead.

(Thanks, Jeff!)

Tag: spam
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