Dark Dune Fields of Proctor Crater, Mars

SPACE WATCH
NASA – The dark rippled dunes of Mars’ Proctor Crater likely formed more recently than the lighter rock forms they appear to cover, and are thought to slowly shift in response to pervasive winds. The dunes arise from a complex relationship between the sandy surface and high winds on Mars. Similar dunes were first seen in Proctor Crater by Mariner 9 more than 35 years ago.

This image was taken by HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, currently in orbit around Mars. more> http://tinyurl.com/24lq7e9

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Are Amazon, Netflix, Google Making Too Many Decisions For Us?

By Joel Delman – Today’s technological advancements begin to emulate the science behind human choices, people are increasingly leaving many day-to-day decisions to their electronic devices and software. more> http://tinyurl.com/25okl4n

Euro zone breaks taboo with sovereign default plan

By Luke Baker – The IMF-backed mechanism would hardly have been thinkable a year ago. But the debt crisis has overhauled thinking.

The 16 countries that share the euro single currency — some of the world’s largest and most stable economies — will now have a fixed system for handling default, with private bondholders sharing the cost with taxpayers. more> http://tinyurl.com/39gubew

related>

• Will the euro survive Europe’s latest sovereign debt crisis? Kathleen Brooks, Reuters http://tinyurl.com/2ulu7tc

PACs versus PLCs

By Al Presher – The consensus among both users and automation suppliers is that use of PACs (programmable automation controllers) is on the rise, driven by the move to multidisciplinary control.

Controller CPUs with more built-in communication ports for both Ethernet and fieldbus connectivity can reduce the system cost by eliminating separate communication add-on modules. Additionally, upgrading to a controller that includes a built-in Web server for Internet connectivity saves on an additional PC in the system as a Web server. more> http://tinyurl.com/33jr3q2

AT&T ramps up lobbying effort against net neutrality at FCC

By Cecilia Kang – Top AT&T executives have met or called Chairman Julius Genachowski’s office eight times in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. CEO Randall Stephenson called Genachowski on Nov. 23, and “urged the Commission not to adopt regulations that lack sensitivity to the dynamics of investment in a difficult economy, or to the capabilities and challenges inherent in different broadband technologies,” according to a filing at the FCC. more> http://tinyurl.com/3yq6627