UAE varsity-Indian firm deal to turn Rajasthan desert green
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : A patch of arid desert land in Rajasthan is all set to turn green thanks to a technology transfer deal between a leading Indian specialty chemicals company and a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Atul, a subsidiary of India's Lalbhai Group, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UAE University to establish a strategic partnership for transfer of technology to set up a state-of-the-art date palm tissue culture production unit in Rajasthan.
ISRO eyes commercial launches to earn cash
By IANS,
Kolkata : After a string of successes, a confident Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to offer its capacities on a commercial basis and ring in its cash registers, after meeting the domestic requirement that calls for four to five launches a year.
"ISRO launch vehicles are efficient, reliable and cost-effective. Our launch vehicles cost nearly 25 percent less than what international agencies demand," ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair Thursday said.
IBSA to take scientific research cooperation to next
By IANS,
Mamallapuram: Taking the trilateral developmental initiative between India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) to the next step, programme coordinators are mulling ways to expand the programme's reach.
India emerges third highest steel producer
Bengaluru : Union Minister of Steel and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said Indian steel production reached the third highest position in the...
Wireless broadband will be a game changer in India
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS,
In India's spectrum auction, broadband wireless access hitched on to third generation (3G) telephony as a poor cousin - a seemingly dull sequel of the high-profile 3G spectrum auction last month that brought nearly $15 billion into the government's kitty.
Countdown to India’s mission moon begins
By Fakir Balaji, IANS,
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) : As the countdown for the Wednesday launch of lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 on board the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-C11) started early Monday, this spaceport off the Bay of Bengal coast was bustling with activity, excitement and a bit of anxiety.
With the countdown starting at 5.22 a.m., about 1,000 top scientists and technologists are working round-the-clock to send India’s first spacecraft mission beyond earth orbit from the picturesque spaceport, located on an island about 80 km from Chennai.
Precursors of miniaturised machines developed
By IANS
London : The precursors of miniaturised machines are here. Packed with instrumentation, these marble sized probes float freely under water, measure local temperatures to a millionth of a degree, and send the data back wirelessly.
Developed by researchers at the Université de Lyon in France, these mini machines will be released in large numbers to collect data on ocean currents and atmospheric winds, sciencedaily.com reported.
Indian research body ties up with Thomson Scientific
By IANS
Chennai : Thomson Scientific, a provider of information solutions to research and business communities, has announced that about 10,000 scientists of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) across 45 labs in India, will now have access to its ISI Web of Knowledge.
Thomson's ISI Web of Knowledge is an integrated, versatile research platform that delivers easy access to high quality, diversified scholarly information in sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
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.
Corals may not recover from bleaching
By IANS,
Sydney : Coral communities in Australia's Great Barrier Reef might not be able to recover from bleaching as easily as previously presumed, says a new study.
A two-year study by a University of Queensland team has found that contrary to perception, it is not possible for bleached corals to recover or become more resistant to bleaching by taking up more heat tolerant species of their micro-algae partners.
Universe continuing to expand, confirms study
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian astronomers have rejected the new "void models" that say the earth is near the centre of a region of the universe which is almost empty.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver said Friday that there is nothing special about earth's location in the universe as proposed by "void theories" that reject the conventional view that the universe is ever-expanding because of an enigmatic dark energy.
Space station opens to Tranquility and its picture window
By DPA,
Washington: Astronauts Saturday opened the hatch to the space station's newest room - the Italian-built Tranquility node that will eventually offer a six-sided picture window on space.
NASA television showed the space station and Endeavour shuttle astronauts moving around the opened hatch, through which they installed an airflow system and exercise equipment into the new room. They were also taking dust samples from Tranquility.
ISRO seeks to be party in land scam case
Kochi, Sep 25 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO Tuesday sought to be impleaded in a public interest litigation (PIL) - relating to its alleged purchase of forestland - that is to be taken up by the high court here Wednesday.
The PIL has been filed by D.B. Binu requesting the court to intervene and initiate a full-fledged inquiry into purchase of land by ISRO for a space education institute in Ponmudi near Thiruvananthapuram from high profile businessman Savy Mano Mathew.
Indian-American scientist helps uncover medicinal wonders of turmeric
By IANS,
Washington : The yellow spice turmeric, that evokes associations with weddings and other auspicious occasions in India, has potent medicinal properties as well, India-American scientist Krishnan Dhandapani and a colleague have found.
The active ingredient in turmeric not only cuts down one's chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may also reduce the size of a haemorrhagic stroke, said Medical College of Georgia (MCG) researchers.
Timing is critical for patients who often don't know they have had a stroke and may not be seen by a physician for several hours.
Online tool in battle against global poverty
By TwoCircles.net news desk
New York: The United Nations has teamed up with technology leaders Google and Cisco to launch a new online site to track global progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the set of ambitious targets the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and other social ills by 2015.
MDG Monitor is a web application that tracks real-time progress toward the Goals in a number of categories in nearly every country in the world.
Microsoft launches on-demand e-mail solutions in India
By IANS,
New Delhi : In order to enable easy access to its cost-effective business productivity software, Microsoft Thursday launched its online services in India.
Starting at $2 (about Rs.100) a month, the service will allow small and medium business and enterprise customers to access Microsoft's e-mail, collaboration, conferencing and productivity capabilities online.
Customers can access the suite directly from www.microsoft.com/india/onlineservices and pay a use-based monthly subscription fee.
Tamil Nadu villages get Internet, telemedicine facilities
By IANS
Mahabalipuram : A community project to provide high speed Internet, telemedicine, e-education and e-governance services to the rural areas of Tamil Nadu was made operational Wednesday in Vadugambadi, about 60 km south of state capital Chennai.
The facilities will be provided for the first time in India with the High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems under the Gramjyoti programme of the central government.
Expedition 44 astronauts reach ISS for Mars research
Washington : Three Expedition 44 astronauts representing the US, Russia and Japan arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday to continue...
65-year-old bulb still shines, and outshines all
London, Dec 21 (IANS) It withstood German air raids on London in the second world war. It defied the British police opposed to its presence. And it continues to survive, about to outlive the store it was brought from. This is the story of a light bulb, aged 65.
The 40-watt bulb, which still works, now has the pride of place in a china cabinet at the home of Valerie Beaney, 68, whose late mother Rose Allen bought it from Woolworths in 1943.
Glaciers melting 100 times faster
By IANS,
London : The world's glaciers are melting up to 100 times faster than any time during the last 350 years.
Magnetic field at Milky Way core 10 times stronger than rest of galaxy
By IANS,
Sydney : The magnetic field at the core of the Milky Way is at least 10 times stronger than the rest of our galaxy, according to a finding that can affect diverse fields from star formation theory to cosmology.
The evidence is significant because it gives astronomers a lower limit on the magnetic field, an important factor in calculating a whole range of astronomical data.
Global warming to imperil tropical species
By IANS,
Washington : Global warming is likely to imperil tropical species much more than fauna in the Arctic regions, even with a slight rise in temperature.
"Many tropical species can only tolerate a narrow range of temperatures, as the climate they experience is pretty constant throughout the year," said Curtis Deutsch of the University of California and co-author of a new study.
‘Chances of asteroid hitting earth is very real’
By IANS,
London : A football field sized asteroid hitting say New York will obliterate the city in a matter of seconds and all that moves within it.
The tidal waves of energy unleashed by the collision would be equivalent to several Hydrogen bombs going off at once, a scenario brought to life by 1998 hit movie Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis.
The chances of an asteroid hitting the Earth one day are very real and blowing up an asteroid in real life, says a Tel Aviv University (TAU) researcher, will be more complicated than in the movies.
Police to quiz Gwalior scientists over human sacrifice bid
By IANS,
Bhopal : Two senior scientists of the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) in Gwalior, who allegedly tried to kill their junior colleague in a human sacrifice bid, will be interrogated as soon they return from leave, police said Monday.
"We can't say anything right now. The picture would be clear after the scientists' statements are recorded," Gwalior Additional Superintendent of Police Manohar Verma told IANS.
NASA successfully tests first deep space Internet
By Xinhua,
Washington : US space agency NASA said it has successfully tested the first deep space communications network modelled on the Internet.
NASA engineers used a special software called Disruption-Tolerant Networking or DTN to transmit dozens of images to and from a NASA science spacecraft located about 30 million km from the Earth.
Advanced Micro Devices sells off manufacturing units to UAE firm
By IANS,
Dubai : Leading American chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has spun off its manufacturing facilities to a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company to create a new semiconductor manufacturing firm.
Advanced Technology Investment Co (ATIC) of Abu Dhabi and AMD Tuesday announced the creation of a new US-headquartered company, temporarily named The Foundry Co (TFC), to meet demand for independent and leading-edge foundry production capabilities.
Google soon to launch TV software
By IANS,
Washington : US search engine giant Google is planning to introduce Android-based television software in May which will enable the users to access television through internet.
The new software, designed to open set-top boxes, TVs and other devices to more content from the internet, is attracting interest from partners that include Sony Corp., Intel Corp. and Logitech International SA, which are expected to offer products that support the software, according to people familiar with the matter.
NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead
By DPA,
Washington : After months of dust storms and severe cold, NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has been declared dead by mission scientists, who celebrated the probe's success as the first to touch ice on the red planet.
Mission managers said Monday that Phoenix had lasted long after its planned 90 days, and they celebrated the success of the spacecraft.
"It's really an Irish wake and not a funeral," said Peter Smith, Phoenix mission principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson, in a teleconference call with reporters.
Data from Chinese lunar orbiter available to all
By Xinhua
Shanghai : Scientists and astronomy enthusiasts all over the country all have access to data sent back from China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-I, a leading scientist in the program said here Sunday.
NASA plans to launch up to six space shuttles in 2008
By RIA Novosti
Washington : NASA plans to carry out up to six space shuttle launches in 2008, including a flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope, a space agency official has said.
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the agency is also making progress in developing the Orion spacecraft and Ares launch vehicles to replace the aging shuttle fleet and prepare for journeys to the moon and beyond.
Apple’s next-generation stunning iPhone model leaked
By IANS,
Washington: Apple's future generation iPhone model, which was leaked after being mistakenly left at a bar in California, has been put on display by a technology news portal.
The secret version of the next generation iPhone was not expected to be formally unveiled for a couple of months.
But, the technology news site Gizmodo said the gadget was left by an iPhone software engineer at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a German specialty store and beer garden in Redwood City.
Global investors to invest Rs.4.11 bn in Moser Baer unit
By IANS,
New Delhi : Technology leader Moser Baer India Ltd Thursday said its wholly-owned photovoltaic (PV) subsidiary has entered into definitive agreement with a consortium of global investors to raise Rs.4.11 billion for its expansion.
The global investors include Nomura, CDC Group, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, IDFC Pe and IDFC.
"Moser Baer plans to use the funds to expand capacity of crystalline silicon and thin film solar vertical," Moser Baer group chief financial officer Yogesh B. Mathur told reporters.
AK-47’s inventor Kalashnikov hospitalised
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of AK-47 assault rifle, has been hospitalised, his assistant Nikolai Shklyaev said Tuesday.
Genetic materials of starry origin: study
By IANS,
London : In a first, scientists have confirmed that an important component of early genetic material is extraterrestrial in origin.
In a paper in the latest issue of the journal Planetary Science Letters,they have said that some of the raw materials that went into early genetic material have been found in meteorite fragments.
The materials include the molecules uracil and xanthine, precursors to the molecules that make up DNA and RNA, known as nucleobases.
Apple’s latest laptop: Small is in
By DPA
San Francisco : There's never been a laptop as skinny as the new MacBook Air from Apple. At its thinnest, it measures just about four millimetres.
"When you first see MacBook Air, it's hard to believe it's a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display," gushed Apple CEO Steve Jobs while presenting the new laptop at the keynote speech of the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. "But it is."
Ancient mineral provides clue to early climate
By IANS,
New York : A new analysis of ancient minerals called zircons suggests that earth's earliest continents were probably destroyed by an extremely harsh climate.
Zircons, the oldest known materials on earth, offer a window in time back as far as 4.4 billion years ago, when the planet was a mere 150 million years old.
As these crystals are exceptionally resistant to chemical changes, they have become the gold standard for determining the age of ancient rocks, ScienceDaily reported.
‘India can become World No. 1 in science’
By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : India may never become the number one military power in the world but eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao believes that it has the potential to become number one in science and technology.
"We will never become number one in economy or in military power but we can definitely become a superpower and world number one in science and, over all, in knowledge," Rao, chairman of the Science Advisory Council to the prime minister, told IANS in an interview.
Molnia-M carrier rocket to orbit Russian military satellite
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : A Molnia-M booster rocket was launched from the Plesetsk space centre in north Russia Tuesday to orbit a Cosmos military satellite, a Russian Space Forces spokesman said.
The carrier rocket was launched at 8.39 a.m. Moscow time (4.39 a.m. GMT), and was scheduled to put the military satellite into orbit at 9:35 a.m. Moscow time (5:35 a.m. GMT).
The four-stage medium-range Molnia-M, which has a lift-off weight of 305 metric tonnes, is used for launching spacecraft of up to two metric tonnes into high-elliptical orbits.
Space junk may crash earth’s communication networks
By IANS,
Washington/London : Junk of abandoned rockets, shattered satellites and missile shrapnel in space may cause collision between satellites, destroying communication facilities on earth, the US defence department has warned.
According to scientists, the debris scattered in the earth's orbit is reaching a "tipping point" and pose a threat to the $250 billion space services industry.
A single collision between two satellites or large pieces of "space junk" can send thousands of pieces of debris spinning into orbit, triggering an "uncontrolled chain reaction".
Telecom services: 3G players will be allowed in 2G space as well
By IANS,
New Delhi : Successful bidders for spectrum allocation for third generation (3G) telecom services will also be eligible to get spectrum space for second generation (2G) services, as and when any space becomes available, the Telecom Commission said here Tuesday.
“New 2G spectrum will be allocated as and when it is available. Currently 2G is saturated and we hardly have any spectrum available, so successful 3G bidders will have to wait in queue to avail of 2G spectrum,” said R. Ashok, member, finance, Telecom Commission, on the eve of bidding for 3G spectrum.
ISRO to set up astronaut training institute
By IANS,
Bangalore : Buoyed by the successful launch of the country's maiden unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to start an institute to train astronauts for its planned first manned space mission by 2015, said a top official.
New technology to help drug companies save millions
By IANS,
London : A new technique will help drug companies save millions of dollars.
It is a potentially valuable tool in drug manufacture, where controlling crystal forms is crucial both to cost and product safety.
The new technology identifies and monitors changes in crystal structures on-line, providing a method of ensuring production of the desired drug compounds.
Most drug compounds are crystalline. Their structure can affect their physical attributes and performance. However, changes in these structures are caused by undetected fluctuations.
Google smart phone may be launched Tuesday
By IANS,
New York : Apple's iPhones will have a big competition on their hands as Google is set to launch its much discussed smart phone next week.
The new smart phone, Nexus One, may be unveiled Jan 5 when the internet search engine giant holds a media briefing about its smart phone business at its Mountainview headquarters in California. The Google-branded device will use its latest Android operating system called Anrdoid 2.1.
Android is already being used in more than a dozen smart phones by many vendors, including Motorola and Samsung.
Mars rover stuck for good but still working hard
By DPA,
Washington : The Spirit Mars rover has reached its final destination, NASA said after the failure of efforts to free the space probe from sandy soil where it had been trapped for months.
Spirit is stuck but remains functional and will live out its life as a stationary science platform, collecting data on the area where it ran into trouble in April.
NASA had been trying since November to free the rover in an effort to back it out of a patch of sandy soil where its wheels had become embedded.
French Space Ship Connects to Intl Station
By Prensa Latina
Toulouse : Images broadcast directly from the control center in this French city showed the successful connection of the Automated Transference Vehicle VERNE with the International Space Station Thursday.
The ATV and supplier VERNE -as it was baptized- connected with the ISS at 14:45 GMT, setting a new space stage for France and Europe in general.
Experts in Toulouse, south of France, said VERNE, with its 17 tons of weight, was moving at a relative speed of 6 to 7 centimeters a second, to connect to Russian space module Zvezda, in the rear part of the ISS.
Shuttle Discovery returns safely to Earth
By DPA,
Washington : The space shuttle Discovery landed safely at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida Saturday.
Commander Lee Archambault guided the shuttle to a picture-perfect landing at 1914 GMT, ending the shuttle's 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
"Welcome home after a mission to bring the ISS to full power," the NASA ground crew said, adding a special welcome to astronaut Sandra Magnus, who returned to Earth after spending 129 days living aboard the ISS.
"Thank you very much. It's good to be back home," Archambault replied.
The computer helper: mastering My Documents
By DPA
Washington : Odd as it may seem, one of the biggest problems many computer users face is knowing where their documents are - and how to move or save them.
Without this fundamental knowledge, it can be tough to locate important documents when you need them - or to feel like you're in control of your own computer.
The good news is that becoming a master of the My Documents folder is not as tough as it seems.
Astronauts repair space station solar panel
By DPA
Washington : Astronauts working outside the International Space Station (ISS) succeeded in repairing a torn solar array in one of the riskiest space walks ever.
A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spokesperson said Saturday that the procedure, one of the most complicated in the history of the space station, was declared a success after US physician-astronaut Scott Parazynski managed to install five links to repair the two rips in the panel.
Thinning Himalayan glaciers may deprive half billion Indians of water
By IANS,
Washington : The absence of radioactive signals from all the three ice core drilled in a Himalayan glacier bodes ill for half billion people living downstream in India. They indicate that high-altitude glaciers are no longer accumulating ice due to climate change. This could hit future water supplies.
These missing markers of radiation are remnants from atomic bomb tests a half-century ago, as in the Naimona'nyi glacier in Tibet.
Seasonal runoff from glaciers like Naimona'nyi feeds the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers.
Nine win funding for rural innovation projects
By IANS
Chennai : The Rural Innovation Fund (RIF), promoted by Microsoft India among others, has selected nine innovators, who will receive $15,000 (Rs.590,000) each to implement their projects to empower rural India.
Microsoft India has established a RIF corpus of $200,000 to encourage innovations that will benefit rural India.
Mobile phones may soon be powered by hydrogen
By Xinhua
Beijing : Fuel cell maker Angstrom Power and cell phone maker Motorola have teamed up to create a prototype mobile phone that runs on a hydrogen fuel cell, media reported Monday.
Hydrogen is produced -- by cracking water molecules -- with a desktop fueling station and then inserted into a metal hydride storage container on the phone, said Aron Levitz, manager of business development for Angstrom. When the hydrogen molecules pass through a membrane in the fuel cell, electrons are stripped away and get diverted to run the phone.
Mosquito survives in outer space
By Alexander Peslyak, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Russian scientist has said that a mosquito had managed to survive in the outer space for 18 months.
Anatoly Grigoryev, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said: "We brought him (mosquito) back to Earth. He is alive, and his feet are moving."
The mosquito did not get any food and was subjected to extreme temperatures ranging from minus 150 degrees Celsius in the shade to plus 60 degrees in the sunlight.
China launches its first moon orbiter
By Xinhua
Xichang, Sichuan : China launched its first lunar probe on Wednesday, the first step into its ambitious three-stage moon mission, marking a new milestone in the country's space exploration history.
The circumlunar satellite Chang'e-1 blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. (10:05 GMT) from the No. 3 launch tower in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of southwestern Sichuan Province.
There’s an ethane lake on Saturn’s moon
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists have discovered a lake-like feature on Saturn's satellite Titan, the second body in the solar system to posses a liquid surface, apart from the Earth.
Astronomers detected the presence of the ethane lake with the help of the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer or VIMS, on board NASA's Cassini orbiter.
The instrument, run by Arizona University (AU), identifies the chemical composition of objects by the way matter reflects light.
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.
Oceans develop acidity, thanks to fossil fuels
By IANS,
Washington : Oceans have mitigated the effects of climate change by absorbing a third of total carbon dioxide emissions worldwide -- but this intake, caused largely by fossil fuel burning, is turning this vast carbon sink acidic.
Because of the increased acidity, less carbonate ions are available, which means the calcification rates of the organisms are decreasing and thus their shells and skeletons thinning.
Most calcifying organisms such as corals, mussels, algae and plankton investigated so far, respond negatively to the more acidic ocean waters.
TERI to set up 15 biotech labs in northeast India
By IANS
New Delhi : Environmental watchdog and research organisation The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) will set up 15 laboratories in northeastern India to help students with environmental and biotechnological experiments.
The 15 laboratories would be set up in the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura with facilities to provide computer education, taxonomic studies, microbiological and biotechnological experiments among schoolchildren.
Insects ride the wind to migrate, says study
By IANS
London : The enormous numbers of migratory moths flying high above our heads throughout the night aren't at the mercy of the winds, but use them to reach their destinations, according to a study.
While it isn't yet clear exactly how they do it, researchers said the new findings offer the first hard evidence that nocturnally migrating insects have an inbuilt compass that helps guide them.
Gmail,Yahoo hit by phishing scheme
By DPA,
San Francisco : Users of Google's Gmail and Yahoo Mail were also targeted in the large-scale phishing attack that harvested at least 10,000 passwords from Microsoft's Live Hotmail, according to reports Tuesday.
Neither of the companies' US representatives responded to requests for information. But in Europe, where most of the Hotmail phishing victims appeared to be located, a spokesman for Google confirmed the targeting of Gmail users.
Spurt in nano satellites to benefit Indian space agency
By D. Balaji, IANS,
Berlin : Increasing use of nano and pico satellites in near-earth orbits will benefit the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has a competitive edge with its cost-effective polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV), says a study.
The international market for nano and pico-satellites is set to witness about 40 percent in increase next five years, the study by the American aerospace consultants Teal group says.
NASA scientists identify smallest known black hole in universe
By Xinhua
Washington : Two astronomers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have identified the smallest known black hole in the universe, according to the Astrophysical Journal on Wednesday.
The two astronomers presented their results this week at an American Astronomical Society meeting.
Meteor showers to make sky sparkle Aug 12
By Richa Sharma, IANS,
New Delhi : The night sky will be streaked with light in a celestial spectacle put up by the Perseids meteor showers Aug 12.
Sky gazers can look out for it before dawn when over 100 meteors will sparkle in the night sky.
"Perseids are the most famous and beautiful of all meteor showers that approach from the horizon. They are long, slow and colourful," Nehru Planetaruim director N. Rathnashree told IANS.
Mobile internet access booms in New Zealand
By IANS,
Wellington: More than half of New Zealanders are now accessing the internet through their mobile phones, the government statistics agency announced Friday.
Chandrayaan-1 has given space exploration a huge boost: Royal Astronomical Society
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The discovery of water on the moon by Indian maiden lunar craft Chandrayaan-1 is just the breakthrough international space scientists were waiting for in order to kick start the moon exploration programme again, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) said Thursday.
"This is a massively impressive accomplishment," RAS Secretary Martin Barstow, a leading British astronomer, told IANS after American scientists made the stunning announcement that the Indian mooncraft had sent evidence of water on the lunar surface.
Scientists find black hole “missing link” in galaxy
By Xinhua,
Washington : Scientists have found the "missing link" between small and super-massive black holes in a galaxy, according to a study published in Sept. 18 issue of journal Nature.
For the first time researchers from Durham University have discovered that a strong X-ray pulse is emitting from a giant black hole in a galaxy 500 million light years from Earth.
The pulse has been created by gas being sucked by gravity on to the black hole at the center of the REJ1034+396 galaxy.
Rousing reception for Sunita Williams at space congress
Hyderabad, Sep 28 (IANS) American astronaut of Indian origin Sunita Willams drove into Cyberabad Friday on the outskirts of this city to a rousing reception by hundreds of delegates participating in the 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
Software may help diagnose cardiac infections
By IANS,
Washington : New research suggests that "teachable software", designed to mimic the human brain, may help diagnose cardiac infections in a non-invasive manner.
Endocarditis -- an infection involving the valves and sometimes chambers of the heart -- can be a problem in patients with implants. It is a serious condition and can be deadly.
The mortality rate can be as high as one in five, even with aggressive treatment and removal of the device. With additional complications, the mortality can shoot up to over 60 percent -- or more than one in two.
Facebook users dial 911 over outage, cops frown
New York : Will you call 911 if Facebook goes off the radar? This is exactly some users in Los Angeles did when the...
IBM inks outsourcing deal with Rajasthan cooperative bank
By IANS,
Bangalore : Global IT major IBM has signed a five-year outsourcing agreement with Madhav Nagrik Sahakari Bank, a leading cooperative bank in Rajasthan, the company said Monday.
As part of the deal, IBM India will host and manage the IT infrastructure of the bank and reduce its capital expenditure. The end-to-end IT-enabling environment will also help the bank focus on its expansion plans, the IT firm said in a statement here.
Memmoo, a phone to speak with many, to launch in Kerala
By IANS,
Kochi: Britain's KloudPaD, a mobile electronics convergence brand, is ready with its non-GSM based wireless open phone memmoo network for consumers in Kerala.
Millions throng to Kurukshetra for holy dip during solar eclipse
By IANS,
Kurukshetra (Haryana) : It was a sea of humanity that arrived in this Haryana town to take a dip in the 'Brahmsarovar' on the occasion of the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century Wednesday.
The administration here said that nearly 1.5 million (15 lakh) were expected to arrive for a holy dip at the 'Brahmsarovar' (Pond of Lord Brahma - the Hindu god considered the creator of the universe) on the occasion.
People started thronging the holy pond since 3 a.m. Wednesday even though the eclipse was expected to take place three hours later.
Nuclear bill in Lok Sabha likely Monday
By IANS,
New Delhi: With less than a month to go before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to the US, the government is planning to introduce the contentious Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill in the Lok Sabha Monday.
The bill is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha Monday, said government sources here.
The passing of the bill, which seeks to limits damages to American nuclear companies in case of an accident, is a crucial step India is required to complete under the 123 civil nuclear agreement with the US.
Google takes on Facebook and Twitter with new Buzz
By DPA,
San Francisco : Google Tuesday launched a set of social networking tools for Gmail users, hoping to coax them to share photos, links and status updates without the need to visit sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Called Google Buzz, the new features were rolled out to a small number of Gmail account holders Tuesday and to the majority of users within the week.
It allows users to share photos, videos, web links, conversations with "friends" - defined as pre-existing Gmail contacts. Google said it may open Buzz up to outside users in the future.
Researchers find ways of making laser more efficient
By IANS,
Washington : A Princeton-led team of researchers has discovered an entirely new mechanism for making common electronic materials emit laser beams.
The finding could lead to lasers that operate more efficiently and at higher temperatures than existing devices, and find applications in environmental monitoring, homeland security, medical diagnostics and other areas that require extremely sensitive detection of different chemicals.
Punjab to have police station to tackle cyber-crime
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Punjab Police Monday announced that a state-of-the-art cyber crime police station and forensic science laboratory would be set up in the state.
Laying the foundation stone of the new project Monday, Director General of Police N.S. Aulakh said that the cyber crime police station was required to cater to technology related crimes committed in the state.
The cyber crime police station and the forensic lab to be set up in Mohali town, 10 km from here, will cost Rs.80 million, Aulakh said.
Yahoo! to develop nest-generation products from India lab
By IANS
Bangalore : Leading search engine and news and entertainment portal Yahoo! has set up a laboratory here to develop next-generation products for its global customers and users, a company official said Tuesday.
"As an extension of our research and development (R&D) operations here, Yahoo! India Lab will initially have 100-member team of scientists and engineers. They will work on multiple projects to make the Web more relevant and simple for users and advertisers worldwide," Yahoo! India Research head Prabhakar Raghavan told reporters here.
Maveric Systems to set up research centre in IIT-Madras
By IANS,
Chennai : City-based Maveric Systems Ltd (MSL), an independent software testing company, will set up a 40-member research centre in the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) Research Park, a top official said here Wednesday.
"The company has set a goal of generating around 30 percent revenue from intellectual property (IP)-based services by 2012. The alliance with IIT-M Research Park will enable us to achieve that goal," MSL executive director V.N. Mahesh told reporters.
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.
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.
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.
India to be third largest emitter of greenhouse gases by year-end
By IANS,
Washington : Global yearly carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and manufacturing cement have shot up to 8.5 billion tonnes by 2007, from 6.1 billion tonnes in 1992.
But the source of emissions has shifted dramatically to developing countries like China and India, according to the US Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL).
Scientific texts in 3D with interactive formats developed
By IANS,
Washington : Biologists and biochemists can access 3D images of biomacromolecules underlying biological functions and disease, thanks to a collaborative website called Proteopedia.
The web resource displays protein structures and other biomacromolecules in interactive format. These interactive images are surrounded by descriptive text containing hyperlinks that change the appearance (such as view, representations, colors or labels) of the adjacent 3D structure to reflect the concept explained in the text.
Watch out for Venus, Moon conjunction on New Year’s Eve
By IANS,
New Delhi : As the sun goes down Wednesday evening, two of the brightest objects in the winter sky - Venus and Moon - will get together to bid farewell to 2008.
A beautiful conjunction of Venus and the slender crescent Moon will be visible in the southwestern sky for hours after sunset on New Year's Eve.
"The winter sky is very clear and you can have a spectacular vision of the celestial activity even with naked eyes," Nehru Planetarium director N. Rathnasree told IANS.
China to launch 10 satellites in 2008
By Xinhua
Beijing : China plans 10 space launches this year including the Shenzhou VII spaceship, according to a scientist from China's top space program research institute.
The 10 launches include two environmental satellites, a meteorological satellite and a communications satellite for Venezuela, according to Yang Baohua, head of the China Academy of Space Technology.
The launch of Shenzhou VII this year will spacewalk by taikonauts and lay the foundation work for China's space station construction.
Kerala’s first Active Web GIS Service launched
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The state-run Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) Saturday launched Kerala's first Active Web Geographical Information System (GIS) service in public domain.
The GIS has been developed using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) technology.
"The main objective of Active Web GIS is to make the dynamic geographical information available in a simplified, open Web interface," said IIITM-K Director K.R. Srivathsan, announcing the launch at the concluding session of three-day Free Map Workshop here.
Security robot that sniffs out radiation developed
By IANA
Sydney : Australian scientists have developed a prototype remote-controlled robotic vehicle that is capable of sniffing out radiation.
The concept vehicle - known as RASP or the Remote Advanced Sensor Platform - has been developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), according to a press release.
RASP is small and light and can be operated from distances of up to 350 metres and can be deployed in almost any area or location, from aircraft to cargo containers.
Russia’s Glonass satellite system to be fully operational in 2010
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Glonass satellite system is expected to become fully operational in 2010, if it receives sufficient financing, the head of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) said on Saturday.
Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System) is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), which is designed for both military and civilian use, and allows users to identify their positions in real time.
Mind-boggling image of vast glittering sky captured
By IANS,
London : The GigaGalaxy Zoom project has captured a mind-boggling, magnificent, 800-million-pixel panoramic view of the vast glittering sky. This 360-degree starscape, covering the entire celestial sphere, reveals the cosmic landscape that surrounds our tiny blue planet.
This staggering panorama serves as the first of three extremely high-resolution images featured in the project, launched by European Organisation for Astronomical Research (ESO).
‘Reverse engineering’ the brain to demystify it
By IANS,
Washington : Researchers led by an Indian American are "reverse engineering" the brain to design the first working model of the complex interplay between the mind and body.
For example, when you puick up an ice-cold drink out of the fridge this summer, how do your brain, eyes and hands interact?
"It is still a mystery, really," said University of British Columbia computer scientist Dinesh Pai. "No one has ever completely mapped out the processes at the level of specific neurons, muscles and tendons."
Nanotechnology sharply polarises people along cultural lines
By IANS,
Washington : Nanotech may be revolutionising research but it has also sharply polarised people along cultural lines, according to a study.
These findings have important implications for garnering support of the new technology, said Yale Law School (YLS) researchers, working in collaboration with a project on the emerging discipline.
The experiment involved a diverse sample of 1,500 Americans, the bulk of whom were unfamiliar with nanotechnology, a discipline that involves manipulation of atom sized particles, with wide commercial applications.
Himalayan fault thoroughly imaged for first time
By IANS,
Washington : Researchers have created the most complete seismic map of the upper mantle beneath the rugged Himalayas, stumbling on some unusual geologic features that may explain how the region came into being.
Researchers discovered that as the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, the Indian lower crust slid under the Tibetan crust, while the upper mantle pealed away from the crust and dropped down in a diffuse manner.
"The building of Tibet is not a simple process," said John Nabelek, Oregon State University (OSU) geophysicist and study co-author.
Oriya portal offers free breaking news on mobile phone
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : An Oriya news portal is offering free news briefs to all its readers through SMS.
The portal, www.odisha.com, has introduced the service after a tie-up with SMSGupShup, a free group messaging service provided by Mumbai-based Webaroo Technology India Pvt Ltd.
The portal already introduced last month a premium local breaking news service for mobile subscribers. It has now said it would also provide the news for free. The free news would contain advertisements.
Russia to use Baikonur space centre until 2050: Roscosmos
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia will use the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan until 2050, the head of the Russian space agency said.
"The Russian president has set the task to use the Baikonur space centre in full until 2050. We have approved the proposal," Anatoly Perminov, head of the federal space agency Roscosmos told journalists on Cosmonautics Day Saturday.
Baikonur, built in Kazakhstan in the 1950s, was first leased by Russia from Kazakhstan under an agreement signed in 1994 after the break up of the Soviet Union.
Plants fight for a place in the sun
By IANS
Washington : Plants can sense the difference between the shade of an inanimate object and that of another plant; it comes in handy while reaching out for sunlight.
They accordingly cease their efforts when a building comes in the way, knowing that it would be in vain. But when it is a question of competing with another of their species, they go into overdrive.
For example, spindly plants requiring sunlight desperately try to break through the overhead canopy formed by larger plants, in what is known as 'shade avoidance syndrome' or SAS.
Scientists create tough ceramic that mimics mother of pearl
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists in the US have used biomimicry, a technological innovation inspired by nature, to replicate the structure of mother of pearl and create what may well be the toughest ceramic ever produced.
Through the controlled freezing of suspensions in water of aluminium oxide (alumina) and the addition of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a well known polymer, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Labs) produced ceramic material that is 300 times tougher than their constituents.
$40,800 bid to name butterfly after a loved one
By IANS
New York : An unidentified person bid $40,800 for the naming rights of a new species of butterfly -- and scientists will use the money to continue their research.
Researchers at the University of Florida discovered the new owl butterfly in Mexico's Sonoran desert earlier this year and decided, in a first, to offer its naming rights in an online auction.
The new butterfly's scientific name is Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae, but its popular name, chosen by the winning bidder, is Minerva -- in memory of Margery Minerva Blythe Kitzmiller of Ohio.
New Pluto images puzzle scientists
Washington : NASA's New Horizon spacecraft has captured stunning coloured images of Pluto as it gets ready for a close flyby of...
Swiss solar plane makes first flight
By DPA,
Geneva : A solar-powered airplane took off on its first major test flight Wednesday morning, from an airfield in western Switzerland.
The flight of the plane, named Solar Impulse, comes ahead of plans to use a similar solar-powered plane to fly around the world in 2012.
"We want to demonstrate what can be achieved with renewable energy," Bertrand Piccard, the man behind the project, was quoted by the Swiss ATS news agency as saying.
The plane has the wing span of an Airbus A340, the weight of an average car, and is powered by some 12,000 solar cells.
Scientists identify brain’s tiny timekeepers
By IANS,
Washington : How does your brain recall that you brush your teeth before you took a shower, and not the other way around? A study has now identified groups of neurons in the primate brain that code time with extreme precision.
Keeping track of time and remembering past events is one of the brain's most important tasks, amid the welter of sights and sounds that it processes.
Sun goggles sell like hot cakes in Taregna
By IANS,
Taregna (Bihar) : In the last three days specially designed sun goggles sold like hot cakes in Taregna village near the state capital, where the solar eclipse Wednesday will be best viewed.
"Thousands of the specially designed sun goggles were sold in Taregna area ahead of the total solar eclipse," an official of the Indian Red Cross Society at Masaurih said Tuesday.
Caveman’s 4,500-year-old doodle on rock discovered
By IANS,
London : Scientists have discovered what is believed to be one of the world's oldest doodles - an ancient scrawl carved onto a rock by a caveman 4,500 years ago.
Cambridge University experts believe the crudely etched circles are the Neolithic version of a modern office worker's scribbles on a post-it note.
The 17 square cm chunk of sandstone was discovered by an amateur archaeologist, Susie Sinclair, from the bottom of a deep quarry in Over, Cambridgeshire, during a university fun day, reports the Telegraph.
Logica’s Indian subsidiary helps reduce carbon emission
By IANS,
Bangalore : The Indian subsidiary of the London-based Logica plc helped the leading IT services firm reduce carbon emission by 11.3 percent in 18 months, the company said Monday.
"We have achieved 11.3 percent reduction in our carbon footprint in the last 18 months and set a target of reducing it by another 10 percent next year," Logica India chief executive Abhya Gupte said in a statement here.
The reduction enabled the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to rank the British firm top of the FTSE 350 for IT services in its global 500 report.
Chinese people to select country’s 10 best scientists
By IANS,
Beijing : The Chinese public will help select the country's 10 best scientists and technicians in a vote that will show "respect for knowledge and innovation".
Unsung hero of moon mission is sad but forgiving
By K.S. Jayaraman, IANS,
Bangalore : In the nine months India's Chandrayaan-1 has been circling the moon everyone connected with it has been awarded, rewarded or interviewed on TV, except the scientist whose pioneering work in liquid propulsion was pivotal to the mission's success. Perhaps it had something to do with the false spying charges under which he was arrested in 1994.
NASA beams chants of ‘Jai Guru Deva’ into outer space
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : If there were any outer space aliens out there Monday at the crack of dawn Indian time, chances are they were grooving to a song with the words "Jai Guru Deva... Om".
The words form the beautiful refrain of a famous Beatles song, "Across the Universe", which was beamed into outer space in a celebration of the band's music at 0530 Indian time (midnight GMT).
Omani rock could absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide
By IANS,
Washington : A rock found in Oman could soak up huge quantities of globe-warming carbon dioxide, cheaply.
The studies show that the rock, known as peridotite, reacts naturally at high rates with carbon dioxide (CO2) to form solid minerals - and that the process could be speeded with simple drilling and injection methods.
Scientists said that the process could be speeded 100,000 times or more simply by boring down and injecting heated water containing pressurised CO2.
ISRO developing cheaper satellite phone link
By Fakir Balaji, IANS
Hyderabad : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on a new device to drastically reduce the cost of satellite phone usage and enable access to remote areas of the country, a top space agency official said here Monday.
Japan launches communication satellite
By Xinhua
Tokyo : Japan Saturday launched a high-speed data transmission satellite, the nation's space agency said.
A H-2A rocket carrying the satellite 'Kizuna' lifted off at 17.55 p.m. from the space centre on the island of Tanegashima off the southern tip of Kyushu Island in southern Japan.
A spokeswoman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the launch went smoothly.
The initial launching was successful despite a delay due to bad weather and an unexpected ship entry in restricted waters near the space centre, the official said.
Dell launches ultra-thin laptop computer
By Xinhua,
San Francisco : Dell has officially launched a high-end laptop computer which the company said is the thinnest in the world.
The laptop is the first product under Dell's Adamo brand. Adamo is derived from the Latin word meaning "to fall in love".
With a thickness of 0.65 inches (1.65 cm) and available in onyx and pearl colours, the new Adamo laptop is thinner than Apple's MacBook Air.
Great white shark bite hardest of them all today
By IANS,
Sydney : The great white shark possesses the most lethal and formidable bite of any existing species, according to a new study.
Researchers calculated that the bite force of its extinct cousin, the gigantic fossil species Carcharodon megalodon (Big Tooth) is the highest of all time, making it the most formidable carnivore yet on earth.
Iran to launch three new satellites
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran plans to launch three new domestically-manufactured satellites, Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said.
PM greets citizens on National Technology Day
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted the people on National Technology Day and said the use of technology should be...
Mini-black hole is smallest ever but still strong
By ANTARA News
Washington : NASA scientists have identified the smallest black hole ever found -- less than four times the mass of our sun and about the size of a large city.
But the mini-black hole, dubbed J1650, could still stretch a person into a "strand of spaghetti" with its pull, the researchers told a meeting in Los Angeles.
European cargo spacecraft blasts off for space station
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : A European carrier rocket took off from French Guiana early on Sunday on a mission to bring supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), a spokesman for Russia's mission control said.
The Ariane-5 rocket lifted off at 04:03 GMT from the Kourou space center to bring a 20-ton unmanned cargo module into orbit.
Storage options for the digital generation
By DPA
Washington : Just about everything in our lives is being stored digitally today - music, videos, photographs, documents, arts and crafts, and much more.
That's why the scramble for more data storage - and more versatile data storage - is never-ending. The market has responded with a proliferation of types of data storage designed to meet the needs of everyone.
But the options are dizzying.
To keep from making a costly mistake when buying storage, you need to know what your storage needs are and which type of storage best satisfies those requirements.
Warning about vulnerability in VLC Media Player
By DPA,
Bonn (Germany) : A security hole has been discovered in the VLC Media Player, the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) here reported.
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability using rigged Real Media files (file ending with "rm") to install malicious software onto the user's computer. The victim has just to open the manipulated multimedia file.
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.
Indian space agency to map the moon
By Venkatachari Jagannathan and Fakir Balaji, IANS,
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) : The Indian space agency will map the entire surface of the moon in two years, a top official said here Wednesday, hours after the launch of the country's first unmanned mission to the moon.
"The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carries 11 instruments that would conduct varied tests about the moon," G. Madhavan Nair, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters here.
Chandrayaan-1, with a life expectancy of two years, is scheduled to orbit the moon from Nov 8 onwards.
Future refrigerators to run on heat, not electricity
By DPA
Hamburg : The refrigerator of the future will run on heat, not costly electricity, according to a team of innovative scientists in Germany.
The research could be a boon in hot countries where fridges and air-conditioning systems are vital, said the group of young scientists, who are working on at the Innovationszentrum Wiesenbusch Gladbeck (IWG), in cooperation with the University of Applied Science in nearby Gelsenkirchen.
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.
China launches new navigation satellite
By IANS,
Beijing : China successfully launched a fifth orbiter into space Sunday as a part of its indigenous satellite navigation and global positioning network.
The satellite was launched at 5.30 a.m. from the Long March 3I carrier rocket, Xinhua reported.
The satellite will join other four satellites in orbit to form a network that will eventually consist of 35 satellites.
Axis Bank deploys Polaris’ software solution
By IANS,
Chennai : Private lender Axis Bank has implemented Polaris Software's solution for trade finance, cards and cheque truncation processes, the city-based banking software company said Monday.
The solution, "Intellect Business Process Studio", will enable Axis Bank to eliminate the paper-based cheque clearing activity, Polaris said in a statement.
Scientists find signs of flowing water on Mars
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The first signs of flowing water on Mars have been discovered by US scientists, the journal Science reported.
Space shuttle Endeavour returns to Earth after final mission
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The space shuttle Endeavour landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday bringing its 25th and final spaceflight to a close.
Photonic crystals will make web surfing super smooth
By IANS
New York : Glitches in web surfing and connectivity may soon be a thing of the past, with researchers working on a potentially perfect way of sorting and distributing voluminous data over fibre-optics worldwide, according to Rana Biswas of the Iowa State University.
The new technology is based on a 3D photonic crystal 'add-drop' filter, which promises vastly enhanced transmission of multiple wavelengths along the same cable.
S Africa to launch battery car
By Xinhua,
Johannesburg : A South African-designed, battery-operated passenger car is to be unveiled early next year, Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom announced on Friday.
The development of the vehicle -- described as "beautiful" by those who have had a glimpse of the design sketches -- could not have come at a better time, he told MPs during debate in Parliament on the science and technology budget vote, the South African Press Association reported.
Scientists discover new plant in Kerala
By IANS
Kozhikode : Scientists have discovered a new plant species, named Miliusa Wayanaddica and belonging to the Annonaceae family, in Kerala's Wayanad district.
The new plant was discovered by M.K. Ratheesh Narayanan of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Kalpetta, Wayanad, and P. Sujanapal of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI).
It was found in the Meppadi forest range in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 1,400 metres above the sea level.
"The plant is endemic to the area, but has no known local name," Narayanan said.
Egypt starts manufacturing new satellite
By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : Egypt has started to manufacture a new satellite in cooperation with France to meet the growing demand for its satellite in the Arab region, especially after NileSat has used up all existing capacities of the existing Nilesat 101 and NilSat 102.
The Egyptian Satellite Company (Nilesat) said in a statement Thursday that it will launch its new satellite NileSat 201 in the first quarter of 2010, the first second-generation NileSat satellite based on a contract with a French company.
Microsoft unveils new security software
By DPA,
San Francisco : Hoping to dispel fears about the vulnerability of Windows to viruses and other malware, Microsoft Tuesday released a trial version of a new free security package called Microsoft Security Essentials.
The software is designed to replace the Windows Defender tool that Microsoft released in 2007, but which was widely derided as being inadequate to protect computers from the constant and ever-evolving threats posed by hackers.
Partial solar eclipse in Delhi, but clouds play spoilsport
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi witnessed the year's first partial solar eclipse Tuesday but cloudy skies prevented many people from having a clear view of the celestial spectacle.
Pluto-bound New Horizons sees changes in Jupiter system
Washington, Oct 10 (Xinhua) The voyage of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft through the Jupiter system earlier this year provided a bird's-eye view of a dynamic planet that has changed since the last close-up observations by NASA spacecraft, the federal space agency reported.
New Horizons passed Jupiter Feb 28, riding the planet's gravity to boost its speed and shave three years off its trip to Pluto.
Roads are the biggest threat to tropical rainforests
By IANS,
Sydney : Roads, the most visible symbols of progress, are the biggest threat to the world's tropical rainforests, says a new study.
"Clearing wide paths in any forest has a strong effect on the ecosystem, but these impacts are particularly acute in tropical rainforests," said William Laurance, study co-author and biology professor at the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Panama.
Computer virus accuses victims of viewing child porn
By IANS,
London: Police in Germany are warning people about a computer virus that accuses victims of viewing "juvenile pornography", BBC reported.
Carbon levels may trigger disastrous climate change
By IANS,
Washington : Carbon levels have reached a point of no return and may trigger disastrous climate change -- unless they are reversed, scientists have warned.
Their study is a departure from recent estimates that truly dangerous levels would be reached only later in this century.
"There is a bright side to this conclusion," says James E. Hansen, the study's co-author and director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, part of Columbia University's Earth Institute.
Giving thought for food on space mission
By IANS,
Washington : Most people are familiar with the awe-inspiring images of space shuttle launches or images of the earth from the International Space Station. But how many people have paused for even a second to think about what those astronauts eat when they're on a two-week space shuttle mission or are living for months on the International Space Station?
The Astronaut's Cookbook - Tales, Recipes, and More - written by NASA veterans Charles T. Bourland and Gregory L. Vogt gives a first look at what astronauts eat while being in space.
Pollution forces birds to change their tune
By IANS
London : A new study reveals that male wild birds exposed to pollution develop more complex songs, preferred by the females, though they show reduced immunity.
Katherine Buchanan and her colleagues at Cardiff University came to this conclusion after studying male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) foraging at a sewage treatment works in southwestern Britain.
Analysing earthworms that constituted their prey, the researchers found that birds exposed to greater pollution developed longer and more complex songs compared to a control group male birds.
Britain mulls asking private firm to run communication database
By IANS,
London : Britian is considering asking a private company to manage and run communications database that will keep track of all calls, emails texts and internet use, media reports said Wednesday.
The decision to put the management of the country's super database containing identities and locations of every person into private hands will, however, be accompanied by tougher legal safeguards to avoid unnecessay leaks and accidental loss of data, the Guardian reported.
Space network, a ‘hotline’ from Bangalore to moon
By Fakir Balaji, IANS,
Bangalore : When India's first lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 lifts off from Sriharikota Wednesday, the telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) of the space agency in Bangalore will guide the mission on its 18-day voyage to the moon's polar orbit.
Soon after reaching the lunar orbit, the Deep Space Network (DSN) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Byalalu, about 40 km from this tech hub, will take charge of the spacecraft and become a 'hotline' between its payloads and space scientists over the next two years.
Indian American works out low-cost strategy to curb computer worms
By IANS,
Washington : Network administrators might soon be able to mount effective, low-cost defences against self-propagating infectious programmes known as worms, thanks to a new strategy devised by an Indian American researcher.
Many computers are already equipped with software that can detect when another computer is attempting to attack it. Yet the software usually cannot identify newly-minted worms that do not share features with earlier marauders.
European space agencies keen on outsourcing work to India
By Mohammed Shafeeq
Hyderabad, Sep 27 (IANS) Top space organisations of Europe are keen to outsource sub-systems and components for their space missions to India but are unable to do so due to political hurdles.
Under the European Space Agency (ESA) rules, the 17 member organisations cannot outsource the work but some of them wished they were allowed to do this to leverage on the cost benefit and reliable Indian research and development.
UAE’s first artificial battery-powered heart transplant
Dubai: A 21-year-old student in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) city of Sharjah, has received the country's first artificial heart transplant, a media report...