Black silicon bringing down the cost of efficient solar

The latest news in one of the two areas — cost in this case — solar needs to continue to see improvement for widespread use.

From the link:

A simple chemical treatment could replace expensive antireflective solar cell coatings, bringing down the cost of crystalline silicon panels. The treatment, a one-step dip in a chemical bath, creates a highly antireflective layer of black silicon on the surface of silicon wafers, and it would cost just pennies per watt, say researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). They’ve used it to create black silicon solar cells that match the efficiency of conventional silicon cells on the market.

Solar goes black: These two solar cells were fabricated on a silicon wafer treated to create an antireflective black silicon surface. The silvery areas around the cells are a different color because the highly absorbent black layer has been etched away.
Credit: Hao-Chih Yuan

Google’s Chrome will auto-update Flash

I’ve never really been a fan of auto-updates of any sort, but the majority of computer users really need the convenience and out-of-sight/out-of-mind safety of auto-updates. Chrome is the first browser to automatically push updates for Adobe Flash to users. Probably a good thing in the long run, and doesn’t change my thought that Chrome is the best browser by a long shot. If you haven’t tried it, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot — even if you’re a dedicated Firefox user.

From the link:

Adobe’s (ADBE) new partnership with Google will keep Internet users safer because Chrome will automatically update Flash Player without asking users, an Adobe director of engineering said.

On Tuesday, the two companies announced that Google would include Adobe’s Flash Player in downloads of Chrome starting with the rough-around-the-edges builds of the browser’s “dev” channel. Google will also employ Chrome’s auto-updater to push Flash fixes to users without notifying them or asking them to approve the download.

The integration, particularly the automatic updating of Adobe’s plug-in, is a first for a browser maker.

“If you want to have a safe experience, updates should just happen in the background,” said Peter Betlem, senior director of Flash Player engineering.

Unlike other browsers, Chrome updates itself automatically in the background without asking for permission or prompting users that security fixes or new features are available. The practice, which Google (GOOG) debuted alongside Chrome in September 2008 , riled some users initially, but the criticism soon faded.

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — David W Van Ness

This post is the third in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

David W Van Ness is a Richardson, Texas-based artist and is a sculptor/educator whose work deals primarily with a surreal world developing after the fall of a civilization. David’s civilization, unlike ours, can manipulate nature to their whim. He’s the son of a very successful mathematician and was obsessed with myth, monsters, and science fiction as a child.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

Since 2006 I have been working with SculptCAD on and off on several different projects. Nancy (Hairston, SculptCAD founder) came to me early and asked about people I thought she should include.  Though none of my suggestions were included, I was.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

No, SculptCAD first did work for me on my stacking cow project in 2006.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

The ability to test a design out and change it without much demand has been nice, but also a problem when the computer crashes amid working.  Just means I do the work again but this time more direct and succinct.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

Not really. I have been able to realize a project that I was working out in my head. I did have a little learning curve but now I think of them just like any tool.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

It has been fun and interesting to see the other artists’ creations. I have been thinking about computer aided design for a long time and see now that I was rather limited in my vision

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

I am giving a lecture at the conference and at Boise State University on this subject. I have yet to build much work this year beyond the RapidArtist piece. I did have one show earlier this year at Mary Thomas Gallery. I am working on new work for a show there as well. My galleries in Santa Fe and Denver are more salon type and don’t have “shows.”

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

www.davidvanness.com

vanness.dave (at) gmail.com

Do you have any final thoughts on the Rapid Artists Project?

I hope we can reproduce this experience again, with more and different artists I know this means that I might not be able to participate next time, but I think it would be interesting to see what develops

The latest on Google and China

The whole story is full of twists, turns and more than a little Kabuki theater (yeah, I know Kabuki isn’t Chinese).

Here’s the latest:

The Chinese government apparently slowed access to Google (GOOG) Web sites earlier this week, as the search giant last night backed off earlier statements that access to the site was blocked by changes Google made to the engine’s search parameters.

Google had disclosed early this week some users in China were unable to complete Google searches or had intermittent trouble accessing any of Google’s Chinese-language sites.

That disclosure prompted some immediate speculation that China was blocking access to the sites because of Google’s decision to stop censoring search results in the country.

The speculation abated yesterday afternoon when Google announced that it had accidentally caused the blockage itself.

A spokeswoman told Computerworld then that access to the Chinese site, now run out of Hong Kong, was blocked because its programmers had added a series of letters — gs_rfai — to the Web addresses of Google search pages. The spokeswoman explained that “rfa” is associated with Radio Free Asia, a site that China has long blocked. Therefore, adding them automatically caused Google’s site to be blocked there.

Now, Google says that something in China’s Internet filter, or “great firewall,” caused the site to be blocked.

(chirp, chirp)

Is anyone there? Hello …

No April Fool joke with the blogging blackout this week. Just more outside projects than usual coupled with an electrical problem (now fixed) at the home office. Should be rolling as usual soon.