Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
IBM To Build Next Generation Chips Using DNA
In future DNA wouldn’t just control human evolution but also computing evolution, if IBM succeeds to use DNA in development of next-generation microchips.
Scientists at IBM Research and the California Institute of Technology announced a scientific advancement that could be a major breakthrough in enabling the semiconductor industry to pack more power and speed into tiny computer chips, while making them more energy efficient and less expensive to manufacture.
Today, the semiconductor industry is faced with the challenges of developing lithographic technology for feature sizes smaller than 22 nm and exploring new classes of transistors that employ carbon nanotubes or silicon nanowires. IBM’s approach of using DNA molecules as scaffolding – where millions of carbon nanotubes could be deposited and self-assembled into precise patterns by sticking to the DNA molecules – may provide a way to reach sub-22 nm lithography.
The utility of this approach lies in the fact that the positioned DNA nanostructures can serve as scaffolds, or miniature circuit boards, for the precise assembly of components – such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires and nanoparticles – at dimensions significantly smaller than possible with conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques. This opens up the possibility of creating functional devices that can be integrated into larger structures, as well as enabling studies of arrays of nanostructures with known coordinates.
The paper on this work, “Placement and orientation of DNA nano structures on lithographically patterned surfaces,” by scientists at IBM Research and the California Institute of Technology, will be published in the September issue of Nature Nanotechnology and is currently available at: http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nnano.2009.220.html.
Today, the semiconductor industry is faced with the challenges of developing lithographic technology for feature sizes smaller than 22 nm and exploring new classes of transistors that employ carbon nanotubes or silicon nanowires. IBM’s approach of using DNA molecules as scaffolding – where millions of carbon nanotubes could be deposited and self-assembled into precise patterns by sticking to the DNA molecules – may provide a way to reach sub-22 nm lithography.
The utility of this approach lies in the fact that the positioned DNA nanostructures can serve as scaffolds, or miniature circuit boards, for the precise assembly of components – such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires and nanoparticles – at dimensions significantly smaller than possible with conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques. This opens up the possibility of creating functional devices that can be integrated into larger structures, as well as enabling studies of arrays of nanostructures with known coordinates.
“The cost involved in shrinking features to improve performance is a limiting factor in keeping pace with Moore’s Law and a concern across the semiconductor industry,” said Spike Narayan, manager, Science & Technology, IBM Research – Almaden. “The combination of this directed self-assembly with today’s fabrication technology eventually could lead to substantial savings in the most expensive and challenging part of the chip-making process.”The lithographic templates were fabricated at IBM using traditional semiconductor techniques, the same used to make the chips found in today’s computers, to etch out patterns. Either electron beam or optical lithography were used to create arrays of binding sites of the proper size and shape to match those of individual origami structures. Key to the process were the discovery of the template material and deposition conditions to afford high selectivity so that origami binds only to the patterns of “sticky patches” and nowhere else.
The paper on this work, “Placement and orientation of DNA nano structures on lithographically patterned surfaces,” by scientists at IBM Research and the California Institute of Technology, will be published in the September issue of Nature Nanotechnology and is currently available at: http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nnano.2009.220.html.
Nokia Unveils Its First Linux Phone N900
Nokia unveiled N900, its first smart phone running on Linux software, aiming at improving its offering at the top end of the market.
The Nokia N900 runs on the Linux-based Maeme 5 software, featuring true multitasking with applications as well as Web browsing with Adobe Flash support.
Nokia’s workhorse Symbian operating system controls half of the smartphone market volume — more than its rivals Apple, Research in Motion and Google put together. Nokia said Linux would work well in parallel with Symbian in its high-end product range.
“As Nokia announces the software platform that will drive its future services aspirations it created a dedicated solutions unit — the challenge will be to ensure that all these elements work in harmony in the face of fierce competition from Apple and Google,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.The new N900 model, with cellular connection, touch screen and slide-out keyboard, will retail for around $712, excluding subsidies and taxes.
Nokia also unveiled a new Solutions business unit, which aims to better tie together its phone operations and new mobile Internet services offering.
Technical details of N900:
Display:
3.5 inch touch-sensitive widescreen display
800 × 480 pixel resolution
Web browsing:
Maemo browser powered by Mozilla technology
Adobe Flash™ 9.4 support
Full screen browsing
Camera:
5 megapixel camera (2584 × 1938 pixels)
Image formats: JPEG
CMOS sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, Tessar lens
3 × digital zoom
Autofocus with assist light and two-stage capture key
Dual LED flash
Full-screen viewfinder
Photo editor on device
TV out (PAL/NTSC) with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable (CA-75U, included in box) or WLAN/UPnP
Landscape (horizontal) orientation
Capture modes: Automatic, portrait, video, macro, landscape, action
Video:
Wide aspect ratio 16:9 (WVGA)
Video recording file format: .mp4; codec: MPEG-4
Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels (WVGA) and up to 25fps
Video playback file formats: .mp4, .avi, .wmv, .3gp; codecs: H.264, MPEG-4, Xvid, WMV, H.263
Music and audio playback:
Maemo media player
Music playback file formats: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a
Built-in FM transmitter
Ring tones: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a
FR, EFR, WCDMA, and GSM AMR
Digital stereo microphone
DLNA
The University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine scientists who proved it is possible to cultivate a network of brain cells that reconnect on a silicon chip—or the brain on a microchip—have developed new technology that monitors brain cell activity at a resolution never achieved before.
Developed with the National Research Council Canada (NRC), the new silicon chips are also simpler to use, which will help future understanding of how brain cells work under normal conditions and permit drug discoveries for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The new technology from the lab of Naweed Syed, in collaboration with the NRC, is published online this month in the journal, Biomedical Devices.
“This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the level of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are also the most suitable target sites for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders,” says Syed, professor and head of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and advisor to the Vice President Research on Biomedical Engineering Initiative of the U of C.
The new neurochips are also automated, meaning that anyone can learn to place individual brain cells on them. Previously it took years of training to learn how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was only possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be placed on a chip and observed in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions.
This new technology has the potential to help scientists in a variety of fields and on a variety of research projects. Gerald Zamponi, professor and head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, says, “This technology can likely be scaled up such that it will become a novel tool for medium throughput drug screening, in addition to its usefulness for basic biomedical research”.
Developed with the National Research Council Canada (NRC), the new silicon chips are also simpler to use, which will help future understanding of how brain cells work under normal conditions and permit drug discoveries for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Naweed Syed's lab cultivated brain cells on a microchip.
“This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the level of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are also the most suitable target sites for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders,” says Syed, professor and head of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and advisor to the Vice President Research on Biomedical Engineering Initiative of the U of C.
The new neurochips are also automated, meaning that anyone can learn to place individual brain cells on them. Previously it took years of training to learn how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was only possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be placed on a chip and observed in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions.
This new technology has the potential to help scientists in a variety of fields and on a variety of research projects. Gerald Zamponi, professor and head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, says, “This technology can likely be scaled up such that it will become a novel tool for medium throughput drug screening, in addition to its usefulness for basic biomedical research”.
Read what you are hearing
There have been many advancements in speech-to-text in the last few years. I’m sure that I’ll probably speaking these posts instead of typing them in the next few years, provided I’m not disturbing others in the room.
I’m sure that the hearing impaired would most benefit from speech to text technology, and this is what the Babel Fisk is supposed to do.
Designed by Mads Hindhede, the Babel Fisk has microphones built into the frame in order to pick up the voice of a person in the line of sight, and then an embedded speech-to-text program will create the text that is projected inside of the lenses.
You can even program it to record the text to a flash memory card for later use. So you can literally record everything that you hear as a text file.
The name of Babel Fisk is clearly a tip of the hat to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In that classic science-fiction satire, the characters had this tiny fish that they stuck in their ear known as a babel fish that could somehow miraculously translate any language spoken. Fisk apparently means “fish” in Danish.
Of course, this just has to be concept technology, and I’m not certain how well this would work, honestly. I mean, if you are with someone who is talking to much, would you literally be blinded by words?
I’m sure that the hearing impaired would most benefit from speech to text technology, and this is what the Babel Fisk is supposed to do.
Designed by Mads Hindhede, the Babel Fisk has microphones built into the frame in order to pick up the voice of a person in the line of sight, and then an embedded speech-to-text program will create the text that is projected inside of the lenses.
You can even program it to record the text to a flash memory card for later use. So you can literally record everything that you hear as a text file.
The name of Babel Fisk is clearly a tip of the hat to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In that classic science-fiction satire, the characters had this tiny fish that they stuck in their ear known as a babel fish that could somehow miraculously translate any language spoken. Fisk apparently means “fish” in Danish.
Of course, this just has to be concept technology, and I’m not certain how well this would work, honestly. I mean, if you are with someone who is talking to much, would you literally be blinded by words?
Inductive Charger from Energizer
The Inductive Charger only has power sleeves for the Blackberry Curve 8900 as well as the iPhone 3GS and 3G. At least, for now.
As it is, Energizer’s Inductive Charger is a Qi inductive charger, which is its strongest feature. Qi is the new universal standard for inductive charging as established by the Wireless Power Consortium.
Apparently, it won’t be long before Qi-enabled devices will be on handsets, so you can lay them on Qi-enabled Inductive Chargers without the power sleeves that you have purchase for them.
Another thing that sets the Energizer Inductive chargers apart from other wireless ones is that there is an extra USB port in case you want to recharge some USB-powered devices I can’t remember if Powermat or Wildcharger have this feature. What works against the Energizer Inductive Charger is that there is no magnetic lock like its competitors.
All in all, I would say that the Energizer Inductive Charger is an investment in your future as you might be able to say that you were the first to get a Qi-enabled wireless charger and can now charge any mobile device made after a certain time in the future. You can get the Energizer Inductive Charger now for about $89.
Cell Phone Design- "The Intruder "
The latest cell phone designed by Dennis Hopkins, “The Intruder†has a concept which some people can relate to a UFO, actually influences from that field is mentioned on his website to. But without the outer space resembling this cell phones design is pretty much targeted at women.
Its diameter is of only 2.5 inches and when closed it is just one third of an inch thick. When opened it measures 5 inches in length and the display holds 220 x 176 pixels. And last but not least, when someone calls you a ring of light appears from the sides of the phone.
The website of Dennis Hopkins doesn’t let you in to all the technology used so for now we just have to say good luck to women that now have at their disposal a phone looking like a powder compact.
Electro Hub universal wireless charger
We have reported on many supposedly wireless chargers before, such as the Powermat and Wildcharger. There was also that one from Energizer that is Q1 certified, so that someday, we will all just lay down our mobile devices on charging pads and we’ll say good-bye to our charging cords forever.
This is the ElectroHub, another wireless charging station to join the club, and is planned to make its shining debut at CES 2011. As someone who is thrilled to see that their invitation to CES has been accepted, I can’t wait to see it.
One thing that is promised to make the ElectroHub unique is that it occasionally doesn’t require the device to have a special case, but actually provides ElectroHub batteries, which come in both AA and AAA. That means that you can take any device that takes those aforementioned batteries, like a Wiimote, and swap it out for an ElectroHub one. As far as the devices with non-replaceable batteries, it does require a protective case that works as a converter to charge the device’s internal battery. I guess we aren’t to the Q1 case-less stage yet.
The ElectroHub is slated to be on sale during the first quarter 2011, and should cost $39. There are other battery sets that can be purchased separately for about $10.
This is the ElectroHub, another wireless charging station to join the club, and is planned to make its shining debut at CES 2011. As someone who is thrilled to see that their invitation to CES has been accepted, I can’t wait to see it.
One thing that is promised to make the ElectroHub unique is that it occasionally doesn’t require the device to have a special case, but actually provides ElectroHub batteries, which come in both AA and AAA. That means that you can take any device that takes those aforementioned batteries, like a Wiimote, and swap it out for an ElectroHub one. As far as the devices with non-replaceable batteries, it does require a protective case that works as a converter to charge the device’s internal battery. I guess we aren’t to the Q1 case-less stage yet.
The ElectroHub is slated to be on sale during the first quarter 2011, and should cost $39. There are other battery sets that can be purchased separately for about $10.
World Lens Appplication(To read text content of an image )
I generally report on end-user consumer devices, and usually do not report on cool Apps on this site. Otherwise, I would constantly fill this blog with the cool Apps that come out everyday. Maybe we should have a separate blog known as Coolest Apps.
However, there are times when Apps show us how far we have gone with technology, and Word Lens from QuestVisual has exploded over the tech blogosphere with what it can do with its Optical Character Recognition technology.
Word Lens is the product of two and a half years of work from John DeWeese and Otavio Good. You can see a video of how it works after the jump, but I have no idea if it works as well as you see in the vid.
I mean, I have seen augmented reality apps do some pretty cool things before, but to translate English to Spanish (as well as Spanish to English) in realtime is pretty amazing. It doesn’t even require a Wi-Fi or mobile connection!
From what I hear, it doesn’t work this smoothly. The video makes it look like the guy in the movie who is reading something in a foreign language, and it suddenly turns English (in the same font) so the audience can understand what the character has read.
If you want to see this App for yourself, it costs about $4.99 on the iTunes store.
However, there are times when Apps show us how far we have gone with technology, and Word Lens from QuestVisual has exploded over the tech blogosphere with what it can do with its Optical Character Recognition technology.
Word Lens is the product of two and a half years of work from John DeWeese and Otavio Good. You can see a video of how it works after the jump, but I have no idea if it works as well as you see in the vid.
I mean, I have seen augmented reality apps do some pretty cool things before, but to translate English to Spanish (as well as Spanish to English) in realtime is pretty amazing. It doesn’t even require a Wi-Fi or mobile connection!
From what I hear, it doesn’t work this smoothly. The video makes it look like the guy in the movie who is reading something in a foreign language, and it suddenly turns English (in the same font) so the audience can understand what the character has read.
If you want to see this App for yourself, it costs about $4.99 on the iTunes store.
Solar Powered iPhone
So, I take my cell phone with me no matter where I go. I consider it a luxury, but I also like to think that I would have it with me in the case of an emergency, like when my brand new car broke down this morning, and I was stuck on the side of the highway. Oh I had my phone alright, but the battery was dead, and the charger was in my other (and I guess, better) car.
Well that wont ever happen to any of us again if Apple has it’s way. According to U.S. patent reports, Apple wants to be able to incorporate solar cells into some of their touch screen products. Can anyone say iPhone 5? Okay, can anyone say iPhone 6 then? Anyway, let’s imagine if you will, the premise of throwing your phone up on the dashboard and having it be ready to go anytime you need it. Awesome.
The Cupertino giants have a better idea for solar-charging than just sticking a whole bunch of ugly solar panels on the back of their iDevices, the plan seems to be to put energy collecting cells hidden underneath the ever popular touchscreen display. So the hope would be that the iPhone won’t look much different, but would be able to charge itself cord-free!
It’s not that solar powered cell phones haven’t been lurking around for a while. In fact, a couple of companies have already waved around some prototypes of solar powered phones quite a while ago, but they’re not here yet, and when a company like Apple starts talking solar, I say let the sun shine in. Of course I don’t know what you say when it rains, but I’ll let them figure that out too.
Source: patentlyapple.com
Well that wont ever happen to any of us again if Apple has it’s way. According to U.S. patent reports, Apple wants to be able to incorporate solar cells into some of their touch screen products. Can anyone say iPhone 5? Okay, can anyone say iPhone 6 then? Anyway, let’s imagine if you will, the premise of throwing your phone up on the dashboard and having it be ready to go anytime you need it. Awesome.
The Cupertino giants have a better idea for solar-charging than just sticking a whole bunch of ugly solar panels on the back of their iDevices, the plan seems to be to put energy collecting cells hidden underneath the ever popular touchscreen display. So the hope would be that the iPhone won’t look much different, but would be able to charge itself cord-free!
It’s not that solar powered cell phones haven’t been lurking around for a while. In fact, a couple of companies have already waved around some prototypes of solar powered phones quite a while ago, but they’re not here yet, and when a company like Apple starts talking solar, I say let the sun shine in. Of course I don’t know what you say when it rains, but I’ll let them figure that out too.
Source: patentlyapple.com
io-Jacket
Pillete(Bluetooth headset)
The downside is the fact that people have different sized ears and the device might be too small and slip out or to big and not fit. People who often use earphones will tell you I’m right. But once they’ll figure out a way to make the Pillete adjustable, this design will be the future of all headsets.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Best Computer Games
What do gamers look for in any video game? Obviously the answer will be different from one another as everyone has varied choices. No wonder the video game companies come up with amazing and distinct games to play. Whether you love action-adventure shooting, RPGs, or nerve-testing strategy games, PC games provides them all. Even though there are many other, better video game consoles in the market today, there are players who still can't get enough of the best computer games these companies have to offer. If you're a fan (just like my brother who can't get enough of World of Warcraft, and he's 22), here's a list of not just top 10 games of all time, but 100 best PC games. Let's check them out.
Best Computer Games of All Time
Compiling a list of top computer games sounds fun, doesn't it? Not entirely. Of course it's fun, but along with that comes a huge task of adding the best computer games for kids and adults, people who take playing video games very seriously. Perhaps you may not be completely happy with the list, however it has been put together keeping one thing in mind: entertainment.
Best Computer Games of All Time
Compiling a list of top computer games sounds fun, doesn't it? Not entirely. Of course it's fun, but along with that comes a huge task of adding the best computer games for kids and adults, people who take playing video games very seriously. Perhaps you may not be completely happy with the list, however it has been put together keeping one thing in mind: entertainment.
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - 2010
- Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II - 2009
- ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead - 2010
- Empire: Total War - 2009
- Deus Ex - 2000
- Demigod - 2009
- Half-Life 2 - 2004
- Civilization IV - 2005
- World of Warcraft - 2004
- SPORE Galactic Adventures - 2009
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 2009
- Killing Floor - 2009
- The Sims 3 - 2009
- The Secret of Monkey Island - 1990
- Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer - 2010
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - 2002
- Mass Effect 2: Overload - 2010
- Half-Life - 1998
- SPORE Creepy and Cute - 2008
- Rome: Total War - 2004
- Napoleon: Total War - 2010
- System Shock 2 - 1999
- Doom - 1993
- Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City - 2010
- Battlefield 2142 - 2006
- Dragon Age: Origins - 2009
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - 2003
- Unreal Tournament (UT2004) - 2004
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 2006
- Football Manager 2007 - 2006
- Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne - 2003
- Company of Heroes - 2006
- Singularity - 2010
- Call Of Duty - 2003
- Operation Flashpoint - 2001
- Quake III: Arena - 1999
- Eve Online - 2003
- Fallout - 1997
- Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic - 2003
- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn - 2000
- Diablo II - 2000
- Counter-Strike: Source - 2004
- Mafia - 2002
- Plain Sight - 2010
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - 2004
- Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom - 1995
- Far Cry - 2004
- Ultima VII: The Black Gate - 1992
- GTR 2 - FIA GT Racing Game - 2006
- Battlefield 1942 - 2002
- Pro Evolution Soccer 6 - 2006
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - 2003
- IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 - 2006
- Need For Speed: Most Wanted - 2005
- Psychonauts - 2005
- Sam & Max Hit the Road - 1993
- Microsoft Flight Simulator X - 2006
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos - 2002
- Tropico 3: Absolute Power - 2010
- Duke Nukem 3D - 1996
- Quake - 1996
- Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - 2007
- X-COM: UFO Defense - 1994
- Commandos 2: Men of Courage - 2001
- Aliens vs Predator 2 - 2001
- Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II - 1997
- Beyond Good & Evil - 2003
- Syndicate - 1993
- Black & White - 2001
- Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now - 1998
- The Sims 2 - 2004
- EverQuest - 1999
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - 2002
- Tomb Raider - 1996
- Thief: Deadly Shadows - 2004
- Neverwinter Nights - 2002
- Guild Wars - 2005
- TIE Fighter - 1998
- Age of Empires - 1997
- Planescape: Torment - 1999
- Dungeon Keeper - 1997
- X3 Reunion - 2005
- SWAT 4 - 2005
- SimCity 2000 - 1993
- Garry's Mod - 2006
- Trackmania: United - 2007
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - 2007
- Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War - 2004
- Fahrenheit - 2005
- Total Annihilation - 1997
- Final Fantasy VII - 1998
- The Longest Journey - 1999
- Uplink - 2001
- No One Lives Forever 2 - 2002
- Frontier: Elite II - 1993
- The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay - 2004
- Grand Prix Legends - 1998
- Splinter Cell - 2003
- Silent Hunter III - 2005
- Cave Story - 2005
Sunday, August 29, 2010
SCiB Battery Technology
I really like the idea of electric cars. However, the current lack of support in the form of charging stations the poor performance in regards to range and recharge time is something that makes me wonder if the electric car is just a pipe dream in terms of usability. That is where Toshiba’s SCiB battery technology comes in to smash any predetermined doubts you had regarding the electric car being unfeasible as a means of transport. Traditionally, it took electric car batteries over thirty minutes to charge (give or take a few minutes). The SCiB battery can recharge to ninety percent capacity in five minutes.
The buck does not stop there. The battery is touted to last ten years. That is not how long a single charge lasts – but how long the battery itself lasts before it will need to be replaced. This is good news for people who are ecologically minded. A battery can contain all manner of nasty materials that can do some serious damage to the environment. This is likely to be the battery that will finally make electronic cars possible and help reduce our need for (overpriced) petrol. It may also help companies finally start investing in electronic charging stations for vehicles.
There is no word on when this is likely to become available to consumers. However, it seems like it is something that it will not take long for companies who manufacture electric vehicles to start using in their production lines. It is something that will ensure that electric cars get the research that then need in order to make the technology feasible for the masses. I had some trouble finding out how far a single charge will carry the vehicle – if it is similar to that of the current electric vehicles that have been released then it may just be a winner.
The buck does not stop there. The battery is touted to last ten years. That is not how long a single charge lasts – but how long the battery itself lasts before it will need to be replaced. This is good news for people who are ecologically minded. A battery can contain all manner of nasty materials that can do some serious damage to the environment. This is likely to be the battery that will finally make electronic cars possible and help reduce our need for (overpriced) petrol. It may also help companies finally start investing in electronic charging stations for vehicles. There is no word on when this is likely to become available to consumers. However, it seems like it is something that it will not take long for companies who manufacture electric vehicles to start using in their production lines. It is something that will ensure that electric cars get the research that then need in order to make the technology feasible for the masses. I had some trouble finding out how far a single charge will carry the vehicle – if it is similar to that of the current electric vehicles that have been released then it may just be a winner.
USB power outlet concept
Universal Serial Bus, better known as the USB, has been present for many years in computer history. Today we couldn’t imagine our computers and devices without USB support, and when USB was invented, its creators had no clue that it would become such a hit in the future. Recently we got an interesting concept that might enhance and change the way in which standard USB works.
As you know, USB was created in 1995 and over the years we got three versions of it that have provided us with different transfer speeds. The USB port is now widely used for transferring files from your USB device to the PC and vice versa. Besides that, the USB port is also used for recharging portable devices such as phones, cameras and media players. I suppose the only flaw of this method is that you’ll have to keep your computer turned on in order to recharge your devices.
However, if you want to recharge your device without your PC, this interesting concept might be the right thing for you. Designed by Lv Jianhua, He Dawei, Zhou Hanxiao and Xu Yao, this is a power outlet that has USB ports on it that will allow you to recharge all your USB devices with ease.
This looks like an interesting concept but so far its just an early concept. Who knows, we might actually see USB power outlets someday when we check into a hotel in the future.
As you know, USB was created in 1995 and over the years we got three versions of it that have provided us with different transfer speeds. The USB port is now widely used for transferring files from your USB device to the PC and vice versa. Besides that, the USB port is also used for recharging portable devices such as phones, cameras and media players. I suppose the only flaw of this method is that you’ll have to keep your computer turned on in order to recharge your devices.
However, if you want to recharge your device without your PC, this interesting concept might be the right thing for you. Designed by Lv Jianhua, He Dawei, Zhou Hanxiao and Xu Yao, this is a power outlet that has USB ports on it that will allow you to recharge all your USB devices with ease.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
To compete with Facebook Google acquires Metaweb.
Google today made the competition even tougher for the social networking site Facebook the search engine has announced that it has acquired Metabeb that works on packaging information on the Internet.
Metaweb is a company that keeps an open database of the events and happenings of the world. Now Google wants to make the search even richer by adding more and more information to the web search page so that it is more meaningful for the users. By acquiring the company, Google has thus challenged Facebook which works on the same principal of dealing in the information.
Now if you type any word for instance barak obama birthday in the search box, you will see the answer right at the top of the page and specific events and dates will also appear. Earlier, Facebook had announced its Open Graph initiative to make the Web more meaningful.
Metaweb is a company that keeps an open database of the events and happenings of the world. Now Google wants to make the search even richer by adding more and more information to the web search page so that it is more meaningful for the users. By acquiring the company, Google has thus challenged Facebook which works on the same principal of dealing in the information.
Now if you type any word for instance barak obama birthday in the search box, you will see the answer right at the top of the page and specific events and dates will also appear. Earlier, Facebook had announced its Open Graph initiative to make the Web more meaningful.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Making melting pots: NITs asked to draw foreign students
HRD ministry officials feel there might be something, after all, to the ‘melting pot’ — the metaphor used by colleges in the US to describe diversity on campus. Now, they want a similar thing in India. In a March 4, 2010, circular to the National Institutes of Technology (formerly Regional Engineering Colleges), the ministry has asked them to go all out to attract foreign students. Not just non-resident Indians or people of Indian origin (PIO), but students from the US, UK and Australia as well. As officials see it, building diversity on campus is just a step away from preparing students to subsequently deal with increasing diversity at the workplace.
“Our curriculum is at par with international levels. What we lack is branding, and this will happen only when more foreign students apply to India,” says MHRD deputy advisor N Mohan Das. In the letter, the MHRD entrusts the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) with the responsibility to “evolve a framework for publicising schemes” by creating “a web-portal for application, submissions and the entire admissions process”.
The reason for roping in NITs is that while these institutes are second-rung in India after the IITs, they are not recognised abroad. At the same time, the meltdown has made students look at relatively cheaper options in Asian countries, for both study and work, making it the right time to go international. Currently, the 15% quota reserved for foreign students is filled by NRIs and PIOs from the Gulf. “We do not get quality students due to a lack of information,” says Prof Sunil Sarangi, director of NIT Rourkela, Orissa. “Most people look at the US or UK, unaware of the facilities available here.” In its first year, the programme will focus on publicising Indian tech institutions in places with a substantial Indian population, like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Later, the aim will be to target students from countries known to provide quality education, like the US, UK, France and Australia. NIT alumnus, home on vacation and teachers on official visits abroad, are expected to organise popularisation drives.
Even though the institutes are wooing foreign students, they are quite clear there will be strict norms for admissions. While the MHRD wants to make the admissions process under the direct admission of studies abroad scheme more user-friendly, Indian institutions say they will only accept “quality” students. “We are modelling the system along the lines of those in the UK and US,” says Prof Sandeep Sancheti of NITK Surathkal, mentor-director of NIT Goa. Entrance to foreign students from this year will be based on their scores from international admissions tests like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) unlike earlier, when their school-leaving marksheets would suffice.
That doesn’t deter people like Catherine Nalubega of Ukraine, who is currently doing her second year civil engineering at NITK and plans to live on in India. Nalubega picked NITK over options in Russia and China, and feels the Indian government’s scholarship schemes, if promoted better, will attract more foreign students. Having more foreign students will also bring in foreign exchange; especially when the recession has made people look at value-for-money, cost-effective education options. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“Our curriculum is at par with international levels. What we lack is branding, and this will happen only when more foreign students apply to India,” says MHRD deputy advisor N Mohan Das. In the letter, the MHRD entrusts the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) with the responsibility to “evolve a framework for publicising schemes” by creating “a web-portal for application, submissions and the entire admissions process”.
The reason for roping in NITs is that while these institutes are second-rung in India after the IITs, they are not recognised abroad. At the same time, the meltdown has made students look at relatively cheaper options in Asian countries, for both study and work, making it the right time to go international. Currently, the 15% quota reserved for foreign students is filled by NRIs and PIOs from the Gulf. “We do not get quality students due to a lack of information,” says Prof Sunil Sarangi, director of NIT Rourkela, Orissa. “Most people look at the US or UK, unaware of the facilities available here.” In its first year, the programme will focus on publicising Indian tech institutions in places with a substantial Indian population, like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Later, the aim will be to target students from countries known to provide quality education, like the US, UK, France and Australia. NIT alumnus, home on vacation and teachers on official visits abroad, are expected to organise popularisation drives.
Even though the institutes are wooing foreign students, they are quite clear there will be strict norms for admissions. While the MHRD wants to make the admissions process under the direct admission of studies abroad scheme more user-friendly, Indian institutions say they will only accept “quality” students. “We are modelling the system along the lines of those in the UK and US,” says Prof Sandeep Sancheti of NITK Surathkal, mentor-director of NIT Goa. Entrance to foreign students from this year will be based on their scores from international admissions tests like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) unlike earlier, when their school-leaving marksheets would suffice.
That doesn’t deter people like Catherine Nalubega of Ukraine, who is currently doing her second year civil engineering at NITK and plans to live on in India. Nalubega picked NITK over options in Russia and China, and feels the Indian government’s scholarship schemes, if promoted better, will attract more foreign students. Having more foreign students will also bring in foreign exchange; especially when the recession has made people look at value-for-money, cost-effective education options. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Friday, July 9, 2010
New NITs in India
New IIT announcements and news coverage overshadowed the new NITs announced in India. These NITs are not included this year AIEEE ranking as I exclusively ranked then based on GATE cutoffs and AIEEE scores. Probably I will add them to next year list because we will official data for them too.
Now the question is to join New NITs are not? If you read my earlier post regarding New IITs or old NITs and state universities, you may know my stand. If I am a student I definitely prefer Govt. run institute over private or deemed universities. The simple reason is Govt. run institutes offer same or better learning facilities on much lower cost. New NITs will participate in central counseling for this year B.Tech admissions.
New NITs and their mentors
Right from the beginning NIT Delhi, Goa, Pondicherry and Uttarakhand will share their place with Top NITs in India leaving behind old and private universities. Apart from geographical advantage they also have top mentoring institutes.
If you have any questions or want to share information please drop a comment and do not forget to subscribe for more details updates about engineering education in India.
Now the question is to join New NITs are not? If you read my earlier post regarding New IITs or old NITs and state universities, you may know my stand. If I am a student I definitely prefer Govt. run institute over private or deemed universities. The simple reason is Govt. run institutes offer same or better learning facilities on much lower cost. New NITs will participate in central counseling for this year B.Tech admissions.
New NITs and their mentors
| Sl No. | NIT with Location | Mentor NIT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh | NIT Durgapur |
| 2 | National Institute of Technology Delhi | NIT Warangal |
| 3 | National Institute of Technology Goa | NIT Surathkal |
| 4 | National Institute of Technology Manipur | NIT Agartala |
| 5 | National Institute of Technology Meghalaya | SVNIT Surat |
| 6 | National Institute of Technology Mizoram | VNIT Nagpur |
| 7 | National Institute of Technology Nagaland | NIT Silchar |
| 8 | National Institute of Technology Pondicherry | NIT Trichy |
| 9 | National Institute of Technology Sikkim | NIT Calicut |
| 10 | National Institute of Technology Uttarakhand | NIT Kurukshetra |
If you have any questions or want to share information please drop a comment and do not forget to subscribe for more details updates about engineering education in India.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Nintendo 3DS in the flesh and hands-on!
That Nintendo announced the 3DS was not a surprise -- that they had a couple-dozen of these things to try out, that was. We elbowed our way to the front of the line to try one out, and the effect is actually not bad. It's not great, but the 3.5-inch screen on top certainly gives a firm illusion of depth without resorting to glasses -- or eye crossing. The feel is definitely reminiscent of those 3D cereal box prints, and as soon as you turn the device from left to right to try to look around anything the effect is immediately lost. You need to stare at the screen for a moment for your eyes to adjust and then not move around too much. If you do you'll need to adjust again. But, stay reasonably still and it's a compelling effect.
The new analog slider on the left feels a lot like the PSP's analog nub, but larger and without the texture. It's a bit easier on the fingers, and comfortable. Overall the device feels just like a current DS or DSi, though we couldn't get a good feel for the weight thanks to a bulky tether attached on one end to the device, and on the other end to the row of ladies who were surely told to not let the gadgets out of their hands or face certain doom. The only thing we could do here is rotate along a still frame -- Pikmin in a field, for example -- and play with the 3D slider. It is a pretty convincing effect, but it's hard to tell at this point if it's at all compelling -- it wasn't anything more than novelty in this demo, and we still don't know how it stands up to fast-moving footage. Actual games were promised to us for the show floor, so we'll hit that up later today. We snagged a few pics before getting elbowed out of the way, so check 'em out!
Microsoft Kinect gets official, Video Chat announced
You knew it was coming, right? Hot on the heels of getting leaked a wee bit early Microsoft has made official the rebadging of a device desperately seeking a new name: "Project Natal" is no more, replaced by Microsoft Kinect. At a circus- and celebrity-filled affair, MS wrapped everyone in high-tech panchos (pictured after the break courtesy of Joystiq) and then took the wraps off of the new title. Quite a few game demos were shown, ranging from Star Wars to tiger petting, the Kinect interface to the Dashboard was shown (said by some to be Minority Report-like), and a video chat app called, wait for it, Video Chat. Through here you can naturally talk to friends (up to four total people at once was "shown"), and also share photos.
Sadly, no hands-on time was given nor did MS reveal the two crucial bits of information we're waiting for: price and date. Naturally a holiday release is expected, to give the Xbox 360 a nice sales boost, but we're hearing price rumors as high as $150. These choice bits of intel will surely be unveiled at Microsoft's event tomorrow -- if someone doesn't beat 'em to it. The hardware is still looking exactly like the early picture above, shattering hopes of a slimmer design to match new Slim Xbox 360.
Update: We've got official photos now, though solid textual info is still scarce. Stand by!
Update 2: So we're out of the wild, cult-like experience that was Microsoft's Kinect unveiling. Microsoft still has a lot of details to reveal, but there are a few things we gleaned from watching the demos:
Sadly, no hands-on time was given nor did MS reveal the two crucial bits of information we're waiting for: price and date. Naturally a holiday release is expected, to give the Xbox 360 a nice sales boost, but we're hearing price rumors as high as $150. These choice bits of intel will surely be unveiled at Microsoft's event tomorrow -- if someone doesn't beat 'em to it. The hardware is still looking exactly like the early picture above, shattering hopes of a slimmer design to match new Slim Xbox 360.
Update: We've got official photos now, though solid textual info is still scarce. Stand by!
Update 2: So we're out of the wild, cult-like experience that was Microsoft's Kinect unveiling. Microsoft still has a lot of details to reveal, but there are a few things we gleaned from watching the demos:
- Almost everything was one person at a time, particularly in the Kinect Sports games. Even a game like beach volleyball or soccer was boiled down to individual "moments" of interaction that get strung together into some sort of competition. Even the running in place games were one at a time, though the river rafting and mining cart games (both with a similar mechanic of jumping and ducking through an obstacle course while picking up tokens) could be played with two people at a time. You can at least play games like volleyball simultaneously with someone else over Xbox Live.
- An interesting mechanic we saw was a second player "jumping in" to a game. In the mining cart scenario, when the second player jumped in it immediately went split screen, while in soccer different players took turns by just jumping into position. Sure, some of this stuff was edited for our benefit, but it seems Microsoft is working to make the introduction of a second player or the switching between players something less button-heavy.
- The Star Wars game was pretty badass-looking -- you play a Jedi, rushing down stormtroopers and deflecting laser bolts left and right, wielding a few Force powers, and confronting a certain deep-voiced Sith Lord for a one-on-one duel. Based on the gestures and action we saw, though, it was a pretty heavily scripted experience. Still, there's no scripting a two-handed light saber grip, and that particular action looked like everything we've ever wanted in a Star Wars game.
- The yoga game is actually a pretty smart use of the infrared and joint detection software we espied previously. Positions were "checked" by points on the joint -- making it certainly harder to fake the moves on Wii Fit -- and it seemed to have a tai chi element to it. Your avatar glowed a more intense red based on your three-dimensional approximation -- bright red for hands stretched forward, for example.
- Next up: Kinectimals, a baby tiger pet simulator. You can scratch its ears, snuggle, and teach the little guy to jump and play dead. Adorable? Dangerously so. No one can tell us the developer, but based on the lighting effects, art style, and similarities to the previously-shown Milo, we'd wager a guess that it was Lionhead Studios.
- The Kinect menu interface is about as simple as could be. You wave your hand to control a glowing cursor of sorts, and you push forward to "click" on the element you want. Of course, there's also a very simplified version of the Dashboard to go along with this control mechanism, so it's unclear if you'll be able to do everything via subtle hand waves, but the Twitter, Facebook, Zune and Netflix icons were clearly present.
- The MTV Games-developed Dance Central has some on staff divided -- only Ross will actually admit to being interested in playing it. A series of dance moves are presented, including elbow jabs, swinging leg, guitar, "rocking out" (with your hand in the air). The art style is akin to Rock Band / Guitar Hero, and to be fair, this is probably one of those games that can't be done as well on any other console.
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