The world’s first algae-fueled vehicle, which is called the Algaeus, has started its long green drive across America. The car, a converted plug-in Prius outfitted with a nickel-metal hydride battery and filled with a blend of 5% algae and 95% gasoline from Sapphire Energy, set out from San Francisco yesterday and will take 10 days to make it to Washington, DC.
The group responsible for the Algaeus, the Veggie Van Organization, expects the car will only require 25 gallons of fuel to make the entire trip.
Sapphire Energy plans to produce two million gallons of algae fuel per year for the next two years with hopes of it becoming cost-competitive in the next few years at $60 to $80 a barrel. Sapphire wants to create a 10%algae blend for its future commercial products. They are also producing a million gallons of algae-based jet fuel this year.
Friday, October 2, 2009
NASA Is Running Out of Space Fuel, No Refills In Sight
So apparently, NASA needs this itsy-bitsy little thing called Plutonium-238 to make their deep-space rocketships go ZoOOOooOoOooM ZooOOOOoMM, but they're running out of it and need congress to drop $30 million to help make more.
NPR says that NASA has not made any new Plutonium-238 since the 1980s, instead opting to borrow from Mother Russia. And because they use up to 11 pounds of the material each year, it would take 8 years worth of production to begin satisfying demand again. But the requested $30 million from Congress is only a start—the full Plutonium-238 production program could cost up to $150 million.
Because it gets so cold in deep space (reaching absolute zero), spacecrafts traveling out that far need a fuel generating a lot of heat, so they can convert that energy to electricity. Plutonium-238 naturally generates a serious amount of heat as it goes through radioactive decay, so it's often the fuel of choice for these NASA adventures, such as voyages to Saturn and beyond.
According to a Johns Hopkins planetary scientist, NASA has enough Plutonium left to fuel the next Mars Rover mission, and maybe enough to test out some new power generators. After that, they need more scratch for more fuel. [NPR via MIT Tech Review]
NPR says that NASA has not made any new Plutonium-238 since the 1980s, instead opting to borrow from Mother Russia. And because they use up to 11 pounds of the material each year, it would take 8 years worth of production to begin satisfying demand again. But the requested $30 million from Congress is only a start—the full Plutonium-238 production program could cost up to $150 million.
Because it gets so cold in deep space (reaching absolute zero), spacecrafts traveling out that far need a fuel generating a lot of heat, so they can convert that energy to electricity. Plutonium-238 naturally generates a serious amount of heat as it goes through radioactive decay, so it's often the fuel of choice for these NASA adventures, such as voyages to Saturn and beyond.
According to a Johns Hopkins planetary scientist, NASA has enough Plutonium left to fuel the next Mars Rover mission, and maybe enough to test out some new power generators. After that, they need more scratch for more fuel. [NPR via MIT Tech Review]
Notebook laptops: Samsung N130 - New netbook
As September wears on, some companies are confirming the launch of new products. And Samsung is one of them. The company has announced to the public that an interesting and tiny netbook called Samsung N130 will be launched into the market shortly. This netbook will be remarkable: it will have an internal battery for an 11 hours estimated autonomy. That is a really high battery autonomy nowadays. The Samsung N130 has been equipped with an Intel Atom N270 processor and it will come with a 10.1-inch screen, resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam (which is perfect for those people who like or need online video communications all the time), memory cards reader, and a hard drive with a storage capacity of up to 160 GB.
In addition, this new netbook also includes a GMA 950 video card, 3-cell or 6-cell battery (it is up to the user to select the most appropriate) and 1GB of RAM.
Lastly, other features include 3 USB ports, a VGA output, an approximate weight of 1.27 kg (2.8 pounds). The dimensions are 263.8 x 185.5 x 28.5 mm (10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches).
In addition, this new netbook also includes a GMA 950 video card, 3-cell or 6-cell battery (it is up to the user to select the most appropriate) and 1GB of RAM.
Lastly, other features include 3 USB ports, a VGA output, an approximate weight of 1.27 kg (2.8 pounds). The dimensions are 263.8 x 185.5 x 28.5 mm (10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches).
Best video game - PS3 3D mode will be available in 2010
Enough years have passed since the introduction of the technology that allows us to see 3D images on a screen. In one way or another, we know this technology is present in our world, but it has not had the impact on the society and exploitation that would have been expected to occur after its commercial launch. But that situation could change very soon since Sony has announced that all the games compatible with PS3 will have a new 3D mode.
Sony is trying a new strategy to attract new users. For that reason, the company is currently working to add 3D support for all of its available games for PS3. The transition should be taking place in 2010, according to Sony’s announcement. So, if Microsoft is pushing hard to reach its ambitious goals related to the Xbox 360, now Sony wants to change the users’ experience in a radical way (at least with the PS3 games).
We don’t know the exact specifications of the first version of this 3D mode, but some preliminary reports have confirmed that it consists of a process where the console sends 3D content by using an HDMI cable. That content is synchronized and the users will be able to see the 3D effects by using 3D glasses. So, we can get an easy deduction from this basic explanation: As usual, it will be necessary to use the traditional 3D glasses and, besides that, we will need a new TV that supports 3D (in case you don’t have one).
For now, the only thing we can do is wait for some reviews of this innovative technology, which hopefully will improve the way in which we enjoy our consoles. Maybe this will be the most important change in the video games industry during the following years. We’ll see. Apparently, 2010 will be the year of the 3D games.
Sony is trying a new strategy to attract new users. For that reason, the company is currently working to add 3D support for all of its available games for PS3. The transition should be taking place in 2010, according to Sony’s announcement. So, if Microsoft is pushing hard to reach its ambitious goals related to the Xbox 360, now Sony wants to change the users’ experience in a radical way (at least with the PS3 games).
We don’t know the exact specifications of the first version of this 3D mode, but some preliminary reports have confirmed that it consists of a process where the console sends 3D content by using an HDMI cable. That content is synchronized and the users will be able to see the 3D effects by using 3D glasses. So, we can get an easy deduction from this basic explanation: As usual, it will be necessary to use the traditional 3D glasses and, besides that, we will need a new TV that supports 3D (in case you don’t have one).
For now, the only thing we can do is wait for some reviews of this innovative technology, which hopefully will improve the way in which we enjoy our consoles. Maybe this will be the most important change in the video games industry during the following years. We’ll see. Apparently, 2010 will be the year of the 3D games.
BioLogic FreeCharge - Recharge your gadgets while riding a bike - Battery charger rechargeable
Well, the same principle used by a dynamo that generates electricity is now taken by Dahon (the world’s largest manufacturer of folding bikes), to create a new device that allows users to recharge electronic gadgets while they are riding a bike. The device is attached to the dynamo and its name is “BioLogic FreeCharge”.
It has a battery that is charged with the power supplied from the dynamo. Then, you can recharge your gadgets by connecting them to the BioLogic FreeCharge and using a USB connector that comes with this device.
We guess this charger will be useful to those who usually use a bike as one of their regular means of transport because it will provide an easy way to keep some personal gadgets charged (for example: cell phones and MP3 players).
Pentax digital camera: K-x, a novel DSLR with 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor
As expected, Pentax doesn’t want to hang back while its competitors are constantly announcing technological advances. For that reason, the Japanese corporation has decided to introduce the Pentax K-x, a very modern DSLR that offers, as a main feature, the capability of recording high-definition video with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 24fps.
On the other hand, we find that this photographic camera comes with a 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400, 11 point wide angle SAFOX VIII autofocus system, and an image stabilizer.
The design of this camera is very attractive when compared to other cameras that have been made by Pentax recently. This way, we think the Pentax K-x will be a successful product because the great design is the perfect complement to its good technical specs.
Other features of this great camera include a 2.7-inch display, operation with AA batteries, and a still shooting speed of 4.7fps. Besides, it can capture up to 1900 shots before the batteries die completely.
Other features of this great camera include a 2.7-inch display, operation with AA batteries, and a still shooting speed of 4.7fps. Besides, it can capture up to 1900 shots before the batteries die completely.
Headphones that are motion-activated for Sony Ericsson mobile phone
There are built-in, capacitive motion sensors at the end of the headphones, which are able to automatically start or stop the operation of, for example, a cell phone. This is achieved by using a contact point sends a signal when a user puts or pulls the headphones in/out the ears.
When the user puts the headphones in his/her ears, the music can be listened to. On the other hand, it also allows to answer an incoming call if it is used as a handsfree with a supported cell phone. And when the user pulls the headphones out, the music will be paused or the call will be ended.
The MH907 headphones will be available in Europe first by the end of this week. They will cost 39 Euros (approximately US$ 57) and will come in two colors: black and yellow.
HTC Tattoo: Another Android phone with HTC touch LCD
On the webpage intended to give an overview of this new mobile phone, which is included on the official HTC website, we can read the following: “HTC Tattoo is all about you. It’s the first phone that can be customized inside and out. Decide how your phone looks, then decide what you want to look at. Texts? Twitter? Your photos? When you’re done customizing HTC Tattoo, you’ll have a phone that speaks loudly about who you are and what you’re into.”
HTC Tattoo is a latest-generation mobile phone with a lot of great features. With this phone, you will be able to chat, write and send text messages, make tweets of 140 characters or less, and use all the widgets you want in a very accessible way in order to be connected to a wide range of online services. If you want to play games, you can do it too: You only need to go to the Android Market and download all the games you want to play.
Are you a music fan? With HTC Tattoo you can group your music collection by album and artist, or create playlists, so you will be able to listen to your stored music at any time without needing to make an endless search process… yep, every song will be within your reach with a very easy access point. The same thing applies to the photos. Besides, you will also be able to access your or your friends’ photo collections on Flickr or Facebook.
HTC Tattoo was designed to be an extremely user-friendly mobile device. The search button will allow you to find any person in your contact list in a fast and easy way, or find a specific e-mail in your inbox folder, or search on the web, or find a task / appointment in the calendar application.
Are you a music fan? With HTC Tattoo you can group your music collection by album and artist, or create playlists, so you will be able to listen to your stored music at any time without needing to make an endless search process… yep, every song will be within your reach with a very easy access point. The same thing applies to the photos. Besides, you will also be able to access your or your friends’ photo collections on Flickr or Facebook.
HTC Tattoo was designed to be an extremely user-friendly mobile device. The search button will allow you to find any person in your contact list in a fast and easy way, or find a specific e-mail in your inbox folder, or search on the web, or find a task / appointment in the calendar application.
New Fuji camera to take instant color photos
In sharp contrast with the Polaroid PoGo digital camera which has a built-in printer, the Instax Mini 7S uses the Fujifilm Instant Color Film “instax mini” with a size of 2″ x 3″. This film has an image area of 1.8″ x 2.4″, which is then developed as the finished photo.
Other features of the Instax Mini 7S include a built-in automatic flash system and an electronic shutter 1/60-sec. A LED exposure indicator shows how many pictures are left and the glossy film has a light sensitivity of ISO 800.
This new instant photo camera has a price of 96 dollars and a 10-pack of the Instax Mini film costs $20.
Camera cell phone: Samsung Trill R520 with a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera
Samsung has confirmed the rumors that arose some days ago. Specifically, the company has announced that its new mobile phone, which is called “Trill R520″, will soon be available in the United States.
The technical sheet of this mobile phone indicates it includes a 1.3-megapixel camera that allows users to take pictures and record video. Besides, it has digital zoom and a night mode.
In addition, other useful features are included, for example: Built-in memory of 1 GB, a slot to insert microSD/microSDHC memory cards, USB connection, stereo Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, headphone jack (3.5mm), Global Positioning System (GPS), support to play music formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA), and a 2.2-inch TFT display.
With regard to the battery, the specs indicate that the Trill R520 has a Li - Ion battery (880 mAh) and it is supposed to offer up to 270 minutes of talk time and up to 300 hours of standby time.
In addition, other useful features are included, for example: Built-in memory of 1 GB, a slot to insert microSD/microSDHC memory cards, USB connection, stereo Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, headphone jack (3.5mm), Global Positioning System (GPS), support to play music formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA), and a 2.2-inch TFT display.
With regard to the battery, the specs indicate that the Trill R520 has a Li - Ion battery (880 mAh) and it is supposed to offer up to 270 minutes of talk time and up to 300 hours of standby time.
LCD computer monitor: DoubleSight unveils some new Smart USB screens
DoubleSight Displays has unveiled a new line of LCD display screens which are called Smart USB monitors.
They are available in several versions: 7-inch, 9-inch, and 9-inch with webcam. Each LCD monitor is designed to work with any desktop or laptop computer with an USB port (a VGA port is not needed). And, by using a software called DoubleSight’s Display Link, the user will be able to connect up to six Smart USB Monitors to his/her existing PC.
Like most of USB screens, these screens require no video chipset. Besides, they work in both landscape and portrait modes.
You can buy these monitors by using the online DoubleSigh shop. The 7-inch monitor costs $ 139, the 9-inch one costs $ 169 and the 9-inch one with webcam has a price of $ 199.
The 7-inch monitor has a maximum resolution of 800×480, while the 9-inch version supports up to 1024×600 pixels. All the versions muster a 30ms pixel response time and are compatible with Mac OS X and Windows PCs.
They are available in several versions: 7-inch, 9-inch, and 9-inch with webcam. Each LCD monitor is designed to work with any desktop or laptop computer with an USB port (a VGA port is not needed). And, by using a software called DoubleSight’s Display Link, the user will be able to connect up to six Smart USB Monitors to his/her existing PC.
Like most of USB screens, these screens require no video chipset. Besides, they work in both landscape and portrait modes.
You can buy these monitors by using the online DoubleSigh shop. The 7-inch monitor costs $ 139, the 9-inch one costs $ 169 and the 9-inch one with webcam has a price of $ 199.
The 7-inch monitor has a maximum resolution of 800×480, while the 9-inch version supports up to 1024×600 pixels. All the versions muster a 30ms pixel response time and are compatible with Mac OS X and Windows PCs.
IBM takes on Google in business Web-mail market
BOSTON - IBM is introducing an inexpensive Web-based corporate email service that will compete with Google Inc's Google Apps, which has recently suffered several high-profile outages.
International Business Machines Corp will likely try to capitalize on the damage that those outages have caused to Google Apps over the past year. Last month millions of business users could not access email for almost two hours.
An IBM spokesman said on Thursday that the company will start selling its LotusLive iNotes next week. The lightweight email service will cost $36 per user per year, about 25 percent less than what Google charges for a more robust product.
IBM's offering does not have as many bells and whistles as Google's, but the technology giant could attract more customers because it has decades more experience serving the business market. Its products include Lotus Notes, one of the world's two most widely used email programs.
Google, on the other hand, generates the bulk of its revenue from advertisements placed on free search products targeted at consumers. It is just getting into the business of selling to businesses.
"The IBM brand will help a lot," said Forrester Research Inc analyst Liz Herbert.
iNotes will also compete with a Web-based email service from Microsoft Corp that costs about $120 per user per year, according to the software maker's website.
International Business Machines Corp will likely try to capitalize on the damage that those outages have caused to Google Apps over the past year. Last month millions of business users could not access email for almost two hours.
An IBM spokesman said on Thursday that the company will start selling its LotusLive iNotes next week. The lightweight email service will cost $36 per user per year, about 25 percent less than what Google charges for a more robust product.
IBM's offering does not have as many bells and whistles as Google's, but the technology giant could attract more customers because it has decades more experience serving the business market. Its products include Lotus Notes, one of the world's two most widely used email programs.
Google, on the other hand, generates the bulk of its revenue from advertisements placed on free search products targeted at consumers. It is just getting into the business of selling to businesses.
"The IBM brand will help a lot," said Forrester Research Inc analyst Liz Herbert.
iNotes will also compete with a Web-based email service from Microsoft Corp that costs about $120 per user per year, according to the software maker's website.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sex robots for pleasure in the future
Robots of the future would be used for sexual purposes, believes a
leading scientist.
US robotics scientist Professor Rodney Brooks, former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, said he had no reason to doubt that the technology would have ‘sexual drivers’.
"Every technology that we've had, there has been a sexual driver of it," the Couriermail quoted Brooks, a founder and former chief technical officer of lucrative US company iRobot, as saying.
"I mean, that's certainly true of photographs in the 19th century; and home video players were really driven by sex; and of course the web has been a major source of sex. Yeah, there will be (sexbots) but it is not specific to robots per se," he added.
The expert said the development of sexbots may take some time.
He explained: "There are two versions of it, I suppose. We accept that, yes, there will be robotic sex toys, remote presence sex where someone is controlling a robot and stuff. But there's also been some more outrageous stuff (predicted) – where people marry robots.
"Who knows what will happen in 300 years – you just can't predict – but it's not a burning issue guys. I mean, really."
But artificial intelligence researcher David Levy, who completed his PhD on the subject of human-robot relationships, told LiveScience: "At first, sex with robots might be considered geeky, but once you have a story like ''I had sex with a robot and it was great!'' appear in a magazine like Cosmo, I'd expect many people to jump on the bandwagon.”
Sexual pleasure (Getty Images) |
US robotics scientist Professor Rodney Brooks, former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, said he had no reason to doubt that the technology would have ‘sexual drivers’.
"Every technology that we've had, there has been a sexual driver of it," the Couriermail quoted Brooks, a founder and former chief technical officer of lucrative US company iRobot, as saying.
"I mean, that's certainly true of photographs in the 19th century; and home video players were really driven by sex; and of course the web has been a major source of sex. Yeah, there will be (sexbots) but it is not specific to robots per se," he added.
The expert said the development of sexbots may take some time.
He explained: "There are two versions of it, I suppose. We accept that, yes, there will be robotic sex toys, remote presence sex where someone is controlling a robot and stuff. But there's also been some more outrageous stuff (predicted) – where people marry robots.
"Who knows what will happen in 300 years – you just can't predict – but it's not a burning issue guys. I mean, really."
But artificial intelligence researcher David Levy, who completed his PhD on the subject of human-robot relationships, told LiveScience: "At first, sex with robots might be considered geeky, but once you have a story like ''I had sex with a robot and it was great!'' appear in a magazine like Cosmo, I'd expect many people to jump on the bandwagon.”
IREX DR800SG: The Flip Side of Digital Reading
Robert S. Anthony, PC World
Things got a little more crowded in the ebook reader market Wednesday as IREX Technologies, a pioneer in e-paper technology, rolled out its first consumer reader for the U.S., the stylus-driven IREX DR800SG.
The beige unit features an 8.1-inch e-paper display, a Qualcomm 3G wireless adapter which links to the Verizon Wireless network, and a different business and connectivity model than Amazon’s Kindle. The DR 800SG will be available for $399 from Best Buy starting in late October, said Hans Brons, CEO and founder of IREX Technologies.
The IREX DR800SG allows users to import new content both wirelessly and via a cable link with a PC. Users can view purchased content on other devices or import their own content from their PCs.
“We believe in openness," Kevin Hamilton, CEO for IREX in North America, proclaimed at the New York launch event. Noting the device has a Linux-based operating system, he added, “Our device is really a reading tool for people who love to read.”
The unit supports a number of open and DRM-based ebook formats, including the ePub format, and Hamilton noted that the company had partnered with Barnes & Noble to make it easy for users to purchase content with the DR800SG.
Instead of a finger-driven touchscreen, the DR800SG uses a magnetic resonance stylus, in part to maintain the brightness of the display, said Brons. He said the additional transparent touch layer needed to enable finger navigation would have decreased screen brightness by 15 to 20 percent. He noted that Sony’s Reader uses just such a touch layer, with the expected detrimental effect on brightness.
The slim unit has an intentionally plain design, with only a menu button, a long “flip” bar and a power and activity indicator light on the left side of the 10-ounce unit. The flip bar is pushed from side to side to page through ebooks or menus. Clicking is performed with the stylus or by pushing down on the flip bar.
“We tried to create an almost frameless design,” says Brons The color of the display and the hardware was meant to be “as neutral as possible.”
He added that while the device is ready for electronic ink based note taking, the application that enables the function wasn’t quite ready but would be added later as a free update. A color model is in the works for early 2011.
The edge of the unit is blank except for a power switch and a mini-USB socket. Installed in the battery compartment on the back is a 2GB SD Card, which can hold up to 1,500 e-books and can be replaced with a larger-capacity card.
Due to the sheer lack of buttons, the unit, which swivels in its book-like hard-cover case as if it was a leaf of paper, proved easy to operate. While the large icons for items like the eBook Mall, online newspapers and other items were easy to read and click, some of the smaller indicators, like the 3G connection confirmation icon and the battery icon, get lost somewhat at the bottom of the display.
Pages can be bookmarked by tapping the stylus on the upper right corner of the display. From there you can go to a list of bookmarks for easy navigation. Changing fonts or rotating the page was a matter of making a selection from a menu. Readability was good and, of course, got better with more ambient light.
Hamilton said that $9.99 had become a “de facto price” for ebooks but noted that users don’t pay extra for air time when downloading purchased content. He noted, however, that there may be airtime charges for future vertical business applications if they consume a significant amount of wireless bandwidth.
According to IREX, the unit should run for days on a single charge. Like other e-paper digital readers, the display consumes no power unity unless it’s refreshing a page, downloading content or performing other activity.
Hamilton says the advantage of having the IREX DR800SG available in brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy will give it a key selling advantage over Amazon’s Kindle, which is available online.
Sep 24, 2009 1:39 am
Things got a little more crowded in the ebook reader market Wednesday as IREX Technologies, a pioneer in e-paper technology, rolled out its first consumer reader for the U.S., the stylus-driven IREX DR800SG.The beige unit features an 8.1-inch e-paper display, a Qualcomm 3G wireless adapter which links to the Verizon Wireless network, and a different business and connectivity model than Amazon’s Kindle. The DR 800SG will be available for $399 from Best Buy starting in late October, said Hans Brons, CEO and founder of IREX Technologies.
The IREX DR800SG allows users to import new content both wirelessly and via a cable link with a PC. Users can view purchased content on other devices or import their own content from their PCs.
“We believe in openness," Kevin Hamilton, CEO for IREX in North America, proclaimed at the New York launch event. Noting the device has a Linux-based operating system, he added, “Our device is really a reading tool for people who love to read.”The unit supports a number of open and DRM-based ebook formats, including the ePub format, and Hamilton noted that the company had partnered with Barnes & Noble to make it easy for users to purchase content with the DR800SG.
Instead of a finger-driven touchscreen, the DR800SG uses a magnetic resonance stylus, in part to maintain the brightness of the display, said Brons. He said the additional transparent touch layer needed to enable finger navigation would have decreased screen brightness by 15 to 20 percent. He noted that Sony’s Reader uses just such a touch layer, with the expected detrimental effect on brightness.
The slim unit has an intentionally plain design, with only a menu button, a long “flip” bar and a power and activity indicator light on the left side of the 10-ounce unit. The flip bar is pushed from side to side to page through ebooks or menus. Clicking is performed with the stylus or by pushing down on the flip bar.
“We tried to create an almost frameless design,” says Brons The color of the display and the hardware was meant to be “as neutral as possible.”
He added that while the device is ready for electronic ink based note taking, the application that enables the function wasn’t quite ready but would be added later as a free update. A color model is in the works for early 2011.
The edge of the unit is blank except for a power switch and a mini-USB socket. Installed in the battery compartment on the back is a 2GB SD Card, which can hold up to 1,500 e-books and can be replaced with a larger-capacity card.
Due to the sheer lack of buttons, the unit, which swivels in its book-like hard-cover case as if it was a leaf of paper, proved easy to operate. While the large icons for items like the eBook Mall, online newspapers and other items were easy to read and click, some of the smaller indicators, like the 3G connection confirmation icon and the battery icon, get lost somewhat at the bottom of the display.
Pages can be bookmarked by tapping the stylus on the upper right corner of the display. From there you can go to a list of bookmarks for easy navigation. Changing fonts or rotating the page was a matter of making a selection from a menu. Readability was good and, of course, got better with more ambient light.
Hamilton said that $9.99 had become a “de facto price” for ebooks but noted that users don’t pay extra for air time when downloading purchased content. He noted, however, that there may be airtime charges for future vertical business applications if they consume a significant amount of wireless bandwidth.
According to IREX, the unit should run for days on a single charge. Like other e-paper digital readers, the display consumes no power unity unless it’s refreshing a page, downloading content or performing other activity.
Hamilton says the advantage of having the IREX DR800SG available in brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy will give it a key selling advantage over Amazon’s Kindle, which is available online.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
India launches satellite for ocean study
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India on Wednesday launched a second satellite to study oceans.
The cube-shaped Oceansat-2 will monitor the interaction between oceans and the atmosphere, as part of climate studies, according to the country's main space agency.
The satellite, launched from India's southeast coast, carried six nanosatellites from European universities as auxiliary payloads, said the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It also is equipped with two solar panels projecting from its sides, for generating power and charging batteries.
India says it has the world's largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites -- 16, including Oceansat-2. They produce images for uses such as agriculture, rural development, water resources, forestry and disaster management.
Wednesday's launch came less than a month after India terminated its unmanned moon mission about 14 months ahead of its programmed life of two years.
The mission -- Chandrayaan-1, which means mooncraft in Sanskrit -- had to be abandoned after it lost contact with the ground.
In 312 days, it completed more than 3,400 orbits around the moon before vanishing from radar, according to the space agency.
Chandrayaan-1 aimed to take high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, especially the permanently shadowed polar regions.
The craft carried payloads from the United States, the European Union and Bulgaria.
Earlier this year, the Indian government increased the federal budget for space research to about $1 billion from $700 millionSaksoft launches Veri-sens
Sept 23 :
Saksoft, a global software services company focusing on the BFSI segment, announced the launch of Veri-sens, a Ready-to-use, end-to-end Business Intelligence solution designed exclusively for the Banking and Financial Services Industry.
Saksoft, a global software services company focusing on the BFSI segment, announced the launch of Veri-sens, a Ready-to-use, end-to-end Business Intelligence solution designed exclusively for the Banking and Financial Services Industry.
The product is packaged into three modules providing ready to go portfolio performance reports and dashboards for Credit Cards, Retail Assets like personal loans, auto loans and mortgages and Retail Liabilities, and also the High Net worth Individual (HNWI) segment.
The company plans to expand its service offerings into the Business Intelligence space through similar specialised products and solutions for Mutual Funds, Small and Medium Enterprises and Insurance sector, said a Saksoft release.
Saksoft's Veri-sens framework is technology independent and can significantly reduce IT cost by leveraging upon existing infrastructure, proprietary tools, open source tools and the power of cloud computing.
Aditya Krishna, Founder & Managing Director, Saksoft Group said 'Saksoft has maintained its performance over the last few quarters and has significantly increased profit margins by 333% in 2008-09 fiscal. Saksoft is a specialist solutions provider in Information Management and offers a comprehensive suite of ready-to use reports and dashboards.
'Our product Veri-sens stands apart from other BI solutions available in the market because of its specialized domain-specific business intelligence framework which can be deployed across multiple business units and product lines. Veri-sens works with any Transaction processing solution and complements the operational reports available from these systems by meeting the analytical reporting requirements of senior and middle management. Over the next three years, Veri-sens will contribute to 10-12% of the company revenues.
'Our future product roadmap for Veri-sens is to look at technology advancements and addition of new products and business areas to the Veri-sens product family.'
Veri-sens offers pre-built data models, industry standard computational engines and more than 150 pre-built reports and dashboards which help businesses identify, manage and overcome key strategic challenges across multiple functional areas.
'We wanted to extend our core service offerings to customers in India. High costs, high complexity and long gestation period are some of the concerns in the industry, while deploying a new Datawarehouse and Business Intelligence solution. With Veri-sens, we have shrunk the deployment time by at least 50%. In fact Veri-sens can be useful to audit an existing data warehouse or build a warehouse from scratch with a very powerful ETL logic. Veri-sens has an established data model and Key Performance Indicators built by domain experts that can be readily used by the business users', said N K Subramaniyam, Executive Director, Operations and Technology, Saksoft Ltd. 'This business intelligence solution will allow customers to make more informed business decisions, reduce credit risk and respond faster to opportunities and threats.'
According to Gartner, by 2012 organisations will allocate at least 40 per cent of the total IT budgets for business intelligence. With Veri-sens, Saksoft continues to deliver powerful, affordable and easy-to-use solutions with a comprehensive suite of ready dashboards and reports that can immediately address a company's most critical business needs. Veri-sens BI solutions can be used across various levels of the organization from front-line customer service representatives to business analysts and senior executives.
Business intelligence has become one of the top most technology priorities. IDC predicts that by 2013, companies will increase their spending at the rate of almost 10% in this sector. Investments are likely to expand in the areas of production reporting, spreadsheets and ad hoc queries, in the range of about 45- 50 % as compared to the last fiscal.
--IBNS
Yahoo to kick off new branding campaign
By Alexei Oreskovic
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc said it would kick off a $100 million branding campaign next week as the No. 2 U.S. Web company seeks to revive growth and redefine itself under Chief Executive Carol Bartz.
The global campaign, "It's You," comes a few months after Yahoo said it would outsource its search technology to Microsoft Corp.
The deal with Microsoft remains on track to close in early 2010, Bartz said during a news briefing in New York on Tuesday to introduce the marketing campaign.
Bartz declined to comment on recent reports that Yahoo is seeking to sell certain businesses such as Zimbra, a provider of business email and calendar services that Yahoo had acquired for about $350 million in 2007.
Yahoo is also seeking as much as $500 million for its small business Web hosting group, sources told Reuters on Monday.
"Most of our assets are very core to the company. Those that aren't, where it makes sense we will sell and where it makes sense we will shut down," Bartz said.
Yahoo's collection of websites were the second most visited Internet properties in the United States in August, behind Google Inc, according to comScore. Yahoo also faces growing competition from a new crop of social networking websites such as Facebook, which recently announced it reached 300 million users.
"The company needs to reinvigorate their brand. Maybe this is kind of a first step in that," said Kaufman Brothers analyst Aaron Kessler.
Yahoo executives on Tuesday promised more product launches such as the redesigned version of its Internet homepage that incorporates third-party websites like Facebook.
The multimedia campaign will be launched in the United States next week, in the United Kingdom and India in October, and other countries next year.
Yahoo shares fell 14 cents at $16.90 in late-afternoon trading on Nasdaq.
Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:48pm IST
New computing tool may help scientists create tastier and longer lasting tomatoes
Scientists have developed a new computing tool that could help scientists predict how plants will react to different environmental conditions in order to create better crops, such as tastier and longer lasting tomatoes.
The tool will form part of a new 1.7 million pounds Syngenta University Centre at Imperial College London, which will see researchers from Imperial and Syngenta working together to improve agricultural products.
Scientists are keen to develop new strains of crops such as drought resistant wheat and new pesticides that are more environmentally friendly.
However, in order to do this, they need to predict how the genes inside plants will react when they are subjected to different chemicals or environmental conditions.
According to Professor Stephen Muggleton, Director of the new Centre from the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, "We believe our computing tool will revolutionize agricultural research by making the process much faster than is currently possible using conventional techniques. We hope that our new technology will ultimately help farmers to produce hardier, longer lasting and more nutritious crops."
The researchers have developed a prototype of the new tool, which they are currently testing.
It can analyze in a matter of minutes, instead of months, which genes are responsible for different processes inside a plant, and how different genes work together.
It uses a type of computer programming that relies on 'machine learning', a set of sophisticated algorithms that allows a computer to 'learn' based on data that it is analysing.
The researchers said that the tool will recognize complex patterns in that data to find 'nuggets' of information about plant biology that might previously have taken months or even years to find.
The 'machine learning' ability of the new tool means that researchers can develop an understanding of different plants even when they are lacking information about some aspects of their inner workings.
Previously, mathematical modelling of a plant's behaviour has been time consuming and difficult because without all the information about a plant, the models have been imprecise.
For the first project using the tool, scientists will look at how different genes affect the way a tomato's flesh hardens and tastes, and how the fruit's skin changes colour from green to red.
The researchers hope that this will enable them to develop new tomato strains that are tastier, and that redden earlier and soften later so that they can be transported more easily to market. (ANI)
Washington | September 23, 2009 2:16:42 PM ISTDiamonds could help devise the ultimate MRI probe
Posted On :23-Sep-2009 02:59:10 Source :Indo Asian News Service
Washington, Sep 23 (IANS) Diamonds, a woman's best friend, might also turn out to be the patient's good friend as well.
Work done by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on quantum computing, it appears, has more immediate application in medical science.
NIST theoretical physicist Jacob Taylor envisions diamond-tipped sensors performing magnetic resonance tests on individual cells within the body, or on single molecules drug companies want to investigate - a sort of MRI scanner for the microscopic.
Their finding that a candidate 'quantum bit' has great sensitivity to magnetic fields hints that MRI-like devices to probe individual drug molecules and living cells may be possible.
The candidate system, formed from a nitrogen atom lodged within a diamond crystal, is promising not only because it can sense atomic-scale variations in magnetism, but also because it functions at room temperature.
Diamond, which is solidified carbon, occasionally has minute imperfections within its crystalline structure. A common impurity is a 'nitrogen vacancy,' in which two carbon atoms are replaced by a single atom of nitrogen, leaving the other carbon atom's space vacant.
Nitrogen vacancies are in part responsible for diamond's famed lustre, for they are actually fluorescent: when green light strikes them, the nitrogen atom's two excitable unpaired electrons glow a brilliant red.
The team can use slight variations in this fluorescence to determine the magnetic spin of a single electron in the nitrogen.
Spin is a quantum property that has a value of either 'up' or 'down,' and therefore could represent one or zero in binary computation.
Reading a quantum bit's spin information - a fundamental task for a quantum computer -has been a daunting challenge, says an NIST release.
But the NIST team demonstrated that by transferring the information back and forth between the electron and the nuclei, the information could be amplified, making it much easier to read.
Microsoft developing new tablet PC device
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is developing a small tablet-style PC to rival a similar product that may be launched by Apple Inc, technology blog Gizmodo reported on Tuesday.
The booklet-shaped device, called Courier, is in the "late prototype" stage of development, Gizmodo reported, without identifying the source of its information.
Microsoft did not immediately answer a request for comment.
The Courier device has dual 7-inch (18 cm) screens that are touch sensitive and can be used in conjunction with a stylus, Gizmodo reported.
Apple has long been expected to launch its own tablet PC -- essentially a large version of its iPhone -- but has so far announced no plans to do so.
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