Study shows comet much more like asteroid
By Xinhua
Beijing : A chemical analysis of samples of rock dust retrieved from a comet showed that the comet is much more like an asteroid than scientists had expected, media reported Monday.
A lot of the material detected in a comet called Wild 2 was formed very close to the sun in the early solar system and was somehow later transported to the outer solar system.
Beijing : A chemical analysis of samples of rock dust retrieved from a comet showed that the comet is much more like an asteroid than scientists had expected, media reported Monday.
A lot of the material detected in a comet called Wild 2 was formed very close to the sun in the early solar system and was somehow later transported to the outer solar system.
IT investment region to come up around Hyderabad
By IANS,
Hyderabad: This information technology hub is expected to witness rapid growth in the IT sector with the setting up of investment region around the city.
Two NASA rovers weathered Martian dust storm
By Fakir Balaji
Hyderabad, Sep 25 (IANS) Two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2003 by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), weathered a massive dust storm on that planet this July, a senior NASA scientist told the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here Tuesday.
Ice Age park? Scientists sequence mammoth genome
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists have sequenced the genome of the woolly mammoth of the Ice Age, bringing to reality the possibility of an Ice Age park in the lines of the fictional Jurassic Park of Michael Crichton.
With four billlion DNA bases, the sequencing has been done for the first time, using new generation tools and a novel technique that reads the DNA bases far more efficiently.
Mammoths roamed the northern hemisphere during the last Ice Age.
Atlantis Ready to Return to Earth
By Prensa Latina
Washington : Uncoupling from the international space station, the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis started preparations for return to the earth Monday.
After uncoupling, Atlantis made another turn to take photos of the thermal layer, seeking alterations that might compromise security during its return through the atmosphere.
During this mission, European space lab Columbus coupled to the station, where three astronauts, including in biomedicine and material science, could work simultaneously.
US, Russian astronauts arrive at space station
By DPA,
Washington : A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying two US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut arrived Thursday at the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz lifted off Tuesday from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan with Americans Doug Wheelock, Shannon Walker and Russian Fyodor Yurchikhin aboard.
The 2221 GMT docking occurred over Argentina. It was the combined 100th flight to the ISS by US space shuttles and Russian Soyuz capsules.
Egyptian expert in Hyderabad to restore mummy
By IANS,
Hyderabad : An Egyptian expert has arrived to restore a mummy from the age of the pharaohs and preserved at the State Archaeological Museum here.
Tarek el Awady, director of Scientific Research in Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), arrived Wednesday night on a six-day visit to restore the mummy, dating back to 2500 BC, but which is showing signs of decay now.
Research to create bees without stings in Tamil Nadu
By IANS
Coimbatore : The Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) here will be researching on a project to create bees without stings.
The National Resource Development Board of the Department of Biotechnology has sanctioned the project "Morphometry and phylo-geography of honey bees and stingless bees", a press release here said.
Two universities will be involved in the project.
The TNAU will work on bio-ecology of stingless bees and evolve improved bee management techniques.
Rare turtle travels 7,000 km to breed!
By IANS,
Toronto : How could a contemporary of the great dinosaurs survive to this day?
A rare leatherback turtle, which has existed since the time of the dinosaurs, has been found to be adept at making the longest ocean journey to breed in warmer places.
Fitted with a satellite transmitter by Canadian scientists to track its journey, the turtle - which is the also world's largest turtle growing up to two metres long and weighing up to 500 kilogramme - travelled over 7,000 km to be found on the coast of Colombia in South America.
Interplanetary voyages – Man’s quest for a second home
By Andrei Kislyakov, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Deep space exploration is becoming an ever bigger part of national space programmes. Currently, missions to the Moon and Mars are considered feasible.
The US has announced preparation for another space probe launch to collect data from the martian atmosphere, scheduled for 2013.
In Russia, martian exploration is confined to ground tests so far. The project Mars-500, aimed at determining the effect of a space flight over months on the crew, will be launched soon under the aegis of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (IMBP).
Dying star coughs out dust cloud`
By IANS,
London : Astronomers on the look out for black holes have stumbled on a star that was fading with a whimper rather than a bang.
Vodafone reaches 100 million subscribers in India
By IANS,
New Delhi: Mobile telephony provider Vodafone Essar has crossed the landmark of 100 million subscribers in India, the telecom operator said Thursday.
After Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications (RCom), Vodafone is the third company in India to reach the milestone of 100 million customers. In terms of revenue, it is India's second largest operator.
Russian scientist says Earth could soon face new Ice Age
By RIA Novasti
St. Petersburg : Temperatures on Earth have stabilized in the past decade, and the planet should brace itself for a new Ice Age rather than global warming, a Russian scientist said in an interview with RIA Novosti Tuesday.
Goa launches ambitious broadband network
By IANS
Panaji (Goa) : Goa has unveiled plans for a super-ambitious broadband network project to build a state that's "enabled by IT to be efficient and accountable with a global thinking approach".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the Goa Broadband Network (GBBN) Friday amid both expectations and apprehensions as to how exactly the project will work and at what cost.
NASA to launch five rockets
By IANS,
Washington : NASA is scheduled to launch five rockets in just over five minutes Wednesday night as part of a study of the high-altitude jet stream, the US space agency announced Monday.
BigAdda among Dataquest’s top 25 Indian Internet start-ups
By IANS,
New Delhi : BigAdda, the social networking website belonging to the Anil Ambani group, Fropper, a dating site and Indyarocks, an entertainment-based social network, are among the top 25 Indian Internet start-ups ranked for the first time by leading technology magazine Dataquest.
The rankings prepared with the help of Indianweb2.com that tracks Indian start-ups in the technology space, is an interesting mix of social networking sites, tool makers, rating sites, and creators of close-knit online communities and mobile applications.
Did you know you can access your computer from anywhere?
By Nabeel A. Khan, IANS,
New Delhi : Did you know that through the Internet you can access your computer from almost anywhere?
Relatively few of us have taken advantage of facilities like Google Document, Zoho Offline Office or Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia's Live Document.
These provide softwares like Word, Excel or Power Point. You can use them without having MS office installed in your PC.
Your card details could be ‘robbed by radiowave’
By IANS,
London: Millions of credit and debit card users could be "robbed by radiowave" because of a new contactless technology, the Daily Mail reported.
Binocular telescope captures 3D celestial images
By IANS
Washington : A giant binocular telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona has taken celestial images in 3D for the first time, using its twin, 28-foot primary mirrors together.
The images are not only a milestone for the telescope, now the world's most powerful, but also for astronomy itself, said researchers, Sciencedaily reported.
US, Italy and Germany have partnered for the telescope, known as LBT. They are now releasing the images. University of Arizona owns part of its observing time.
NASA gives “go” for Atlantis’ Sunday launch
By Xinhua
Washington : NASA announced Saturday afternoon that it will try to launch the space shuttle Atlantis on Sunday.
The Mission Management Team concluded after a meeting on Saturday that "we are 'go' for a Sunday launch attempt," said a briefing posted by NASA at its official website. Sunday's launch attempt is set for 3:21 p.m. EST (2021 GMT).
Iran pledges support for Iraq in fight against terrorism
Tehran: Tehran will continue supporting Baghdad in its fight against terrorism as Iraq's security was intertwined with that of Iran, President Hassan Rouhani has...
Facebook favoured for background check on prospective partner: Survey
New Delhi : Almost fifty percent unmarried people in India use social networking site Facebook to conduct a background check on their prospective partner,...
ISRO to launch new satellite April 28
By IANS
Bangalore : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its advanced remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2A, with high resolution stereo cameras and scientific instruments April 28, a space agency official said here Friday.
"We have rescheduled the launch of Cartosat-2A to this month-end. The tentative launch date is April 28. The exact date and time will be finalised in a fortnight after factoring weather and other relevant data," ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a space event.
New device to help Parkinson’s disease patients
By DPA
Singapore : A portable, battery-powered device has been developed in Singapore to help people suffering from Parkinson's disease regain their walking rhythm, Ngee Ann Polytechnic said Saturday.
Physiotherapists from Singapore General Hospital worked with a team from the school's mechanical engineering department to develop the invention.
Parkinson's disease is a slow, degenerative disease that deprives sufferers of steady movement, leading to jerky small steps or freezing in narrow spaces, the team said. To take the next step, patients need a cue.
Clouds, fog hide meteor shower view in Delhi
By IANS
New Delhi : A rare celestial event, the Geminid meteor shower, was visible across most of India Friday night, but sadly the grand annual celestial spectacle could not be seen in Delhi due to a cloudy and foggy sky.
"Not only Delhi, but places like Mumbai and other northern Indian cities will not view this development properly. Sky watchers in the capital will miss out the event due mainly to fog, clouds and light pollution (excessive city lights)," Nehru Planetarium director R. Rathnasree told IANS.
World’s tiniest, lightest microscope designed
By IANS,
Washington : A miniature lensless microscope, the world's smallest and lightest - weighing only 46 grams - was created by an engineer for telemedicine applications.
The microscope builds on imaging technology known as LUCAS (Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging), which was developed by Aydogan Ozcan, assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Pluto’s moons tumbling in absolute chaos: NASA
Washington : NASA's Hubble space telescope has provided the first glimpse of Pluto's moons that wobble unpredictably, tumbling in absolute chaos.
It means if you...
Half a billion Android devices activated: Google
By IANS,
San Francisco : Google Wednesday announced that 500 million devices running on its Android operating system have been activated so far.
Access to indiscreet Facebook updates a click away
By IANS,
London : Indiscreet updates posted by the users of social networking website Facebook for their small group of friends can now be read by anyone with the help of a new internet search engine.
The search engine Openbook scans all "public" updates left by members of the social networking site, making them available to anyone through internet.
The software has been created to highlight Facebook's complex privacy settings, which have been blamed for confusing users into disclosing personal information more than they intend.
New software to help empty stadiums during bomb threats
By IANS,
Washington : Imagine trying to get out of a stadium with 70,000 fans after a bomb explodes, or even a bomb threat. For an evacuation on this scale, there are no dress rehearsals or practice drills - just simulation software.
A new breed of simulation software - dubbed SportEvac - is being funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) as part of the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI), and developed and tested by the National Centre for Spectator Sports Safety & Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Nanotechnology to turn paper into futuristic batteries
By IANS,
Washington : Researchers have found a way to make lightweight paper batteries and supercapacitors cheaply -- by just dipping paper or fabric in a special ink infused with nanoparticles.
Capacitors, like batteries, store energy, but by electrostatic rather than chemical means, as well as stretchable textiles known as 'eTextiles' - capable of storing energy while retaining mechanical properties of paper or fabric.
The type of nanoparticle used in Stanford University engineer Yi Cui's experimental devices varies according to the intended function of the product.
Haryana scientists develop milk-testing kit
By IANS,
Chandigarh : An innovative 'milk urea detection kit' has been developed by the scientists of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Haryana's Hisar town, the university's vice chancellor K.S. Khokhar announced Friday.
Khokhar said that with this kit, milk could be checked for the presence of urea in it - even at home.
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.
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.
Airborne lasers sharpen mapping of streams, rivers 10-fold
By IANS,
Washington : Lasers beamed from airplanes are greatly sharpening images of streams and rivers and interpreting how well water bodies can help maintain or expand fish stocks, according to a new study.
"It's kind of like going from your backyard telescope to the Hubble telescope," says Boston College Geologist Noah P. Snyder. "Restoring fish habitat is just one example. For the fisherman, backpacker, forester, land-use planner or developer - anyone who uses map data - this new technology is the next revolution in mapping."
Robot scribe copies the Bible as a performance art event
By DPA
Karlsruhe (Germany) : After seven months of writing day and night, a robot in Germany clutching a fountain pen has completed a "manuscript" Bible in cursive handwriting.
The exercise was a piece of performance art by the Centre for Art and Media in the German city of Karlsruhe, which uses state funds to explore new art ideas.
The machine, dubbed "Bios (Bible)", began copying the Bible in June onto a 900-metre-long roll of paper, with its arm forming each letter with the pen after all 66 books of scripture had been loaded into its memory.
New approach helps solar cells harvest light more efficiently
By IANS,
Washington : Lacing solar cells with nano-sized metallic particles will vastly improve their ability to harvest light more efficiently and cheaply.
Like plants, solar cells turn light into energy. Plants do this inside vegetable matter, while solar cells do it in a semiconductor crystal doped with extra atoms.
Current solar cells cannot convert all the incoming light into usable energy because some of the light can escape back out of the cell into the air.
Car-sized rat fossile found in Uruguay
By Xinhua
Beijing : Scientists have unearthed the skull of a giant prehistoric rat -- a car-sized behemoth that roamed South America four million years ago, according to a study published in Wednesday's Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The newly-identified species, believed to be the largest rodent ever to have walked the Earth, was about three meters long and 1.5 meters tall, and weighed from 468 kilos to 2.5 tonnes, according to researchers.
Endeavour shuttle returns from mission to ISS
By RIA Novosti
Washington : U.S. space shuttle Endeavour touched down in Florida after a 16-day trip to deliver part of a Japanese research lab and a Canadian robot to the International Space Station.
NASA said the shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:39 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (00:39 GMT Thursday) just after sunset, "bringing the STS-123 mission to a flawless end."
The landing was slightly delayed due to cloud cover over Florida, and the shuttle made an additional orbit of the Earth before entering the atmosphere.
Now essence from Ajmer shrine roses
By IANS,
Lucknow: Tonnes of flowers offered at the Ajmer shrine will now be used to make essence from them, thanks to a project undertaken by an institute here.
"Our project would bring into use several tonnes of flowers that are presently being dumped," A.K. Singh, technology and business development head at the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), told IANS.
Microsoft, Intel To Launch CMPC In Nepal
By Bernama
Kathmandu : Microsoft and Intel are set to launch the Intel Classmate PC (CMPC) for schoolchildren in Nepal soon, China's XINHUA news agency reported Wednesday quoting a local daily as saying.
Tilden Wu of Intel said at a press meeting in the capital on Tuesday that the laptop would cost between US$200 and US$300 and would be available in Nepali market in a month or two.
A part of Intel's World Ahead Program, the CMPC is targeted at providing one computer per student in emerging markets.
Gates Expects Microsoft to Launch New Windows in Next Year
By SPA
Washington : Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates said Friday he expects the new version of Windows operating software, currently called Windows 7, to be released “sometime in the next year or so.”
Microsoft has said it expects to release a new version of Windows about three years after the introduction of Vista in early 2007. A company spokeswoman said Gates’ comments are in line with a development cycle that usually releases a test version of the software before its official introduction.
Soon, solar rickshaws for Delhi’s Chandni Chowk
By IANS,
New Delhi : Come Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2), solar rickshaws will replace man-pulled pedicabs in the Chandni Chowk area of old Delhi.
Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, who also represents the constituency in parliament, Friday advised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to introduce these green vehicles from Oct 2.
The rickshaw would weigh 210 kg and would be able to run at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour.
It would be run by a solar battery, which would suffice for a journey of 70 km.
U.S. Launches Gamma-Ray Telescope into Orbit
By SPA,
Washington : A U.S. gamma-ray telescope was launched into space Wednesday on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The orbiting Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) will probe the most energetic form of light. Gamma rays are millions to hundreds of billions of times more powerful than what can be seen with the human eye.
South Korean astronaut scared during Soyuz descent
By Xinhua,
Moscow : South Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, said Monday that she was afraid of dying during her trip back to Earth, Russian media reported.
At a steeper-than-normal descent, the Soyuz capsule, also carrying U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, landed safely on the Kazakh steppe in Central Asia Saturday following a 10-day stay in the International Space Station (ISS).
The unusual ballistic descent path was a safe landing but the cosmonauts felt high acceleration force, experts said.
Indian scientist elected entomology’s world forum chief
By IANS,
Hyderabad : A scientist from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hari C. Sharma, has become the first Asian to be elected president of the 102-year-old International Congress of Entomology (ICE).
Sharma, principal scientist, entomology, was elected at the 23rd International Congress of Entomology, held July 6-12 at Durban, South Africa.
He is the first Asian to be elected the ICE chief in its 102-year history.
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).
US, British scientists win 2007 medicine Nobel
By Xinhua
Stockholm : Two US scientists, Mario R. Capecchi and Oliver Smithies, and Britain's Martin J. Evans won the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine Monday.
The trio were awarded for a series of "ground breaking discoveries concerning embryonic stem cells and DNA recombination in mammals", according to the Nobel jury.
Both Capecchi and Smithies are US citizens but were not born in America. Capecchi was born in Italy and Smithies, in Britain.
Indian software firm develops programmes for four airlines
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Four leading airlines have joined hands with IT firm IBS Software to launch an airline manpower management solution that will enable them to plan cost effective and efficient operation of their fleet with an optimal level of trained crew members.
Air Astana, easyJet, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways together with IBS, formed the Core Group of Influence (CGI) to develop the new IT solution.
Want to meet T-Rex? Go to Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : Want to know more about the ferocious T-Rex and his friends? Well, there's good news for you, as the forest department of Jharkhand plans to establish a dinosaur park in the state.
The authorities came up with the idea after footprints resembling those of the big reptiles were discovered in the state.
"Footprints resembling those of dinosaurs have been found in Pithoria in Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts. There is a possibility that the big reptiles might have been roaming in these areas," said Nitish Priyadarshi, a geologist and environmentalist.
China to launch Chang’e-2 lunar probe around 2009
By Xinhua
Beijing : China plans to launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, around 2009, according to a top satellite scientist.
Ye Peijian, chief commander and designer of China's first moon probe satellite system, revealed the plan during an interview program on CCTV, China Central Television.
However, Ye did not elaborate on the plan with more details.
He said Chang'e-1, the country's first lunar probe, had resumed contact with the control center after it moved out of the shadow area caused by an eclipse of the sun at about 14:10 on Thursday.
Fish may have taught us how to make a sound
By IANS,
Washington : Human speech skills and possibly all sound production in vertebrates could be traced back to similar abilities in fish, according to a study by US researchers.
Researchers from Cornell University mapped developing brain cells in newly hatched midshipman fish larvae and compared them to those of other species and found that the neural network behind sound production in vertebrates could be traced back to an era long before the first animals ventured onto dry land.
Will Poznan climate conference save the Earth?
By Andrei Fedyashin, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The UN conference on climate change has been in session in Poznan, Poland, where delegates from 192 countries will prepare the draft of a document intended to replace the 1997 Kyoto protocol on reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG).
The 1997 protocol, known as Kyoto-One, must be replaced with Kyoto-Two in Copenhagen in December 2009. Time must be left for its ratification before it enters into force Jan 1, 2013, as its predecessor expires Dec 31, 2012.
Sky gazers in for celestial treat Tuesday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sky gazers can look forward to an exhibition of celestial fireworks as the night sky will be lit up by Geminid meteor showers that are expected to peak Tuesday.
Teenage suicides: Study advocates greater family support
By IANS,
London : Rising teen suicides have prompted demands for improved prevention strategies, in which the family physician or the general practitioner is expected to play a pivotal part.
Researchers from Umeå University have identified the phenomenon of cluster suicides where one suicide appears to trigger similar acts among other teenagers in a community.
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.
US, India high-technology meet Monday
By IANS,
Washington : Top US and Indian business executives will meet here Monday to address critical issues affecting US-India High Technology Cooperation in areas like defence/strategic trade, civil nuclear cooperation, biotechnology, nano-technology and civil aviation.
The private sector business interactions hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) are expected to inform the official level bilateral discussions at a meeting of the US-India High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) Tuesday.
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.
Researchers developing technique to image molecule in live cell
By IANS,
Washington : Researchers in the US are working on a new technique to create detailed high-resolution images that will show the atomic structure of cellular molecules.
A research team at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab is collaborating with scientists in Germany and Sweden to utilise high-energy X-ray beams, combined with complex algorithms, to overcome limitations in current technology.
Chances of restoring contact with Chandrayaan slim: ISRO
By Fakir Balaji, IANS,
Bangalore : Indian scientists are still trying to restore radio contact with the lunarcraft Chandrayaan-1, but the chances of re-establishing contact are slim, a senior space official said Sunday.
"Efforts are still on to restore the signal with the mooncraft though chances are slim. If we fail to establish the link again, we may call off the mission much earlier than the two-year schedule," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) director S. Satish told IANS.
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.
Apple sells three million iPads over weekend
By IANS,
San Francisco: Apple announced Monday that it sold three million iPad mini and fourth generation iPad when the products went on sale this weekend.
Fake ‘dislike’ button spreads across Facebook
By IANS,
Washington : Social networking website Facebook, which offers its subscribers only a "like" button for anyone's updates, is now faced with a fake "dislike" button, which is spreading like a virus across the site.
The fake dislike button is followed with a link that takes people to a fake application. Instead of installing a dislike button, the application uses the person's network to continue spreading the fake programme.
Graham Cluley of the British security firm Sophos wrote in a blog that the fake dislike buttons "are going viral" on Facebook.
Cast away eclipse superstitions, but view safely
By IANS,
New Delhi : As the world looks forwards to the century's longest total solar eclipse Wednesday, there are superstitions galore in India. But science experts have urged people to do away with "false beliefs" and watch the celestial spectacle -- as long as they do so the right way.
"There are several false beliefs prevalent in our society regarding solar eclipse. Some people even lock themselves up in their homes to avoid 'the bad rays' from the eclipse," said Nehru Planetarium director N. Rathnashree.
Solar plane takes off for Hawaii from Japan
Tokyo : The Swiss-made solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, on Monday started its second bid at a record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean.
According to...
Over 700 Russian scientists part of Large Hadron Collider project
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The development of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, has involved over 700 Russian physicists from 12 research institutes, a project coordinator said Monday.
The $5.8 billion international project, which will be officially unveiled on October 21 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known by its French initials CERN, has involved more than 2,000 physicists from hundreds of universities and laboratories in 34 countries since 1984.
Scientific community celebrates successful launch of Chandrayaan-1
By IANS,
Bangalore : It is a time for jubilation for the scientific community of India and they are cherishing every moment of it with the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1 early Wednesday.
The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, India's first unmanned scientific mission to the moon, blasted off successfully towards destination moon from Sriharikota, about 80 km from Chennai.
With the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1, India now has joined an exclusive club of nations including the US, former Soviet Union, European Space Agency, China and Japan to have sent missions to moon.
Kerala to have DNA bar coding centre
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : A state-of-the-art DNA bar coding centre for all forms of life will start functioning here from June 11, an official said Friday.
"The Western Ghats area is an area of rich biodiversity and the new centre will create a data base of organisms so as to help in future studies. To begin with, the various varieties of ginger and pepper would be bar coded," Prakash Kumar a scientist attached to the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (STEC) told reporters here Friday.
Israel, US plan huge joint anti-missile test
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israel and the US plan to test three types of defence systems in a joint military operation in Israel, an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday.
According to the report, the exercise code-named "Juniper Cobra" is supposed to last all the year. Part of the joint military exercise could be test-firing defence missiles.
The joint exercise comes as a response to Iran's suspected nuclear armament programme, the newspaper 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.
Yahoo’s Flickr to provide online video service
By Xinhua
Beijing : Yahoo's online photo-sharing site Flickr will release online video service which represents the latest example of Yahoo trying to catch up with Google in a crucial battleground, media reported Wednesday.
Flickr's new technology is aimed at amateurs and hobbyists looking for a better way to share short video clips with family and friends.
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...
Police seek Google help on Haryana politicians’ porn pictures
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The search giant Google has been approached by the Chandigarh police after apparently morphed pornographic photographs of leading Haryana politicians were posted on the internet.
The police have asked Google to trace the source of the pornographic photographs, believed to be morphed, following a complaint from Haryana Congress secretary Mahinder Singh.
The pictures pertain to three senior Haryana politicians - Finance Minister Birender Singh, Education Minister Mange Ram Gupta and senior legislator and former state Congress chief Shamsher Singh Surjewala.
Russia’s Soyuz craft docks with space station
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Soyuz spacecraft carrying a crew of three has docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Mission Control said Wednesday.
The spacecraft docked with the ISS in an automated mode at 1:48 a.m. Wednesday.
The crew, comprising Russian Oleg Kotov, NASA astronaut Timothy Creamer and Japan's Soichi Noguchi, are joining the current ISS crew of US astronaut Jeff Williams and Russian Maxim Surayev, who have been on the ISS since early October.
The Soyuz was launched early Monday from Russia's Baikonur Space Center in southern Kazakhstan.
GII: A group that tracks Indian cyberspace
By Frederick Noronha, IANS,
Bangalore : Does India have too many "cyber law experts"? What's wrong with the Blackberry service in India? How is BSNL's IPO shaping up? These and several such issues routinely crop up on India-GII.
So what is India-GII? Located in cyberspace, it is a network of techies and others fleshing out cyber issues in the country, tracking its progress from one of the most expensive and monopolistic telecom markets to one of the most competitive.
India-GII describes itself as a "list (that) has existed since 1995".
Scientists can now predict quake effects within seconds
By DPA
Rome : Italian scientists have said they can now predict the destructive powers of an earthquake just seconds after the start of a tremor, thus providing a potentially life-saving advance warning to affected populations.
Researchers at the University of Naples and at the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) in Rome analysed more than 200 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 4.0 to 7.4 on the Richter scale and found that the waves generated in the first few seconds of a tremor carry enough information to determine its destructive potential.
Big Bang machine carries out record collision
By DPA,
Geneva : The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), also known as the Big Bang machine, made history here Tuesday, as the machine smashed together particles at the highest energy reading ever recreated in a laboratory.
"Experiments are collecting their first physics data - historic moment here!" scientists at the lab wrote on their Twitter feed.
The excitement at finally being able to record data, after countless setbacks, was noted in previous messages, which included numerous exclamation points from the researchers in Geneva as each step of the process was completed.
Total solar eclipse in most of China
By Xinhua,
Chongqing (China) : A total solar eclipse was observed at many places in China Wednesday morning, officials said.
At 9.15 a.m., many places in the upper reaches of China's longest river, the Yangtze, were engulfed in total darkness.
The moon's shadow blocked the sun, leaving only the solar corona visible in China's Chongqing Municipality and Guang'an City in southwestern Sichuan province.
The cities in the region turned off the streetlights for better viewing of the total eclipse that lasted for about four minutes.
Russian manned spaceship blasts off to ISS
By Xinhua
Moscow : A Russian spaceship with a first South Korean female astronaut along with two Russian cosmonauts onboard blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the mission control outside Moscow said.
The Soyuz TMA-12 lifted off from the space center in the barren steppes of northern Kazakhstan at 15:16 Moscow time (1116 GMT) and is going to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on 17:00 Moscow time (1300 GMT) Thursday.
Chinese scientists solving mystery of acupuncture through light beams
By IANS,
Beijing : Scientists in China claimed to have found a breakthrough in acupuncture therapy which would help detect cancer and brain tumours in patients at an early stage through a super powerful X-ray beam.
The researchers working on synchrotron have detected evidence that acupuncture points differ from other parts of the body.
Humans first covered their nakedness 170,000 years ago
By IANS,
Washington : A research suggests that humans first covered their nakedness some 170,000 years ago, something which helped them move out of Africa.
Chandrayaan launch has realised the dream of Vikram Sarabhai: Modi
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday drove down to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centre here and congratulated the scientists for the successful launch of India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1.
Scattering light causes blazing colours of sunsets
By IANS
New York : Ever wonder why the sky turns a deep and blazing red or orange at sunset? It's thanks to a phenomenon called scattering, explains a new study.
Scattering happens when light collides against molecules in the atmosphere, causing it to scatter.
The study, by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, shows how scattering determines the colours you see in the sky at sunset or sunrise.
According to Steven Ackerman, who led the study, the colour blue, being of shorter wavelength, is scattered more than other colours by the molecules.
Google disregarding privacy, say officials from 10 nations
By IANS,
London : Google has violated the principle that "individuals should be able to control the use of their personal information", say officials from 10 major nations. They have demanded to know how the internet giant will meet concerns about its use of public data in future.
Britain's Information Commissioner Christopher Graham along with officials from Canada, France and Germany have signed a letter addressed to Google's chief exeutive, condemning the manner in which the firm has delivered its Streetview mapping service and its Buzz product, The Telegraph reported Thursday.
Arctic sea ice thins by 19 percent
By IANS,
Washington : Sea ice in large swathes of Arctic thinned by as much as 19 percent last winter, compared to previous five winters, according to data from European Space Agency's Envisat satellite.
Using Envisat radar altimeter data, scientists from the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at University College London (UCL) measured sea ice thickness over the Arctic from 2002 to 2008 and found that it had been fairly constant until the record loss of ice in the summer of 2007.
Windows Vista can be made faster
By Jay Dougherty, DPA,
Washington : Windows 7 with its commendable performance improvements may be on the horizon. But for now, most of us have to live with Windows Vista, which can make even the fastest computer seem slow.
But you don't have to put up with Vista's sluggishness without a fight. In fact, most of what ails Vista when it comes to performance can be remedied by adjusting some settings and eliminating some features.
And the good news: The whole process need not take more than half an hour. Afterwards, you'll be rewarded a computer that feels a lot faster.
US scientists find northern India’s water is vanishing
By IANS,
Bangalore : Using satellite data from the US space agency NASA, American scientists have found that groundwater levels in northern India have been declining by as much as 30 centimetres per year over the past decade. Researchers concluded the loss is almost entirely due to human activity.
Toronto firm celebrates ‘victory’ over Microsoft
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : A tiny Canadian IT firm, which won a big patent-infringement victory against software giant Microsoft Tuesday, couldnt have wished for a better Christmas gift. They are hoping the global publicity will spell growth in its fortunes.
Toronto-based i4i Inc, which will also get $290 million in damages from Microsoft for stealing its software Word, says its victory is "a war cry for talented inventors whose patents are infringed" by corporate sharks. Tuesday's victory will serve as a springboard for growth, i4i executives told the media Wednesday.
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.
Social networking goes mobile
By Nayan Sakhuja, IANS,
New Delhi : Are you constantly on the move and don't have time to log on to your computer to be in touch with your friends? Coming to your rescue now is your mobile phone through which you can access any social networking site, anytime, anywhere.
Take college student Ajay Kumar for instance.
On a holiday in Goa, Kumar was constantly glued to his mobile phone -- not calling or texting but scrapping and walling his friends on their profiles on Facebook and Orkut.
New technique developed to ‘milk’ ostrich semen
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian researchers have developed what is being touted as the first “animal- and human-friendly” technique of masturbating an ostrich.
The new technique being used by researchers tasked with collecting semen and artificially inseminating the large and rather fearsome birds - as well as their cousins, the emus - relies on the use of a dummy female.
Google India unveils new desktop maps
Bangalore : Google, the world's largest search engine provider, Thursday unveiled a new tool to search, navigate and explore Indian cities, streets, landmarks, restaurants...
Middle East ministers to attend water technologies forum
By DPA,
Singapore : Ministers from six Gulf countries plan to meet providers of water management solutions from South-East Asia, India, China, Japan, Australia and Europe, organizers in Singapore said Thursday.
The forum on June 25 is part of the city-state's International Water Week, a global platform from June 23 to June 27.
Ministers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman and Bahrain are scheduled to attend.
Investigation into CERN”s LHC incident indicates faulty electrical connection
By KUNA,
Geneva : Investigations at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) following a large helium leak into sector 3-4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel have indicated that it was most likely caused by a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator's magnets.
CERN has announced that before a full understanding of the incident can be established, however, the sector has to be brought to room temperature and the magnets involved opened up for inspection.
Security gaps discovered in Adobe Flash Player, updates recommended
By DPA,
Bonn : Users of Adobe Flash Player are advised to update the latest version of the software after security gaps were discovered in early releases of the media viewer.
Those gaps have been sealed with the new version of the programme, according to Germany's BSI Federal Office for Security in Information Technology.
The problems with the old version could enable hackers to access a person's computer with only one visit to an insecure website.
Solar fest in Delhi on longest day of the year
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi will host a solar fest Tuesday to celebrate the longest day of the year - which marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
German scientists identify world’s oldest dog bone
By DPA,
Tuebingen (Germany) : German scientists have identified the world's oldest dog bone, proving that humans kept dogs more than 14,000 years ago, Tuebingen University said Tuesday.
The canine jaw was found in Switzerland in 1873, but has only just been analysed by researchers across the border in Tuebingen. The findings were reported in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
The dog lived between 14,100 and 14,600 years ago, according to archaeologists Hannes Napierala and Hans-Peter Uerpmann.
"At this time, humans were still hunter-gatherers," Napierala said.
Singhvi underlines India’s growth at Boston technology summit
By IANS,
Washington : Political and business leaders from three leading world markets - China, India and Russia - got an insight into India's growth plans from Abhishek Singhvi, spokesperson of the Congress Party leading the country's ruling coalition.
Participating in a conference on "China, India and Russia - Our Partners in the New Global Economy" in Boston, Massachusetts Thursday, he also dilated on India's infrastructure and its abundant labour supply.
Experts to study animal behaviour during solar eclipse
By Richa Sharma, IANS,
Bhopal : How would animals and birds behave during a total solar eclipse? Experts at the Van Vihar National Park in this Madhya Pradesh capital will study animal behaviour during the phenomena July 22.
The eclipse Wednesday will be the longest solar eclipse of the century. Lasting six minutes and 39 seconds, it would be visible across Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.
Kudankulam n-plant a step closer to going on stream
By IANS,
Chennai: The first unit of the protest-hit nuclear power project at Kudankulam is about to be commissioned. Officials have initiated the process to remove its dummy fuel.
Extreme weather can trigger epidemics, says study
By IANS,
Sydney : Climatic extremes like frequent droughts and floods, associated with global warming, can trigger epidemics that could potentially wipe out livestock or wildlife.
A new study suggests that such extremes are capable of altering normal host-pathogen relationships, causing a “perfect storm” of multiple infectious outbreaks.
Scientists find strange ring circling dead star
By Xinhua,
Washington : Scientists have found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that blasted to smithereens, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said.
The stellar corpse, called SGR 1900+14, belongs to a class of objects known as magnetars.
These are the cores of massive stars that blew up in supernova explosions, but unlike other dead stars, they slowly pulsate with X-rays and have tremendously strong magnetic fields.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope had spotted the ring.
Technology Day should be a day for young people: Kalam
By IANS,
New Delhi: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Tuesday said Technology Day, celebrated every year since 1999, should be a day for young people who can be inspired to take science as a career.
Speaking at a function to mark the occasion, Kalam said technology was important for the economic development of the country and building a better nation.
"Technology Day should be a day of young people. They should be called at functions like this as it will help them choose a career in science," he added.
Digital invasion of privacy just a step away: Experts
By IANS,
London : Digital invasion of privacy is a step closer to reality, thanks to an increasingly intrusive technology that can track every single movement of ours or the words that we whisper.
The combination of information and communication technologies and pervasive computing will soon help continuously monitor individual activity, beyond what was feared by George Orwell in 1984, warned social psychologist Saadi Lahlou and other experts in a special report.
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.
India-born scientist identifies 400-mn-year-old fossils in US
By Jatindra Dash, IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The pre-historic legacy of what is now the United States could be redefined thanks to an Indian-born scientist in...
Spam drops worldwide after plug pulled on US server provider
By DPA,
San Francisco : The volume of spam on the Internet plunged by about two thirds this week after two US internet service providers cut the internet connections of a company that was using its servers to disseminate billions of unwanted email messages, internet security firms said Friday.
Symantec said the number of spam messages had fallen by some 120 billion per day, to around 60 billion. However it warned that many of the spam spewers would probably find new routes to distribute their messages and that the respite was likely only temporary.
Chinese firms to make SIMs for iPhone 5
By IANS,
Beijing: Mobile phone companies in China plan to make smaller SIM cards for use in Apple iPhone 5, a media report said Saturday.
Indian-American scientist hopeful CO2 emissions can be reined in
By IANS,
Washington : The burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas accounts for 80 percent of the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide since pre-industrial era.
But an Indian-American researcher has identified feasible scenarios that could rein in carbon dioxide emission below levels considered dangerous for the climate.
Pushker Kharecha and James Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, considered a wide range of fossil fuel consumption options.
Cabinet approves six satellite launch vehicle flights
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian cabinet Thursday approved the launch of six geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) flights at an estimated cost of Rs.12.80 billion, with a foreign exchange component of Rs.2.72 billion.
"With this, end-to-end capability to launch communication satellites will be available during the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12)," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The six flights will be undertaken during 2010-12, he added.
India defers lunar mission launch
By IANS
Bangalore : India's first exploratory mission to moon Chandrayaan-1, scheduled for launch April 9, has been deferred, a top space agency official said here Tuesday.
"As a number of pre-launch tests have to be conducted, it is difficult to meet the April 9 deadline," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair told IANS on phone.
"The mission payload has 12 instruments. We will decide on the next launch date by this month-end after a review meeting," he said.
Scientists rule out possibility of asteroid colliding with Mars
By Xinhua
Los Angeles : U.S. scientists ruled out on Friday the possibility of a collision between an approaching asteroid and Mars.
Tracking measurements of asteroid 2007 WD5 taken from four observatories have greatly reduced uncertainties about its Jan. 30close approach to Mars so that the odds of impact have dropped to 1 in 10,000, said the Near-Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory based in Pasadena, California. The program normally looks for asteroids and comets that could pose a hazard to Earth.
EU Court slaps hefty fines on Microsoft
Luxembourg, Sep 17 (DPA) In a landmark ruling with key implications for European Union (EU) competition policy, a court in Luxembourg Monday backed the bloc's decision to inflict a multi-million-euro fine on Microsoft for abusing its dominant position in the software market.
With a sentence read out in a packed court by presiding judge Bo Vesterdorf, the EU's Court of First Instance overturned almost the entire content of Microsoft's appeal against a 2004 ruling by the European Commission (EC).
Technology not being used adequately for security, regrets PM Manmohan
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : With the country facing increased terror threat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regretted that modern technology is not adequately utilised to meet the challenge and pitched for greater focus on scientific developments for securing the nation better.
Pointing out that other countries have used technology for security with great effect, he favoured work in the areas of surveillance systems, cryptography, real time search and identification from distributed large databases and computer simulation exercises to enhance crisis tactics and responses.
Galileo’s fingers, tooth to be on display
By IANS/AKI,
Rome : Two of Galileo Galilei's fingers and a tooth will be among the objects on display at the opening of a museum in Florence named after the 17th century Italian mathematician and astronomer.
Closed for two years, the Museum of the History of Science will reopen Friday as the Galileo Museum.
People will be able to see the thumb and middle finger removed from Galileo's right hand in 1737, almost a century after his death as the corpse was being transferred to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, where it remains today.
Australian researcher develops 3D vision camera
By IANS,
Sydney : An Australian researcher has developed a camera that can measure distance and generate 3D images. It is likely to impact the video gaming and medical industries.
Existing techniques measure distance using a laser that generates a single spot. It measures the distance to that spot and moves to another spot and repeats the action to build up a picture.
"Our system, rather than sending out a laser spot, lights up the entire area like a light-bulb and measures it all in one go," Andrew Payne of Waikato University, who designed the camera, said.
Women to be inducted as fighter pilots: IAF chief
New Delhi : Women would soon be inducted as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said here...
IBM to use ‘spintronics’ to increase computer memory capacity
By DPA
San Francisco : IBM announced a new kind of computer memory Friday that could increase storage capacity 100-fold.
Called "racetrack memory" the new storage devices would replace flash memory and hard disk drives in computers. The devices are based on a new branch of physics called "spintronics" that uses nanotechnology to manipulate the spin of electrons to create magnetic fields in which data can be stored.
Toonz, Marvel tie up for second part of X-Men series
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Singapore-based animation major Toonz Entertainment Pte Ltd has tied up with Marvel Animation to produce the second part of the popular animated television series "Wolverine and the X-Men", a top official said here Tuesday.
Toonz Group chief executive P. Jayakumar said the company was thrilled to join hands with Marvel, a global leader in animated entertainment industry, to showcase "one of the most sought-after, iconic characters of all time".
Revolutionary nano-needle can peer into a cell
By IANS,
Washington : A revolutionary nano-needle, developed by researchers, not only peers into individual cells, but also acts as electro-chemical probe and optical biosensor.
"Nano-needle-based delivery is a powerful new tool for studying biological processes and biophysical properties at the molecular level inside living cells," said Min-Feng Yu, professor of mechanical science and study coauthor, University of Illinois (U of I).
Russia’s carrier rocket blasts off with sixth space tourist
By RIA Novosti,
Baikonur : A Soyuz-FG carrier rocket lifted off Sunday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan with a crew of three, one of them the sixth space tourist, to the International Space Station (ISS).
The three-stage carrier rocket was launched at 11.01 a.m. Moscow time (701 GMT) as planned, with the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft subsequently removing from the rocket.
Spacewalk to mark giant step for China
By DPA,
Beijing : When Zhai Zhigang floats out of a space capsule wearing his 120-kg, $30-million pressurized suit, he is to set another landmark for China's ambitious space programme as it moves toward assembling a permanent space station by 2020.
Nearly three years after China's last manned space mission, Zhai should make his spacewalk Friday, if all goes well.
"The spacewalk is risky," Australian space analyst Morris Jones said. "The Chinese spacesuit has not been tested in space before."
"The Shenzhou's orbital module has never been depressurized before either."
Researchers locate ‘lost’ Greek town
By IANS
Washington : Along an isolated, rocky stretch of the Greek shoreline, researchers are unlocking the secrets of a partially submerged "lost" harbour town, possibly built by the ancient Mycenaeans nearly 3,500 years ago.
The settlement, referred to as Korphos-Kalamianos, rests on the shores of the Saronic Gulf in the western Aegean Sea about 60 miles to the southwest of the Greek capital, Athens, reports ScienceDaily.
Wipro wins multi-year deal from Swedish firm
Bengaluru: Global software major Wipro Ltd on Monday announced it has won a five-year IT infrastructure management deal from Assa Abloy group, a Swedish...
Chandigarh on track to become ‘solar city’
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The union territory of Chandigarh is all set to become a "solar city" and reduce its dependence on conventional and non-renewable energy resources, officials said here Wednesday.
The administration here has nearly finalised the draft plan for extensively utilising solar energy in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
To finalise the modalities of this project, a meeting was held between officials of the union territory and TERI Tuesday evening.
India to double allocation for science: PM
By IANS,
Bangalore : India proposes to double the fund allocation for science and technology, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Wednesday and asked academicians to prepare a blueprint to make basic sciences and mathematics the preferred subjects for children.
He was speaking after dedicating to the nation the International Centre for Materials Science (ICMS), established at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) at Jakkur on the outskirts of Bangalore. He also inaugurated the C.N.R. Rao Hall of Science at JNCASR.
ISRO to send man into space in seven years
By IANS,
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) : India will be in a position to carry out a manned space mission within seven years from now, said a top official of the Indian space agency here Monday.
Addressing the media after the successful launch of 10 satellites in one go, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said: "The government has given us pre-project funding of Rs.950 million (for the manned mission) and we have initiated necessary activities."
Shuttle Discovery lifts off for space station
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : Space shuttle Discovery has blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station, NASA said.
The lift off took place at 17:02 local time (21:02 GMT) on Saturday and marked the third shuttle launch this year and the 35th for Discovery. The shuttle is expected to dock with the ISS two days after launch, NASA said.
The 14-day mission will see the Discovery shuttle deliver its heaviest payload to the world's sole orbiter, the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) which is the second unit of the massive Kibo laboratory complex.
New technique lights up tumour cells during surgery
By IANS,
London : A technique which lights up tumour cells during surgery could help those who suffer from ovarian cancer.
Somnath congratulates ISRO scientists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Somnath Chatterjee, the speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha, Monday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the RISAT-2 spy satellite and an educational satellite.
"The country is proud of ISRO scientists for this remarkable achievement, which will provide a boost to India's capabilities in a number of areas, including disaster management and in better management of cyclones, floods, agriculture-related activities," Chatterjee said in his congratulatory message.
From paper planes to Columbia…Kalpana remembered
By Devirupa Mitra, IANS
Karnal (Haryana) : Under a giant poster of Kalpana Chawla with the words "the whole universe is my native place" scrawled across, students sat whispering to each other before falling silent at the entry of an elderly man with a stern visage.
Banarasi Lal Chawla had been to his youngest daughter Kalpana's alma mater - Tagore Bal Niketan Senior Secondary School - when she was a student over 20 years ago. On Friday he was the chief guest at a small function there to mark the day she died five years ago.
India second-largest wireless market in the world: study
By Frederick Noronha, IANS,
Bangalore : Mobile telephony has grown rapidly in India, especially during the last three years, with India becoming the second-largest wireless market in the world, says a World Bank study.
The number of wireless subscribers in the country has reached 250 million, making India the second-largest wireless market in the world, says the study, The Role of Mobile Phones in Sustainable Rural Poverty Reduction.
Twitter wants a ‘full-time’ CEO
New York: In what could be read as a subtle message to co-founder Jack Dorsey, Twitter said it is looking for a CEO with...
Atlantis astronauts end third spacewalk
By DPA,
Washington : Two astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis ended the mission's third and last spacewalk after successfully installing an oxygen tank on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS).
The spacewalk on Monday lasted five hours and 42 minutes for astronauts Robert Satcher Jr and Randy Bresnik, who also performed other maintenance upgrades.
Atlantis is scheduled to begin its return journey to Earth on Wednesday, with touchdown at Cape Canaveral expected on Saturday.
I have been concentrating on motivating the youth
By A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, IANS,
I did not realize that I have already completed one year after demitting office on 25 July 2007. This one year has been an extremely eventful one me having visited over 12 states in India and nine countries.
It is pertinent to note here that I have not been able to accept more than 10 per cent of the total invitations received.
Hypersonic jets that fly at five times the speed of sound
By IANS,
London : NASA is planning to build hypersonic jets that would travel at five times the speed of sound and bring in a new age of aircraft.
Shenzhou VII ready for final test
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The team that developed Shenzhou VII, China's third manned spacecraft, will begin the final test at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province in a few days.
Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the spacecraft, said on Tuesday that the research and development team of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) will leave for Jiuquan early this month.
This, according to insiders, signals the final preparation stage of the country's third manned space mission.
Google, Bing sidelining Yahoo in search market
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
New York : Once the world's online search leader, Yahoo's share has sharply declined, putting it in danger of losing its relevance in a market increasingly dominated by Google with a staggering 65.6 percent share
Climate change brings riotous blooms to Sweden
By IANS,
London : A riot of blooms and superabundance of greenery have transformed Swedish mountainsides into a verdant paradise - thanks to climate change.
Trees like oak, elm, maple and black alder are soaking up the warmth to stabilise themselves for the first time in 8,000 years, according to a study.
A rise in warmth by just a degree, over a century, has triggered changes in flora, fauna and landscapes, reflecting a condition that scientists say is similar to one prevailing just after the last ice age, ScienceDaily reported
Insulation material named NASA gov’t invention of 2007
By Xinhua,
Washington : The U.S. space agency announced on Tuesday that NASA Government Invention of 2007 is a heat shield material slightly more dense than balsa wood that is designed to protect spacecraft during their fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
The Lightweight Ceramic Ablator material (LCA) was developed at NASA's Ames Research Center. It is a low-density material that weighs one-fifth as much as conventional heat shields, but can withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), according to project engineers.
Obama may abandon NASA’s moon mission plan
By IANS,
Washington : NASA's plan to send another mission to the moon by 2020 may take a U-turn as US President Barack Obama is expected to propose the closure of the space agency's programme in his new budget to be presented before the Congress Monday.
With the release of President Obama's budget request, NASA will finally get the new marching orders, and there won't be anything in there about flying to the moon, The Washington Post reported.
Space photos no proof of Ram Setu: NASA
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : US space agency NASA says pictures taken by its astronauts do not prove the existence or otherwise of a manmade Ram Setu bridge as mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
"I am not aware of any carbon dating either," said NASA spokesman Michael Braukus, refuting claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the agency had the Adam's bridge in Palk Strait - known as Ram Setu in India - carbon dated as being 1.7 million years old.
Apple releases new operating system for Mac computers
By DPA
Los Angeles : Apple has released a new operating system for its ever more popular Mac computers.
The upgraded OS 10.5, nicknamed Leopard, was released Friday and includes some 300 improvements including a 'time machine' that tracks and resurrects lost data, and improved video-conferencing abilities.
The eagerly awaited system was delayed by several months while the company's engineers worked on developing the iPhone.
Rival Microsoft, whose software powers 90 percent of the world's computers, released its newest operating system, Vista, in January.
Chief scientist: China’s lunar orbiter project costs only 1 bln yuan
By Xinhua
Xichang, Sichuan : China's milestone lunar orbiter project only costs 1 to 1.4 billion yuan (about 133 to 187 million U.S. dollars), the same amount as the money used to construct 2 km of subway in Beijing, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the lunar exploration program.
Ouyang said the amount is not an astronomical number for China's economy and will boost the development of national science and technology instead.
Xichang, Sichuan : China's milestone lunar orbiter project only costs 1 to 1.4 billion yuan (about 133 to 187 million U.S. dollars), the same amount as the money used to construct 2 km of subway in Beijing, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the lunar exploration program.
Ouyang said the amount is not an astronomical number for China's economy and will boost the development of national science and technology instead.
Scientists mine Twitter to discover drug side-effects
Washington: Using Twitter data, scientists have invented a new technique for discovering potentially dangerous drug interactions and unknown side-effects.
The results can help build a...