Technology News Blog

Sungrazer comet captured plunging into the Sun

NEW DELHI (PTI): An observatory has been able to take photographs of a sun grazer comet plunging into the Sun, a celestial event rarely captured on camera by astronomers.

Though the encounter was too close to the Sun for human eyes to see, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has monitored the action using an opaque disk to block the star’s glare and even managed to click photos of this event, Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) C B Devgun told PTI on Sunday.

SOHO is a spacecraft launched to study the Sun. It is a joint mission by NASA and the European Space Agency. (more…)

MapmyIndia Road Pilot GPS navigator to explore India

With Mapmyindia’s new GPS navigation device, the Road Pilot, you have probably found the best way to explore India. Road Pilot lets you explore this mesmerizing country without any fear of getting lost. With its rich source of India’s best maps that helps you get a street level turn -by-turn direction, traveling in India is surely going to be a unique experience.

The Mapmyindia’s Road Pilot covers 620 cities across India with more than 2 million unique destinations. Preloaded with more than 30,000 tourist locations, no matter where you go, the GPS navigation covers them all. It is your perfect guide to discover India with over 52 categories of points of interest that covers hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps, ATMs and many more.

Mapmyindia’s
Road Pilot is your travel manager where you can search for your favorite tourist destination and create a custom route that matches your needs. It comes preloaded with maps of more than 125 tourist cities. It is also powered with industry leading SiRF Atlas 1V high performance chipset that helps you connect quickly. It also makes sure that you stay connected and guided all through your voyage.

Another amazing feature of Mapmyindia Road Pilot GPS device is that there is absolutely no requirement for SIM cards and GPRS connection for the device to work. It works exclusively on GPS signals and is also capable of guiding you in those areas where there is no mobile service provider. Traveling and driving can be so much fun with this navigator as you just need to punch-in your destination and relax as the route is guided by a voice navigation system. (more…)

Now, a PC that reads minds

LONDON: British scientists have developed a computer that can read human minds, a key breakthrough which they claim takes telepathy a step closer to reality.

According to Eleanor Maguire of University College London and colleagues, the computer is able to decipher thought patterns and tell what people are thinking simply by scanning the brain.

For the research, which focused on the hippocampus, an area at the centre of the brain that plays a crucial role in short term memory, the scientists carried out an experiment involving 10 volunteers.

The subjects were shown three seven-second films featuring different women carrying out an everyday task in a typical urban street such as posting a letter or drinking a cup of coffee from a paper cup.

The volunteers were asked to memorise what they saw and then recall each one in turn whilst inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner which records the brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow
within the brain.

The computer algorithm then studied the electrical patterns and could tell which film the volunteer was recalling with an accuracy of about 50% — which was well above chance.

Technology that allows bosses to spy on employees

A Japanese phone company has come up with a new technology that can track most minimal movement of mobile phone users and beams the information back to HQ.

KDDI Corporation, which has developed the technology, intends to offer the service to clients such as managers, foremen and employment agencies, or whoever may be interested keeping in check the activities of their employees.

“Technically, I think this is an incredibly important innovation,” the BBC News quoted Philip Sugai, Director of the mobile consumer lab at the International University of Japan, as saying.

He added: “For example, when applied to the issue of telemedicine, or other situations in which remotely monitoring or accessing an individual’s personal movements is vital to that service. (more…)

Water Found in Apollo Moon Rocks

Recently NASA crashed two spacecraft into the moon and orbiters scanned the lunar surface for telltale light signatures—all to confirm the rocky body isn’t bone dry after all.

But, it turns out, solid evidence for water on the moon was under our noses the whole time.

Tiny amounts of water have been found in some of the famous moon rocks brought back to Earth by the Apollo astronauts, scientists announced last Wednesday. (Related: “Apollo 11 at 40: Facts, Myths, Photos, and More.”) (more…)

Isro tests low-cost rocket

MUMBAI: Forty-eight hours after the news about Chandrayaan-1’s discovery of ice on the moon, here comes more good news. On Thursday, Isro successfully tested a new generation high performance sounding rocket marking a major step towards low-cost access to space by India.

“Today’s flight marks a major step towards developing a low-cost access to space,” Isro chief spokesperson S Satish told TOI, while pointing out that there could be another test during the next three months.

Designated as advanced technology vehicle (ATV), it weighed three tonnes and is the heaviest sounding rocket ever developed by Isro. The launch took place at 8.30am in Sriharikota. Satish said for the first time India tested air breathing propulsion technology. The rocket reached an altitude of 46 km in 120 seconds after lift off. It then splashed into Bay of Bengal — the total duration of the mission being 240 seconds. (more…)

Water on moon a path-breaking finding, says ex-chief of ISRO

The confirmation of the presence of water on the moon by Chandrayaan-I probes will open vast opportunities for space research, says G. Madhavan Nair, former chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

For one thing, water available on the moon could be split into oxygen and hydrogen using sunlight and the oxygen could be used by human explorers while the hydrogen could be used as fuel.

This could reduce the necessity to carry expensive payloads of oxygen and fuel by future space missions. This could drastically cut the cost of space research. At present, every kilogram of payload cost $50,000, thus making space explorations prohibitively expensive.

“It is a path-breaking finding,” Mr. Nair, who was at the helm of the Chandrayaan-I project, said in his K.P. Hormis Memorial Lecture here on Thursday. “It is one of the greatest findings from the space exploration.” (NASA had early this week announced that its radar onboard India’s lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-I had detected vast ice deposits near the moon’s north pole.) (more…)

ISRO conducts flight testing of advanced sounding rocket

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight testing of its new generation high performance sounding rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) on Wednesday.

Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV-D01), weighing 3 tonnes at lift-off, is the heaviest sounding rocket ever developed by the ISRO. It carried a passive scramjet engine combustor module as a test bed for demonstration of Air- Breathing propulsion technology.During the flight, the vehicle successfully dwelled for 7 seconds in the desired conditions of Mach number (6 + 0.5) and dynamic pressure (80 + 35 kPa). These conditions are required for a stable ignition of active scramjet engine combustor module planned in the next flight of ATV.

The successful flight testing of ATV-D01 is a step ahead towards the advanced technology initiative taken up by the ISRO in the area of Air- Breathing propulsion.

Chandrayaan Helps Find More Water on the Moon

If you thought the Chandrayaan Mission was over a few months ago, please be prepared to be proven wrong. After scrutinizing evidence garnered from various scientific instruments aboard the Chandrayaan, the NASA had last year announced the presence of “little” amount of water on the moon. It was back then, hailed a very significant discovery. A few months down the lane, NASA’s Mini SAR probe aboard the Chandrayaan has managed to discover significant amount of water on the moon in an area near the north pole of our closest celestial neighbor. The mini SAR is a very small scientific instrument that weighs less than 10 kgs.

The news was announced by NASA this week. NASA scientists revealed that they expect to find at least 600 million metric tons of water- ice in the area riddled with craters. The number of these craters is believed to be around 40 and range in 2 to 15 kms in diameter. These craters are usually colder than the surrounding areas and have been long thought to be the best places to look for water on the moon. Jason Crusan, a NASA spokesperson, said, “After analyzing the data, our science team determined a strong indication of water ice, a finding which will give future missions a new target to further explore and exploit.” (more…)

Screen Time May Take a Toll on Kids’ Relationships

TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) — Too much time in front of computers or televisions increases the likelihood that teens will have poor relationships with their parents and peers, a new study suggests.

The researchers looked at 3,043 New Zealand teens, aged 14 to 15, who provided details about how they spent their free time and how close they were with other people.

The more time the teens spent watching TV or using a computer, the more likely they were to report having difficulty forming a relationship with or an emotional bond to their parents. The likelihood of having what the researchers called “low attachment” to parents increased 4 percent for every hour spent watching TV and 5 percent for every hour spent using a computer.

Teens who spent more time doing homework or reading had a higher level of attachment to their parents, the study authors noted in their report published in the March issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. (more…)

It’s the finding of the millennium: Nair

BANGALORE: Space scientist and former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair was at the helm of the Chandrayaan-1 mission, India’s first mission to the Moon. He has been with the mission throughout its journey — from start to end. Nair told TOI on Tuesday the significance of Chandrayaan-1’s latest finding of almost 40 craters of water ice on the Moon. Excerpts:

What’s the significance of Chandrayaan-1 again locating almost 40 craters of water ice via the Nasa Mini-Sar instrument?

It has always been surmised that the polar region of the Moon contained water. The latest finding reaffirms that. It indicates that water could be buried deep underneath the Moon’s surface in the polar region.

How much water do you estimate the region could have? (more…)

Ancient Guj snake fed on baby dinosaurs?

NEW DELHI: The biggest enemy of a 100-tonne Titanosaur —one of the biggest dinosaurs to walk this earth —was a 11-ft prehistoric slithering snake. For the first time ever, scientists have confirmed that ancient snakes in India fed on young dinosaurs.

A 67-million-year-old fossil of a gigantic snake found coiled around a dinosaur egg in the village of Dholi Dungri in Virpur taluka in Gujarat’s Kheda district has helped an international palaeontological team led by the University of Michigan’s Jeff Wilson and Geological Survey of India’s Dhananjay Mohabey to confirm this unusual feeding behaviour.

The team published its discovery online on Tuesday in the journal PLoS Biology.

The scientists said, “The remains of a nearly complete snake were found preserved in the nest of a
sauropod dinosaur, adults of which are the largest animals known to have walked the earth. The snake was coiled around a recently hatched egg adjacent to a hatchling sauropod.” The new snake was named Sanajeh indicus. (more…)

Gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy could be tested in 2 years

A new treatment for an incurable wasting disease that kills about 50 British infants every year could begin human trials within two years, after highly encouraging results in animals.

The gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which aims to correct the faulty DNA that causes the condition, has dramatically prolonged the lives of mice with the mutation, while improving their nerve and muscle function. The treated rodents lived for more than 250 days, which is five times longer than those given any other type of therapy and 16 times longer than untreated animals.

A version of the therapy has also been successfully tested on a monkey, suggesting that the technique is highly likely to work in human beings.

Scientists at Ohio State University, who conducted the study, will apply to start trials on children as soon as they have finished toxicity testing. They hope to treat the first patients within two years. (more…)

Going up in the world? Beat the rush hour with first commercial jetpack for £50,000

It is the perfect way for city high-fliers to miss the morning rush hour. A company is set to produce the first commercial JETPACKS – and one could be yours for just £50,000.

The traffic jam-beating packs will be manufactured after a multi-million pound deal was signed with an international aircraft company this week.

Martin Aircraft Company, in Christchurch, New Zealand, aims to make 500 packs a year allowing first-person propulsion through the skies for commuters.

The 200 horsepower dual-propeller packs can travel at 60mph for up to 30miles on a full tank of fuel. They have been reached heights of 7,800ft in tests.

At 250lbs when empty, the jet pack is not heavy enough to require a pilot’s licence, although users will take part in a Martin Jetpack training programme.

However, the gadget is not environmentally friendly burning 10 gallons of fuel per hour – five times as much as the average car.

The 5ft by 5.5ft device is the brainchild of Kiwi inventor Glenn Martin who unveiled his machine for the first time in July last year.

While jetpacks are traditionally powered by jets of escaping gases, the new device uses a gas engine with two ducted fans to provide lift.

Pitch and roll are controlled by one hand, yaw and the throttle by the other.

Martin Aircraft Company chief executive Richard Lauder said the pack could be perfect for the emergency services, private users and even the military.
jetpack

You won’t need a pilot’s licence to fly with this jetpack

Mr Lauder said: ‘This could be life-saving stuff. For us this is an excellent commercial step.’

The device has safety features to combat the inherent dangers of flying through the air. It has both an internal roll cage to protect the pilot from side impact and a a ballistic parachute system that works at low altitudes.

Jetpacks first emerged in science fiction in the 1920s and were tested by the U.S military by the 1960s, but have never ‘taken-off’ commercially.

Astronauts on the International Space Station wear rocket packs during space walks called a ‘Safer.’ This can be used in emergencies should they become detached from the station.

NASA’s Cassini finds plethora of plumes and hotspots at Enceladus

Newly released images from last November’s swoop over Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have revealed a forest of new jets spraying from prominent fractures crossing the south polar region and yield the most detailed temperature map to date of one fracture.

The new images from the imaging science subsystem and the composite infrared spectrometer teams also include the best 3-D image ever obtained of a “tiger stripe,” a fissure that sprays icy particles, water vapor and organic compounds.

There are also views of regions not well-mapped previously on Enceladus, including a southern area with crudely circular tectonic patterns.

“Enceladus continues to astound,” said Bob Pappalardo, Cassini project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

“With each Cassini flyby, we learn more about its extreme activity and what makes this strange moon tick,” he added. (more…)

How does the body heal itself?

Unlocking the secrets of how the body heals itself, especially when organs become diseased, a new study shows that the presence of small particles known as microvesicles helps cellular communication and enables healing.

Microvesicles are much smaller than a normal cell and contain genetic information such as messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA), other species of RNA and protein.

Jason Aliotta, physician researcher at the critical care and haematology-oncology departments at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH), and colleagues focussed on these small particles.

During times of cellular injury or stress, or with certain diseases like cancer, infections and cardiovascular disease, these particles are shed and then taken up by other cells in the body.

The genetic information and protein in the microvesicles help to reprogramme the accepting cell to behave more like the cell from which the particle was derived.

Aliotta, also an assistant professor of medicine at the Brown University, said: “What we attempted to understand is how cells within the bone marrow are able to repair organs that are unrelated to those bone marrow cells, such as the lung.

“Our work suggests that when the lung is injured or diseased and cells within it are stressed or dying, they shed microvesicles. Those microvesicles are then consumed by cells within the bone marrow, including stem cells, which are present in small numbers within the circulatory system. Those bone marrow cells then turn into lung cells.”

Other researchers have reported similar findings over the last couple of years. Microvesicles have been known for over 40 years and have often been considered irrelevant, says an RIH release.

Aliotta concludes: “We are now recognising the relevance of microvesicles – they are important mediators of cell-to-cell communication.”

Budget for Indian space agency up by 58 percent

Indian space programme got a booster dose Friday with its plan allocation for fiscal 2010-11 rocketing up by 58 percent over that of previous year in the budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in parliament Friday.

The budgetary allocation for the Department of Space shot up to Rs.5,000 crore for the next fiscal as compared to the revised estimates of Rs.3,172 crore for 2009-10.

The budget has allocated Rs.500 crore for building Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) two rockets – polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) and geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV).

A sum of Rs.153 crore has been allocated for the development of GSLV Mark III, a rocket that can carry four-tonne payload and Rs.250 crore for development of semi-cryogenic engine.

Compared to Rs.230 crore allocated to ISRO’s manned mission in 2009-10, the funds for the next fiscal have been reduced to Rs.150 crore. (more…)

India Having Tech Advisory Group for E-governance Projects

The Indian government plans to set up a technology advisory group on e-governance projects, it said on Friday.

The move comes as the Indian government is preparing to invest in a large number of e-governance projects, including on a project to give unique identity (UID) numbers to the country’s citizens.

“An effective tax administration and financial governance system calls for the creation of IT projects which are reliable, secure and efficient,” the country’s Minister of Finance, Pranab Mukherjee, said while presenting the country’s annual budget in the Parliament.

The new group, called the Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects, will be headed by Nandan Nilekani, former co-chairman of Indian outsourcer, Infosys Technologies.

Nilekani quit Infosys last year to head a newly created government agency, called Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which was charged with creating a system to give every Indian resident an UID number. (more…)

Youngest extra-solar planet found

Washington: The youngest extra-solar planet, six times the mass of Jupiter — 1.9×1027 kg, has been discovered.

The giant planet named BD+20 1790b is only 35 million years old and orbits a young active central star at a distance closer than Mercury orbits the sun.

An international team of astronomers led by Dr Maria Cruz Galvez-Ortiz and Dr John Barnes from University of Hertfordshire made the discovery.

The planet is situated 83 light years away from the earth and is the youngest planet orbiting a star of a similar size to our sun.

Only one young planet, aged 100 million years, was previously known but the newly-discovered planet is about three times younger, the astronomers said.

Young stars are usually excluded from planet searches because they have intense magnetic fields that generate a range of phenomena known collectively as stellar activity, including flares and spots.

This activity can mimic the presence of a companion and so can make extremely difficult to disentangle the signals of planets and activity, journal Astronomy and Astrophysics stated.

Describing how the planet was discovered, Galvez-Ortiz said: “The planet was detected by searching for very small variations in the velocity of the host star, caused by the gravitational tug of the planet as it orbits — the so-called ‘Doppler wobble technique’”.

Venus, Jupiter to be seen together in planetary conjunction

From 6 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, stargazers will be in for a treat as Venus and Jupiter will be seen close together in a planetary conjunction.

Radio dzBB reported the planetary conjunction will be the first since December 2008, when Venus, Jupiter and the crescent moon appear near to each other to form a triangle.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Venus will be together with Jupiter at 9 and 8 degrees above the western horizon respectively.

“On February 16 at around 6 p.m., Venus will be found together with Jupiter at about 9 and 8 degrees above the western horizon, respectively. Venus will be shining at magnitude -3.8 and will remain low in the western horizon throughout the month,” Pagasa said in its astronomical diary.

For February, Pagasa said Jupiter will be about 15 degrees above the western horizon and will be shining at magnitude -2.0.

It said Jupiter will lie in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer and by using a modest size telescope, it will show a diameter of 33.26 arcseconds. An arcsecond is 1/3600 of a degree.

Uranus will remain glowing at magnitude +5.9 and will be located among the background stars of the constellations Pisces.

Saturn will be found at about 14 degrees above the eastern horizon two hours before midnight. It will be glowing at magnitude +0.7 and will lie among the background stars of the constellation Virgo, the Virgin.