Bio-waste run generator developed by Agra entrepreneur

By Brij Khandelwal, IANS Agra : A city-based entrepreneur has successfully developed a biomass-run generator as a major step towards promoting renewable sources of energy. The generator developer, Rajesh Garg, told IANS: "We have designed, developed and made operational a power generating set run on 100 percent biogas and industrial waste gas-based engines. We have also successfully developed biomass based generators, which can be run by many types of wastes like wood shavings, rice husk, or oil-seed waste."

Small clicks can cause great pain – how to avoid mouse arm

By DPA Wiesbaden (Germany) : All of a sudden your arm feels heavy as lead and starts to tingle. You tend to drop objects more frequently than you used to. If you're a frequent computer user, mouse arm may be the culprit. "Mouse arm is a modern form of classical tennis elbow," explains Jan Bernholt, an orthopaedist from Duesseldorf. "Small movements that are constantly repeated can lead to ailments in the upper and low arm. An ergonomic workspace can help prevent this," he said.

Post-1947 no science Nobel for India: Sibal

By IANS New Delhi : India has not received a single Nobel Prize in the field of science after independence but efforts are on to spur innovation and research, Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said Monday. To a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether it is fact that no Nobel Prize has been awarded to India in science after independence, Sibal said: "Yes Sir". However, Sibal said his ministry was making efforts to strengthen research and innovation in the field of science.

Understanding Vista’s Windows experience index

By DPA Washington : In the past, it was difficult to measure exactly how fast one computer ran Windows versus another computer. Now, thanks to Windows Vista's new experience index, the guesswork has been taken out of evaluating performance. Understand the experience index and you'll be ahead of the game when it comes to judging the performance of a new PC or determining how best to upgrade your existing box.

Tsunami early warning system by month end

By IANS New Delhi : Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said Friday that a national tsunami warning system would be operational by September end. "The government is setting up a National Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean and the system is scheduled to be operational by the end of September 2007," Sibal said. "An interim warning centre is already working at Indian National Centre for Ocean information Services, Hyderabad, on a 24x7 basis," the minister informed the Lok Sabha.

‘No fresh evidence to indicate Bay of Bengal tsunami’

By Avijit Chatterjee, IANS Kolkata : The Geological Survey of India has allayed fears of a tsunami hitting the Bay of Bengal soon - though the findings of an Australian geologist suggest that a giant undersea earthquake could inundate India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Intel unveils high-efficiency quad-core processors

By IANS Hyderabad : Intel Corporation Thursday launched the industry's first quad-core processors designed for multi-processor servers and high-end desktops to give higher performance at lesser power. The six new processors in the quad-core Xeon 7300 series, deployed to run multiple applications in data centres, businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), perform two times faster than dual cores with three times more output per watt.

Russian Proton-M rocket with Japanese satellite crashes

By RIA Novosti Moscow : A Russian Proton-M booster rocket carrying a Japanese communications satellite exploded shortly after lift-off early Thursday, a space agency spokesman said. The rocket, which was launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan at 2.43 a.m. Moscow time, experienced an engine malfunction and second-stage separation failure 139 seconds into its flight. It came down in the central Kazakh steppe, 50 km southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan, the spokesman said.

ISRO land deal rocks Kerala assembly

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The opposition Congress Tuesday walked out of the Kerala assembly over the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) purchasing 82 acres of forest land to set up a space education institute. The trouble began when senior Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan sought leave for an adjournment motion and sought a discussion into the deal - ISRO purchased the land in Ponmudi, 75 km from here, from high profile businessman Savy Mano Mathew. The Congress alleges that the land belongs to the forest department of the government.

Advance IST by 30 minutes, save Rs.10 bn: scientists

By IANS New Delhi : A group of scientists have suggested that the Indian Standard Time (IST) be shifted forward by 30 minutes to reduce peak time energy demand and save at least Rs.10 billion per year. According to a paper prepared by Dilip R. Ahuja, D.P. Sen, both from the National Institute of Advanced Studies, and V.K. Agrawal, Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre, Bangalore, the shift in IST by 30 minutes will help India use more daylight and reduce the peak power demand during evening.

Two Europeans, four Russians to go on simulated “Mars mission”

By RIA Novosti Moscow : Two Europeans and four Russians have been selected to participate in an experimental Mars mission simulation, Mars-500, a medical institute spokesman said Monday. The experiment, which is being run by the Russian Institute of Biological Problems, will sequester the six volunteers in a "Mars Expeditionary Complex" for 520 days beginning late 2008.

Spanish company invents a way to walk on water

By RIA Novosti Madrid : Two thousand years after a certain carpenter from Galilea pulled it off, a Spanish company has developed a somewhat less miraculous, if still impressive, way to walk on water. As described in the web news journal Diariodeibiza, the company Vehiculos con Ingenio or Transportation with Imagination began selling its new contraption a month ago that allows people using it literally to walk on water.

Technical tips for buying web and video phones

By DPA Berlin : Telephone operators of yore would be puzzled by people nowadays, placing calls with headsets and using web cams to send videos around the globe. And that's just for starters. In the 21st century, it's not unusual to see people using instant messenger programmes to communicate worldwide. But, confused as they might be by today's web cams, they might still be able to teach us a trick or two when it comes to choosing a headset.

Satellite launch boosts space agency’s morale

By IANS Sriharikota : The successful launch of the communication satellite INSAT-4CR by the geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV F04 Sunday here is a morale booster for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The organisation is mourning the death of three of its employees in a car accident Aug 24. The car in which two senior officials, Rajeev Lochan, scientific secretary, and S. Krishnamurthy, director of publications and public relations, met with an accident near the temple town of Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh.

India places latest communications satellite into orbit

By V. Jagannathan, IANS Sriharikota : Trailing a plume of orange flame, a rocket lifted off from this launch pad in Andhra Pradesh Sunday evening to place into orbit India's latest communications satellite that will boost direct-to-home (DTH) TV services. The geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-F04 lifted off at 6.20 p.m. on a cloudy Sunday evening after a series of delays caused by a technical glitch delayed the launch by 120 minutes.

India launches rocket carrying latest communication satellite

By IANS Sriharikota : A rocket carrying India's latest communication satellite lifted from this launch pad in Andhra Pradesh Sunday evening after a series of delays caused by a technical glitch. The launch of the geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-F04 was originally scheduled for 4.21 p.m. but was successively delayed as scientists worked furiously to get over the glitch, an official here said, without specifying what the problem was.

Insat-4CR launch delayed by two hours

By IANS Sriharikota : The launch of India's latest communication satellite Insat-4CR has been rescheduled by two hours to 6.10 p.m. after three delays caused by a technical hitch 15 seconds before the scheduled blast-off. The satellite was to be launched at 4.21 p.m. by the geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-F04 and was initially put off by 50 minutes. It was then pushed back to 5.40 p.m. and again.10 p.m. as scientists worked furiously to get over the technical glitch that had arisen, an official here said, without specifying what the problem was.

Insat-4CR launch delayed by 50 minutes

By IANS Sriharikota : The launch of India's latest communication satellite Insat-4CR was put on hold for 50 minutes Sunday evening due to a technical hitch 15 seconds before the scheduled blast-off time. The satellite was to be launched at 4.21 p.m by the geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-F04). Some of the parameters pertaining to the launch vehicle were reportedly not on the expected lines.

Google Earth enables views into the universe

By DPA Hamburg : A new function in Google Earth has opened up the cosmos to Internet viewers. The new "sky" portion of the software allows users to view the starry skies, navigating through the galaxies with the click of a mouse, says Google spokesman Stefan Keuchel from the company's Hamburg offices. Constellations, planets, and nebulae are all offered alongside information about their position, size and orbits.

Bajaj Auto, TVS feud over patent violation

By IANS New Delhi : Two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto Saturday said that it would sue its rival TVS Motors for allegedly violating its patented digital twin spark ignition (DTSi) technology, even as the latter denied any such alleged infringement. The charges by Bajaj, two days after TVS launched its 125 cc bike 'Flame' with controlled combustion variable timing intelligent (CCVTi) technology, said its intellectual property right (IPR) on a digital twin spark ignition technology had been infringed.

Countdown begins for Insat-4CR launch Sunday

By IANS Bangalore : The final countdown for the Sunday launch of India's latest communication satellite Insat-4CR began Saturday afternoon at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 100 km from Chennai. A top Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official told IANS on phone from Sriharikota that the go-ahead for the 27-hour final countdown was given after the met department gave an all-weather clearance earlier in the day.

Digital cameras: dealing with dust in DSLRs

By Jay Dougherty, DPA Washington : In digital photography, dust is the enemy. It's especially true for owners of interchangeable lens digital cameras (DSLRs), the sales of which are growing faster than for any other type. When dust gets inside the camera, it ends up on the sensor - the camera's main light-gathering chip - and can show up on your digital photographs as spots. Some of these spots are large, some small, some faint and some dark.

Beware of e-mail scam offering to ‘rescue’ friends

By Frederick Noronha, IANS Panaji : Goa-based Rudolf Ludwig's friends started getting frantic e-mail messages about the musician-turned-art gallery owner being stranded in Nigeria and badly in need of money. His wife Yolanda fielded off telephone calls to their Goa home, explaining that nothing of this sort had happened. When more friends started phoning in, Ludwig, who was very much in Goa, realised his e-mail account on the popular GMail network had been hacked into. His password had been changed and he couldn't enter his own account.

Russian astronauts to Moon by 2025: official

By Xinhua Moscow : Russia will send astronauts to the Moon by 2025 and establish a permanent station there between 2028 and 2032, a senior official said here Friday. Russia, which sent the first cosmonaut to the space in 1961, has forged a long-range blueprint for its space industry up to 2040, said Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).

Indian navigation systems to guide rockets in 2008

By IANS Chennai : Rocket navigation systems developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are all set to guide a satellite launcher slated for launch next year. The geo-synchronous launch vehicle (GSLV), which will launch INSAT-type satellites into geostationary orbit, is to be launched in 2008, guided by avionics designed by ISRO. ISRO tested its new avionics on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that was launched in April. The vehicle had a second equipment bay - apart from the primary one - housing the navigation and telemetry systems.

ISRO designed avionics to guide rockets in 2008

By IANS Chennai : Rocket navigation systems developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are all set to guide the geo-synchronous launch vehicle (GSLV) slated for launch next year. ISRO tested its new avionics on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that was launched in April. The vehicle had a second equipment bay - apart from the primary one - housing the navigation and telemetry systems.

SatNav bags Red Herring 100 Asia award

By IANS Hyderabad : The city-based SatNav Technologies, an IT products company, has bagged the Red Herring Top 100 Asia 2007 award. This was announced at a gala dinner at Hong Kong organised to honour 100 cutting-edge private technology companies from across the Asia-Pacific region, said a company statement here. The winners are based in 16 countries/regions including China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and Vietnam. This is one of the prestigious awards across Asia, which is announced by the Red Herring Magazine.

ISRO institute land deal shady: Kerala minister

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : It is now uncertain whether a space institute of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will actually come up on a plot in the Ponmudi hill station of Kerala, with a minister Thursday calling the land deal shady. "It is now clear that the individual who sold the land to ISRO was shady, but the Kerala government is clear that it will go ahead with the proposed institute, clearing all the issues that have cropped up," Forest Minister Binoy Viswam told reporters. He said this in the presence of ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair here.

NASA found no evidence of drunken astronauts on flights

By DPA Washington : NASA administrators have said they could find no evidence that astronauts had flown drunk, despite accusations that had arisen in an independent report last month. An internal review by the space agency found no evidence of cases in the past 20 years when astronauts were allowed to launch despite protests from flight surgeons or other officials, NASA administrator Michael Griffin said at a press conference Wednesday.

German experts detect particles faster than light

By DPA Hamburg : Two German physicists from the University of Koblenz claim to have done the impossible by finding photons that have broken the speed of light. If their claims are confirmed, they will have proved wrong Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity, which requires an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. However, Gunter Nimtz and Alfons Stahlhofen say they have possibly breached a key tenet of that theory.

Soap that cleans clothes with less water

By IANS Melbourne : Wasting water to rinse that extra lather from your clothes may be a thing of the past now. Scientists in Australia have developed a detergent that cleans clothes with less water. Normal detergents contain surfactant molecules, which are oil-friendly at one end to capture dirt and water-friendly at the other to pull it away. They also tend to form bubbles, which require extra water to rinse.

Yahoo to introduce new features to e-mail sevice

By Xinhua Beijing : Yahoo will introduce new features for its popular web-based e-mail program, taking six weeks to become available to all 254 million Yahoo mail subscribers in 21 languages worldwide, media reports said Monday. The new version allows users to click on a contact and then select whether to send that person an e-mail, instant message or text message. "You could send an e-mail or instant message if you know the recipient is at the computer — or a text message if the recipient is on the road with a cell phone," the reports added.

Report: iPhone system hacked, made usable in Israel

By Xinhua Jerusalem : Three Israeli computer engineers have managed to hack Apple's iPhone system, and made it available for use through Israeli carriers, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website on Sunday. According to the report, the three were also able to lend the iPhone a Hebrew interface, thus breaking Apple's restriction on using the phone only through the AT&T company in the United States.

Indian space agency’s top official dies in road mishap

By IANS Bangalore : Rajeev Lochan, scientific secretary to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was killed late Friday in a road mishap in Andhra Pradesh, it was announced Saturday. An ISRO official told IANS on phone that Lochan died along with driver Chandran when the Ambassador car in which they were travelling to Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh from Bangalore on an official trip met with an accident near Pakala, about 40 km from Tirupati.

NASA reports two Mars rovers resume driving

By Xinhua Washington : After six weeks of hunkering down during raging dust storms that limited solar power, both of NASA's Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have resumed driving, NASA reported Friday. Opportunity advanced 13.38 meters toward the edge of Victoria Crater on Aug. 21. Spirit drove 42 centimeters backwards on Aug. 23 to get in position for taking images of a rock that it had examined with its spectrometer. The rover team is planning additional drives for Spirit to climb onto a platform informally named "Home Plate."

Hyderabad lab hopes Iran will help in cloning cheetah

By IANS Hyderabad : Scientists at a Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONE) here are continuing their efforts to clone a rabbit and hope to get assistance from Iran to fulfil their ambitious goal - to clone a cheetah. This is the country's first animal cloning bid, and the LaCONE scientists, of the prestigious Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), want to clone a laboratory animal before working on their dream project.

World record: Artificial insemination of blackbuck

By IANS Hyderabad : Scientists here have succeeded in artificial insemination of a blackbuck by using a non-invasive method, leading to the birth of a live fawn. Encouraged by the feat, they now plan to implement it for saving other endangered species also. Scientists at the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) of the prestigious Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology (CCMB) here are excited about the success achieved for the first time in the world.

Black buck gives birth after artificial insemination

By IANS Hyderabad : For the first time in the world, scientists here have succeeded in artificial insemination of a black buck by non-invasive method, leading to the birth of a live fawn. Scientists at the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) of the prestigious Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology (CCMB) here are excited about their success.

Wireless spectrum assessment to be over by September

By IANS Chennai : The assessment of the availability of the wireless spectrum for communication services is likely to be over by the first week of September, IT and Communications Minister A. Raja said here Thursday. Raja was speaking on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate global computer giant IBM's sixth global delivery centre in India, to be housed in Chennai. He said once the defence ministry freed some of the spectrum it held, his ministry would be able to provide more communication depth.

Wireless spectrum assessment to be over by September

By IANS Chennai : The assessment of the availability of the wireless spectrum for communication services is likely to be over by the first week of September, IT and Communications Minister A. Raja said here Thursday. Raja was speaking on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate global computer giant IBM's sixth global delivery centre in India, to be housed in Chennai. He said once the defence ministry freed some of the spectrum it held, his ministry would be able to provide more communication depth.

New integrated media platform for overseas Indians

By IANS New Delhi : For persons of Indian origin (PIOs), staying connected with India has been made easy with a new digital integrated media platform, www.pioTV.com, which was launched by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi here Thursday. "I hope this new initiative will help NRIs and PIOs all over the world to connect with India, its politics, society, culture and economy," Ravi said while unveiling the website. The new website is designed to supply a diverse range of India-related content besides acting as an interactive platform for its users.

Karnataka to promote nano-technology in a big way

By IANS Bangalore : After pioneering IT and biotechnology in the country, the Karnataka government is embarking on an ambitious programme to promote nano-technology and nano-science in a big way in the state. To unleash the nano revolution, the state department of IT, biotechnology and science and technology is organising a two-day 'Bangalore Nano 2007' convention Dec 6-7.

Russian, European agencies to develop manned spaceship

By RIA Novosti Zhukovsky (Russia) : The Russian and European space agencies will develop a manned transport spaceship for flights to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars, the head of the Russian agency has said. "We agreed today with Jean-Jacques Dordain, the head of the European Space Agency, to form a working group to deal with developing a piloted transport system to fly to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars," Anatoly Perminov said Tuesday after talks with Dordain on the sidelines of the MAKS-2007 air show in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.

Shuttle Endeavour undocks from International Space Station

By Xinhua Washington : Space Shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday to begin its return trip to Earth, according to NASA TV. "Physical separation, Houston," shuttle pilot Charlie Hobaugh told Mission Control. Undocking took place according to schedule at 7:56 a.m. EDT (1156 GMT) as the shuttle and ISS passed 214 miles (about 344 km) over the South Pacific.

Making e-greetings on mobiles livelier

By Jatindra Dash, IANS Bhubaneswar : Thanks to a young web developer in Orissa, one can now send and receive animated as well as customised e-greetings on GPRS-enabled mobile phones and PCs with Internet connections. The software application MobileWish, developed by Samir K. Dash of Rourkela city, 450 km from here, has proved to be quite a hit, with its latest version launched just last month. The software can be downloaded from the website www.mobilewish.com. Dash already claims to have over 2,000 users - most of them from Europe and the US.

Dust to dust – outer space makes dust ‘come alive’

By DPA Hamburg : The biblical admonition of all life going from "dust to dust" has taken a new twist with scientific findings that non-organic cosmic dust particles can in fact "come to life" under certain circumstances. The new research, published in the New Journal of Physics, found non-organic dust, when held in the form of plasma in zero gravity, formed the helical structures found in DNA. The particles are held together by electromagnetic forces that the scientists say could contain a code comparable to the genetic information held in organic matter.

Google launches India-specific search facility

By IANS Bangalore : Google Inc, the world's largest search engine, Monday announced the launching of a local search tool to enable Indian users find information on local businesses like restaurants, shops and hotels on the web. The India-specific search product - http://local.google.co.in - has also a facility to access information on local businesses. The Google local business centre will enable any business entity to load its information on the web. Local users can access the business information freely by logging into the search tool.

Around the world in 80 days, the Indian Air Force way

Hindon (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 19 (IANS) Two intrepid Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots flew in here Sunday after creating two new world records for circumnavigating the globe in a microlight aircraft. Flying over 16 countries and touching 81 destinations, Wing Commanders Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar completed their journey in 80 days, shaving 19 days off the existing mark of 99 days held by Britain's Colin Bodil since 2001. They also bettered Bodil's airspeed record of 16.53 km per hour by recording 21.09 km per hour.

Hurricane may cut short Endeavour mission: NASA

By DPA Washington : Hurricane Dean may force NASA to cut short by one day the mission of the space shuttle Endeavour, space agency officials said Saturday. With astronauts on the shuttle preparing for their fourth and final space walk later Saturday, officials were keeping a wary eye on the path of hurricane Dean and the possibility that the flight control centre in Houston, Texas might have to be evacuated. The Endeavour is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) Monday and land at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida Wednesday.

Kerala elephants queue up for microchip injections

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : From three-year-old Unnikuttan to 95-year-old Gangadharan, a dozen elephants queued up as the Kerala government Saturday launched its programme of implanting a microchip in them in place of registration papers. The chip is placed under the skin of the elephant by way of an injection. The initiative, the first for Kerala that has almost 1,000 captive elephants, was launched from the capital district.

Telescope-like device may reverse vision loss

By IANS Washington : A small telescope-like device developed by ophthalmologists in the US may be able to halt and even reverse vision loss caused by macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease. According to a new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, the optical prosthetics, tiny enough to be balanced on a fingertip, dramatically improved the vision of about two thirds of 206 patients studied in a 24-month clinical trial.

Telescope-like device may reverse vision loss

By IANS Washington : A small telescope-like device developed by ophthalmologists in the US may be able to halt and even reverse vision loss caused by macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease. According to a new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, the optical prosthetics, tiny enough to be balanced on a fingertip, dramatically improved the vision of about two thirds of 206 patients studied in a 24-month clinical trial.

Intel apologises over ‘racist’ ad

By IANS New York : Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company, was forced to apologise after a print ad circulated by the company around blog-land invited wrath from around the world over its racist connotation. The ad shows six black sprinters crouched in the start position in front of a white man wearing a shirt and chinos (khaki pants) in an office. In a statement on its website Friday, Intel said: "We made a bad mistake. I know why and how, but that simply doesn't make it better."

Tweaking Vista – a bit more challenging than before

By DPA Washington : It's difficult to call a new operating system your own until you've customised it to your liking. Making small changes in how an operating system looks and works is commonly referred to as "tweaking", and tweaking Windows Vista can be a bit more challenging than with previous versions of Windows. In part, that's because the way you customise Vista has changed a lot - and some of the tools that you might have used to tweak Vista's predecessors aren't supported under the new operating system.

How snakes starve to live

By IANS New York : Mystery shrouding a snake's ability to go without food for nearly two years may have been finally uncovered with researchers claiming to have cracked the mechanism behind their survival despite starvation. The research, which reveals some previously unknown serpentine tricks, sheds light on how serpents managed to drag on since before the days of the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, biologists were quoted as saying in the Nature magazine.

Supercomputer cracks Rubik’s Cube in 26 moves

By IANS New York : A month after checkers was solved by a supercomputer, the machines have an answer to the Rubik's Cube too. A high-speed machine at Northeastern University, Boston, has proved that any of the cubes - no matter how intangible they look - can be properly aligned within just 26 moves. Till now, the best way to crack the Rubik's Cube was in 27 moves. But Dan Kunkle and Prof Gene Cooperman at Northeastern University believe that with more work they could push the count even lower.

Now biogas from human waste may cook food, light homes!

By IANS New Delhi : It may sound unpalatable, but it is true - a voluntary agency in Delhi has developed technology to produce biogas from human waste, which it says can help in cooking food and lighting up homes. Sulabh International, an NGO working in the field of sanitation in India, Friday said that toilets in public places would be a good source to generate biogas.

NASA says space shuttle repairs not needed

By RIA Novosti Washington : There is no need to conduct repair work on the space shuttle Endeavour heat shield during the fourth spacewalk, scheduled for Aug 18, a NASA has said. The damage to the heat shield occurred during Endeavour's launch Aug 8 when a small piece of insulating foam or ice from the shuttle fuel tank struck the spacecraft's underside shortly after lift off.

Astronauts end spacewalk early

By DPA Washington : NASA ended a spacewalk earlier than planned as a precaution after an astronaut's glove was damaged. US astronaut Rick Mastracchio noticed damage to the outer layer of his spacesuit's glove during a routine equipment check and NASA rules required him to return to the International Space Station around 19.00 GMT Wednesday. Despite the interruption, Mastracchio and Clay Anderson were able to complete most of the spacewalk's planned tasks.

‘India, China don’t pose a challenge to US’

By Arun Kumar, IANS Washington : Warnings from pundits that the millions of engineers and scientists India and China produce each year would soon challenge the US' technical superiority may be a little premature, according to Newsweek International. While Delhi and Beijing are slowly moving in the right direction to improve their high-tech and science programmes, "yet getting either country up to speed will be an enormous task", said the magazine.

India plans to launch reusable rocket by 2010

By NNN-PTI Banglore : India plans to launch a reusable rocket for the first time by 2010, says its space agency chief. "Our target (for the first launch) is before 2010," Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), G Madhavan Nair, told PTI. The space scientists have already designed a "demonstrator" to measure parameters of the vehicle and further work is in progress, Nair, also Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission, said.

14 cities around Delhi are quake prone

By IANS New Delhi : The national capital and 14 cities around it, from Alwar in Rajasthan to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, are highly quake prone, the ministry of earth sciences said Monday. The 15 cities - Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur, Panipat, Rohtak, Palwal, Bulandsehar, Khurja, Alwar, Bahadurgarh, Kundali and Rewari - fall under seismic zone 4. Seismic zone 4 is considered to be highly prone to earthquakes.

NASA adds three more days to shuttle mission

By DPA Washington : The ongoing stay of the US space shuttle Endeavour at the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) has been extended by three days, the US space agency NASA announced. The revised schedule has allowed a fourth, extra space walk by shuttle astronauts Friday. The decision was made after the successful operation of a new electricity hook-up allowing the shuttle to draw power from the ISS. The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System allows the Endeavour crew to conserve the shuttle's battery power.

PCs are not always suitable for use as television sets

By DPA Berlin : People spend hours in front of countless PC monitors nowadays. Usually those monitors go dark when work ends. That could soon change in some households. Monitors have other uses apart from word processing and spreadsheets. They can also show movies and soap operas. But a few problems still remain when converting your monitor into a desktop TV.

Teacher reaches to stars, 21 years after Challenger disaster

By DPA Washington : Barbara Morgan taught math and reading in the Rocky Mountains, then English and science in the Andes but she wanted to go to even greater heights. The 55-year-old Californian has now taken her classroom to space. Morgan took off last week as part of the space shuttle Endeavour's seven-member crew. Even before the astronaut has had the chance to teach for students via satellite, she gave a lesson in perseverance.

Endeavour astronauts finish first space walk

By DPA Washington : Two astronauts from the crew of US shuttle Endeavour completed their first space walk of a scheduled 11-day mission to expand the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts Rick Mastracchio of the US and Canadian Dave Williams successfully installed a truss segment during six hours of work Saturday, the US space agency NASA announced from mission control in Houston. The truss, which is designed to hold a new solar panel, was part of the shuttle's payload.

NASA’s Mars-bound Phoenix adjusts course successfully

By Xinhua Washington : The Phoenix Mars Lander has completed the first and largest of the six course corrections planned during its flight from earth to Mars, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said. Phoenix left earth Aug 4, bound for a challenging May 25, 2008 touchdown at a site farther north than any previous Mars landing. It will robotically dig to underground ice and run laboratory tests assessing whether the site could ever have been hospitable to microbial life.

Space hotel to open in 2012

By Xinhua Madrid : The Galactic Suite, the first hotel in space, will open for business in 2012, its Barcelona-based architects said. Reservations for the Galactic Suite will begin in 2008, company director Xavier Claramunt said here. "The Galactic suite will allow clients to travel around the world in 80 minutes," Claramunt said.

Endeavour docks with ISS

By DPA Washington : Space shuttle Endeavour has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) but engineers said some damage was caused to the shuttle's heat shield during launch. The Endeavour crew Friday positioned the shuttle alongside the ISS, where they will install a truss that is part of station's solar power system and will deliver supplies and equipment to the ISS crew. "It was a flawless rendezvous," said NASA Flight Director Matt Abbott at a press conference in Houston, Texas. "Everything was from the book."

Indian science conquers new frontiers

By IANS New Delhi : Sixty years after independence, Indian science has taken giant strides in virtually every arena - from space vehicles to vaccines. Starting out 60 years ago as a poor country with a history of famines and underdevelopment, India today stands poised as the surprise powerhouse of cutting-edge science and technology. Science and technology (S and T) has been key to India's development strategy right from the time of independence in 1947.

GIS system to track Maoists in Jharkhand

By IANS Ranchi : The Jharkhand police plans to set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) centre to track the movement of Maoists in the state. The state police would seek the help of the Jharkhand Space Application Centre (JSAC) to get a detailed report of the topography of the state. "We will set up a GIS centre which will help officials to crack down on criminals and Maoist rebels," a senior police official told IANS.

Endeavour astronauts inspect shuttle

By DPA Washington : Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour spent their first full day in space inspecting the craft for any damage sustained during take-off. They used a robotic arm Thursday to examine the outside of the shuttle. The spacecraft with seven astronauts on board is on an 11-day mission to install a 2.5-ton solar panel on the International Space Station (ISS), conduct repairs on the orbiting station and deliver of supplies. Endeavour is set to dock with the ISS on Friday at 17.53 GMT.

Model predicts global warming will speed up after 2009

By Xinhua Washington : Global warming will speed up in the next decade and at least half of the years after 2009 will be warmer than 1998, the warmest year on record, reported a UK team of scientists in their climate predictions. The next-decade prediction results by scientists at Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research in the UK is published Thursday in the U.S. academic journal Science.

India considering manned space mission

By IANS Bhopal : India is considering a manned mission to space soon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said Thursday. "We are seriously considering a manned space mission. But we will first have to study and prepare a report within a year on newer technologies to develop capsules to send men to space and bring them back safely," Nair told a press conference here. The study report would be sent to the government for approval, he said.

Arianespace to launch India’s communication satellites

By IANS New Delhi : The government has decided to place the contract for launching of GSAT-8/INSAT-4G communication satellites with Arianespace of Europe. The decision was approved by the union cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday. The cabinet approval has however put a rider, saying "The cost of the project should not exceed $67.5 million or Rs.2.97 billion", said Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi while briefing newsmen on the decisions of the cabinet.

Russia preparing for human journey to Mars

By RIA Novosti Moscow : Nearly 40 years after man first walked on the moon, the Russians have started a programme that hopes to pave the way for a human journey to Mars. The preliminary project, entitled Mars 500, will not be taking place light years away from earth, but in Polezhaevskaya, a suburb of northern Moscow. In what at first sounds rather like a reality television programme, six volunteers will spend nearly 18 months in a sealed container specifically built to simulate conditions of a voyage to Mars.

Shuttle Endeavour blasts off for space station

By DPA Washington : The US space shuttle Endeavour has lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft with seven astronauts on board is on an 11-day mission to install a 2.5-tonne solar panel on the ISS, conduct repairs on the orbiting station and deliver of supplies.

Astronomers discover planet bigger than Jupiter

By IANS New York : Astronomers in the US claim to have discovered a giant planet that is 20 times larger than the earth and 1.7 times the diameter of Jupiter - the biggest planet of our solar system. The scientists also say they are working on the possibility of finding another bigger planet in the same constellation, said the online edition of Channel 4 television channel.

Dogs to receive chip implant in Singapore

By DPA Singapore : All dogs in Singapore will have to be implanted with a microchip enabling them to be traced back to their owners starting next month as part of a crackdown on irresponsible pet ownership. Under measures unveiled by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), allowing man's best friend to run free without a licence will incur a fine of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars (about $330), a 10-fold hike from the current maximum.

Russian Proton-M rocket to launch Japanese satellite

By RIA Novosti Moscow : A Russian Proton-M carrier rocket will put a Japanese telecommunications satellite into orbit in September, a leading Russian space company said Tuesday. JCSAT-11, an A2100 satellite built by US-based Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, will join a cluster of nine satellites operated by Japan's JSAT Corporation. The new satellite will provide broadcast and transponder capacity for a number of telecom companies, including SKY Perfect TV, a leading digital broadcasting service provider in Japan.

German scientists use body heat to generate electricity

By DPA Erlangen (Germany) : German scientists have developed a way of harnessing heat from the body to generate electricity. The method uses the difference between the body's surface temperature and that of the surrounding environment, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits said. Energy produced this way can be used to power medical equipment, such as sensors attached to the body of a patient in an intensive care ward, the institute said.

After more than four-year wait, Endeavour set for launch

By DPA Washington : The last time space shuttle Endeavour flew to the International Space Station (ISS) was November 2002 - the last mission before the accident that destroyed shuttle Columbia in February 2003, killing seven astronauts including Indian born Kalpana Chawla. Since the tragedy, Endeavour has remained on the ground - a time US space agency NASA used to outfit the shuttle with all available safeguards. Now the newly equipped Endeavour is getting ready for its premiere.

Haryana farmers use SMS to solve agriculture-related problems

By IANS Chandigarh : Farmers in Haryana are using the SMS (short messaging service) facility on their mobile phones to get answers to their agriculture-related queries. A free SMS service started by the state's agriculture department in Feb this year has become quite a hit with farmers of the state. They can get answers to all their queries by sending an SMS to a number assigned by the state government.

Russian Progress cargo ship docks with ISS

By RIA Novosti Mission Control (near Moscow) : The Progress M-61 cargo spacecraft carrying food, water and fuel for the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) and equipment to repair onboard computers has automatically docked with the global orbital station, the mission control said.

How to tune better with your iTunes

By Florian Oertel, DPA Munich : If you own an iPod, there's no way around iTunes. Mac users have it on their computers as well, and it's also found on many PCs nowadays. Yet many don't realise just how much the software can really do. Perhaps the most under-appreciated option is "intelligent" playlists. These are helpful for users with a huge volume of music on their computer but only an iPod Nano with only four gigabytes (GB) of memory in their pockets.

Hackers playing havoc with e-mail accounts

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Mahendra Ved, a senior journalist here, was stunned after receiving a call from his Bahrain-based daughter a few days ago, sounding distressed and enquiring after his whereabouts and well-being. "She was crying and desperately wanted to reach me after reading an e-mail, which was sent to her by someone who had hacked my gmail account and forwarded a troubling message to all my friends and relatives," Ved says. "Since Sunday, I have received at least 60 such calls," adds Ved.

China, Brazil to launch jointly Satellite 03

By Prensa Latina

Beijing : China and Brazil will launch in September a jointly developed third earth resources satellite, equipped with high resolution cameras for agricultural, mining and environmental use.

According to China National Space Administration, the Satellite 02B, of Brazilian manufacture, will orbit the earth in September or October 2008.

The takeoff will take place in a launching centre in Taiyuan, capital of the northern Chinese province of Shanxi.

Launch of Mars lander delayed

By DPA

Washington : The planned launch of the Phoenix Mars lander has been pushed back, according to NASA.

Phoenix is now scheduled to be fired into space from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket Saturday at either 5.26.34 a.m. or 6.02.59 a.m.

Poor weather at the space centre kept NASA from fuelling the rocket Tuesday afternoon and led to the decision to delay the launch.

Stock your anti-spam tool chest

By DPA

Washington : E-mail users today can't afford to ignore spam. The unwanted e-mail that clogs inboxes everywhere costs people time, and time, of course, is money.

If you're curious about exactly how much spam is costing you on either a personal level or a corporate level, you can check in at Computer Mail Service's handy Cost of Spam Web site (http://www.cmsconnect.com/Marketing/spamcalc.htm).

There you'll be able to break down how much you lose in salary and productivity by dealing with average amounts of spam.

IBM labs unveil digital transportation solutions

By IANS

Bangalore : The research division of the global IT major IBM has come out with a slew of innovations that have the potential to change the way people travel.

The next-generation transport innovations revolve around driver-assist technologies, intelligent traffic systems using sensor technologies, advanced mass transit systems connected to mobile phones, ultra sophisticated voice recognition systems and smart airport system.

Integrated web-based system being developed to ensure population data update

By NNN-APP

Islamabad : Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT) is in process of providing e-services for Ministry of Population Welfare to eliminate the redundant steps of collecting the information from the districts and provincial offices of the Ministry.

Under the project which is expected to be completed by October this year, an online integrated web-based MIS is being developed, sources at Electronic Government Directorate, MoIT said here Saturday.

UAE to develop mega science centre

By IANS Dubai : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi's Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) and Cosmology Centre of California University to develop a mega complex for training and research in science and humanities. The MoU to develop the Plaza of Intelligence and Innovation City, which will come up by 2015, was signed this week, WAM news agency said.

New technology to detect forged signatures

By IANS

Washington : Think twice if you are about to forge a signature. A newly developed technology will help forensic specialists find out when you signed a cheque, the pen you used, and the origin of the ink.

The technology that is used at present can only trace the ink if a piece of the document is soaked in certain solutions.

Webcast: the next-gen communication tool

Mumbai : In an effort to cash in on India's growing Internet broadband applications sector, Citigroup-owned broadband service provider YOU Telecom has launched "webcast" or Internet broadcast, an effective, viewer and user-friendly "one-to-one" communication tool. "Webcasting as a communication tool is common in developed countries but in India it is still at a nascent stage," said YOU Telecom CEO E.V.S. Chakravarthy here.

Interpreter for the vest pocket: What translation computers can do

By DPA

Munich : They could be helpful when preparing for the next vocabulary test. Or perhaps they'll go to work in a little shop abroad. The aides in question are small translation computers for the road.

These handy little devices have moved far beyond just translating the right word, though. They can now even explain proper grammar and pronunciation.

Electronic translation computers fit into any pants pocket and may well represent a practical alternative to the traditional pocket dictionary.

Intel’s offer to lower operational costs

By IANS

Jaipur : Intel Corp has launched a new processor technology to help small and medium businesses to reduce their operational costs.

The company's Indian subsidiary has developed a new processor - vPRO - and an upgraded version of Centrino pro-processor for managing the services of small and mid-size businesses.

Indian American develops software to help motorists

By IANS

Los Angeles : A tech firm owned by an Indian American has developed a software that combines speech-recognition and text messaging to provide free directions to motorists.

Dial Directions, a California based firm, began its services early this week in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York with the promise of turning a cell phone into a global positioning system (GPS) and search-enabled device.

The software can work on any mobile phone, the online edition of San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Infosys-enabled UAE airline website a hit in the Gulf

By IANS Bangalore : The website of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) airline Etihad Airways, revamped by Infosys Technologies Ltd, has witnessed a dramatic boost in traffic, with the number of visitors increasing by almost 95 percent. According to a statement from the Bangalore-based IT firm here Saturday, the website became a hit in the Gulf region for its customer friendliness, business strategy and design in the first 60 days of its re-launch.

BMW to run on LPG

By DPA

Saarbruecken (Germany) : A German research and development team is planning to build a record-breaking car based on the BMW 1 Series car using an engine which runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Technology to be used for crop estimation

By IANS

New Delhi : With the government laying stress on agriculture, a National Workshop on Agricultural Statistics Monday suggested several initiatives including use of new technological tools for improving farm statistics.

Chinese Army to wear ‘digital camouflage’

By Xinhua

Beijing : In contrast to the eye-catching uniforms recently unveiled by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China, a new line of military wear has been designed to make its users less visible.

The computer helper: Signs of spyware

By DPA There's a lot of talk about spyware and malware these days. But how do you know if you're infected with it? Will your PC stop working as expected? Will your financial data be lifted without your knowledge? And if you discover that your computer is infected, what can you do about it? Read on for some answers.

PayPod targets Indian Internet ad space

By IANS

Chennai : PayPod Technologies, a US-based IT solutions provider with offshore development facilities in Chennai and Minsk, Belarus, has launched a technology-driven advertising service to tap the growing Indian market for ad space on the Internet.

Smartphones become personal computers

By DPA

Munich : Smartphones can now enjoy plus size screens and keyboards thanks to a new gadget from Palm.

US researchers use 3-D simulation to study WTC collapse

By Xinhua

New York : Researchers at Purdue University have created a computer-based 3-D simulation to study in detail the cause of the World Trade Centre (WTC) collapse in a terrorist attack on Sep 11, 2001.

India set to acquire precision bomb technology

By Gulshan Luthra, IANS

Paris : India's state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is negotiating the acquisition of precision bomb technology from US arms major Raytheon.

Taking hi-tech solutions to poor villages

By Frederick Noronha, IANS

Bangalore : Ekgaon, a technology and management services firm for independent rural communities, is run by young Indian techies spanning the globe, some of whom are expatriates keen to help their home country.

Microsoft agrees to Vista changes

By DPA

San Francisco : Microsoft will make changes in its Vista operating system to prevent potential litigation after Google accused it of violating a 2002 anti-trust agreement reached with the Justice Department, the company said Wednesday.

Synopsys buys out ArchPro Design

By IANS

Bangalore : Synopsys Inc., a leading US-based semiconductor design software firm, Wednesday announced acquisition of ArchPro Design Automation Ltd, a Bangalore-based power management start-up, to enhance its low-power design and verification solution.

New technology makes diagnosis of abnormal pregnancy cheaper

By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS

New Delhi : Indian scientists have developed a new technology that will help diagnose at a very early stage and at affordable cost abnormal pregnancies that can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.

Acer readies notebooks with Ferrari design

By DPA

Ahrensburg (Germany) : Two new laptop series from Acer will offer customers fast performance and even a look inspired by the Ferrari racing car.

New technology makes diagnosis of abnormal pregnancy cheaper

By Prashant K. Nanda

IANS

New Delhi : Indian scientists have developed a new technology that will help diagnose at a very early stage and at affordable cost abnormal pregnancies that can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.

Himachal roadways starts 3D online booking

By IANS

Shimla : The Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) has become the first state roadways in the country to provide three dimensional (3D) secure online booking and cancellation facilities, transport officials said Saturday.

Hyderabad to host conference on usability of technology

By IANS

Hyderabad : Hyderabad will host a three-day national conference and workshop on maximum usability of technology, starting Monday.

China’s army goes digital

By Xinhua

Nanning (China) : While digital technology allows commanders of China's People's Liberation Army's (PLA) to electronically monitor borders round the clock, cooks in the barracks conjure up tasty dishes using recipes from e-books through computers in the kitchen.

Machine to deliver ultra-short flashes of X-ray light

By DPA

Hamburg : An underground machine which can deliver ultra-short flashes of X-ray light and peer into atoms is to be built in this north German city.

Symantec to launch next generation security software

By IANS

Chennai : IT security services major Symantec Corporation will release its next-generation enterprise security software, codenamed Hamlet, in September, a top company official said here Wednesday.

Device turns heat into sound, then electricity

By IANS

Washington : Physicists in US have developed a small device that they claim can turn heat into sound and then into electricity.

New WLAN technology still a work in progress

By DPA

Berlin : It once was a privilege only large companies could afford but now is part of even the most humble student accommodations: Wireless Local Area Networks, better known as WLAN.

Bangalore goes hi-tech to tackle traffic snarls

By IANS

Bangalore : Electronic billboards, SMSs and handheld devices are among the new technologies that will now be used to check traffic jams on the narrow and potholed roads of India's IT capital.

Google and Microsoft innovations excite

By Andy Goldberg

DPA

San Diego : Some of the fanciest new technology in the world was unveiled this week at the high-powered All Things Digital conference in San Diego.

Lullabies and talk-back: modern baby monitors

By DPA

Hamburg : Small getaways can mean a lot to new parents, even if it's as simple as going next door for a glass of wine. But who's going to watch baby while you're taking a break?

IIT Kanpur developing robot for India’s moon mission

By Prashant K. Nanda

IANS

New Delhi : When India sends its proposed moon mission in 2011, it will have a unique robot developed indigenously by student-engineers and their professors at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kanpur.

Intoto releases security software for SME market

By IANS

Hyderabad : US-based Intoto, a leading provider of security software, Tuesday announced the beta release of IntruPro IPS, an enterprise-class intrusion prevention system.

Cell phones to protect from lightning

By IANS

Helsinki : Mobile phone giant Nokia has developed a technology by which it claimed cell phones could protect you from lightning strike.

China to introduce nuclear power technologies from Westinghouse

By Xinhua

Beijing : China's State Nuclear Power Technology Co. (SNPTC), officially inaugurated Tuesday, is set to introduce third-generation nuclear power technologies from the Westinghouse Electric Co.

China aims to launch first lunar probe this year

By Xinhua

Beijing : China was "losing no time" in preparing its first lunar orbiter, Chang'e I, which will most likely be launched in the second half of 2007, a space official said here Sunday.

Sony presents new Vaio notebooks

By DPA

Berlin : Sony will present its new FZ series of Vaio notebooks which includes four machines for home use as well as a model designed for business use in the next weeks, the company said.

Fingerprint could identify smoker, drinker

By IANS

London : Fingerprint could help identify a smoker, drinker, an avid coffee drinker or even a drug addict, scientists say.

Lots of watts don’t rev up vacuum cleaner

Berlin, May 18 (DPA) When buying a vacuum cleaner, consumers should not be led astray by high wattage. The amount of electricity used has little to do with performance, according to a recent test of 17 vacuum cleaners by Stiftung Warentest, the Berlin-based independent German consumer-protection group reported in its April issue. Suction power depended on the appropriate interplay of the basic device, nozzle construction, suction pipes and airflow, the group added.

Indian social activists leverage free software

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Indian voluntary groups are being offered solutions in free software - with training and support thrown in - to give them options to using illegally copied software for their work and campaigns. A series of workshops are being held across India over the next two years, and each participant organisation will enjoy free software support until 2009. The first workshop was held in Lonavala, Maharashtra, and drew participants working on a diverse range of issues from HIV/AIDS to water resource management.

2 plus 2 may not always equal 4

When it comes to percentages, consumer calculating errors can be costly By TwoCircles.net newsdesk People deal with percentages every day: the performance of a stock portfolio, a sale at the department store, or the performance of a new hybrid car, are all often expressed as percent changes. As an everyday occurrence, calculating percentages should be second nature to the average person. "Not so," says Akshay Rao, professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

Apple patents button-free mouse

By DPA Hanover: Apple's latest patent is for a mouse without buttons. The new model resembles the Mighty Mouse, Apple's last mouse technology breakthrough that featured touch-sensitive side buttons and Bluetooth technology, but uses touch sensors instead of buttons, the Hanover-based computer magazine c't reported. The new mouse does not have a scrolling ball or wheel.

IIT alumnus takes software to battlefront and beyond

By Frederick Noronha, Indo-Asian News Service Bangalore, May 13 (IANS) An Indian expatriate trained at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur is playing a crucial role in taking software to the battlefront. San Jose-based LynuxWorks is chaired by Inder Singh, the IIT alumnus, and produces embedded operating systems and tools for industrial, networking and military and aerospace uses.

Notebook computer theft: preparing for the worst

By DPA Washington, May 13 (DPA) It's every notebook computer user's worst nightmare. You go to retrieve your notebook from where you last left it, only to discover that someone else - a thief -has got it. Financial records, bank and credit card information, personal data, sensitive files, expensive software - not to mention the notebook computer itself - can be gone in an instant. And the time and stress involved in trying to recover from such a loss can be overwhelming.

Revolutionary Technology in Fire Protection System opened in BHEL Bhopal

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal, May 11: In a simple programme held at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, (BHEL), Bhopal, Rakesh Bansal, Principal Secretary for Labour, Government of Madhya Pradesh, inaugurated a revolutionary technology system in Fire Protection System developed by Safety Engineering Dept. of BHEL Bhopal in association with M/s Diaonics Automation System India (P) Ltd., Nasik.

Futuristic telescope to shed light on ‘Dark Ages’ of space

By DPA

Washington : For astronomers the Dark Ages represent the far-flung corners of the universe about which precious little is known, and which could yet hold the key to how planets were first formed. NASA hopes a "next generation" telescope slated for launch in 2013 will shed light on the question.

Cheap laser technology to heal kidney stones

By IANS

Kolkata : Diagnosed with kidney stones, Indrajit Roy wanted to get the best cure at an affordable cost. When a hospital in Kolkata promised to remove the stone in a bloodless laser-aided operation at less than half the fee quoted by other hospitals, his prayers were answered.

Scientists working on vaccine without needle

By IANS

Melbourne : Australian scientists are working to develop vaccine delivery through a small skin patch rather than a needle.

Indian Army readies for Prithvi-1 trial

By IANS

Balasore (Orissa) : The Indian Army is all set to test the surface-to-surface medium range Prithvi-1 missile next week, officials said.

A device to ‘hear’ what they can’t see

By IANS Agra : A group of IT students here have developed a device that can enable the blind to hear what they cannot see or read. Called 'E-Netra', it costs Rs.2,000-3,000 and it reads texts through an embedded system and converts them into voice that can be heard through earphones. Right now it can only read text, but later it is likely to pick up prints in Braille script. The Agra College team that took six months to develop the device and the software to go with it was led by R.K. Sharma and included his assistants Karan, Mayank, Akshat, Khalid and Jitendra.

New virus test technology experimented

By Xinhua Hangzhou (China) : A new diagnostic technology to detect epidemic diseases has entered the phase of clinical experiments, claimed a Chinese scientist. Different from traditional methods that rely on antigen or antibody test, the new technology is based on genetic substances of the viruses, namely DNA or RNA, to confirm epidemic diseases such as hepatitis or AIDS, said Charlie Xiang, chief scientist of the Microarray Centre of US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Send this to a friend