From ARS Technica

Wharton Business School professor Kevin Werbach dubs Comcast's actions this week a "turning point in US Internet policy." Law professor Susan Crawford calls Comcast a terrifying, hat-wearing hydra—and she's looking for a Hercules to cut it down to size. Harold Feld of Public Knowledge says that Comcast has set up a new "toll booth" on the 'Net and is now operating like Ed "use my pipes free" Whitacre. And broadband analyst Dave Burstein says Comcast has just deployed "the nuclear option."

Just what is going on here, why does it matter, and why is Comcast calling backbone operator Level 3 a big fat liar for starting the whole debate?
The facts as we know them

From DailyTech

Thin and uniform layer on textured substrates provides enhanced efficiency in polymer solar cells
Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory researchers have improved the efficiency of polymer solar cells through the use of a new process that increases light absorption.

To keep employees happy and stop them from moving to Facebook, everyone gets raise

It's a good day to be working at Google.

The company is giving each of its 23,000 employees across the globe a 10% raise effective in January, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. According to the Journal, the move is an attempt to keep workers from defecting to competitors like Facebook, where a reported 10% of the staffers are former Google employees.

From Information Week

University of Arizona develops three-dimensional motion hologram that is viewable on all sides without special glasses.

If you thought 3D TVs was the next great wave in entertainment, think again. Developments in holographic three-dimensional technology, introduced in the mainstream in 1977 in the science-fiction movie “Star Wars,” may take off before 3D can make a splash.

Researchers at the University of Arizona this week announced they have developed the fastest 3D motion hologram. Unlike regular flat 3D, a holographic display presents an image that is viewable on all sides, projected in front of the viewer without the need for special glasses. Refresh rates have been the issue with the technology, with one image changing every few minutes. However, the rates have now been increased to a view change every two seconds. The research team used 16 cameras to create a 45-degree view of a 3D image.

From DailyTech

Solar Shield could prevent lengthy power blackouts and transformer damage during geomagnetic storms

NASA has created a new project called "Solar Shield" in an effort to prevent damage to key transformers in the case of a severe solar storm.

In 1859, a severe solar storm called the Carrington Event occurred throughout September 1 and 2. It is the most powerful solar storm recorded in history. Offices caught on fire and telegraph operators were actually shocked and saw sparks from the storm. Sunspots and solar flares were seen on the sun from August 28 through September 2, and aurorae seen over the Rocky Mountains were so bright that gold miners awoke early because they thought it was daylight. Just before noon on September 1, Richard Carrington, a British astronomer, saw the largest flare in the sky. This large flare caused a coronal mass ejection, which is a billion-ton solar storm cloud, which took 18 hours to travel toward Earth.