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Showing posts with label USA News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA News. Show all posts
Thursday, 17 October 2013
IT Specialist USAID Vacancy Announcements
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Sony Smartwatch 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Gear TechBeat
How Do You Make The Thinnest Pane Of Glass? By Accident! Posted: 23 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT On face value, it appears to be a scientist's version of a 'knock knock' joke. In actual fact though, graduate student Pinshane Huang and Professor David Muller of Cornell and Germany's University of Ulm were laughing all the way to the Guiness Book of world records with the thinnest pane of glass in the world. A Happy Accident The two scientists were originally trying to form graphene, which is a two dimensional form of carbon. While they were at work on the project, they discovered a mark of some kind on the graphene. As they examined the unwanted blemish on their desired graphene, the electron microscope picked up a silicon/oxygen composition which was the same as glass.  It's believed that some kind of air leak was responsible for causing a reaction between the copper foils and the quartz furnace used to make the graphene. This reaction led to the production of the world record breaking glass. A Proven Point So how thin is the thinnest pane of glass in the world? Precisely one molecule thick (or thin). What was even more astonishing and rewarding for the scientists was the fact that using the powerful microscope, they were actually able to see something else. Because the average pane of glass is millions of times thicker than Huang and Muller's discovery, observing it through a microscope simply produces a tangled mess of atoms. The simple two atom thick glass gave Muller another 'first' in the history of science when he was able to see the exact structure of glass first hand. As if the day wasn't already full of discovery, the image taken by the electron microscope of the structure of the glass bore remarkable resemblance to a sketch that was drawn many years ago. Physicist W.H. Zachariasen had an idea of what the structure of glass would look like and in 1932 he put his money where his mouth was by way of a sketch. The accidental creation of the thinnest pane of glass in the world finally gave support to Zachariasen's theory. The Future The ultra thin glass might have various practical uses including use for transistors in smartphones. |
Record Your Dreams With ‘Shadow’ App Posted: 23 Sep 2013 01:03 PM PDT How many dreams can you remember these days? How familiar is the feeling that you've had an extraordinary dream but the more you focus on it the faster it slips away? The new mobile application titled 'Shadow' aims to change all of that by enabling you to track and record your dreams. There has always been an interest in finding out just exactly what goes on in our brains when we're not thinking about it. It seems that the 'Shadow' app will help us to find out exactly what sneaky our subconscious mind is trying to tell us, or hide from us during our sleep.  The Vision The interest in sleep patterns is by no means new to the scientific community. The neurology of sleep has been explored for years but scientists are no closer to discovering how our dreams and their content affects us in day to day life or vice versa. It's known that we are able to access information during our sleep that we can't during our awakened state. Unfortunately, 95% of that information disappears within 5 minutes of waking up. It is the opinion of many people that the benefits of remembering our dreams could range from increased self-awareness to acting as a self-guide through difficult times. Shadow aims to build a real time data base of people's dreams. By doing so, users are able to learn any patterns to their dreams. They will find out whether their dreams are affected by social, physical or environmental factors. How It Works In the basic sense, the Shadow app is an alarm clock. Yet instead of waking the user abruptly like a traditional alarm clock would, the app brings us round from the sleeping state at a reduced rate. On awakening the user will:
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Potential Sale For Blackberry Posted: 23 Sep 2013 12:38 PM PDT After announcing on Friday that 4,500 jobs will be cut, smartphone maker Blackberry has said that it has agreed in principle to sell to a consortium led by Fairfax Financial for $4.7 billion.  In a statement Blackberry said that Fairfax, its largest shareholder, had offered $9 a share in cash to buy the struggling company. In New York, trading of Blackberry shares was stopped temporarily pending the announcement. In the announcement, the company said it had “signed a letter of intent agreement under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence”. The statement continued with: “Diligence is expected to be complete by November 4, 2013. The parties’ intention is to negotiate and execute a definitive transaction agreement by such date.” Despite these first steps with Fairfax, Blackberry has made it clear that it will still “actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations” with other potential buyers. Fairfax’s chairman and chief executive said, “We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for Blackberry, its customers, carriers and employees. “We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to Blackberry customers around the world.” Analysts think that this could be the best option for Blackberry, being able to re-invent and re-organise itself without the scrutiny from Wall Street investors. Brian Colello from Morningstar said, “Based on the company’s disastrous earnings warning on Friday, I think a deal had to happen and the sooner the better. This is probably the only out for investors and the most likely outcome. “The benefit to this sort of takeover is the ability for Blackberry and the consortium to reinvent the company without public scrutiny. It appears that the end game is going to be whether Blackberry can emerge as a niche supplier of highly-secured phones to enterprise customers and governments.” Only time will tell if it is possible for Blackberry to re-emerge from this set-back and once again lead the way in the smartphone market. |
Sony Smartwatch 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Gear Posted: 23 Sep 2013 06:26 AM PDT The smartwatch has been around for some time but the technology of the devices brought to market so far haven't been the Secret Service/James Bond style that everyone pictures when they say the word "smartwatch". Now though, Sony and Samsung seem to have stepped up their game and are going head to head in a considerably more exciting battle of the smartwatches than we've seen to date. Sony Smartwatch 2 Spec Overview
So what does it all mean? Well for a start, the Samsung Galaxy Gear seems to have a sharper display. In fact Samsung are proud to say that the display is bright enough not to be affected by sunlight. No cupping your hand over the smartwatch's face to tell the time. Both the Samsung and the Sony are nicely designed although the Sony Smartwatch 2 offers a little more flexibility for its users with interchangeable straps. Both watches are extremely app friendly (of course), but Samsung have an advantage with this as they've secured partnerships with some of the more popular app developers. Also, when it comes to running apps, the Samsung model might be slightly better as the CPU is faster than its competitors. Bond, James Bond For anyone who wants to pretend they're a spy, the Samsung features some brilliant tools. There's a 1.9 megapixel camera contained in the strap of the camera for the photo opportunity that needs instant capture without fiddling around for a camera or smartphone. Users can also make calls directly from the watch which has a built in microphone and speaker, as well as the Samsung 'S Voice' voice recognition tool. The second version of the Sony Smartwatch doesn't feature these benefits although users can use the watch to call friends and family but only with a Bluetooth headset as there isn't a mic or speakers. But what kind of spy could do without a waterproof watch? Sony's watch allows its user to swim whereas the Samsung will only protect them from a shower. Which is Best? The one thing that will undoubtedly let the Samsung watch down is the fact that it is only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. A short way down the road there will be updates to make it compatible with the S3, S4 and Note 2. In comparison, the Sony watch is compatible with any android phone that operates Android 4.0. the options are almost endless. Now though, other companies are hot on the heels of Sony and Samsung trying to push the limits of the smartwatch all the time. |
Voyager Officially Leaves Solar System Posted: 23 Sep 2013 04:42 AM PDT In 1977, two unmanned space crafts were launched to explore space and report back to NASA with information about the major planets: Voyager 1 and 2. Within the first 12 years of launching, both Voyagers returned information about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Now though, after 36 years of being in space, NASA is extremely proud to announce that Voyager 1 has left the solar system. Delayed Response In actual fact, although NASA announced the Voyager's departure from the solar system quite recently on September 12th 2013, it appears the leaving date itself was way back in 2012 – August 25th to be precise. So why the big delay on the celebrations?  At the moment, Voyager 1 is over 11 billion miles or 17 billion kilometers away from Earth. NASA can't see the spacecraft at all. All that is visible is a radio signal that is being bounced back to Earth from the Voyager which looks like a pale blue light. Unlike travelling out of town, there are no signs which tell concerned onlookers exactly where the Solar System ends. Instead, scientists must look for clues in the direction and number of cosmic rays as well as a difference in magnetic fields. However, the signs just didn't appear to be there. It wasn't until information from a plasma blast that hit the voyager in April 2013 that NASA had any indication that the Voyager was outside of the solar system. The Clue Is In The Plasma In March 2012, the sun emitted a huge blast of plasma which took 13 months to hit the Voyager. When it did hit though and the information was read by NASA experts, they were astonished to see that the density of the plasma was 40 times what they expected it to be. In short, it was the density of plasma they expected to find outside of the solar system. Following this discovery, NASA quickly began to backtrack and look for any other signs of interstellar activity and found another similar event back in October to November the same year. A rise in tone from the plasma instrument on the voyager indicated that the spacecraft left the solar system on August 25th 2012 which is now known as the day when the first man made object went into interstellar space. Officially. The post Voyager Officially Leaves Solar System appeared first on TechBeat. |
FBI Asked Microsoft For Access To Encryption Software Posted: 23 Sep 2013 02:01 AM PDT Sources have revealed that the FBI have a history of asking software companies for backdoors in their encryption software to help them catch criminals. The backdoors would provide government agencies with the ability to wiretap people's computers. As the news broke out that the NSA had spent millions on malware that can be used to override security software, more information on government hacking schemes have come to light. It now seems that the FBI have also been leaning on tech companies to poke holes in their encryption software to allow the agencies easy access to people's private files on their computers.  Loaded Questions Peter Biddle was the head engineer of Microsoft's encryption program BitLocker. During a recent interview, Biddle told Mashable that back in 2005 when he was working on BitLocker, he had been approached several times by government agents and asked to put a backdoor in the software. Although the computer software programmer couldn't remember which agency it was that approached him, he could recount the conversations that he had with the agents stating that "at least once the question was more, 'If we were to officially ask you, what would you say?'" In all of the accounts of government agencies asking tech companies to create these back doors, there is one common theme; the question is always asked in a subtle way, dropped in to the middle of a conversation and quickly brushed over if the answer isn't appealing to the agent. In fact, the agencies are very careful not to be caught on record asking for such things. Nico Sell, the lady responsible for the mobile phone privacy app, Wickr was also approached by the FBI and asked "So are you gonna give us a backdoor?" When Sell pushed back and asked for a written request along with the name of the agent's manager, the agent immediately stopped with his requests. FBI Deny Allegations Although the FBI have gone on record as being concerned about encryption software allowing criminals (in particular pedophiles) to hide their activity from agencies, an FBI spokesperson responded to the allegations by saying "The FBI does not ask for backdoors. Period." However, the FBI will continue to push for an expansion on the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act which tells digital communications companies to build software that can easily be wiretapped by agencies. |
Apple Releases New iMac With Iris Pro TechBeat
Ouya’s Free The Games Program Revised Posted: 26 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Remember that big news about OUYA setting aside $1M for its Kickstarter matching campaign? Dubbed Free the Games Fund, the campaign came under very close scrutiny – both from fans and critics alike. The fact that people put the Ouya’s Free the Games Fund under the microscope is nothing surprising in itself. In this day and age where everyone has an opinion and the venues to express them, no one is really holding back any punches.  Here are some of the revisions to the program. Project Minimum: Originally, they set it at $50k. Not surprisingly, people thought that the amount was too high. Ouya responded by lowering this to $10k. Minimum # of Backers: ”The intent is for the community to want your game, not a small number of well-resourced supporters. We felt we needed to look at the minimum number of backers to make sure it is in line with the spirit of our program. So, for every $10,000 raised on Kickstarter, you have to have a minimum of 100 backers.” Exclusivity: ”1 month for every $10k funded by OUYA up to 6 months. So, if you set a goal for $20k and you meet your goal, your game would be exclusive for 2 months. If your goal is for $70k, and you meet your goal, your game will be exclusive for 6 months.” Additionally, the rules have been changed to allow more leeway in the availability of the game on other platforms. They now allow developers to make PC versions of their game. I suppose that this is a huge bone of contention, and making this concession is something that the Ouya guys had to think about. Those are the main points, but you can see the other changes following the link above. Judging by the responses to the blog post, not everyone is happy, but the adjustments are being seen as a step in the right direction. Game developer? What do you think about this move? The post Ouya’s Free The Games Program Revised appeared first on TechBeat. |
California Law To Allow Teens To Delete Social Media Posts Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT California has passed a law allowing under-18s to force websites to delete their personal information. The law takes effect from 2015 and includes content that has been posted by the individual, like photos and content. However, companies will not be made to remove content posted or reposted by others. The information will also not have to be removed from their servers. Chief executive of Common Sense Media, a charity that promotes children’s digital privacy said: “Teens often self-reveal before they self-reflect and may post sensitive personal information about themselves – and about others – without realising the consequences.” According to a survey carried out by Pew, 19 percent of US youths with a social media account had posted comments or photos that they later regretted, while 59 percent had deleted or edited a post. The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) have concerns over whether webites will understand this new leglislation and the legal obligations that come with it. “Our chief concern is that this legal uncertainty will discourage operators from developing content and services tailored to younger users, and will lead popular sites and services that may appeal to minors to prohibit minors from using their services,” said CDT’s policy counsel Emma Llanso. However Google chairman Eric Schmidt said back in May that the Internet needs a “delete button”. So should this new legislation been extended to everyone with a social media profile, not just children? We’d love to hear your comments. |
Cuddle Mattress Makes Spooning More Comfortable Posted: 26 Sep 2013 04:00 AM PDT We've all seen the photos advertising a new mattress with the couple spooning one another and most of us will have exactly the same thought running through our minds; "they will not be like that in a few minutes!" The reality of it is that cuddling up to somebody in bed is only comfy for a short time before the 'big spoon' starts to lose the feeling in their arm and the 'little spoon' gets annoyed with by the feeling of an arm digging into their neck/back. The Cuddle Mattress could revolutionize spooning as we know it.  How Does It Work? Unlike the traditional solid mattress, the Cuddle Mattress is split into three sections, top middle and bottom. The central part of the mattress is solid to offer support to the torso and lower back. The top and bottom of the mattress where the head and the feet lie have slats in them. It is the slats that enable couples to spoon comfortably by allowing space for the limbs to sink into the mattress and avoid the dreaded 'dead arm'. The slats at the lower end of the bed provide a space for sleepers to put their feet and keep their toes warm or simply to aid 'wrigglers' to find a comfier position. To provide further comfort for users, the slats come in a variety of materials:
Where Can You Buy One? Here's the catch, the Cuddle Mattress hasn't actually come to fruition yet. The mind behind the space providing mattress, Medhi Mojtabavi was inundated with emails. "It was like a fever around it" said Mojtabavi. Unfortunately, without funding and with other commitments, even though the mattress won an award from Red Dot in 2007, the mattress was still not on the market. After an email from a man who had recently undergone shoulder surgery saying he was extremely interested in purchasing the mattress, Mojtabavi thought about the project with renewed vigour. Like thousands of other startups, Mojtabavi launched a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo.com in the hope of raising the capital he needed ($75,000). Unfortunately, most people wanted to try the mattress before they bought it and the goal wasn't achieved. Mojtabavi has far from given up on his project though and is actively seeking out investors or even partners to bring the mattress to production. |
Apple Releases New iMac With Iris Pro Posted: 26 Sep 2013 03:00 AM PDT Following the release of the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Apple has given its iMac a small revamp. The new release brings Haswell cores from Intel, new NVIDIA Corp. GPUs, improved Fusion drives and more ports. Last October Apple made major changes to the iMac line, which included a new 5-mm thick aluminum frame. This time round the changes are more subtle but nonetheless contribute to making Apple’s all-in-one (AIO) personal computer a serious contender in the bid for the best value in the market.  Currently Lenovo dominate the AIO PC market after over-taking Apple. So what does the new iMac have to offer? Well the revamped model comes with 8 GB (upgradable two 32 GB for 27-inch, 16 GB for 21.5-inch) of 1600 MHz DDR3 and a 1 terabyte “Fusion” drive, a mostly hard disk hybrid drive with an undisclosed amount of NAND flash onboard (upgradable to 3 TB traditional HDD, a 256 GB SSD, or a 512 GB SSD). Apple’s AIO PC comes with a wireless “Magic Mouse” and wireless keyboard. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and the following ports:
Apple claims that it has been able to significantly improve the hardware and firmware of its proprietary Fusion drives, thus making performance 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Compared to the competition, Apple has priced the new iMacs rather aggressively. Even those who want a Windows 8 AIO can now consider a new iMac via Boot Camp, which supports Windows 8. |
Can Biking Be Fun Again? Yes Says Autobike Posted: 26 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT The bike is hung up in the garage waiting to be taken out again. But until somebody comes and moves the hills, or explains to you exactly how the gears work on the bike so you don't feel as though you're riding through wet concrete everywhere you go, the bike will stay hung up in the garage. That's how most people feel about biking these days but Autobike has developed a new automatic bike that will make any road seem flat. Biking can be fun again according to the electric biking company from Detroit.  Smooth, Self-powered and Automatic The SRAM front hub dynamo generates electric from every revolution of the front wheel. The electric is used to power the brain of the operation, a computer which is placed right behind the pedal crank. Sensors are able to detect the cadence of the cyclist and any incline in the road. The brain then caluculates the adjustments needed to keep the cyclist at their chosen cadence and changes the gears accordingly. Rather than experience rapid gear shifts that judder the bike and jar the rider, the developers have used a Nuvinci N360 rear hub transmission allowing for super smooth gear shifts. All about the Cadence Cadence is a term used to describe the amount of revolutions your pedals go through per minute while cycling. Most people fall within the range of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute (rpm) but when they climb a hill this will normally change depending on how well a person uses their gears. Autobike uses automatic gear shifting to make sure that people can stay at the same rpm anywhere they go. The rpm is completely up to them and what makes them feel comfortable, making every road and hill seem flat. The co-founder of Autobike, Sean Simpson told Mashable; "we set out to create a bike that offers a fun experience that is accessible to anyone who wants to jump on a bike with zero training. They can just hop on and go." Getting Back on the Bike The Voyage and Voyage ST can be ordered from Autobike for $1,000. Developers are hoping the bikes will get people to return to biking and perhaps even forego the short ride on the subway or bus to work for a healthier, more economic bike ride. |
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month
- Portable Solar Oven Cooks Meals In As Little As 10 Minutes
- Amazon Released Grand Theft Auto 5 Early
- New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month
- PS4 Up To 50% Faster Than Xbox One – Report Says
- Trade In Your iPad For A Surface, Microsoft Says
Portable Solar Oven Cooks Meals In As Little As 10 Minutes Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:10 AM PDT Who doesn’t love a good barbecue? A little camping trip with the family and some sausages gently sizzling away? Then there's the question, which barbecue should we use? Gas or Charcoal? Which is better for the environment? Which gives a better taste? Well what if you could have a complete portable oven to cook your meals wherever you are and you don't need any fuel source at all. Only daylight? The GoSun stove is a solar powered portable oven that can reach scorching heats of up to 700F (371C). Couple that with the fact that this sci-fi looking oven can fit in a healthy 3lbs (1.4kg) of food or 53oz (1.6l) fluids and you have an extremely capable cooking appliance.  How Does It Work? The part of the stove that contains the food or liquid is tubular with a slide out tray to hold whatever is to be heated. The lining of the thermal shock resistant glass tube consists of copper, aluminum and stainless steel. These metals will help conduct heat throughout the tube, cooking its contents evenly and thoroughly. But where does the heat come from? You guessed it, the sun. The casing or backing to the cooking tube is made up of parabolic mirrors which are well known to be excellent solar collectors. The curved shape of the mirrors concentrate the heat from the sun to reach a far higher temperature than an average flat plate. This heat is directed towards the center of the cooking tube and after ten minutes to preheat in the sunshine, families can enjoy up to 6 hot dog sausages cooked in as little as ten minutes. Where Can I Get One? Although the solar oven isn't out just yet, KickStarter are taking pre-orders from eco-sympathetic campers who can't wait to get their hands on one. The stove isn't the cheapest item on the market. At $279 per oven, it will definitely take some usage to get a return on investment. For those who have smaller needs and shallower pockets, there's the smaller model – the $79 GoSun Mini. The post |
Amazon Released Grand Theft Auto 5 Early Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:01 AM PDT Amazon.co.uk breached a strict embargo and delivered copies of Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA5) ahead of the official release date. The popular video game was sent to a small number of customers who had pre-ordered the title, days before the launch day.  Rockstar North, GTA5′s creator, is yet to comment publicly on the error but is reported to be investigating what happened. “We have established processes in place to deliver new titles to customers on their release date and are looking into the circumstances that led to a small number of customers receiving this game earlier than intended on this occasion”, an Amazon spokesperson said in an interview. This is not the first time that the games maker has had to deal with a pre-launch leak. In August, Sony leaked audio from the new game and offered an apology to Rockstar. It was caused when customers downloading a “locked” version of the preview after pre-ordering the title, were able to extract audio revealing the plot lines. However all of this is unlikely to effect sales of GTA5. Reports claim that it could bring in £1 billion over its lifetime, whilst development costs are said to be in the region of £170 million. This makes it one of the most expensive games ever made. |
New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Apple’s September event has come and gone, and as is usually the case, critics are hitting hard and fanboys are being just as loud. Stocks have dipped, but we know that people are lining up as early as now for the newest iPhones to hit the shelves. Crazy is as crazy does, so they say. In spite of the strong focus on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, we cannot overlook the fact that Apple does have other products! The Apple TV may not be the most exciting thing in tech these days, but it certainly is not something to disregard. So, while most everyone is either ranting or raving about the new iPhones, known Apple enthusiast MG Siegler drops a note about the new Apple TV.  Obviously, this is not an official statement from Apple, but anyone who has followed @parislemon and the scene for a while would know that there there is probably something to this statement. Of course, other pundits and analysts are quick to jump into the fray, with Gene Munster even going as far as to say that Apple is “working on a full-fledged television“.IF that were to happen, that would be the bombshell of bombshells this year, but I think we can all agree that it’s not a likely occurrence. (I hope I don’t end up having to eat my hat in a month or so.) Still, the chances of seeing a revamped Apple TV are high, especially if we think back on how Apple launched the Apple TV 3 and the iPad 3 last year. It sure is a different year, but we know how these things have a way of repeating themselves. So are you looking forward to seeing a new Apple TV? Are you thinking of getting one, or are you sticking with getting a new iPhone instead? |
PS4 Up To 50% Faster Than Xbox One – Report Says Posted: 17 Sep 2013 04:33 AM PDT The launch dates for the next generation game consoles have been released and the world eagerly awaits the new and improved consoles. PS4 and Xbox One go toe to toe in the battle of the games console.  PS4 Coming out Swinging Early reports from developers who have studied the intricate workings of the consoles seem to indicate a clear hit and a miss for the Xbox One regarding speed. Not only is the RAM in the PS4 faster than the Xbox One by 40-50% but the graphics card in Sony's console was shown to operate at 30 frames per second (fps) with a full 1080 resolution while Microsoft's baby reduced the resolution to below 30 fps even at a resolution of 900. Since Microsoft, who have also been pushed into changing certain policies by disgruntled fans, were made aware of the substantial gap in performance, it seems they may have tried to bridge the gap slightly by boosting the speed with a CPU upgrade. (1.6GHz – 1.75GHz). Other Differences There are a few other differences between the two consoles that gamers might be swayed by when choosing which console will take pride of place in their homes:
Speculation is all very well and good but at the end of the day, that's all it is. Hardware hasn’t been set in stone for either console. So until they are released and the put to the test in real life situations, nobody can truly tell which will take the title for best games console. |
Trade In Your iPad For A Surface, Microsoft Says Posted: 17 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT Who wants an iPad? Practically everyone I know. I do know for sure that I am very happy with my iPad 3, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world – except for an iPad Mini with a Retina screen, that is. For sure, I would NOT trade it in for a Surface. Microsoft thinks, though, that it can give iPad users a better deal with their new promotion: trade in your iPad, and you’ll get a Microsoft Surface for practically free.  Well, not really, as you only get a $200 gift card for the Microsoft store if you turn in your iPad – 2, 3, or 4. Granted, that amount is the minimum they’ll give you, with the number varying depending on how used your Apple tablet is. You have the brilliant options of getting a Surface RT or Pro, which ranges from $349 to $799. So yeah, if you go for the lowest end model, then you only have to dish out $149 for a new Microsoft tablet. What’s the catch? Do we really have to go there? The better question is: “Why would anyone in his right mind want to trade in an iPad for a Microsoft Surface?” Really! On a more objective note, the probable reason behind this almost month-long promo is that Microsoft has a surplus of tablets in stock. With their event having been announced – which will very like announce a new line of Surface tablets – they need to get rid of existing stock. This obviously means that if you bite and trade in your iPad for a Surface, what you will be getting is already obsolete. Still, in this fast paced tech world, obsolete is not always that bad. (Unless you actually throw away your iPad for a Surface.) This tablet trade promo is valid from September 5 to October 27 of this year, so if you have always been itching to try out the Surface, and you are totally unsatisfied with your iPad, here’s your chance! |
3D Printers Arrive in US Stores
Daily International News September 18, 2013 From VOAnews.com |
 UN Experts to Return to Syria 'Within Weeks' Chief UN chemical weapons inspector says his team to follow up on several more allegations of chemical weapons use More  Syria Peace Talks Elusive Despite Chemical Weapons Diplomacy Political talks have been repeatedly delayed by disarray within Syrian opposition leadership and by disagreement over who else might attend More  Iran Keeps Low Profile in Syria Diplomacy Analysts say President Hasan Rouhani could use hoped-for Syria peace conference to improve relations with the West More  Syrian Christians in Limbo, Fearing Repeat of Iraq By siding with Assad regime, Syria's Christians are increasingly the target of attacks by factions of hardline Islamic rebels More  Navy Yard Gunman Was Treated for Mental Illness During visit to Rhode Island in August, Aaron Alexis complained to police that people were talking to him through walls, ceiling of hotel room More  North Korea Presses for Resumption of Nuclear Talks United States, Japan, South Korea oppose restart until Pyongyang makes verifiable attempts to dismantle its nuclear program More  Cambodian Opposition Refuses to Call Off Parliament Boycott Opposition continues to insist that ruling party agree to independent investigation into allegations of massive voting fraud in July’s election More  Mugabe's New Government Faces Old Challenges Zimbabwean president’s major headache is on how to turn around battered economy More  Malawi Rastafarians Push for Dreadlocks in Schools Dreadlock-wearing community says it is unconstitutional to deny their children an education because of their religious practice More  3D Printers Arrive in US Stores Machine is capable of turning a drawing into a physical object in a matter of hours More |
Monday, 22 July 2013
BBC to Launch Five New HD Channels
 Posted: 20 Jul 2013 05:00 AM PDT NASA has announced that it has successfully tested a 3D printed part for a rocket engine. The technique called selective laser melting (SLM) was used and resulted in the part being produced quicker and cheaper. The California based Aerojet Rocketdyne were able to make an injector component, a part that is used to deliver liquid oxygen and hydrogen gas to an engine’s combustion chamber.  Using the SLM method, a computer-designed object is turned into a real part by using high-powered laser beams that melt and fuse thin layers of metallic powders into the designed shape. According to NASA an injector component would normally take a year to make but by using this technique, they have been able to cut production time to less than four months and reduce the cost by more than 70 per cent. The test part is not full scale, it is smaller than what would normally be used in a full-size rocket but it is still big enough to give proof that the part is able to withstand the pressure and heat it would be exposed to. “Nasa recognises that on Earth and potentially in space, additive manufacturing can be game-changing for new mission opportunities, significantly reducing production time and cost by ‘printing’ tools, engine parts or even entire spacecraft,” said Michael Gazarik, Nasa’s associate administrator for space technology. The space agency are also exploring other techniques. It has asked researches at Washington University to explore the possibilites of producing 3D printed objects from lunar rocks. It is also testing a process called electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3), which uses a computer controlled electron beam gun in a vacuum that then welds metal wires into complex shapes and patterns. All these techniques are making steps towards NASA’s astronauts being able to produce spare parts in space, thus saving more time and money during space exploration. |
BBC to Launch Five New HD Channels Posted: 20 Jul 2013 03:00 AM PDT The BBC has announced it plans to launch five new high definition channels by early next year. There will be High Definition versions of BBC News, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC Three and BBC Four. These channels will be available over rooftop aerials via Freeview receivers as well as cable and satellite services. This news coincides with the regulator Ofcom‘s announcement that is making it possible to launch a total of 10 new HD channels using airwaves freed up by the switch off of the old analogue TV signals. ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 had no statement at this time as to whether they intended to take advantage of Ofcom’s move. Surprisingly BSkyB said it had no plans to launch an HD service on Freeview. BBC’s director general Tony Hall said “BBC One HD and BBC Two HD have already proved to be highly valued by our audiences and I’m delighted that we’re able to follow this with the launch of five new subscription-free BBC HD channels by early 2014…These new channels will allow us to showcase more of our programming at its very best.” Currently there are four HD channels offered over Freeview, which launched its High Definition service in 2010. They are BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD. These include variants of the BBC One HD service for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Two of the BBC’s new channels, BBC Three HD and CBBC HD, will utilise existing unused capacity, and CBeebies HD and BBC Four HD will share a channel since they will not be broadcast at the same time. As a result there is still the potential for up to a further eight new HD channels to be offered over Freeview as a result of Ofcom’s move. Transmission company Arqiva will provide the infrastructure behind the new Freeview services, having being awarded a licence to do so by the regulator. It will handle other applications for the added capacity. The company has indicated that up to 70% of the UK population should be able to receive the new channels over their aerials. The 550-606MHz spectrum band being used was freed up as a result of the UK’s digital TV switchover, which was completed last year. Ofcom has said it reserves the right to take back the bandwidth from December 2018 if it needs to prevent a “capacity crunch” caused by the roll-out of future mobile broadband services. The BBC has indicated it also wants to launch English regional variants of its existing BBC One HD service as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland editions of BBC Two HD. This would not need any of the new capacity, it would, however, need to be approved by the BBC Trust. Currently more than 50% of homes in the United Kingdom are already HD-enabled. The BBC said it expected that figure to grow a further 40% to around 90% by 2019. |
UN Warns on Mobile Cybersecurity Bugs to Prevent Attacks
BOSTON — A United Nations group that advises nations on cybersecurity plans to send out an alert about significant vulnerabilities in mobile phone technology that could potentially enable hackers to remotely attack at least half a billion phones.
The bug, discovered by German firm, allows hackers to remotely gain control of and also clone certain mobile SIM cards.
The bug, discovered by German firm, allows hackers to remotely gain control of and also clone certain mobile SIM cards.
Hackers could use compromised SIMs to commit financial crimes or engage in electronic espionage, according to Berlin's Security Research Labs, which will describe the vulnerabilities at the Black Hat hacking conference that opens in Las Vegas on July 31.
The U.N.'s Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union, which has reviewed the research, described it as "hugely significant."
"These findings show us where we could be heading in terms of cybersecurity risks," ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Touré told Reuters.
He said the agency would notify telecommunications regulators and other government agencies in nearly 200 countries about the potential threat and also reach out to hundreds of mobile companies, academics and other industry experts.
A spokeswoman for the GSMA, which represents nearly 800 mobile operators worldwide, said it also reviewed the research.
"We have been able to consider the implications and provide guidance to those network operators and SIM vendors that may be impacted," said GSMA spokeswoman Claire Cranton.
Nicole Smith, a spokeswoman for Gemalto NV, the world's biggest maker of SIM cards, said her company supported GSMA's response.
"Our policy is to refrain from commenting on details relating to our customers' operations," she said.
Becoming the SIM
Cracking SIM cards has long been the Holy Grail of hackers because the tiny devices are located in phones and allow operators to identify and authenticate subscribers as they use networks.
Karsten Nohl, the chief scientist who led the research team and will reveal the details at Black Hat, said the hacking only works on SIMs that use an old encryption technology known as DES. The technology is still used on at least one out of eight SIMs, or a minimum of 500 million phones, according to Nohl.
The ITU estimates some 6 billion mobile phones are in use worldwide. It plans to work with the industry to identify how to protect vulnerable devices from attack, Touré said.
Once a hacker copies a SIM, it can be used to make calls and send text messages impersonating the owner of the phone, said Nohl, who has a doctorate in computer engineering from the University of Virginia.
"We become the SIM card. We can do anything the normal phone users can do," Nohl said in a phone interview. "If you have a MasterCard number or PayPal data on the phone, we get that too."
IPhone, Android, BlackBerry
The mobile industry has spent several decades defining common identification and security standards for SIMs to protect data for mobile payment systems and credit card numbers. SIMs are also capable of running apps.
Nohl said Security Research Labs found mobile operators in many countries whose phones were vulnerable, but declined to identify them. He said mobile phone users in Africa could be among the most vulnerable because banking is widely done via mobile payment systems with credentials stored on SIMs.
All types of phones are vulnerable, including iPhones from Apple Inc, phones that run Google Inc's Android software and BlackBerry Ltd smartphones, he said.
BlackBerry's director of security response and threat analysis, Adrian Stone, said in a statement that his company proposed new SIM card standards last year to protect against the types of attacks described by Nohl, which the GSMA has adopted and advised members to implement.
Apple and Google declined comment.
CTIA, a U.S. mobile industry trade group based in Washington, D.C., said the new research likely posed no immediate threat.
"We understand the vulnerability and are working on it," said CTIA Vice President John Marinho. "This is not what hackers are focused on. This does not seem to be something they are exploiting."
VOA
July 21, 2013
QR Code Hacks Google Glass
 Posted: 21 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT Another security weakness has been found with Google Glass. Using a QR code, security analysts at Lookout were able to force the Glass device to perform certain actions, such as sharing a user's screen or joining wireless networks, without the user’s knowledge. Google Glass is set to automatically process any QR code that the device's camera detects; this is to help achieve the minimalistic design and interface. The moment Glass recognizes the command that the QR code contains, Glass executes it. All a hacker has to do is create malicious QR codes that commands Glass to do any number of actions. This is where Lookout created a QR code that forced Glass to initiate a Glass-cast, which is what a Google Glass user can see with a device connected via Bluetooth, without the user knowing. Theoretically, this could allow a hacker to completely spy on everything someone sees, including personal information and data, such as an ATM PIN or another secure data password. Lookout pointed out to PC Mag that this is not too threatening as it first appears to be, as a hacker would need physical access to a pair of Google Glass in order to pair a device with Bluetooth. The hacker would also have remain pretty close to the user to keep getting the feed. The QR code designed to force Glass to connect to Wi-Fi network, however, is a much more troubling problem. A hacker could monitor everything a user does with Glass while connected that network or even hack the device completely. For those of you unfamiliar with QR codes, they are those squares with black pixels that can be scanned with a smartphone or similar device. These are becoming more and more common on advertisements. A hacker could create one, print and copy it and post the copies anywhere. Someone could easily be tricked into scanning the code and giving up control of their Glass. Finding security issues has been an important part of the Explorer Edition of Google Glass and Google has been quick to fix these issues. In other news; another hacker successfully jail broke Google Glass a few months ago in May and pointed out some very serious security flaws that Google was able to address. Just two weeks after Lookout presented this QR code vulnerability to Google, the company updated Glass to prevent the device from automatically executing a command. Still, Google did not see QR codes as a potential avenue for an attack. Users should only scan a code if they know what it is going to do, right? Try telling the auto feature of QR scanning in Glass that! |
Rumour: Apple In Talks to Buy Xbox Kinect Sensor Company Primesense Posted: 21 Jul 2013 03:00 AM PDT Industry leader Apple is reportedly looking to acquire the Israeli fabless semiconductor company Primesense. According to local newspaper Calcalist, the Cupertino company has made an offer around the $280 million mark, to buy the company responsible for the 3D sensor found in Microsoft’s Kinect devices, following discussions over the embedding of its technology inside future Apple products.  In the past, Primsense worked with Microsoft to include its technology, chips, and designs inside the first Kinect accessory for the Xbox 360 games console. Primesense’s 3D-scanning technology is used in more than 20 million devices around the world, including sensors that can be used in both smartphones and tablets. Primesense technology can also be found in new portable scanners which are capable of generating finely detailed color 3D models of interior spaces. This is not the first time Apple has looked to purchasing an Israeli component maker. Back in January 2012, the company confirmed it had acquired the flash storage company Anobit in a deal worth in the region of $400 Million. While Primesense in the past, has been focused on the gaming world and what it encompasses i.e. technology surrounding the gaming environment, the company’s more recent projects include working with technology forerunners ASUS to provide the 3D sensing technology for its WAVI Xtion PC which allows you to enjoy PC content on the big screen with a wave of your hands through the Xition Portal, for intuitive entertainment in the living room. The future development of 3D motion-activated games are also rumoured and the company has also collaborated with various companies in the retail field as well as various industries in the fields of robotics and healthcare. |
Saturday, 20 July 2013
New Nokia Lumia 1020 in Pakistan.
The New Nokia Lumia 1020 Posted: 13 Jul 2013 04:00 AM PDT Nokia have unveiled a new handset, the Lumia 1020, which boasts a feature that allows users to zoom in and reframe their photos without the risk of decreasing image quality. The Lumia 1020 comes with a 41-megapixel sensor and offers highly detailed photos at up to 38MP resolution. This isn’t the first time Nokia have used a 41-megapixel sensor in a phone. The Pureview 808 was launched last year but it did not appeal to many people, mainly due to the fact that it was running the old Symbian operating system. However, Nokia’s new handset runs on Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. With more than 160,000 apps, hopefully it will prove more popular. It is not just photos that benefit from the extra resolution, but also the video recording capabilites. The user can zoom in four times while recording a 1080p high definition video and six times in a 720P version,without losing any quality. To help prevent shaky videos, the lens system has been mounted on ball bearings. A gyroscope and motors help to counteract any movement so the overall finish is alot clearer and more stable. What The Analysts Have to SayNokia have said that the handset is perfect for people who want to “shoot first,zoom later”. But with stiff competition from Samsung and Apple, is it enough to keep pace?The market research company IDC carried out a survey of smartphone owners to determine what drove them to purchase a particular handset. Of the 23 features suggested, camera resolution came 15th in the list, with people placing more importance on audio quality, battery life, device security and browsing. This suggests that perhaps the handset won’t be the most popular. Nokia have priced the Lumia 1020 at $300, on top of a two year contract. This high price tag will no doubt mean the handset will undergo some scrutiny to make sure it lives up to the cost of purchase. Francisco Jeronimo, a mobile phone analyst at IDC said that “For an amateur or professional photographer who needs a quality camera on the move, this is the best option available on a smartphone. But to be able to compete with Apple and Samsung, Nokia will need to price it aggressively and to increase activities in the stores to show consumers how much better the camera performs against the competition.” “Failing that, the Nokia Lumia 1020 will become a niche product for a niche segment – professional mobile photographers.” The Lumia 1020 goes on sale in the US on July 26, while parts of Europe and China can expect a release date before September. |
WiFi 802.11ac: What You Need To Know Posted: 13 Jul 2013 03:00 AM PDT Recently 802.11ac WiFi devices have started to emerge, but just what is WiFi 802.11ac and How fast is it? 802.11ac is a supercharged version of 802.11n, which is the current WiFi standard, offering link speeds ranging from 433 megabits-per-second (Mbps), through to multiple gigabits per second. To achieve these speeds which are dozens of times faster than 802.11n, 802.11ac works exclusively in the 5GHz band, uses a huge amount of bandwidth (80 or 160MHz) and operates in up to eight spatial streams (MIMO) and a utilizes technology called beamforming.  How 802.11ac works: At its core, 802.11ac is essentially an updated version of 802.11n, which itself introduced some very exciting technologies that brought massive speed boosts over 802.11a and g. Whereas 802.11n had support for four spatial streams (4×4 MIMO) and a channel width of 40MHz, 802.11ac can use eight spatial streams and has channels up to 80MHz wide, which can be combined to make 160MHz channels. Even if everything else remained the same, this means that 802.11n has 8x160MHz of spectral bandwidth to play with, vs. 4x40MHz, this is a huge difference that allows 802.11n to squeeze vast amounts of data across the spectrum. 802.11ac introduces 256-QAM modulation (an increase from 64-QAM in 802.11n), which fits 256 different signals over the same frequency by shifting each signal to a slightly different phase. In theory, this quadruples the spectral efficiency of 802.11ac over 802.11n. Spectral efficiency is a measure of how well a given wireless protocol/modulation/multiplexing technique uses the bandwidth available to it. In the 5GHz band, where channels are fairly wide (20MHz+), spectral efficiency is not so important; in the cellular or mobile bands though, channels are often 5MHz wide, which makes spectral efficiency very important. 802.11ac also introduces standardised beamforming (802.11n was non-standardized, which made interoperability an issue). Beamforming is essentially transmitting radio signals in such a way that they are directed at a specific device. This can increase throughput and also reduce power consumption. Beamforming can be done with smart antennae that physically move to track the device, or by modulating the amplitude and phase of the signals so that they destructively interfere with each other, leaving just a narrow, not-interfered beam. 802.11n uses this second method, which can be implemented by both routers and mobile devices. Finally, 802.11ac is fully backwards compatible with 802.11n and 802.11g, this means you can buy an 802.11ac router today and it will work with your older WiFi devices. Just how fast is WiFi 802.11ac? Well there are two answers: the theoretical max speed that can be achieved in the laboratory, and the practical max speed that we will receive at home or in the office, surrounded by lots of signal altering obstacles. The theoretical max speed of 802.11ac is eight 160MHz 256-QAM channels, each of which are capable of 866.7Mbps — a total of 6,933Mbps, this is slightly short of 7Gbps. That's a transfer rate of 900 megabytes per second! which is more than you can squeeze down a SATA 3 link. In the real world, due to channel contention, you probably won't get more than two or three 160MHz channels, so the max speed comes down to somewhere between 1.7Gbps and 2.5Gbps. Compare this with 802.11n's max theoretical speed, which was 600Mbps. |
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