Graphics chips rev up research results

Friday, November 9, 2007

Screenshot from The Witcher, Atari UK
A better graphics card means PC games look more realistic

Every serious PC gamer knows what a difference a good graphics card can make to the fun they have.

But it is not just hardcore gamers who have recognised the worth of a PC graphics card.

Increasing numbers of research scientists have woken up to their potential too.

But the scientists in question are not using the cards to appreciate the detail in PC games such as The Witcher. Instead they are using them as cheap sources of supercomputer-class processing power.

"They give a phenomenal bang for the buck," said Mike Giles, professor of scientific computing at the University of Oxford.

Prof Giles said the way that graphics cards were built made them very good at the repetitive computational tasks many scientists use to test theories, models and predictions.

Spot checks

Professor Susan Hagness from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has turned to graphics cards to quickly analyse breast scans to spot cancer in its early stages.

Dr Hagness said official figures suggest x-rays missed 20% of the cancers that were present when a woman underwent screening.

Mammography scan, SPL
Women want scan results as quickly as possible

Dr Hagness' team is using microwaves to scan tissue and then pumping the results through hardware made by Canadian firm Acceleware which bolts together several graphics cards into a mini computational cluster.

The dedicated hardware meant that results emerged in a matter of hours rather than days, said Dr Hagness.

This was essential when the technique began to be used in a clinical setting, she said.

"Any woman who undergoes screening mammography wants the results straight away."

Hardware helper

Prof Giles, who is using graphics processors to do financial modelling, said the chips were very good at doing the same thing many different times.

By contrast the Intel or AMD chips inside a typical desktop machine were good at doing many different things at the same time.

Graphics cards had far more processing cores - which execute program instructions - than Intel or AMD chips, said Prof Giles, adding that each one of the cores could do one run of the same simple task.

The financial models that Prof Giles is running test the same algorithm on each core but each one gets different random numbers as input.

With the latest graphics processors having more than 100 processing cores that can add up to a lot of number crunching.

Broker on phone, AP
Modelling financial markets helps firms weather stock movements

"Each core is logically very simple but its floating point capability is the same as an Intel chip," said Prof Giles.

Developments in methods of writing code to handle the processing was also making graphics processors much more attractive, he said.

"In the early days you could only use graphics cards for graphics," said Prof Giles.

In particular, he said, graphics card maker Nvidia had released software tools called Cuda (Compute Unified Device Architecture) that made it much easier to write code.

"For a while there were only hard-to-use shader languages," said Prof Giles, "Cuda is a much more usable development environment."

Flow control

By harnessing that processing power many scientists are getting results from simulations far faster than before.

PhD student Tobias Brandvik and Dr Graham Pullan in the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge engineering department had sped up simulations of turbine blade designs by 40 times by using a few graphics cards.

Each blade, said Dr Pullan, was custom designed for the jet or power plant in which they will be used.

Rolls Royce Trent jet engine, PA
Tiny improvements in efficiency have big rewards in turbine engines

But, he said, even with this formidable level of complexity the design process models the turbulent air rather than accurately representing or resolving it.

"With a cluster of graphical processing units, we could hope to use, say, 10 million cells," he said. The simulation run would take the same amount of time as existing models.

"Then, we would resolve some of the larger turbulent eddies," said Dr Pullan. "In general, the more we resolve and the less we model, the more accurate the theory."

An alternative would be to stick with 500,000 cells and try lots more blade designs or include blades upstream and downstream to get a better overall picture of air flowing through a turbine.

Tiny improvements in design can have a huge payoff, said Dr Pullan.

"It's all about making the absolute best efficiency possible," he said.

"Improvements of even 1% in fuel consumption, for jet engines, or 1% in electricity power generated, for steam or gas turbines for power generation, is highly sought after."Street veteran Delhi's dilemma Crisis defused

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Farming the wind efficiently

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A typical exchange about wind farms tends to go like this: 'Are you in favor of wind farms?' 'Yes, of course I am...so long as they're nowhere near my house'. Nevertheless, wind turbines are fast-becoming an important piece in the energy puzzle, contributing a growing percentage to our overall energy needs.

A figure from Anthony Gormley's art installation 'Another Place' stands in front of the turbines of the new Burbo Bank off-shore wind farm in the River Mersey, Liverpool, UK.

Wind power is currently the world's fastest growing energy technology. According to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) onshore wind farms are on course to provide 5 percent (3000 megawatts) of the UK's energy requirements by 2010. The UK Government -- who are investing around £1 billion in wind farms -- has stated that it wants 10 percent of energy to come from renewable resources by the same date. And by 2020 Europe as a whole hopes to produce 20 percent of its energy through renewable sources.

But opposition to wind power comes from some unlikely sources. The Germans, who are the world's biggest producers of wind energy, remain skeptical about environmental targets.

A 2005 study by the German government's energy agency concluded that wind farms were an expensive and inefficient way of reducing greenhouse gases. And a report in last month's Guardian newspaper suggests that the UK Government are concerned about the practicality of the European Union's renewable energy targets too.

If charges of inefficiency weren't enough, there's the aesthetic to consider as well. Wind farms are ugly say detractors, as well as being noisy and disruptive to the bird population. And smaller wind turbines attached to the rooftops of suburbia don't fair much better, attracting sour-faced glances from disapproving neighbors in the same way satellite dishes did a few years ago.

But new designs which are coming onto the market may make these arguments redundant as engineers create ever more efficient and attractive models.

Viktor Jovanovic's Stormblade Turbine is a revolutionary new design of wind turbine. It looks more like a jet engine than a propeller and promises unparalleled levels of performance and efficiency. Its design allows it to operate in high winds -- unlike its propeller counterpart which is switched off at speeds above 60 mph -- allowing it to harvest the most profitable winds.

London-based Jovanovic was inspired by conversations he used to have with his father -- also an engineer and inventor -- when he was a boy. "It was only when my Dad died that I revisited the ideas we talked about," he told CNN. "And then I got thinking about wind turbines."

The Stormblade Turbine has been in development since 2001. Jovanovic explained to CNN how it works. "The internal aerodynamics creates a pressure stream, which is directed radially towards the center," he said. "This induces centrifugal reaction force in the airflow that causes the stream field to expand strongly downstream of the rotor. The higher mass flow and higher velocity reduction behind the rotor result in a higher energy output from the wind turbine."

Jovanovic is currently in negotiations with a large multi-national company and has plans to make smaller models, which he says could be used for individual households.

Vertically challenged

A Wyoming based company, Terra Moya Aqua (TMA) is taking a different approach to wind turbine design. It has designed a vertical axis wind energy turbine which they hope will become the most efficient model on the market. Easier to operate, quieter and free from ground resonance, the company believes their design has many advantages over propeller-style turbines.

"The turbine is far more robust than traditional models of turbine", TMA President Duane Rasmussen told CNN.

Unlike large propeller turbines, which require running repairs to their blades after only a few years, Rasmussen believes that the TMA turbine has the ability to run for decades without major maintenance work.

"Because the turbine looks like a building it also means the avian population is not in danger," Rasmussen said.

The turbines aren't a blot on the landscape either. As Rasmussen points out: "Some propeller turbines reach up to 500 feet [150 meters]. You can see that from a long way away!"

The project began 11 years ago when Rasmussen teamed up with the turbine's inventor and TMA Chairman, Ron Taylor. Over the past three years, Rasmussen has traveled the world promoting the design across the U.S., Europe and in Africa. With orders in the pipeline, Rasmussen hopes it won't be long before the turbine is providing more efficient energy for thousands of people.

Like Jovanovic, TMA are designing smaller devices capable of meeting the demands of individual customers.

Critics of wind farms often point out that wind power is unreliable. And it is currently true that power cannot be stored.

But Jovanovic believes the technology is improving. "Storing power in batteries and hybrid wind farm power supply plants are two possibilities," he told CNN. The hybrid solution transfers the power generated by a turbine to a hydro-electric power station where the energy can be stored for use at a later date.

Urban energy

Problems of storing energy are negated once turbines move into towns and cities, as power can flow directly to supply the surrounding area. A UK based company Quiet Revolution Ltd is currently inundated with orders for its new wind turbine.

Initially developed by XCO2 -- a London-based engineering design company -- the QR5 is a five meter high vertical axis wind turbine which utilizes a triple-helix formation. And unlike horizontal axis turbines the QR5 doesn't have to track round to catch the wind. Made from carbon fiber and epoxy resin it is also light, quiet and can, say the company, generate 10,000 kilowatt hours a year.

Already popping up on commercial buildings in towns and cities all over the UK -- the first was installed in South London in 2006 -- the company is now developing a smaller 2.5kw domestic version.

Earlier this year, Marks Barfield Architects unveiled a new wind turbine concept that they hope might resolve some of London's spiraling energy costs. Standing 40 meters high, the Y-shaped frame would house five vertical axis wind turbines. Each tower would would have the capacity to create 50,000 kWh each year.

The creation of a new generation of wind turbines is forcing critics to reassess their objections to wind power. It may end up playing more than just a bit part in the 21st century, as the calls to reduce Co 2 emissions become evermore urgent.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Balloon-telescope snaps photos of sun

art.nasa.balloon.telescope.jpg

(PopSci.com) -- You don't need a rocket to send scientific instruments into space. A really big balloon works just as well, according to an international research team that plans to take a closer-than-ever look at the sun.

A recent test flight launched from New Mexico provided support for the concept. Dangling from a balloon larger than a 747 airliner, a solar telescope soared to 120,000 feet before snapping pictures of the sun. About 10 hours later, the telescope separated from the balloon and parachuted to a safe landing in Texas.

The project, known as "Sunrise," is designed to observe details on the sun's surface that can help researchers forecast electromagnetic storms in Earth's upper atmosphere. In the super-thin air at high altitudes, the telescope can get a much sharper view of the sun than from the ground.

The gondola carrying the telescope has a special motor that keeps the telescope pointed at the sun as the balloon dips and twirls.

Beginning in 2009, the balloon-telescope combo will embark on pole-circling missions above the Arctic and Antarctica. There the telescope will take advantage of the midnight sun to capture continuous images for up to two weeks.

Copyright © 2007 Popular Science


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Jacket includes GPS tracker

LONDON, England (AP) -- Parents may worry less about losing their child -- and the kid's expensive coat -- with a new piece of winter wear that includes a global positioning tracker.

The jackets, released this week by the British clothing company Bladerunner, have a GPS tracking device in the lining. The device can track the jacket anywhere in the world, within 43 square feet.

"The jacket is not something that was released due to people losing their kids," said Adrian Davis, a partner at Bladerunner. "It was originally made for mountain climbers, skiers and snowboarders."

Davis said the company decided to make a children's version of the jacket aimed at parents concerned about their children's safety.

Using Google Earth maps, users can watch the jacket wearer move. The movements are updated every 10 seconds.

But they don't need to be online to find out where the person is. Users can also receive alerts to their e-mail or cell phone when the jacket leaves the boundary, meaning parents could potentially receive alerts whenever their children skipped school, left the neighborhood or went to their boyfriend's house -- so long as the child was wearing the jacket.

Bladerunner, which designed the jacket and commissioned Asset Monitoring Solutions to craft the tracking device, made headlines in the spring when they released slash-resistant clothing for children, aimed at those worried about increasing knife crime in London.

The new jacket is also equipped with the slash-resistant lining. The tracking device uses a rechargeable battery that can last for about 18 hours.

A children's tracking jacket costs $500, plus $20 a month for the tracking technology. An adult jacket costs $700.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Review: NEC monitor looks good but costs too much

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(CNET.com) -- NEC markets the $820 MultiSync LCD2470WNX as a higher-end widescreen display for enterprise customers. That price tag puts it on a higher plane than many other 24-inch displays that usually run about $600. NEC explained to us that it's because this monitor has higher-end technology than the less-expensive LCDs, but try as we might, we didn't see the payoff.

The LCD2470WNX showed a very small uptick in image quality compared to other 24-inchers, and despite being intended for the office, it also has a few consumer-friendly features. But none of the image-quality improvements or extras were enough to convince us to pay more for this display that looks as good as others that cost much less.

Design

Similar to NEC's 19-inch Accusync display we reviewed recently, the LCD2470WNX has a nondescript black bezel. The four-way adjustable stand, however, is a stand-out feature of this display. You can tilt the screen, move it up and down, swivel it on its base, and rotate the screen into portrait mode.

The onscreen menu is also easy enough to navigate thanks to a small joystick among the other buttons. Better though, is that unlike the 19-inch Accusync, NEC's Naviset software actually works on this model. Naviset moves the on-screen menu to the Windows display properties screen, which means you can control your monitor's brightness, contrast, and other settings with your mouse. Naviset does not bring the color temperature controls to the desktop, but it does let you customize the display's preset modes for Gaming, Movies, Photos, etc.

Manufacturer's specs Resolution: 1,920 x 1,200 Dot pitch: .27mm Pixel-response rate: 6ms Viewing angle: 176 degrees horizontal, 176 degrees vertical Connectivity: Analog, digital, USB Included VGA, DVI

Features

In addition to Naviset, the ostensibly office-oriented MultiSync LCD2470WNX also has a handful of consumer-friendly features. First, it's HDCP compliant, which means that you can use it to watch protected HD content. We're not sure how many offices use Blu-ray or HD DVD players for showing training movies, but at least you have the option. We suspect this capability might enhance the LCD2470WNX's appeal among consumers as well, although you get no built-in speakers with this monitor. We won't consider the lack of underpowered LCD speakers any great loss. NEC's display also comes with a USB 2.0 hub. We more or less expect that from most higher-end consumer LCDs these days, so we're not too surprised to see it here.

Performance

When we compare the LCD2470WNX to two other, cheaper 24-inch LCD's we've tested, we don't find the dramatic leap in performance we hoped to see from a display that costs $200 or so more than its competitors. Its overall image quality ekes out a minor win, largely on the strength of its color quality, and it performs well enough overall, but not enough to set it apart dramatically.

Further, one of the features NEC highlighted was this display's brightness, which is supposed to be better both head on and at an angle to the screen. Our brightness test is a straight-on measurement, and this display was nearly an exact tie with the $600 Gateway FPD2485W. And when we looked at the screen from various angles, both in portrait and in landscape modes, the NEC showed no real advantage, as the image on both displays held up.

Support

Despite the fact that we don't find a lot of value in this LCD's higher-end price tag, we continue to like what NEC has to offer in terms of service and support. The standard warranty coverage lasts for three years. Online you get FAQs, software downloads, and other help resources. And if you don't find what you're looking for, you can call the toll-free support line 24-7.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Review: Iomega StorCenter reliable but frustrating

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(CNET.com) -- The StorCenter Network Hard Drives are the latest version of Iomega's home-targeted network-attached storage drives. They are basic NAS drives that offer up many of the same features that the competition offers.

They come in three capacities: 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB. The 500GB and 750GB versions are single-drive models, while the 1TB version packs in two 500GB drives (the casing is a bit different on both versions).

The 1TB version costs $390, the 750GB version costs $360, and the 500GB version costs $270--all very reasonably priced.

We had some problems setting up the 1TB version we received for review. We used the included Discovery Tool Pro, which found the drive immediately. We were able to log in using an Internet browser to create new users, new share folders, and so on.

However, we ran into a wall when we wanted to map the shared folders to our test system. None of the user accounts we created was accepted, and the default admin account didn't work, either. When we turned to Iomega's Web site to find help and an update for the software, we found that it required us to register before we could download any updates.

Of all the NAS drives we tested, the Iomega Network Hard Drive took the most time and proved to be the most frustrating.

Once we got the drive up and running, it worked much like others we've tested. We were able to just drag and drop files from our testbed to the drive or use the included EMC Retrospect Express software to schedule automatic backups.

The 1TB version supports RAID 1 and RAID 0 configurations, as it has two drives. And all three models can serve up media to UPnP-compatible media adapters, as well as serve up printers and additional external hard drives.

In CNET Labs' tests, the 1TB drive managed to finish writing our 5GB test folder of mixed data in 19 minutes, 28 seconds. In the read test, it performed about the same, scoring 18 minutes, 47 seconds. Both numbers were average for the NAS drives we've tested.

Throughout the testing process, the drive worked very smoothly and quietly. It did generate a relatively significant amount of heat, so you don't want to put it in a closed area.

Overall, the Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive is a good, reliable NAS storage solution as long as you can install it. We'd like to see Iomega make the setup process simpler and more user-friendly.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Review: Apple iPhone

The greatest success of Apple's iPhone lies in the realisation that most phones you have owned previously are compromises.

The iPhone is not perfect - far from it - but it genuinely re-moulds the expectations we have for mobile devices.

And it provokes a reaction among gadget lovers and ordinary members of the public that no other phone can match.

I have been testing it for the last two weeks and whenever people see it they want to hold it, touch it and play with it. And they are genuinely amazed by some of its features.

Under the strict letter of the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign with Apple to be loaned the phone I was not supposed to let anyone hold the device.

Nor was I to demonstrate it, display it, let anyone photograph it nor even "discuss" it with anyone outside my "immediate family".

Ridiculous? Absolutely. But perhaps a reflection of the iPhone lunacy that has gripped many people - including, evidently staff at Apple itself.

In the US it is known as the JesusPhone - because of the hysteria and hype that surrounds the device.

But let's start with the disappointments - it is a 2G device and not 3G. Anyone expecting to use the phone to surf websites or access content over the mobile network will be in for a shock.

Graphics and picture-heavy websites take an age to load. But RSS feeds and mobile-friendly websites (such as news.bbc.co.uk/mobile) load quite quickly over the 2G Edge network that O2 offers.

I also found it sufficiently speedy to send and receive e-mails on the go. Sadly, O2's Edge network only covers 30% of the country so if you are not in a major urban area, you will experience painfully slow data connections.

Phones
As a work productivity device the iPhone cannot match Blackberry

The web browser successfully redefines the mobile web experience and over a wi-fi connection it is - for the first time on a phone - a pleasure to read sites on the go.

The iPhone overcomes the physical limitations of screen size by letting the user zoom into sections of a page with a double tap. The whole page can then be dragged around with a finger.

For a phone which boasts of being an internet communicator it lacks features such as instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP.

Apple might have had trouble finding network partners if the device had come with the Mac's IM and talk client iChat, for example. But the firm could have taken a lead in this field and revolutionised on-the-go communications in the way Blackberry did for e-mail.

The phone also lacks the ability to sync data - such as calendar details and contacts - wirelessly, either through short-range Bluetooth or over the mobile network.

iphone
The iPhone is also Apple's premier iPod

The camera that comes with the phone is also deeply disappointing. It offers a measly two megapixels and while the sensor in the phone is decent, images are often poor quality unless shot in direct sunlight.

However, the success of the phone lies in its marriage of touch screen and user interface.

Many mobiles have touch technology but they are generally poorly implemented or a painful hybrid between touch screen and keypad.

The various functions of the phone have been knitted together brilliantly - it is child's play to text or e-mail from a contact's details, or to add calendar events and then open web pages from a link in an appointment. These are the simplest of things but by stripping out cluttered menu options Apple has taken out the fear from technology.

The programs and features are well laid out and there is none of the usual "hunt the settings" scenario that accompanies most phones.

Its underlying operating system - based on Mac OS X - is very robust. I have lost count of the times my personal handsets have crashed or frozen and required the battery being removed and restarted. Of course, you can't actually remove the battery from an iPhone.

Programs on the Apple device slip easily in and out of running and I cannot report a single "hang" or crash.

HTC Touch
Other handsets boast touch features - like the HTC Touch

It is also very easy to overlook the iPod aspect of the phone. It is a fully functional music and video player and syncs with iTunes.

The touch screen user interface which lets the user flick between album cover art, or artists, genres and playlists will soon be copied by many other handset manufacturers as the sincerest form of flattery.

Sadly, the iPhone only comes with 8GB of flash memory - and no more can be added through memory cards.

In years to come the device will undoubtedly have more capacity, but if you want access to your whole album collection on the go, the iPhone probably isn't the convergence device you have been waiting for.

The iPhone isn't for everyone - it is not a true Smartphone device, the storage capacity is fixed and limiting for people with large music collections, the camera is low quality, it lacks true internet communication capabilities and the 2G handset is slow for data connections over the cell network.

But in many ways it succeeds in the way the original iPod did.

Both are flawed devices. But like the iPod, the iPhone will force every other competitor in the market to raise its game.

And for that consumers should be thankful for the iPhone - even if they have no intention of buying one.

Tough decisions Chad children It's quiz time!

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Apple iPhone fever begins to grow

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Apple Store
A small queue formed at the Apple Store, London
Apple's iPhone goes on sale in the UK and Germany on Friday with thousands expected to snap up the device.

Eager customers have begun queuing outside the Apple Store in Regent Street, London, despite the poor weather conditions.

But there are concerns that consumers are only able to use the phone with one mobile network.

In the UK the phone will only work on O2's network, while in Germany T-Mobile will support the device.

The phones can be unlocked for use on other networks but this voids the warranty and could break the device if software updates from Apple are loaded.

As many as 250,000 users in the US have unlocked the device using free and paid-for software to make the phone work on different networks, and to load third-party software not supported by Apple.

I don't like be imposed upon as to which network I want to switch to

In London, friends Graham Gilbert and Nik Fletcher were the first to queue for the phone.

Manchester Metropolitan University student Graham Gilbert, 22, said: "It is amazing. I just like the fact that it brings everything I carry with me into one device. I don't have to think 'have I remembered my iPod?'"

Mr Fletcher, from Petersfield in Hampshire, said: "People talk about the cult of Mac. They have a cult and there is a very loyal following."

Lacks technology

Critics have pointed out that the device, while boasting an innovative user interface which makes it simple to use, lacks technology found in rival phones.

The iPhone only works on slower 2G networks, limiting its usefulness as a mobile web browser, but it does also connect to wi-fi hotspots.

In the UK, iPhone owners can connect to the net for free at thousands of The Cloud's hotspots.

Greg Joswiak, head of marketing for the iPhone, denied that the phone had sacrificed function over form by choosing 2G.

"We wanted to make sure that we had a very small device and good battery life. You can't do that today with 3G.

Talk time

"It's just too power hungry, which is why most 3G phones have nowhere near eight hours of talktime."

One of the iPhone's big rivals, the Nokia N95, has four hours of talk time on a 2G network, while Apple's device has up to eight hours, according to technical specifications provided by both firms.

iPhone
More than 1.4 million iPhones have been sold

Customers have to pay upfront for the iPhone and cannot get the mobile free on a mobile contract.

The Apple phones costs 279 and the minimum monthly contract with O2 is 35.

Jonathan Arber, an analyst with Ovum, said: "In the long term it will be interesting to see how consumers will react to having to pay for this device.

"Obviously in the UK most consumers are used to getting their devices for free."

Mr Arber also pointed out that the UK mobile market is predominantly made up of pre-pay users.

"That's a huge section of the market that is not going to be purchasing an iPhone. In the contract segment there are a lot of people who are not going to pay 35 a month.

"But for a large group of people the iPhone is certainly an attractive proposition."

According to analysts M:Metrics 10% of 16,000 mobile phone users surveyed in the UK expressed strong interest in buying the iPhone.

Fifty percent of the survey sample with a strong interest had not paid for their current phone and almost half were on a pre-pay contract.

'Love experience'

Apple has sold 1.4 million iPhones since it went on sale in the US and O2 and T-Mobile are expecting strong sales.

Mr Joswiak said: "People love their experience with the iPhone. They don't love the experience with other phones. That is why our sales are through the roof."

"We assume that the device will find a very good reception on the market," said Rene Bresgen, a spokesman for Deutsche Telekom, owners of T-Mobile in Germany.

More than a 1,000 O2 shops, Carphone Warehouse stores and Apple shops are expected to sell the device.

Some iPhone owners in the UK have not been content to wait for the official release and have bought the device in the US and unlocked it for use on any network.

One owner, called Daryl, told BBC News he had bought 14 phones in the US for himself and friends and unlocked them.

He said he had unlocked his original phone because he didn't want to be tied to one network.

"I like the current network I am on and I'd like to stay with that network. I don't like be imposed upon as to which network I want to switch to.

"Also the actual O2 network doesn't have every good coverage where I live; Orange has good coverage where I live, that's why chose them first, and why want to stay with them."

'Backing Putin' Togetherness Day in pictures

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

A journey to the net's silver side

Pensioner using SagaZone, Getty
SagaZone is only accessible by those aged fifty or over

The BBC's technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, goes undercover to find out what life is like for silver surfers in the newly launched SagaZone.

That's a question I asked earlier this year after signing up to Facebook, MySpace and Bebo and struggling to find friends of my own vintage.

The answer was a resounding no - within days of voicing my concerns I had hundreds of new friends and was spending far too much time socialising online.

Now though, Saga, the firm which markets travel and insurance to the over-50s, has decided that there is a gap in the market for older social networkers.

The travel and insurance company believes there is a sizeable audience out there which wants to socialise online but is intimidated by the poking, loud music and startlingly indiscreet pictures which are part and parcel of the likes of Facebook and MySpace.

The theory is they will be more comfortable in somewhere like SagaZone, a site which will refuse you membership if you are under 50.

So I took a journey into the SagaZone to find out whether it really stood a chance of winning an audience. First, a confession. To get access, I was forced to make a slight adjustment to my date of birth to make it appear I was fifty - though not by as much as I would have liked.

Once onboard, and having posted a profile with a fetching picture of an eccentric man with a woolly hat, I set off to explore.

Facebook logo reflected in eye, Getty
Many folk have found places like Facebook and Bebo are not for them

No opportunity to post exciting photos or share favourite music or video clips, not even the online scrabble which occupies far too much of my time on Facebook.

It is over at the forums that most of the activity is going on, and here it is pretty lively. Discussions on everything from gardening to relationships, from technology to prostate cancer are attracting plenty of interest.

So I started my own thread, asking why people would choose a network that is defined by age, rather than one anyone can join.

"The people on here are intelligent, well read, and interesting, and they know something about life," said "Jen". "At 65, who could ask for anything more?"

Plenty others had joined other networking sites and found them unsatisfying. "I'm far too fat and hard-up to want to talk fashion or designer labels and what's more, I know what an apostrophe is and WHERE not to put one," wrote "orkneymermaid".

Old folk playing video game, BBC
Video games are not just for the young

Anyone who has suffered Facebook's more juvenile features will feel sympathy.

Back at my inbox I find several users have contacted me, including two ladies who wish to compliment me on my hat. It's a friendly enough place but I remain to be convinced that it will win a mass audience. It lacks the constant drip-feed of news from your friends that has made Facebook so compelling.

As the social networking industry enjoys explosive growth, with infant businesses suddenly worth 15 billion dollars, all sorts of new services are being launched.

Many, like Saga, are betting that the industry will become more segmented, with different services aimed at different groups, from young mothers, to students, to former soldiers.

But I'm not convinced that I will become a Saga surfer, even when I eventually qualify to become a member.'Backing Putin' Togetherness Day in pictures

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

The day the music died

Conductor and orchestra, BBC
The website gathered out of copyright musical scores

Within a matter of months, the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) featured more than 1,000 musical scores for which the copyright had expired in Canada.

Within two years - without any funding, sponsorship or promotion - the site had become the largest public domain music score library on the internet, generating a million hits per day, featuring over 15,000 scores by over 1,000 composers, and adding 2,000 new scores each month.

In mid-October this year the IMSLP disappeared from the internet.

Universal Edition, an Austrian music publisher, retained a Canadian law firm to demand that the site block European users from accessing certain works and from adding new scores for which the copyright had not expired in Europe.

The company noted that while the music scores entered the public domain in Canada 50 years after a composer's death, Europe's copyright term is 20 years longer.

The legal demand led to many sleepless nights as the student struggled with the prospect of liability for activity that is perfectly lawful in Canada.

The site had been very careful about copyright compliance, establishing a review system by experienced administrators who would only post new music scores that were clearly in the Canadian public domain.

Notwithstanding those efforts, on 19 October, the law firm's stated deadline, the student took the world's best public domain music scores site offline.

There is little doubt that the site was compliant with Canadian law.

Not only is there no obligation to block non-Canadian visitors, but the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that sites such as IMSLP are entitled to presume that they are being used in a lawful manner. The site would therefore not be subject to claims that it authorised infringement.

Further, while there have been some suggestions that the site also hosted works that were not in the Canadian public domain, Universal Edition never bothered to provide the IMSLP with a complete list of allegedly infringing works.

Although IMSLP is on safe ground under Canadian law, the European perspective on the issue is more complicated.

There is no question that some of the site's music scores would infringe European copyright law if sold or distributed in Europe. However, the IMSLP had no real or substantial connection - the defining standard for jurisdiction - with Europe.

Indeed, if Universal Edition were to file a lawsuit in Austria, it is entirely possible that the Austrian court would dismiss it on the grounds that it cannot assert jurisdiction over the Canadian-based site.

Gavel and block, Eyewire
Geist: Making sites comply with all laws is an impossible task

This case is enormously important from a public-domain perspective.

If Universal Edition is correct, then the public domain becomes an offline concept, since posting works online would immediately result in the longest copyright term applying on a global basis.

Moreover, there are even broader implications for online businesses. According to Universal Edition, businesses must comply both with their local laws and with the requirements of any other jurisdiction where their site is accessible - in other words, the laws of virtually every country on earth.

It is safe to say that e-commerce would grind to a halt under that standard since few organisations can realistically comply with hundreds of foreign laws.

Thousands of music aficionados are rooting for the IMSLP in this dispute. They ought to be joined by anyone with an interest in a robust public domain and a viable e-commerce marketplace.


Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

PS3 network enters record books

Screen shot of PS3 folding program, Sony
Protein folding is critical to most biological functions
A project that harnesses the spare processing power of Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) to help understand the cause of diseases has entered the record books.

Guinness World Records has recognised folding@home (FAH) as the world's most powerful distributed computing network.

FAH has signed up nearly 700,000 PS3s to examine how the shape of proteins affect diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The network has more than one petaflop of computing power - the equivalent of 1,000 trillion calculations per second.

"To have folding@home recognized by Guinness World Records as the most powerful distributed computing network ever is a reflection of the extraordinary worldwide participation by gamers and consumers around the world and for that we are very grateful," said Professor Vijay Pande of Stanford University and a leader of the FAH project.

Disease link

Distributed computing is a method for solving large complex problems by dividing them between many computers.

The technique has been used by several groups to study everything from how malaria spreads to searching for new cancer drugs.

One of the most high profile projects is seti@home, which uses computer cycles to search through thousands of hours of radio telescope signals for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

FAH uses distributed computing to examine protein folding and how it maybe linked to diseases.

Proteins that do not fold correctly have been implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntingdon's, BSE and many cancers.

Speed test

Until March this year, FAH only ran on PCs.

The program had around 200,000 computers participating in the program, the equivalent of about 250 teraflops (trillion calculations per second).

The addition of 670,000 PS3s has taken the computing power of the network to more than one petaflop.

By comparison BlueGene L, which tops the list of most powerful supercomputers, has a top speed of just 280.6 teraflops.

The boost is in part because of the PS3's powerful processor, known as the "cell", which runs up to 10 times faster than current PC chips.

"It is clear that none of this would be even remotely possible without the power of PS3, it has increased our research capabilities by leaps and bounds," said Prof Pande. 'Backing Putin' Togetherness Day in pictures

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Green light for the new A380

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Airbus' new A380 "superjumbo" hauled its gargantuan frame off the tarmac and into the skies this week and began its 7-hour maiden commercial flight from Changi Airport in Singapore to Sydney International Airport in Australia.

The Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 lands safely in Sydney to complete its maiden commercial flight.

Measuring 73 meters long, 80 meters wide and 24 meters tall, it is the largest commercial airliner in the world, and will carry a maximum of 555 passengers in the standard three class configuration -- first, business and economy.

Undoubtedly the event is a major landmark in aviation history, but does the A380's entry into service mark the beginning of a new cleaner era in air travel? Or is it the final call for the jumbo jet as environmental concerns compel the manufacturers to totally rethink the efficiency and design of air transport?

The airline industry has changed radically in the 13 years it has taken the A380 to get from drawing board to runway. Consumers have seen the price of a flight plummet, and consequently more people are flying than ever before -- passenger numbers have been rising at a steady 5 percent a year since the late 1990's.

So too are the environmental costs of flying -- air travel currently accounts for 12 percent of transport carbon emissions and around 2 percent of all global carbon emissions.

The trend looks set to continue as passenger numbers are expected to triple by 2030. So just how green is the world's newest and biggest passenger plane?

Airbus state on their website that the A380 "burns 17 percent less fuel per seat than today's largest aircraft", and that this represents "the most significant step forward in reducing aircraft fuel burn and resultant emissions in four decades. The CO2 footprint per passenger has never been so small".

The fuel-burn figures are slightly misleading though. Quoted as 2.9 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometer, the calculations are based on the plane having a full house of 555 passengers and don't include the weight of luggage or any cargo which might be on board.

However, noise levels on take-off and landing are unquestionably lower. Based on an internationally defined takeoff and landing procedure, the A380 is also at least four decibels quieter than the Boeing 747-400. This equates to an impressive 50 percent decrease.

And the prospect remains that if enough A380's enter service -- so far only 185 have been purchased by 15 airlines -- its large capacity could reduce or stabilize the growing number of flights, helping to stem the airline industries contribution to carbon dioxide emissions.

Boeing -- who were initially involved in the A380 project in 1994 -- say that their new 787 Dreamliner, which is scheduled to begin commercial flights in 2009, will burn 20 percent less fuel than any other airplane of its size.

Not only are airline manufacturers keen to display their greener credentials, so too are their customers, the airline carriers.

In June this year, one of Europe's largest low-fare airlines Easyjet unveiled a new prototype plane which they say could slash carbon emissions by half. The "Ecojet", as they have dubbed it, is planned to be operational by 2015 and would produce 50 percent less carbon dioxide than planes flying today.

The basic shape of their existing Boeing and Airbus fleet will not change, but will be modified. Open rotor engines situated at the rear of the plane will produce 25 percent less carbon dioxide per passenger.

According to Easyjet, a further 15 percent reduction will be realized by constructing the wings and fuselage out of a lighter aluminum composite material. Another 10 percent will be saved by reducing the flying speed of the adapted aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic boss, Sir Richard Branson announced last year that he would be investing $3 billion in renewable energy technologies through a new business venture Virgin Fuels.

Earlier this month, the 57 year-old entrepreneur announced that he would start testing biofuels in one of Virgin's 747 jets in early 2008.

Whether or not the current efforts of Virgin and Easyjet prove to be environmentally beneficial in the long-term, there is little doubt that making potential customers aware of their commitment to improving the environment make sound commercial sense in the short-term.

What isn't in dispute is that the conventional shape of the world's airlines is a highly successful model. Since they were introduced in the 1960's jets have improved their performance by 70 percent, according to the Nobel Peace Prize winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

According to Dr. Thurai Rahulan from the University of Salford, UK: "The tube and wing design is proving to be extremely difficult to beat," he told CNN.

Dr. Rahulan is someone who knows a thing or two about aeronautical engineering. He has recently supervised a team from University of Salford who designed a new energy efficient plane -- called the "flying wing". What's more he was involved in the design and construction of the Airbus A380's enormous wings.

Dr. Rahulan began his involvement with the A380 in 2001 and worked on the structural stress reduction system. He believes that the A380 is "an incredibly efficient form of transport".

But it is his most recent project that has the potential to make an even greater environmental leap forward.

"One of the things I was looking at with the flying wing," Dr. Rahulan said, "Was to see if it was possible to compress the fuselage and blend it into the wing itself."

The flying wing -- which performed well as a remote-controlled model in tests -- owes its efficiency to the fact that it has no fuselage and therefore a smaller area is exposed to drag from the wind.

"As the design begins to mature we seem to be homing in on a 150-seat configuration. But there are a lot of issues to be addressed. How will passengers be accommodated in such a configuration?

"Secondly, the pressurization. We understand a lot about the traditionally designed aircraft but when you have a blended wing, you have a lot of compartments consisting of strange geometries," he said.

Another problem Dr. Rahulan predicts is the evacuation of passengers in an emergency. "One of the good things about a fuselage is that you have plenty of escape routes down the side of the plane," he said.

Although take-off capability in the flying wing is compromised, due to poor rotation, Dr. Rahulan said, "It has enormous potential for the way people travel. Current aircraft design is pushing the limits of efficiency. The flying wing offers the prospect of a greener future in air travel."

NASA scientists and Boeing have also been working on a design similar to that made by the University of Salford. The blended wing body (BWB) X-48 model, which has engines located at the top rear of the plane, has already passed wind-tunnel tests and in July this year the X48B took its first flight reaching altitudes of 7,500 feet.

Environmental fears are inspiring engineers to come up with increasingly bold aircraft designs. UK based Reaction Engines Limited are working on what might just be the future of air travel.

The Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies (LAPCAT) is a stunning futuristic design powered by liquid hydrogen fuel. Traveling at speeds between Mach 4 and 8, a flight from London to Sydney could be reduced to four hours.

The need for urgent action on climate change was highlighted yet again this week as a new study suggests that global warming will be "stronger than expected and sooner than expected". New data shows that carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere much faster than was previously thought.

Scientists put this acceleration down to two factors -- the explosion in Chinese economic growth and a reduction in pollution that's being soaked up by the world's land and oceans.

The upshot is that human carbon emissions will have to be cut more sharply than previously thought and air travel -- a serious and serial offender in the eyes of environmentalists -- looks likely to be in the firing line for the foreseeable future.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

China wants role in space station

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BEIJING, China (AP) -- China hopes to join an international space station project that already counts leading space powers like the United States and Russia as its members, a government official said Tuesday.

China would like to become the 17th country to join the international space station project.

China takes great pride in its expanding space program and sees it as a way to validate its claims to be one of the world's leading scientific nations.

On Tuesday, state-run newspapers said China will launch its first lunar probe later this month, just weeks after regional rival Japan successfully sent a lunar satellite into orbit.

But China does not participate in the international space station, due in part to American unease about allowing a communist dictatorship a place aboard.

"We hope to take part in activities related to the international space station," Li Xueyong, a vice minister of science and technology. "If I am not mistaken, this program has 16 countries currently involved and we hope to be the 17th partner."

A reporter had asked whether China in the future would be more likely to compete or cooperate with America in space. Li said China wanted to cooperate with the United States, but gave no specifics.

In 2003, China launched its first manned space mission, making it the third country to send a human into orbit on its own, after Russia and the United States.

But China also alarmed the international community in January when it blasted an old satellite into oblivion with a land-based anti-satellite missile. It was the first such test ever conducted by any nation, including the United States and Russia.

That test was widely criticized for its military implications. A similar rocket could be used to shoot military satellites out of space, and create a dangerous haze of space debris.

Beijing insists however that it is committed to the peaceful use of space -- a stance that Li reiterated on Tuesday.

"The Chinese government has always pursued a foreign policy of peace and consistently worked for the peaceful use of outer space," he said during a briefing about China's development of science and education on the sidelines of a key Communist Party Congress.

The space station's first section was launched in 1998 and it has been inhabited continuously since 2000 by Russian, U.S. and European crew mates.

Japan's space agency said nearly two weeks ago that its lunar probe was in high orbit over the moon and all was going well as it began a yearlong project to map and study the lunar surface.

China's Chang'e 1 orbiter will use stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers to map three-dimensional images of the lunar surface and study its dust, Xinhua has reported previously.

"Preparations for the moon-orbiting project have gone well and the launch will be made at the end of October," Zhang Qingwei, director of State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, was quoted as saying Tuesday by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The regional space rivalry is likely to be joined soon by India, which plans to launch a lunar probe in April.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Chinese rocket blasts off to moon

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BEIJING, China (AP) -- China launched its first lunar probe Wednesday, the first step in an ambitious 10-year plan to send a rover to the moon and return it to earth.

Two villagers walk near the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China's Sichuan Province.

State television showed pictures of the Chang'e 1 orbiter taking off with a trail of smoke from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in southwestern China.

The launch comes just weeks after China's regional rival Japan put a probe into orbit around the moon in a big leap forward for Asia's undeclared space race. India is likely to join the regional rivalry soon, with plans to send its own lunar probe into space in April.

The Long March 3A rocket carrying the probe blasted off shortly after 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) after officials from the China National Space Administration said weather conditions were good for a lift off.

Several thousand people living within 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) of the launch center and under the rocket's trajectory were evacuated two hours before the launch, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

More than 2,000 tourists were also on hand to watch the rocket soar into space after paying 800 yuan ($106).

The Chang'e 1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, will orbit Earth while technical adjustments are made, and will enter the moon's orbit by Nov. 5, administration spokesman Li Guoping said when the launch plans were announced Monday.

The project's goal is to analyze the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface. The probe will use stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers to map three-dimensional images of the surface, and to study the moon's dust.

The 2,300-kilogram (5,070-pound) Chang'e 1 is expected to transmit its first photo back to China in late November, and to conduct explorations of the moon for a year.

The launch marks the first step of a three-stage moon mission. In about 2012 there will be a moon landing with a moon rover. In the third phase about five years later, another rover will land on the moon and be returned to earth with lunar soil and stone samples, Xinhua said.

In 2003, China became only the third country in the world after the United States and Russia to put its own astronauts into space.

But China also alarmed the international community in January when it blasted an old satellite into oblivion with a land-based anti-satellite missile.

The Long March rocket had a drawing on it of a moon with an eclipse which was also designed to look like a dragon. "China Moon Probe" was written in Chinese on the rocket.

A government official said last week China hopes to join an international space station project that already counts leading space powers like the United States and Russia as its members.

China does not participate in the International Space Station, due in part to American unease about allowing a communist dictatorship a place aboard.

The space station's first section was launched in 1998 and it has been inhabited continuously since 2000 by Russian, U.S. and European crew mates.

Japan's space agency said nearly two weeks ago that its lunar probe was in high orbit over the moon and all was going well as it began a yearlong project to map and study the lunar surface.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Review: Adapter great for those with lots of USB-powered devices

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(CNET.com) -- Despite the dream of an "ultimate handheld," it's really hard to get down to fewer than two portable devices. A Treo may do it all, but you still want an iPod; an iPhone is great, but you still need a BlackBerry for work; you like to listen to your iPod while playing your PSP or DS; and so on.

Even those who do manage to get down to one super smartphone often have a Bluetooth headset to go along with it.

And traveling with two devices means taking two power adapters along. Or at least it did -- until the Belkin Dual USB Power Adapter came along.

Like a gaggle of other brands (Apple included), Belkin makes an iPod power adapter--basically just an AC transformer with a USB port on it. The company's Dual USB Power Adapter is essentially the same thing, but with a second USB port. As such, it can charge two USB-powered devices simultaneously.

Belkin throws in an iPod-charging cable (with the standard 30-pin connector) as well as a second cable that terminates with a mini-USB jack. The latter one will work with a large range of smartphones -- including most BlackBerry models--and other devices.

For instance, we had no problems charging an iPod Nano along with a BlackBerry Pearl, Sprint Mogul, and Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset using both of Belkin's cables. Any 5-volt USB-powered device should work just as well, but it's up to you to provide your own cables if it doesn't have a mini-USB input. We were able to charge a Sprint VM-A680, Palm Treo 650, Sony PSP, and Nintendo DS Lite -- two at a time -- with a variety of third-party cables.

The Dual USB Power Adapter is about 1.5 times the size of the tiny Apple iPod USB adapter (MB051LL/A). It has the same folding power prongs as the familiar Apple model and weighs just 2.5 ounces, so it travels well in a suitcase or backpack.

The Belkin is rated for international voltage standards (100-240v, 50-60Hz input), so it should work anywhere in the world -- with the proper plug adapter, of course. About the only real problem with it is the blue indicator light--it's bright enough to double as a night-light in a darkened bedroom or hotel room. But that's easily corrected with a small bit of electrical tape.

Otherwise, the worst thing to be said about this power adapter is that it only has two USB ports -- three, four, or even more would've been even better. To prove the point, we also used a standard Belkin USB hub as a dedicated charger for up to seven products. But two ports is still twice as many as you'll find on any other dedicated AC adapter, and that makes the Belkin Dual USB Power Adapter a great buy -- especially when you consider that it's widely available below its already modest $30 list price.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Funds freed up for UK innovation

Lab
More than 1 billion has been awarded in UK grants
UK pioneers of research into new materials, green energy and future communications will share a 100m government fund to back innovation.

More than 76 research and development projects covering eight technology priority areas will share the money.

The money has been made available through the Technology Strategy Board which promotes innovation in business.

The board has funded more than 700 projects with a total of 1bn since it was formed in 2004.

The new money for projects starting this year was announced by Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary John Denham.

Pioneers in healthcare, green energy and business competitiveness will benefit, along with work on advanced cell therapies to treat wounds and eventually organs, and ways to allow patients with chronic conditions to be monitored from home.

Environmental priorities include better materials for use in wind and wave farms, efficient lighting for shop fronts and systems to better exploit small-scale local energy production.

Mr Denham said: "New research in these important eight key technology areas will make a real difference to the economy and to our lives.

"This is an excellent programme that fills the gap between pure science and industry

"Our work on innovation will help businesses to succeed and improve public services, meeting the challenges of the 21st century and enhancing people's life chances."

The new round of funding has been welcomed by the Science Council, the body which represents scientific bodies and professionals around the UK.

The council's chief executive Diana Garnham said the eight target areas touched "almost all areas of science, engineering, technology and mathematics".

She added: "The funding will involve many different types of professionals, not just in science and technology but in business as well."

Dr Nicholas Warrior, who received funding from previous rounds of the Technology Strategy Board, said the grants had made a huge difference to his research at Nottingham University.

"This is an excellent programme that fills the gap between pure science and industry.

"We would not have been able to pursue our work without the help of the Board."

Dr Warrior is working on research to develop advanced materials from recycling carbon fibre, which provide a lightweight and strong alternative to metals like steel.

Carbon fibre materials are often found in planes, boats, racing cars and body armour.

World production of carbon fibre is about 25,000 tonnes per year but it is difficult and costly to recycle.

Dr Warrior's research project aims to make the process of recovering carbon fibre from composite materials much simpler.'Backing Putin' Togetherness Mardell's Euroblog

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Mini to the max: Will the Smart car grow on U.S. drivers?

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(CNN) -- There's a petite new contender ready to tackle America's problems of foreign oil dependency and urban congestion.

A Smart car negotiates traffic in Rome, Italy. The tiny vehicles go on sale in the U.S. in January.

Meet the Smart car: An ultra-compact, Mercedes-designed, head-turning little vehicle that's been negotiating traffic and squeezing into impossibly tiny spaces in Europe for almost a decade.

Now, it's about to go on sale in the United States.

One reason the company waited so long to introduce it to Americans was that the U.S. wasn't ready for such a small car, said Jessica Gamarra, marketing specialist for Smart USA.

But choking traffic and rising gas prices have changed that, she said.

"I think we've finally gotten into a mindset where we are starting to look at conserving rather than consuming, and I think that especially makes this car the right car at the right time," Gamarra said.

The Smart is expected to get at least 40 miles per gallon.

But fuel-economy may be an afterthought for some buyers. Many are simply expected to purchase the car for the "wow factor" once it hits dealerships in January.

"You get something that looks totally different than anything else on the road," said Csaba Csere, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver magazine. "So if you kind of want to be looked at and want to be the first on your block with the new hardware, the Smart does that."

But Csere advised prospective Smart car buyers to take a realistic look at their driving habits.

"I would make sure that a car this small will meet your needs," Csere said. "If your driving is mostly on city streets or maybe city freeways, the car is going to be fine. But this is not a car that you want to do long distances in on the highway."

The automotive Web site Edmunds.com had a similar verdict.

It praised the Smart for its styling, economy, "zippy" handling and ability to park almost anywhere.

But it raised concerns about the Smart's "anxiety-causing" size and -- with prices starting at about $11,600 -- it found the vehicle expensive compared with bigger cars in its class.

"As a second, commuting-only car, it's wonderful, but those with room for only one vehicle in the garage may want to consider a larger subcompact or compact car," the Edmunds.com review said.

'Neat gadget'

Many Americans got their first look at the Smart car during the "street smart" road show, which brought the tiny vehicles to more than 50 cities across the country during the summer and fall.

In all, about 70,000 people showed up to check out the Smart and more than 40,000 took a test drive, Gamarra said. Some stood in line for hours. The tour was part of what the company calls "discovery marketing."

"We really like to give people the chance to see, touch, feel and drive the car versus just showing them a television ad," she said. "Because it's so new ... it's something that you really need to wrap your head around by experiencing it."

The road show's recent stop in New York generated many comments. One fan called it a "cool, little, neat gadget;" another declared: "I just want to buy one immediately."

But other people were nervous about the size of the car.

"They're a little too small for this country, and I think people will think they're kind of flimsy," one man remarked.

"I don't know if I'd want to be on the [highway] doing 60 miles an hour and have a car run into me," another said.

It's a common concern as people consider the car's petite dimensions and wonder about its safety.

Questions about size

At just under 9 feet long, the Smart car is about 3 feet shorter than the Mini Cooper and 7 feet shorter than the Ford Explorer. At 1,800 pounds, it's about 4,500 pounds lighter than an empty Hummer H2.

Smart USA insists concerns about safety are easily overcome once people learn more about the vehicle.

"It's basically built to be like a race car, with the steel cage technology that protects the occupants," Gamarra said. In addition, the Smart comes equipped with safety features including anti-lock brakes and front and side airbags.

The car is designed to achieve a four-star rating out of a possible five stars in government crash tests, according to Smart USA.

It has done "very well" in standard tests that would be done in the U.S. and that the company has replicated in Europe, Gamarra said.

But official results won't be out for a while.

The Smart car has not yet been crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which waits until vehicles go on sale to the public before evaluating them, NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said.

Experts caution that people for whom safety is a priority should avoid the smallest cars.

"You can't repeal the laws of physics," said Russ Rader, media relations director for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which conducts its own car crash tests. "Size and weight are very important aspects of safety."

"You can do things to a small vehicle to make it safer, but it will never be as safe as a bigger heavier vehicle," he said.

The IIHS -- a nonprofit group funded by auto insurers -- has also not yet crash tested a Smart car, but Rader expressed concern about the number of small cars hitting U.S. roads.

"There are potential public health consequences in a switch to small, lightweight vehicles and consumers need to know that there is a trade-off for getting better fuel economy," Rader said.

"The death rate for drivers in the smallest cars is twice as high as it is for people in large cars," he said.


Source from: edition.cnn.com

Family bets GPS will help beat teen's ticket

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WINDSOR, California (AP) -- Given the option of contesting a traffic ticket, most motorists -- 19 out of 20 by some estimates -- would rather pay up than pit their word against a police officer's in court.

Though courts do not routinely accept GPS readouts as evidence, somedrivers are starting to use them to challenge traffic violations.

A retired sheriff's deputy nevertheless hopes to beat the long odds of the law by setting the performance of a police officer's radar gun against the accuracy of the GPS tracking device he installed in his teenage stepson's car.

The retired deputy, Roger Rude, readily admits his 17-year-old stepson, Shaun Malone, enjoys putting the pedal to the metal. That's why he and Shaun's mother insisted on putting a global positioning system that monitors the location and speed of the boy's Toyota Celica.

Shaun complained bitterly about his electronic chaperone until it became his new best friend on July 4, when he was pulled over and cited for going 62 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Rude encouraged him to fight the ticket after the log he downloaded using software provided by the GPS unit's Colorado-based supplier showed Shaun was going the speed limit within 100 feet of where a Petaluma officer clocked him speeding.

"I'm not trying to get a guilty kid off," Rude said. "I've always had faith in our justice system. I would like to see the truth prevail and I would like Shaun to see that the system works."

Though traffic courts do not routinely accept GPS readouts as evidence of a vehicle's speed -- and many GPS receivers aren't capable of keeping records anyway -- some tech-savvy drivers around the world slowly are starting to use the technology to challenge moving violations, according to anecdotal accounts from defense lawyers and law enforcement officials.

This summer, for instance, an Australian farmer became a hero to speeders everywhere when he got a ticket dismissed after presenting police with data from his tracking device.

While winning a case this way is far from a sure thing, GPS-generated evidence could at least inject an element of doubt into typically one-sided proceedings, said Jim Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association.

A Sonoma County traffic commissioner is expected to rule within the next two weeks whether to dismiss Shaun's ticket based on Rude's written argument that the motorcycle officer's radar gun was either improperly calibrated or thrown off by another speeding car.

"Radar is a pretty good tool, but it's not an infallible tool," said Rude, who spent 31 years in law enforcement. "With the GPS tracker, there is no doubt about it. There is no human interference."

Rude plans to offer scientific data and experts if his challenge doesn't succeed right away.

Petaluma police Lt. John Edwards said he could not discuss Shaun's case but disputed Rude's contention that GPS is more accurate than a speed gun.

"GPS works on satellite signals, so you have a delay of some type," Edwards said. "Is it a couple-second delay? A 30-second delay? Because in that time people can speed up, slow down."

The device in Shaun's car, originally designed for trucking companies, rental car agencies and other businesses with fleets, sends a signal every 30 seconds that records his whereabouts and travel speed.

His parents signed up to be automatically notified by e-mail whenever he exceeded 70 mph, and the one time he did he lost his driving privileges for 10 days.

Rude said he is talking about the ticket -- Shaun has tried to stay out of it -- to encourage other parents to keep tabs on their teenage drivers using GPS. He said he has told too many parents their child was killed in a wreck.

David W. Brown, a Monterey lawyer and author of "Fight Your Ticket in California," said attacking the reliability of radar guns does not usually get speeders very far, especially if they are unwilling to devote extra time and money to hiring legal experts.

Still, among people who do challenge tickets, the proportion who triumph is relatively large, he said. Their technique? Betting the officer who cited them will be unable to make it to court.

"Statistically, when people do prevail, that is the most common method," he said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Support for ad-tracking opt out

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Adverts
Google targets adverts based on searches
US privacy advocates and consumer bodies are seeking the creation of an opt-out list for internet users who do not want to be tracked by advertisers.

The "do not track" list would prevent companies from tailoring adverts based on a user's web habits.

The groups behind the idea include the Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Consumer Federation of America.

They have approached the Federal Trade Commission to create the list.

The "do not track" list would be similar to the "do not call list" in the US which stops phone advertisers calling households.

Personalised, or social, advertising is expected to be big business in the coming years with Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all purchasing online ad firms in recent months.

The "do not track" list would require advertisers that place electronic cookies or tags on consumers' computers to register with the FTC all domain names of the servers involved in such activities, according to the groups.

"All of this is going to make consumers even more aware of just how much is being tracked

"Online opt-outs should be as well-known and as easy as the Do Not Call list," Mark Cooper, research director of Consumer Federation of America, told Reuters news agency.

The list would prohibit advertisers from collecting and using personally identifiable information about health and financial activities.

It would also require independent auditing of companies using behavioural tracking to ensure they upheld privacy standards.

While many search engines allow users to opt out of personalised services, it often comes at the expense of being able to use mail accounts and other tools.

Steve Rubel, a senior marketing strategist, at Edelman, wrote on his blog Micro Persuasion: "Regardless of where the Feds decide to weigh in, the noise around mining behavioural data and patterns and the potential privacy implications is only going to get louder in the coming months.

"All of this is going to make consumers even more aware of just how much is being tracked."

Open doors Finnish massacre Justin Webb's blog

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

Review: Sony's LocationFree TV no match for Slingbox

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(CNET.com) -- In some ways, you've got to feel a little sympathetic for Sony. The company effectively invented the placeshifting concept -- the ability to stream TV programming from your living room to another device via the Internet -- in 2004, only to see it co-opted by smaller upstart Sling Media a year later.

The latter company's Slingbox series of products have become the industry leader, popular enough for the start-up to be purchased by Dish Network parent EchoStar for a cool $380 million.

But Sony has stayed in the game, releasing follow-up products that that have attempted to challenge Sling's dominance.

The latest such device is the LF-V30, the first LocationFree TV product to be released since the products were transferred under the rubric of Sony's PC-centric VAIO division.

The LF-V30 ($250 list) adds compatibility for HD component video and has full pass-through inputs and outputs for two separate video sources. But otherwise, there's no big improvement over last year's LF-B20.

As a result, the LF-V30's flaws are even more glaring in comparison to the comparable Slingbox models, the Slingbox Pro and the Slingbox Solo.

Sony's setup process still ranges from mildly to excessively frustrating --especially if you go wireless -- and the viewing software and control options get the job done, but just don't offer the same degree of ease and intuitive design found on the Sling counterpart.

As such, the LocationFree LF-V30 is really only commendable over a Slingbox to those who will use its two distinguishing features: the ability to stream video to a PSP, and the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

About the size of a hardcover book, the all-black LocationFree TV LF-V30 could be mistaken for a somewhat fat wireless router -- understandable, because that's pretty much what it is.

Like Sony's PlayStation game consoles, it can be mounted horizontally or vertically (a snap-on plastic base is included). The front face of the minimalist black box has a smattering of green status LEDs, along with a power switch, a setup mode button (for use during the initial configuration), and a reset switch.

As always, though, the back panel is where the action is. There are two A/V inputs. The first includes S-Video (in addition to composite) and stereo audio inputs, along with a duplicate set of pass-through outputs. The second is composite and component, the latter of which can handle high-def signals. There's also an Ethernet port for a wired network connection; the wireless antenna is internal. Last but not least, there are two infrared (IR) blaster ports--although the Base Station ships with only one single-headed blaster.

Setting up the LF-V30 is a two-step process: you need to get it connected to your network (which involves installing the included software on a PC), and you need to connect the AV cables to the video source (or sources).

For the networking setup, you're offered two wireless options: using the LF-V30 as a wireless client or using it as a wireless access point. Client mode means the LF-V30 can wirelessly connect only to your wireless router--which is great if you don't have an Ethernet connection near your TV.

Access point mode, on the other hand, lets you use the LF-V30 as a point of entry to your network for any other Wi-Fi device (laptop, handheld, PSP, DS, what have you)--but to do so, it requires a wired connection to the router. In other words, the wireless functionality is an either/or proposition--connect wirelessly to your router, or to your PC/PSP, but not both simultaneously. That doesn't make the LF-V30 different from any other access point or router you'd buy--just don't buy it expecting it to work as a wireless bridge.

Because of those advanced wireless capabilities, the LF-V30's networking hookup is more challenging than that of the Slingbox. Sony says the LF-V30 quick start guide is improved over last year's LF-B20 model, but the average user will still find it to be something of a challenge. (Another caveat: if you intend to use the LF-V30 in client mode, you'll need to run a wired networking connection during setup--unless you're using the Vista-optimized setup software instead.)

During the process, you'll need to install the included LocationFree Player software, which includes a setup wizard. The software wizard is a bit easier to follow than the quick-start guide, but it requires you to enter a Web browser at one point to adjust some settings on the LF-V30--similar to the browser-based interfaces found on most wireless routers.

If you slow down and follow the printed and software instructions step by step, you just might make it through. By comparison, if you have a UPnP router, the setup options on the Slingbox are a lot smoother and user-friendly.

During the setup process, you'll also need to connect the LF-V30 to a video source or two. Doing so is no more difficult than hooking up a VCR or a DVD recorder. We appreciated the pass-through outputs, which let the LF-V30 sit innocuously in the chain between our cable box and the AV receiver, without the need for splitters or monopolizing precious S-Video and component outputs.

The most likely video source for the LF-V30 is a cable or satellite set-top box, which will let you watch the full range of your live TV options. You choose the make and model of your set-top box or other video source from an onscreen list so the V30 can send the right codes via the IR blaster, which you need to string to the front of said box. Here, Sony has included two very cool options.

The system can autodetect the brand of your set-top box if you point and "shoot" your remote into a small IR receiver on the LF-V30's front panel when instructed to do so (it correctly determined that we had a Scientific Atlanta box). And, if you have a brand that's not in the database, you can have the LF-V30 "learn" the main commands from any remote and map them to corresponding keys on the onscreen remote on your PC.

Once you've got the software installed and everything connected, you should be able to view your cable/satellite box from your PC. You'll get a video window with basic controls, with the standalone onscreen remote on the side.

If everything's gone according to plan, you'll have the same control over your set-top box whether you're in the next room or logging on from any broadband access point in the world.

On a home network, you'll get higher speeds (in excess of 3Mbps) and a resulting better picture quality; the result can look quite good even when the window is maximized for full-screen viewing. When viewing over the Internet--which is to say, when you log in from any place outside of your home network--you'll be restricted by the upstream bandwidth of your broadband connection, so the visual fidelity takes a hit. But we still got a reasonably watchable picture, especially if we didn't blow it up to full screen. (Note that the LF-V30 can accept high-def (720p/1080i) video, but it downconverts it for streaming.)

On the Windows viewing software, Sony has made a few notable improvements. The onscreen software "remote" had all of the important keys for our DVR (including the all-important "list" function), and the template can now be updated, so you can add more customized keys for anything that's missing.

Sony also says that remote "skins" are available--so the onscreen remote mirrors the familiar look and feel of your device's remote--but we couldn't seem to get that function to work.

Prefer to watch your TV shows on a device other than your PC? LocationFree products are theoretically supported on Macs and Windows Mobile devices, but there are a variety of caveats.

For the Mac, you'll need to invest in viewing software from Taxan (aka IO-Data) to do so; we didn't have a copy on hand, so we didn't test it. But according to the company's Web site, the client isn't even verified to work with the LF-V30.

Likewise, Access (the company that owns the rights to the Palm OS) offers the NetFront LocationFree Player for Pocket PC ($20)--but compatibility is limited to Windows Mobile 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition devices, and the company has "no plan to support Windows Mobile 6."

On the brighter side, any PSP with the latest firmware is ready to go: you'll just need to pair the PSP with the LF-V30 first (follow the onscreen instructions on the PSP to do so). Once it's paired up, you should be able to access and control the LF-V30 from the PSP just as easily as you would on a PC or a Mac.

Both the PC and PSP viewing clients have multiple aspect-ratio options, so you can stretch, squash, and zoom the picture to fit the squarish confines of a standard 4:3 monitor or a wider 16:9 viewing space, as found on a PSP.

Even if you stick with Windows, installing a player is something of an annoyance. The included software has a license, of course, but you can use that only on one machine. Each additional Windows PC will require another license (software key) at a cost of $30.

So, if you want to view your home TV programming on more than one computer--say, your personal laptop and your work PC--you're going to have to shell out more money. (Sony VAIO owners, at least, get a freebie; the LocationFree software comes preinstalled on those PCs as of summer 2007.)

Compare that software rigmarole to the Slingbox experience. Sling offers freely downloadable Windows and Mac versions, so you can install the viewing client on as many computers as you want for no additional charge. (Only one can log on at any given time, but it's still a huge advantage.)

As long as you have the Slingbox serial number and password, you can effectively download and install the software and watch your home TV from any computer in the world, without being bogged down paying additional fees. And while Sling also charges for its mobile software clients, each of them--for Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and Symbian smartphones--are updated much more frequently, and the downloads and customer support documents are all in one convenient place: Sling's Web site. Likewise, if you have a problem with any of them, you deal with Sling's customer service--not a third party.

It's also worth mentioning some of the caveats that apply to all of these so-called placeshifting devices, including the Slingbox. Most importantly, the LF-V30 will monopolize whatever device--or devices--to which it's attached. That's no problem if the cable box in question is sitting in an empty house, and you're out on the road; it's a big problem if a family member is at home watching TV, and you decide to remotely change the channel.

Secondly, the LocationFree TV products are only as good as the products they're connected to. Linking it to a TiVo/DVR gives you a lot more freedom to play back any programs you've already recorded, while a standard cable or satellite box provides access only to live TV--not very useful if nothing's on. Finally, the video quality is largely determined by the upstream broadband connection at the source; if your bandwidth isn't in the sweet spot (say, 350Kbps to 500Kbps), you'll get a lot of herky-jerky video.

In the final analysis, the LocationFree LF-V30 is an incremental improvement over the preceding LF-B20 model. If wireless connectivity is a must, or you're a heavy PSP user, the LF-V30 is the box for you.

But everyone else will be better served by a Slingbox, which offers easier setup and installation, a better software client, and solid support for far more devices, including Macs and Palm, Windows Mobile, and Symbian smartphones.