Techno-News Blog

September 23, 2010

Pi record smashed as team finds two-quadrillionth digit

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By Jason Palmer, BBC

The formula turns an infinite sum into a more manageable calculation of single terms A researcher has calculated the 2,000,000,000,000,000th digit of the mathematical constant pi – and a few digits either side of it. Nicholas Sze, of tech firm Yahoo, said that when pi is expressed in binary, the two quadrillionth “bit” is 0. Mr Sze used Yahoo’s Hadoop cloud computing technology to more than double the previous record. It took 23 days on 1,000 of Yahoo’s computers – on a standard PC, the calculation would have taken 500 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11313194

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‘Fair trade’ solution to learning a new language

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By Dave Lee, BBC World Service

They say the best way to learn a language is to get stuck in, immersing yourself in a culture in a way that means you have no choice other than to adapt. Human interactions, with all the real life quirks which make language so interesting, are essential if you are to become fluent.I think these kinds of virtual environments are really great, really good. Kids in school respond very well to these sorts of approaches.” -Linda Parker, Association for Language Learning

In the past, you would have to fly out to various corners of the world to achieve such a level of immersion. But now, in our ever-shrinking, networked world, the chance to learn new languages direct from the communities that speak it naturally is just a few clicks away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11286290

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Fake website ‘takes seconds’ to set up

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By Kevin Peachey, BBC News

Some websites are so sophisticated they add counterfeit security certificates to fool shoppers, said David Holman, of First Cyber Security. He issued the warning as the Trading Standards Institute said many items ordered online have failed to arrive. There has been a four-fold rise in the number of fake goods seized at UK borders in the last 10 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11372689

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September 22, 2010

Chrome Turns 2, New Version Launches To Celebrate

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by Ray Willington, HotHardware

This week marks the two year anniversary (or birthday, if you’d prefer) of Chrome, and even that browser has changed a lot (for the better) since 2008. In order to celebrate 2 years, Google is releasing a new stable version (Chrome 6) that’s even faster and more streamlined than prior versions. Chrome is now three times faster than it was two years ago on JavaScript performance, and the UI has been stripped down a bit more to make browsing even simpler.

http://hothardware.com/News/Chrome-Turns-2-New-Version-Launches-To-Celebrate/

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New CPU Technology Promises New Devices

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by Best Mobile Contracts

Samsung has been working hard to crank out a new CPU after the previously successful Hummingbird. From the looks of it, they have been successful. Enter the new Samsung Orion. This new chip is based on the ARM Cortex A9 CPU and provides excellent speed at 1GHz, great graphics acceleration and of course support for HD video playback as well. The only real concern now is what devices this new core processor is set to come out on. It has already been confirmed that the previously released Hummingbird is a success.

http://www.blog.best-mobile-contracts.co.uk/2010/09/new-cpu-technology-promises-new-devices.html

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Google seeks to speed up Web searches

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By Alexei Oreskovic, Reuters

Google Inc’s search engine now displays results before users finish typing. The new technology, dubbed Google Instant, can shave two seconds to five seconds off every Internet search, Google said on Wednesday, and could entice users to search more on its website. And with competition increasing from Internet rivals such as Microsoft Corp, Yahoo Inc and Facebook, the technology gives Google new ammunition to tout its advantages to web surfers and online advertisers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0811698220100908

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September 21, 2010

Twitter’s first revamp in four years is major overhaul

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by Maggie Shiels, Technology reporter, BBC News

Twitter chief Evan Williams said the new site would improve engagement Twitter has undergone its first major facelift which aims to provide a rich multi-media experience for its 160 million users. The redesign aims to make it easier for users to check out photos and video. As Twitter competes for advertising dollars, it is also seeking to ensure people stay on the website for longer and return more often. Twitter.com now spreads information over two “panes” instead of over one page. One pane or panel is devoted to the 90 million messages or tweets posted on the site every day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11308460

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UN reveals global disparity in broadband access

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by Jonathan Fildes, the BBC

Africa is now encircled with high-speed internet cables The global disparity in fixed broadband access and cost has been revealed by UN figures. The Central African Republic is the most expensive place to get a fixed broadband connection, costing nearly 40 times the average monthly income there. Macao in China is the cheapest, costing 0.3% of the average monthly income. Niger becomes the most expensive place to access communication technologies, when landlines and mobiles are also taken into account. “Access to broadband in an affordable manner is our greatest challenge,” Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), told BBC News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11162656

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Microsoft launches Internet Explorer 9 web browser

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By Maggie Shiels, BBC

IE9 contains many new features, many of which are designed to make the browser perform more like an app – the small programs commonly found on smartphones. These specialist pieces of software, which offer a customised and intuitive way to interact with a website, are gaining increasing popularity. IE9 is designed to help blur those boundaries. To do this, Microsoft has adopted technology that allows the browser to tap directly into a computer’s graphics chip, rather than just its processor. Many features will be familiar to users of other browsers This “hardware acceleration” makes web pages more nimble and behave more like software running directly on the computer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11315819

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September 20, 2010

Twitter iPad app launch gets good reviews

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by wired PR news

Twitter has launched a new iPad application, which has set technology blogs abuzz with positive reviews, as reported by AFP. The microblogging service launched the free “Twitter for iPad” application, which allows users to send and receive tweets from the device, as well as see other content, on Thursday. Twitter is quoted by AFP as stating of the app in a blog post, “Twitter for iPad takes advantage of the iPad’s fluid touch interface, letting you move lots of information around smoothly and quickly — without needing to open and close windows or click buttons…

http://www.wiredprnews.com/2010/09/04/twitter-ipad-app-launch-gets-good-reviews_2010090413678.html

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New technology improves classroom experience

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By Teresa Linn, the Blue Banner

UNC Asheville is undergoing technological advances including SMART boards and wireless Internet expansion this school year, something staff and students said they are very eager about. “I am quite excited about the technology expansion on campus,” said junior and teaching fellow Sabine Moses. “I am thoroughly impressed.” UNCA Chief of Information Jim Kuhlman said the school added a new addition to some classrooms this summer. “Over the summer, we put the first SMART boards in,” Kuhlman said. “Rooms in Karpen Hall are beginning to have SMART boards.”

http://www.thebluebanner.net/news/new-technology-improves-classroom-experience-1.1572938

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Twitter unveils “faster, richer” Twitter.com

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by Daniel Terdiman, Cnet News.com

Twitter on Tuesday unveiled a major redesign of its home page, one its executives say will give users a better, easier and faster experience. Though site redesigns are often underwhelming, the new Twitter.com is tantamount to a fundamental re-launch of the popular microblogging service’s Web-based interface, mainly because it introduces a new interface build around a second viewing pane in which users will be able to see all kinds of content–from photos and videos to user profiles to geolocation information and more. Twitter CEO Evan Williams said that the new version of the site (see video below) is available to some users immediately, while others will see it implemented in the coming weeks.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20016455-52.html

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September 19, 2010

Finding a balance with technology

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By Kathryn Olmstead, Bangor Daily News

I’m not really a Luddite. I don’t reject all technology. I love my cell phone and e-mail, and cannot imagine writing without being able to cut and paste. I am beyond the day when I refused to have a computer in my home because my job demanded I sit at a keyboard all day. Yet I know every minute at the computer compromises my desire to be outside immersed in nature or engaged in physical activity. And so I am last among my peers to adopt new technology.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/News/Finding-a-balance-with-technology,152837

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Apple unveils new technology for people who hate technology

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by Michael Duff, Lubbock Online

I can sum up Apple’s success in one sentence. For the average computer user, the difference between two clicks and five clicks is all the difference in the world. Engineers don’t get this and this is why they fail. You can’t underestimate how much consumers hate the learning curve and you can’t expect users to chase after your product. You have to serve it to them — quickly, simply and with a bow on top. Consistent application of these principles has put Apple on top, but even Apple has blind spots.

http://lubbockonline.com/columnists/2010-09-03/duff-apple-unveils-new-technology-people-who-hate-technology

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UCSD: New technology will extend smartphone battery life

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by Ashley McGlone, UNION-TRIBUNE

One example of the specialized circuits — or conservation cores — created by UCSD researchers using ‘dark silicon.’ The small boxes in the image are the pattern of logic gates that are spatially placed over a small portion of the GreenDroid chip. One of the common complaints about smartphones is insufficient battery life. Now, a developing technology in San Diego may change that. Computer scientists at the University of California San Diego are creating a prototype smartphone chip using “dark silicon,” expected to be 7.5 to 11 times more efficient than mobile application processors currently on the market.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/03/ucsd-new-technology-will-extend-smartphone-batter/

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September 18, 2010

Google at 12: 10 IT Lessons the Search Engine Giant Has Taught Us

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By Don Reisinger, eWeek

Google is now 12-years-old. And over the past dozen years, the search engine company has grown from a small startup with big hopes to the company that has single-handedly changed every facet of the technology industry. Whether it’s online or in the software space, Google has found a way to carve out a significant portion of the market. But that doesn’t mean that everything Google has done or accomplished over the past 12 years has been good for users. In fact, a valid argument can be made that Google’s desire to not be “evil” has backfired over the past few years. And in some ways, the company has lost its way.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search-Engines/Google-at-12-10-IT-Lessons-the-Search-Engine-Giant-Has-Taught-Us-859150/?kc=rss

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Android Tablet vs. Apple iPad: 10 Features Google Handhelds Need Now

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By Don Reisinger, eWeek

Apple’s iPad is the top tablet in the world. The Apple iPad is also the market’s key driver. However, a slew of Android-based devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab , are making their way into the market in an attempt to take on, and potentially beat, the iPad. Unfortunately for those devices, beating the iPad is a tall order. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s impossible. In fact, it’s quite possible that, with the right plan, any company with a solid vision can keep up with the iPad in the tablet market. It’s just going to take some work. Here, eWEEK takes a look at 10 strategies companies, such as Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems and Dell, will need to employ to take on Apple’s iPad. The suggestions range from the physical design, such as creating better touch screens and larger displays, to incorporating more enterprise functionality into the device to “borrowing” from Apple’s slick and well-produced marketing campaigns for the iPad.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Android-Tablet-vs-Apple-iPad-10-Features-Google-Handhelds-Need-Now-297234/?kc=rss

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Artificial, Touch-Sensitive ‘E-Skin’ Developed by Scientists

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By: Nathan Eddy, eWeek

The nature magazine Nature Materials reported on the efforts of two independent US research groups had developed an artificial, electronic skin that has the ability to sense, and respond to, a very light touch. This “e-skin” is made of semiconductor nanowires that operate using very low voltage. It is the first such material made out of inorganic single crystalline semiconductors. The skin can be applied by rubbing it or rolling it onto a surface and can detect pressure around 0 to 15 kilopascals, which would allow a robot helper, for instance, to do the dishes or handle a pet without causing damage.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/Artificial-TouchSensitive-ESkin-Developed-by-Scientists-777473/?kc=rss

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September 17, 2010

Fibre optic capacity ‘auto-tuned’ by novel device

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by the BBC

Light micrograph of a fibre optics cable Scientists have shown off a system they say could “substantially” improve the data capacity of fibre optic networks. The team says the growth in bandwidth-hungry applications such as YouTube and iPlayer will eventually stretch the limits of long-distance fibre links. Their improved system would eliminate most of the interference caused by other signals and amplifiers, in an analogue of “auto-tune” software. Developers say the device can plug directly into existing networks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11229085

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‘World’s first’ Arabic-speaking robot looks for funding

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by the BBC

The UAE University in Abu Dhabi has built the world’s first fully automated Arabic-speaking robot that can have intelligent conversations with humans – based on information gathered via the internet and through social networking sites. However, making the leap from lab project to commercial application remains difficult – largely because of funding. In Dubai, a series of networking events have been launched in an effort to bring together investors and entrepreneurs. Ben Thompson went along to see if the meetings can spark a wave of innovation for the region.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11274080

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YouTube in two-day live video-streaming test

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by the BBC

Four partners will stream video during the two-day technology trial YouTube has started to experiment with its own-brand live video-streaming technology. Over two days the site is planning a trial in which four partners will get the chance to air live programmes. YouTube has done one-off live events in the past, but the trial marks a test of underlying technology that will be used when the service is launched. The live programming system is likely to be only open to media partners rather than individual web users.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11282240

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