One Step To Infinity

Atom smasher restart an 'enormous success'

2009-11-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

Atom smasher restart

Scientists restart of the Large Hadron Collider as an "enormous success" as two beams began circulating simultaneously in the world's biggest atom smasher.
"The first three days have been in my opinion an enormous success. We've shown that the LHC machine is in superb condition from the beam quality viewpoint," said Steve Myers, director of accelerators and technology at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
"The breaking news is that we have two beams circulating simultaneously in the LHC. That just happened three-quarters of an hour ago," he added during a press briefing on Monday.
The Large Hadron Collider, built in a 27-kilometre tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, was started with great fanfare in September 2008, but was shut down nine days later due to technical faults.
A failure in an electrical connection had led to serious damage, leaving scientists to spend 14 months repairing the device.
Scientists injected the first sub-atomic particles back into the collider and managed to get the particle beams circulating in the accelerator once again.
With two beams now circulating at the same time, the machine is poised for its first collisions.
Expected to occur over the next 10 to 15 years during which the LHC will operate, such collisions would generate masses of data that could unlock mysteries about the creation of the universe and the fundamental nature of matter.
CERN scientists said they were aiming to get the LHC running at an energy equivalent of 1.2 teraelectronvolts by year end.
This would already surpass the one teraelectronvolt maximum output of what is now the largest functioning collider in the world, at the Fermilab near Chicago in the United States.
By next year, the LHC should be ramped up to 3.5 teraelectronvolts, reaching close to five teraelectronvolts in the second half of next year, Myers said.
"Already with 3.5 tev, we can open new windows into physics. That can already happen next year," said CERN director-general Rolf-Dieter Heuer.
At the same time, Heuer would not predict how soon new data could be generated from the LHC, stressing that "it depends on how kind nature is to us".
The LHC at CERN took nearly 20 years to complete at a cost of six billion Swiss francs ($6.3 billion).
The massive experiment aims to resolve some of the greatest enigmas in physics such as an explanation for "dark matter" and "dark energy" that account for 96 per cent of the cosmos and whether other dimensions exist parallel to our own.
The Holy Grail will be finding a theorised component called the Higgs boson, which would explain how particles acquire mass. Believed to be ubiquitous - yet also frustratingly elusive until now - the Higgs has been dubbed the "God particle".

SIXTH SENSE

2009-11-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

'SixthSense' is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

We've evolved over millions of years to sense the world around us. When we encounter something, someone or some place, we use our five natural senses to perceive information about it; that information helps us make decisions and chose the right actions to take. But arguably the most useful information that can help us make the right decision is not naturally perceivable with our five senses, namely the data, information and knowledge that mankind has accumulated about everything and which is increasingly all available online. Although the miniaturization of computing devices allows us to carry computers in our pockets, keeping us continually connected to the digital world, there is no link between our digital devices and our interactions with the physical world. Information is confined traditionally on paper or digitally on a screen. SixthSense bridges this gap, bringing intangible, digital information out into the tangible world, and allowing us to interact with this information via natural hand gestures. ‘SixthSense’ frees information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.

The SixthSense prototype is comprised of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around us to be used as interfaces; while the camera recognizes and tracks user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques. The software program processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers (visual tracking fiducials) at the tip of the user’s fingers using simple computer-vision techniques. The movements and arrangements of these fiducials are interpreted into gestures that act as interaction instructions for the projected application interfaces. The maximum number of tracked fingers is only constrained by the number of unique fiducials, thus SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.

The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.

The current prototype system costs approximate $350 to build.

2009-11-20T02:59:00.000-08:00

MEMERISTOR

The Next Big thing? The memristor, a microscopic component that can "remember" electrical states even when turned off. It's expected to be far cheaper and faster than flash storage. A theoretical concept since 1971, it has now been built in labs and is already starting to revolutionize everything we know about computing, possibly making flash memory, RAM, and even hard drives obsolete within a decade.
The memristor is just one of the incredible technological advances sending shock waves through the world of computing. Other innovations in the works are more down-to-earth, but they also carry watershed significance. From the technologies that finally make paperless office a reality to those that deliver wireless power, these advances should make your humble PC a far different beast come the turn of the decade.
In the following sections, we outline the basics of 15 upcoming technologies, with predictions on what may come of them. Some are breathing down our necks; some advances are still just out of reach. And all have to be reckoned with.

World’s first ‘green-friendly’ XO operates on as little as 0.8 V

2009-11-18T03:05:00.000-08:00

Offered as the first environmentally friendly ultra-low-power-driven crystal clock oscillator (XO), the NZ2520SF operates on as little as 0.8 V, which is 50% lower than comparable crystal clock oscillators. During operation, the part consumes just 3.5 mA at 0.9 V and during standby 10 µA specifications claimed to deliver 70% reduction in power consumption, further extend battery life, and in the long term decrease battery size as well.

The device is available in a frequency range of 1.5 to 50 MHz with a stability of ±50 ppm. Housed in a 2.5 x 2.0 x 0.9 mm lead free package, the NZ2520SF has an operating temperature range of 40 to 85°C.

VOICE OVER IP

2009-11-18T02:57:00.000-08:00

Voice Over IP made its first stepping stone when internet came into picture however 1995 was the year when VOIP was noticed by the maximum people. It has helped various business houses and individual into various ways like cutting costs, cheap communication, globalization and transparency.

VOIP Technology when made its big splash was expensive however over period of time it has become cheap due to competition and its use. It help company's in saving money by lowering taxes and surcharges also advantages can be gained over various circuit switching.

Information can be transferred via an IP Address means though we have VOIP Technology which is so upgraded that it sometimes become difficult to find the geographic location of an IP Address, also sometimes it demand second machine set up to run a second line if required. But today Voice over Technology is working with advanced computer technology integration applications to overcome various drawbacks.

There are several methods to establish and few of them are under the discussion by the VOIP service provider. The reason for why they are into discussion is because VOIP wants to provide quality of service and guarantee to their customers. It is very important to have a reliable standard with adherence to technology, which is new and formative.

Corporate world is also very interested in deploying VOIP technology but this corporate world has its own issues, which must be taken into consideration while planning for implementation of VOIP.

IS ALUMINIUM IS THE NEW FUEL OPTION

2008-07-09T03:41:00.000-07:00

Hydrogen is seen as the ultimate in clean fuels,especially for powering cars,because it emits only water. Burned ,in an experiment conducted at Purdue university in an Indiana, USA, the hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it. According to Jerry woodall,an engineering professor at Purdue , who invented the system, hydrogen would not have to be stored or trasnsported, taking care of two stumbling blocks to generating hydrogen. For now, Purdue scientist's think the system could work for cars and truck as well, either as a replacement of gasoline or as a means of powering hydrogen fuel cells. According to Jay Gore,an engineer professor at Purdue Discovery Park, on its own alluminium will react with water because it forms a protective skin when exposed to oxygen. But pellets made out of alluminium and gallium can produse pure hydrogen when water is poured, on on them,offering apossible alternative to gasoline powered engines. wht is left over is aluminium oxide and gallium. In the engine, the by product of burning hydrogen is water. Infact,no toxic fumes are produced.

TALKING PAPER

2008-07-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

How do you like the letter you are writing to your friend talking back to you.Swedish scientist have done just that.they have invented talking paper.

Mid Sweden university experts have constructed an interactive paper bill board that emits information to attatched micro computer that contains recorded audio files in responds to a user's touch. the prototype display uses conductive inks that are senitive to pressure and printed speakers. This invention will have wide applications ranging from advertisements,product packaging tourism and much more.