Month: September 2016

A new report published by the EOCD describes the world of 2050 sustaining 9.2 billion people. (credit: NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring)

If you look at a graph of our instrumental temperature records (like this one) you’ll see that temperatures seem to bounce around idly until after 1900, at which point a sustained rise becomes apparent. As a result, the pre-industrial temperature is typically pegged at the value it had in the late 1800s.

But a recent study published in Nature uses paleoclimate records from the 1500s to show that industrial-era warming first became apparent in the Northern Hemisphere in the mid-1800s. This paper suggests that humanity’s climate influence can be seen earlier than previously thought, so current models may underestimate the magnitude of human-caused climate change.

Paleoclimate data is reconstructed by combining observed climate data with known geochemical or biological markers of temperature. This information is analyzed using a statistical model that allows scientists to estimate temperatures for unobserved time points. For example, scientists can combine information from tree rings for years that have temperature readings to learn about how the temperatures affect tree growth. They can then use tree rings to make inferences about the climate in time periods before we started recording climate data, based on the changes that they see in the rings.

Enlarge / That single cord going down to a pocket sure looks more appealing than the thick wire usually connecting the Vive to a PC tower. (credit: Quark VR)

As much as we love the HTC Vive, we're still annoyed by the long, thick wire required to connect the VR headset to a PC tower (backpack laptops notwithstanding). A Bulgarian VR startup is promising a fix to the problem, though, saying that an untethered, wireless solution for the HTC Vive will be ready for demonstration sometime this fall.

Quark VR says it realized the importance of taking the Vive wireless after a public demo in Sofia, Bulgaria left most players "quite disturbed by the cables in their feet or above their head." From there, Quark met with Valve representatives during a recent stay at a Silicon Valley incubator, and the company says Valve was "more than happy to cooperate with us on the task... we’re incredibly happy the guys from Valve are so open to cooperation and improving their amazing creation." (A Valve representative was not immediately available to comment).

Quark's setup isn't entirely "wireless," if you want to get technical about it. There's still a large wire running from the headset to a small transmitter "gadget" that sits in the user's pocket. Quibbling over wording misses the point, though, which is that this prototype means no more worries about tripping over, twisting, or pulling the cables out of the computer as you walk and turn around your VR room.

Enlarge (credit: SSPL/Getty Images)

BT is taking legal action in the US against games company Valve for allegedly infringing on four of the UK telecoms giant's patents.

A BT spokesperson told Ars: "BT can confirm that it has commenced legal proceedings against Valve Corporation by filing a claim with the US District Court of Delaware for patent infringement. The patents in question relate to online computer or video gaming platforms, digital distribution services, and personalised access to online services and content."

Ars has contacted Valve for its comment on BT's move, but has not yet received a response.