Smaller, More Powerful

The Flybook (flybook.us) from Dialogue Computers and Lifebook 1500d from Fujitsu (fujitsu.com) belong to a new breed of convertible ultrapor...

The Flybook (flybook.us) from Dialogue Computers and Lifebook 1500d from Fujitsu (fujitsu.com) belong to a new breed of convertible ultraportables that pack the punch of a desktop into a teeny package that doubles as a Tablet PC. Both are not quite the size of handhelds. But at roughly the size of a DVD case and under three pounds, each can slip into a purse or pocket. And unlike smaller competitors, which use keyboards that need to be carried separately, these two have them built in. But be warned: the keyboards feel a bit cramped. The Flybook has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPRS connectivity. The Lifebook lacks a cell and Bluetooth, but comes with biometric fingerprint security and a Compact Flash/SD memory-card slot. The coolest feature for both: you can fold their 8.9-inch LCD screens back, turning the computers into Tablet PCs. Using a stylus pen, you can navigate the Windows XP system and convert handwritten notes to text. Newsweek

The Pinatubo Effect
The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines threw millions of tons of ash and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. All that gas and dirt reflected more sunlight away from the earth, causing global cooling and affecting the climate.

Scientists in Australia have now determined another effect of Pinatubo. Its eruption, considered the second largest of the 20th century, lowered the average sea level. John A. Church of the marine and atmospheric research division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and colleagues developed climate simulation models to take into account the impact of Pinatubo and other major eruptions over the past century, using data on ocean heat content. Their analysis, reported in the journal Nature, showed that sea levels fell after eruptions because the ocean cooled. After Pinatubo (which has yielded the best data), the average level fell by 5 millimeters in about a year. NYT

Early Quake Warning
Faint signals during the first moments of a large earthquake can be used to predict the severity of ground shaking before a fault has finished rupturing, potentially offering crucial seconds for early warning, according to a new study. A few seconds could be enough to turn off natural gas to prevent fires, isolate electrical and phone systems to protect them from failure, order children to dive under desks and allow surgeons in operating rooms to pull scalpels away from vital organs. In the study, Richard M. Allen, a seismologist at the University of California,Berkeley, and Erik L. Olson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, analyzed 71 recent earthquakes. LAT