Ideabing Idea Book

The Ideabing Idea Book I
www.ideabing.com
This book is dedicated to our readers and contributors. It is them
who make this website tick, stick and flip. We decided to make a
book out of all posts on ideabing.com every 6 months and distribute
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Ideas in this issue
Ideabing Daily Roundup- Nuclear Fusion Version 33
Computer Automatically Deciphers Ancient Language 33
View Out Of A Space Shuttle 35
DIY: More Nuclear Fusion Reactors 35
Ideabing Daily Roundup: Universcale Version 36
Inspiration: The Nikon Universcale 36
Scary Design: Mouse Pointer Contact Lenses 37
File-Swap Lets You Swap You Files For Some Random Files 38
DIY: Enforcing Privacy, The IR Way 38
Smart Thinking: Recharging Shopping Carts 39
Design: BP Oil Spill Springs Artists To Action 39
Wireless Induction Charging For Plugin Cars? 40
Infographic: Walking Or Biking To Work Costs You Tax Money 40
On Ideabing This Week- DIY Nuclear Plants, Hybrid Airships
And Inno... 41
Lockheed Martin Working On OTEC Technology. Promises
Unlimited Clea... 41
Sustainability: World's Most Sustainable Building 42
DIY Nuclear Fusion Reactor. Believe. 43
Want To Check Your Email In Your Car? Buy A BMW 43
Inspiration: Fixing Education In America 44
4Food Tries To "DeJunk" NYC's Food 44
A Weird Vending Machine 45
Building A Smarter City With IBM 45
Video: Wireless Parking 46
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Video: GE - A Day In Life 46
Some people do not taste salt like others 46
The Most Economical Airplane? MIT Thinks So 47
Aava Mobile Talks Tablets, More Goodies This Year 49
Grassroots Innovation - A Refrigerator That Runs Without
Electricit... 51
Australia Says: No Antivirus? No Internet 51
How Do I Become An Entrepreneur? 52
Infographic: Countries That Invest Most In Alternative Energy 53
Hybrid Airships, The US Army's Next Frontier 53
IBM's Data Baby 54
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview With The Founders Of yReceipts 54
IBM's Watson Supercomputer Competes Against Humans In
Jeopardy! 56
Infographic: How An Intel Processor Is Made 57
Kia Ads Seem To Equate Humans To Hamsters 67
The Willow Garage Robot Plays Pool, Will Win The Next World
Champio... 67
Sleeping Pods, The Perfect Things To Sleep In At Work 68
Ah, Yes, An Inflatable Tie-Pillow 69
Skateboard? No. "Hoverboard" 69
Video: The New Fast Lane 69
Sun + Fun + Design = Puma Phone 70
PepsiCo Issues Open Call for Innovation Incubator Program 70
HP Partners with Vidyo to Offer Anytime, Anywhere Visual
Collaboration 71
Love Your City? Then Give It A Citid 72
4
Fixed Broadband in Venezuela Grew 23.3 Percent During 2009 73
NASA Demonstrates Tsunami Prediction System 74
India: Ford Sees 272% Y-O-Y Sales Growth 75
Coolness: Buses in Brazil Connected To Mobile Broadband 76
Infographic: The Most Prescribed Psychiatric Drug in The US 77
Notion Ink's Rohan Shravan: Adam's Going To Be Cheaper
Than The iPad 78
The Indian Auto Industry- It’s An Electric Future 79
Video: The Future Of User Interface 80
IBM Expands Collaboration Software Support to Include iPad 80
Toyota Develops Advanced Version of Its Virtual Human Model 81
Intel Capital Invests $10 Million in Analytics Firm TRA 82
Philips Plans To Light Up Your Food. 83
State of Florida Leverages Microsoft Cloud Solution for Census
Count 84
Clever Heads At Bosch Thermotechnology A Constant Stream
Of New Inv... 85
Adidas Brings Latest Design And Technology Innovations In
2010 NBA ... 86
NOISEVOX wants to be tomorrow's MTV 87
Engineering A Viral Music Video 88
Intel CEO: Fostering an Innovation Economy 88
2011 Volkswagen Phaeton To Replace Cop Cars. The Car's
The Cop. 90
Konica Minolta Achieves Zero Waste Level 2 at All of its
Manufactur... 90
Infographic: The Lifecycle Of Oil 91
DuPont Opens North American Photovoltaic Research Facility 92
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Help Change the World With a Single Vote 93
Video: New Adventure Sport: Under Sea Base Jumping 94
HP Introduces the Future of Printing: Web Connected and Cloud
Aware 94
Schneider Electric Launches MiCST Collaborative Project 96
Texas A&M Teams With IBM To Speed Drug Discovery for
Tuberc... 96
Audi Travolution: Efficiently Through The City 97
GE Healthcare Unveils Innovative Technology in Breast Cancer
Imaging 99
The Dark Side of the Cloud 100
WWDC 2010 Live - iPhone 4 launched. Pictures. 102
NASA Rover Finds Clue To Mars' Past And Environment For
Life 102
Marketing To Goldfish 103
VSS Enterprise's first 'captive carry' flight! 104
Archeologists Discover 'Brain Food' in Early Human Ancestors'
Diet 104
WHO: Drug-resistant tuberculosis now at record levels 106
General Mills Takes Home the Gold at Edison Awards 107
RECYCLE THE CAN, DONATE THE TAB, REFRESH
COMMUNITIES 108
Iconic Range Rover Turns 40 108
Columbia Sportswear Designs Innovative Backpack Line for
National S... 110
Researchers make gesture-based computing interfaces more
accessible 110
Ideabing Contest Of The Month 112
Carnegie Mellon's Soccer-Playing Robots Get Creative With
Physics-B... 112
6
‘Tattoo’ may help diabetics track their blood sugar 113
Shell Ecobox™ Efficiently Delivers Oil To Engines; Significantly
Re... 114
Europcar Reveal the Cost of Dormant Urban Cars to Motorists 115
Volkswagen Invites Users to Help Create the Infotainment
Systems of... 116
Cronkite lab's iPhone app connects citizens, officials 117
Aava Mobile Announces 'Virta Android SDK' for Developing
Android on... 118
New research identifies promising leads to follow in search for
med... 119
Shell launches "Smarter Mobility" - innovations for cleaner, more
e... 120
Starbucks New Store in Japan is Designed to Reduce
Environmental Im... 121
Staples Launches Nationwide Computer and Office Technology
Recyclin... 121
Research shows some people don't taste salt like others 122
Microsoft Announces Availability of Hohm Scores for 60 Million
Home... 123
SAMSUNG Seek Offers First-of-Its-Kind Reusable Packaging to
Make Wi... 124
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview With Cloud Based Game Dev
Platform Wi... 125
Why The Aviation Sector Must Fear Cisco Telepresence 127
Video: New Energy 128
NASA's Airborne Infrared Observatory Sees The "First Light" 128
Postal Service Launches Green Newsroom 129
Philips To Bring E-health Solutions To Kenya 129
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IBM Teams With Hildebrand to Bring Smart Metering to Homes
Across B... 131
Belkin Acquires Zensi, Signaling Major Entry into Energy
Conservati... 132
Video: Craig Venter On Synthetic Life 132
Guess Who Is Building The Biggest Theme Park In The World.
Its Ferr... 133
Infographic: Top Cameras On Flickr 133
The Social Network Just Got Better, Famsmile Enters the Scene
with ... 133
Greenscroll Cleans Up Your Website's Carbon Footprint.
Ideabing Alr... 134
Feature: Design makes a difference – even for trucks 134
Biotech incubator opens its doors at UC Berkeley 136
"Out of Whack" Planetary System Offers Clues to a Disturbing
Past 138
Paper Mate Brand Launches First Widely Available
Biodegradable Pen 140
Investing In Clean Energy Projects Abroad is Key to Creating
Jobs, ... 141
New nanoscale electrical phenomenon discovered 142
In a World First, ASDA Announces 'Not for Profit' Price on All
Canc... 143
From Rockets to Race Cars, NASA and NASCAR Team Up in
Charlotte 144
Infographic: How The Internet Works 144
HP Joins New Alliance to Drive Unified Communications
Interoperability 144
ESPN to Bring Cisco TelePresence to 2010 FIFA World Cup
South Africa 145
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HID Global Previews New On Metal RTI Transponder with
Broadband UHF 146
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview with Mukta Darera, CEO of
iReboot 147
Yes, You Need A Facebook Fan Page Evaluator 149
Not Another Technology University 149
Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation Intend to Work
Jointly on... 150
Chefs Tout Sustainable U.S. Catfish 150
Have you got Britain's oldest boiler? Npower Energy will buy it
for... 151
Intel Unveils 45nm System-on-Chip for Internet TV 152
Microsoft and eGovernment Partners Take Citizen Services to
the Cloud 153
Intel Study Reveals Telehealth Will Dramatically Transform
Health Care 155
Artificial Life Created By Humans. Now Go Pray To God, If You
Still... 156
Samsung Announces New High-performance NAND Memory –
a 30nm-class, ... 157
IBM and McMaster University Collaborate on "Smarter
Transportation"... 158
Infovideo: Use Less Plastic 159
Levi Strauss & Co. Asks: What's The Future Of Line Drying? 159
Polycom Co-Founds UCIF to Advance Unified Communications
Interopera... 160
Tata Nano bags the Gold Prize in the 2010 Edison Awards 161
Mars Institute "Moon-1" Humvee Rover reaches Devon Island,
High Arctic 161
Microsoft Investigators Uncover Emerging Form of Click Fraud 162
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Infosys Awards India's Best Student Programmers 163
HP Labs Designs Data Center Fueled by "Cow Dung". To Build
Data Cen... 164
GE Marks 50th Anniversary Of The Laser With Launch Of New
“Laser Di... 166
The Pepsi Refresh Project Announces Top Vote-Getters to
Receive $1.... 166
Toshiba Mobile Display Develops OCB Liquid Crystal Panel for
3D Gla... 168
Honda Bodyweight Support Assist Device Selected for
Innovation Exhibit 169
Infovideo: Your Life, Unthreaded. 170
P&G Launches Supplier Environmental Sustainability
Scorecard 170
Sony launches “Road to Zero” environmental plan and sets
2015 mid-t... 171
OSU Studies How to Make Cows Happy and Increase Milk
Output 172
Storytrails- A Trail Mixed With A Story Makes A Lot Of Sense 174
Russia: On The Come Back Trail 174
Greenpeace: iPad Is Bad For The Environment 175
UPS Sets "Green" Standards for Shipment Packaging 176
Lockheed Martin To Deliver VINASAT-2 For Nation Of Vietnam 177
Nano parfait a treat for scientists 178
UCLA gets $5.5 million from Defense agency to create new
rotating m... 180
Toyota USA Foundation Awards $500,000 To Western
Kentucky University 181
Video: Is Your Internet Chrome Fast? 182
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Boeing's Phantom Ray Will Fly In December. Looks Beautiful At
Debut 182
Itsy-bitsy DNA spider: Molecules behave like robots 183
Video: Zapping Malaria With Lasers 186
Memonic Lets You Copy-Paste the Web. 186
Emerson Opens $30 Million Global Innovation Center 186
Intel Capital Announces Three Investments 187
NSFW: Trojan Reinvents The Condom 188
First U.S. Demonstration of Honda U3-X Personal Mobility
Prototype ... 189
Yahoo! and Nahdet El Mahrousa Launch Social
Entrepreneurship Compet... 190
Real Player SP Lets You Download Videos For Any Mobile
Device. Seri... 191
Lockheed Martin-Built Hubble Space Telescope Marks 20 Years
Of Astr... 192
New Method Developed To Capture Fingerprints On Difficult
Surfaces 194
US Postal Service Moves Closer to Energy, Fuel Reduction
Goals 195
Weird: Earth Space Agency Announces Call for Musicians to
Sing Abou... 196
Nestlé Japan aims to reduce CO2 levels with eco-friendly hybrid
tra... 196
NASA Sets Launch Date For Space Shuttle Atlantis 197
An Innovation Eco System called Fractal 197
Video: India's hidden hotbeds of invention 198
Computerization Of A Regional Transport Office In India. Sigh. 198
Infographic: State Of The Internet 2009 199
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UTSA Researchers Win $9.2 Million In Stimulus Funding During
2009 200
Carnegie Mellon, Nissan Team Up For Electric Vehicles 201
Real Time Photo Sharing Service Radar Shutting Down 202
Silicon nanoparticles will power next-generation batteries 202
Tiny Particles May Help Surgeons By Marking Brain Tumors 204
Mexico's Online Population Soars 20 Percent in Past Year 205
Truecar: Tells You What Your New Car Really Costs 206
Qualcomm Is Giving Away Flo TV Personal TV's at Uplinq 2010 207
Infographic: Where Energy Is Consumed In Your Home 208
DIY Lenses For Your Eyes - Look Again. 208
Anonymous Feedback From Your Co-workers? Good Idea! 209
GE Achieves Cleaner Coal Energy Milestone 209
Willow Garage Giving Away 11 PR2 Robots Worth Over $4
Million 210
Breakthrough Will Boost Semiconductor Performance 213
Google invests $38.8 mil in two US wind farms 214
FDA Approves First Cancer Vaccine. Yay! 214
The Yatra To Entrepreneurship 215
4000 MW A Year Out Of Geothermal Energy. That's What
Indonesia Is P... 216
We Need Robotic Maids. We Do. 217
Floating Powerplants Will Make Us More Power. Forever. 217
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview with the CEO of 30 Dollar Finance 218
Nokia Money Pilot Begins In India. Ahem. 220
Canada's First Financial Social Media Platform Launches in
Calgary 220
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UTSA Mechanical Engineering Students Design Lunar Utility
Cart for ... 221
Wild pockets: Making Online 3D Games? EasyPeasy! 223
Forum Drives University Innovations Toward Marketplace 223
AT&T Is Rethinking Possible. We Don't Think So. 225
Infographic: Google Page Rank explained 225
Robots That Can Balance On A Ball. Bullshit! 225
Video: Volkswagen's First Two Wheeler 226
McCormick Adds More Solar Power from Constellation Energy 226
Earthwatch Institute moves world headquarters to Harvard
property i... 227
GE, Nissan to Drive Smart Charging for Electric Vehicles 228
Achieving Your Goals Just Became Easy. Mentory Makes It
Happen 229
A New Way To Fight Corruption In India 229
Got A Startup? Shout It Out On Sproutpitch 230
Footnote Lists All The Best Historical Documents. We Like This
Thing 230
BSR And IDEO Reveal The ABCDs Of Building Sustainability
Into Produ... 230
World Bank And Pfizer Announce Initiative To Help Improve
Healthcar... 231
Pepsi Adds Refreshing Content To Nokia's Ovi Store 232
FIFA And Sony To Launch First Ever Global 3D Experience Of
The FIFA... 234
Video: Where Does Your Money Travel 235
A&E Television Networks Signs With Microsoft’s Admira 235
Pesticide Atrazine Can Turn Male Frogs Into Females 236
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Shootitlive Enables Real Time Media Publishing 238
Video: A Full Sized Home In 300 Sq. Ft. Yup, Possible 238
“MoonBots” Challenges Parent-Child Teams to Conduct Google
Lunar X ... 239
Video: Seven Species Of Robots 240
Persay Brings Voice Based Biometrics To The Market 240
Paper Describes Functional Nanomaterials For Medical, Health
Devices 241
Unmanned Space Flight? Possible 242
Want To Bet Aimlessly? Flusta Is Here For You 243
Don't Like Your Job? iReboot Can Help 243
CMU Student Uses Skin as Input For Mobile Devices 244
Mint.com Planning To Add Receipt Management Feature. We
Knew This W... 245
F/A 18 Super Hornets Flying On Biofuel. GE's The Culprit 246
Google Navigation On The iPhone? Drool! Drool! 247
Augmented "Hyper" Reality 248
Compostable cutlery. Seriously. 248
Ecoscene: A Review Site For All Things Green 248
SETI Releasing Radio Telescope Signal Data. Rejoice! 249
Video:No More Filthy Water 250
A Social Network Exclusively For The 40+ "Girl" Crowd. Ahem. 250
Dell Releasing 4 New Smartphones Very Soon 251
Apple's iAd Platform Creating Whole Business Units In Advert
Agencies 251
SAMSUNG Mobile Secures #1 U.S. Market Share For 2009.
Eh? 253
And We Need A Conveyor Belt Wrist Watch 254
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MIT Working On More Efficient Wireless Power Delivery 254
Driveburn Lets You Destroy Your Hard Drive And Save The
Planet 256
Infographic: Place Jobs Here 257
Infographic: Visualizing The Internet 258
Receipt Email Services Becoming A Startup Business Model 258
iPad In India - Perspective Of An Indian Newspaper Reader 258
Video: Hallucinations are a mirror of your personality 259
Chipin Creates Crowd Sourced Fundraising! 259
Fragging in the Sub-continent 260
Drug discovery, Netflix style? 261
Honk! A Social Network For Buying Cars 262
Feature Consolidation Or Greed? 262
Tweet Your Emails. Really! 263
5 Reasons Why Facebook Setup Shop in India 264
Entrepreneurship For Dummies 264
One Of The Best Places For You To Watch CEOs Talk 265
Plastic Electronics Could Slash The Cost Of Solar Panels 266
Seth Godin On Making Your Product Stand Out 268
Vitamin Water Has 1.33 Million Facebook Fans? WTF! 268
What An Advert! What An Idea! 268
Think Geek Makes Amazingly Geeky Products. We Likes. 269
HP Labs Discovery Holds Potential to Fundamentally Change
Computer ... 269
Infographic:Know Your Brands 271
Chip Checks For Oral Cancer 271
Palm Is Up For Sale! Yay! 273
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Want To Broadcast Your Events? Plancast Is Here. 273
Sustainable Chairs: Possible 274
A Website To "Fulfill Your Dreams". Brilliant! 275
Person Vs. Process – Which One’s The Right Tool For Your
Startup? 276
The impatient Indian Entrepreneur goes rural 277
Eva Vertes looks to the future of medicine 278
Steps To Make Your Blog Better 278
Apple Lessons: How To Kill Your Rivals 278
Innovative Desalination Technology To Receive Government of
Canada ... 279
GE's LED Bulb Lasts 17 Years 280
Apple's New iPhone Developer Agreement: Flash? Who? 281
MIT takes step toward airport scanners that can identify
explosives 283
Will iPhone Become Invincible With OS4? 284
Santander's Robots Will Guide You Through The Bank's
Massive HQ 284
Trazzler Answers The "Where Should I Go" Question 285
Video: The Emotion Behind An Invention 286
NYU Stern Starts The "Regulating Wall Street" Blog 286
AOL Joins MIT Media Lab Consortium 287
5 Good Looking Alternatives To Craigslist 288
Now Call Your Friend's Phone For Free Via Facebook 288
An Afternoon Nap Markedly Boosts The Brain’s Learning
Capacity 288
Video: Solar Powered Cargo Ship? Oh Yeah! 290
India Getting In "Big" Time Into Interactive Entertainment. 290
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Princeton Engineers Turn Noise Into Vision 290
Idea 293: Video: Start A Pirate Radio 292
Too Much Padding Last Week 293
Forget Lithium Ion Batteries. Take a look at Lithium Air
Batteries. 293
A web based iTunes? Its Here 294
MIT researchers develop heat-powered electronics 295
Video: The Next Beneficiary Of Innovation: The Coffee Cup 296
India Finally Makes Elementary Education Free And
Compulsory, Till ... 296
Is Adobe Romancing The iPad This Time? 296
Ideabing gift certificate giveaway 297
Open Source Micro Finance Platform Starts A Revolution 297
Infographic: What Does It Take To Be A Nerd? 298
Video: How Much Do You Know About Your Online
Consumers? 298
America's First Super Car. The Rapier SL-C. 298
Flash Was Dead Yesterday, Today It Is Being Buried. 299
Idea 292: Allow Tweeters To Schedule Their Tweets 300
Video: Ideas For A Better City 300
One Low Cost Innovation, One Smoked Up Car 300
New Electric Car Company On The Block 301
Solar Energy Scoring Big Bucks. Enphase Energy scores $40
mil. 302
Idea 291: Know Japan, Well 303
Idea 290: Smash Microscopic Particles Together. 304
Idea 289: Award An Outstanding Engineer 305
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Chevy Equinox + Amp = All Electric Chevy Equinox 306
Disruptive Innovation: GE's Next Generation 4MW Windmill 306
Infographic: Who is coming to the USA 307
Idea 288: Save Homeowners Some Energy Costs 308
Idea 287: Find Your Lost Electronic Gear 308
Video: What Can Daylight Savings Time Do To You? 310
Video: How Does A Windmill Change Your Life? 310
Battery Powered Locomotive? Possible. 311
Infographic: The GrowVC startup funding model 312
Photo: Attack Drones Have A New Good Looking Sibling 312
Idea 286: Learn how to report news 313
Flash Is Dead on TV 313
Idea 285: Learn the 4 foundations of a successful blog 313
Xerox Heads To India Looking For Innovation 314
Aha, Nokia wants you to develop apps for their phones! 314
Why We Should Go Back To Mars 315
Infographic: Convert a plane into a flying infographic 315
F-35 Lightning Gen II Helmet Mounted Display System achieves
first ... 315
Google, Nokia, T-Mobile, Yahoo, Dell and BBC getting pally in
Amste... 316
New Green Tech Saves 30% on Industrial and Commercial Air
Condition... 317
Idea 284: Build a sustainable fridge 318
Idea 283: Give computers a sense of smell 318
Super Nano Lithium Batteries developed by Illinois based firm 319
Vonage Receives Second Virtual Phone Number Patent 320
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Idea 282: Manufacture Solar Cells 321
Infographic: Aftermath of earthquake at Haiti 321
Large scale water desalination? Possible 322
Infographic: 20 things that happen in a minute 322
Idea 281: Live before you die 323
Idea 280: Get a loan for your small business 323
Idea 279: Start a multi-author blog 323
Idea 278: See the center of the Milk Way galaxy 323
Advertisement 323
Idea 277: Print shoes in 3D 323
Oh Palm, what happened to your innovation? Did Microsoft kill
it? o... 324
Idea 276: Get rid of barcodes, get rid of queues 325
Idea 275: Invest in rural India 326
Advertisement 326
Idea 274: Build a new type of power outlet. Get rid of home fires. 327
Idea 273: Add augmented reality to a car's windshield 327
Want to follow NASA on your iPhone? There's an app for that.
And it... 327
Idea 272:Make your blog work for you. 327
Idea 271: Start a business in your pajamas 328
Idea 270:One day everything you do will power the planet 328
Advertisment 329
Idea 269: Microsoft, DO NOT put the cart before the horse 329
Idea 268: Crowd source software testing 330
The most original musician on this planet is here 330
Idea 267: Find the right CEO for your company 330
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Advertisment 330
Sony Playstation "Move" has one leg in the grave 330
Idea 266: Bank on the FCC to fix your internet speed 331
Idea 265: Pixallate your TV. Make it your personal assistant 331
Idea 264: Make use of that stimulus money. Buy robots. 331
Advertisment 332
Idea 263: Buy a Windows Phone 7 series mobile device. Avoid
patent ... 332
Ah, more crowd sourced fund raising for startups! 333
Want to see the sun in 3D? There's an app for that 333
Idea 262: Get some poppy. Kill the pain. 333
Idea 261: Learn how to manage big accounts 333
Idea 260: Weigh digital data 334
Idea 259: Learn some old tricks to make your blog better 334
Idea 258: Buy a business 334
Idea 257: Invent new ways of presenting data to infomorons 334
Why we arent giving away an iPad like everyone else 335
Tech Move series: Part 1 of 5: Where are the terms technology,
inno... 335
Idea 256: Holographic "3D" Displays 335
Idea 255: Location based coupons. 336
Idea 254: Learn how to feed the world. Becoming a vegetarian
helps. 336
Idea 253: Buy pico projectors. Distribute it among your road
warriors. 337
The next steps in mobile communication? Rob Glaser's got
something ... 337
Idea 252: Build a flying telescope. NASA style. 337
20
Why innovation will spring out of patent lawsuits in the next
decade 337
Idea #251: Watch some LIVE IPL twenty twenty cricket on
Youtube. Sp... 338
Idea 250:Make sure your ideas make the cut before you
implement it. 339
Idea 249: Start a food truck. It's supposedly one of the best
selli... 339
Idea 248: Make sure your blog has the right niche. This way you
can... 339
Idea 247: Head to SXSWi 339
Idea 246: Use walls at your office to brainstorm. Save paper,
Save ... 339
Idea 245: When you cannot innovate, copy 340
Idea 244: Go find your startup the perfect apps at the Google
App S... 340
Idea 243: Develop a business growth strategy. 340
Idea 242: Save $2 mil by removing 1 stop sign. Look at Gary
Lauder'... 340
Subscribe to our posts and win a Nikon D90 SLR Camera plus a
lens k... 341
Idea #241: Attend Cloudcamp 2010. If you are in the cloud
computing... 341
Contest for this week: Win a 500 GB Seagate External HDD 342
Idea #240: Listen to Charles Leadbeater on innovation 342
Idea #239: Build a mind reading computer. I am not kidding. 342
Idea #238: Rent cars for an hour, or two or 24. Save the planet. 343
Idea #237: When in doubt, sue HTC. 343
Idea #236: Revolutionize sports with tech. Adidas works its
magic o... 343
21
Idea #235: Biodegradable plastics. Finally. Again? 343
Idea #234: Screw Cellular. Get into the Wimax game 343
Idea #233: Start managing your online reputation. 344
Idea #232: Working but want to start something? Just do it! 344
Idea #231: Design for the post apocalyptic world. Really. 344
Idea #230: Become an antiques collector. Start your collection
with... 344
Idea #229: Get a celebrity to endorse your product 345
Idea #228: You will love this bit of news if you are in the social ... 345
Idea #227: Read this blog if you are in the p2p lending arena 345
Idea #226: Having trouble managing a large mailing list? Make
life ... 345
Idea #225: Ask your government to share data to the world.
Then bui... 345
Idea #224: Listen to cells in your body. One molecule of H2O2
at a ... 346
Idea #223: You a web designer? Then you must be read these
magazine... 346
Idea #222: Integrate and grow. Going solo is not the best idea. 346
Idea #221: Outsource your next software project to Kenya. It
saves ... 346
Idea #220: Build a tablet PC. Its the next "big thing" 346
Idea #219: Make money for your next startup in these
companies 347
Idea #218: Give Flash a chance 347
Idea #217 347
Idea #216 347
Idea #215 347
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Idea #208 348
Idea #207 349
The iBing Shop is now open! 349
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Idea 185 352
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Idea #182 352
Idea #181 353
We are giving away 2 "polished stainless steel" iPod Shuffles.
Why?... 353
Idea #180 353
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Idea #178 353
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Idea #172 354
Question from a reader: I have invented a new regulator circuit
for... 355
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Idea #140 360
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Idea #122 362
We now have traffic from 101 countries. Asia beats everyone
else ha... 363
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Idea #116 364
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Idea #106 366
Idea #105 366
Idea #104: Help distribute videos on all freakkin platforms
#ideabi... 366
Idea #103: Write a marketing plan for your startup #ideabing
#idea 366
Ideabing is now on facebook. #ideabing #idea 366
Up and Down and Up again #ideabing #idea 366
Ideabing's massive t-shirt give away. 367
Idea #102 367
Idea #101 367
And the winner of the Nexus One is... 367
Ms. Jo Jones won our t-shirt contest 367
Idea #100 368
Idea #99 368
Idea #98 368
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The Ideabing t-shirt contest is over! 368
Idea #97 368
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We have started to conquer the world AND get a free custom t-
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Have ideas to share? 373
Google Nexus One give away! 373
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Idea #17: Replace all public transport in the world with Maglevs 381
Idea #16: Start a software services company in Chile. 381
Idea #15: Harvest organs from death row inmate 382
Idea #14: Form a country out of facebook users. 382
Idea #13: Ban inefficient light bulbs 382
Idea #12: Form a super bank. Get all the VC's of the world to
inves... 382
Idea #11:Desalinate ocean water. Counter ocean level rise due
to gl... 382
Idea #10: Replace Silicon transistors with Graphene transistors. 382
Idea #9: Power everything with the sun 383
Idea #8: Enable M&A of nations by other nations. 383
Idea #7: Ban private transport. 383
Idea #1: Make international roaming free on any mobile phone.
Launc... 383
Idea #6: Make invisible headphones. 383
Idea #5: Do away with the concept of patents. Let intellectual
prop... 383
Idea #4: Make free universal health care, universal 384
Idea #3:Make cameras obsolete. Design something that uses
your eye ... 384
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Ideabing Daily Roundup- Nuclear Fusion Version
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
DIY: More Nuclear Fusion ReactorsView Out Of A Space ShuttleComputer Automatically

Deciphers Ancient Language
Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 06:00PM ()
Computer Automatically Deciphers Ancient

Language
In his 2002 book Lost Languages, Andrew
Robinson, then the literary editor of the
London Times’ higher-education
supplement, declared that “successful
archaeological decipherment has turned
out to require a synthesis of logic and
intuition … that computers do not (and
presumably cannot) possess.” Regina
Barzilay, an associate professor in MIT’s
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Lab, Ben Snyder, a grad student in her lab,
and the University of Southern California’s Kevin Knight took that claim personally. At the
Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics in Sweden next month,
they will present a paper on a new computer system that, in a matter of hours,
deciphered much of the ancient Semitic language Ugaritic. In addition to helping
archeologists decipher the eight or so ancient languages that have so far resisted their
efforts, the work could also help expand the number of languages that automated
translation systems like Google Translate can handle. To duplicate the “intuition” that
Robinson believed would elude computers, the researchers’ software makes several
assumptions. The first is that the language being deciphered is closely related to some
other language: In the case of Ugaritic, the researchers chose Hebrew. The next is that
there’s a systematic way to map the alphabet of one language on to the alphabet of the
www.ideabing.com 33
other, and that correlated symbols will occur with similar frequencies in the two
languages. The system makes a similar assumption at the level of the word: The
languages should have at least some cognates, or words with shared roots, like main and
mano in French and Spanish, or homme and hombre. And finally, the system assumes a
similar mapping for parts of words. A word like “overloading,” for instance, has both a
prefix — “over” — and a suffix — “ing.” The system would anticipate that other words in
the language will feature the prefix “over” or the suffix “ing” or both, and that a cognate of
“overloading” in another language — say, “surchargeant” in French — would have a
similar three-part structure. Crosstalk The system plays these different levels of
correspondence off of each other. It might begin, for instance, with a few competing
hypotheses for alphabetical mappings, based entirely on symbol frequency — mapping
symbols that occur frequently in one language onto those that occur frequently in the
other. Using a type of probabilistic modeling common in artificial-intelligence research, it
would then determine which of those mappings seems to have identified a set of
consistent suffixes and prefixes. On that basis, it could look for correspondences at the
level of the word, and those, in turn, could help it refine its alphabetical mapping. “We
iterate through the data hundreds of times, thousands of times,” says Snyder, “and each
time, our guesses have higher probability, because we’re actually coming closer to a
solution where we get more consistency.” Finally, the system arrives at a point where
altering its mappings no longer improves consistency. Ugaritic has already been
deciphered: Otherwise, the researchers would have had no way to gauge their system’s
performance. The Ugaritic alphabet has 30 letters, and the system correctly mapped 29
of them to their Hebrew counterparts. Roughly one-third of the words in Ugaritic have
Hebrew cognates, and of those, the system correctly identified 60 percent. “Of those that
are incorrect, often they’re incorrect only by a single letter, so they’re often very good
guesses,” Snyder says. Furthermore, he points out, the system doesn’t currently use any
contextual information to resolve ambiguities. For instance, the Ugaritic words for “house”
and “daughter” are spelled the same way, but their Hebrew counterparts are not. While
the system might occasionally get them mixed up, a human decipherer could easily tell
from context which was intended. Babel Nonetheless, Andrew Robinson remains
skeptical. “If the authors believe that their approach will eventually lead to the
computerised ‘automatic’ decipherment of currently undeciphered scripts,” he writes in an
e-mail, “then I am afraid I am not at all persuaded by their paper.” The researchers’
approach, he says, presupposes that the language to be deciphered has an alphabet that
can be mapped onto the alphabet of a known language — “which is almost certainly not
the case with any of the important remaining undeciphered scripts,” Robinson writes. It
also assumes, he argues, that it’s clear where one character or word ends and another
begins, which is not the case with many deciphered and undeciphered scripts. “Each
language has its own challenges,” Barzilay agrees. “Most likely, a successful
decipherment would require one to adjust the method for the peculiarities of a language.”
But, she points out, the decipherment of Ugaritic took years and relied on some happy
coincidences — such as the discovery of an axe that had the word “axe” written on it in
Ugaritic. “The output of our system would have made the process orders of magnitude
shorter,” she says. Indeed, Snyder and Barzilay don’t suppose that a system like the one
they designed with Knight would ever replace human decipherers. “But it is a powerful
tool that can aid the human decipherment process,” Barzilay says. Moreover, a variation
of it could also help expand the versatility of translation software. Many online translators
rely on the analysis of parallel texts to determine word correspondences: They might, for
instance, go through the collected works of Voltaire, Balzac, Proust and a host of other
writers, in both English and French, looking for consistent mappings between words.
“That’s the way statistical translation systems have worked for the last 25 years,” Knight
says. But not all languages have such exhaustively translated literatures: At present,
34 www.ideabing.com
Snyder points out, Google Translate works for only 57 languages. The techniques used
in the decipherment system could be adapted to help build lexicons for thousands of
other languages. “The technology is very similar,” says Knight, who works on machine
translation. “They feed off each other.” [via MIT]
View Out Of A Space Shuttle

Now that space travel will become common, its time for you to start considering the view
you will get out of a space shuttle. You may then make a decision about forking out
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 06:00AM ()
DIY: More Nuclear Fusion Reactors

More DIY Nuclear fusion reactors coming to the fore, this one built by a high school
student. Thiago Olson built the nuclear fusion reactor in 2006 out of parts purchased from
a hardware store and ebay. Olson achieved nuclear fusion in his DIY reactor which fused
atoms at some 200 mil degrees. No, the reactor does not power his house yet. Wonder
www.ideabing.com 35
how far away we are from having personal nuclear reactors for our homes. Posted by
Akshaya Murthy at 01:06AM ()
Ideabing Daily Roundup: Universcale Version

Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Inspiration: The Nikon UniverscaleScary Design: Mouse Pointer Contact LensesFile-

Swap Lets You Swap You Files For Some Random Files
Inspiration: The Nikon Universcale

We might be the most intelligent species known to ourselves but have you ever imagined
how tiny we are? My trip to Niagara falls made me wonder about the size of this planet,
and the size of me. What if we created a scale as long as the universe and tries to spot
humans on it? You wouldn't be visible, just like the millionth of a millimeter is not visible
on a meter scale. The Nikon Universcale puts this thought into perspective by measuring
you and things around you on a cosmic scale. The problem is that you have to zoom in
way too much to find yourself. The site also serves up generous information about the
zoom level you are at. Go find yourself at Nikon Universcale
[via Nikon]
36 www.ideabing.com
Scary Design: Mouse Pointer Contact Lenses
Things like these are scary but they exist. A concept contact lens design called I-Contact
actually wants to use contact lenses for using your eye to do all the work your hands and
mouse do. The concept is straight forward but it might take some time before this gets
implemented in real life.The contact lens is the transmitter and the contact lens carrying
case is the wireless receiver. The rest is magic. So, how often do you want to change
your mouse? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Design by Eun-Gyeong Gwon & Eun-Jae Lee.
[via Yanko Design]
www.ideabing.com 37
File-Swap Lets You Swap You Files For Some
Random Files
Monday, June 28, 2010
Blind dates are one form of getting the unknown but getting random files is another thing.
file-swap.com lets you swap your perfectly good file for a random file off the internet! We
sent the ideabing logo file and got back a hazy party shot. Go try your luck. You might get
those naked mom pictures in exchange for your files. The domain is for sale, by the way.
DIY: Enforcing Privacy, The IR Way

Too many cameras looking at you on the street? Worried Google street view is
photographing you? Well, there is a low cost remedy to this problem. The street cams are
super sensitive to infra red light. So why not make a hat that has IR light all over it? that
should blind the camera!
38 www.ideabing.com
Smart Thinking: Recharging Shopping Carts
Some good green design ideas popping up across the board these days. Developed by
Kitae Pak and Inyong Jung the e-cart charging shopping cart concept is one such great
green idea. The idea's simple - as customers push around shopping carts charge a
battery via rotating wheels of the shopping cart. Then feed the stored energy back into
the grid. How cool is that! So how much power will hundreds of shopping carts generate
for a super market? Enough to run its freezers. Practical ideas like this one will drive our
planet to greenery, eventually. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 06:00AM ()
Design: BP Oil Spill Springs Artists To Action

www.ideabing.com 39
The Gulf Coast oil spill which has created one of mankind's worst screw ups. Now that
BP's got some bad publicity going its way, art had to contribute somehow.
logomyway.com has called artists to redesign BP's logo to accurately represent BP's
current image in the world - a large scale polluter. The contest has a $200 reward for the
winner! Hit the source link for contest details and more cool BP logo redesigns. [Source:
logomyway.com]
Wireless Induction Charging For Plugin Cars?

Sunday, June 27, 2010
While efforts are on to build entire networks of charging stations to fuel your power
hungry plugin automobiles, a German company Vahle has been proposing induction coil
lined roads to charge cars wirelessly while in motion. This type of charging works the way
a Palm Pre's touchstone based charging works - wireless induction. This could well be
reality, now that German cars are getting all sorts of capabilities. Video after the break.
[Source Vahle]
Infographic: Walking Or Biking To Work Costs

You Tax Money
So you thought walking or biking to work cost you nothing? Consider this - an annual
budget of $1.2 Billion just to make sure that your walking or biking is facilitated. Don't
understand? In plain terms, in the US the Dept. of transportation spends about $1.2 bil to
build infrastructure to make sure you can walk and bike safely to and from work. That's,
40 www.ideabing.com
uh tax money. No, don't get back into your car yet. [via Good]
On Ideabing This Week- DIY Nuclear Plants,

Hybrid Airships And Inno...
Missed things on Ideabing this past week? We have you
covered. We hit stories about sustainable energy, DIY
Nuclear Plants, grassroots innovation, hybrid airships, super
economical airplanes and exclusive interviews. What's coming up next week? Some
great stories on defence tech, awesome paint jobs, an exclusive interview, some
university research news and announcing the winners of the Ideabing contest. Keep
visiting us.
Lockheed Martin Working On OTEC Technology.

Promises Unlimited Clea...
We talk about a lot of green tech and clean tech here at Ideabing but this one takes the
cake. Lockheed Martin is working on something called the Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion or OTEC that promises energy production with zero carbon output. Yup, its a
power plant on the ocean but with absolutely no carbon footprint. How it works is a little
complex though. The technology utilizes the subtle temperature differences between the
shallow and deep regions of ocean water to harvest that energy and convert it to
electricity. The good news? The energy can be harvested in all the ocean water on this
planet! Unlimited energy potential with zero carbon output. Yes, the humans have finally
found kryptonite! Lockheed Martin's going to build the first power plant in Hawaii by 2012,
a 10 Mega Watt one. Subsequent ones will have 100 Mega Watt capacity. This changes
the game quite drastically in the energy sector. Imagine - no fossil fuels required to
generate electricity! Welcome to the OTEC economy. Video demonstrating the
technology after the break. [via Lockheed Martin]
www.ideabing.com 41
Sustainability: World's Most Sustainable Building
42 www.ideabing.com
Saturday, June 26, 2010
What do you call a building that's powered by the sun and the wind? It's called the Wuhan
New Energy Center. Coming up in Wuhan, China, the Wuhan New Energy Center boasts
to have a zero carbon footprint. The lily shaped building generates its own energy thanks
to the vertical axis windmill and solar chimney. The building also harvests rain water
within the building. The roof of the building is basically a solar panel array for generating
electricity. The design allows the building to be cooled naturally. Designed by the design
consultants Grontmij and Soeters Van Eldonk Architects the building will eventually stand
140 feet tall. The Wuhan Lily building is also the first building to be credited to be the
world's most sustainable building title. The building plans to house a research center and
labs for researching new energy initiatives. Pictures of the lily after the break. [via
Ecofriend]
DIY Nuclear Fusion Reactor. Believe.

New York is notorious for nuclear projects, first the Manhattan project that produced the
world's first nuclear weapon, now the so called "Brooklyn project" is out to create the
world's first home made nuclear fusion reactor. While we have always thought of nuclear
fusion technology to be THE solution to the world's energy problems, it's been an entity
chased by multinational science teams. But, one Mr. Suppes of "Prometheus Fusion
Labs" has built a nuclear fusion reactor in his garage. Yes, you heard it right, in his
garage. It doesn't power his home yet but sure fuses up atoms - the first step to nuclear
fusion energy. Don't believe me? Watch the video. [Source BBC] [via PSFK]
Want To Check Your Email In Your Car? Buy A

BMW
Now this is what we call messed up or
productive, depending on how you see it. If
you are the globe trotting CEO who wants
to stay in touch with people via email even
when you are driving your car, then this is
productive. If you have just purchased the
car to drive around like this guy did, then
this is messed up. BMW is integrating email
reading functions into their cars' connect
drive display unit. This means that if you
have a Blackberry phone (no iPhone,
sorry), you can now read emails off the
phone directly on the car's display unit. Now you decide if this is productive or messed
up. Mr. Arnold, if you are listening could you please consider passing a law that bans
drivers from reading their emails while in their BMW's in Cal? Shots of the email interface
after the break.
www.ideabing.com 43
Inspiration: Fixing Education In America

Friday, June 25, 2010
America has fallen behind in education, so much so that it stands last in the list of 20
developed nations in percentage of students graduating out of high school. The problem
is so big that every 26 seconds a child drops out of school in the US. Indian and Chinese
children are outperforming everywhere. SO, how do we fix it? There is no single answer
but once you fix education, other problems like unemployment and crime will be solved
automatically. Oscar winning film maker David Guggenheim of "An Inconvenient Truth"
fame has now made a film about the US education system called "Waiting for
Superman". Watch it this fall, you might see the answers staring at you. Trailer after the
break. [via Waiting For Superman]
4Food Tries To "DeJunk" NYC's Food

NYC is seeing a lot of startup action and
food is a hot sector. 4Food is another NYC
startup trying to do some good to mankind,
especially the obese kind in NYC. 4Food is
a "socially networked" fast food joint with a menu that is "considerably healthy" compared
to the competition (read McDonald's, Burger King, Wend..). The joint offers fast service
with almost unlimited customization offered on the food they serve. Thanks to the "social
networked-ness" of the food joint, they will be able to personalize every aspect of the
food to meet the consumers' lifestyle requirements. You can win an iPad by suggesting
how you want to dejunk NYC's food on 4food's website. Want to see how it all began?
Head here. Their first outlet opens on 40th and Madison in NYC on July 6th. Be there!
44 www.ideabing.com
A Weird Vending Machine
Japanese have their way with things, be it technology, or even porn. Hitachi has now
shown off a solar powered vending machine that's quite different. Apart from of course,
the solar panels that run the machine, a whole lot of moss covers the borders of the
vending machine to insulate it during cold Japanese winters. The Fuji electric group
showed off the creation at a trade show recently. The moss keeps the machine warm
hence conserving energy. Innovative, indeed. And yes, the Japanese are super
obsessed with vending machines. Do the Japanese eat raw moss? Just asking. [via
PSFK]
Building A Smarter City With IBM

Few advertising campaigns make an impact on our minds, IBM's "Smarter City"
campaign is one of the best we have seen. IBM has built a whole portal putting together
all the case studies that make up a smarter city. Its a "complete" campaign in a sense.
The campaign addresses issues with transportation, healthcare, education, development,
public safety, and energy and utilities with core examples. The site also offers glimpses of
work IBM has done in each of these areas. The main theme is to convert silos of
information into a streamlined flow of information across departments and organizations.
Share the data, collaborate and be a smarter city. Check out the website here:
ibm.com/thesmartercity
www.ideabing.com 45
Video: Wireless Parking
Thursday, June 24, 2010
How often have you gotten out of the comfort of your high rise home at 6 in the morning
JUST to feed the parking meter? Trust me, I have, several times. Big cities means big
problems parking your car and then keeping the cops from giving you a parking ticket. In
comes wireless parking. How about finding a parking spot with that smartphone you
have? How about controlling the parking meter with your smartphone? Interesting?
Watch. [via Good]
Video: GE - A Day In Life

Want to know what happens at GE everyday? This video might help. GE - Day in Life
from Honest Directors on Vimeo. [via Vimeo]
Some people do not taste salt like others

University Park, Pa. -- Low-salt foods may be harder for
some people to like than others, according to a study by a
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences food scientist.
The research indicates that genetics influence some of the
difference in the levels of salt we like to eat. Those
conclusions are important because recent, well-publicized
efforts to reduce the salt content in food have left many people struggling to accept fare
that simply does not taste as good to them as it does to others, pointed out John Hayes,
assistant professor of food science, who was lead investigator on the study. Diets high in
salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. That is why public health
experts and food companies are working together on ways to help consumers lower salt
intake through foods that are enjoyable to eat. This study increases understanding of salt
preference and consumption. The research involved 87 carefully screened participants
who sampled salty foods such as broth, chips and pretzels, on multiple occasions, spread
out over weeks. Test subjects were 45 men and 42 women, reportedly healthy, ranging in
age from 20 to 40 years. The sample was composed of individuals who were not actively
modifying their dietary intake and did not smoke cigarettes. They rated the intensity of
taste on a commonly used scientific scale, ranging from barely detectable to strongest
sensation of any kind. The study, a collaboration between Hayes and Valerie Duffy,
professor of allied health science and Bridget S. Sullivan, Master's graduate, University of
Connecticut, appeared in today's (June 16) issue of Physiology & Behavior. "Most of us
like the taste of salt. However, some individuals eat more salt, both because they like the
taste of saltiness more, and also because it is needed to block other unpleasant tastes in
food," said Hayes. "Supertasters, people who experience tastes more intensely, consume
more salt than do nontasters. Snack foods have saltiness as their primary flavor, and at
least for these foods, more is better, so the supertasters seem to like them more."
However, supertasters also need higher levels of salt to block unpleasant bitter tastes in
46 www.ideabing.com
foods such as cheese, Hayes noted. "For example, cheese is a wonderful blend of dairy
flavors from fermented milk, but also bitter tastes from ripening that are blocked by salt,"
he said. "A supertaster finds low-salt cheese unpleasant because the bitterness is too
pronounced." Hayes cited research done more than 75 years ago by a chemist named
Fox and a geneticist named Blakeslee, showing that individuals differ in their ability to
taste certain chemicals. As a result, Hayes explained, we know that a wide range in taste
acuity exists, and this variation is as normal as variations in eye and hair color. "Some
people, called supertasters, describe bitter compounds as being extremely bitter, while
others, called nontasters, find these same bitter compounds to be tasteless or only
weakly bitter," he said. "Response to bitter compounds is one of many ways to identify
biological differences in food preference because supertasting is not limited to bitterness.
"Individuals who experience more bitterness also perceive more saltiness in table salt,
more sweetness from table sugar, more burn from chili peppers, and more tingle from
carbonated drinks." Supertasters live in a neon food world, Hayes noted. Nontasters, on
the other extreme, live in a pastel food world. "Interestingly, nontasters may be more
likely to add salt to foods at the table because they need more salt to reach the same
level of perceived saltiness as a supertaster," he said. "However, most of the salt we
consume comes from salt added to processed foods and not from the salt shaker."
Currently, U.S. citizens consume two to three times the amount of salt recommended for
good health. Hayes advises consumers to lower their salt intake by reading the food label
and looking for products that contain fewer than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health supported this
work. [via PSU]
The Most Economical Airplane? MIT Thinks So

If you are flying to a place, you're most likely to have done more damage to the planet
than you can think. Now that the world is feeling guilty about pollution, MIT has stepped
in to design an aircraft that will consume 70% less fuel than current commercial
airplanes. The team also claims that the plane will reduce the amount of Nitrogen oxides
spewed out into the atmosphere and the amount of noise the airplane makes. We like the
solar plane as well. Good stuff eh? Of course, NASA had a part to play in this
achievement. Full PR text after the break. ******Start PR Text********** In what could set
the stage for a fundamental shift in commercial aviation, an MIT-led team has designed a
green airplane that is estimated to use 70 percent less fuel than current planes while also
reducing noise and emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The design was one of two that
www.ideabing.com 47
the team, led by faculty from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, presented
to NASA last month as part of a $2.1 million research contract to develop environmental
and performance concepts that will help guide the agency’s aeronautics research over
the next 25 years. Known as “N+3” to denote three generations beyond today’s
commercial transport fleet, the research program is aimed at identifying key technologies,
such as advanced airframe configurations and propulsion systems, that will enable
greener airplanes to take flight around 2035. MIT was the only university to lead one of
the six U.S. teams that won contracts from NASA in October 2008. Four teams — led by
MIT, Boeing, GE Aviation and Northrop Grumman, respectively — studied concepts for
subsonic (slower than the speed of sound) commercial planes, while teams led by Boeing
and Lockheed-Martin studied concepts for supersonic (faster than the speed of sound)
commercial aircraft. Led by AeroAstro faculty and students, including principal
investigator Ed Greitzer, the H. Nelson Slater Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
the MIT team members include Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and Pratt & Whitney.
Their objective was to develop concepts for, and evaluate the potential of, quieter
subsonic commercial planes that would burn 70 percent less fuel and emit 75 percent
less NOx than today’s commercial planes. NASA also wanted an aircraft that could take
off from shorter runways. Designing an airplane that could meet NASA’s aggressive
criteria while accounting for the changes in air travel in 2035 — when air traffic is
expected to double — would require “a radical change,” according to Greitzer. Although
automobiles have undergone extensive design changes over the last half-century,
“aircraft silhouettes have basically remained the same over the past 50 years,” he said,
describing the traditional, easily recognizable “tube-and-wing” structure of an aircraft’s
wings and fuselage. Two planes for two missions The MIT team met NASA’s challenge
by developing two designs: the 180-passenger D “double bubble” series to replace the
Boeing 737 class aircraft, currently used for domestic flights, and the 350 passenger H
“hybrid wing body” series to replace the 777 class aircraft now used for international
flights. The engineers conceived of the D series by reconfiguring the tube-and-wing
structure. Instead of using a single fuselage cylinder, they used two partial cylinders
placed side by side to create a wider structure whose cross-section resembles two soap
bubbles joined together. They also moved the engines from the usual wing-mounted
locations to the rear of the fuselage. Unlike the engines on most transport aircraft that
take in the high-speed, undisturbed air flow, the D-series engines take in slower moving
air that is present in the wake of the fuselage. Known as the Boundary Layer Ingestion
(BLI), this technique allows the engines to use less fuel for the same amount of thrust,
although the design has several practical drawbacks, such as creating more engine
stress. According to Mark Drela, the Terry L. Kohler Professor of Fluid Dynamics and
lead designer of the D series, the design mitigates some of the drawbacks of the BLI
technique by traveling about 10 percent slower than a 737. To further reduce the drag
and amount of fuel that the plane burns, the D series features longer, skinnier wings and
a smaller tail. Independently, each tweak might not amount to much, but the “little 5-
percent changes add up to one big change,” Drela said. Although the plane would travel
slightly slower than a 737, he said that some of this time could be recovered because the
plane’s wider size should allow for quicker loading and unloading. Not only does the D
series meet NASA’s long-term fuel burn, emissions reduction and runway length
objectives, but it could also offer large benefits in the near future because the MIT team
designed two versions: a higher technology version with 70 percent fuel-burn reduction,
and a version that could be built with conventional aluminum and current jet technology
that would burn 50 percent less fuel and might be more attractive as a lower risk, near-
term alternative. Carl Burleson, the director of the Federal Aviation Agency’s Office of
Environment and Energy, said that in addition to its “really good environmental
performance,” the D series is impressive because its bubble design is similar enough to
48 www.ideabing.com
the tube-and-wing structure of current planes that it should be easier to integrate into
airport infrastructure than more radical designs. “You have to think about how an airport
structure can support it,” he said. “ For some other designs, you could have to
fundamentally reshape the gates at airports because the planes are configured so
differently.” Although the H series utilizes much of the same technology as the D series,
including BLI, a larger design is needed for this plane to carry more passengers over
longer distances. The MIT team designed a triangular-shaped hybrid wing body aircraft
that blends a wider fuselage with the wings for improved aerodyamics. The large center
body creates a forward lift that eliminates the need for a tail to balance the aircraft. The
large structure also allows engineers to explore different propulsion architectures for the
plane, such as a distributed system of multiple smaller engines. Although the H series
meets NASA’s emissions-reduction and runway-length goals, the researchers said they
will continue to improve the design to meet more of NASA’s objectives. The MIT team
expects to hear from NASA within the next several months about whether it has been
selected for the second phase of the program, which will provide additional funds to one
or two of the subsonic teams in 2011 to research and develop the technologies identified
during the first phase. The researchers acknowledge that some propulsion system
technology still needs to be explored. They have proposed evaluating the interactions
between the propulsion system and the new aircraft using a large-scale NASA wind
tunnel. Even if the MIT designs are not chosen for the second phase, the researchers
hope to continue to develop them, including testing smaller models at MIT’s Wright
Brothers’ Wind Tunnel and collaborating with manufacturers to explore how to make the
concepts a reality. ********End PR Text*********
Aava Mobile Talks Tablets, More Goodies This

Year
Aava mobile, the open mobile platform startup is getting Intel into the high end
smartphone scene currently ruled by Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform. We talked to
Piotr Frasunkiewicz, the main man behind the sales and marketing at Aava. He talks to
us about the Aava platform, Android fragmentation, Meego, Intel vs. Qualcomm, the
Palm-HP marriage and of course, the magical tablet PC. Ideabing: Tell us about Aava
Mobile, how did it start?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:Aava Mobile was founded in 2009 by a team of engineering wizards
with a strong background in mobile phone development who wanted to build an open-
source mobile device platform for the OEM/ODM market.
Ideabing: What do you mean by an "Open Mobile Device"?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:Open Device is a concept we introduced during MWC 2010. In the
case of the hardware design, it's easy to customize for our customers, and with the
software, it's easy to customize in terms of the OS running on the device in addition to the
fact that it's open for different peripherals, which enables various usage scenarios.
Ideabing: Why Android? What other options did you consider before freezing on Android?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:Aava supports Android and MeeGo. We do not have a strong
preference in regard to the software. What software and what software customization will
be used in our hardware when products get on the market is the decision of our
customers.d. Why did you choose to use an Intel hardware platform over other hardware
platforms?
Ideabing: The Qualcomm Snapdragon platform is slowly becoming the standard, why
www.ideabing.com 49
move away from it?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:We see the clear benefits of the x86 architecture thanks to the
revolutionary improvements with power management in the Intel Atom Z6xx family. Now
x86 architecture can finally be used in mobile devices like smartphones. Intel can share
more info and benchmark data about Atom in comparison to other chipsets, but we can
say we are happy about our decision because this gives us unique market positioning
and makes our products competitive
Ideabing: We have already seen significant fragmentation of the Android platform. Do you
think Aava will contribute further to this fragmentation? Especially since operators will be
able to customize the UI?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:We believe that a common baseline is a key success factor, so we
focus our efforts on being fully compatible with Google's Android baseline. UI
customization does not necessarily lead to fragmentation, and MeeGo and Android
provide a lot of flexibility to customize the look and feel of the UI without changing the
core of the OS and causing market fragmentation.
Ideabing: How scalable is the Aava platform? How many form factors are you looking at?
What is the biggest form factor Aava is looking at for now?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:Aava's core experience relates to small form factor products, so our
core offering will be smartphones, but nothing prevents us from building bigger products
like tablets that are based on the same technology. Growing the size of the device to a
10” tablet is much easier then shrinking it to the smartphone size.
Ideabing: When will we see the first Aava devices shipping to consumers? When will US
consumers get to buy these devices?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:It depends on our customers. Our technology will be ready for
shipping this year.
Ideabing: What is the price range being targeted?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:You need to ask OEMs building devices based on our technology
because we cannot comment on market pricing. Our technology isn't more expensive
than the technology in other products on the market.
Ideabing: Your thoughts on the Smartphone market today?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:We believe that the smartphone market will become more and more
similar to the PC market. Open operating systems (not necessarily open source operating
systems) and hardware commoditization will lead to faster growth of the market and
much shorter product development cycles. We are happy to be a part of this.
Ideabing: Is HP's acquisition of Palm going to change anything in the mobile industry?
Your comments?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:We are very interested to see the first products based on Palm's
technology coming from HP.
Ideabing: Finally, where do Aava mobile platforms stack up against the iPad and/or
iPhone 4 platforms in terms of performance, value and technology?
Piotr Frasunkiewicz:We think that our technology gives more flexibility combined with
higher performance than any other smartphone device available on the market. I hope
you will be able experience this for yourself in the near future.
50 www.ideabing.com
Grassroots Innovation - A Refrigerator That Runs
Without Electricit...
Grassroots innovation changes the way people live in poor nations, this particular one
could well be the Nobel prize clincher. A young innovator in India, Mansukh Prajapati has
created what he claims a refrigerator that runs without any need for electricity. He hasn't
done anything new, just applied the knowledge Indian people have had for years about
pots made of clay. Clay's porous nature naturally keeps food stored inside clay
containers cool. Mansukh just made a refrigerator out of clay! The refrigerator called
"Mitti-cool" in Hindi which translates to "Clay-cool" has been patented in India. Apart from
"Mitticool", Mansukh has also developed water filters and non-stick cookware out of clay.
The best thing about this refrigerator is it's price. About $50!! This no electricity miracle
easily trumps Adam Grosser's sustainable fridge. Now try competing with this product,
GE. Imagine this refrigerator doing its magic in Africa! You can get in touch with Mansukh
at +912828 221156 OR +919825177249 Thanks, Deepti for the tip.
Australia Says: No Antivirus? No Internet

Australia is kicking up all the dust these days with massive civilian policy changes. First
there was a motion to ban any sort of manufacturer branding on cigarette packs, now it's
this. If you live in Australia and do not have anti virus software installed, you won't get an
internet connection. And if you do have a connection and not the anti virus software, it will
be cut of till the software is installed. Like that wasn't enough, if your computer gets
affected, the internet connection will be cut off till the problem's solved. This policy may
go a long way in preventing cyber crime for the Aussies but will it be effective in curbing
online crimes? Let's wait and watch. [via news.com.au]
www.ideabing.com 51
How Do I Become An Entrepreneur?

A few weeks back, I happened to attend this session on a fine Saturday morning in
Bangalore. It was being organized by the Headstart Network, and is held every second
Saturday in the premises of one of India’s premier institutions, the Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore. Apparently, this event was first hosted in Feb 2008, and seems
to have been one of the places where entrepreneurs of all breeds ranging from ‘I-want-to-
start-one-but-don’t-know-how’ to ‘I-have-so-many-startups-under-my-belt-that-awesome-
doesn’t-describe-me’ meet and size each other up. It seemed a great place to meet new
people and hopefully get a different view on the world around us, I figured that it was
worth a visit. So, I turned up, and to summarize a three hour meet(without any breaks,
mind you!) I’ll say this: People came up, gave lightning pitches and a few of them showed
demos of what they were doing, and they spoke of how they got started. While many of
the ideas portrayed were unconventional, in hindsight I realize that what really came
away with me was what happened at the end of each person’s talk. I thought it was quite
cheesy that the host would ask the audience to “raise your hands and let us know if you
think this idea will succeed. Ok, now those of you who don’t think it stands a chance,
raise your hands”. But now, I think I’ve stumbled on something. It’s funny how some
things just appear like common sense when you’ve realized it. So what did I realize?
What I distinctly remember is that some of the pitches that were put forth with powerpoint
slides and with strong pedigree(read: rich experience) sounded good, and some of the
pitches that didn’t have any powerpoint slides and the speaker was nervous sounded
bad. Yet. When the audience was asked for the feasibility, more hands were raised for
the success of the latter person mentioned. You’re probably thinking how in the world is it
possible? To make it a little clearer, how can a pitch by a nervous 20 year old fresh-out-
of-college kid receive stronger feedback of likely success than that by a confident 35 year
old man who was highly-experienced-and-possesses-rich-consultation-experience. Well,
the reason was simple. The idea proposed by the kid seemed impractical, but apparently
it was in operation for the last two years and was turning a tidy profit, while that of the
older man was still in its conception stage. If you haven’t figured it out yet, a working
prototype is much more valuable than a pipe dream. Even if the prototype seems crazy,
hey! He got it working, didn’t he? It’s real! People around you will have all kinds of
opinions about why your idea will work, and why it wont. Microsoft could have been boo-
ed to shame if Windows hadn’t taken off at all, yet they succeeded so people held their
tongues as far as they could. Motorola didn’t have the same luck with Iridium, stories will
be told of their failure for long. But then again, this doesn't mean that we shut our eyes
and ears completely when setting off on our own. We need to remember that feedback
can be obtained from any source. Picking up what really helps, is what sets apart those
that listen from those that hear. That brings me to the point that there is NO proper way to
become an entrepreneur. As I’ve already mentioned in my last article, successful
entrepreneurs are those who are in it for the thrill and rush of doing something they’re
fond of, and not as much driven by the monetary aspects. It’s these people who’ll make
pipe dreams come true. The most important thing is to take the step, for it is only when
you stumble in this arena that you will learn to skip and jump in rocky terrain. All the
planning in the world will not stop you from stumbling, so stop wrapping yourself in so
much bubble wrap when you can take some bumps. Maybe you’ll actually enjoy those
little scrapes!
Posted by Joel at 06:00AM ()
52 www.ideabing.com
Infographic: Countries That Invest Most In
Alternative Energy
The world is moving towards an oil free future but who's investing the most in alternative
energy? The usual suspects- USA, China and Japan. While the "developed" world's
making sufficient investments in alternative energy the "third world" is making significant
contributions to this new surge of green tech. [via Good]
Hybrid Airships, The US Army's Next Frontier

The US Army has just selected Northrop

Grumman to build the Long Endurance
Multi-Intelligence Vehicle or the LEMV. The
$517 million deal will bring three massive
hybrid powered airships to the skies (over Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran??). Larger than
a football field, the LEMV will provide the US Army with persistent battle field information.
The LEMV can stay aloft at an altitude of 20,000 feet for 3 weeks without a break.
Designed to plug into existing systems that the US Army uses, the LEMV is be ready in
18 months for assessment. [via PSFK.com] [source Northrop Grumman]
www.ideabing.com 53
IBM's Data Baby
IBM's all about building a smarter planet but out of a baby?
Yeah, hospitals with IBM software apparently collect about
1000 unique data point every second out of every baby,
assimilate all the information and build software models to
predict infections the baby can contract so that doctors can prevent a disease from
affecting the child. How smart is that? The advert after the break. [ad code= 1
align= center]
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview With The Founders

Of yReceipts
Remember the good folks at yReceipts who
are out to reduce the clutter of paper
receipts by taking them to the cloud?
Companies like yReceipts define the next
generation of cloud based services which will transform the way you live and manage
your daily life. The founders of yReceipts have been kind enough to give us an interview
about the company, people, their product and the future of yReceipts. Read on! Ideabing:
Tell us more about yReceipts – how it started and the motivation behind this company?
yReceipts: yReceipts started quite a long time ago as an idea after a longer business trip
during which a lot of paper receipts had been collected. Upon return they had to be found
in wallets, envelopes and folders, sorted and finally entered in the company’s expense
management system – frankly a really annoying and time consuming task. It would have
been much easier if all those receipts had been available in digital format.Like with so
many ideas, apart from a lot of talking and thinking nothing happened for quite a while.
However, more and more reasons came up why digital receipts for ‘offline purchases’
would just make sense: No more lost receipts. Less crumpled paper snippets. Easier
returns and warranties. Simpler expense management. Convenient receipt
organisation.Last year (2009) we decided to take a step forward and conducted research,
talked to consumers and retailers and prepared a feasibility study. At the end the decision
was very easy: the market and technological infrastructure are ready, shoppers and
retailers want it. After our diligent research period, we decided that we can turn our idea
into a business. All three of us quit our full-time jobs and set up yReceipts. Since then we
have invested 8 months of energy, passion and resources into our business. We are
ahead of plan, experience positive demand from retailers and have interested venture
capitalists talking to us.
Ideabing: Tell us about the people behind yReceipts
yReceipts: Scott holds a degree in Science from Sydney University. Scott started with
science because of a curiosity to find out how things worked. Quickly he realised that
applying this curiosity to business and technology to make things work better was an
enduring passion. Marketing at Microsoft and a telecommunication firm as well as
experience in management consulting form the basis for his involvement in
yReceipts.Richard has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from
54 www.ideabing.com
Sydney University. As a student he worked for a defence contractor which focussed his
career on computer security. He worked for a number of security consulting firms before
taking on an Information Security Management role. Founding yReceipts has enabled
him to return to his passion that began well before he studied or worked, writing
code.Alexander completed a trainee programme at Deutsche Bank and holds a business
degree from the European Business Programme. He worked in Brand Marketing at
Nestlé and was an integral part of building up the European online lead generation
programme at eCircle, Europe’s leading digital direct marketing provider. After another
three years at Monitor Company, a global strategy consulting firm, it really was time to
bring yReceipts to life with Richard and Scott.We are more convinced than ever that our
common passion, different backgrounds and expertises as well as joint belief in a great
idea are the ingredients for a successful business that has the potential to make a
significant change to retailers and shoppers alike.
Ideabing: What are the opportunities in the paperless receipt market today? Will we ever
see paperless transactions in retail stores?
yReceipts: Yes, the market is ready. Businesses and Shoppers alike are interested in
moving away from paper receipts. We offer a revolutionary, environmentally-friendly
service with benefits for retailers and shoppers. We enable retailers to email receipts
directly from stores rather than printing them on paper. We call these receipts: yReceipts.
Ideabing: Why do you believe that yReceipts is the future?
yReceipts:1) The Market Potential is big. Receipts are issued everywhere. UK
businesses issue 7 Billion receipts annually for purchases with payment cards alone. To
name only a few industries: 300,000 retail outlets, 40,000 restaurants and 25,000 hotels
issue receipts every year.2) Multi Channel Retailing is growing. UK online retail is
growing 8 times faster than the overall retail market (Deloitte Touche). Retailers turn to
high growth rates of online retailing. We support retailers to stimulate and accelerate
multi-channel growth by simplifying the way offline shoppers get to online stores.3)
Targeted Marketing drives ROI. Behavioural targeted ads are clicked 670% more often
and lead 2.7 times more often to a purchase than non-targeted ads (Network Advertising
Initiative). With yReceipts retailers can run effective targeted receipt marketing
campaigns. They set conditions defining which ad to display on every receipt. Two
shoppers might buy the same product but see a different ad due to their different
purchase behaviours.4) Shoppers are ready. 85% of shoppers prefer to receive a receipt
electronically rather than on paper (yReceipts Research August 2009). yReceipts arrive
by email and are stored in a secure free online portal.5) Green shopping is popular. 49%
of the UK's top 100 retailers make 'significant' changes to become more environmentally
sound (Martec Group). Marks and Spencer’s initiative “Plan A” defines 180 commitments
to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015 (M&S). yReceipts arrive as an
email and reduce paper waste and deforestation.
Ideabing: Are banks and credit card companies a threat to this market? Or are these folks
some of the main consumers of your service?
yReceipts: No, they are no threat. Rather the opposite. We are in talks with major banks
to explore opportunities how to connect our system directly to credit and debit cards, so
that shoppers can see their receipts in their online banking accounts. Imagine you have
the receipt for your camera purchase next to the credit card transaction in your online
banking account.
Ideabing: What benefits does yReceipts bring to customers over its competitors?
yReceipts: The market is in a nascent stage and there are not many competitors yet. One
of the key differences is that we do not use our system as an email marketing tool. All
shoppers who receive yReceipts from participating stores will never receive more than
the receipt from us. Other companies which start to operate in the same space,
particularly in the US, allow retailers and manufacturers to use the shopper email
www.ideabing.com 55
addresses for digital marketing campaigns after they have received the actual email
receipt. We provide a convenient way of organising and managing receipts for shoppers.
They can feel safe that our system will not lead to unwanted emails in their inbox. Our
users opted for the receipt, therefore they get the receipt. Not more, not less.Another key
difference is that everyone with an email address can use our system without the need to
register for it. We don’t want to force shoppers to use a convenient new service.
Shoppers who decide to register for our free service have many benefits ranging from
being able to get receipts without ever giving out the email address in a shop to
conveniently managing all receipts from participating stores in one secure online receipt
inbox.There are other differences including but not limited to the technical infrastructure
of our system which allow us to distinguish ourselves and establish a competitive market
position.
Ideabing: Are major retailers looking at paperless receipt options today? How difficult has
it been to sell this idea to customers?
yReceipts: Apple is the only major retailer offering digital receipts. More than 80%
(unofficial figure) of their customers opt for email receipts in Apple’s Retail stores. We
bring the email receipt system as a package solution to every retailer. Retailers
understand that it is a paradigm shift for them and their shoppers at the same time. The
market is very young but retailers are very interested in learning about and experiencing
the benefits of paperless receipts.
Ideabing: Are small business showing traction in implementing Web2.0 technologies?
What has your experience been with small businesses in selling the idea of yReceipts?
yReceipts: Small businesses love the idea. They have shorter decision times than larger
retailers and often distinguish themselves through innovative and appealing services that
their larger competitors can’t implement as quickly. yReceipts is an excellent example for
this – especially because it does not require any effort to get their store(s) up and running
with our system.
Ideabing: What is the footprint of yReceipts as of today?
yReceipts: We partnered and continue to partner with major EPoS (electronic Point of
Sale) system providers which serve several thousand retailers in total. In addition the first
10 retailers will offer yReceipts in about 20 shops until the end of July.
Ideabing: Your vision for the yReceipts 5 years from now?
yReceipts: We will be an established and leading market player with an international
footprint and want to play a major role in opening the paperless receipt market. We will
continuously innovate and work in strategic alliances and partnerships to offer consumers
the most convenient receipt management solution and retailers an essential tool
strengthen customer relationships.
Check them out at yreceipts.com!
IBM's Watson Supercomputer Competes Against

Humans In Jeopardy!
Technology blows people's minds but doesn't compete in
Jeopardy! that often. IBM's Watson - a human language
comprehending, question-answering super computer took
part in last week's episode of Jeopardy!, considered one of
the toughest quizzes in the world. The computer lost the quiz, but has paved a new path
in the evolution of computers. The last time IBM did magic with computers is when Deep
56 www.ideabing.com
Blue beat the world's best chess player in 1987. Video of Watson's Jeopardy endeavor
after the break.
Infographic: How An Intel Processor Is Made

90% of all the computers in the world use microprocessors made by Intel. This article
explains how its made, starting from sand. Enjoy! Step 1: Sand
Made up of 25 percent silicon, is, after oxygen, the second most abundant chemical
element that’s in the earth’s crust. Sand, especially quartz, has high percentages of
silicon in the form of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the base ingredient for semiconductor
manufacturing. Step 2: Purification and growing
After procuring raw sand and separating the silicon, the excess material is disposed of
and the silicon is purified in multiple steps to finally reach semiconductor manufacturing
quality which is called electronic grade silicon. The resulting purity is so great that
electronic grade silicon may only have one alien atom for every one billion silicon atoms.
After the purification process, the silicon enters the melting phase. In this picture you can
see how one big crystal is grown from the purified silicon melt. The resulting mono-crystal
is called an ingot. 3. A Big Ingot
www.ideabing.com 57
A mono-crystal ingot is produced from electronic grade silicon. One ingot weighs
approximately 100 kilograms (or 220 pounds) and has a silicon purity of 99.9999 percent.
4. Ingot Slicing
The ingot is then moved onto the slicing phase where individual silicon discs, called
wafers, are sliced thin. Some ingots can stand higher than five feet. Several different
diameters of ingots exist depending on the required wafer size. Today, CPUs are
commonly made on 300 mm wafers. 5. Wafer Polishing
Once cut, the wafers are polished until they have flawless, mirror-smooth surfaces. Intel
58 www.ideabing.com
doesn’t produce its own ingots and wafers, and instead purchases manufacturing-ready
wafers from third-party companies. Intel’s advanced 45 nm High-K/Metal Gate process
uses wafers with a diameter of 300 mm (or 12-inches). When Intel first began making
chips, it printed circuits on 50 mm (2-inches) wafers. These days, Intel uses 300 mm
wafers, resulting in decreased costs per chip. 6. Photo Resist Application
The blue liquid, depicted above, is a photo resist finish similar to those used in film for
photography. The wafer spins during this step to allow an evenly-distributed coating that’s
smooth and also very thin. 7. UV Light Exposure
At this stage, the photo-resistant finish is exposed to ultra violet (UV) light. The chemical
reaction triggered by the UV light is similar to what happens to film material in a camera
the moment you press the shutter button. Areas of the resist on the wafer that have been
exposed to UV light will become soluble. The exposure is done using masks that act like
stencils. When used with UV light, masks create the various circuit patterns. The building
of a CPU essentially repeats this process over and over until multiple layers are stacked
on top of each other. A lens (middle) reduces the mask’s image to a small focal point.
The resulting “print” on the wafer is typically four times smaller, linearly, than the mask’s
pattern. 8. More Exposing
www.ideabing.com 59
In the picture we have a representation of what a single transistor would appear like if we
could see it with the naked eye. A transistor acts as a switch, controlling the flow of
electrical current in a computer chip. Intel researchers have developed transistors so
small that they claim roughly 30 million of them could fit on the head of a pin. 9. Photo
Resist Washing
After being exposed to UV light, the exposed blue photo resist areas are completely
dissolved by a solvent. This reveals a pattern of photo resist made by the mask. The
beginnings of transistors, interconnects, and other electrical contacts begin to grow from
this point. 10. Etching
The photo resist layer protects wafer material that should not be etched away. Areas that
60 www.ideabing.com
were exposed will be etched away with chemicals. 11. Photo Resist Removal
After the etching, the photo resist is removed and the desired shape becomes visible. 12.
Re-Apply More Photo Resist
More photo resist (blue) is applied and then re-exposed to UV light. Exposed photo resist
is then washed off again before the next step, which is called ion doping. This is the step
where ion particles are exposed to the wafer, allowing the silicon to change its chemical
properties in a way that allows the CPU to control the flow of electricity. 13. Ion Doping
Through a process called ion implantation (one form of a process called doping) the
exposed areas of the silicon wafer are bombarded with ions. Ions are implanted in the
www.ideabing.com 61
silicon wafer to alter the way silicon in these areas conduct electricity. Ions are propelled
onto the surface of the wafer at very high velocities. An electrical field accelerates the
ions to a speed of over 300,000 km/hour (roughly 185,000 mph) 14. More Photo Resist
Removal
After the ion implantation, the photo resist will be removed and the material that should
have been doped (green) now has alien atoms implanted. 15. A Transistor
This transistor is close to being finished. Three holes have been etched into the insulation
layer (magenta color) above the transistor. These three holes will be filled with copper,
which will make up the connections to other transistors. 16. Electroplating the Wafer
62 www.ideabing.com
The wafers are put into a copper sulphate solution at this stage. Copper ions are
deposited onto the transistor through a process called electroplating. The copper ions
travel from the positive terminal (anode) to the negative terminal (cathode) which is
represented by the wafer. 17. Ion Setting
The copper ions settle as a thin layer on the wafer surface. 18. Polishing Excess Material
The excess material is polished off leaving a very thin layer of copper. 19. Layering
Multiple metal layers are created to interconnects (think wires) in between the various
transistors. How these connections have to be “wired” is determined by the architecture
and design teams that develop the functionality of the respective processor (for example,
Intel’s Core i7 processor). While computer chips look extremely flat, they may actually
have over 20 layers to form complex circuitry. If you look at a magnified view of a chip,
you will see an intricate network of circuit lines and transistors that look like a futuristic,
multi-layered highway system. 20. Wafer Sort Test
www.ideabing.com 63
This fraction of a ready wafer is being put through a first functionality test. In this stage
test patterns are fed into every single chip and the response from the chip monitored and
compared to “the right answer.” 21. Wafer Slicing
After tests determine that the wafer has a good yield of functioning processor units, the
wafer is cut into pieces (called dies). 22. The Good, the bad and the ugly
The dies that responded with the right answer to the test pattern will be put forward for
the next step (packaging). Bad dies are discarded. Several years ago, Intel made key
chains out of bad CPU dies. 23. Individual Die
64 www.ideabing.com
This is an individual die, which has been cut out in the previous step (slicing). The die
shown here is a die of an Intel Core i7 processor. 24. CPU Packaging
The substrate, the die, and the heatspreader are put together to form a completed
processor. The green substrate builds the electrical and mechanical interface for the
processor to interact with the rest of the PC system. The silver heatspreader is a thermal
interface where a cooling solution will be applied. This will keep the processor cool during
operation. 25. A Finished CPU
A microprocessor is the most complex manufactured product on earth. In fact, it takes

hundreds of steps and only the most important ones have been visualized in this picture
story. 26. CPU Testing
www.ideabing.com 65
During this final test the processors will be tested for their key characteristics (among the
tested characteristics are power dissipation and maximum frequency). 27. CPU Binning
Based on the test result of class testing processors with the same capabilities are put into
the same transporting trays. This process is called “binning,” a process with which many
Tom’s Hardware readers will be familiar. Binning determines the maximum operating
frequency of a processor, and batches are divided and sold according to stable
specifications. 28. Off to the stores
The manufactured and tested processors (again Intel Core i7 processor is shown here)
either go to system manufacturers in trays or into retail stores in boxes. Many thanks to
Intel for supplying the text and photos in this picture story. Check out Intel’s site for full
size images of this entire process.
66 www.ideabing.com
Kia Ads Seem To Equate Humans To Hamsters
I don't know how many of you have bought the Kia Soul, but one thing's for sure - if you
bought one, you must be thinking of yourself as being a hamster who's just its car. Kia's
moved its advertising up a notch in quality from lame scenic drives to sock monkeys and
hip hop hamsters. Kia's spending about $270 Million on creating ads that "rebrand" Kia
as a cooler brand than what it is today. The sock monkey and the hamster are a part of
this re-branding campaign to place Kia in a unique segment. Apart from the ad
campaigns the cars themselves have started to look different, more modern; although the
designs are heavily influenced by other brands. Kia's cars are still a mash-up of different
cars, nothing original about the design. The grill is different though and the interiors are
being loaded with high end looking low end music systems. The engines on these still
remain underpowered and unrefined. This may be in line with Hyundai's plan to push up
the Hyundai brand image to the likes of Toyota and Honda while keeping Kia below
Hyundai's brand image. So yes, Kia thinks we are hamsters - unable to decide on Kia's
lack of creativity under the hood. And Kia doesn't seem to realize that rappers wouldn't
want to be seen in a Kia, at least while rapping - it's a self esteem issue. Video of the hip
hop hamsters after the break.
The Willow Garage Robot Plays Pool, Will Win

The Next World Champio...
Willow Garage recently gave out 11 of their towel folding PR2
robot but kept the fun part of the robot to themselves. Apart
from the well publicized towel folding thingy that the robot
does, the team at Willow Garage was able to get the PR2 to
play some perfect games of pool. Yeah, the robot sees the
balls via a high res camera, positions itself perfectly guided
by the real time physics engine and pockets every ball it shoots (well, almost). We knew
the robot could see and recognize corners of towels, but who knew this piece of
machinery could play perfect corner shots! Let's be fair to humans though- the PR2 has a
www.ideabing.com 67
special "hand" which is more like a hole in a piece of plastic and not the full five finger
that we have. Consider that an advantage to the robot if you want to. Video of some PR2
pool after the break. [ad code=2 align=center]
Sleeping Pods, The Perfect Things To Sleep In

At Work
We all know how pampered Google

employees are but did you know Google
lets employees sleep during work?
Employees sleep in one of the sleep pods pictured above. Manufactured by a company
called Metropods, this thing can help you get your power nap done right. Metropod has
five products for you to choose from, all designed to make you sleep. [via Gizmodo] [ad
code=1 align=center]
68 www.ideabing.com
Ah, Yes, An Inflatable Tie-Pillow
As if the "Snuggie" was not enough to get people to spend on worthless things, now
there's the "inflatable tie" called the "PillowTie". Did you ask why? Because you may feel
sleepy in that board meeting. No, seriously, this tie is something that you can blow air into
and use it as a pillow. Apparently it doesn't stop there. You can use this tie as a flotation
device if your plane crashes into water. Still don't believe me? Check out the instructions
below and head to this link for a glimpse at this modern marvel. Seriously folks, easy with
what you create. [via Gizmodo] [ad code=1 align=center]
Skateboard? No. "Hoverboard"

Design evolves over time, and sometimes design is influenced by sci-fi movies.
Remember all those anti-gravity skate boards you saw in those space movies? Nills
Gudagnin, a French artist has created something that can be classified as a skateboard
without wheels, or a "hover board". It just hovers though, no skating yet. This thing works
using a device created by a company called "Creative Levitation Design" or Crealev. Will
we see this on the streets soon? Let's hope so. Video and pictures after the break.
[gallery link="file" columns="2" orderby="title"] [via psfk.com] [ad code=2 align=center]
Video: The New Fast Lane

Still taking the escalator in the subway station? Want something "faster"? Welcome to
the fast lane! Volkswagen had just juiced up a subway station in Berlin with the "fast lane"
slide to make sure commuters don't have to be stuck on an escalator. This is sure to
lighten up your day, right from the very beginning of the day. Watch the video and you'll
know what we are talking about. [via psfk.com] [ad code=2 align=center]
www.ideabing.com 69
Sun + Fun + Design = Puma Phone

The day when the sun will power almost everything is not far away. Puma has decided to
take a head start, at least in making an awesome looking mobile phone with Sagem that's
solar powered. The phone has a great interface, mainly aimed at the youngsters. But the
best part is that it's battery gets charged thanks to the solar back panel it sports. In my
opinion the iPhone is not a great looker in front of this red "thing". Capable of making
video calls, keeping your social life up to date and making phone calls, this phone is yet
to land in the US. We are already in love with the design though. You should see a lot
more solar action coming to mobile phones this year. Expect this phone to land on T-
mobile in the US. Head to Pumaphone.com to check it out. [ad code=1 align=center]
PepsiCo Issues Open Call for Innovation

Incubator Program
Hey, lets accept it, we are getting out of bad times and going into good times. Great
innovation booms at such junctures and Pepsi wants to nurture this. After their "refresh
the world" campaign Pepsi is setting up an innovation incubator program "Pepsico10" to
incubate new ideas. The program will connect 10 entrepreneurial groups with mentors,
investment and eventually - success. Head to pepsico10.com to get in line for this gold
rush. BUT, there's one catch. Your ideas will be used to make Pepsico better. Still
interested? Full PR after the break. *********Start PR Text************** PepsiCo today
70 www.ideabing.com
launched an innovation incubator program called PepsiCo10, an open call for promising
start-ups in media, communications and technology. In this unprecedented initiative,
PepsiCo will select up to 10 aspiring entrepreneurial groups, match them with industry
mentors, and join with them to activate pilot programs with PepsiCo brands.
Entrepreneurs can find out more information about the PepsiCo10 and apply online now
through June 24, 2010: www.pepsico10.com. PepsiCo is partnering on the program with
global venture capital firm Highland Capital Partners and premiere social media
publication Mashable and is connecting selected entrepreneurs with other business
partners, including OMD Ignition Factory, TracyLocke, dmg :: events and Weber
Shandwick. "The PepsiCo10 initiative is our chance to identify, support and team up with
some of the most original emerging technologies and to connect those entrepreneurs
with some of the top companies in media and technology to develop innovative marketing
ideas," said PepsiCo's Director of Digital and Social Media B. Bonin Bough.
Entrepreneurs are asked to focus PepsiCo10 submissions on one of four innovation
segments: social media, mobile marketing, place-based and retail experiential marketing,
or digital video or gaming. Proposals will also be evaluated on their ability to impact
brands and/or further PepsiCo's corporate Performance with Purpose priorities, which
include health and wellness, environmental sustainability, and talent development. "With
this program, we are championing outside innovation and welcoming it into the
organization to push our marketing and communications expertise to new levels,
including how to leverage innovative tools to better connect with and engage our
consumers," said Seth Kaufman, Director of Media Strategy and Investment for PepsiCo
North America Beverages. Following two rounds of rigorous assessment, 20 finalists will
be invited to PepsiCo headquarters for a two-day PepsiCo10 event, during which they will
present their ideas to PepsiCo marketing executives and a variety of partner media and
investment agencies. PepsiCo teams will then evaluate the presentations and potential of
each company and hear keynote addresses and panel discussions from top media,
communications and technology visionaries. Following the presentations, up to 10
entrepreneurs will be named the inaugural PepsiCo10. These organizations will have the
opportunity to execute a pilot project with one of the elite PepsiCo brand teams. "The
PepsiCo10 offers an outstanding opportunity to identify and work with emerging start-ups
that are driving the next wave of innovation and entrepreneurship across the globe,"
added Bob Davis, General Partner with Highland Capital Partners. "We're excited to work
with PepsiCo and lend our expertise to the program." While PepsiCo10 is a new vehicle
for the company, PepsiCo's track record of partnership with innovative start-ups is
healthy. Recently, PepsiCo has inked contracts with location-based social networking site
Foursquare, endorsement marketing firm Brand Affinity, and Twitter advertising platform
Ad.ly. *********End PR Text*********** [ad code = 1 align=center]
HP Partners with Vidyo to Offer Anytime,

Anywhere Visual Collaboration
HP is making hefty moves in the video conferencing space (HP "Halo"). First the
collaboration with Polycom, then the whole unified communications standards forum, now
this. HP and Vidyo® Inc., a software-based videoconferencing solution provider, today
announced an agreement to expand the HP Halo portfolio to include conference room
and desktop endpoints that run on enterprise networks. The new HP-branded visual
collaboration solutions will deliver high-quality video experiences while operating on
www.ideabing.com 71
infrastructure that delivers a lower total cost of ownership. Available through HP and
channel partners, the solutions will be fully interoperable with traditional
videoconferencing endpoints and current Halo Studios. The offerings will use Vidyo’s
complete VidyoConferencing™ line of software-based desktop and room system-based
solutions running on HP servers to dramatically reduce a customer’s network and video
infrastructure requirements while delivering high-quality, high-definition video.
“Companies need a complete portfolio of endpoint solutions, including video at the
desktop, on mobile devices and in conference rooms, so they can collaborate more
effectively,” said Rob Scott, vice president and general manager, Halo Telepresence
Solutions, HP. “Together with Vidyo, we will provide customers with quality desktop and
conference room video experiences that run over the internet or wireless networks, are
highly reliable and can seamlessly connect to our existing high-end video collaboration
offerings.” Vidyo’s technology is able to optimize the user’s video experience to reduce
latency with H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC), an adaptive codec that can ensure a
more reliable video experience on best-effort networks. This also eliminates the need for
a costly multipoint control unit (MCU). According to a report by analyst firm Gartner Inc.,
“Adaptive codecs are game-changing, since they provide a more credible path for high-
quality videoconferencing to migrate more rapidly to the Internet. This greatly improves
reach, reduces transport costs and drives growth.” “Vidyo and HP will offer a set of
solutions that bring together the best aspects in high-end videoconferencing whether at
the desktop, in conference rooms or in Halo studios,” said Ofer Shapiro, co-founder and
chief executive officer, Vidyo. “Vidyo looks forward to partnering with HP to help
enterprises achieve new efficiencies in global video collaboration from this software-
based architecture.” The solutions offered by HP will include an executive desktop
solution running on an HP TouchSmart PC. HP and Vidyo will begin jointly marketing
these solutions later this year. [via HP] [ad code = 1 align=center]
Love Your City? Then Give It A Citid

72 www.ideabing.com
Every company on this planet has a logo, a
corporate identity - right? What about your
city? No? Then make one! The Citid project
aims to give every city on this planet an ID.
The crowd sourced project has already got
entries for almost all the major cities on
Earth. Do you have a design to submit?
Then head off to citid.net and submit an
entry. Who knows, you might end up
creating a unique identity for your city. Make sure that your citid has the name of your city
in it and that the logo represents the city for what it is. Some great examples are on the
website for you to be inspired by.
Fixed Broadband in Venezuela Grew 23.3

Percent During 2009
Latin American nations are taking
impressive strides in cementing a solid
base for the growth of internet. Venezuela
clocked an outstanding 23.3% growth in
2009. The main driver for growth was the
domestic sector taking total internet
penetration to 4.4% in the nation. Mobile
broadband growth also grew by 29% during
2009. This is in line with the growth being
seen in Brazil and India. The problem has
been the low penetration levels throughout the country and high concentration of users
within small areas.
• During the second half of 2009, 108,269 connections were added to the fixed
broadband market in Venezuela, representing a growth of 9.6 percent between June
and December.
• Connections with speeds between 512 kilobits per second and 1 megabit per second
account for 56 percent of the fixed broadband market, and connections faster than 1
Mbps make up 11 percent of the market.
• Residences are the dominant segment, with 77 percent of the market. Reducing the
price of broadband service and making computers and routers more accessible have
led more consumers to acquire broadband connections.
• The enterprise segment makes up 23 percent of the total fixed broadband
connections in the country. Small and medium-sized businesses have 11.58 percent
of the connections.
• The regions with the highest penetration are Capital District (19.12 percent), Miranda
(7.21 percent), Delta Amacuro (7.20 percent), Nueva Esparta (5.09 percent) and
Aragua (4.95 percent).
• Almost all (95 percent) of the mobile broadband connections are for individual
accounts or homes. The remaining 5 percent are in the enterprise segment.
• Caracas has more than half (56 percent) of the mobile broadband connections in the
www.ideabing.com 73
country.
[via Cisco]
NASA Demonstrates Tsunami Prediction System

How do you make sure tsunamis don't kill people by the
thousands? Throw technology at the problem. That's exactly
what NASA did in creating the tsunami prediction system. For
the first time, tsunamis and their magnitudes can be predicted
accurately once an earthquake has struck a region. New
technology dubbed the Global Differential GPS or GDGPS
calculates in real time post an earthquake, the size and
magnitude of a resulting tsunami. This new technology could save thousands of lives
while almost eliminating panic among people in areas that end up receiving false tsunami
warnings. This system has already proved its mettle by predicting the tsunami post the
Chilean earthquake earlier this year. Full press release after the break. ********Start PR
Text************ A NASA-led research team has successfully demonstrated for the first
time elements of a prototype tsunami prediction system that quickly and accurately
assesses large earthquakes and estimates the size of resulting tsunamis. After the
magnitude 8.8 Chilean earthquake on Feb. 27, a team led by Y. Tony Song of NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., used real-time data from the agency's
Global Differential GPS (GDGPS) network to successfully predict the size of the resulting
tsunami. The network, managed by JPL, combines global and regional real-time data
from hundreds of GPS sites and estimates their positions every second. It can detect
ground motions as small as a few centimeters. "This successful test demonstrates that
coastal GPS systems can effectively be used to predict the size of tsunamis," said Song.
"This could allow responsible agencies to issue better warnings that can save lives and
reduce false alarms that can unnecessarily disturb the lives of coastal residents." Song's
team concluded that the Chilean earthquake, the fifth largest ever recorded by
instruments, would generate a moderate, or local, tsunami unlikely to cause significant
destruction in the Pacific. The tsunami's effect was relatively small outside of Chile.
Song's GPS-based prediction was later confirmed using sea surface height
measurements from the joint NASA/French Space Agency Jason-1 and Jason-2 altimetry
satellites. This work was partially carried out by researchers at Ohio State University,
Columbus. "The value of coordinated real-time observations from precision GPS, satellite
altimetry and advanced Earth models has been demonstrated," said John LaBrecque,
manager of the Solid Earth and Natural Hazards program in the Earth Science Division of
NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Song's prediction method, published
in 2007, estimates the energy an undersea earthquake transfers to the ocean to generate
a tsunami. It relies on data from coastal GPS stations near an epicenter, along with
information about the local continental slope. The continental slope is the descent of the
ocean floor from the edge of the continental shelf to the ocean bottom. Conventional
tsunami warning systems rely on estimates of an earthquake's location, depth and
magnitude to determine whether a large tsunami may be generated. However, history
has shown earthquake magnitude is not a reliable indicator of tsunami size. Previous
tsunami models presume a tsunami's power is determined by how much the seafloor is
displaced vertically. Song's theory says horizontal motions of a faulting continental slope
also contribute to a tsunami's power by transferring kinetic energy to the ocean. The
theory is further substantiated in a recently accepted research paper by Song and co-
74 www.ideabing.com
author Shin-Chan Han of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. That
study used data from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and
Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites to examine the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
When the Feb. 27 earthquake struck, its ground motion was captured by the NASA
GDGPS network's station in Santiago, Chile, about 146 miles from the earthquake's
epicenter. These data were made available to Song within minutes of the earthquake,
enabling him to derive the seafloor motions. Based on these GPS data, Song calculated
the tsunami's source energy, ranking it as moderate: a 4.8 on the system's 10-point scale
(10 being most destructive). His conclusion was based on the fact that the ground motion
detected by GPS indicated the slip of the fault transferred fairly little kinetic energy to the
ocean. "We were fortunate to have a station sufficiently close to the epicenter," said Yoaz
Bar-Sever, JPL manager of the GDGPS system. "Broad international collaboration is
required to densify the GPS tracking network so that it adequately covers all the fault
zones that can give rise to large earthquakes around the world." ********End PR
Text*************
India: Ford Sees 272% Y-O-Y Sales Growth

American car companies may have stared at bankruptcy a

year ago in the US but Ford has seen some tremendous
growth in India. Dubbed as the second fastest growing car
market after China, India is helping Ford to stare at a healthy
future. Thanks to its latest launch - Figo, a small hatchback,
Ford has clocked a whopping 272% year on year growth last financial year. The car
seems to be working its magic in other BRIC nations too. Ford has seen so much volume
for their cars in India that they will now be starting a second production shift to meet
demand. Hey, Americans, the outsourced jobs are bringing money back to your country.
Ford isn't the only company reaping the benefits of a bulging middle class in India.
Japanese and Korean brands have also performed equally well thanks to sustained
demand. ****Start PR text********* Ford India's May sales rose by a record 272 percent
from the same month a year ago to 8,080 units, driven by the popular Figo, which
maintained its position as the top seller in Ford's portfolio for the third consecutive month.
The exceptional May performance also represented an increase of 7.6 percent from the
previous month. To keep up with the strong demand that Figo is helping drive, Ford India
will launch a second production shift next month at its Chennai production facility. “We
have achieved more than 20,000 bookings since launch and are happy to see more and
more Ford Figos gaining visibility and presence on road. It's great to see building positive
sales results month after month, and bettering our sales performance from last month,”
www.ideabing.com 75
said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India. Ford India
continued to increase its nationwide dealer network during the month of May – which now
includes 165 outlets across 97 cities – as well as its world-class after sales service
programs throughout the country to further strengthen ties with customers and support
the tremendous response for the Ford Figo. *********End PR Text*************
Coolness: Buses in Brazil Connected To Mobile

Broadband
How cool is this? You are in a BRIC nation and you have
mobile broadband on commuter buses? Yeah, Ericsson along
with mobile communications services provider Dataprom is
outfitting public buses in a city in Brazil with 3G broadband.
While the coverage cannot be compared to what we have in the
US, this should be considered a significant achievement
considering that broadband penetration in Brazil is still at a
measly 5.1% compared to 74.% in the US. Fitting buses with
"moving 3G hotspots" is sure to get things moving in the samba
nation. Dataprom claims this to be the first implementation of its kind. Full PR after the
break. ************Start PR Text*************** Are there benefits of connecting buses to a
network? That's a question that the city government of Curitiba in Brazil posed before
deciding to make it the first city in the world to implement a brand new public
transportation solution developed by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Dataprom, the
Brazilian supplier of public-transport solutions. The solution, which is already in use in
Curitiba, connects public buses to 3G mobile broadband networks, and is equipped with
Ericsson mobile broadband modules for high speed access. By supplying the Electronic
Ticketing and Fleet Management Systems, Dataprom and Ericsson will enable controllers
to access a wide range of information about their fleet and monitor the route, stop time,
speed, distance travelled, date of departure and arrival. The largest city in southern
Brazil, Curitiba has a unique public bus service which has raised much interest and
received worldwide recognition. The new solution opens up possibilities for new traveler
services that can help people plan their route and enable them to purchase tickets
wherever and whenever it is most convenient. Alexei Rodrigues, Commercial Director,
Dataprom, says: "We are driving machine-to-machine adoption in the public
transportation sector in Brazil. With Ericsson's expertise and mobile broadband solutions,
76 www.ideabing.com
our customers can easily manage their fleets and develop applications that can help
them in their daily operations." Mobile broadband solutions like these play a key role in
Ericsson's vision of connecting 50 billion devices by 2020. Eduardo Ricotta, Vice-
President Customer Unit Brazil, Ericsson, says: "We believe that everything that benefits
from a network connection will have one, and our embedded modules enable mobile
broadband connections to any device. Mobile broadband is becoming increasingly
important to transportation companies because advanced communications can make
them all more efficient, safer and greener. The partnership with Dataprom opens up new
opportunities for us in a rapidly growing market." ***********End PR Text************
Infographic: The Most Prescribed Psychiatric

Drug in The US
As we go crazy with all the problems we are facing, more and more people try to treat the
condition. Did not understand? Well, if you are going mad, you will ask the doctor to
prescribe you a drug to reduce your agony. Want to know the most prescribed varieties?
The awesome folks at good have created an infographic to explain just that.
www.ideabing.com 77
Notion Ink's Rohan Shravan: Adam's Going To
Be Cheaper Than The iPad
Today we talk to Rohan Shravan, Founder
and CEO of Notion Ink – the company
behind the highly anticipated tablet ‘Adam’.
Rohan talks about Adam, IPS display, manufacturing in India and of course, pricing of the
Adam. Full interview ahead - Read on! Ideabing: How is Adam different from other Tegra
chipset based tablets?
Rohan:Adam is certainly not a differentiator in terms of hardware, there are ten other
tablets using the same base hardware configuration. It’s about the UI and user
experience that we will be delivering with the hardware. But Adam will be the only tablet
with an auto focus camera built in. No other Tegra chipset based tablet has an auto focus
camera.
Ideabing: IPS display technology vs. PixelQi?
Rohan:PixelQi is definitely better. It’s got the highest resolution on an LCD today, the best
clarity, much lower power consumption. IPS cannot be compared to PixelQi. The two
technologies just cannot be compared.
Ideabing: Why choose Android for Adam?
Rohan:It’s not just Android, Android was just the base. We have developed significantly
on the base. It's going to be a whole new UI and a whole new user experience on the
Adam. The software will be a differentiator.
Ideabing: US Launch date?
Rohan:You will have to wait for the press release for the launch date.
Ideabing: Adam’s price at launch?
Rohan:The press release should have that when we launch Adam.
Ideabing: Any ball park figures?
Rohan:Nope, but certainly below the iPad's price.
Ideabing: So you will be offering the 3G + Wifi option with Adam?
Rohan:Yes, we will be offering the 3G + Wifi option.
Ideabing: Where will Adam be manufactured?
Rohan:Taiwan.
Ideabing: Has it been easy creating a product in India?
78 www.ideabing.com
Rohan:No, creating a product in India has been difficult. Notion Ink just happens to be an
Indian company by registration, we have research and development going on in USA and
Taiwan. But from the software perspective, yes, India has been a good place to be. For
hardware products to be manufactured in India, infrastructure is still an issue unless the
government ramps up infrastructure development drastically.
Ideabing: How many years before India can compete with China in manufacturing?
Rohan: At least 10 years. Manufacturing costs are going up in China. If the Indian
Government builds enough infrastructure, manufacturing will come in automatically.
Ideabing: How is the success of Notion Ink changing things for Indian entrepreneurs? Are
they able to get funding more easily now?
Rohan: Definitely, things have changed. But, if you are talking from the product
development point of view VC's are still not comfortable with product companies in India.
Unless you definitely know what product you are developing, money does not come in.
MS and Samsung have a great software resource base in India but there is no hardware
support to the extent companies like ours need. Scalability is still a problem. Companies
are talking about manufacturing e-book readers in India, so it’s changing slowly.
The Indian Auto Industry- It’s An Electric Future

The Indian automobile industry finally seems to be waking up to the environment. Major
infraction point being Mahindra & Mahindra capturing 52.2% controlling stake of electic
car manufacturer – Reva, which will now be known as Mahindra Reva Electric Based
Company. Reva was India’s first electric car and did not do too badly for itself. While the
car itself is not much to look at, it sells in 24 countries and has till date sold 3,500
vehicles. Not a bad job for something that the Hulk would use as weights. One might
almost dismiss this as M&M auto climbing on the environmental wave of automobiles, but
this is indeed a very promising move for Indian Auto makers. While India as a nation still
sits on the fence, not being sure of whether it wants to listen to big brother America with
regard to its environmental norms, the wheels of change are turning…slowly, but surely.
We saw Honda launch the Prius in India. And with all the hype of that car from the US
markets, the Prius is seen as a bit of a status symbol, Jeff Dunham jokes
notwithstanding. And this move further cements the fact that the next generation of Indian
car buyers are environmentally responsible. According to its press release, Mahindra has
been working years on developing green technologies for about 10 years now. It currently
deploys diesel hybrid technology on the Scorpio and hydrogen Alfa three wheelers.
Besides, Bijlee (electric three wheeler) developed in 1999, it is also currently working on
an electric version of its mini-truck Maxximo. Reva’s EV technology should prove very
useful for Mahindra. Now, don’t expect people to be going gaga over the new Reva, not
until it can improve on the look of the car, and it receives more infrastructure support from
government authorities. Reva will now have access to decent car technology from
Mahindra too, so it looks like a win-win-win situation. The last win is for the environment.
Posted by Nikhilesh Murthy at 06:00AM ()
www.ideabing.com 79
Video: The Future Of User Interface
From DOS to the Mac to Windows to the iPhone to the Bumptop - UI has changed from
being a command prompt to a full 3D environment. John Underkoffler, the person behind
the super cool interfaces in the movie Minority Report sees UI design go beyond 3D, into
full spatial environments. In the future you will be able to interact with any device, any
surface, anywhere - all using gestures. Video up next.
IBM Expands Collaboration Software Support to

Include iPad
We know that the Office productivity suite from MS is coming
to the iPad but IBM's Lotus Notes sure is. I am not sure how
many hi-tech professionals are switching to iPads to check
their email but the number must be large enough for IBM to
decide on giving the iPad some Lotus love. I don't personally love the Lotus Notes suite
but i know folks who are die hard fans of the suite. The suite comes free to the iPad for
existing Lotus Notes users. Go IBM! Go Ipad! Press release coming up. **********Start
Press Release********** BERLIN & SAN FRANCISCO - 08 Jun 2010: IBM (NYSE: IBM)
today announced an expansion of IBM Lotus messaging and collaboration software with
the delivery of secure enterprise mail for the Apple iPad. The news was announced at
both the Deutsche Notes User Group in Berlin and the Apple Developers Conference in
San Francisco. IBM Lotus Notes Traveler is no charge software that can be downloaded
by Lotus Notes customers providing two-way, over-the-air synchronization of enterprise
e-mail, calendar and contact between Lotus Domino servers and mobile devices,
including the iPad. This means that Lotus Notes based information will automatically
synchronize and be up to date on the device. Lotus Notes Traveler also allows iPad
users to enjoy the security of per message mail encryption. "IBM is committed to
providing the broadest possible collaboration software support on all major mobile
platforms. With high anticipation and many requests for iPad compatibility for Lotus
Notes, we're pleased we can offer this now at a highly secure level," said Kevin
Cavanaugh, vice president, messaging and collaboration, IBM. Several organizations in a
wide variety of industries globally have begun using Lotus Software on the iPad. When
Lotus Notes Traveler iPad users are in a meeting, they can now have up to date push
mail, calendar and contacts. "Lotus Notes Traveler on the iPad is convenient and helps
80 www.ideabing.com
me stay on top of my e-mails. I don't have to go home at night and fire up my laptop to
see my messages," said Dave Stall, Lotus Notes Manager, Roto-Rooter Services
Company. "The iPad is sitting next to me on the couch and I can respond to anything that
needs my attention quickly." "I like when forwarding an e-mail, you can type the first letter
of a person's name and get a list of people. You then select that person by tapping the
screen. This saves a lot of typing and time," added Stall. "I can see this taking the place
of a laptop for the executive and sales staff, and they live on e-mail. Lotus Notes Traveler
makes that transition easy," said John Roling, IT Director, Czarnowski, an IBM client and
business partner. "When Lotus Notes Traveler iPad users are in a meeting, they can now
have up to date 'push' mail and calendar," said Almar Diehl, Groupware Consultant, e-
office. Also, IBM portal based web pages will display clearly on the iPad through the
Safari browser. IBM Lotus Notes Traveler Companion is a native iPhone OS application
that enables the viewing of encrypted mail on the iPad and iPhone. Traveler Companion
is available in the App Store at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibm-lotus-notes-traveler-
companion/id346633404 IBM Lotus Notes collaboration software is available for the full
spectrum of proliferating mobile and Web connected devices which are used to access
corporate applications and business processes. Lotus Notes is available in a cloud based
version, and also comes bundled with hardware and other offerings via its Lotus
Foundations line for mid-sized businesses. More than half of the largest global 100
corporations use IBM's flagship collaboration offerings, Lotus Notes and Domino. These
clients include the top aerospace and defense organizations; the top nine automotive
firms; the top eight banks; the top four makers of consumer products; the top seven
electronics firms; the top eight insurance companies; the top seven pharmaceutical
organizations; and the top nine telecommunications carriers. **********End Press
Release**********
Toyota Develops Advanced Version of Its Virtual

Human Model
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that the latest
version of its THUMS virtual human model allows detailed
analysis of internal-organ injuries caused by automobile
collisions.THUMS Version 4, of an adult male of average
build, adds detailed models of internal organs to the previous
version’s models of bones and the brain, enabling analysis of
injuries to a wider range of internal organs. Internal organs
are particularly vulnerable during collisions, with injuries to them accounting for
approximately half of all sustained during automobile collisions. To develop Version 4,
TMC worked with outside research institutes including universities and utilized a high-
precision computed tomography (CT) scanner to make detailed measurements of the
internal structure of the human body. By creating precise models of various internal
organs, as well as the positions of and relations between those organs, TMC created a
virtual human model containing approximately 14 times more information than the
previous version. As a result, for analysis of internal injuries, Version 4 can simulate in
greater detail how, during a collision, areas of the torso become deformed and internal
organs are damaged. TMC intends to continue to use THUMS for analyzing internal
injuries resulting from automobile collisions, applying the results to developing and
improving safety devices such as seatbelts and airbags. TMC also plans to add models
www.ideabing.com 81
of a small female and a large male to its virtual-human-model line-up, to enable
simulation of a wider range of accident situations.Toyota Technical Development
Corporation, a TMC subsidiary, plans to begin selling THUMS Version 4 in the autumn of
2010. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that the latest version of its THUMS1
virtual human model allows detailed analysis of internal-organ injuries caused by
automobile collisions.THUMS Version 4, of an adult male of average build, adds detailed
models of internal organs to the previous version’s models of bones and the brain,
enabling analysis of injuries to a wider range of internal organs. Internal organs are
particularly vulnerable during collisions, with injuries to them accounting for approximately
half of all sustained during automobile collisions. To develop Version 4, TMC worked with
outside research institutes including universities and utilized a high-precision computed
tomography (CT) scanner to make detailed measurements of the internal structure of the
human body. By creating precise models of various internal organs, as well as the
positions of and relations between those organs, TMC created a virtual human model
containing approximately 14 times more information than the previous version. As a
result, for analysis of internal injuries, Version 4 can simulate in greater detail how, during
a collision, areas of the torso become deformed and internal organs are damaged. TMC
intends to continue to use THUMS for analyzing internal injuries resulting from
automobile collisions, applying the results to developing and improving safety devices
such as seatbelts and airbags. TMC also plans to add models of a small female and a
large male to its virtual-human-model line-up, to enable simulation of a wider range of
accident situations.Toyota Technical Development Corporation, a TMC subsidiary, plans
to begin selling THUMS Version 4 in the autumn of 2010. [via Toyota]
Intel Capital Invests $10 Million in Analytics Firm

TRA
Intel Capital, Intel Corporation's global investment organization, today announced a $10
million investment in TRA (True ROI Accountability for Media®), a media planning,
measurement and analytics software company. The investment is part of an $18.2 million
Series-C round lead by Intel Capital, which includes participation from existing investors
Arbitron and WPP. TRA will use the funding for market expansion, continued technology
82 www.ideabing.com
innovation, data acquisition and hiring additional key
personnel.
TRA provides a Web-based business intelligence platform,

Media TRAnalytics®, that addresses the challenge of
marketing accountability by matching 1.5 million households
of TV data with 54 million households of purchase data for
the largest single-source database -- 370,000 households. Since the official launch 2
years ago, broadcast and cable networks, consumer packaged goods companies and
media agencies have been using Media TRAnalytics® to identify "the right audiences" in
their media planning and selling to improve return on media investment. "Media is driven
by advertising and advertising in the 21st century is driven by data," said Arvind Sodhani,
president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice president. "By leveraging connectivity,
analytics and database technologies, TRA's solutions align with Intel's goal of discovering
new and innovative technological solutions that have the potential to redefine traditional
vertical industry ecosystems." "We welcome the support from one of the world's leading
technology companies in Intel," said Mark Lieberman, chairman and CEO of TRA. "The
investment will provide the resources and a great partner for TRA's next stage of growth
as we continue to improve advertising accountability for networks, advertisers and
agencies looking to target ‘the right audience'." Funding for the investment comes from
the $200 million Intel Capital Invest in America Technology Fund. Announced in
February, the fund invests in U.S.-based, growth-oriented industries to foster economic
recovery and development and to anchor the nation's competitiveness on the global
stage. [via Intel]
Philips Plans To Light Up Your Food.

So there's this bowl made out of bone china in this expensive restaurant. The chef walks
up to your table, greets you and serves you some soup and turns off the lights.
Confused? Don't be. The chef turned the lights off 'cause your bowl of soup will start to
glow. Yeah, Philips is designing some "multi sensorial" materials that can react with
"food" and glow in the dark. It's supposed to enhance your dining experience. ***Start PR
Text*** During the 8th international gastronomy summit, madridfusión, Arzak and Philips
Design present a series of concepts intended not only to delight palates, but also evoke
emotion and stimulate the senses. The latest project from the Philips Design Probes
program is a multi-sensorial concept using an integration of sensory stimuli that subtly
affect the dining experience of which light is the most visible component. The bone china
www.ideabing.com 83
series - Lunar Eclipse (bowl), Fama (long plate) and Tapa da Luz (serving plate) – is
designed to react when food is placed on the plate or liquid is poured into the bowl. Juan
Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak, of the famous Arzak restaurant in Spain1, are pioneering
innovators in molecular gastronomy, a cooking method that improves and creates new
experiences in the cerebral and sensorial interpretation of food. Philips Design
approached Arzak for a creative collaboration employing multi-sensorial gastronomy,
design and technology to explore ways in which sensory experience can be enhanced
during a meal. Clive van Heerden, Senior Director Design-led innovation at Philips
Design: “Sensorial design takes into account all the senses as well as the subliminal and
indirect aspects of our relationship to objects and environments. Arzak’s knowledge of
the Basque and Spanish cuisine and the in-depth understanding of guests’ needs made
them the perfect partner for the project.” Juan Mari Arzak, Chef of Arzak:”Molecular
gastronomy has developed from a handful of exponents into a global phenomenon. It has
led to the adaptation of scientific laboratory equipment and the invention of new kitchen
technology, which makes it a small step to explore the presentation of dishes. The
combination of our food creations on the multi-sensorial bone china concepts adds an
extra dimension to the dining experience.” ***End PR Text***
State of Florida Leverages Microsoft Cloud

Solution for Census Count
Looks like Microsoft's scoring big in their "all in the cloud" strategy. The State of Florida
has decided to use Microsoft's cloud solution "Azure" to do their census counting work.
Remember, Microsoft's a late entrant into the cloud business so this might be one of the
big wins Microsoft is looking for. The competition is quite far ahead in the cloud game
compared to Microsoft. ****Start PR Text**** TALLAHASSEE — June 11, 2010 — The
Florida House of Representatives is making one final push over the next month for its
state residents to be counted in the 2010 Census, through its MyFloridaCensus
(http://www.myfloridacensus.gov) website and Web-based application. MyFloridaCensus
is an innovative component in Florida’s overall effort to ensure a complete count of
residents during the ongoing 2010 Census, supplementing door-to-door canvassing,
which ends nationwide July 10. MyFloridaCensus is hosted in the Windows Azure cloud
platform and runs using Microsoft Silverlight for cross-browser compatibility. With the
support of a Bing Maps interface, the collective technology allows visitors to share their
experiences with the 2010 Census and build a social user-generated experience around
the once-per-decade count. In turn, the Florida House provides the U.S. Census Bureau,
state and local governments, and citizens with dynamic feedback and visual
representations of that feedback. Unlike most traditional government websites,
MyFloridaCensus offers Floridians the opportunity to take part in the gathering of
information, and thus affords individual citizens the opportunity to speak for the
betterment of their communities. “Once Florida residents share the census impact in their
communities, we use MyFloridaCensus.gov to work with the U.S. Census Bureau to
account for streets, neighborhoods and communities that may otherwise be missed in the
2010 Census,” said Florida state Rep. Dean Cannon. Basic Needs, New Tools
Government agencies are more frequently being asked to communicate with their
constituencies with the vigor and versatility of the private sector. The combination of
Azure, Silverlight and Bing Maps gives the Florida House the ability to build a dynamic
front-end user experience supported by a back-end system that optimizes for flexibility
84 www.ideabing.com
and can satisfy heavy peak demand usage. Equally important, MyFloridaCensus
provides a successful proof of concept for future cloud-based public service endeavors.
In 2011, the Florida House will transition MyFloridaCensus into an online tool for the
public to participate in the process of redrawing political boundary lines (redistricting).
“Florida is not only on the leading edge of engaging its citizens on Census participation,
but the Windows Azure solution they’ve chosen to build has broader applicability for
future resident engagement,” said Gail Thomas-Flynn, vice president of State and Local
Government at Microsoft. “More of our state customers are following this approach and
moving unique and ongoing citizen services to the cloud platforms that can scale up and
down according to need.” The Florida House chose to host the application in a cloud
environment because application use is expected to be high for only a few critical weeks
and then gradually fall off over time, until the launch of a new application in 2011.
Windows Azure hosting provides the ability to expand and contract the use of server
space, helping reduce the cost to taxpayers when the site is not in peak use. ****End PR
Text****
Clever Heads At Bosch Thermotechnology A

Constant Stream Of New Inv...
Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH can rely on its employees’

inventiveness. In fact, the company files many more
patent applications than any other company in the
industry, covering almost all technical aspects of
heating technology. Inventions in the field of energy
efficient thermotechnology are particularly numerous.
Frequently designed to protect the environment, many
new solutions address such issues as reducing
emissions, low-pollutant combustion, fuel savings and
control functions resulting in energy savings. At
present, around 40 percent of the industrial property
rights held by Bosch Thermotechnik revolve around
"green" concepts, and roughly half of these relate to
heating and hot water systems using renewable energy
sources. The trend is clear: the number of "green"
inventions and patent
applications is growing at a fast pace. Patent engineers
Steffen Zecher and Tilmann Haendler certainly cannot
complain about lack of work. All inventions made at Bosch
Thermotechnik on an international level eventually end up on
their desks. In 2007, for example, no fewer than 114
inventions were reported and 63 applications for property
rights filed with the German Patent and Trademarks Office.
And it is quite remarkable that 100 employees contributed to the inventions reported.
Around one-third of these were actively involved in several inventions. “It is very pleasant
www.ideabing.com 85
to see how many employees share this task – the burden is not borne by individual
persons,” says Steffen Zecher. “Our patented inventions – this means ideas, that are
‘new”, ‘inventive’ and ‘marketable’ – give our company an edge over the competition. In
many cases, it is the ‘small’ ideas that ensure Bosch Thermotechnik’s lead in the long
term. And major inventions in the field of heatingtechnology were made here too, of
course, resulting in technologies and products that every installer is familiar with today,”
Mr Zecher explains. Numerous inventions have been presented in the field of control
technology, e.g. for comfort, saving and safety functions. Or to ensure operating,
maintenance and service friendliness of the devices or the solar control, i.e. the optimum
utilisation of solar energy together with the other components of a heating system.
Patents in this field include an excellent invention from Bosch Thermotechnik which
ensures that as much solar energy as possible can be stored. In the course of many
years, Steffen Zecher made some interesting observations. One of them is that the
number of inventions presented increases strongly after holiday periods. People who are
fresh and relaxed are apparently more creative. One more reason to look forward to the
vacation season! [via Bosch]
Adidas Brings Latest Design And Technology

Innovations In 2010 NBA ...
adidas will celebrate the 2010 NBA All-Star Game by
introducing the brand’s lightest basketball shoe with the
Team Signature Supernatural and outfitting the 2010 All-
Stars with a Texas-inspired NBA All-Star uniform as the
Official Outfitter of the NBA. “adidas basketball helps make
athletes stronger, lighter and faster on the court with the
latest in sport performance technology,” said Lawrence
Norman, adidas Vice President, Global Basketball. “It’s on us to constantly innovate and
improve products in order to help the world’s greatest basketball players become one
step quicker and jump one inch higher. We’re excited to debut our lightest basketball
shoe ever and pay homage to the city of Dallas with the latest NBA All-Star uniform and
look forward to seeing the East and West players come together as one basketball
brotherhood at Cowboys Stadium.” NBA All-Stars Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Kevin
Garnett, Chauncey Billups and Derrick Rose will wear the TS Supernatural shoe, the
lightest basketball shoe ever from adidas. The adidas TS Supernatural with Pure Motion
technology will feature the All-Star color scheme of red, white and metallic gold for the
Western Conference and blue, white and silver for the Eastern Conference. The 2010
NBA All-Star jerseys were inspired by the city of Dallas and the symbolic Texas state flag.
The star on the front of the jersey unites opposing east and west players forming one star
when standing next to each other. The single star is divided into five pieces joining as
one, representing five players on each team coming together. The print on the back of
the jersey mimics the distinct dimensional pattern characteristic of the Dallas skyline. For
the first time ever, both the East and West All-Star uniforms will be featured in primary
colors with the East wearing blue and the West wearing red – colors of the Texas state
flag. A full range of NBA All-Star apparel from adidas including shooting shirts, shorts,
pants, track jackets and other collections is available for fans at the NBA Store at Jam
Session, retailers across Dallas and NBA.com. To celebrate the on-court action, adidas is
bringing basketball fans closer to four-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard through a series
86 www.ideabing.com
of online videos where they control the viewing experience. adidas will take fans behind
the scenes to see how Dwight uses the latest adidas basketball products to get faster,
stronger and lighter for NBA All-Star through a custom interactive video player created
exclusively for youtube.com/adidasbasketball. The videos include “Dwight gets Stronger,”
where users can choose what angle they would like to view explosive dunks by Dwight
Howard; “Dwight gets Lighter,” where users can make Dwight fly higher and increase the
intensity of his dunks; and “Dwight gets Faster,” where users can view several of Dwight's
dunks with behind the scenes footage locked in between each dunk. Fans all over the
world will be able to unlock more content of “Dwight gets Faster” by viewing the 30
second “Game Changer” Web Spot. NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas
provides fans the once in a lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star
excitement. Fans have the opportunity to meet and collect autographs from NBA Players
and Legends and see some of their favorite NBA players, mascots, dance teams, and
celebrities. Jam Session is non-stop basketball action where fans can indulge in
everything basketball from comparing hand and shoe size to competing in skills
challenges or getting basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends. Fans will have the
opportunity to jump on the adidas court to take part in a variety of events and exhibitions.
The NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas will take place at the Dallas
Convention Center from Feb. 11-15. For event times and schedule visit,
www.NBA.com/jamsession.
NOISEVOX wants to be tomorrow's MTV

This month, Noisevox launched its
groundbreaking music media site,
Noisevox.org, combining citizen journalism
and exclusive HD video programming in a
social networking atmosphere. As a music
portal for bands, journalists and
photographers, Noisevox is a unique
newcomer to the market in the way it
collects, organizes and publishes its
content. "Noisevox.org aims to become a
global destination for music news, reviews
and discovery. It pits schooled, professional
music critics against hip, savvy citizen
journalists; the music is at the center," says
founder David Navarrete. By employing a
traditional media masthead-model and awarding journalists "points" for contributing
content, writers advance in ranking and title. Press credentials, tickets to shows, artist
interviews and free music are just some of the perks that come with being at the top of a
magazine's masthead. Photographers are also encouraged to participate in a similar
creation and reward process. Artists have the ability to upload music and promote
themselves within the community. Close to the site’s heart is the return of music video
programming to screens. Noisevox’s video channel, NVTV, run by music television
veteran John Norris, features exclusive interviews with Lady Gaga, Broken Social Scene,
Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys. Norris, who oversees NVTV, said, “The
abandonment of music news coverage and music programming by video outlets large
and small is at this point the stuff of pop legend. Nothing could make me happier than
www.ideabing.com 87
playing a significant role in its return.” Another NVTV series, Face Time, recently
premiered and more programming is planned for 2010. NV Radio is Noisevox’s internet
radio operation. While programmed commercial- and host-free at the moment by the
site’s staff, Noisevox encourages users to submit playlists of their own, which the radio
station will feature on a weekly and eventually a nightly basis.
Engineering A Viral Music Video

Seen that music video from OK Go - This too shall pass with all the real "engineering"
behind it? Now watch the creator of the marvel, Adam Sadowsky talk about how he made
it possible. [via Ted]
Intel CEO: Fostering an Innovation Economy

Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini today said that innovation and
investments in information and communications technology (ICT) will accelerate
economic recovery and jobs growth worldwide. He made these comments during a
speech at the World Congress on IT in Amsterdam. Otellini also unveiled new Intel
investments in education, and announced the 2010 Intel Challenge for a new generation
of entrepreneurs-in-training.
"Returning to sustained economic growth means taking a long-term view with a mindset
of investment," Otellini said. "Innovation results from combining people who have good
ideas with investment. These are the guiding forces that lead to ideas which spawn new
businesses that create new jobs, and ultimately lead to wealth creation and higher
standards of living." To feed the world's innovation pipeline and prepare the next
generation of entrepreneurs, Otellini announced the 2010 Intel Challenge, a competition
that will provide prize money for the best business plans submitted by university students
to help turn their ideas into entrepreneurial ventures. Business plans will be judged on
their potential for positive societal impact and return to investors through the
commercialization of new technologies in areas such as semiconductors, mobile and
wireless, nanotechnology and life sciences. The Intel Challenge currently reaches
Europe, Asia, North America and South America. For 2010, the competition will be
expanded in Europe with new partner institutions and participants from France, Germany
and the United Kingdom. Information on the Intel Challenge can be found here
atwww.intel.com/education/highered/entrepreneur. "In the next decade, another half
88 www.ideabing.com
billion people will enter the workforce, and we will need to create the conditions to
generate meaningful jobs for them and for the existing workforce," said Otellini." Intel has
been in the business of delivering amazing innovations for more than four decades and
we know that some of the best ideas are yet to come. The right investments today to
create the innovators and industries of the future will put the world on the path toward
economic growth." Entries are drawn from a network of universities, including more than
150 colleges offering entrepreneurship classes led by professors trained by Intel through
an innovation-focused curriculum. Participants will compete for $150,000 in prize money,
and will receive mentoring throughout the competition from leaders in the entrepreneur
community. Intel expects that the annual competition will receive more than 10,000
business plan entries over the next 3 years. Winners will compete in the Intel + Berkeley
Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge at the University of California in November. The
winner will also be selected to attend Intel Capital's Annual CEO Summit for networking
and learning opportunities with nearly 600 portfolio company CEOs and executives from
Global 2000 companies. Extending commitments to education Otellini described how
education is the foundation for developing people and economies around the world. As
an example, he highlighted the Intel-powered classmate PC, a netbook that is changing
how 2 million students in 30 countries are learning. He also described the economic
impact of the Portuguese government's Magellan Initiative, which gives every primary
school student a locally manufactured PC based on the classmate PC design. Otellini
also pledged to extend Intel's investments in education and technology literacy with a
new goal to reach 100 countries with Intel education programs and technology tools while
also expanding the PC market to service 100 million new students and teachers with PCs
annually by 2014. This "100x100" effort is part of Intel's World Ahead program. Launched
at the World Congress on IT in 2006, the program is committed to bringing sustainable
and affordable computing and connectivity to the next billion users in emerging
economies around the globe. Since the program's launch, Intel has accelerated the
availability of 40 million new PCs through government-sponsored programs, and invested
$2.5 billion in broadband and WiMAX-enabled Internet access. Intel has also trained over
7 million teachers in more than 60 countries on the use of technology in the classroom,
according to Otellini. Technology serving environmental benefits Recent studies have
estimated that while the ICT industry currently represents 2 percent of total carbon
emissions, the implementation of ICT can contribute to an estimated 15 percent reduction
in carbon emissions for all industries through energy and productivity efficiencies.
Underscoring the potential of energy-efficient computing alone, Otellini outlined the
impact of expected improvements in Intel microprocessors. The company estimates that
as the number of PCs in use today increases to 2 billion, the yearly power consumption
will decrease by half while delivering a 17-fold improvement in computing performance.
ICT can also empower individuals to make more informed decisions about their own
energy use. Research has shown that annual electricity usage could be reduced by 31
percent through regular use of a home energy meter. Otellini demonstrated Intel's Home
Dashboard concept, which lets consumers see how much energy their appliances use,
and provides recommendations gain energy-efficiency in daily routines. [via Intel]
www.ideabing.com 89
2011 Volkswagen Phaeton To Replace Cop
Cars. The Car's The Cop.
OK, the headline is slightly exaggerated but Volkswagen is getting close. The 2011
Phaeton can read road signs, speed limits, zone information and the likes through its
windshield mounted camera. All this in a bid to make sure you have all the information
"before hand". This brings in the possibility of the car warning you when you violate laws,
much like a cop would. The only difference is that you are sitting in the damn car. This
comes in line with what Audi is doing with its "Travolution", which actually talks to street
signs and traffic lights and adjust the car's speed automatically. Apart from this
annoyance, the car will also download the latest and greatest maps for you area via
Google maps. Apart from that, the car looks great, which maybe an incentive to live with
the cop inside your car.
[via Engadget]
Konica Minolta Achieves Zero Waste Level 2 at

All of its Manufactur...
With the achievement of Zero Waste Level 2 at five additional
manufacturing sites—one in China, one in France, two in the
U.S., and one in Malaysia—the Konica Minolta Group has
met this standard at all of its manufacturing sites worldwide.
To achieve Zero Waste Level 2, very strict conditions have to
be met: the three Level 1 conditions must continue to be satisfied, and simultaneously,
the volume of all materials generated during the production process, excluding products,
has to be reduced, regardless of whether they are recycled or not, by 30% or more per
unit of sales from the FY2001 level. Characteristically, Konica Minolta conducts its zero
waste activities taking into consideration both the economy and risk management. All of
its domestic manufacturing sites already met Zero Waste Level 2 criteria during FY2007.
The five manufacturing sites that have met Level 2 criteria are: Konica Minolta Opto
(Dalian) Co., Ltd., Konica Minolta Supplies Manufacturing France S.A.S., Konica Minolta
Supplies Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., American Litho Inc., and Konica Minolta Glass Tech
Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Thus, the achievement of Level 2 at these five sites marks the
successful completion of Konica Minolta’s zero waste efforts at all of its manufacturing
90 www.ideabing.com
sites. Konica Minolta Opto (Dalian) Co., Ltd., which is mainly involved in the production of
optical lenses and the assembly of optical units, has succeeded in reducing waste by
promoting various measures, such as introducing reusable cardboard boxes for the
procurement of parts, reducing glass abrasive sludge from the polishing process, and
encouraging employees to take personal waste back home. Konica Minolta Supplies
Manufacturing France S.A.S., which engages in the filling of toner for digital multi-
functional peripherals (MFPs) and printers, has achieved reduction in both waste and
cost by introducing reusable boxes used to deliver toner packaging materials from Japan,
sending the boxes back and forth between Japan and Europe, and changing the
packaging form of parts that had been formerly delivered in the cardboard boxes. The
company has also improved the efficiency in the way it fills bottles with toner. Konica
Minolta Supplies Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., which also engages in the filling of toner for
digital MFPs and printers, has also succeeded in reducing waste and cost by reusing the
packaging materials of toner sent from Japan for the shipping of finished products and by
reducing loss when filling bottles with toner. American Litho Inc. mainly produces pre-
sensitized plates, focusing on Computer-to- Plate (CTP)* for newspaper and commercial
printing. In its efforts to reduce loss arising from stopping production line to switch to
products of different widths, the company introduced an online system to change product
widths without stopping production line. The company also improved production yield by
improving its cutting equipment and recycled the solvents recovered from the coating
process as cleaning solvents, thus achieving reduction in both waste and cost. Konica
Minolta Glass Tech Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. manufactures glass substrates for HDDs, and
most of its waste takes the form of sludge discharged during the glass polishing process.
Though sludge is generally disposed of by landfill in Malaysia, the company has
succeeded in recycling sludge as cement-making material through negotiations with
relevant governmental agencies and cement manufacturers, and has drastically improved
its recycling rate. In addition, the company introduced a state-of-the-art filter press
machine as part of its plant reinforcement, which has resulted in a reduction in the water
content of sludge and in the amount of external discharge. Through these efforts, the
company achieved both Level 1 and Level 2 at the same time, in only its second year
after beginning the operation. Konica Minolta has also formulated "Eco Vision 2050," a
long-term environmental vision with the prevention of global warming at its core, and has
set the target of reducing CO2 Wastes by 80% from the FY2005 level throughout product
lifecycles by 2050. To achieve an intermediate goal by FY2015 as a step toward the
target of Eco Vision 2050, Konica Minolta has also created Medium-Term Environmental
Plan 2015. As part of its efforts to support a recycling-oriented society, zero waste
activities have been further expanded with an aim to reduce the volume of waste
discharged externally from its manufacturing activities by 50% per unit of sales from the
FY2005 level. While zero waste activities have been successfully completed, Konica
Minolta will remain committed to achieving higher goals under the Green Factory
Certification System, a new system that comprehensively evaluates the environmental
impacts of production sites, as part of Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015.
Infographic: The Lifecycle Of Oil

Don't know why gas prices are up? Just how much oil gets produced everyday and how
much do you end up using? This infographic explains it all!
[via Good]
www.ideabing.com 91
DuPont Opens North American Photovoltaic

Research Facility
DuPont opened a North American
photovoltaic applications lab at its Chestnut
Run facility in Wilmington to support
materials development for the fast-growing
photovoltaic solar energy market. Over 55
representatives from the photovoltaic
industry joined DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman, David B. Miller, president – DuPont
Electronics & Communications, and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and other government
leaders for the facility’s opening. “The global demand for renewable energy is strong and
growing,” Kullman said. “DuPont is responding to the demand by collaborating with
customers, governments and other stakeholders to deliver high-performance innovation
that addresses head-on energy challenges today and into the future. This lab will allow us
to access tremendous scientific talent to develop the technology and materials for
converting the energy of the sun into electricity, contributing to decreasing dependence
on fossil fuels.” The lab will accelerate introduction of new photovoltaic materials and
engineering innovations by linking DuPont science and engineering with full-size module
fabrication and state-of-the-art testing capabilities. It will provide an enhanced platform to
enable innovation, technology exchanges and research collaborations among DuPont,
customers, industrial partners, research institutes and universities. The lab is designed to
advance state-of-the-art solar module design, accelerate time to market in photovoltaic
innovation and deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the photovoltaic
industry. “This lab expands the capabilities of the global network of photovoltaic research
and technical centers we have established in Asia and Europe,” said Miller. “As a result,
DuPont will accelerate its ability to develop new materials technologies that meet the
needs of the market. Through our partnerships, we will be able to help create solar
modules that run more efficiently, last longer and make solar energy a viable alternative
for everyone.” DuPont has been at the forefront of innovation in the photovoltaic industry
since its inception over 25 years ago. Many DuPont products have set the standard in the
industry and continue to lead in their markets with consistently high quality and proven
performance. DuPont expects its photovoltaic sales to grow over 50 percent this year,
and to exceed $2 billion by 2014. DuPont’s continued growth is supported by new
innovations that improve module efficiency and lifetime, and enable new photovoltaic
technologies and applications, which ultimately accelerate the industry’s drive to bring
92 www.ideabing.com
down costs to the point that they are in line with other forms of energy. DuPont – one of
the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 20 years ago – has
broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include
market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The
goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and
environmentally improved new products for key global markets. DuPont is a science-
based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work
by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people
everywhere. Operating in approximately 80 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of
innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and
construction; communications; and transportation.
Help Change the World With a Single Vote

Students from around the world will gather
in Warsaw, Poland, next month to
showcase innovative ideas that could
change the world. They are competing in
the eighth annual Imagine Cup, the world’s
premier student technology competition
sponsored by Microsoft Corp. Starting
today and running through July 7, the public
is invited to view videos created by the
students and vote for their favorite projects
at http://www.imaginecup.com. The team
with the most votes will be crowned the
People’s Choice champion and will be recognized July 8 at an awards ceremony at the
Imagine Cup World Festival at the Warsaw opera house. “We believe that, now more
than ever, young people have the ability to make a positive impact on the world,” said
Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “These students will be the global
leaders of tomorrow, and we want to provide opportunities to demonstrate their creativity
and innovation on the world stage. I’m in awe of the quality and sophistication of the
Imagine Cup projects. It illustrates the promise of technology to positively transform
education and change the way people live, think, work and communicate.” This year’s
competition started with more than 325,000 high school and university students
registering from more than 100 countries and regions, and it will culminate at the Imagine
Cup Worldwide Finals from July 3–8. Only the top 400 students have made it to the
Worldwide Finals for their original solutions, which range from a multitouch tutoring
system for physically challenged students to a mobile phone application that can test for
hearing loss. The quality of this year’s projects proves that students truly are capable of
doing anything to which they set their minds. During the past three months, local Imagine
Cup competitions have taken place around the world to determine the finalists for the
Software Design competition. The People’s Choice award celebrates the entries in the
Software Design competition by providing an opportunity for fans to see all of the projects
in a fun and interactive way. By voting for their favorite projects, the public can help raise
awareness for critical social issues in education, healthcare and environmental
sustainability. Along with the Software Design competition, finalists have been selected
for the Embedded Development, Game Design, Digital Media and IT Challenge
competitions. The winners of three worldwide online awards also will be announced
www.ideabing.com 93
today. These awards and winners are the following: • Windows® Phone 7 “Rockstar”
Award. Students submitted a Windows Phone 7 application created in Silverlight or XNA
Framework that was original, visually compelling, appealing to the average consumer and
used mobile-oriented features. • Team Beastware from the Advanced Technology
Academy in the United States was selected as the winner. This team of two built a “droid”
XNA game that leveraged the use of the accelerometer on the device unlike any other
app. Through the Microsoft DreamSpark student program, which provides professional-
level developer and design tools to students and educators around the world at no
charge, Team Beastware will head to Poland to showcase its application during the
Worldwide Finals and will have the opportunity to register its app for free on the Windows
Phone Marketplace.* • Windows Internet Explorer 8 Award. The Windows Internet
Explorer 8 Award competition is designed to recognize software applications that create
enhanced user experience by leveraging Web Slices, Accelerators and search providers
in Internet Explorer. • Team Rhea from Poland was chosen as the winner for its project,
Kite Surfer. This project helps advance education by improving search and providing
improved access to information sources. It is a visual search, which breaks the standards
of typical Web searches. It seeks information using Microsoft Bing and visualizes it in
Silverlight using 3-D space. It allows a person to browse through text data, graphics and
videos in a new, innovative way. • Next Generation Web Award. Teams wrote open
source Web applications using modern technologies such as Silverlight or ASP.NET on
the Microsoft Web Platform. • Team Wanna Be Alice from Inha University, Incheon,
South Korea, will head to Poland to showcase its original Web page that connects people
seeking to spread kindness to others as a method of “paying it forward.” More information
about the Imagine Cup and the full list of worldwide finalist teams are available
athttp://www.imaginecup.com.
Video: New Adventure Sport: Under Sea Base

Jumping
You thought you conquered it all by diving off a plane? How about diving off a cliff under
the sea? No parachutes, no air. Feels good already? Guillaume Nery does that on a daily
basis. Watch! Music by Archive - You make me feel
HP Introduces the Future of Printing: Web

Connected and Cloud Aware
HP today unveiled a new category of web-enabled printing solutions designed for the
cloud that will, for the first time, allow people to:
• Print from any email device to any new ePrint-enabled printer from anywhere in the
world through the new HP ePrint platform;
• Store documents or files in the cloud and print direct when needed;
• Transform their printers into publishing platforms from which they can customize
print apps and schedule timed delivery of content – such as news from msnbc.com
and Yahoo! and creative after-school activities from Disney – directly to their home or
business printers;
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• Manage and customize their full printing experience through the new HP
ePrintCenter to enjoy relevant, fun and interesting content that is formatted for
efficient printing.
To showcase these new solutions, HP announced a full suite of web-empowered e-All-
in-One printers for home and business that start at $99. These will be the first printers
able to “talk” to the “Google Cloud” without requiring a local proxy PC or web appliance,
which means people will be able to access Google Docs, Photos and Calendar directly
from their printers. A selection of new print apps from partners such as Yahoo!,
msnbc.com, Facebook®, Live Nation, Crayola, Reuters, DocStoc and Picasa Web
Albums™ also will be available. “We are once again revolutionizing printing to make web-
empowered, cloud-enabled printing the new industry standard,” said Vyomesh Joshi,
executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “We know that our customers
want an easy way to print their content, anywhere, anytime. We’re making that a reality
today by giving people the power to print from any web-connected device – smartphones,
iPads, netbooks and more – to any printer in our portfolio above $99. The world has
changed.” HP web-connected products and services are supported by a digital print
advertising platform that can be leveraged by print app partners. Customers can get
premium content at no additional cost and brands can add value to their audience by
populating select print content with customized messages, promotions and information
like coupons or local services. HP ePrint: if you can email it, you can print it The HP
ePrint platform harnesses the cloud to break down the barriers of distance and
connectivity and allow people to send the files they want to print from their mobile
devices. From a mom and son printing drawings from an iPad, to an executive on a train
sending a presentation from a Palm Pre or Blackberry® smartphone to print and pick up
at a FedEx Office store, HP ePrint allows people to print anytime, anywhere. Every HP
ePrint printer will have a unique simple email address that allows the sender to deliver a
print the same way they would send an email message. Customers also can send
documents to print through an HP ePrint mobile app on their smartphone device to a
home, office or public print location such as a hotel or FedEx Office store. Customers will
be able to send Microsoft® Office documents, Adobe® PDFs and JPEG image files,
among others. HP ePrintCenter: a home for all things printing The HP ePrintCenter is an
online hub for all HP customers to explore new services and customize their printing
experience. For example, people can register their products and receive updates
according to their preferences, configure their devices, track ePrint jobs, and browse and
suggest new print apps. Scheduled delivery available through HP e-All-in-One printers
Following a successful pilot study in two major cities, HP has announced a new service
called Scheduled Delivery, which allows customers to choose content to be pushed to a
printer at a designated time each day or week. For example, they might choose a
customized news feed from msnbc.com to arrive at 7 a.m. for picking up on their way out
of the door, or they might choose fun kids activities from Disney to be ready when the
children get home from school. Users simply register for the news or content feeds of
their choice through the HP ePrintCenter and schedule the day, time and frequency of
delivery so items will be printed and waiting when they want them. The Scheduled
Delivery service also opens up a new era of digital print advertising for HP and content
partners. HP and Yahoo! plan to launch the service as a pilot program to help marketers
consider ways to provide added value to their audiences by populating select print
content from partners with customized messages, promotions and information like
coupons or local services.
www.ideabing.com 95
Schneider Electric Launches MiCST
Collaborative Project
Schneider Electric announces today the launch of the MiCST
collaborative project, aiming to generate electricity produced
by solar energy through an innovative process, in partnership
with 11 French organisations. The MiCST project consists in
designing and manufacturing an innovative solar plant, using sunlight to heat an energy
supply powering a thermodynamic machine able to drive an alternator that produces ten
electrical kilowatts. This solution shall be designed to provide energy to off-grid areas. It
will be particularly destined to meet the needs of developing countries with strong
sunlight. Simple to install and to maintain, this solution is expected to be easily adopted
by local engineers. The major technical and technological challenges are the necessity to
take in consideration rigorous criteria of robustness, cost reduction and eco-design. The
42-months-project coordinates the expertise of 12 partners, from industry and research.
The project is supported by the French Agency for the Environment and Energy
Management (ADEME). As the leader of this project, Schneider Electric has joined forces
with the Institut National de l’Energie Solaire (CEA/INES), Exosun, Sophia-Antipolis
Energie Développement, Barriquand Technologies Thermiques, Défi Systèmes, Stiral,
Mecachrome France, the Laboratoire Energétique Mécanique Electromagnétisme
(Université Paris Ouest), the Laboratoire d’Energétique et de Mécanique Théorique et
Appliquée Nancy, Cedrat Technologie and the G2ELab. The federation of these players
forms a national momentum, benefiting of high R&D competences in thermal solar
energy. « Through the MiCST project, Schneider Electric reaffirms its ambition to
contribute to energy access for the 1.6 billion people worldwide who are still excluded, by
the means of renewable energies , explains Gilles Vermot Desroches, Senior Vice
President Sustainable Development, Schneider Electric. By designing a solid solar
station, that has the capacity to reduce costs and that is environment friendly, we will help
the disadvantaged communities in their development. » The MiCST Project is part of the
Schneider Electric’s global sustainable programme called BipBop, (Business, Innovation
& People at the base of the pyramid), with the goal of responding to the needs and
requirements of people at the base of the pyramid by offering adapted solutions,
developing training in electrical careers and helping entrepreneurs to set up their
business around access to energy.
Texas A&M Teams With IBM To Speed Drug

Discovery for Tuberc...
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Texas A&M University used IBM
supercomputing technology to carry out potentially life-saving tuberculosis research at a
rate more than four times faster than was previously possible. Tuberculosis is an
96 www.ideabing.com
infectious disease that causes nearly two million deaths per year, with an estimated one-
third of the human population carrying a latent infection. The bacteria responsible for
tuberculosis are mutating to form various drug-resistant strains. Texas A&M researchers
are sequencing the DNA of the mutated strains so they can be tested against different
drugs. In a race against time, researchers must try to find drugs that are effective before
the strains mutate again. With IBM supercomputing technology, they can sequence the
DNA of a specific strain in hours instead of days. Scientists at the Texas A&M
Supercomputing Facility built a software package called the "parallel Genome Analysis
Pipeline" (pGAP) to help fight tuberculosis by more quickly analyzing the genome of
mutated strains on the Facility's "Hydra" cluster -- a 832-core IBM POWER system
coupled with a 20 terabyte (TB), third party storage system managed by the IBM General
Parallel File System (GPFS), a high-performance, extremely scalable clustered file
system. Developed for IBM's AIX operating system and based on Illumina's Genome
Analysis Pipeline, pGAP allows data to flow almost automatically from an Illumina
Genome Analyzer IIx to the Hydra cluster, where it can quickly process in parallel the
large datasets created by DNA sequencing. Using pGAP together with IBM
supercomputing technology is boosting genomics research at Texas A&M. "IBM's Power
Systems provide the performance we need to rapidly process data while GPFS prevents
bottlenecks," said Dr. Raffaele Montuoro, computational scientist at the Texas A&M
Supercomputing Facility and inventor of pGAP. "When combined with the performance
and capability of our own pGAP software, Texas A&M researchers are achieving greater
success in the fight against tuberculosis." The Texas A&M Supercomputing Facility
recently increased its processing muscle even further with the addition of a 2,592-core
IBM iDataPlex, a highly scalable system that can lower power, cooling and space
requirements. Known as "Eos," the new cluster totals 27.14 teraflops, which made it
418th on the Top500 list of the world's fastest supercomputers announced May 31, 2010.
Audi Travolution: Efficiently Through The City

Building highly efficient cars is one aspect of Audi’s ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ – making
sure that they can be used for efficient journeys is another. The development teams at
Audi see the task in its entirety, and examine the complete road traffic system. Their
travolution project is a concept for a dialogue between cars and traffic signals. It reduces
the amount of time spent at a standstill or accelerating, and in this way cuts the vehicles’
www.ideabing.com 97
fuel consumption. Today, journalists and
traffic planners are testing travolution on
demonstration runs in Ingolstadt. The
results obtained during the first travolution
project in 2006 were immediate and
dramatic: reduced waiting times at traffic
signals cut fuel consumption by 17 percent.
In a full year this would save as much as
700,000 litres (184,920.44 US gallons) of
fuel. The secret of this success: the traffic
signals in Ingolstadt are controlled by a
new, adaptive computing algorithm that
Audi developed in cooperation with
partners at colleges of advanced
engineering and in business and industry.
Audi has now developed travolution still
further, by enabling vehicles to
communicate directly with traffic light
systems, using wireless LAN and UMTS
links. 15 test vehicles and 25 sets of traffic
lights now permit the system to be sampled
in actual traffic conditions in the city on the
Danube. The traffic signals transmit data
that are processed into graphic form and
shown on the car’s driver information
display screen. The graphics tell the driver
for instance what speed to adopt so that the
next traffic light changes to green before
the car reaches it. This speed, which keeps
the traffic flowing as smoothly as possible, can then be selected at the adaptive cruise
control (ACC) – but the driver can also delegate this task to the car’s control system. If
the car is stopped at a red traffic light, this transmits information via the car’s computer on
how long the driver will have to wait before it switches to green again. If on the other
hand the car approaches a traffic light that is about to switch to yellow or red, the driver is
warned by a visual or acoustic signal, or by a brief interruption to the flow of power from
the engine. When the car is part of a network in this way, the driver can reduce the
amount of time spent at a standstill and cut fuel consumption by 0.02 of a litre for every
traffic-light stop and subsequent acceleration phase that can be avoided. The potential is
enormous: if this new technology were applied throughout Germany, exhaust emissions
could be lowered by about two million tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to a reduction
of approximately 15 percent in CO2 from motor vehicles in urban traffic. The travolution
system also makes it possible to pay online when refueling or parking the car. The car
itself communicates with the stationary equipment at the filling station or parking garage.
When the driver confirms the charge via the Multi Media Interface MMI, it is automatically
debited from the customer’s account or credit card. To demonstrate the progress that
travolution development work has made, Audi has organised talks and demonstration
runs for journalists and traffic planners on June 2, 2010 in Ingolstadt, with the aim of
illustrating the potential offered by networking cars with the traffic infrastructure.
98 www.ideabing.com
GE Healthcare Unveils Innovative Technology in
Breast Cancer Imaging
GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE), a pioneer in digital
mammography, today announced the introduction of an
innovative technology to aid in breast cancer diagnosis. GE
Healthcare's new SenoBright Contrast Enhanced Spectral
Mammography (CESM) technology reduces ambiguity in
mammography results, enabling physicians to detect and
diagnose cancer with more confidence - even in the densest
part of the breast tissue more rapidly and accurately. Working
like the multiple-flash, red-eye reduction function in a digital
camera, SenoBright uses X-rays at multiple energies to create two separate exposures.
These resulting images specifically illuminate and highlight areas where there is
angiogenesis, growth of small blood vessels potentially related to the presence of cancer.
"A CESM exam takes from 5 to 10 minutes," said Dr. Clarisse Dromain, Gustave Roussy
Cancer Institute, France. "During my investigation of the use of CESM with my own
examinations of patients, I have been able to better define the spread of a cancer
compared to standard mammography and ultrasound, and follow-up exams with an MRI
(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) validated exactly the same results. Moreover, in the
majority of cases the confidence in the diagnosis is high enough that the patient can be
told the results that same day," she added. The diagnostic challenge SenoBright enables
the digital mammography system to detect a whole new type of diagnostic information.
Standard mammography only sees the structure of breast tissue. With SenoBright,
doctors can also locate the proliferation of small blood vessels, potentially associated
with cancerous tumor growth. In addition, it shows potential for measuring the extension
of the lesion to help to plan surgery and treatment. Patients receive an intravenous
injection of standard iodine contrast agent, and after two minutes undergo a five-minute
digital mammography exam. CESM images are acquired in familiar mammography views
so that that they can be quickly and easily correlated with standard results, facilitating
interpretation by other specialists like surgeons or oncologists. "Worldwide, more than 1.2
million people annually are diagnosed with breast cancer. Since 1965, GE Healthcare
has made significant progress in providing solutions for breast cancer detection and
diagnosis that really bring a change to people‟s lives. Today through „healthymagination‟,
we continuously develop innovations to reduce costs, increase access and improve
quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery around the globe," said Reinaldo Garcia,
President and CEO of GE Healthcare for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "GE
Healthcare is pleased to bring to market such advanced breast imaging technologies like
SenoBright, the result of over 10 years and $12 million investment of research and
clinical collaborations. This innovative technology will support the earlier diagnosis of this
prevalent disease, by providing access to new diagnostic information at a lower cost."
The product development was carried out in collaboration between GE Healthcare and
Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP). The goal of the joint research program is to
develop new and innovative technologies for aiding in the diagnosis of breast cancer
using the latest developments in digital mammography. Dr. Tidu Maini, Science and
Technology Advisor to Her Highness, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, and
Executive Chairman of Qatar Science & Technology Park, said, "Our collaboration with
GE Healthcare is a step towards making Qatar a global medical innovator while
delivering real health benefits for the local community." Same staff, same equipment—
www.ideabing.com 99
same day SenoBright is an easy procedure that can be conducted by the same staff,
using the same mammography equipment, potentially on the same day as the exam―
allowing medical professionals to cut the critical time patients often have to wait from
detection to diagnosis. "Given our proven history of breast imaging innovations, GE is
proud to release yet another innovative technology, soon to be available to much of our
digital installed base. We are one of the only companies today to engineer and
manufacture the entire mammography imaging chain from tube, and detector to review
workstation, coupled with integration of the comprehensive local requirements for each
customer, " said David Caumartin, GE Healthcare‟s General Manager Mammography.
"SenoBright is likely to be a key enabler of accelerated patient workflow from diagnostics
to treatment planning. It is enhancing the widely accepted technology of digital
mammography by adding the functional information in order to detect angiogenesis."
Clarity of results Digital mammography is considered a relevant means of breast cancer
screening, delivering proven clinical outcomes. The sensitivity and specificity of images
can, however, be affected by a range of factors. Dense breast tissue can overlap with
lesions, which are not always visible on an X-ray, and radiologists‟ interpretation of
images can vary. Inconclusive digital mammography presents a range of challenges to
healthcare professionals and patients. Ambiguity can result in diagnostic error,
demanding further tests that can include ultrasound, invasive biopsy and Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning ― all of which could delay the diagnostic process, in
some cases by weeks or even months. SenoBright can remove this ambiguity, helping to
ensure that those patients who need to go into cancer treatment do so ― and do so
quickly. Whereas patients who do not have malignant lesions have the potential to find
out on the same day, relieving their burden of uncertainty. Compared to mammography
alone, clinical studies show that SenoBright improves sensitivity and specificity:
• for every 100 cancers, there is the potential to find 13 more
• 6 more benign lesions out of 100 can be correctly classified
• 19 more patients out of 100 without cancer can be sent home
"The addition of intravenous contrast to mammography gives us the possibility to obtain
information in the mammogram that was previously only obtained from MRI," said Dr.
David Dershaw, Director of Breast Imaging at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
USA. "This has the potential to convey the advantages of MRI imaging in screening and
diagnosis to women for whom this test is indicated but not currently available." The new
CESM technology works with an upgrade to GE Healthcare Senographe DS and
Senographe Essential digital mammography equipment. GE‟ Senographe platforms are
full-field digital mammography systems designed to meet clinical needs, from screening
to diagnostic and interventional procedures and designed for future advanced
applications.
The Dark Side of the Cloud

Yes! I am an Avid Pink Floyd fan….and being Indian gives me a birth right to plagiarize
the little things in life. Muhahaha! Now that the evil laughter is out of the way, down to
business. I’ve been reading a lot about the impending ‘Cloud computing’ revolution in the
IT circles. A phenomenon which is supposed to be the next big disruptive technology
(after the iPad). In a nutshell for those who don’t quite get what all the hullabaloo is about,
here goes.
100 www.ideabing.com
The cloud is just another word for the internet and ‘Cloud Computing’ is a technology by
which you use applications, services or even hardware right off the internet rather than
buy them and store them at your office. You get rid of all those fancy server rooms and
support systems because thanks to the internet revolution, everything is running from
some infrastructure somewhere in the world over the internet. (PS: For those who did not
understand any of the jargon I used, please use this website…www.google.com) . To
break down this phenomenon further, let me put it this way….you no longer have hard
disks on your office premises because all your storage is done on the internet. You don’t
have any other infrastructure because they’re all being controlled by more interested folks
over the internet. Think of you Gmail account (or any other e-mail account)…you don’t
store your mails on your PC, you don’t bother about where it is stored or where it is
coming from. The chat applications you use come from the internet. Nothing is local to
your desktop. This is probably the best example of ‘Cloud Computing’. Before I get into a
near-orgasmic discussion on Cloud Computing( yes…me Geek!), let’s get back to what I
wanted to point out. While everyone are harping on the benefits of the Cloud, we seem to
have forgotten one thing. If everything is moved to the Cloud and you no longer have any
infrastructure on site, what happens to the dedicated IT team that you created who so
painstakingly ensure your infra is up and running? Do we simply fire them? Does or
adoption of a new technology result in the elimination of human infrastructure? I’m yet to
read any article that addresses this issue. What if we find ourselves in an economic
situation like when the industrial revolution came about or when the computer began to
take care of basics like accounting? People lost their jobs, and it was a while before
relevant jobs or replacements came up. With the Cloud promising to automate a lot of
work, we’re looking to make people obsolete. I’m sort of reminded of the terminator series
where Skynet will take over and basically hump the human race. (yes…bad
word…hump…hump…hump) While we’re all feeling extremely happy about this new
technology that will save big companies a lot of costs, we seem to be ignoring a big
economic issue. While the phasing out of people might be slow, it is inevitable. History
has been witness to riots when technology saw mass workers being replaced by
machines that automated the work they did, and how the Cloud is going to be any
different is a question that is beyond me. While IT teams go about all perky about this
new toy, I don’t think CIOs have spoken to HR teams and have factored in this problem.
While there may still be use for these teams with regard to Migration, then what? I think
we have a major economical problem of unemployment on our hands. I don’t want to be
the wet blanket in all this excitement about the cloud, but I think we need to look beyond
mere technological benefits here. Do we have a major transition plan in place? Do we
have a skills upgrade plan in place to make these poor IT folks still relevant to the
system….Food for thought. PS: I just sent in a request today to get the RAM on the office
laptop upgraded, hoping the chaps read this and immediately sanction some fresh RAM
for my otherwise drab of a laptop.
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Posted by Nikhilesh Murthy at 12:00PM ()
WWDC 2010 Live - iPhone 4 launched. Pictures.

Apple WWDC is live on Ideabing. Watch! Update: We have the cnet stream on now, the
other live stream is way too slow. We leave the options to you though, both feeds
available.Update: Pics coming in via Engadget Sign up for updates while you wait for the
videos to load: http://ibng.me/ibngme [gallery link="file" columns="9" orderby="title"]
NASA Rover Finds Clue To Mars' Past And

Environment For Life
Rocks examined by NASA's Spirit Mars Rover hold evidence
of a wet, non-acidic ancient environment that may have been
favorable for life. Confirming this mineral clue took four years
of analysis by several scientists. An outcrop that Spirit
examined in late 2005 revealed high concentrations of
carbonate, which originates in wet, near-neutral conditions,
but dissolves in acid. The ancient water indicated by this find
was not acidic. NASA's rovers have found other evidence of
formerly wet Martian environments. However the data for those environments indicate
conditions that may have been acidic. In other cases, the conditions were definitely
acidic, and therefore less favorable as habitats for life. Laboratory tests helped confirm
the carbonate identification. The findings were published online Thursday, June 3 by the
journal Science. "This is one of the most significant findings by the rovers," said Steve
Squyres of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Squyres is principal investigator for the Mars
twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and a co-author of the new report. "A substantial
carbonate deposit in a Mars outcrop tells us that conditions that could have been quite
favorable for life were present at one time in that place. " Spirit inspected rock outcrops,
including one scientists called Comanche, along the rover's route from the top of
Husband Hill to the vicinity of the Home Plate plateau which Spirit has studied since
2006. Magnesium iron carbonate makes up about one-fourth of the measured volume in
Comanche. That is a tenfold higher concentration than any previously identified for
carbonate in a Martian rock. "We used detective work combining results from three
spectrometers to lock this down," said Dick Morris, lead author of the report and a
member of a rover science team at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston."The
instruments gave us multiple, interlocking ways of confirming the magnesium iron
carbonate, with a good handle on how much there is." Massive carbonate deposits on
Mars have been sought for years without much success. Numerous channels apparently
carved by flows of liquid water on ancient Mars suggest the planet was formerly warmer,
thanks to greenhouse warming from a thicker atmosphere than exists now. The ancient,
dense Martian atmosphere was probably rich in carbon dioxide, because that gas makes
up nearly all the modern, very thin atmosphere. It is important to determine where most of
the carbon dioxide went. Some theorize it departed to space. Others hypothesize that it
left the atmosphere by the mixing of carbon dioxide with water under conditions that led
to forming carbonate minerals. That possibility, plus finding small amounts of carbonate
in meteorites that originated from Mars, led to expectations in the 1990s that carbonate
would be abundant on Mars. However, mineral-mapping spectrometers on orbiters since
then have found evidence of localized carbonate deposits in only one area, plus small
amounts distributed globally in Martian dust. Morris suspected iron-bearing carbonate at
Comanche years ago from inspection of the rock with Spirit's Moessbauer Spectrometer,
which provides information about iron-containing minerals. Confirming evidence from
other instruments emerged slowly. The instrument with the best capability for detecting
carbonates, the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, had its mirror contaminated
with dust earlier in 2005, during a wind event that also cleaned Spirit's solar panels. "It
was like looking through dirty glasses," said Steve Ruff of Arizona State University in
Tempe, Ariz., another co-author of the report. "We could tell there was something very
different about Comanche compared with other outcrops we had seen, but we couldn't
tell what it was until we developed a correction method to account for the dust on the
mirror." Spirit's Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer instrument detected a high
concentration of light elements, a group including carbon and oxygen, that helped
quantify the carbonate content. The rovers landed on Mars in January 2004 for missions
originally planned to last three months. Spirit has been out of communication since March
22 and is in a low-power hibernation status during Martian winter. Opportunity is making
steady progress toward a large crater, Endeavour, which is about seven miles away.
Marketing To Goldfish
My generation has seen so many great infraction points when it comes to the internet
revolution that we really don’t know where to classify ourselves. Gen X, Gen Y…maybe
iGen (if you’re an Apple fan). Information was never so easily available. Marketers now
find themselves unsure of who to cater to. There remain the more traditional buyers in the
senior spectrum who still have enough buying power and who use the internet mainly for
email (and certain unmentionables). On the other hand, there’s this generation who have
so much information on every aspect of every product and the forums to discuss the
same to an extent that would make the doctor performing a post mortem very happy. But
with all this information available, this generation has seen a major dip in the attention
span of people. People want things ‘right here, right now’ (do not sue me Fatboy Slim).
And this has led marketers into a bit of a quandry. With attention spans dropping and the
need for information growing, people want the most in their little exposure to an ad. And
the way Twitter brought about microblogging, we now have what some sections refer to
as micro-advertising. Quick 7 second ads tailor made to the generation whose attention
span has dropped to a point that would give Goldfish a superiority complex. (Okay,
maybe I took that analogy a little too far, but it is that bad). The recent IPL (Indian Premier
League) cricket tournament saw pico-ads (really small ads which ran for 3-4 seconds).
Products coming to the point about what benefits they offer. And in this lies a new avenue
for advertisers. Creation of ads that can deliver the point in 4 seconds or less through
either television, or the internet. Gone are the days of long 20-30 seconds ads, that
popped up to ruin your day. And thanks to TiVo and other products that have found the
solution to eliminate advertisements all together, the new brigade of advertising hotshots
need to throw their legacy textbooks out the window and give in to technology.
VSS Enterprise's first 'captive carry' flight!

Virgin Galactic announced today that VSS Enterprise has completed her inaugural
captive carry flight from Mojave Air and Spaceport. This very first captive carry was a
huge success and both the mothership and spaceship looked absolutely stunning against
the blue back drop of the Mojave skies. Commenting on the historic flight, Burt Rutan
said: “This is a momentous day for the Scaled and Virgin Teams. The captive carry flight
signifies the start of what we believe will be extremely exciting and successful spaceship
flight test program.” Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic added: “Seeing the
finished spaceship in December was a major day for us but watching VSS Enterprise fly
for the first time really brings home what beautiful, ground-breaking vehicles Burt and his
team have developed for us. It comes as no surprise that the flight went so well; the
Scaled team is uniquely qualified to bring this important and incredible dream to reality.
Today was another major step along that road and a testament to US engineering and
innovation.” The VSS Enterprise test flight programme will continue though 2010 and
2011, progressing from captive carry to independent glide and then powered flight, prior
to the start of commercial operations.
Archeologists Discover 'Brain Food' in Early

Human Ancestors' Diet
A team of scientists now know what may
have helped fuel the evolution of the human
brain two million years ago. Archeologists
working in Kenya unearthed evidence that
our human ancestors ate a wide variety of
animals including fish, turtles and even
crocodiles. Based on analyses of animal
bones and stone tools they excavated, the
research team found that our early ancestors incorporated aquatic "brain food" in their
diet. "These aquatic foods are really important sources of the long-chain polyunsaturated
fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid that are so critical to human brain growth," said co-
author and paleoanthropologist Dr. Richmond. "Finding these foods in the diets of our
early ancestors suggests they may have helped to lift constraints on brain size and fuel
the evolution of a larger brain." The discovery of such a diverse animal diet is important
because early human brain size increased dramatically after two million years ago.
Growing a large brain requires an enormous investment in calories and nutrients and
places considerable costs on the mother and developing infant. Anthropologists have
long considered meat in the diet as key to the evolution of a larger brain. However, until
now, there was no evidence that human ancestors this long ago had incorporated into
their diets animal foods, from lakes and rivers, rich in brain nutrients. A team of scientists
from Kenya, the United States, the U.K., Australia and South Africa discovered a 1.95
million year-old site in northwestern Kenya in 2004. Preservation of the excavated site
was so remarkable that the team was able to develop a detailed reconstruction of the
environment. Over four years, the scientists excavated literally thousands of fossilized
bones and stone tools, and were able to determine that at least 10 individual animals,
and perhaps many more, were butchered by early humans at this site. Many of these
bones showed evidence of cut marks made by early human ancestors as a result of
using sharp stone tools to cut meat from the bones or crush long bones to access the fat-
rich bone marrow. "At sites of this age we often consider ourselves lucky if we find any
bone associated with stone tools, but here we found everything from small bird bones to
hippopotamus leg bones," said archeologist David Braun of the University of Cape Town
inSouth Africa, who was the lead author on the research. Gaining access to smaller
animals like turtles and fish may have allowed these early humans to increase the protein
in their diet without the danger of interacting with dangerous carnivores, such as lions
and hyenas. These early humans were relatively small and not well suited to compete
with the large carnivores that lived at that time. Stumbling upon brain-fueling food may
have been a fortunate side effect of finding foods at lakes and rivers. The research was
funded by the National Science Foundation. The project was directed by Jack Harris of
Rutgers Universityand represents a collaborative effort between National Museums of
Kenya and a host of international institutions. Paleontologist Marion Bamford of the
University of Witswatersrand in South Africa identified fossilized plant remains that
revealed the wet and possibly marshy environment in which these early humans were
living. Lead zooarchaeologist Jack McCoy of Rutgers University identified bones of
various animals including turtles, fish, crocodiles and large antelopes that ended up as
the meals of these early humans. Dr. Richmond of GW took part in fossil identification
and analyzing how the findings were important for human evolution. The site, known to
the archaeologists by the moniker FwJj 20, is located in the northern part of the Koobi
Fora research area on the eastern side of Lake Turkana in Marsabit District, Kenya. The
presence of overlying layers of volcanic ash helped the team pin down the age of the site.
Geologists on the team, Naomi Levin of Johns Hopkins University and Andrew Herries of
theUniversity of New South Wales, Australia, were able to use a combination of
techniques to estimate the age of the site as close to 1.95 million years. David Braun and
his international team will return to northern Kenya to find more answers to questions
about the diets of our earliest ancestors. The article, "Early hominin diet included diverse
terrestrial and aquatic animals 1.95 Ma in East Turkana, Kenya," will appear in the May
31, 2010, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). PNAS is a
weekly journal that publishes cutting-edge research that spans the biological, physical,
and social sciences. Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation's capital, GW's
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the University's academic units
with more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and
professional studies. Columbian College provides the foundation for GW's commitment to
education, research and outreach, providing courses ranging from the traditional
disciplines to a wide variety of interdisciplinary and applied fields for students in all the
undergraduate degree programs across the University. An internationally recognized
faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian
College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives
through scientific research and discovery. The George Washington University was
created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher
education in the District of Columbia and has additional programs in Virginia. The
University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts
study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering,
education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population
of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and more than 130 countries. Provided by Newswise, online resource for
knowledge-based news at www.newswise.com SOURCE George Washington University
WHO: Drug-resistant tuberculosis now at record

levels
In some areas of the world, one in four
people with tuberculosis (TB) becomes ill
with a form of the disease that can no
longer be treated with standard drugs
regimens, a World Health Organization
(WHO) report says. For example, 28% of all people newly diagnosed with TB in one
region of north western Russia had the multidrug-resistant form of the disease (MDR-TB)
in 2008. This is the highest level ever reported to WHO. Previously, the highest recorded
level was 22% in Baku City, Azerbaijan, in 2007. In the new WHO's Multidrug and
Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: 2010 Global Report on Surveillance and
Response, it is estimated that 440 000 people had MDR-TB worldwide in 2008 and that a
third of them died. In sheer numbers, Asia bears the brunt of the epidemic. Almost 50% of
MDR-TB cases worldwide are estimated to occur in China and India. In Africa, estimates
show 69 000 cases emerged, the vast majority of which went undiagnosed.
Encouraging signs
Tuberculosis programmes face tremendous challenges in reducing MDR-TB rates. But
there are encouraging signs that even in the presence of severe epidemics, governments
and partners can turn around MDR-TB by strengthening efforts to control the disease and
implementing WHO recommendations. Two regions in the Russian Federation, Orel and
Tomsk, have achieved a remarkable decline in MDR-TB in about five years. These
regions join two countries, Estonia and Latvia, which have reversed rising high rates of
MDR-TB, ultimately achieving a decline. The United States of America and China, Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), have achieved sustained successes in
controlling MDR-TB.
Slow progress
Progress remains slow in most other countries. Worldwide, of those patients receiving
treatment, 60% were reported as cured. However, only an estimated 7% of all MDR-TB
patients are diagnosed. This points to the urgent need for improvements in laboratory
facilities, access to rapid diagnosis and treatment with more effective drugs and regimens
shorter than the current two years. WHO is engaged in a five year project to strengthen
TB laboratories with rapid tests in nearly 30 countries. This will ensure more people
benefit early from life-saving treatments. It is also working closely with the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the international community on increasing
access to treatment.
General Mills Takes Home the Gold at Edison

Awards
General Mills Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes won
gold at the 2010 Edison Best New Product Awards gala in
New York. The product took first place in the consumer
packaged goods food segment. “We are thrilled that Betty
Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes won gold and are honored to have one of the
strongest brand icons in the food industry associated with one of America’s greatest
inventors,” said Jodi Benson, Baking R&D and transformational business development
director for General Mills. “It has been extremely rewarding to welcome gluten free
consumers back to Betty Crocker through this innovative line of products.” Betty Crocker
was the first nationally recognized brand to launch gluten free brownie, cookie and cake
mixes in traditional grocery stores. The products satisfy gluten free consumers’ previously
unmet desire to find great-tasting, affordable and easy-to-prepare desserts that they can
enjoy with their families and friends. Since the gluten in wheat flour provides the structure
for traditional brownies, cookies and cakes, creating dessert mixes without gluten is a
significant and remarkable technical achievement. Once the company successfully
created a winning product, an insightful marketing campaign centered on social media
drove both awareness and support for the launch. Benson notes the critical role General
Mills suppliers played in the development of the product: “General Mills embraces a
connected innovation model in product development. This model results in us looking
inside and outside of the company to share ideas and technologies. We are grateful to
our partners who helped us on this journey.” The 2010 Edison Awards honor a variety of
innovative products – from baking mixes to wind turbines – with gold, silver and bronze
winners in each of its 11 product categories. “The Edison Award winners are the moving
parts in the engine of economic growth,” said Sarah Miller Caldicott, great grandniece of
Thomas Edison and chairperson of the Edison Awards steering committee. “They inspire
people to think outside the box, and their results improve the lives of people around the
world.” The Edison Best New Product Awards are given annually. The awards are a peer-
review honor similar to the Oscars and are voted on by roughly 2,000 members of the
not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group, which includes America’s top
executives and academics. The awards symbolize the persistence and excellence
personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain in the forefront of
innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy.
RECYCLE THE CAN, DONATE THE TAB,
REFRESH COMMUNITIES
How far can 10 cents a day go? Farther than you think! Sprite is giving consumers an
easy and inexpensive way to give back to communities through the "Sprite Tabs for
Habitat" program. During the month of April, look for specially marked Sprite or Sprite
Zero™ multipacks or 12-oz single cans with a unique green tab and Habitat for Humanity
logo. For each green tab consumers collect and mail in by May 30, 2010, Sprite will
donate 10 cents to Habitat for Humanity, up to $500,000. It’s that easy. Enjoy your Sprite,
recycle your can and send in the green tab. Visit www.spritetabsforhabitat.com for more
information. "Through the "Sprite Tabs for Habitat" program people can give back to their
communities, help others, and recycle -- all at the same time," said Augusto Elias, brand
director, Sprite, Coca-Cola North America. "We encourage people with busy lifestyles to
see this program as an opportunity to make a difference in their community by simply
mailing in the green tabs found on Sprite and Sprite Zero cans." Habitat for Humanity
builds, repairs and rehabilitates safe, decent and affordable housing in partnership with
low-income families in need. Sprite is making a minimum donation to Habitat for
Humanity for $250,000 and a percentage of the total funds raised will be allocated to help
retrofit homes with water conserving appliances. "In addition to providing funds, "Sprite
Tabs for Habitat" will help Habitat for Humanity provide awareness of the incredible need
for affordable housing that exists in the United States and around the world," said Mark
Crozet, senior vice president of Resource Development for Habitat for Humanity
International. "We thank Sprite for the opportunity to participate in this program." Only
green Sprite and Sprite Zero tabs will count toward the program and all tabs must be
received by May 30, 2010, to be accepted for donation to Habitat for Humanity. To
participate, place the green tabs in a regular or padded envelope. If using a non-padded
envelope, please limit the number of tabs to 20 in each envelope and mail to: Sprite Tabs
for Habitat, P.O. Box 51412, Knoxville, TN 37950. At the conclusion of the program,
Sprite will donate all tabs to a charitable organization to be recycled. In addition to mailing
in green Sprite or Sprite Zero tabs, My Coke Rewards® members can also help Habitat
for Humanity by donating their My Coke Rewards points between now and May 30, 2010.
My Coke Rewards points donated will deliver additional monetary support for Habitat for
Humanity. For more information about this opportunity or how to become a member of
My Coke Rewards , please visitwww.spritetabsforhabitat.com. Sprite will encourage
consumers to participate in the program by placing Habitat for Humanity messaging on
packaging, point of sale, and online. Additionally, Sprite is sponsoring ABC Goes Green,
a micro site on ABC.com that focuses on offering consumers tips, quizzes and videos on
how to be more environmentally friendly. For more information, please visit
http://abc.go.com/site/abc-goes-green.
Iconic Range Rover Turns 40

The Range Rover celebrates its 40th birthday on 17 June, 2010. One of the most
significant vehicles in the history of motoring, the Range Rover was the world's first
vehicle as good on-road as off-road. It was the first fully capable luxury 4x4 and was a
milestone in the development of the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle). There have been three
generations of Range Rover. The original, now known as the Classic, went on sale in
1970 and continued in production, with numerous upgrades and a multiplicity of variants,
for just over 25 years. The second-generation vehicle, known as the P38a, went on sale
in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 by the current model. The continuing success of the
Range Rover ensured that other premium makers jumped into the booming luxury SUV
market. The latest version has enjoyed higher annual sales than any previous models
and continues to be popular around the world. Sold around the world, from London to Los
Angeles, Sydney to Shanghai, Turin to Tokyo, the Range Rover remains the ultimate
choice for the luxury SUV customer. "The Range Rover is really four vehicles in one,"
says managing director Phil Popham. "It's a seven-days-a-week luxury motor car; a
leisure vehicle that will range far and wide on the highways and noways of the world; a
high performance car for long distance travel; and a working cross-country vehicle." From
princes to politicians, from rock gods to rock climbers, from footballers to farmers, the
Range Rover has always appealed to a diverse group of customers. A second model
line, the Range Rover Sport, was launched in 2005, aimed at more sports-oriented driver-
focused customers. It has been a great success, and in 2007 was Land Rover's biggest
selling vehicle worldwide. Later this year, a further member of the Range Rover family will
be added, taking the portfolio to three model lines. The new vehicle will be smaller, lighter
and more fuel efficient, tying in perfectly with the Range Rover brand's commitment to
environmental sustainability. Yet it will be no less premium, no less luxurious, and no less
special than the other Range Rover models. A Brief History: 1966 Work began on the first
Range Rover prototype, known as the '100-inch station wagon'. 1970 The original two-
door Range Rover – known as the Classic – goes on sale. 1971 Range Rover receives
the RAC Dewar award for outstanding technical achievement. 1972 The Range Rover is
the first vehicle to cross the Darien Gap on a British Army Trans-America expedition.
1974 Range Rover completes west to east Sahara desert expedition – 7,500 miles in 100
days. 1977 A modified Range Rover wins the 4x4 class in the London-Sydney Marathon,
a gruelling 30,000 km (18,750 miles) event and the longest ever speed-based car rally.
1979 A specially modified Range Rover wins the first Paris-Dakar rally (a Range Rover
wins again in 1981). 1981 First production four-door Range Rover appears along with the
first factory-produced limited-edition Range Rover – the 'In Vogue'. 1982 Automatic
transmission becomes available on Range Rover. 1983 Range Rover 5-speed manual
gearbox is introduced. 1985 The diesel-powered Range Rover 'Bullet' breaks 27 speed
records, including a diesel record for averaging more than 100mph for 24 hours. 1987
Range Rover launched in North America. 1989 Range Rover is the world's first 4x4 to be
fitted with ABS anti-lock brakes. 1990 Limited Edition CSK – named after founder Charles
Spencer King – is launched as a sportier Range Rover. 1992 Range Rover Classic is the
world's first 4x4 to be fitted with electronic traction control (ETC). 1992 Long-wheelbase
LSE (known as County LWB in the US) launched. 1992 Automatic electronic air
suspension introduced, a world first for a 4x4. 1994 Second-generation (P38a) Range
Rover goes on sale. 1996 Range Rover Classic bows out after total production of
317,615 units. 1999 Limited Edition Range Rover Linley appears at London Motor Show.
2001 All-New Range Rover (L322) launched. 2002 Half-millionth Range Rover produced
at the Solihull plant. 2005 Second model line – the Range Rover Sport – launched. 2006
Terrain Response and TDV8 diesel introduced. 2009 Range Rover features all-new LR-
V8 5.0 and 5.0 supercharged petrol engines and technology updates. 2010 Range Rover
celebrates its 40th anniversary. 2010 All-New compact Range Rover to be revealed at
Paris Motor Show.
Columbia Sportswear Designs Innovative

Backpack Line for National S...
The National Ski Patrol (NSP) and Columbia Sportswear
announced a partnership in which Columbia’s innovative
Rescue Series backpack collection designed for snow
professionals will be made available for NSP members to
purchase through the NSP Winter Catalog. "Columbia
has worked hard to listen to patrollers about their
demanding equipment needs and has created a series of
packs that can be used at work and everyday based on
this feedback,” says NSP Executive Director Tim White.
“We’re excited to collaborate with Columbia to offer
these patroller-friendly packs." The Columbia Rescue
Series is a collection of three backcountry and mountain
packs created for medical, avalanche and rescue
professionals. The packs include Omni-Shield™
advanced repellency technology, which protects against
water and stains. They also include heavy-duty construction using ballistic materials,
reflective accents, a ski carrying system with a patent-pending design, and an insulated
hydration system, making the packs in the Rescue Series the ultimate for on mountain
emergency response crews. Rescue Series models include: The Rescue Specialist™;
The Rescue Stryker™ and the Rescue Ranger™. The three packs include a black-and-
red color scheme, a fleece-lined goggle pocket, quick-release buckles on waist belt and
sternum strap, and a drainage system to clear melted snow after a pack is opened in a
storm. In addition, the two larger packs have a removable reflective cross and clear
pouches to help you see and quickly access trauma medical supplies. Rescue Series
packs will be available only through the print and on-line 2010/11 NSP Winter Catalog
(www.nsp.org). The packs will debut at the NSP’s 2010 Patroller Education Conference,
which takes place April 14-16 in Snowbird, Utah.
Researchers make gesture-based computing

interfaces more accessible
Academic and industry labs have developed a host of prototype gesture interfaces,
ranging from room-sized systems with multiple cameras to detectors built into laptops’
screens. But MIT researchers have developed a system that could make gestural
interfaces much more practical. Aside from
a standard webcam, like those found in
many new computers, the system uses only
a single piece of hardware: a multicolored
Lycra glove that could be manufactured for
about a dollar. Other prototypes of low-cost
gestural interfaces have used reflective or
colored tape attached to the fingertips, but
“that’s 2-D information,” says Robert Wang,
a graduate student in the Computer
Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory who developed the new system together
with Jovan Popović, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer
science. “You’re only getting the fingertips; you don’t even know which fingertip [the tape]
is corresponding to.” Wang and Popović’s system, by contrast, can translate gestures
made with a gloved hand into the corresponding gestures of a 3-D model of the hand on
screen, with almost no lag time. “This actually gets the 3-D configuration of your hand
and your fingers,” Wang says. “We get how your fingers are flexing.” The most obvious
application of the technology, Wang says, would be in video games: Gamers navigating a
virtual world could pick up and wield objects simply by using hand gestures. But Wang
also imagines that engineers and designers could use the system to more easily and
intuitively manipulate 3-D models of commercial products or large civic structures. The
glove went through a series of designs, with dots and patches of different shapes and
colors, but the current version is covered with 20 irregularly shaped patches that use 10
different colors. The number of colors had to be restricted so that the system could
reliably distinguish the colors from each other, and from those of background objects,
under a range of different lighting conditions. The arrangement and shapes of the
patches was chosen so that the front and back of the hand would be distinct but also so
that collisions of similar-colored patches would be rare. For instance, Wang explains, the
colors on the tips of the fingers could be repeated on the back of the hand, but not on the
front, since the fingers would frequently be flexing and closing in front of the palm.
Technically, the other key to the system is a new algorithm for rapidly looking up visual
data in a database, which Wang says was inspired by the recent work of Antonio
Torralba, the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science and a member of CSAIL. Once a webcam has captured an image of
the glove, Wang’s software crops out the background, so that the glove alone is
superimposed upon a white background. Then the software drastically reduces the
resolution of the cropped image, to only 40 pixels by 40 pixels. Finally, it searches
through a database containing myriad 40-by-40 digital models of a hand, clad in the
distinctive glove, in a range of different positions. Once it’s found a match, it simply looks
up the corresponding hand position. Since the system doesn’t have to calculate the
relative positions of the fingers, palm, and back of the hand on the fly, it’s able to provide
an answer in a fraction of a second. Of course, a database of 40-by-40 color images
takes up a large amount of memory — several hundred megabytes, Wang says. But
today, a run-of-the-mill desktop computer has four gigabytes — or 4,000 megabytes — of
high-speed RAM memory. And that number is only going to increase, Wang says. Since
the glove is made from stretchy Lycra, it can change size significantly from one user to
the next; but in order to gauge the glove’s distance from the camera, the system has to
have a good sense of its size. To calibrate the system, the user simply places an 8.5-by-
11-inch piece of paper on a flat surface in front of the webcam, presses his or her hand
against it, and in about three seconds, the system is calibrated. Wang initially presented
the glove-tracking system at last year’s Siggraph, the premier conference on computer
graphics. But at the time, he says, the system took nearly a half-hour to calibrate, and it
didn’t work nearly as well in environments with a lot of light. Now that the glove tracking is
working well, however, he’s expanding on the idea, with the design of similarly patterned
shirts that can be used to capture information about whole-body motion. Such systems
are already commonly used to evaluate athletes’ form or to convert actors’ live
performances into digital animations, but a system based on Wang and Popović’s
technique could prove dramatically cheaper and easier to use.
Ideabing Contest Of The Month

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Carnegie Mellon's Soccer-Playing Robots Get

Creative With Physics-B...
Robot soccer players from Carnegie Mellon University competing in this month's
RoboCup 2010 world championship in Singapore should be able to out-dribble their
opponents, thanks to a new algorithm that helps them to predict the ball's behavior based
on physics principles. That means that the CMDragons, the Carnegie Mellon team that
competes in RoboCup's fast-paced Small-Size League, likely will be able to out-
maneuver their opponents and find creative solutions to game situations that could even
surprise their programmers. It's possible that the physics-based planning algorithm also
might enable the players to invent some new kicks. "Over the years, we have developed
many successful teams of robot soccer players, but we believe that the physics-based
planning algorithm is a particularly noteworthy accomplishment," said Manuela Veloso,
professor of computer science and leader of Carnegie Mellon's two robot soccer teams.
"Past teams have drawn from a repertoire of pre-programmed behaviors to play their
matches, planning mostly to avoid obstacles and acting with reactive strategies. "To
reach RoboCup's goal of creating robot teams that can compete with human teams, we
need robots that can plan a strategy using models of their capabilities as well as the
capabilities of others, and accurate predictions of the state of a constantly changing
game," said Veloso, who is president of the International RoboCup Federation. In
addition to the Small-Size League team, which uses wheeled robots less than six inches
high, Carnegie Mellon fields a Standard Platform League team that uses 22-inch-tall
humanoid robots as players. Both teams will join more than 500 other teams with about
3,000 participants when they converge on Singapore June 19-25 for RoboCup 2010, the
world's largest robotics and artificial intelligence event, www.robocup2010.org. RoboCup
includes five different robot soccer leagues, as well as competitions for search-and-
rescue robots, for assistive robots and for students up to age 19. The CMDragons have
been strong competitors at RoboCup, winning in 2006 and 2007 and finishing second in
2008. Last year, the team lost in the quarterfinals because of a programming glitch, but
had dominated teams up to that point with the help of a preliminary version of the
physics-based planning algorithm. "Physics-based planning gives us an advantage when
a robot is dribbling the ball and needs to make a tight turn, or any other instance that
requires an awareness of the dynamics of the ball," said Stefan Zickler, a newly minted
Ph.D. in computer science who developed the algorithm for his thesis. "Will the ball stick
with me when I turn? How fast can I turn? These are questions that the robots previously
could never answer." The algorithm could enable the robots to concoct some new kicks,
including bank shots, Zickler said. But the computational requirements for kick planning
are greater than for dribbling, so limited computational power and time will keep this use
to a minimum. Each Small-Size League team consists of five robots. The CMDragon
robots include two kicking mechanisms — one for flat kicks and another for chip shots.
They also are equipped with a dribble bar that exerts backspin on the ball. Each team
builds their own players; Michael Licitra, an engineer at Carnegie Mellon's National
Robotics Engineering Center, built the CMDragons' highly capable robots. Like many
robots in the league, the CMDragons have omni-directional wheels for tight, quick turns.
In addition to physics-based planning, the CMDragons are preparing to use a more
aggressive strategy than in previous years. "We've noticed that in our last few matches
against strong teams, the ball has been on our side of the field way too much," Zickler
said. "We need to be more opportunistic. When no better option is available, we may just
take a shot at the goal even if we don't have a clear view of it." In addition to Veloso and
Zickler, the CMDragons include Joydeep Biswas, a Robotics Institute master's degree
graduate and now a first-year Ph.D. student in robotics, and computer science
undergraduate Can Erdogan. "Figuring out how to get robots to coordinate with each
other and to do so in environments with high uncertainty is one of the grand challenges
facing artificial intelligence," Veloso said. "RoboCup is focusing the energies of many
smart young minds on solving this problem, which ultimately will enable using distributed
intelligence technology in the general physical world."
‘Tattoo’ may help diabetics track their blood sugar

Paul Barone, a postdoctoral researcher in MIT Department of
Chemical Engineering, and professor Michael Strano are
working on a new type of blood glucose monitor that could
not only eliminate the need for finger pricks but also offer
more accurate readings. “Diabetes is an enormous problem,
global in scope, and despite decades of engineering advances, our ability to accurately
measure glucose in the human body still remains quite primitive,” says Strano, the
Charles and Hilda Roddey Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering. “It is a life-and-
death issue for a growing number of people.” Strano and Barone’s sensing system
consists of a “tattoo” of nanoparticles designed to detect glucose, injected below the skin.
A device similar to a wristwatch would be worn over the tattoo, displaying the patient’s
glucose levels. A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that
continuous monitoring helped adult type I diabetes patients who were at least 25 years
old better control their blood glucose levels.
However, existing wearable devices are not
as accurate as the finger-prick test and
have to be recalibrated once or twice a day
— a process that still involves pricking the
finger. “The most problematic
consequences of diabetes result from
relatively short excursions of a person’s
blood sugar outside of the normal
physiological range, following meals, for example,” says Strano. “If we can detect and
prevent these excursions, we can go a long way toward reducing the devastating impact
of this disease.” Most existing continuous glucose sensors work via an injection of an
enzyme called glucose oxidase, which breaks down glucose. An electrode placed on the
skin interacts with a by-product of that reaction, hydrogen peroxide, allowing glucose
levels to be indirectly measured. However, none of those sensors have been approved
for use longer than seven days at a time. The technology behind the MIT sensor,
described most recently in a December 2009 issue of ACS Nano , is fundamentally
different from existing sensors, says Strano. The sensor is based on carbon nanotubes
wrapped in a polymer that is sensitive to glucose concentrations. When this sensor
encounters glucose, the nanotubes fluoresce, which can be detected by shining near-
infrared light on them. Measuring the amount of fluorescence reveals the concentration of
glucose. The researchers plan to create an “ink” of these nanoparticles suspended in a
saline solution that could be injected under the skin like a tattoo. The “tattoo” would last
for a specified length of time, probably six months, before needing to be refreshed. To get
glucose readings, the patient would wear a monitor that shines near-infrared light on the
tattoo and detects the resulting fluorescence. One advantage of this type of sensor is
that, unlike some fluorescent molecules, carbon nanotubes aren’t destroyed by light
exposure. “You can shine the light as long as you want, and the intensity won’t change,”
says Barone. Because of this, the sensor can give continuous readings. Development of
the nanoparticles and the wearable monitor is being funded by MIT’s Deshpande Center
for Technological Innovation. Barone and Strano are now working to improve the
accuracy of their sensor. Any glucose monitor must pass a test known as the Clarke
Error Grid, the gold standard for glucose-sensor accuracy. The test, which compares
sensor results to results from a lab-based glucose meter, needs to be very stringent,
since mistakes in glucose detection can be fatal. They are still years away from human
trials, says Barone, but they may soon start trials in animals. Those tests will be key to
determining the value of this approach, says Buckingham. “You don’t know how good it
will be until you put it in someone and see how strong the signal is,” he says.
Shell Ecobox™ Efficiently Delivers Oil To

Engines; Significantly Re...
This week at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2010, Shell Lubricants announced that it
offers an innovative product called Ecobox™, an alternative to traditional plastic
packaging for motor oil. Through its design, Ecobox™ can help owners and operators of
oil change facilities more efficiently store, manage and deliver oil to their customers'
vehicles. The bag containing the oil in the Ecobox™ carton is designed to help improve
speed and ease of use compared to bottles, as it drains
quickly, leaves minimal residual oil behind and requires less
handling than quart bottles. Using the Ecobox™ plastic liner
results in 89% less plastic landfill waste than the equivalent
24 quart plastic bottles, and the Ecobox™ carton is fully
recyclable. The Ecobox™ pump system provides motor oil
delivery that helps improve many operational tasks
associated with dispensing oil using individual quarts. The Ecobox™ is part of Shell's
'smarter mobility' approach to developing innovations for cleaner and more efficient
transport of people and goods. Smarter mobility has three elements: smarter products,
smarter use and smarter infrastructure. The effort is not just a concept; it is evident in
Shell's work every day to help accelerate the global shift to cleaner, more energy efficient
road transport. The Ecobox™ system is a prime example of smarter use, through smarter
packaging. "The Ecobox ™ system is being introduced in the United States through a
controlled rollout, with eventual plans for it to become a global offering," said Tan Chong
Meng, Shell's Executive Vice President for B2B and Lubricants. "While the Ecobox ™
system and many of our other smarter mobility efforts provide incremental improvements,
each of the benefits provided is a step towards cleaner, more efficient mobility." Oil is
easily dispensed from the specially engineered box and valve, and then transferred to the
engine crankcase by a custom-designed Ecobox™ pump system. The Ecobox™ carton
can reduce storage space in shops, as it is about one-half the size of the equivalent
volume of single-quart cases. As the number of viscosity grades installed locations are
required to keep on hand continues to increase, the Ecobox™ system can allow installers
to offer a wider range of specialty oils to meet customers' needs by making it easy to
stock and install a number of different motor oils without the need for bulk storage. Easy-
to-read Ecobox™ carton labeling and the specially organised storage rack help
technicians select and install the correct oil, while delivery of oil to the vehicle is simplified
through no-drip digital metered delivery nozzles.
Europcar Reveal the Cost of Dormant Urban

Cars to Motorists
Europcar has revealed new research that shows the cost of
dormant urban motors is £65bn. Parked cars clogging up
residential roads in the UK's cities is a long-familiar sight, but
the cost of dormant urban motors (DUMs) is today revealed to be £65bn a year.
According to new research by Europcar, which has just launched its free WeDeliver
service (http://www.europcar.co.uk/EBE/module/render/weDeliver ) of vehicles to
customers' door, car ownership for the time-poor city dwellers costs them £3.50 for every
mile they cover - excluding fuel. On average a city car owner only spends 4 hours, 40
minutes at the wheel each week - meaning that their car remains parked for 97% of the
time. With the depreciation of their car, and the cumulative with costs for maintenance,
insurance, fines and parking totalling £5,328.96 a year, it's no wonder that nearly half
(48%) would sell their car if there was a convenient alternative to ownership. The nature
of city life also means that two thirds (66.6%) of car owners still regularly opt to use public
transport, cycle or walk to cover short distances and avoid congestion or parking stress.
Over half (51%) admit that expense is the most stressful part of owning a car, a quarter
(24%) cite maintenance, while 44% say that their car has been damaged or vandalised
due to being left parked outside for prolonged periods of time. Catriona Lougher,
Marketing Director at Europcar (http://www.europcar.co.uk/ ) commented: "This research
shows how busy lifestyles and the nature of urban living and travel has filled out cities
with dormant urban motors. "Europcar has developed a free weDeliver service as a
solution to this trend, meaning would-be motorists can have a vehicle dropped off at their
door at a time that suits them and picked up again when they're finished with it - for free.
That's perfect for Brits in cities who feel they don't use their car often enough, but want
the freedom of a car when they want do to travel." WeDeliver can be the perfect stress
busting solution for the city dweller. The new service includes free delivery within 15
miles of an address and offers a rather speedy one hour delivery window even in Britain's
busiest city, London. To make things even easier customers can now have their car
delivered to a home, business or even hotel address making car rental
(http://www.europcar.co.uk/) queues a thing of the past.
Volkswagen Invites Users to Help Create the

Infotainment Systems of...
Volkswagen is inviting designers, programmers, developers
and interested users to help develop applications for the
Infotainment systems of the future as part of the Open
Innovation Contest, “App My Ride”. With this contest,
Volkswagen has become the first car manufacturer to use the
idea of open innovation for the further development of its
products. In the so-called "App My Ride" competition, users
can jointly develop new Infotainment applications with
Volkswagen. A jury of experts will select the winner whose
creativity will be rewarded with special prizes. "Our aim is to invite the international
developer community to take part in designing a future system," says Prof. Dr Jürgen
Leohold, Head of the Volkswagen Group Research. So-called apps, also known as
application programmes for certain devices which are available through an online shop,
have helped to contribute to the smartphone boom. Applications designed by users (User
Generated Content) are of central importance to the boom and are made available online
by other users. Companies like Apple and Google successfully aid this nearly
inexhaustible source of innovation. "A quiet revolution is taking place right now," explains
Dr Johann Füller, CEO of the innovation agency partner to Volkswagen through the "App
My Ride" competition, Hyve AG. "The customer-orientated culture of the internet places
an enormous power in the hands of the users. Leading organisations are starting to
harness this power to develop better solutions and increase their competitiveness."
Exactly what the "App My Ride" contest is targeting. Currently a prototype for
Volkswagen’s Infotainment system is being developed in which Flash applications
designed by different creators can be accumulated. In order to research the potential of
apps for the vehicle Infotainment system, Volkswagen is trying to produce the most
varied collection of applications possible. An "innovation community" open to all internet
users will be created as of 3rd May 2010 for the competition under the following URL:
app-my-ride.volkswagen.com. Here, participants in the competition can log in and either
load programmed apps or send in their creative ideas for future ones. "The participants
are supposed to imagine what the purpose of their ideal Infotainment system is and how
it would work and now they have the opportunity to make it a reality. At the same time,
you can analyse the existing apps on our platform and discuss their design, uses and
purposes," explains Dr Peter Oel, Head of "Control Designs and Drivers" of Volkswagen
Group Research. To develop an app, the participants must have the following: - An idea
for an app to be installed in a vehicle - Graphic design of the user interface -
Programming in Adobe Flash / Flex The purpose, design and logical construction of the
app should be geared towards the possible requirements of drivers and other occupants.
The participant’s creativity will be rewarded at the end of the competition. The most
innovative application will be chosen by the "App My Ride" community and a jury
consisting of Volkswagen managers and external experts. Besides cash and non-cash
prizes worth up to €14,000, a special prize for students will also be awarded. This
involves a placement within Volkswagen Group Research in Tokyo, Shanghai, California
or Wolfsburg. Moreover, the winner of the competition can also expect an exclusive trip to
take part in an international vehicle presentation which covers the costs of the flight and
hotel.
Cronkite lab's iPhone app connects citizens,

officials
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
and Mass Communication’s New Media
Innovation Lab has developed an
innovative iPhone application that makes it
easier for citizens to connect with their

elected officials. The Arizona Political
Directory application allows mobile users to
search for their federal, state and county
representatives using their smartphone’s
built-in GPS system. No matter where a
user is in the state, the app will identify
which elected officials represent that
location. The app, which also is searchable
by office, district or name, provides links to
the officials’ websites, short biographies
and contact information. The app is free and available for download in the iTunes store. A
Droid-compatible version is currently in development. The New Media Innovation Lab
developed the application for The Arizona Guardian, an online political and public affairs
publications. The lab, which is staffed by students from across the university, has been
developing new media products and conducting research for news organizations since it
opened in 2006. It is led by Retha Hill, a digital media leader and former vice president
for BET Interactive, the online unit of Black Entertainment Television. Hill said the Arizona
Guardian project is a win-win, providing a media outlet with an innovative new product
while giving students invaluable experience in digital media development. Cody Shotwell
and Elizabeth Shell, both recent graduates of the Cronkite School, began work on the
Arizona Political Directory last fall while working in the innovation lab as part of their
graduate studies. "With this project, our students had to use their reporting skills to get
information on every elected official from the county level on up; they had to use project
management skills to make sure they delivered what the client needed; and they had to
quickly get comfortable with the intricate procedure of developing an app that would be
acceptable in the Apple store,” Hill said. Students also worked with coders and traveled
across the state testing the application’s performance. Hill said the data available in the
Arizona Political Directory is exactly the kind of information that newspapers used to
publish in political directories prior to an election. “Today, we can deliver relevant
information to people when they need it – when they are engaged in an issue and want to
immediately call, tweet or e-mail a representative – and where they need it, based on the
geographic location of the user,” Hill said. Other projects developed by the lab include a
bartering site for mothers to swap goods and services, which is slated to become part of
azcentral.com’s offerings, Facebook applications and a variety of widgets for media
clients. The lab has developed a green game to increase energy awareness and
conducted research about how young people use new media for the Newspaper
Association of American Foundation and for the Gannett Co.
Aava Mobile Announces 'Virta Android SDK' for

Developing Android on...
Aava Mobile (www.aavamobile.com) today announced Virta™ Android, a hardware-

enhanced software developer kit (h-SDK) for Android developers wishing to write
applications for smartphones and tablets running the newest Intel® Atom™ Processor
Z6xxx Series based platforms (previously codenamed "Moorestown"). The Virta Android
is a fully functioning x86 smartphone that comes pre-loaded with a tailored Android SDK
ported to Intel Atom processors. Aava Mobile created Virta Android to give application
developers a real-world device for development and testing. Virta Android is cross-
compatible with all current Android SDK software and comes with a capacitive touch
screen, accelerometer, GPS, haptic feedback, and video/still camera. Virta Android
includes a GSM/EDGE quad band and WCDMA triple-band (band I, II and V) modem,
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and all antennae connectivity for complete platform and application
testing. The Virta Android is the only phone factor SDK for developing and testing
Android platforms and applications to run on Intel Atom processor based devices. The
Virta Android h-SDK was created in cooperation with Intel and has been validated and
hardened for Android by Wind River. "Developers require a stable and feature-complete
development platform to achieve fastest time to market. Aava Mobile licensed the Wind
River Platform for Android to meet developers' needs by offering a reliable software
foundation that is highly optimized for the Intel-based device?s baseline capabilities," said
Chris Buerger, senior director of product management at Wind River. Application
developers Ixonos and Teleca are already using a beta version of Virta Android. "We've
found Aava's SDK to be very stable and compelling experience while the addition of a
functioning smartphone as part of the SDK enables us to test UI and usability issues in a
real world setting," said Andrew Till, vice president of solutions marketing at Teleca.
New research identifies promising leads to follow

in search for med...
New research conducted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was
today published in Nature identifying promising potential
leads to develop new medicines to treat malaria. The
research comes from a year-long screening of more than 2
million compounds in GSK’s chemical library to seek out those that could inhibit the
malaria parasite, P. falciparum, and reports on an analysis of the more than 13,500
compounds, or hits, that showed greatest activity. The largest group of compounds,
where their mode of action is understood, were kinase inhibitors and the authors suggest
that further exploration of these compounds might lead to novel antimalarial therapeutic
strategies. In an accompanying editorial piece in Nature , David A. Fidock from the
Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and of Medicine (Infectious Diseases),
Columbia University Medical Center, New York commented: “This <prediction> would
constitute an important new direction for antimalarial drug development — one that might
cross paths with the vast chemical repositories developed to target kinases in other
disorders.” The study also identified compounds that may be inhibiting processes in
human red blood cells which could be necessary for the parasite's survival. This opens
up a novel possibility of fighting infection by looking to halt these processes in human red
blood cells, rather than stopping the malaria parasite itself. GSK is committed to
stimulating new research into neglected tropical diseases, such as malaria, which blight
developing countries. In January 2010, as part of the company’s commitment to open
innovation in this area, GSK announced its intention to share data and chemical
structures identified in its screening of the 2 million compounds from its library against the
parasites that cause malaria using on-line resources. As of today, the 13,533 ‘hits’ are
accessible on public websites, marking the first time that a pharmaceutical company has
made universally available the structures of so many compounds. More than 80% of
these molecules are proprietary to GSK, and therefore the information will be new to the
research community. All these data are available online through the European
Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Collaborative Drug Discovery. Together with the
added intelligence in the Nature publication, scientists globally have been given
thousands of chemical starting points to stimulate their research into this deadly disease
which kills one child in Africa every 30 seconds. “The world desperately needs new
medicines to fight malaria,” said Dr Patrick Vallance, head of Drug Discovery at GSK.
“These data provide us and other researchers around the world with several new leads to
follow. We hope this information will drive further studies into the disease, and we call for
all researchers to add their findings back to the EBI to create an open worldwide
collaboration to expand our collective knowledge and make new medicines.” About the
data The data contains the ‘hits’ or results from a screening of the 2 million compounds in
GSK’s compound library to determine the effect of these compounds on the malaria
parasite. The screening project identified 13,533 compounds that showed strong
inhibition on the parasite. Kinase inhibitors constituted a large proportion of the molecules
with previously known activity and now identified as antimalarial hits. The data includes
the chemical families that GSK is currently researching for this indication and the
‘mechanisms of action’ for those compounds which the company has previously tested
for other indications. Most of the compound structures identified have been classified as
capable of being converted into medicine. The current microbiological information for the
compounds and the structures has been put on online resources that are easily accessed
by researchers. The EBI site has been constructed so that scientists globally can add
their data to the information there, with access free to all. The value of the release of
information is enhanced by the collaboration of the web hosts and the specialist research
tools on the site, that are being made available to researchers at no cost to them.
Shell launches "Smarter Mobility" - innovations

for cleaner, more e...
Shell unveiled a package of innovations, dubbed "Smarter
Mobility", aimed at speeding up the global shift to cleaner,
more energy-efficient road transport. Shell launched the
concept at Michelin’s Challenge Bibendum sustainable
mobility conference. Shell’s Downstream Director, Mark
Williams said: “A big part of Shell’s business is about
providing the fuels, lubricants and even road surfaces that
make it possible for people and goods to move around in
motor vehicles. So customers faced with energy, climate and economic challenges can
turn to us for ways to save fuel and emit less CO2.” Williams went on to say: “While
electric vehicles, hydrogen and advanced biofuels all have huge potential, there will not
be enough of them to make a real difference for another decade or more. That’s too long,
so we’re acting now to make today’s transport system cleaner and more efficient. We’re
calling it ‘Smarter Mobility.’” Through “Smarter Mobility”, Shell is helping its customers
today in three main ways:
Smarter products
With smarter use of new additives, today’s petrol and diesel can yield big savings. Today
Shell Fuel Economy formula products are available in over 21 countries. In 2009, Shell
launched its most advanced Fuel Economy formula fuel to date, Shell FuelSave, which
helps customers save up to one litre per tank with every fill.* In addition to smarter fuels,
smarter products include more efficient lubricants, and even innovative plastics that allow
carmakers to create lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Smarter use
Smarter products deliver even better results when used in smarter ways. So, for
example, Shell is offering fleet operators a service called FuelSave Partner that
electronically tracks fuel use and recommends different speeds, routes and driving styles
to optimise economy. FuelSave Partner can cut fleet fuel use by as much as 10%. Shell
also offers fuel economy driving advice to motorists, runs competitions to promote more
efficient driving, and has deployed celebrity FuelSave “ambassadors” around the world to
encourage smarter use of fuel.
Smarter infrastructure
Shell is helping to develop a more energy efficient global road transport infrastructure. An
example is a process designed to produce and lay asphalt at lower temperatures – the
Shell WAM Foam Process, which reduces overall energy consumption by between 25%
and 35% compared to conventional asphalt. A simple, economic, lower carbon road
surface, Shell Instapave, is being rolled out in Latin America and India to replace fragile,
dusty and unsafe dirt roads and it can be ready for use in as little as 30 minutes after it is
laid.
Starbucks New Store in Japan is Designed to

Reduce Environmental Im...
Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) opened its
newest store in Fukuoka, Japan. Inspired by Starbucks™
Shared Planet™, the company’s ongoing commitment to
ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community
involvement, the store’s design reflects the character of the
surrounding neighborhood and helps to reduce environmental
impacts. Located at the center of Ohori Park, it is the first
Starbucks store in Asia to be registered for LEED
certification*. “Our new design approach will reinvigorate
customer experience in Asia because it aligns with the evolving lifestyle and values of
Asian customers. The Ohori Park store is a good example of how we aspire to cultivate
an enhanced sense of community and environmental consciousness. We look forward to
bringing this kind of innovation to more customers around the Asia Pacific region,” said
Andy Adams, vice president, Store Development, Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific.
Staples Launches Nationwide Computer and

Office Technology Recyclin...
Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), the world's largest office
products company, today announced that it now makes it
easy to recycle used computers and other office technology
at any Staples store nationwide, becoming the first national
retailer to offer computer recycling in stores every day.
Staples makes it easy for customers to recycle e-waste by simply bringing their used
computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes and all-in-ones to any U.S. Staples store,
where the equipment will be recycled in accordance with environmental laws. All brands
will be accepted, regardless of whether or not the equipment was purchased at Staples,
for a fee of $10 per large item. Staples is working with Amandi Services, one of the
country's most experienced and innovative electronics recyclers, to handle recycling of
the equipment, following standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). "It's not always easy being green. However, through the leadership of Staples,
Americans will see that preventing pollution by recycling unwanted electronics is as easy
as it gets," said Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. "EPA and our Plug-In To eCycling partners are helping make sure yesterday's
high-tech gadgets do not go to waste." "An estimated 133,000 computers are discarded
every day in the U.S.," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs at
Staples, Inc. "We know that small businesses and consumers want to recycle their used
office technology but are often frustrated by the lack of convenient options available. By
making it easy to recycle, Staples helps customers take action in handling e-waste in an
environmentally responsible way." Equipment is bagged and sealed when customers
drop them off at the Staples customer service desk. The equipment is then picked up and
delivered to Amandi Services, who disassembles the equipment into its component parts
and uses industry-leading standards for data destruction. Amandi then recycles the raw
materials, such as the plastics, metals, printed circuit boards and Cathode Ray Tubes
(CRT). The CRTs, which are the most hazardous part of electronics waste, are recycled
utilizing Amandi's proprietary technology into a raw material that is used to manufacture
new televisions.
Research shows some people don't taste salt like

others
Low-salt foods may be harder for some people to like than
others, according to a newly published study by a researcher
in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The
research indicates that genetics influence some of the
difference in the levels of salt we like to eat. Those
conclusions are important because recent, well-publicized
efforts to reduce the salt content in food have left many people struggling to accept fare
that simply doesn't taste as good to them as it does to others, pointed out John Hayes,
assistant professor of food science, who was lead investigator of the study. Published in
the latest edition of Physiology & Behavior, "Explaining variability in sodium intake
through oral sensory phenotype, salt sensation and liking" was a collaboration between
Hayes and University of Connecticut professor Valerie Duffy. The research involved 87
carefully screened participants who sampled salty foods such as broth, chips and
pretzels, on multiple occasions, spread out over weeks. Test subjects were 45 men and
42 women, reportedly healthy, ranging in age from 20 to 40 years. The sample was
composed of individuals who were not actively modifying their dietary intake and did not
smoke cigarettes. They rated the intensity of taste on a commonly used scientific scale,
ranging from barely detectable to strongest sensation of any kind. "Most of us like the
taste of salt. However, some individuals eat more salt, both because they like the taste of
saltiness more and also because it is needed to block other unpleasant tastes in food,"
said Hayes. "Supertasters, people who experience tastes more intensely, consume more
salt than do nontasters. Snack foods have saltiness as their primary flavor, and at least
for these foods, more is better, so the supertasters seem to like them more." However,
"supertasters" also need higher levels of salt to block unpleasant bitter tastes in foods
such as cheese, Hayes noted. "For example, cheese is a wonderful blend of dairy flavors
from fermented milk, but also bitter tastes from ripening that are blocked by salt," he said.
"A supertaster finds low-salt cheese unpleasant because the bitterness is too
pronounced." Hayes cited research done more than 75 years ago by a chemist named
Fox and a geneticist named Blakeslee showing that individuals differ in their ability to
taste certain chemicals. As a result, Hayes explained, we know that there is a wide range
in taste acuity, and this variation is as normal as variations in eye and hair color. "Some
people, called supertasters, describe bitter compounds as being extremely bitter, while
others, called nontasters, find these same bitter compounds to be tasteless or only
weakly bitter," he said. "Response to bitter compounds is one of many ways to identify
biological differences in food preference because supertasting is not limited to bitterness.
Individuals who experience more bitterness also perceive more saltiness in table salt,
more sweetness from table sugar, more burn from chili peppers and more tingle from
carbonated drinks." Supertasters live in a neon food world, Hayes said; nontasters, on
the other extreme, live in a pastel food world. "Interestingly, nontasters may be more
likely to add salt to foods at the table because they need more salt to reach the same
level of perceived saltiness as a supertaster," he said. "However, most of the salt we
consume comes from salt added to processed foods and not from the salt shaker." This
new research increases understanding of salt preference and consumption. Diets high in
salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. That's why public health
experts and food companies are working together on ways to help consumers lower salt
intakes through foods that are enjoyable to eat. Currently, U.S. citizens consume two to
three times the amount of salt recommended for good health. Hayes advises consumers
to lower their salt intake by reading the food label and looking for products that contain
fewer than 480 mg. of sodium per serving.
Microsoft Announces Availability of Hohm Scores

for 60 Million Home...
Starting May 26 2010, more than 60 million homeowners will
be able to answer one simple question: “Am I an energy hog
or an energy miser?” Microsoft Corp. today announced the
availability of the Hohm Score, an estimate of a home’s energy efficiency, offered as part
of the company’s free online home energy management tool, Microsoft Hohm. By simply
typing in an address at http://www.microsoft-hohm.com, anyone can see the Hohm Score
for almost any home in the United States. “The Hohm Score provides an easy way for
anyone to measure their home energy efficiency, and compare it with others. It’s
important to note that the average Hohm Score here in the U.S. is a failing grade,” said
Troy Batterberry, product unit manager of Microsoft Hohm. “Fortunately, by making some
simple changes to your household, consumers can easily achieve a passing mark, and
save an estimated tens of billions of dollars each and every year.” Hohm Scores are
calculated by comparing a home’s actual and potential energy efficiency, and is grounded
with advanced analytics licensed from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and statistical
data from the Department of Energy. In addition to individual scores, Hohm Scores are
available by ZIP code, city and state so anyone can compare a home’s score with others
around the country. The national average Hohm Score comes in at 61, with Hawaii
topping the list as having the highest average Hohm Score and with Texas coming in last.
Here are the states with the highest and lowest Hohm Score averages: Highest average
Hohm Score • Hawaii – 81 • Delaware – 70 • Maryland – 70 • District of Columbia – 68 •
New Jersey – 67 Lowest average Hohm Score • 47. Arkansas – 53 • 48. Oklahoma – 52 •
49. Nevada – 51 • 50. Tennessee – 51 • 51. Texas - 51 “The Hohm Score is the first step
in helping us all make smarter decisions about our home energy use,” Batterberry said.
“If each of the 60 million households improved their Hohm Score by five points,
collectively that would equal an estimated $8 billion in savings a year.” Available today for
free to all U.S. residential energy consumers, Hohm is working to help everyone save
energy and money by offering insight into home energy usage and by providing
personalized recommendations. Hohm has established partnerships with utilities and the
Ford Motor Co., and is actively working with these partners to realize a long-term vision of
connecting just about anything that uses energy to help automate and optimize energy
use for consumers. • More information and supporting digital content is available
athttp://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2010/may10/05-26HohmScores.mspx. •
Join the Microsoft Hohm community on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/microsofthohm. • Follow Microsoft Hohm on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/microsofthohm.
SAMSUNG Seek Offers First-of-Its-Kind

Reusable Packaging to Make Wi...
Monday, May 31, 2010
print (NYSE: S) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the
number one mobile phone provider in the nation1, today announced immediate
availability of Samsung Seek™, an affordable and compact messaging device featuring a
full-QWERTY slide-out keyboard, intuitive touchscreen and the speed of Sprint’s 3G
network. Customers can express their individual style with three color options and an
easy-to-use, customizable menu system that provides instant access to their favorite
features and applications. Innovative Environmentally Friendly Packaging With the launch
of Samsung Seek, Sprint and Samsung are the first in the United States to trial a new
recycling solution that enables customers to easily reuse the packaging to ship old
wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards with a postage-paid paper mailing
label. Customers who purchase the Cool Blue or Fantasy Pink Samsung Seek can use
the label and box to repackage their old equipment for recycling in less than one minute
and at no charge. Sprint will recycle both the equipment and the box. To compare the
performance of this new solution, the Scarlet Red Samsung Seek will contain the
traditional postage-paid envelope made of LDPE #4 recyclable plastic for customers to
recycle their old wireless device. Samsung Seek eco-friendly packaging: - Several plastic
elements – the inner tray, bags for literature and the battery, and mailing envelope – are
replaced with paper-based solutions. - Box and inner tray contain at least 90 percent
post-consumer waste (PCW) paper fiber, are 100 percent recyclable, and come from
sustainable forests. Top sheets and liners are chlorine-free, printed with soy inks, and
have a water-based aqueous coating. - Mailing label contains 30 percent PCW paper
fiber, is 100 percent recyclable, has a water-based acrylic adhesive, and is attached with
glue dots that are RoHS and REACH compliant. - Literature band contains at least 30
percent PCW paper fiber and is 100 percent recyclable. “Sprint is committed to
environmental sustainability and product responsibility,”said Kevin Packingham, Sprint
senior vice president-Product Development. “Each time customers use the postage-paid
mailing label with the box to recycle an old device, they are helping keep electronic and
packaging waste out of landfills and support Internet safety for kids. All net proceeds from
the sale of recycled equipment collected will be used to fund and promote 4NetSafety, a
charitable program of Sprint Project Connect™.”
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview With Cloud Based
Game Dev Platform Wi...
We had written about an awesome cloud based game

development ecosystem WildPockets. Today we sit down
with WildPockets CEO Shanna Tellerman for an interview
on the platform, the team behind WildPockets, CMU, the
future of gaming and Apple's role in the future of gaming.
Full interview after the break. Ideabing: Tell us how Wild
Pockets started Shanna: Wild Pockets got its start as
something very different, as is the story for many start up
ideas. While I was a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon
University’s Entertainment Technology Center I was
working on a platform to enable emergency responders to
customize 3D game environments to use in training
simulations. This project ultimately had legs and I spun it
out from the University to form our company. The idea
grew over time from an easy to use platform to create 3D
environments for training into an easy to use platform to
create 3D environments for anything you can imagine. Ideabing: Tell us about the team
behind Wild Pockets. Shanna: We have a small but incredibly passionate team. Our core
team is several very smart engineers, artists, designers and managers, some from
Carnegie Mellon as well. The engineering team lead is Aaron Tarnow, who bridges an
understanding of the business requirements, artistic vision and engineering constraints.
He has been the technical visionary behind Wild Pockets from its inception. On the other
side of the wall (literally) is our art, design and marketing team. The art team is led by
Eddie Canaan who has been working on the product alongside me since we were both in
graduate school. We have a tiny but strong web team that has made incredible things
happen at lightning speed. The one sole member of the business side alongside me is
Emily Skopic who manages to not only keep the office running smoothly but also heads
up the creativity and tight management of our marketing and PR. Ideabing: What is the
thinking culture like at Wild Pockets? What values do you nurture that makes Wild
Pockets successful? Shanna: At Wild Pockets we believe in everyone! This spans from
our product to our team to our development process. In our product we are driven by the
desire to make everyone capable of creating amazing 3D games and experiences. We
believe in opening up game development to new audiences and giving people the tools to
bring their natural talents to the world. On our team we believe that everyone has an
important perspective on the company, our product and our customers. Hearing people’s
ideas and perspectives shapes the direction we go and leads to an open avenue for
innovative new ideas. We have always had a very young team, but that has not stopped
us from believing in ourselves and each other, and because of this we have tackled many
things that others may have thought were impossible. It is amazing what can be achieved
when someone tells you that you can do it! Ideabing: How is Wild Pockets’ GD platform
different from the other platforms available today? Shanna: We are the first game
development platform to offer a cloud-based collaborative environment. Traditionally
game platforms are tools companies that charge developers to use their product. We had
an entirely different vision for Wild Pockets; we wanted to create an open environment
that was as accessible for free directly from your web browser. We envisioned Google
Docs for game development, where you could instantly access, build, save and share the
games you develop. Our business model is based on the success of game developers;
we take a percentage of transactions once a game has become commercially successful.
Ideabing: How does Wild Pockets enrich a game developer’s work and finally a gamer’s
experience? Shanna: Wild Pockets is an extremely easy development environment to get
started working in and allows for rapid prototyping and development. This enables a
developer to more quickly innovate on the game play mechanics in their game. This kind
of rapid prototyping is the basis for innovative and ground breaking design. Ultimately,
the players reap the benefits because developers have the flexibility and freedom to
experiment and come up with new game concepts. Ideabing: Talk us through how Wild
Pockets is changing the definition of game development platforms Shanna: Game
development platforms have traditionally been downloadable desktop software that is
licensed. Wild Pockets is built around the cloud and a community, which brings about a
whole new method for creating games. The Wild Pockets method is more efficient since it
leverages the power of a community of shared assets and tools, and it simplifies all he
hassles in game development. Developers can therefore concentrate on the thing that
matters most – creating a great game. As a free, web-based development environment
the platform is extremely accessible and gives all of the modern advantages of cloud
hosted software including hosted file systems, remote collaboration, access rights, and
instant distribution online. Ideabing: Is cloud based gaming the next big thing? Do you
see a significant shift in the way the gaming industry is thinking about how games are
delivered to end users? Shanna: Cloud based gaming is absolutely one of the next big
things. There are many advantages to having a game hosted and served from the cloud
that benefit both players and developers. One of the best features of this set up is the
ability to continuously update games adding new content, fixing anything that is broken
and continuing to improve the player’s experience without the player ever having to install
or update the game themselves. The game industry is absolutely shifting in a major way
right now. Development studios large and small are thinking about delivering content as a
digital download instead of the traditional packaged goods model. New business models
are also emerging with the success of micro-transactions and free to play games. The
key to all these new models is a connection back to the cloud in some way to provide an
ongoing, fresh service to the player. Ideabing: Two out of three CEO’s of startups we
have interviewed come from Carnegie Mellon University. What is it that makes folks from
CMU so adept at creating successful products? Shanna: Carnegie Mellon is a multi-
disciplinary institution which allows for the cross breeding of great ideas. In today’s world
you need a mix of skills, backgrounds and perspectives to come up with a relevant and
visionary idea. CMU is an ideal location for this kind of brainstorming and product
development because it has such a wide range of extremely strong disciplines. CMU is
also a very hard working and highly focused institution, something that is a requirement
for anyone bringing a product to market. Ideabing: Your view on Apple changing the
landscape of gaming? Is the iPhone and iPad on your cards as viable and sustainable
gaming platforms? Shanna: We believe Apple has opened a fantastic new channel for
independent game developers. They have invigorated the idea that with a few weeks and
some focused time in your garage you could make a top selling game or app. This has
been a really exciting opportunity for developers. However, we are quite cautious about
Apple as a sole platform for our own product. They have been notoriously closed to third
parties and have wiped out entire businesses through regulation changes. Apple’s
influence however has led to many other fantastic mobile opportunities such as Android
and upcoming Windows Phone 7 stores. Ideabing: Your thoughts about game
development platforms 5 years down the line? How much of a role will Apple play in
transforming the industry in your perspective? Shanna: Apple has already played a highly
transformative role and may very well continue to open up new avenues. I am uncertain
how long they will sustain a close developer relationship though, they have hit some
rocky roads recently and if they continue in this line of thinking they may ultimately
alienate developers who now have many competing options to choose from. There is no
denying that they have been the first to open up this market and have reaped the rewards
of doing so. Ideabing: Your vision for Wild Pockets 5 years down the line? Do you see the
next EA emerging? Shanna: Our vision for Wild Pockets in 5 years is that we have
created an open environment that is so flexible and friendly to developers that we have
become not just the development hub for independent game creation across all web
enabled platforms, but that we have become their community as well. Ideabing: Your
message to entrepreneurs? Shanna: If you have an idea that you are passionate about,
go for it! There is nothing stopping you and it isn’t as overwhelming to get things going as
you may think. If you find great advisors, mentors, and a great team, you can make
anything happen.
Why The Aviation Sector Must Fear Cisco

Telepresence
All of us have dreamt at some point in time becoming the CXO of some major firm and
owning the all important personal jet. And as 18 year old males…being a part of the mile-
high club. Don’t deny it. Anyway, things which we have seen our conventional CXOs use
seem to have been stripped away and everyone is running on bare minimum. The whole
concept of ‘taking out a plane’ to meet clients seems to be vanishing. Thanks to the
internet and excellent connectivity, the requirement for physical interaction has been
more or less eliminated. Networks are managed remotely; servers’ remotely…even
doctors are consulting remotely. With the cost of air travel sky-rocketing, more and more
people are looking to save up. Where does the CXO fit in? And there was Cisco’s
telepresence. (please read up on this….one heck of a concept). CXOs no longer have to
leave HQ to meet potential clients or other CXOs. And I don’t mean the old grainy
screens of web chat, but actual rooms that are built to simulate a collaborative
environment where its almost like the other guy is just there. Although the concept is still
fairly nascent and has not been embraced with open arms yet, it will be soon enough
once someone shows them balance sheet. Airlines can say goodbye to ‘loyalty
programs’, so can attached hotel chains. People would no longer need to travel unless it
is for fun. What happens to all those fancy jet manufacturers like Cessna? File for
bankruptcy? What about all those travel accounts generally fudged by lots of business
travelers? (Mostly bills from raiding the mini bar at the hotel after a long day of mindless
meetings and they wonder why they still do this for a living). All gone. Cisco just brought
the world a whole lot closer. It’s easy to myopically ignore sectors like hospitality which
would be affected too. Looks like man was really made to stay on the ground. And I bet
the Wright brothers never saw Telepresence coming. While it might still be early for me to
prophesize an ‘Up in the Air’ like scenario where people would be fired over the internet,
we can’t ignore telepresence. PS: I am not trying to gain any brownie points from Cisco. I
was just awed by the technology. Really I was!
Video: New Energy
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab, talks about his life as an inventor, starting with his high-
school company selling solar energy plans and kits. Learn here about a groundbreaking
system for solar cells -- and some questions we haven't yet solved.
NASA's Airborne Infrared Observatory Sees The

"First Light"
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA), a joint program by NASA and the German
Aerospace Center, achieved a major milestone May 26, with
its first in-flight night observations. "With this flight, SOFIA
begins a 20-year journey that will enable a wide variety of
astronomical science observations not possible from other
Earth and space-borne observatories," said Jon Morse,
Astrophysics Division director in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters
in Washington. "It clearly sets expectations that SOFIA will provide us with "Great
Observatory"-class astronomical science." The highly modified SOFIA Boeing 747SP
jetliner fitted with a 100-inch diameter reflecting telescope took off from its home base at
the Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., of NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center. The in-flight personnel consisted of an international crew from NASA, the
Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Md., Cornell University and the
German SOFIA Institute (DSI) in Stuttgart. During the six-hour flight, at altitudes up to
35,000 feet, the crew of 10 scientists, astronomers, engineers and technicians gathered
telescope performance data at consoles in the aircraft's main cabin. "Wind tunnel tests
and supercomputer calculations made at the start of the SOFIA program predicted we
would have sharp enough images for front-line astronomical research," said SOFIA
project scientist Pam Marcum of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "A
preliminary look at the first light data indicates we indeed accomplished that." The
stability and precise pointing of the German-built telescope met or exceeded the
expectations of the engineers and astronomers who put it through its paces during the
flight. "The crowning accomplishment of the night came when scientists on board SOFIA
recorded images of Jupiter," said USRA SOFIA senior science advisor Eric Becklin. "The
composite image from SOFIA shows heat, trapped since the formation of the planet,
pouring out of Jupiter's interior through holes in its clouds." The highly sensitive Faint
Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST) used for these initial
observations was operated in flight by its builders, a team led by Cornell's Terry Herter.
FORCAST captures in minutes images that would require many hour-long exposures by
ground-based observatories blocked from a clear infrared view by water vapor in the
Earth's atmosphere. SOFIA's operational altitude, which is above more than 99 percent of
that water vapor, allows it to receive 80 percent or more of the infrared light accessible to
space observatories. The SOFIA program is managed at Dryden. Ames manages the
SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with USRA and DSI.
Postal Service Launches Green Newsroom
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its green
newsroom, a one-stop shop for all its
environmental information. Replete with
photos of its energy-saving vehicles and
facilities, green products and services, and a time-lapse video of the construction of New
York’s largest green roof, the Postal Service’s green newsroom is its newest, most
informative site to visit on Earth Day. “At the Postal Service’s green newsroom, every day
is Earth Day,” said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. “Our history of
environmental efforts goes back more than 100 years and Earth Day is a perfect
opportunity to tell Americans about the Postal Service’s planet-friendly initiatives.”
According to Pulcrano, the USPS green newsroom is a robust source of sustainability
news and answers key green questions including:
• How big is the Postal Service’s carbon footprint?

• How is the Postal Service decreasing its carbon emissions?
• How many hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs has the Postal Service
saved since 2007?
• How many hundreds of thousands of tons of waste did the Postal Service recycle in
2008? (Hint - enough to fill America’s tallest building.)
• How are expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals safely discarded with the Postal
Service’s help without harming the environment?
Visitors to the green newsroom can learn about the Postal Service’s first test of electric
vehicles in 1899, when it found that mail could be delivered in less than half the time
taken by horse-drawn wagons. They also can find out how many billions of miles were
traveled last year to deliver America’s mail, and how many millions of gallons of
alternative fuel were purchased by the Postal Service in 2009. Viewers of the site can
expand their green knowledge and Earth Day conversation with interesting facts
including: how many tens of thousands of alternative fuel-capable vehicles are in the
Postal Service’s fleet; where the Postal Service uses mules to deliver mail; and which
mail delivery vehicle has zero emissions, and costs only 2 cents per mile to operate. “We
hope America visits the new green newsroom, and usps.com/green, to learn more about
the Postal Service’s commitment to the environment,” Pulcrano said. The Postal Service
has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the
Circle, 10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year, Climate
Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo, and the Postal Technology
International Environmental Achievement of the Year, 2009. The Postal Service receives
no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and
services to fund its operations.
Philips To Bring E-health Solutions To Kenya

Saturday, May 29, 2010
Philips today initiated a healthcare roundtable discussion with
key stakeholders from the healthcare sector and government
in Nairobi, as part of Philips’ Cairo to Cape Town Tour, in
which, from May 12 to July 20, 2010 Philips travels across Africa to raise awareness for
the opportunities of new solar powered lighting and best in class healthcare solutions to
improve the quality of healthcare in Africa. As a leading company in health and well-
being, Philips aims to help transform the quality of healthcare in Kenya and other African
countries through meaningful solutions, innovations and partnerships. At the round table,
discussions will focus on the most urgent needs for healthcare providers in Kenya and
will support defining and executing best-in-class solutions. “We see that economic
reforms initiated by the Government have started to pay-off with remarkable growth in
Healthcare development - both in the public & private sector; hospitals are undergoing
upgrades and there is a lot of interest in the digitization of healthcare. Strengthening
control over the prevention of medical errors, increased efficiency and cost reduction are
issues we can solve together”, says Mr JJ van Dongen, Senior Director and General
Manager, Philips Healthcare – Africa & Country Manager – Philips South Africa. Philips
opens up opportunities for e-health in Kenya Philips aims to offer high-level cooperation
with the healthcare sector in Kenya to help solve the urgent healthcare needs of the
country such as increasing healthcare quality and access, cost reductions, upgrading
healthcare infrastructure, knowledge sharing and improving connectivity. On request from
several leading hospitals, Philips is introducing the Healthcare Informatics iSite solution in
Kenya. The iSite Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and RIS
(Radiology Information System) platforms are web based solutions and utilize Internet
standards and protocols for communication. These solutions create a filmless, paperless
workflow for patients and care providers. In addition to being installed at the main hospital
site, the iSite PACS can also connect remote sites over a Wide Area Network. E-health
solutions – increase efficiency, reduce medical errors and bring down healthcare costs
Clinicians today are exposed to information overload in hospitals. Innovations in
healthcare technology have introduced both complexity and promise. An incredible
amount of data is generated per patient throughout a hospital, from patient records to
discharge notes and lab results to vital signs. There is too much information to process,
which can slow decision making and thus patient care. Critical patient data can also be
misplaced, or even misread. Delays in information management affect decision-making.
Information Technology (IT) support is therefore critical. E-health platforms like the iSite
PACS enable access to data to aid in Clinical Decision Support from anywhere in a
hospital complex or even from remote sites. Healthcare Informatics systems seamlessly
integrate islands of information across the patient care cycle, turning volumes of patient-
data gathered by diagnostic imaging, cardiac testing and patient monitoring systems, into
clinical information and knowledge. The intuitive, easy-to-navigate web-browser
technology enables healthcare professionals to begin using the applications with minimal
training. Philips is also offering a unique and flexible ‘pay-per-study’ service business
model that fits customer needs, where customers pay per view, rather than buying a
PACS system up front. This business model has proven to be very beneficial for the user.
The model guarantees performance and uptime commitments, up to a level of 99.99%,
providing full support for the system throughout the lifetime of the PACS contract. The
first iSite PACS installation is currently underway at the Nairobi Hospital. According to Dr.
Cleopa Mailu, CEO of the Nairobi Hospital, “We are very excited to have the Philips iSite
system installed at our hospital, as it will lead the charge with respect to enterprise
integration across clinical departments, which is a key factor in preparing the Kenyan
healthcare system for electronic health records and moving to a truly digital hospital.
When a physician can accurately and quickly make a diagnosis, the patient stands to
benefit through earlier treatment options”. With partnerships like this, Philips
demonstrates its commitment to providing people focused and meaningful healthcare
solutions. “We believe that Kenya is ready for e-health. The government is stimulating
investment in laying out fiber glass optics to improve connectivity and we foresee this as
being a large and meaningful solution for the country’s most important challenges in
healthcare”, adds Mr JJ van Dongen. “We believe the digitalization of healthcare will
continue to accelerate development”.
IBM Teams With Hildebrand to Bring Smart

Metering to Homes Across B...
IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced it is teaming with energy
consultant Hildebrand to help consumers make more
informed decisions about their energy consumption with IBM
data management software. As part of this effort, citizens and
companies are working together to make more efficient use
of energy by collecting, storing and analyzing detailed energy usage information in real
time from homes across the UK. The Hildebrand monitoring system enables real-time
analysis of electricity usage for households, or even for individual appliances, to help
people make better decisions about energy efficiency in the home and minimize their
environmental impact. Hildebrand received funding from the Seventh Framework
Programme for EU Research (FP7) for a 30-month research project that would allow
stakeholders from local authorities, private businesses and universities to study energy
monitoring and its effect on human behavior. The Hildebrand project involves installing
small, low-cost energy monitoring devices at groups of homes in five European cities:
Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester in the UK, and Plovdiv and Ivanovo in Bulgaria.
Each of these groups form a 'living lab,' giving the researchers access to real-world
energy usage data, and allowing them to study the behavior of individuals and their
attitudes towards energy management. Homeowners can access this information online
in a simple format that displays their electricity usage and perform analytics, such as
calculating costs against the users' electricity tariff, or comparing their usage to the
average for their group. The end result is that people can make more informed decisions
about energy management and change their behavior in order to reduce electricity bills
and minimize their environmental impact. "Giving citizens more information and better
control over their energy use will cut down on costs and consumption as well as reduce
their overall impact on the environment," said Guido Bartels, General Manager of Energy
& Utilities at IBM. "With this collaboration, we can demonstrate how smart and connected
communities can be more energy conscious and in turn, more sustainable." "IBM
software delivered spectacular results. In the first proof-of-concept we simulated three
million homes sending readings once a minute and we were able to capture nearly
50,000 readings per second using only a quad-core, dual-processor Intel server. In the
second, we moved to a slightly larger server and found we could deliver analytics
response times of between one and three seconds for a similar load," said Clive Eisen,
Chief Technology Officer at Hildebrand. "You don't need to understand the technical
details – the point is that suddenly, energy monitoring for three million homes or more
became a practical proposition." Traditional databases struggle to deal with time-series
data (i.e. 'pulses' of data arriving at regular intervals from one or more sources), because
their structure makes it difficult to store and index this data efficiently. Using IBM Informix
however, Hildebrand was able to create a single database object for each data-source,
and now simply updates it with the latest readings whenever a new 'pulse' of data arrives
related to energy consumption. This provides a far more manageable information
structure, which makes it easier to store, extract and analyze data. IBM also recently
announced that the city of Amsterdam is using IBM software to help 500 Amsterdam
households cut energy bills and reduce CO2 emissions. This is part of the Amsterdam
Smart City initiative in which citizens, governments and companies are working together
to make more efficient use of energy, water and mobility to create a more sustainable
city. The Hildebrand solution is powered by IBM Informix database software, using the
Time Series capability.
Belkin Acquires Zensi, Signaling Major Entry into

Energy Conservati...
Belkin International, Inc., today announced that it has
completed its acquisition of Zensi, a leading developer of
technology that senses and monitors energy use. Indicating a
greater commitment in energy management, this strategic acquisition is part of Belkin's
expansion of its current Conserveenergy management product portfolio. Belkin Conserve
products, available worldwide, currently enable energy conservation in both homes and
offices. Later this year, Belkin will introduce additions to its Conserve line, bringing more
solutions for managing energy in the home. "I am very excited about our vision to help
people make better, more informed decisions about their energy use. Zensi's technology
furthers our ability to create powerful yet elegant energy management solutions." Energy
management is of meaningful concern to people. According to a November 2009 survey
by Parks Associates, 81 percent of US online households show high interest in cutting
energy costs. And, when asked the main reason for learning about ways to reduce
energy consumption, 58 percent of people questioned stated that they wanted to learn
how to save money on their electric bill. Belkin's Conserve products will provide easy,
cost-effective ways for people to be more engaged in their energy use. Zensi's product
portfolio includes exclusive licenses to patent-pending technology developed at the
School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology and in the
Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering departments of the
University of Washington. Inventors and professors Shwetak Patel (University of
Washington), Matthew S. Reynolds (Duke University), Gregory Abowd (Georgia Tech),
and PhD candidate Erich Stuntebeck (Georgia Tech) are all Zensi co-founders. Patel and
Reynolds will now contribute their expertise as consultants to Belkin's technology
development efforts. Zensi co-founder and CEO Kevin Ashton joins Belkin as General
Manager of the new Conserve business unit.
Video: Craig Venter On Synthetic Life

Friday, May 28, 2010
Remember Mr. Venter? The artificial cell guy? We have a video of the dude making the
presentation on the synthetic life his team created. Watch!
Guess Who Is Building The Biggest Theme Park
In The World. Its Ferr...
All things big are coming up in Abu Dhabi
and now the world's biggest theme park's
being built there and it's themed "Ferrari".
Yeah, its the Ferrari World theme park.
Expect to ride some really fast roller
coaster rides, take a boat tour inside a
Ferrari engine and take an F1 car for a spin
in a virtual world. Don't believe us? Watch
the video.
Infographic: Top Cameras On Flickr

Flickr user but no idea what cameras are out there clicking those awesome pics? This
inforgraphic by Column Five Media reveals the top ten cameras on Flickr. Check it out.
The Social Network Just Got Better, Famsmile

Enters the Scene with ...
Just when the industry thought that everything had been done with social networks here
comes famsmile with the introduction of Video Chat incorporated into its social site. As
the larger social networks re-invent themselves to become search engines and music
sites, famsmile will take a different approach and focus on serving the current and new
generation of online social goers by delivering a simple yet powerful site that even
grandma can use. Famsmile also allows
users to login using their facebook or twitter
account. In an interview with Sonia Delapaz
(co-founder of famsmile) we asked if she
thought that famsmile stood a chance
against the social network giants, she
responded "We are not looking to replace
any of the other social sites, what we are creating is a simple place where people can
stay connected to family. Even when traveling they can see their children, spouse,
parents, and friends using our Video Chat feature, now that is cool".
Greenscroll Cleans Up Your Website's Carbon

Footprint. Ideabing Alr...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A Canadian startup Greenscroll has setup
something that lets you clean up all the
carbon footprint of your website.
Greenscroll lets you offset the greenhouse
emissions produced by the computers,
servers, data centers your website utilized
to run your website. This is a great way to get yourself to clean up some of the mess
cloud computing is projected to produce in the coming months and years. As more
companies go online with their websites and social networks more data centers, servers
and computers are used to run those cool apps you all love. The bitter truth is that all
these machines spew out tons and tons of CO2. HP's getting to fix this issue with manure
powered data centers. However small businesses who don't have the moolah to own
their data centers can their bit to offset their carbon footprint starting at $5 a month and
maxing out at $100 a month. Not much if you care about the home you live in called
Planet Earth. We think that this business model is great considering the price point and
the goodwill that green computing brings to your firm. You could actually start of with
"corporate green social responsibility" right away with Greenscroll. Head here and start
cleaning up your website's CO2 footprint right away! Ideabing has already signed up for
the Greenscroll program, so you can surf the website guilt free.
Feature: Design makes a difference – even for

trucks
Trucks are typical commercial vehicles. In light of this, one might expect truck buyers’
purchasing decisions to be based entirely on rational factors such as fuel consumption,
payload, service costs and transport kilometres per euro. Well, think again. Truck design
is more important that you may imagine. At Volvo's design studio, around 60 people work
with product design for different Volvo companies - Volvo Trucks, Volvo Buses, Volvo
Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta. Patrik Palovaara specialises in truck design.
His latest creation is Volvo Trucks' new construction truck,
the Volvo FMX. "It's true that truck design is largely about
rational factors like aerodynamics and ergonomics," he says.
"But there's also an emotional dimension. The truck's
appearance is strongly linked to both its function and its
identity and, by extension, to its brand."
Details accentuate the truck's

characteristics
The Volvo FMX is an excellent example of this. Palovaara and his team based the truck's
design on its predecessor, the Volvo FM, but accentuated its robust, rugged
characteristics by introducing external changes that clearly express certain qualities. New
functionality was also added in several key areas, including a completely new central
towing device on the front with a stronger fastening point. This resulted in a new front with
a powerful lower section that clearly distinguishes the Volvo FMX from its predecessor.
"Volvo Trucks commissioned us to design a product that would appeal to construction
customers," says Palovaara. "The market's response proves that we succeeded." [gallery
link="file" columns="2" orderby="title"]
Interpretation, vision and form

A truck designer's first challenge in a new project is to interpret the client's requirements
and preferences and the results of user studies, and then create his or her own personal
vision of the new truck. The designer may draw inspiration from countless sources, for
example the animal kingdom, film, fashion or extreme sports. During this phase,
countless sketches are produced. The designer can give free rein to his or her
imagination and challenge traditional concepts of how a truck should look - while always
remaining realistic. "When making strategic sketches, I often work with three themes,"
says Palovaara. "An extreme visionary theme, a basic theme and a theme that falls
somewhere in between the two."
From drawing to full-scale model

After this initial period of sketching, the team chooses a design theme to develop further.
Now they start producing CAD models to verify factors such as ergonomics,
aerodynamics and functionality for the new truck. "Air resistance is of strategic
importance because it is critical to fuel consumption," explains Palovaara. The team
includes surface modellers and studio engineers who are responsible for regularly
reviewing the design process with Volvo Trucks' production technicians and ergonomics,
aerodynamics and technical design experts. A team of clay modellers at the design
studio build a full-scale clay model of the new truck that allows everyone involved to
follow the verifications made with the CAD model. "Many people only fully realise what
the new truck will look like when they see the full-scale model," says Palovaara. "The
model provides a reference point for everybody, from Volvo's CEO to tool makers and
subcontractors. And many people have their say before the shape, colour and surface of
the design are finalised.
A creative competitive factor

So everybody has an opinion about design. But is it possible to define what makes a
good truck design? And how important is the design from a larger perspective? The
Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University has collaborated closely with Volvo Trucks
for many years, and is one of the world's leading study institutes in this field. Tapio
Alakörkkö, Department Head at the Umeå Institute of Design, comments: "Design is a
creative discipline that improves a company's competitiveness. In Scandinavia, we have
a tradition of creating functional designs. For us, a good truck design is about focusing on
the driver and finding out how we can make his working day easier and develop his work
routines - not least so that more women will choose to become truck drivers.
Arousing the desire to buy

Even if a design is primarily functional, its success also depends on arousing consumers'
desire to have it. Purchasing decisions are not only made by the logical left brain. "Good
design is to do with the dreams a product evokes in people, what they hope to get out of
it," explains Alakörkkö. "Design is what makes people tick", it's that simple. Another factor
that drives development forward is the link between concrete product design and
visionary concept design. "Concept design is important in getting people's brains to think
outside the box," says Alakörkkö. "By discussing the design on the basis of a common
vision, we can move the goal posts forward. Concept design also serves as a sounding
board for our views - do we like this vision or not?"
At the forefront of development

Needless to say, designers who work for a leading truck manufacturer must always
remain at the forefront of development. They keep abreast by reading the industrial press
and attending trade fairs, but it takes more than this to know how trucks will develop by
the year 2020. "Trends in truck design are driven by technical development," explains
Palovaara. "New fuels, new materials and logistics solutions influence the commercial
vehicles of the future. He should know. In the design studio, concealed behind long
curtains, are models of future Volvo trucks that few human eyes have seen - yet.
Biotech incubator opens its doors at UC Berkeley

The California Institute for Quantitative
Biosciences (QB3) at the University of
California, Berkeley, opened a new biotech
incubator on Thursday, May 6, hoping to
duplicate the success of the "QB3
Garage@UCSF," which has helped birth
more than 28 biotech startups since 2006.
Recent UC Berkeley Ph.D. graduate
Wesley Chang is the QB3
Garage@Berkeley's first tenant, occupying
one-eighth of an 800-square-foot
windowless basement room in the
campus's Stanley Hall, and saving a lot on
the costs of getting his new company,
Aperys, LLC, off the ground. "This is a
good fit for us, because we have access to the Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center,
which is right across the hall," said Chang, a former UC San Francisco post-doctoral
fellow who hopes to sell specialized cell culture platforms that allow researchers to grow
nerve cells in precise patterns to simplify experiments. "With the mixed capabilities here,
including microfabrication and cell culture labs, we can do our research without having to
put up our own infrastructure." Early-stage costs, including lab space and expensive
equipment, are a big hurdle for start-ups, which typically have few investors. Chang, for
example, has a small business grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to tide
him over until the next phase of funding, whether it's additional federal funding, venture
capital or from angel investors. "I'm even now applying for money that will allow us to
move on to the next phase, and at the same time to start building a base of customers
that potentially could be recurring customers for our devices," he said. Within two years,
it's expected that Aperys will be out the door to make room for other nascent companies.
"We hope that this business incubator will jumpstart new companies with origins in UC
research labs," said Susan Marqusee, director of QB3's UC Berkeley branch and a
professor of molecular and cell biology. "These are almost pre-start-ups that would find it
hard to lease the small amount of space they need. Instead, they can rent a small
amount of bench space from the QB3 Garage@Berkeley, benefit from our core research
facilities and world-class scientists and engineers, and get themselves ready to move to
the next level. It’s our hope that this innovative approach will help ensure that discoveries
made by QB3 and UC Berkeley researchers will achieve their potential." The garage
model proved successful at QB3's University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) branch,
where many of the 28 original start-ups on the UCSF Mission Bay campus and in the
surrounding neighborhood have successfully landed follow-on funding, and one has
already been purchased by larger companies. Sixteen of those companies were
launched in the past year. "Only two of the 28 startups have failed, which is pretty
amazing," said Douglas Crawford, associate executive director of QB3 at UCSF Mission
Bay. The UC Berkeley and UCSF QB3 garages are part of the larger QB3 Mission Bay
Incubator Network that leverages private money to nurture start-ups in the vibrant
scientific atmospheres surrounding the two campuses. The network is a public-private
partnership between QB3, the city of San Francisco; the San Francisco Center for
Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce; FibroGen, Inc.; and Alexandria Real
Estate. One of the first tenants of UCSF's garage was Cristian Ionescu-Zanetti, a former
post-doctoral researcher with UC Berkeley's Luke Lee, professor of bioengineering.
Ionescu-Zanetti is now CTO of Fluxion Biosciences, Inc., which markets microfluidic
systems for improved cell analysis. Now in its own quarters in San Francisco, Fluxion is
expanding its customer base in Asia and last year won a $1.8 million grant from the NIH
to further develop its high-throughput screening technique in order to discover new anti-
microbial drugs. Aperys's Chang and a half-time employee are still moving into their 100-
square foot garage space at UC Berkeley, but they're eager to interact with the scientists
around them. "The product we are developing is specifically targeted toward the research
environment, so there potentially are a lot of collaborators upstairs or within walking
distance with whom we could work, and for whom we could provide easy-to-use cell
culture substrates that will make their experiments go faster," Chang said.
"Out of Whack" Planetary System Offers Clues to
a Disturbing Past
The discovery of a planetary system "out of whack," where the orbits of two planets are at
a steep angle to each other, was reported today (May 24) by a team of astronomers led
by Barbara McArthur of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. This
surprising finding will affect theories of how multi-planet systems evolve and shows that
some violent events can happen to disrupt planets' orbits after a planetary system forms,
say researchers. "The findings mean that future studies of exoplanetary systems will be
more complicated. Astronomers can no longer assume all planets orbit their parent star in
a single plane," McArthur says. McArthur and her team used data from Hubble Space
Telescope (HST), the giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and other ground-based telescopes
combined with extensive modeling to unearth a landslide of information about the
planetary system surrounding the nearby star Upsilon Andromedae. McArthur reported
these findings in a press conference at the 216th meeting of the American Astronomical
Society in Miami, along with her collaborator Fritz Benedict, also of McDonald
Observatory, and team member Rory Barnes of the University of Washington. The work
also will be published in the June 1 edition of the Astrophysical Journal. For just over a
decade, astronomers have known that three Jupiter-type planets orbit the yellow-white
dwarf star Upsilon Andromedae. Similar to our Sun, Upsilon Andromedae lies about 44
light-years away. It's a bit younger, a bit more massive, and a bit brighter than the Sun.
Combining fundamentally different, yet complementary, types of data from HST and
ground-based telescopes, McArthur's team has determined the exact masses of two of
the three known planets, Ups And c and d. Much more startling, though, is their finding
that not all planets orbit this star in the same plane. The orbits of planets c and d are
inclined by 30 degrees with respect to each other. This research marks the first time that
the "mutual inclination" of two planets orbiting another star has been measured. And, the
team has uncovered hints that a fourth planet, e, orbits the star much farther out. "Most
probably Upsilon Andromedae had the same formation process as our own solar system,
although there could have been differences in the late formation that seeded this
divergent evolution," McArthur said. "The premise of planetary evolution so far has been
that planetary systems form in the disk and remain relatively co-planar, like our own
system, but now we have measured a significant angle between these planets that
indicates this isn't always the case." Until now the conventional wisdom has been that a
big cloud of gas collapses down to form a star, and planets are a natural byproduct. Left
over material forms a disk. In our solar system, there's a fossil of that creation event
because all of the eight major planets orbit in nearly the same plane. Several different
gravitational scenarios could be responsible for the surprisingly inclined orbits in Upsilon
Andromadae. "Possibilities include interactions occurring from the inward migration of
planets, the ejection of other planets from the system through planet-planet scattering, or
disruption from the parent star's binary companion star, Upsilon Andromedae B,"
McArthur said. Barnes, an expert in the dynamics of extrasolar planetary systems added,
"Our dynamical analysis shows that the inclined orbits probably resulted from the ejection
of an original member of the planetary system. However, we don't know if the distant
stellar companion forced that ejection, or if the planetary system itself formed such that
some original planets were ejected. Furthermore, we find the revised configuration still
lies right on the precipice of stability: The planets pull on each other so strongly that they
are almost able to throw each other out of the system." The two different types of data
combined in this research were "astrometry" from Hubble Space Telescope and "radial
velocity" from ground-based telescopes. Astrometry is the measurement of the positions
and motions of celestial bodies. McArthur's group used one of the Fine Guidance
Sensors (FGS) on Hubble Space Telescope for the task. The FGS are so precise that
they can measure the width of a quarter in Denver from the vantage point of Miami. It was
this precision that was used to trace the star's motion on sky caused by its surrounding —
and unseen — planets. Radial velocity makes measurements of the star's motion on the
sky toward and away from Earth. These measurements were made over 14 years using
ground-based telescopes, including two at McDonald Observatory and others at Lick,
Haute-Provence and Whipple Observatories. The radial velocity provides a long baseline
of foundation observations, which enabled the shorter duration, but more precise and
complete, HST observations to better define the orbital motions. The fact that the team
determined the orbital inclinations of planets c and d allowed them to calculate the exact
masses of the two planets. The new information changed which planet is heavier.
Previous minimum masses for the planets given by radial velocity studies put the
minimum mass for planet c at 2 Jupiters and for planet d at 4 Jupiters. The new, exact,
masses found by astrometry are 14 Jupiters for planet c and 10 Jupiters for planet d.
"The HST data show radial velocity isn't the whole story," Benedict said. "The fact that the
planets actually flipped in mass was really cute." The 14 years of radial velocity
information compiled by the team uncovered hints that a fourth, long-period planet may
orbit beyond the three now known. There are only hints about that planet because it's so
far out, the signal it creates does not yet reveal the curvature of an orbit. Another missing
piece of the puzzle is the inclination of the innermost planet b, which would require
precision astrometry 1,000 times greater than Hubble's, a goal NASA's planned Space
Interferometry Mission (SIM) could attain. The team's Hubble data also confirmed Upsilon
Andromedae's status as a binary star. The companion star is a red dwarf less massive
and much dimmer than the Sun. "We don't have any idea what its orbit is," Benedict said.
"It could be very eccentric. Maybe it comes in very close every once in a while. It may
take 10,000 years." Such a close pass by the primary star could gravitationally perturb
the orbits of its planets.
Paper Mate Brand Launches First Widely
Available Biodegradable Pen
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Paper Mate(R) brand is bringing innovation to the everyday writing experience and
helping consumers go green with the introduction of Paper Mate Biodegradable - the first
widely available line of pens and mechanical pencils made with a majority of
biodegradable components, which break down in soil/home compost in about a year.
"The Paper Mate Biodegradable pen and pencil were developed based on insights that
consumers desire simple, affordable ways to incorporate greener practices into everyday
activities at school, home or the office," said Bill Mullenix, President of Newell
Rubbermaid's Everyday Writing global business unit. "This is the first line of
biodegradable writing instruments to be widely available to consumers globally. By
offering a unique combination of performance and affordability, we're making it easy for
consumers to be greener." The Paper Mate Biodegradable line is the latest
demonstration of Paper Mate's ongoing commitment to the environment. In 2009, the
brand launched a line of products made from recycled sources that includes the Paper
Mate FlexGrip Ultra(R) Recycled Ball Point Pen made from 70 percent recycled material,
Paper Mate Earth Write(R) Recycled Pencil made from 100 percent recycled wood and
Paper Mate Write Bros.(R) Recycled Ball Point Pen made from 80 percent recycled
material, along with Liquid Paper(R) DryLine(R) Grip Recycled Correction Film made
from 67 percent recycled material. In addition, Newell Rubbermaid Office Products
brands including Paper Mate(R), Sharpie(R) and Expo(R) this year announced
partnerships with TerraCycle(TM), the upcycling company that finds new ways to
repurpose items that would otherwise be thrown away, to create the world's first program
to collect and reuse or recycle pens, markers and other writing instruments. These
products and programs add up to a robust green offering from the Paper Mate brand.
"Across Newell Rubbermaid businesses and brands, we are continually studying our
consumers to help us design and deliver innovative solutions that also offer performance
and value," said Lisa King, Vice President of Insights and Innovation for Newell
Rubbermaid. "Paper Mate Biodegradable was developed as a direct result of consumer
insights that showed a significant consumer desire for more environmentally conscious
products offered at an affordable price." While refreshing the image of the iconic Paper
Mate brand and bringing innovation to the everyday writing category, Paper Mate
Biodegradable* continues to provide the smooth writing experience consumers desire. In
fact, Paper Mate Biodegradable* pens feature a new writing system that delivers darker,
more vibrant lines and greater smoothness than many conventional ball point systems.
Paper Mate Biodegradable products look and feel like conventional plastic, but their
compostable components are a bio-plastic made from plant-derived sugar, an annually
renewable resource. When disassembled and placed in yard soil or home compost, they
decompose in about a year, increasing compost and reducing waste. Additionally, the
products are packaged in 100-percent PVC-free recyclable material. The Paper Mate
Biodegradable pen is available in black, blue, red or purple ink and retails for
approximately $1.70. The mechanical pencil comes in 0.5mm or 0.7mm lead sizes and
retails for about $2.70. Both are currently available in the United States and Canada and
will be available globally later this year.
Investing In Clean Energy Projects Abroad is Key

to Creating Jobs, ...
Putting a price on carbon pollution and investing in
clean technology projects in developing countries
could create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the US
and help America catch up to China and Europe in the
clean energy race, according to a new report issued
by World Wildlife Fund. WWF’s report highlights a
significant, but rarely discussed, economic angle to
the Senate’s deliberations on the American Power
Act, which was recently introduced by Senators John
Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Unlike
the House-passed climate bill, which set aside one
percent of revenues from emissions auctions for
international clean technology investments, the
American Power Act contains no such dedicated
funding stream nor a program to guide these public
investments. This lack of secure, long-term funding would limit the job-creating potential
of the legislation by limiting the opportunities for American companies to export their
energy technology to global markets. “We’re leaving jobs on the table that this provision
could create,” said Lou Leonard, WWF’s Director of US Climate Policy. “If America wants
to have any chance of catching Europe and China in the clean energy race we simply
cannot afford to ignore international markets for American clean technologies.” It is widely
recognized that Energy Technology is emerging as the new Information Technology –
that is, the next major driver of economic growth, said Leonard. But unlike the IT field, in
which the US has held a commanding lead, the Energy Technology field is being
dominated by China and Europe, which are out-investing the US in clean energy and
have policies in place that limit carbon pollution, which in turn creates market demand for
clean technologies. According to WWF’s report, Getting Back in the Game: U.S. Job
Growth Potential from Expanding Clean Technology Markets in Developing Countries,
China out-invested the US 2:1 last year in clean energy and exported three times as
much clean technology products and services, as measured in absolute dollars. The
report further finds that the US has lost market share in environmental goods and
services in almost every regional market. The International Energy Agency estimates that
$27 trillion in clean technology investments are needed in developing countries over the
next four decades. Capturing just a fraction of that demand could create hundreds of
thousands of jobs in the United States. According to the WWF report, the US could create
280,000 to 850,000 new jobs if it captures just 14 percent of the clean technology market
in the developing world. “Creating such new markets would also increase American
exports, potentially reducing the trade deficit,” said Leonard. “We don’t need twelve steps
to break our oil addiction and put the US in the lead of the clean energy economy. We
can do it in two,” said Leonard. “First, create market incentives for clean energy
technologies here in the US by passing a climate bill that puts a price on carbon pollution.
And second, include an international clean technology program in a US climate bill that
will increase demand for new clean technologies, lower costs and maximize the number
of new American jobs.”
New nanoscale electrical phenomenon

discovered
At the scale of the very small, physics can get peculiar. A University of Michigan
biomedical engineering professor has discovered a new instance of such a nanoscale
phenomenon—one that could lead to faster, less expensive portable diagnostic devices
and push back frontiers in building micro-mechanical and "lab on a chip" devices.
In our macroscale world, materials called

conductors effectively transmit electricity
and materials called insulators or dielectrics
don't, unless they are jolted with an extremely high voltage. Under such "dielectric
breakdown" circumstances, as when a bolt of lightening hits a rooftop, the dielectric (the
rooftop in this example) suffers irreversible damage. This isn't the case at the nanoscale,
according to a new discovery by Alan Hunt, an associate professor in the Department of
Biomedical Engineering. Hunt and his research team were able to get an electric current
to pass nondestructively through a sliver of glass, which isn't usually a conductor. A
paper on the research is newly published online in Nature Nanotechnology. "This is a
new, truly nanoscale physical phenomenon," Hunt said. "At larger scales, it doesn't work.
You get extreme heating and damage. "What matters is how steep the voltage drop is
across the distance of the dielectric. When you get down to the nanoscale and you make
your dielectric exceedingly thin, you can achieve the breakdown with modest voltages
that batteries can provide. You don't get the damage because you're at such a small
scale that heat dissipates extraordinarily quickly." These conducting nanoscale dielectric
slivers are what Hunt calls liquid glass electrodes, fabricated at the U-M Center for
Ultrafast Optical Science with a femtosecond laser, which emits light pulses that are only
quadrillionths of a second long. The glass electrodes are ideal for use in lab-on-a-chip
devices that integrate multiple laboratory functions onto one chip just millimeters or
centimeters in size. The devices could lead to instant home tests for illnesses, food
contaminants and toxic gases. But most of them need a power source to operate, and
right now they rely on wires to route this power. It's often difficult for engineers to insert
these wires into the tiny machines, Hunt said. "The design of microfluidic devices is
constrained because of the power problem," Hunt said. "But we can machine electrodes
right into the device." Instead of using wires to route electricity, Hunt's team etches
channels through which ionic fluid can transmit electricity. These channels, 10 thousand
times thinner than the dot of this "i," physically dead-end at their intersections with the
microfluidic or nanofluidic channels in which analysis is being conducted on the lab-on a-
chip (this is important to avoid contamination). But the electricity in the ionic channels can
zip through the thin glass dead-end without harming the device in the process. This
discovery is the result of an accident. Two channels in an experimental nanofluidic device
didn't line up properly, Hunt said, but the researchers found that electricity did pass
through the device. "We were surprised by this, as it runs counter to accepted thinking
about the behavior of nonconductive materials," Hunt said. "Upon further study we were
able to understand why this could happen, but only at the nanometer scale." As for
electronics applications, Hunt said that the wiring necessary in integrated circuits
fundamentally limits their size. "If you could utilize reversible dielectric breakdown to work
for you instead of against you, that might significantly change things," Hunt said. The
paper is called "Liquid glass electrodes for nanofluidics." This research is funded by the
National Institutes of Health. The university is pursuing patent protection for the
intellectual property, and is seeking commercialization partners to help bring the
technology to market.
In a World First, ASDA Announces 'Not for Profit'

Price on All Canc...
Today, in a world first, Asda announces a
commitment to sell all privately prescribed
cancer treatment drugs on a permanent
‘not for profit’ basis potentially saving
thousands of pounds for sufferers. Lung
disease is the biggest cancer killer of women in the UK and as part of Asda’s ‘not for
profit’ commitment it now means that the price of Iressa, used to treat lung cancer, is now
available for £2,167.71 compared to £2,601.25 at Lloyds Pharmacy, £3,251.57 at Boots
and £3,253.56 at Superdrug. Cancer is the UK’s second biggest killer, affecting nearly
300,000 people per year and for many the cost of treatment is well above what they can
afford. Research compiled for Asda compared the price of seven of the most commonly
privately prescribed cancer drugs available at the main high street pharmacies in the UK
where marks ups of up to 76 per cent were uncovered. Superdrug was found to offer the
highest prices on four out of the seven drugs compared and marked up all seven of the
drugs by 50 per cent over cost price. Prices at Lloyds and Tesco were consistently
marked up by 20 per cent, while at Boots, all seven drugs were marked up by either 50
per cent or 27.5 per cent. Currently, cancer sufferers in the UK face a three pronged
challenge in their battle for affordable treatment:
From Rockets to Race Cars, NASA and NASCAR
Team Up in Charlotte
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
From better brakes and safer tires to heat-resistant paint and
cleaner emissions, NASA's contributions to the racing world
will be featured in the traveling exhibit: "From Rockets to
Race Cars" the weekend of May 29-30 at the Charlotte Motor
Speedway in North Carolina. Over the years, NASA has
provided technology that not only helps the racing world, but
also improves conditions for all drivers while helping to
protect the environment. On display will be a quarter-scale
NASA Benefits Race Car as well as a Wheel Exhibit, that includes a NASCAR tire,
Shuttle tire, Lunar Rover tire, Lunar Tweel (a non-pneumatic tire/wheel combination) and
a Spring Tire allowing fans the opportunity to see, touch and compare the wheels of
yesterday, today and tomorrow. Fans will get a shot at NASA Spin the Wheel and NASA
Plinko where they can win prizes if they answer NASA-related questions correctly. A
"Rockets to Race Cars" photo opportunity will allow visitors to have a photo taken with
their own camera in which they look like they are sitting in a NASA Race Car. Race fans
can also get up close and personal with an astronaut suit, space food and tools. To find
out what else NASA and NASCAR have in common, check out the exhibit this weekend
or the final exhibit stop at the Kentucky Speedway, June 11-12.
Infographic: How The Internet Works

Use the internet but don't know how it works? This infographic might help. Posted by
Akshaya Murthy at 12:00PM ()
HP Joins New Alliance to Drive Unified

Communications Interoperability
HP announced it is a founding member of the Unified
Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF), a
collaborative effort among hardware and software vendors,
service providers and network operators to eliminate the
barriers to unified communications (UC). The UCIF was and
co-founded by Polycom and created to address issues
around the current inability to connect systems from leading
UC companies worldwide. As part of forum, HP is working to
enable HP Halo visual collaboration solutions to interoperate seamlessly with other
standards-based video solutions. HP is joined in the UCIF by four other founding
members – Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Polycom and LifeSize/Logitech Communications
– as well as Acme Packet, Aspect, AudioCodes, Broadcom, BroadSoft, Brocade,
ClearOne, Jabra, Plantronics, RADVISION, Siemens and Teliris. “Customers want UC
deployments that provide a consistent user experience across multiple devices and
platforms, which can bring new productivity to their teams,” said Rob Scott, worldwide
general manager, Halo Visual Collaboration Business, HP. “The forum’s members will
work together to enable interoperability across the UC stack – including voice, video,
instant messaging and presence.” Mark Gorzynski, chief scientist, Halo, HP, will sit on the
UCIF board.
ESPN to Bring Cisco TelePresence to 2010 FIFA

World Cup South Africa
Cisco today announced that ESPN will use

Cisco TelePresenceTM to deliver live and
recorded coverage of soccer matches and
connect the global soccer community with
teams, players and coaches at the 2010
FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament in
South Africa. The incorporation of Cisco
TelePresence will allow ESPN to deliver
televised content more effectively and
economically as well as enhance soccer fans' viewing experience. Cisco TelePresence,
which uses high-definition video and audio to create a face-to-face virtual experience, will
further enhance ESPN's coverage of soccer matches throughout the month long
tournament. By using the existing Cisco broadband network in South Africa, the two
industry leaders are transforming the sports television industry by enabling a more timely
delivery of video content, including greater fan access to unique game analysis and
player footage. "The World Cup is one of the premier sporting events that unite
communities across the globe. It transcends borders, languages and cultures," said Paul
Mountford, senior vice president of emerging markets, Cisco. "And as a global company
that is focused on connecting communities through the collaborative use of technology,
we're excited to work with ESPN in bringing interactive communications services to the
residents of South Africa and beyond. Coupled with the new Internet connectivity that
SEACOM is bringing to South Africa, the region has a unique opportunity to transform the
lives of its citizens and make the tournament one of the most connected events in
sports." ESPN is taking advantage of the Cisco TelePresence HD real-time video for its
live coverage of the 19th FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament, a first for any video
communications solution. The technology will also give the worldwide leader in sports
increased flexibility and expanded coverage, enhancing both the content and coverage of
the games. The immersive experience is made possible with imperceptible latency,
regardless of distance, ultimately leading to a more compelling interview. In addition, with
the deployment of Cisco TelePresence in South Africa, ESPN will be able to host remote
interviews with visiting country leaders, coaches, players and fans, all from highly secure
and quiet locations with convenient access to key stadium sites. The remote broadcast
interviews captured via Cisco TelePresence will then be accessible for soccer fans to
view on ESPN's worldwide soccer sites.
Advantage ESPN: Business Benefits

• By utilizing Cisco TelePresence to conduct exclusive World Cup reports from Cape
Town and Port Elizabeth, ESPN will achieve significant cost savings as compared to
traditional remote interviews.
• Even though these two locations are hundreds of miles from the International
Broadcast Center in Johannesburg, Cisco TelePresence technology negates the
need for ESPN to send news trucks to the host cities, creating an "always available"
virtual studio.
• ESPN will televise exclusive World Cup reports from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth
on the network's news and information shows.
Ball in the Fan's Goal: Dynamic Video Experience
• Most soccer enthusiasts will want to maximize their viewing experience with access
to more behind-the-scenes footage. Cisco TelePresence gives ESPN the opportunity
to present a larger number of interviews with players, coaches and analysts.
• All Cisco TelePresence interviews captured during the tournament will be converted
to video files for posting and viewing on the ESPN Soccernet site.
• This Cisco TelePresence technology will be used for remote face-to-face interactions
for other upcoming sporting events.
Overtime: What's Next
• As the TV business model continues to evolve, Cisco is innovating the way that
sports and media organizations deliver content, providing a timely delivery of unique
video content into the home and allowing fans to engage in richer ways with the
sports and teams they love.
• The Cisco TelePresence ecosystem will continue to expand worldwide, changing the
game for how fans experience sports.
HID Global Previews New On Metal RTI

Transponder with Broadband UHF
HID Global, leader in solutions for the delivery of secure
identity, announced it will be previewing a new broadband
ultra-high frequency (UHF), radio-frequency identification
(RFID) transponder designed to help companies more
effectively track, manage and improve the utilization of high-value, returnable metal
containers for liquids. Targeted primarily for use in the beverage, chemical and petroleum
industries, the new returnable transport item (RTI) tagging solution will be previewed
today at the HID Global annual invitation-only channel partner event to be held in
Chester, Wales. To meet the growing market demand for UHF-enabled RTIs, the On
Metal RTI tag features an innovative, curved housing suitable for cylindrical RTIs. This
shape, combined with its collar design, enables the transponder to be welded onto metal
surfaces. The transponder is designed to withstand exposure to harsh environmental
conditions, and it supports simultaneous read of multiple items in a single pass. The new
RTI tag also provides broadband Self Resonance Frequency (SRF) from 840 to 928
MHz, allowing worldwide use without reduction of performance. "Our next-generation RTI
tag will be a significant addition to our portfolio of identification solutions for industry and
logistics, with potential for application in a wide variety of industries," said Helmut
Dansachmueller, director of product marketing, HID Global's Identification Solutions (IDS)
business. "We are working with industry-leading system integration partners to deliver
complete, best-in-class solutions and services to enable our mutual end-customers to
more effectively track their high-value assets." HID Global expects to make additional
announcements related to product availability and deployments with key integration
partners over the coming months.
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview with Mukta Darera,

CEO of iReboot
There are entrepreneurs and then there are
super innovative entrepreneurs. We are
happy to have found one of the latter
type.Today, we interview Mukta Darera, the
twenty something CEO of iReboot. iReboot
is based in Bangalore, India and helps
people switch careers. In a country like
India where any career other than engineering, law and medicine is frowned upon,
iReboot is bringing about a social change of sorts by giving people a change to
experiment with their "dream jobs" before they dive into it full time. Mukta Darera is a
radio jockey, a mentor, a drummer and an entrepreneur. We ask her questions on the
unique startup. Ideabing: Tell us more about iReboot. Mukta: iReboot is a life orientation
company. Our mission is to help our clients discover themselves, and in turn, their career
calling, by helping them harness their potential and leverage their passion and drive
through a structured program that includes a combination of intensive workshops, job
simulations, internships, volunteerism, personal mentoring and counseling. Whether it’s
discovering a new hobby, choosing a career path while still in school, or a mid life career
shift into something they have always wanted to do, iReboot will help structure it in a way
that helps the clients benefit from interacting with an exhaustive list of some of the finest
mentors available. Ideabing: How did it start? Why was it started? Mukta: When I was in
high school, a group of friends and I gathered interesting material from the Internet and
elsewhere to draw up a newsletter. Then we set about printing copies of the same and
convincing our peers to buy it, rather than read it for free. So, in a way entrepreneurial
spirit was always in my blood. Two years into my job at Intel, and despite being a part of
many activities at Intel, I felt the experience was not fulfilling in terms of all the things I
wanted to do in life. I also saw my peers not living the dreams that they always had.
While my workplace was fantastic, I found my work quite meaningless. I wanted to do
something that would make a difference. As a natural progression in my career, I wrote
the CAT (Common Admission Test). I obtained the 98th percentile and made it to SP
Jain. However, I didn't feel strongly about going to SP Jain. I researched the jobs and
positions of the alumni of SP Jain and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), and did
not find it very appealing. I had to address a creative need within me. I wanted to be
passionate about what I was doing. I am a very energetic person and have involved
myself passionately in all the projects that I took up at Intel. I thought if I could direct
these energies into my own company, it would do very well. On the SP Jain site, I saw
this course called SYB (Start your Business). I logged on to IIMB website to search for
something similar, luckily I found MPWE(Management Program for Women
Entrepreneurs). I resigned from my job at Intel, gave up the B school seat and joined this
course. I had the idea of iReboot before I joined MPWE but was not sure about how
feasible it was or how to execute it. The idea was further built during my stint at the
Management Program for Women Entrepreneurs, at IIM Bangalore during the summer of
2008. It was here that the need for a service like this was further reinforced and this was
the beginning of a scalable model and business plan that launched iReboot. During
MPWE, I had two business plans; Aushad (her family pharmacy retail chain) and Reboot
(later rechristened to iReboot because Reboot was already registered). However,
something made me realize what my true calling was. I chose iReboot. Ideabing: Is there
a fundamental shift in the career patterns of next generation India? Is the software career
too clichéd now? Mukta: Yes, the world has changed and so have the career
opportunities. The new generation of students are making a very active career choice. At
iReboot we have children who are academically brilliant wanting to opt for fields which
have so far been considered only by the ones who don't make it to medicine or
engineering. They are passionate and willing to take the risk. Being a software engineer
in India was very easy and lucrative simply because of the world market dynamics. It is
not "cliched" per se , it is just that there are many software engineers not by choice but
because of circumstances. However, even in the software industry, you could find niches
where you could enjoy your job and explore your creativity. Ideabing: Talk us through
iReboot's market. Mukta: The market encompasses all age groups. It doesn’t matter what
stage of life you are in. iReboot is a service that empowers its clients by facilitating a
glimpse into their dream job or alternate career, in a way that does not compromise with
their current situation and does not involve taking a rash decision of leaving one's
occupation. It is similar to school children making their first tentative career choices and
trying out a variety of options before finally settling down on one. It is also for working
professionals considering a mid life career change and trying out a dream job over the
weekend before actually making a commitment and taking the plunge. It’s also for
companies that are looking for ways to build teams, develop trust and increase
productivity or even for holiday seekers looking for a ‘life experience’ holiday. For
instance living the life of a coffee planter while on a holiday Ideabing: How many careers
has iReboot changed since it began the service? Mukta: We have had about 800 clients.
About 20 have switched careers. About 60 have developed serious hobbies and
moonlight with their second career. Ideabing: How much does it cost a person to switch
careers through iReboot? Mukta: Anywhere from Rs.2500 to Rs.16000 Ideabing: Any
plans of going beyond Bangalore with iReboot's service? Mumbai and Delhi in the next 3
years Ideabing: A few words of wisdom for entrepreneurs trying to start new services?
Mukta: Believe in yourself. Don't be bogged down by naysayers. But remember the idea
is to be successful, not to prove a point. Enjoy the ride!
Yes, You Need A Facebook Fan Page Evaluator
Have a Facebook page you use to market
stuff? Not sure if your page is up to the
mark? How about a Social Page Evaluator?
Hell yeah, Vitrue - a social media marketing
company has just launched a "social page evaluator" to let you know if your page makes
the cut. While giving you the current value of your Facebook fan page in plain $$ the site
also suggests the "potential" of your social media page. Neat eh? For example, the
current value of the Walmart Facebook fan page is about 2 million dollars while the
potential is about 12 million. The site also lets you compare your fan page with other fan
pages and see where your page stacks up. This is a great tool for social media marketing
folks.
Not Another Technology University

Big news…India allows foreign universities to set up shop locally. Who’s first out of the
stables? Virginia Tech! Now normally, I would be proud that India is finally getting what
she deserves, but hear me groan! GROAN! Now, the curriculum of Virginia Tech is highly
impressive…agricultural sciences, natural resources, liberal arts, human sciences and a
host of impressive avenues. But then, the average Indian is not allowed to think beyond
engineering (especially software), medicine and law. So I guess my brethren would be
gunning for the engineering seats. That’s what the exponentially multiplying army of
engineers in India needed. A shot in the arm. Kapoow !!! And somehow, I don’t see the
situation improving. More and more engineering and medical related colleges will begin
setting up shop here. It would be great to see something like a Harvard Medical or a John
Hopkins for medicine…same goes with law and…engineering! ( I just rolled my eyes
over). I think we need a whole bunch of colleges who for once focus on the alternatives. I
would probably drop my pants and dance the samba around a sombrero if something like
a Berklee School of Music set up shop in India. If you want proof, look at the number of
carnatic musicians and Hindustani musicians who’ve become fairly renowned in the US.
And all this is because, tradition is far too deep rooted. If you ask me, or in this case, I’m
telling you (this is called consulting) we’ve had enough of engineering colleges. And this
is coming from one of those many engineers. Okay, we engineers are considered to
be….ahem…smart…ahem…intelligent….ahem…. systematic….ahem…. and oh so
many other good things, but then there is the whole ‘too much of a good thing’. So any of
those universities reading this blog….puh-lease no more engineering colleges!
Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation

Intend to Work Jointly on...
TESLA MOTORS, INC. (Tesla) and TOYOTA MOTOR
CORPORATION (TMC) announced that they intend to
cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, and
production system and engineering support. The two
companies intend to form a team of specialists to further those
efforts. TMC has agreed to purchase $50 million of Tesla’s
common stock issued in a private placement to close
immediately subsequent to the closing of Tesla’s currently
planned initial public offering. “I’ve felt an infinite possibility
about Tesla’s technology and its dedication to monozukuri (Toyota’s approach to
manufacturing),” said TMC President Akio Toyoda. “Through this partnership, by working
together with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the
challenging spirit, quick decision-making, and flexibility that Tesla has. Decades ago,
Toyota was also born as a venture business. By partnering with Tesla, my hope is that all
Toyota employees will recall that ‘venture business spirit,’ and take on the challenges of
the future.” “Toyota is a company founded on innovation, quality, and commitment to
sustainable mobility. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that
Toyota would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla,” said Tesla CEO and cofounder
Elon Musk. “We look forward to learning and benefiting from Toyota’s legendary
engineering, manufacturing, and production expertise.”
Chefs Tout Sustainable U.S. Catfish

Chefs from across the nation gathered at
the Monterey Bay Aquarium this week for
Cooking for Solutions , the annual event
focusing on sustainable seafood and
organic agriculture education and
awareness. This year’s three-day event
drew record crowds estimated at more than
10,000 consumers, chefs and media
members. Attendees were greeted with
tastings from dozens of sustainable food
and wine sponsors, including the U.S.
Farm-Raised Catfish industry. Benjamin
Brown, executive chef at Pebble Beach Golf Resort, and Cameron Hamilton, executive
chef for Google Inc., offered tastings of Tequila Catfish Tacos with Tomato and Avocado
Salsa, along with Catfish Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw, Spring Onions and Green
Garlic, while representatives from The Catfish Institute (TCI) were on hand to answer
questions and provide information about the domestic catfish farming industry. The
aquarium’s Seafood Watch program has, since its creation, recognized U.S. Farm-
Raised Catfish as a “Best Choice” in its sustainable seafood guide, making this event a
permanent part of TCI’s marketing campaigns for the past several years. “We realize the
importance of making wise choices when it comes to the foods we consume,” said Roger
Barlow, TCI president. “Overall seafood consumption is on the rise, while the world’s
ocean populations are under unprecedented strain from overfishing and pollution.” “The
U.S. Catfish industry has a spotless environmental record and is recognized as a leader
in sustainable aquaculture,” Barlow continued. “We appreciate the recognition we receive
through Seafood Watch, and we are pleased to be able to sponsor Cooking for Solutions
each year.” Founded in 1986 and based in Jackson, Miss., The Catfish Institute is a non-
profit organization with the goal of raising consumer awareness about the benefits of U.S.
Farm-Raised Catfish.
Have you got Britain's oldest boiler? Npower

Energy will buy it for...
Since the UK Government’s boiler
scrappage scheme launched in January,
npower hometeam has overseen the
removal of hundreds of ancient boilers
across the length and breadth of the country. With record numbers of Brits taking
advantage of the scheme, which offers consumers £400 off a new, energy efficient boiler
when replacing one which is G-Rated, hometeam engineers have uncovered several
antique systems. Inspired by these discoveries, npower hometeam is launching a
nationwide hunt to find Britain’s Oldest Boiler. Richard Cotton, head of sales for npower
hometeam, commented: “If your boiler is particularly old – perhaps the same age as your
grown-up children, or has been in the house longer than you have been married – you
could be the owner of Britain’s Oldest Boiler!“ The owner of the oldest system uncovered
will win £3,000 towards a brand new A-rated energy efficient boiler, and installation. For
full details of how to enter please email kate.dawson@europe.mccann.com npower was
the first energy supplier to pledge to continue its boiler scrappage scheme once the
Government scheme closed, meaning consumers could still be eligible to receive as
much as £400 towards the cost of a new boiler; almost a third off the cost of a typical
installation.
Intel Unveils 45nm System-on-Chip for Internet
TV
Intel Corporation unveiled the Intel® Atom™ processor
CE4100, the newest System-on-Chip (SoC) in a family of
media processors designed to bring Internet content and
services to digital TVs, DVD players and advanced set-top
boxes.
The CE4100 processor, formerly codenamed "Sodaville," is

the first 45nm-manufactured consumer electronics (CE) SoC based on Intel architecture.
It supports Internet and broadcast applications on one chip, and has the processing
power and audio/video components necessary to run rich media applications such as 3-D
graphics. "Traditional broadcast networks are quickly shifting from a linear model to a
multi-stream, Internet-optimized model to offer consumers digital entertainment that
complements the TV such as social networking, 3-D gaming and streaming video," said
Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Digital Home Group. "At the
center of the TV evolution is the CE4100 media processor, a new architecture that meets
the critical requirements for connected CE devices." CE Industry Rallies Around Intel CE
Media Processors Joining Kim on stage during his keynote were executives from Adobe
Systems, BBC (British Broadcast Company), CBS, Cisco and TransGaming. These and
other companies are working with Intel to advance content, services and infrastructure for
connected CE devices. As TVs become more interactive, Adobe* Flash* is an important
enabling technology to help content developers blend together video, 3-D animation and
rich graphics. Intel is working with Adobe to port Adobe Flash Player 10 to the family of
Intel CE media processors to optimize the playback of graphics and H.264 video to
enable for the first time a wide array of Flash-based content on the television. "The
architecture of Intel media processors provides a powerful and innovative platform to
showcase Flash-based applications in a vivid way," said David Wadhwani, general
manager and vice president, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. "Flash Player 10
combined with the performance of the Intel media processor and its support for standards
such as OpenGL ES 2.0 offers a compelling environment for Flash-based games, videos
and other rich Web content and applications." The companies expect Adobe Flash Player
10 to be available in the first half of 2010 for Intel media processor-based CE devices.
Malachy Moynihan, vice president for video product strategy, Cisco Service Provider
Video Technology Group, discussed how delivering premium video to the TV will require
intelligent networks and content storage. "Cisco is helping service providers evolve their
networks to a medianet, integrating the best elements of the existing broadcast
infrastructure with carrier-grade IP networks to provide new services like unified video
experience," said Moynihan. "The crucial components to enable a unified video
experience include the need for an emerging monetization model across the video
ecosystem as well as client devices with quality graphics and a high-performance
processor to truly enhance the visual appeal for consumers." On-Demand Gaming for TV
TransGaming President and CEO Vikas Gupta announced an on-demand gaming
service called GameTree.tv* to be optimized for connected digital TVs and CE devices
powered by Intel media processors. "At TransGaming, we're in the business of enabling
existing games to operate on alternative operating systems," said Gupta. "Since Intel CE
processors run on Intel architecture, it's a fast and easy migration from the PC to the CE
platform." The GameTree.tv service will offer a broad library of games such as sports,
action and adventure and provide content developers with a software development kit to
support the migration of existing games and the development of new games based on
the Intel CE platform. It will help revolutionize the delivery and global consumption of
video games and provide a turnkey monetization strategy for CE manufacturers and
cable/satellite providers (MSOs). TV Widgets, Interactive TV Applications Intel CE media
processors provide a full-featured software framework called Widget Channel for the
development of Internet applications, or TV widgets. Broadcast networks such as CBS
are expanding the gallery of TV widgets to help their viewers find and connect to
premium content in a more personalized manner. "Navigation is the No. 1 challenge for
today's television viewers," said George Schweitzer, president, CBS Marketing. "Intel's
CE technology and our new TV Widget platform are designed to help people find the
shows they want and discover new programs that are relevant to their interests. What's
more, the TV Widget gives us another platform to connect and interact with our audience
while delivering an exciting new television experience." Intel is working with the industry
to expand Widget Channel to provide consumers a range of services such as movies,
music, games and personal videos. TV Widgets and services shown at IDF were from
Accedo Broadband, The Associated Press, BIGSTAR.tv, CBS, CinemaNow, Dailymotion,
Immediatek, Mediafly, MyVideo, Netflix, PlayJam, RadioTime, RallyPoint, ShowTime
Networks, Tagesschau and WhereverTV.
Microsoft and eGovernment Partners Take

Citizen Services to the Cloud
At the fourth annual Microsoft Worldwide Government
Solutions Forum in Bergen, Norway, Joel Cherkis, general
manager for Applied Innovation in Public Sector at Microsoft
Corp., outlined how the company’s Citizen Services Platform (CSP) and partner
ecosystem will take advantage of Microsoft’s cloud-based solutions to give citizens —
digital natives and newcomers — broad choices in how, where and when they access
government services and to boost government efficiency. “People expect a government
that responds, acts and communicates with their digital lives,” Cherkis said. “Microsoft
and our partners are helping provide government technology like CSP to empower
citizens to have a continued conversation with their governments and empower
governments to provide a proactive response.” Boosting government efficiency improves
delivery of citizen services, which drive individual and economic capacity, ultimately
building a competitive society. Government can set up the right environment and
structure to ensure that the potential of every individual is converted into results. To this
end, Microsoft and its partners are part of this essential fabric, playing an important role in
helping the economy thrive, addressing important societal challenges and empowering
individual organizations, governments and citizens to reach their full potential through
technology. Software Innovation Moves Public 360° to the Cloud Software Innovation, a
leader in the Scandinavian market helping organizations control, manage, and share
information and documents, has launched its first cloud application on Windows Azure.
Public 360°, the company’s flagship product suite for standard case and document
management, allows governments to make information about ongoing cases and
correspondence available to the public through Internet publishing. Running 360° Public
Journal on Windows Azure is a first step in Software Innovation’s cloud strategy for
improved user experience for citizens that will culminate in the launch of the Public 360°
suite as an on-demand service on Windows Azure, planned for release in the first quarter
of 2011. “Governments worldwide have a common vision to deliver efficient, on-demand
services for citizens and businesses that are available at any time and any place through
the Internet,” said Halvor Walla, CEO at Software Innovation. “The cloud can
revolutionize citizen services, and, as a company, we are committed to invest in Windows
Azure as a development platform to further improve government services and user
experience. 360° Public Journal on Windows Azure is a key landmark in that journey.”
Gecko Launches Cloud-Based Geoinformation Client Gecko Information Systems AS, a
Norway-based provider of portal, case and document management solutions tailored to
the public sector, announced geoPort, a Web-based geoinformation client hosted though
Windows Azure that enables both citizens and public servants to access public mapping
services. Emerging infrastructure for sharing geographical information and data,
especially within the public sector, requires lean, flexible, and elastic geographical
information systems (GIS) viewers and clients. Through geoPort, citizens and employees
will have user-friendly online access to public spatial services for publication, decision
support and emergency-handling purposes. “There has been a sharp rise in demand for
sophisticated mapping services in the public sector. By providing citizens with a Web-
based, low-threshold GIS client hosted in the cloud through Windows Azure, public
bodies can provide simple and real-time access to existing spatial data both from internal
and public sources — and in any combination of these,” said Brynjar Gevelt, CEO at
Gecko Information Systems AS. “This is key in enhancing efficiency. In addition, having
an intuitive user interface encourages the production, distribution and use of advanced
thematic maps throughout the entire organization.” Altinn Announces New Solution The
CSP has been designed to help governments and partners accelerate the modernization
of government and to bring services and information to businesses and citizens anytime
and anywhere. Altinn, the Norwegian central government collaboration platform and
eGovernment portal developed by Microsoft and Accenture, is working to deliver this goal
through the next generation of its platform for businesses and citizens to access public
services. Altinn allows actors in the private sector to access public services and
collaboration processes within and across government agencies through a single point of
access, simplifying the interaction between government, businesses and citizens by
providing an electronic channel for accessing information and allowing for written
communications with the public sector. Altinn’s new solution, Altinn II, will add more
functionality, flexibility and increased privacy, as well as a simplified user experience for
public sector employees. The new solution and concept also will include a coordinating
function to optimize efficiency across organizations. By enhancing access to information,
Altinn can help public authorities reduce processing time and costs. “Altinn contains a
portal solution for the public for services and information and contains a very
comprehensive toolbox for providing electronic services,” said Erik Fossum, director
general of the Brønnøysund Register Centre, a body under the Norwegian Ministry of
Trade and Industry working with Altinn. “By providing better access to information and
simplifying the user interface, businesses and citizens can make even more use of the
technology to fulfill their needs. There’s huge potential for gain by the whole public sector,
as well as businesses and citizens in the future.” Since its initial launch in 2008, the CSP
has been adopted by local and regional governments around the globe, with success
stories in many locations including Bergen, which was chosen to host the event May
19–20 and recognized last year by Microsoft for the city’s use of ICT to serve and engage
citizens. The event will host more than 250 local and regional government elites, IT
professionals, and executives to showcase their solutions and discuss the future of
eGovernment services. This year, seven global Microsoft customers were recognized by
their use of ICT to serve and engage citizens. The individual awards have been an
integral part of the event since 2008 as a traditional way of recognizing best practices in
the use of ICT by government agency customers of Microsoft. In the past winners have
been from Spain, the U.K., Canada and last year’s winner of the sustainability award was
the city of Bergen for the “paperless government” project, which led to it co-hosting this
year’s event at the city. Further information about the fourth Microsoft Worldwide
Government Solutions Forum, including a list of sponsors, can be found online at
http://www.governmentsolutionsforum.com.
Intel Study Reveals Telehealth Will Dramatically

Transform Health Care
Health care delivery in the United States will undergo
dramatic changes over the next 10 years through the
adoption of telehealth, according to a national survey of
health care and information technology professionals
sponsored by Intel Corporation.
The study found that a majority of decision makers believe

that the emergence of telehealth will have a major role in improving the quality and
delivery of care to an increasingly chronically ill and aging population. "The survey
demonstrates the increasing need to shift from the current reactive health care system to
a more proactive model that champions the patient and gives clinicians the information
they need," said Mariah Scott, director of sales and marketing for the Intel Digital Health
Group. "At Intel, we are dedicated to creating telehealth and remote health management
solutions today to create a better health care landscape for tomorrow." Telehealth
Believed to Dramatically Affect Patient Outcomes Telehealth solutions, which deliver
health-related services and information via telecommunications and computing
technologies, are currently being used by two-thirds of health care professionals with an
87 percent satisfaction rate. These professionals believe that improved patient outcomes
are the biggest perceived advantage to telehealth adoption, followed by additional
benefits such as more complete clinician access to patient data and early identification of
health issues. Of the respondents not currently utilizing telehealth, 50 percent plan on
implementing it within the next year as the market for telehealth and home health
monitoring is expected to grow from $3 billion in 2009 to an estimated $7.7 billion by
2012. New Models of Care for Rapidly Aging Population With the onset of the globally
aging population and increasing numbers of chronically ill patients, a hospital-based,
transaction-driven health care system is no longer sustainable. The study shows clinical
decision makers believe that the adoption of technology, and particularly telehealth
solutions, will cut costs and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, the recently passed
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides an impetus to start using new
models of care when dealing with chronically ill and aging populations. For respondents,
health care legislation will have the biggest impact on health care delivery in the next 5
years, and they have high confidence that the law will accelerate the adoption of
telehealth. Barriers to Telehealth Adoption According to clinical decision makers,
reimbursement is the primary barrier to telehealth adoption. Despite evidence that
telehealth can reduce hospital readmissions by up to 25 percent and significantly cut
costs for health care organizations, many see changes in reimbursement policy as
necessary to enable wider access to telehealth care. Following reimbursement, concerns
that clinical staff and patients will be unable to successfully use new technologies,
despite strong evidence to the contrary in pilot studies, remain a major barrier to
adoption. Telehealth is already creating sustainable change in today's health care
industry by moving care from the hospital to the home and achieving true patient-
centered care that transcends boundaries of time and location. This study reveals a need
for better education about how to overcome perceived barriers in order to implement
proven and cost-effective systems that improve quality of life for patients and clinicians
alike. Intel is committed to inspiring change in health care through people-centered
innovations. By leveraging new technologies and models of care, Intel offers solutions
that shift the center of care from the institution to the person and can be scaled up or
down depending on future needs. Research Methodology Penn Schoen Berland (PSB)
conducted 75 phone interviews with health care and IT professionals in the United States
who play a role in determining telehealth adoption and implementation within their
organizations. Overall, margin of error is +/-11.3 percent.
Artificial Life Created By Humans. Now Go Pray

To God, If You Still...
Its a great day for atheists, I am one. The first fully

"artificial" cell has been created thanks to Craig Venter,
the all so awesome dude who created synthetic DNA Yes,
DNA not from another animal - purely synthetic, like your
water bottle. A bunch of scientists took this synthetic
DNA, built chromosomes and created some single celled
organisms out of it. Cool eh? The team - 20 members
strong and hand picked by Venter himself and led by
Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith has changed the dynamics
of the "belief" that some "God" created this planet, and
you, and me. What they really did is put together a
chromosome that 381 genes long and 580,000 base pairs
strong. This as then put into a cell that "took control" of
running it, effectively creating a "new form" of life. What
application does this have for us, you may ask. Well, the
uses vary from creating new life (of course) to creating designer babies to treating
illnesses to stopping global warming (yeah, you are saved now). The problem is, that
governments don't like this kind of a thing. Religions say one thing about God and here is
Venter playing God. This get fussy, you know. But we are all in for new forms of life.
Aren't you bored of humans already? But one thing you must know- Earth was definitely
not created in 3 days. Amen.
Samsung Announces New High-performance

NAND Memory – a 30nm-class, ...
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced

semiconductor technology solutions, announced availability
of an eight gigabit (Gb) OneNAND™ chip that takes
advantage of advanced 30 nanometer (nm) class* process
technology. Based on a single-level-cell (SLC) NAND flash design, the new high-density
OneNAND addresses the need for more code data storage in smartphones, a trend being
driven by the increasing use of diverse application software and larger amounts of
multimedia software. The high-density OneNAND memory is now sampling with volume
production scheduled by the end of this month. “We are happy to see that our advanced
30nm-class NAND solution is being widely adopted in smartphones,” said Sejin Kim, vice
president, Flash memory planning/enabling, Samsung Electronics. “The availability of an
8Gb OneNAND chip will add considerably to our diverse line-up of advanced mobile
memory solutions.” “Not only does our new OneNAND nicely address the need for higher
density memory in smartphones, but it will enable the addition of many more features,
bringing greater customer value, while broadening the scope of the OneNAND market.”
The 8Gb OneNAND features the reliability of a SLC design and the proven performance
of OneNAND, which reads data at 70 megabytes per second (MB/s), more than four
times the speed of conventional NAND (17MB/s). These characteristics and a low-
voltage design make it a particularly attractive solution for handling the growing amount
of code data used with touch screens and other high resolution smartphone features.In
addition, by applying advanced 30nm-class process technology, Samsung is able to raise
productivity by 40 percent over its previous 40nm-class design. Since 2004, Samsung
has expanded the adoption of its OneNAND as a high-performance solution that can be
applied to handset applications without having to develop separate software. OneNAND
memory can be used as buffer memory not only for ‘writes’ in the system – thanks to its
faster-than-NAND ‘write’ speeds, but also as a buffer for faster, high-performing ‘read’
operations thank to its NOR flash interface. According to market research firm, iSuppli,
the demand for embedded NAND flash in mobile handsets is expected to reach 1.1 billion
units (1 gigabyte (GB) equivalents) in 2010 and more than doubling to 2.5 billion 1GB
equivalent units in 2011. Moreover, the Strategic Analysis firm forecasts that demand for
smartphones will reach 285 million units in 2010 and grow to 580 million units in 2013.
IBM and McMaster University Collaborate on

"Smarter Transportation"...
McMaster and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have launched a research
project to investigate how the automotive industry can
connect a vehicle's multiple microprocessors, which currently
work in isolation, to create a "cognitive car" that can predict
vehicle failures before they happen, redirect drivers to less
congested routes and help reduce traffic accidents.
Engineers at McMaster will study how using a single IBM
multi-core processor to integrate what are currently disconnected automotive systems
could improve vehicle efficiency and driver safety, as part of a Shared University
Research (SUR) Award from IBM. IBM's multi-core processor is a "super" microprocessor
capable of performing many complex calculations simultaneously. It was originally
developed for video games but now has applications for financial services, energy
exploration, information-based medicine, digital animation and oil and gas production.
The research will focus on integrating data from sensors and microprocessors in the
vehicle and on roads to help drivers reduce accidents. In addition, researchers will look at
how this same system can give drivers real-time visual information and alerts to take
alternate routes, to reduce driver tension, road congestion and emissions related to stop-
and-go traffic. Dr. Alan Wassyng, acting director of the new McMaster Centre for
Software Certification and McMaster's Software Quality Research Lab and an associate
professor in the department of Computing and Software, will lead a research team of
faculty and graduate students, and work with automotive industry partners and several
other Ontario universities on the project. "To date, our research has focused on safety-
critical software in industries such as nuclear energy and medical devices, but
increasingly, the automotive industry is adding functionality to vehicles that is safety-
critical," says Dr. Wassyng. "Investigating how a powerful multi-core processor could be
applied to manage that functionality will go a long way in helping build a smarter car that
helps drivers operate their vehicles more safely and efficiently." The program will also
study how this increased computing power can help vehicles better integrate into regional
and global transportation systems, including roadside service, traffic management, air
quality management, and emergency services. The research team will use IBM Rational
software, used extensively by the automotive industry to design, deliver and manage
software throughout the course of the study. "This project with McMaster University is an
important step in advancing intelligent transportation," said Karen Newman, Americas
Automotive Industry Lead, IBM Global Business Services. "While cars today generate a
great deal of information, IBM believes connecting that information can change the
dynamic of the commute."
Infovideo: Use Less Plastic
That bottle of soda you just put away will land in the ocean in about a week's time. What
happens to that plastic? Good.is has a video to show you what happens. Video after the
break.
Levi Strauss & Co. Asks: What's The Future Of

Line Drying?
Levi Strauss & Co. is asking consumers to let all their good green
laundry ideas hang out. Starting on June 1, green pioneers and
inventors can submit original air-drying solutions as part of the
company’s “Care to Air” contest, with the chance to win $10,000 in
prizes. The company is looking for the next generation of air drying
design ideas that will improve or replace the typical clothesline.
Design ideas will be accepted from June 1- July 31, 2010, and
winners will be announced on August 16. Full contest details are
available on www.levi.com/care. According to Levi Strauss & Co.’s
research about the lifecycle of its core products, line drying is one of
the best ways consumers can reduce the climate change impact of
their clothes. However, line drying clothes has become a thing of the
past in America, as 92 percent of U.S. households have a dryer,
according to Project Laundry List. Levi Strauss & Co. is working to
change that trend by encouraging consumers to think differently
about their laundry habits with its “Care Tag for Our Planet” campaign. With its “Care to
Air” contest, the company is working to spread the word about the positive environmental
impact of line drying and encourage creative design solutions that may change the way
people dry their clothes. “We know that simple changes in laundry habits can have a big
effect on the climate change impact of clothes – and none is more important than line
drying,” says Michael Kobori, vice president for social and environmental sustainability,
Levi Strauss & Co. “When we think about machines that use a lot of energy, cars and air
conditioners quickly come to mind. It’s easy to overlook something as simple as a clothes
dryer. With this contest, we’re looking for pioneering designs that will help future
generations think differently about air drying.” The Levi’s® “Care to Air” contest will
accept submissions with partner Myoo Create, an online crowdsourcing platform, from
June 1 – July 31, 2010. Myoo Create hosts competitions that allow mass collaboration in
pursuit of a better future. Anyone can participate in this open competition by either
submitting a design or voting on a favorite submitted design. Submissions will be
narrowed down to five finalists in early August, including three “crowd favorites” chosen
by the Myoo community as well as two all-around favorites chosen by a panel of eco-
innovator judges. The five finalists will present their designs on August 16 in San
Francisco to the judges. Full details about the contest and contest rules can be found at
www.levi.com/care. The “Care to Air” contest is the latest initiative from Levi Strauss &
Co. designed to engage with consumers about how simple changes in caring for clothes
can help the environment. Earlier this year, the company launched the “Care Tag for Our
Planet” campaign, changing the product care tags in Levi’s® jeans to include instructions
about ways consumers can reduce the environmental impact of their clothes after leaving
the store. Consumers can also promise to care for their jeans and the planet by taking
the Care Tag Pledge on-line at www.levi.com/care, vowing to washing in cold, washing
less, line drying and donating unwanted clothing to Goodwill®.
Polycom Co-Founds UCIF to Advance Unified

Communications Interopera...
Polycom, Inc. [Nasdaq: PLCM], along with
HP, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, and
Logitech / LifeSize, today announced the
co-founding of the Unified Communications
Interoperability Forum (UCIF), a non-profit
alliance of worldwide technology leaders working together to deliver open unified
communications (UC) solutions. The UCIF is dedicated to providing customers with
standards-based, cross-vendor interoperability of UC hardware and software solutions
that span enterprises and the service provider cloud to enable organizations and
consumers to seamlessly communicate and collaborate. Recognizing that interoperability
based on open standards is a key requirement to drive UC further into today's
enterprises, UCIF members will collaborate to facilitate the widespread UC adoption and
deliver a reliable and rich UC experience from mobile, to desktop, to immersive
telepresence solutions. "Polycom's heritage is providing customers with the ability to
communicate without boundaries through standards-based, open collaboration solutions,"
said Andy Miller, Polycom president and CEO. "As the cornerstone of our Polycom Open
Collaboration Network strategy, we deliver an innovative portfolio of high-quality,
platform-agnostic voice and video solutions that interoperate with the leading UC
platforms, providing flexibility and protecting the investments of our customers. The UCIF
sole purpose is to drive open, standards-based solutions, and to squelch any efforts to
promote proprietary solutions against the interests of our customers. We're delighted to
be a founder of UCIF and its noble mission to promote interoperability throughout the UC
industry." "Interoperability is not only critical to customer success for deploying unified
communications but intrinsic to the delivery of legacy, current and next-generation UC
tools, services and infrastructure from multiple vendors. Until now, efforts to achieve
interoperability have appeared ad-hoc, which has given customers little assurance that
their existing and planned investments are protected and will deliver the value promised,"
said Jonathan Edwards, research analyst, Unified Communications, IDC. "I'm delighted to
see Polycom take a leading role by joining the UCIF. Together, these companies will help
drive industrywide adoption of open standards and develop programs that put
accountability on the vendors and provide peace of mind and investment protection for
end customers – something that will surely accelerate adoption of UC technologies." The
UCIF will utilize existing industry standards and define new standards to eliminate the
gaps between current protocols and broad-based interoperability. UCIF membership is
open to hardware and software solution providers, service providers and network
operators. For more information or to join the UCIF, visitwww.ucif.org. About the UCI
Forum The Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF) is a non-profit alliance
of worldwide communications technology leaders working together to realize the potential
of unified communications (UC) by increasing efficiency, decreasing implementation
costs and improving the interoperability experience for UC customers. The UCIF's vision
is to enable interoperability of open, standards-based UC hardware and software across
enterprises, service providers, and consumer clouds, as a means of generating
incremental business opportunity for all stakeholders in the ecosystem and of increasing
the business use of UC technologies and services. The UCIF creates and tests
interoperability profiles, implementation guidelines and best practices for interoperability
between UC products and existing communications and business applications. Visit
www.ucif.org to learn more.
Tata Nano bags the Gold Prize in the 2010

Edison Awards
Remember that little car "Nano" made by a little known company in India - TATA? The
world's cheapest car seems to have impressed the people who judge innovation at the
Edison Awards. Tata Nano has bagged3 Edison Awards including the top prize in the
transportation category. This award goes a long way in recognizing Indian innovation as
a medium of socio-economic change. This is the latest set of awards after the car won
almost all innovation awards on this planet last year. The car's available for purchase
starting at about $2500 if you don't mind the engine catching fire on the road.
Mars Institute "Moon-1" Humvee Rover reaches

Devon Island, High Arctic
An international team of researchers led by
Mars Institute scientist Dr. Pascal Lee
successfully reached Devon Island, High
Arctic, on Sunday, 16 May, 2010 after a 13-
day, 150 km vehicular journey from
Cornwallis Island to Devon Island, along
the fabled Northwest Passage. The
Northwest Passage Drive Expedition team of six departed Resolute Bay, Nunavut, on 5
May aboard the Mars Institute’s Moon-1 Humvee Rover and two snowmobiles. After
encountering several days of immobilizing snowstorms and extremely rough sea-ice
conditions, the team finally reached the west coast of Devon Island late in the evening of
16 May. “It’s both a great joy and a relief to get our Moon-1 onto solid ground on Devon
Island” said Lee. “This final sea-ice crossing was quite a challenge, but we had a
fantastic team and vehicle, and we just kept working at it”. Accompanying Lee were
crewmembers Joe Amarualik, John W. Schutt, and Jesse Weaver, and the Jules Verne
Adventures documentary team comprising filmmaker Jean-Christophe Jeauffre and
director of photography Mark Carroll. The primary goal of the Northwest Passage Drive
Expedition is to transfer the Mars Institute’s new Moon-1 Humvee Rover to Devon Island,
a location known to present unique scientific and operational similarities to the surface of
the Moon and Mars. There, the rover will be used as a concept vehicle simulating future
pressurized rovers to be driven by humans to explore other planetary bodies. The
expedition is an integral part of the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) on Devon Island where
research in space science and exploration is being conducted by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the
Mars Institute, the SETI Institute, and other partnering organizations. Last year, Lee’s
team logged a record-breaking drive of 494 km in the Moon-1 along a western section of
the Northwest Passage, the longest distance ever driven on sea-ice in a road vehicle.
This year, the team applied the same winning strategy to avoid the roughest areas of
sea-ice along the Wellington Channel. It used a variety of radar satellite remote sensing
data and its own surface reconnaissance by snowmobile to find the smoothest possible
ice route between Abandon Bay, Cornwallis Island, and Domville Point, Devon Island,
where the Moon-1 is now safely parked. The next step will be to drive the Moon-1
overland to the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station on Devon Island later this
Summer, where it will be used in conjunction with the Mars-1 Humvee Rover already
deployed there to begin long-range dual pressurized rover exploration studies. “The
arrival of the Moon-1 on Devon Island ushers in a new phase in our space exploration
work that will be critical to enabling humans to explore other worlds sooner, more safely,
and more productively” remarked Lee.
Microsoft Investigators Uncover Emerging Form

of Click Fraud
Microsoft Corp. has filed two lawsuits this
week in the U.S. District Court for the
Western District of Washington detailing
evidence of an emerging form of click fraud
in online advertising the company has
dubbed “click laundering.” One lawsuit is a
John Doe suit alleging that unidentified
defendants engaged in this activity; the
other lawsuit names Web publisher
RedOrbit Inc. and its president, Eric Ralls,
as defendants. Click laundering, a
previously unknown form of pay-per-click
(PPC) advertising fraud, was uncovered by Microsoft investigators following dramatic and
irregular growth in click traffic on two sites within its Microsoft adCenter network.
Investigators believe that had the click laundering scheme gone undetected, the
perpetrators could have defrauded advertisers of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Online ad fraud is evolving in sophistication all the time. Fighting it demands vigilance
and dedication to an honest and secure online marketplace. We believe that a trusted
marketplace is critical to Internet commerce, and Microsoft will continue to take
aggressive action working with industry and law enforcement to protect our platforms,
customers and advertisers,” said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel
for Microsoft. PPC fraud, also known as click fraud, is a type of Internet fraud in online
advertising that occurs when a person, automated script or computer program imitates a
legitimate website visitor by clicking on an ad to generate a charge-per-click without
having actual interest in the target of the ad’s link. Microsoft adCenter monitors click
traffic carefully to prevent advertisers from being charged for non-valid clicks, and
Microsoft has been active in investigating and taking action against click fraud when
found, including taking legal action where necessary. Click laundering is a newly
uncovered form of click fraud in which technical measures are used to make invalid ad
clicks appear to originate from legitimate sources. It is analogous to money laundering in
which the origin of illegal profits is disguised as legitimate. Click laundering attempts to
avoid fraud detection systems that have been put in place by the ad platform — in this
case, Microsoft adCenter — to protect online advertisers. Through various means,
including malware programs, fraudsters are able to trick innocent Internet users into
visiting websites where they unknowingly click on advertisements. Click launderers also
can further disguise the origin of those invalid clicks by using scripts and other methods
to alter information that is sent to the ad platform. Microsoft is filing these lawsuits to help
protect its ad platform and promote the integrity of online advertising for the benefit of all
legitimate advertisers, to stop the fraudulent behavior, and to recover the damages
caused by the click laundering. These actions are part of an ongoing effort by Microsoft
Advertising and the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit to work with others across the industry
to identify and address emerging threats to the integrity of the online advertising
ecosystem through technical and legal means. This week, Microsoft closed another
lawsuit the company filed in 2009 regarding click fraud in auto insurance verticals and
World of Warcraft, following a successful settlement with defendant Eric Lam. Terms of
the settlement are confidential, but the lawsuit successfully brought the click fraud
activities described in the complaint to an end and helped Microsoft further refine and
evolve its approach to combating click fraud. Such cases demonstrate the evolving
nature of fraud in online advertising and the need for ongoing investments across the
industry to maintain a healthy Internet marketplace.
Infosys Awards India's Best Student

Programmers
India based IT services leader Infosys Technologies
announced the national winners of Aspirations2020, an online
programming contest organized by the Infosys Campus
Connect Program in India. The winning team from
Dwarkadas J. Sanghvi College of Engineering, Mumbai received a certificate and cash
prize of Rs. 1.5 Lakh, and the runners up team from Galgotias College of Engineering
and Technology, Noida received a certificate and cash prize of Rs. 1.2 Lakh.
Aspirations2020 is a programming contest series organized by the Infosys Campus
Connect Program, to enhance the problem solving skills of pre-final and final year
engineering and MCA students. The objective of the contest is to encourage participants
to develop their problem solving abilities through algorithmic thinking and logical
reasoning, demonstrating the solution through programming and team work.
Aspirations2020 received online registrations from over 104,000 students, in 474
engineering colleges across 20 Indian states. The National Finals held in Hyderabad on
March 19, saw participation from 14 teams comprising of 3 members each. The teams
reached the finals after four rounds namely - Teaser Round, College Round, Inter
College Round and State Level Finals. Providing the perspective for the initiative, Mr. T.
V. Mohandas Pai, Member of the Board, Infosys Technologies, said, "We need the
students of India to develop problem solving skills. Open competitions such as
Aspirations2020, help students develop analytical and problem solving skills, making
them competitive for the future." Presenting the awards, Srikantan Moorthy, Head -
Education and Research, Infosys Technologies, said, "The Campus Connect Program
has been created to bridge the gap between the academia and industry, aligning college
curriculum to the industry's requirements to prepare students for a career in the IT
industry. The Aspirations2020 programming contest is an initiative that is aimed at
bringing the best engineering talent in India together to interact and learn from each
other. The participants of Aspirations2020 have demonstrated that they are willing to take
initiatives, raise their own confidence levels, and willing to expose themselves and be
compared with peers. I congratulate the winners of this contest on their determination
and achievements." For more details about Aspirations2020, please refer -
http://campusconnect.infosys.com/Aspirations/Home.aspx
HP Labs Designs Data Center Fueled by "Cow

Dung". To Build Data Cen...
HP today presented new research from HP Labs, the company’s central research arm,
showing how the manure output of cows and the heat output of data centers can be
combined to create an economically and environmentally sustainable operation. In a
research paper presented at the ASME International Conference on Energy Sustainability
in Phoenix, Ariz., the HP researchers explain how a farm of 10,000 dairy cows could fulfill
the power requirements of a 1-megawatt (MW) data center – the equivalent of a medium-
sized data center – with power left over to support other needs on the farm. In this
process, the heat generated by the data center can be used to increase the efficiency of
the anaerobic digestion of animal waste. This results in the production of methane, which
can be used to generate power for the data center. This symbiotic relationship allows the
waste problems faced by dairy farms and the energy demands of the modern data center
to be addressed in a sustainable manner. Highlights Dairy farms and data centers may
appear to be unexpected partners; however, HP Labs has shown that the specific needs
and challenges of both can be aligned to create a sustainable life cycle, using
technologies readily available today.
• The average dairy cow produces about 55 kg (120 pounds) of manure per day, and
approximately 20 metric tons per year – roughly equivalent to the weight of four adult
elephants.
• The manure that one dairy cow produces in a day can generate 3.0 kilowatt-hours
(kWh) of electrical energy, which is enough to power television usage in three U.S.
households per day.(1)
• A medium-sized dairy farm with 10,000 cows produces about 200,000 metric tons of
manure per year. Approximately 70 percent of the energy in the methane generated
via anaerobic digestion could be used for data center power and cooling, thus
reducing the impact on natural resources.
• Pollutants from unmanaged livestock waste degrade the environment and can lead
to groundwater contamination and air pollution. Methane is 21 times more damaging
to the environment than carbon dioxide, which means that in addition to being an
inefficient use of energy, disposal of manure through flaring can result in steep
greenhouse gas emission taxes.
• In addition to benefiting the environment, using manure to generate power for data
centers could provide financial benefit to farmers. HP researchers estimate that dairy
farmers would break even in costs within the first two years of using a system like
this and then earn roughly $2 million annually in revenue from selling waste-derived
power to data center customers.
Changing the energy equation HP is working to transform the way in which businesses
and societies organize and operate by changing the way energy is consumed and
produced, thereby creating more sustainable ecosystems. HP Labs is committed to
designing data centers that are substantially more efficient and use local, renewable
energy resources. Contemporary data centers are increasingly co-located with power
generation or cooling resources to reduce operational costs. Power generation microgrids
can take advantage of a variety of local power generation options to reduce the
dependence on the utility grid for power. Microgrids can employ solar cells, wind turbines,
biofuels or other sources, many of which are renewable, to generate electricity used to
power data centers. The prevalence of dairy farms in the United States presents a co-
location opportunity that generates biofuel from farm waste.
GE Marks 50th Anniversary Of The Laser With

Launch Of New “Laser Di...
GE scientists specializing in laser
technology development at GE Global
Research, the technology development arm
for the GE (NYSE: GE), today marked the
50th anniversary of the invention of the
laser with the launch of “Laser Diode-logues” - a new blog feature on the Research Lab’s
technology blog, Edison’s Desk –www.edisonsdesk.com. The anniversary is this Sunday,
May 16th. “Through Laser Diode-logues, we will celebrate the achievements of the past
50 years in laser technologies and talk about future innovations that GE and others are
working on that will define the next 50 years,” said Kevin Harding, Principal Scientist at
GE Global Research and a fellow and past president of SPIE, the international society for
optics and photonics. The first blog post highlights GE’s first big breakthrough in lasers,
the invention of the semiconductor (diode) laser in 1962. Invented by GE scientist Robert
Hall, the diode laser’s impact still looms large today helping to enable everything from the
world wide web, TV remote controls and price code scanning in stores. Watch a video
interview of Robert Hall providing his recollections of this major invention. Harding added,
“Today, we don’t think twice when surfing the internet, scanning cable channels with our
TV remote, listening to a CD or moving more swiftly through the check-out line at the
grocery store. All of these common, everyday conveniences were made possible, in large
part, by GE’s invention of the diode laser.“ Robert Hall’s career as a physicist in GE’s
R&D labs spanned more than 40 years. An area where he had significant impact was in
semiconductor technologies, which GE continues to drive today in applications such as
silicon carbide power devices and thin film solar cells. By the time he retired in 1987, he
had received 43 patents and many prestigious honors along the way. In 1994, he was
elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
The Pepsi Refresh Project Announces Top Vote-

Getters to Receive $1....
Thirty-two ideas, from rebuilding an
elementary school to providing care
packages to new families, are on track to
be collectively awarded $1.3 million this month, for garnering the most votes in April for
the Pepsi Refresh Project. Through this ground-breaking initiative, Pepsi will award more
than $20 million in 2010 to the ideas voted most likely to move our communities forward
by the public via online voting. "National Teacher's Day is May 4, and we are pleased to
have so many ideas inspired by educators or even submitted by teachers themselves,"
said Pepsi Refresh Project Education Ambassador Liz Dwyer. Refresh Ambassadors are
building awareness and driving participation in the program as well as supporting funded
Ideas. The top vote-getters in six categories (Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The
Planet, Neighborhoods and Education) caught the public's attention by making a
compelling case for why they deserved a Pepsi Refresh Grant. The Pepsi Refresh
Project launched in January and invited individuals and organizations to submit
beneficial, achievable, constructive and "shovel-ready" ideas that would make a positive
impact on communities. Each month, ideas are voted on by the public to select the 32
grant recipients to receive funding. Americans voted for over 1,000 ideas from April 1
through April 30 at www.refresheverything.com. With the April ideas' votes tallied, Pepsi
is working with partners at Global Giving and GOOD to ensure that each idea qualifies to
receive funding. Once approved, each idea will have the opportunity to be put into action.
Ideas on track to receive funding this month include those that benefit communities,
including Project Sweet Peas, designed to provide care packages to new families with
infants in intensive care. "The stress of having a child in intensive care is unimaginable to
most people," said Mallika Chopra, Pepsi Refresh Project Health Ambassador.
"Something as small as a gift bag with every day items will help make tough times a little
easier for these parents." This month, in total, the Pepsi Refresh Project is set to award
two $250,000, ten $50,000, ten $25,000 and ten $5,000 grants. The top vote-getters on
track to become Pepsi Refresh Grant recipients from the April round of voting include:
$250,000
• Ben-Gil Elementary Boosters, Benld, IL (Education)
• Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, Erie, PA (Health)
$50,000
• Anthony DiNicola, Burlington, CT (Neighborhoods)
• Global Language Project, New York, NY (Education)
• Heather Hall ? Lone Star School, Bristow, OK (Education)
• Hudson Valley Youth Wind Ensembles, Lake Katrine, NY (Arts & Culture)
• KIDDS Dance Project, Inc., Lithonia, GA (Neighborhoods)
• Kim Wendt ? Mitchell Middle School, Racine, WI (Education)
• National AMBUCS, Inc., Danville, IL (Health)
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Jersey City, NJ (Health)
• Rosendale Theatre Collective, High Falls, NY (Arts & Culture)
• Waukee High School Earth Club, Waukee, IA (The Planet)
$25,000
• 100 Mile Club, Norco, CA (Health)
• BigHouse Foundation, Opelika, AL (Education)
• ChangEducate, Durham, NC (Education)
• Fair Haven Center for Women, Inc., Demotte, IN (Food & Shelter)
• imMEDIAte Justice, Los Angeles, CA (Education)
• Project Sweet Peas, Topeka, KS (Health)
• Roy Waldron School, Smyrna, TN (Health)
• Stay Off The Streets, Inc., Ambridge, PA (Neighborhoods)
• Talbert House Community Correctional Center, Lebanon, OH (Education)
• The Hep B Project, Berkeley, CA (Education)
$5,000
• Anita Jones and Meals on Wheels, Norman, OK (Food & Shelter)
• Golightly Educational Center, Brownston, MI (Education)
• Heather Howe at Hartwood Elementary, Fredericksburg, VA (Education)
• Jen Nall, Pawstotherescue, Mullins, SC (Food & Shelter)
• Jennifer Luckart, Easton, CT (Education)
• Mary DeWerff, Peachtree City, GA (Health)
• Pet Mission, Redondo Beach, CA (Neighborhoods)
• Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Orchestra, Salisbury, NC (Arts & Culture)
• Sharon Ponton, Springfield, VA (Health)
• White Bluffs Quilt Museum, West Richland, WA (Neighborhoods)
Toshiba Mobile Display Develops OCB Liquid

Crystal Panel for 3D Gla...
Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd. has developed an OCB (Optically Compensated Bend)
liquid crystal display panel for 3D glasses suitable for watching 3D television, enjoying 3D
movies, or playing 3D games. In recent years, increasing demands for more realistic
images has been the catalyst for 3D displays in various applications, such as movies, TV
broadcasts, games, and mobile phones. As a result, the stereoscopic display market is
expected to grow rapidly. A 3D image is created by providing slightly different images to
your left and right eyes. There are two methods of separating a picture into left and right
images: one uses special glasses, and the other is without glasses, called auto-
stereoscopy. The with-glasses approach is applied to movies and TV, and there are two
primary methods: one uses polarizing filters, and the other is based on time division. This
new LCD panel employs the latter time-based, with-glasses approach. In the time-
division with-glasses method, images for the left and right eyes appear alternately, with
the special glasses working as a synchronous shutter. That is, when the left image
appears, the left liquid crystal shutter opens while the right shutter closes. When the right
image appears the right shutter opens while the left shutter closes. Repeating this
operation at high speed allows the user to synthesize the left and right images in their
brain and to recognize them as a 3D image. If the right image is sensed by the left eye, or
if the left image is sensed by the right eye, double vision occurs which is called 3D
crosstalk. This phenomenon degrades the quality of the resulting image and causes eye
fatigue. In this new liquid crystal display panel, suitable for application in a pair of
glasses, TMD has used OCB technology to achieve both high-speed response and a
wide viewing angle while maintaining high contrast. Glasses adopting these panels
feature high-speed shutter opening and closing, yielding a significant reduction in 3D
crosstalk. In addition, the wide viewing angle provides vivid 3D images across a wide
field of view, such as in movie theaters and living rooms. Glasses adopting these panels
would allow the viewer to enjoy high-quality 3D images in comfort with minimized fatigue
when watching TV, viewing a movie, or playing a game for a long time.
Honda Bodyweight Support Assist Device
Selected for Innovation Exhibit
Honda's experimental Bodyweight Support Assist walking assist device will be

showcased in the National Design Triennial "Why Design Now?" exhibition at the Cooper-
Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution in New York, NY, from May 14,
2010, through January 9, 2011. The exhibition of design innovation will showcase the
work of designers from around the world that demonstrate the value of design in helping
solve some of society's most urgent human and environmental problems including
sustainability, accessibility, universality, fair trade, conservation, health, education,
creative capitalism, and underserved audiences. The designers are being recognized for
enhancing human experience by inventing solutions that are as beautiful as they are just.
Honda developed the Bodyweight Support Assist device to help support bodyweight to
reduce the load on the user's legs while walking, going up and down stairs and in a semi-
crouching position. The device reduces the load on leg muscles and joints utilizing an
easy-to-use structure consisting of a seat, frame and shoes. Unique Honda technologies
include mechanisms that direct the assisting force toward the user's center of gravity and
control the assist force in concert with the movement of the legs - making it possible for
the device to provide natural assistance in various postures and motions. Learn more in
this 3 minute video:www.youtube.com/watch?v= 0S_SL8IWObY Demonstrating that
"innovation has no limits" Honda began research into a walking device in 1999 at the
Fundamental Research Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd., which is also the home of
Honda's ASIMO advanced humanoid robot. The cumulative study of human walking,
along with the research and development of technologies conducted for ASIMO, led to
advances in cooperative control technology that made this device possible. A second
Honda device, Stride Management Assist (not in the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit), is designed
for the elderly or people with weakened leg muscles, but who can still walk on their own.
Honda has applied for more than 130 patents for its various walk assist devices, including
Bodyweight Support Assist and Stride Management Assist, and is engaged testing to
evaluate their full potential for real-world customer use.
Infovideo: Your Life, Unthreaded.
So what do you do every day in your life? Music group Royksopp's video "Remind Me"
tries to make sense out of everything you do, everyday. Video after he break.
P&G Launches Supplier Environmental

Sustainability Scorecard
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) today
announced the launch of the Supplier Environmental
Sustainability Scorecard and rating process to measure and
improve the environmental performance of its key suppliers.
The new scorecard will assess P&G suppliers' environmental
footprint and encourage continued improvement by measuring energy use, water use,
waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions on a year-to-year basis. It is hoped that
this breakthrough work will lay the foundation for an industry standard and the scorecard
will be "open code" for use by any organization to help promote a working discussion and
determine common supply chain evaluation processes across all industries. "The launch
of the Supplier Environmental Sustainability Scorecard represents the next step in P&G's
commitment to environmental sustainability and reflects the Company's holistic, end-to-
end supply chain strategy," said P&G Chairman of the Board, President and Chief
Executive Officer Bob McDonald. "We will grow P&G's business by touching and
improving more consumers' lives in more parts of the world... more completely. To
accomplish this, we must continually innovate and grow responsibly and sustainably.
Keeping Sustainability at the core of our business fuels innovation and strengthens our
results." P&G's new supplier scorecard is the result of 18 months of work and close
collaboration with the organization's Supplier Sustainability Board, which includes more
than 20 leading supplier representatives from P&G's global supply chain. The scorecard
relies on accepted worldwide measurement standards and sound science, including
protocols from the World Resources Institute, the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development and the Carbon Disclosure Project, so as to minimize redundant efforts and
build on existing best practices. P&G's goal in deploying the scorecard is to enhance
supply chain collaboration, measure and improve key environmental sustainability
indicators, and encourage the sharing of ideas and capabilities to deliver more
sustainable products and services for its consumers. "We worked closely with a global
team of P&G personnel, suppliers and supply chain experts to determine the most
effective way to measure the environmental performance of our diverse global supplier
base," said Rick Hughes, P&G global purchasing officer. "Our suppliers wanted a tool
that was flexible yet grounded in existing measurement standards and, by working
together, we developed a framework that will help drive real improvement across all
industries." The scorecard is specifically designed to focus on, and encourage, year-on-
year improvement - regardless of a supplier's total size or the current stage of its
sustainability program. Roll-out beyond P&G's key suppliers will be determined once
learnings from the first phase of deployment are incorporated. Suppliers will have a full
year to prepare to report their data before the rating can adversely impact their supplier
rating with P&G. In the future, P&G will use the scorecard to determine each supplier's
sustainability rating as part of P&G's annual supplier performance measurement process.
As part of its effort to create an initiative that can have far reaching cross-industry impact,
P&G suppliers are also encouraged to use the scorecard within their own supply chains.
Click here to download the scorecard:http://www.pgsupplier.com/environmental-
sustainability-scorecard
Sony launches “Road to Zero” environmental

plan and sets 2015 mid-t...
Sony Corporation announced its “Road to Zero” global
environmental plan on Aprill 7 2010. The plan, which includes
a long-term goal of achieving a zero environmental footprint
by 2050, uses backcasting methods to set specific mid-term
environmental targets for the next five years in line with that goal. Sony’s definition of
zero environmental footprint is not only limited to the neutralization of carbon emissions,
but also extends to waste and use of finite materials such as oil-derived virgin plastics.
Targets are based on four environmental perspectives – climate change, resource
conservation, control of chemical substances and biodiversity – across all product
lifecycle stages, from research and development to recycling. The mid-term targets will
be implemented globally across the Sony Group beginning in fiscal year 2011 (April
2011), and will extend through the end of fiscal year 2015 (March 2016), at which time
new targets for the following 5 years will be set. Specific mid-term targets include:
• 30% reduction in annual energy consumption of products (compared to fiscal 2008)

• 10% reduction in product mass (compared to fiscal 2008)
• 50% absolute reduction in waste generation (compared to fiscal 2000)
• 30% absolute reduction in water consumption (compared to fiscal 2000)
• 14% reduction in total CO2 emissions associated with all transportation and logistics
(compared to fiscal 2008)
• 16% reduction in incoming parts packaging waste (compared to fiscal 2008)
• Increase of waste recycle ratio to 99% or more
• 5% reduction in utilization ratio of virgin oil-based plastics in products (compared to
fiscal 2008)
• Assessment of impact of resource procurement and facility construction on
biodiversity, and promotion of biodiversity programs such as groundwater cultivation
• Minimization of the risk of chemical substances through preventive measures;
reduction in use of specific chemicals defined by Sony; and promotion of use of
alternative materials
“We are fully committed to putting our innovative spirit and technological expertise to use
to help solve environmental challenges,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and
President of Sony Corporation. “From the development of new materials and energy-
efficient technologies, to the introduction of better processes in manufacturing and
production, we will work aggressively to meet the ambitious targets we are setting for
ourselves and, at the same time, establish a model for others in our industries to follow.”
Sony has already made significant progress in reducing its environmental impact around
the world. Sony’s European sites, for example, have reduced their CO2 emissions from
electricity use and facility heating by approximately 93% between fiscal years 2000 and
2009. In addition, the majority of its BRAVIA TV range now carries the EU ‘flower,’ an
eco-label introduced by the EU to certify greener, more environmentally friendly products
that comply with strict ecological criteria. Sony Europe is also a founding member of the
‘European Recycling Platform’ (ERP). Fully operational in 11 European countries, the
ERP effectively manages end-of-life collection and recycling for all consumer electronics
products. In 2008, approximately 60,000 tons of electronic waste were collected and
recycled on behalf of Sony in 20 European countries. In the U.S., Sony Electronics (SEL)
was the first consumer electronics manufacturer to institute a nation-wide Take Back
Recycling Program in 2007 through which consumers can recycle any Sony-branded
product free of charge. To date, SEL has recycled more than 13,000 tons of electronic
waste through its take back efforts. In Japan, Sony is the only company that voluntarily
collects used small-sized consumer electronics on an experimental basis jointly with a
municipality, Kitakyushu City in southern Japan. Gold, silver, bronze and palladium are
extracted from the products discarded by city residents and are subsequently reused by
Sony. For example, the recycled gold was used in Sony's semiconductor chips that were
then adopted for use in Sony Ericsson's "URBANO BARONE" mobile phone (available in
Japan through KDDI Corporation since February 2010). In addition, the new VAIO W eco
edition, launched in most major global markets this year and designed to be the
industry’s most environmentally friendly laptop, features recycled plastic parts, an
electronic manual and an innovative carry-bag that saves 10% in CO2 emissions during
production. Sony Pictures Entertainment, based in Culver City, CA, took an important
step toward its zero waste goal in June 2009 by partnering with the City of Culver City in
a first-of-its-kind organic waste composting program. Thanks to this program, the studio
has already diverted up to 80% of its waste from landfills (as of December 2009). In
addition, an estimated 8,559 set pieces were reused in 2009, saving over a million
pounds (500 tons) of material and helping reduce impact on natural resources. That
same year, the studio recycled 81 tons of electronic waste. Sony’s fiscal year 2015
targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and power consumption per product were
reviewed and approved by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as a renewal of the
company’s Climate Savers Programme commitments. Sony has been a member of the
WWF Climate Savers Programme since 2006. The Programme was organized by WWF
International to mobilize companies to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
OSU Studies How to Make Cows Happy and

Increase Milk Output
If you want a dairy cow to produce as much
milk as possible, one of the things you need
to do is make sure she spends enough time
each day just lying down, content and at ease. But to be happy, she's got to be
comfortable in her pen or wherever she is. Wanting to help dairy farmers learn more
about this to maximize their milk production, Oregon State University has launched
research to study the factors that influence dairy cows' comfort level. To do this, the OSU
dairy center is using an Israeli-made ankle bracelet that senses when a cow is lying down
by determining the angle of her leg to the ground. When a cow lies down, the blood flow
to her udder increases, which produces more milk. "This device is a way for the cows to
tell us things," said Aurora Villarroel, an OSU Extension veterinarian in the College of
Veterinary Medicine who is conducting the research. "It's a way for us to interpret what
they're doing without being there 24-7 or filming them." Villarroel and her team attached
the device, which is orange and about the size of a deck of playing cards, to about 100
cows earlier this year and began gathering baseline data. Now she's asking dairy farmers
what factors they'd like OSU to test. She's encouraging dairies to contact her at 541-737-
5853 with their ideas or questions. She aims to start testing some of their suggestions
this summer. The factors can vary from environmental to nutritional. For example,
researchers may see if straw bedding makes a cow lie down more than sand or if
separating Jerseys from Holsteins instead of having mixed herds affects their time on the
ground, Villarroel said. Or perhaps they'll tweak the size of the freestalls or the number of
cows in a pen and see what happens, she added. Additional factors might be drastic
weather changes, what the cows eat, and times of milking, she said. Whatever the factors
might be that influence the amount of time a cow rests, the bottom line is that more time
on the ground equals more milk, according to research. A study by the William H. Miner
Agricultural Research Institute in New York looked at how much milk was produced by
cows that rested between seven hours and 17 hours a day. "We found a positive
correlation between those two variables," said Peter Krawczel, a research assistant at the
institute. "The result was that we predict that for each additional hour of rest, there would
be a gain of 3.7 pounds of milk." For example, he said, if a cow normally rests for seven
hours a day, but increases her rest to eight hours, then her milk production would
increase 3.7 pounds that day. If she rested for nine hours, she would produce 7.4 more
pounds that day, he said. Those extra pounds mean extra cash for dairies. In Oregon,
dairy farmers grossed $500 million in milk sales in 2008, according to a preliminary report
by the OSU Extension Service. In terms of farmgate sales, milk was Oregon's third
largest commodity group after cattle and nursery crops, the report said. OSU isn't just
using the ankle bracelets to record cows' resting habits though. The device, which is
made by SAE Afikim, also works as a pedometer, counting how many steps a cow takes
each day. This helps dairies know when a cow is ready to be bred because cows' activity
levels increase when they're in heat. Once the cows are in the milking parlor, a sensor
transmits the data in their ankle bracelets to a computer where it can be analyzed.
Custom reports can then be made for herds and individual cows. Although using
pedometers to detect heat in U.S. cows isn't new, OSU is the only facility in the country
that is using ones that sense if cows are lying down, said Udi Golan, a products manager
for Afikim who talked about the device during an open house at the dairy center this
month. He said Afikim plans to start selling pedometers with this tilt-detecting sensor in
the United States in a few months. Dairy equipment provider DeLaval will distribute them.
Also at the open house, Ben Krahn, the manager of the center, explained how he and his
crew are using other technology that is new to the center, which is run by the animal
sciences department in the College of Agricultural Sciences. A few weeks ago, they
began using radio frequency identification tags on the cows’ ears that function as
barcodes. Cow handlers wave a wand next to them and the cow’s personal medical
record immediately appears on a handheld computer. Data include the cow's birthdate,
when she was bred, who her parents are, when a veterinarian last examined her, and
how much milk she has produced. Examiners can also input data into the handheld
device, which is about the size of a small paperback book. Having a computer at a cow's
side means that examiners don't have to run back to an office computer and look up data
or possibly make mistakes while jotting it down on a clipboard, said David Nansel, an
account manager for Utah-based DHI-Provo, which makes the software. DHI-Provo
asked OSU to test it out so the company can fine tune it for the industry, Nansel said.
Storytrails- A Trail Mixed With A Story Makes A
Lot Of Sense
It probably comes from our love for bedtime
stories. Story Trails, a Chennai, India based
company, started by an MBA graduate from
one of the elite business schools in India,
creates business through stories long lost.
How it works: Story trails invites
professionals, students and in fact anybody
who loves stories to participate in what they call a "trail". Trails comprise of themed tours
combined with a story associated with the theme. Right now Story Trails have the
Peacock trail, Country roads, Dancer trail, Bazaar trail and Steeple chase for you to
choose from. Story trails has done extensive research to dig out stories pertaining to the
theme that these trails revolve around. These are stories that you would never get to hear
from a travel guide and that is how Story Trails distinguishes itself from tourist guides.
And that is not all. Story trails has its own creative way of rendering stories to its audience
which is what makes the experience complete. Who is it for? Originally Story Trails was
started to get a businessman from a foreign country or a traveler to India interested in
India and the way of life in the country. Now, Story trails does a lot of work for corporates
who intend to have a team outing, for a family that looks at a new way to bond, for a host
who intends to find a new way to entertain a guest or for parents who want to redefine a
birthday-party-experience for their child and for anyone willing to take a break. Be part of
the story. Experience India with them!
Posted by Deepti Natarajan at 06:00AM ()
Russia: On The Come Back Trail

Russia is seeing a macroeconomic revival of sorts. The largest country in the world was
almost ignored completely thanks to the end of the Cold War and also the fact that James
Bond wanted nothing more to do with them after ‘Goldeneye’. And this is revival is not
thanks to the sudden increase in the export of Vodka or Women Tennis players who look
good on court. (Yes! That was a totally sexist statement…but I can’t help it if they do look
good). Russia was lucky enough to inherit most of the defense industrial base after the
breakup of the former Soviet Union. This makes them the largest exporter of armaments.
If you’ve not seen this movie called ‘Lord of War’, I suggest you check it out to get an idea
as to how this is so. I’m not too sure if this is something to be proud of, but then, talking
purely business, hey…there’s some rubles to be made! Besides the AK47 rifle, Russia is
surprisingly the third biggest destination for outsourcing software behind China and India.
Did you know that? Currently, Russia controls a little over 3 percent of the offshore
software development market. The Russian IT industry has growth concentrating on high
end niches like algorithm design and microelectronics. And thanks to government tax
breaks and the development of SEZs, international technology corporations like Intel,
Motorola, Sun Microsystems, Boeing, Nortel have opened their R&D centers in Russia.
With energy becoming the new buzzword, Russia finds itself having one of the largest
petroleum industries of the world. Second largest coal reserves, eighth largest oil
reserves and the largest exporter of natural gas have made Russia a key figure in every
industry across the world. It’s fairly evident that the Russian economy finds itself slowly
standing up with the help of trade. Main exports include petroleum and petroleum
products, natural gas, wood and wood products, coal, metals, chemicals, and a wide
variety of civilian and military manufactures. But is this enough to bring back the glory
days? While the number of $295.6 billion as of 2009 seems optimistic, I figure that while
Russia seems to have the general Idea of how to head north, they still have a long way to
go. Russia has three simple problems which could come back to bite it in the rear as the
economy grows.
1. Reduction in Russian Population (With all that cold weather and Vodka, one
would not think that copulation would be a problem…anyway…)
2. Decline in the skill level of manpower resources – While Russia is producing
one of the highest number of graduates each year, a lot needs to be focused on
developing manual labor for its numerous manufacturing sectors. There also
remains a gap in the focus on labor for niche areas in technology.
3. Ageing Infrastructure – This will be the foremost problem for not only Russia but
for any economy looking to make itself competitive in the world. This is probably
one of the main reasons that China has made itself a force to be reckoned with.
Being a major figure of the G8 and a part of the new BRIC economic force, Russia has
decided to come to the field and play. While they do seem to be holding of the opponent,
a question remains if they are playing their best side. If all else fails, at least we’ll still
have Vodka and those good-looking women tennis players.
Greenpeace: iPad Is Bad For The Environment

At the launch of Apple’s iPad, a new Greenpeace report reveals how the rise of cloud
computing threatens to see greenhouse gas emissions from powering ever expanding
data centers spiral out of control. (1) Greenpeace report shows cloud computing GHG
emissions tripling by 2020. "Make IT Green - CloudComputing and its Contribution to
Climate Change" shows how the launch of quintessential cloud computing devices like
the Apple iPad, which offer users access to the "cloud" of online services like social
networks and video streaming, can contribute to a much larger carbon footprint of the IT
sector than previously estimated. The report builds on previous industry research (2) that
shows that at current growth rates data centers and telecommunication networks, the two
key components of the cloud, will consume about 1,963 billion kilowatts hours of
electricity in 2020, more than triple their current consumption and more than the current
electricity consumption of France, Germany, Canada and Brazil combined. (3) However,
the report also shows how IT can avert climate chaos bybecoming a transformative force
advocating for solutions that increase the useof renewable energy. "As the cloud
expands, the IT industry's appetite for energy will increase, making it a major source of
climate change unless the industry adopts and advocates renewable energy use and
backs laws to cut global warming," said Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International
campaigner. "IT companies like Microsoft, Google, and IBM are now in powerful positions
at the local, national, and international levels. They must use that influence to promote
policies that will allow them to grow responsibly without helping to fuel climate change.
Facebook recently announced the construction of its own data center in Prineville,
Oregon, running primarily on coal. By choosing energy company PacifiCorp, a utility that
sources the majority of its power from coal-fired power stations, Facebook missed a
chance to promote the use of renewable energy and instead reinforced the coal industry's
grip on the United Sates power grid. (4) "The ICT sector has the ability to help us combat
climate change by doing what it is best at - innovating to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and increase energy efficiency," Harrell said. "Technologies that enable smart
grids, zero emission buildings and more efficient transport systems are key to cutting
climate change pollution. But given the current pace of growth in cloud computing, the
industry needs to get its own carbon footprint under control." (5) Greenpeace calls on IT
industry giants to put their might behind government policies that give priority grid access
for renewable sources like wind and solar energy. IT companies should also support
economy-wide climate and energy policies around the world that peak emissions by
2015. 1. "Make IT Green - Cloud Computing and its Contribution to Climate Change" is
available for download at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/ipad-cloud-
climate-change-2903102. 2.The Make IT Green report builds on the seminal analysis of
the Smart 2020 Report (2008) which detailed the growing carbon footprint of data centers
and telecommunication networks. To make the data of the report more accessible as an
instrument to evaluate the projected impact of the cloud on electricity demand and their
relationship to energy policies, the Smart 2020 analysis has been de-aggregated to show
overall electricity consumption. The 2020 Report provides carbon footprint figures in
MtCO2e as a combination of two sources of emissions: indirect emissions from electricity
use (scope 2) and indirect emissions from upstream production (scope 3), or embodied
carbon. To show electricity or energy use emissions separately, a correction factor
[Scope 2/ (Scope 2+3)] was applied. This correction factor for Scope 2 is derived from the
information provided on global internet footprint in the Smart 2020 Report, which includes
PCs in addition to telecoms and data centers. The Smart 2020 Report is available at
http://www.smart2020.org/publications 3. National electricity consumption data obtained
from the United States Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, 2007 data.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2042rank.html 4. To
challenge Facebook to drop coal and use clean energy, Greenpeace began an advocacy
page on Facebook. As of 31st March, more than 370,000 people have signed one of the
Facebook groups (in English and Spanish) http://www.greenpeace.org/coalfacebook 5.
The ICT sector's abilities to lead and to innovate are the reasons Greenpeace began its
Cool IT Campaign in 2009. The campaign uses direct company engagement and public
engagement to provide pressure on the ICT industry to put forward solutions to achieve
economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reductions and to be strong advocates for
policies that combat climate change and increase the use of renewable energy. For more
information visit http://www.greenpeace.org/coolit
UPS Sets "Green" Standards for Shipment

Packaging
UPS (NYSE:UPS) became the first carrier to offer its
customers an assessment of their shipment packaging based
on environmental standards. Under the Eco Responsible
Packaging Program, UPS will evaluate a customer's
packaging processes in three areas of sustainability: damage
prevention, right-sizing and packaging materials. UPS will
score the results and those customers who meet the
requirements can display the program's logo on their
shipment packaging. Responsible packaging obviously
begins with protecting the contents; damaged goods not only frustrate the recipient but
often lead to the need to remanufacture and reship, doubling the carbon footprint.
Shrinking the size of the box means less material used and fewer assets needed to
transport the package. Finally, using packing and shipping materials with a more
sustainable profile is important for the environment. UPS's rigorous assessment
methodology and processes are verified by Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), an
inspection, verification, testing and certification company. The service also has been
praised by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and Business for Social
Responsibility (BSR), the latter a global business network and consultancy focused on
sustainability. "Our engineers have always directed our customers to use the right kind of
packaging to protect their goods," said Bob Stoffel, senior vice president, engineering,
strategy, supply chain and sustainability. "This service gives our customers a new way to
demonstrate that they are serious about sustainability when it comes to shipment
packaging." The evaluation will assess the customer's transport packaging systems and
procedures, rather than product packaging found on retail shelves. The contractual-
based service is available to customers who commit to sustainable packaging solutions.
Pricing is determined on a project basis. The program is conducted by the UPS Package
Engineering Group, which is known for its expertise in transport packaging principles and
also sought out the expertise of third-parties to ensure that its standards represent best
practices. "Embedding environmental evaluation in day-to-day packaging decisions is a
critical step to improving the stewardship and conservation of valuable resources for the
future," said Anne Johnson, director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. "UPS brings
an unprecedented scale to assessing the environmental impacts of transport packaging
systems and their Eco-Responsible Packaging Program will raise awareness and
continually inform more resource efficient and ultimately, recoverable transport packaging
systems."
Lockheed Martin To Deliver VINASAT-2 For

Nation Of Vietnam
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced
today the award of a contract by Vietnam
Posts and Telecommunications Group
(VNPT) of Vietnam to build the VINASAT-2
satellite. In-orbit delivery is slated for the second quarter of 2012. Financial terms were
not disclosed. Based on the highly reliable A2100 spacecraft platform manufactured by
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), Newtown, Pa., VINASAT-2 will
be located at 131.8 degrees east longitude and provide a minimum service life of 15
years. The VINASAT-2 contract marks the second satellite order VNPT has awarded to
Lockheed Martin, which will manage the project in its entirety, including satellite design
and manufacturing, launch procurement, and final in-orbit testing before customer
acceptance. Lockheed Martin successfully delivered VINASAT-1, the first satellite ever
for the nation of Vietnam, in 2008. VINASAT-2 will feature 24 Ku-band fixed high power
communication channels, providing uplink and downlink coverage over Vietnam,
Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. Lockheed Martin's low-risk solution utilizes and leverages
heritage Ku-band flight-proven equipment from numerous previous A2100 programs to
meet the customer's schedule requirements. LMCSS has delivered 38 A2100 commercial
spacecraft, with an average cycle time of 24 months with satellites of similar complexity
as VINASAT-2. “Lockheed Martin is extremely proud that VNPT has again placed its faith
in us to provide a low-risk technical solution that will fully satisfy mission needs,” said
LMCSS Vice-President Joe Rickers. “With a focus on minimizing risk and providing
schedule assurance, we look forward to achieving operational excellence and mission
success in support of VNPT's business objectives." “Lockheed Martin’s in-depth
experience was reflected in Lockheed Martin's feasible solutions to mitigate the risk of the
project in the contract signed today,” said VNPT Chairman of the Board Pham Long Tran.
“From the shared success of the VINASAT-1 project, I do believe that Lockheed Martin
will be able to again meet the schedule requirement and jointly cooperate with VNPT for
the successful implementation of the VINASAT-2 Project.” In addition to VNPT, Lockheed
Martin has delivered 19 spacecraft to Asian customers, including nine A2100 satellites.
The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to meet a
wide variety of telecommunications needs including Ka-band broadband and broadcast
services, fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band, high-power direct broadcast
services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and mobile satellite services using UHF,
L-band, and S-band payloads. The A2100's modular design features a reduction in parts,
simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost. The
A2100 spacecraft’s design accommodates a large range of communication payloads.
This design modularity enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured for missions other
than communication. The A2100 design has been adapted for geostationary Earth orbit
(GEO)-based earth observing missions and is the baselined platform for Lockheed
Martin’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R program. In addition,
the A2100 serves as the platform for critical government communications programs,
including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Mobile User Objective System
satellites. The A2100 also serves as the spacecraft platform for Lockheed Martin’s GPS
III program.
Nano parfait a treat for scientists

In two new papers, Rice University researchers report using
ultracentrifugation (UCF) to create highly purified samples of
carbon nanotube species. One team, led by Rice Professor
Junichiro Kono and graduate students Erik Haroz and William
Rice, has made a small but significant step toward the dream of an efficient nationwide
electrical grid that depends on highly conductive quantum nanowire. The other, led by
Rice Professor Bruce Weisman and graduate student Saunab Ghosh, employed UCF to
prepare structurally sorted batches of semiconducting nanotubes that could find critical
uses in medicine and electronics.
UCF is what it sounds like: a super-fast version of the centrifuge process medical lab
technicians use to separate blood cells from plasma. The process involves suspending
mixtures of single-walled carbon nanotubes in combinations of liquids of different
densities. When spun by a centrifuge at up to 250,000 g – that's 250,000 times the force
of gravity – the nanotubes migrate to the liquids that match their own particular densities.
After several hours in the centrifuge, the test tube becomes a colorful parfait with layers
of purified nanotubes. Each species has its own electronic and optical characteristics, all
of which are useful in various ways. Weisman's lab reported its results in today's online
edition of Nature Nanotechnology. Weisman is a professor of chemistry at Rice. Kono's
lab reported its results recently in the online edition of ACS Nano. Kono is a professor in
electrical and computer engineering and professor of physics and astronomy. The lack of
pure batches of nanotubes species "has been a real hindrance in the field for nearly 20
years," Weisman said. While the UCF technique is not new, Ghosh found careful fine-
tuning of the gradient structure let him sort at least 10 of the numerous species of
nanotubes contained in a single sample produced by the Rice-created HiPco process.
Basic research is a big early winner, "because when you can get pure samples of
nanotubes, you can learn so much more about them," Weisman said. "Secondly, some
electronic applications become much simpler because the tube type determines the
nanotube's band gap, a crucial electronic property." Biomedical applications may benefit
by exploiting the optical properties of specific types of nanotubes. In the Kono lab,
metallic nanotubes rose to the top of the spinning vial while nearly all of the
semiconducting nanotubes sank to the bottom. What surprised lead researchers Haroz
and Rice was that nearly all of the metallic tubes were armchair SWNTs, the most
desirable species for the manufacture of quantum nanowire. Zigzag and near-zigzag
species, also considered metallic, would also sink out. Armchair nanotubes are so-called
because of their "U"-shaped end segments. Theoretically, armchairs are the most
conductive nanotubes, letting electrons charge down the middle with nothing to slow
them. The composition of the gradient solution made a difference in the quality of the
samples, Haroz said. "One of the surfactants we're using, sodium cholate, has a
molecular structure that's similar to a nanotube -- basically hexagons put together," he
said. "We think there's a match between the sodium cholate and the structure of
nanotubes, and it binds just a little bit better to an armchair than it does to zigzags."
Hurdles remain in the path to quantum armchair nanowires that nanotechnology pioneer
and Nobel laureate Richard Smalley, Haroz' first mentor at Rice who died in 2005, felt
would be a panacea for many of the world's problems. Fix the distribution of energy and
solutions to other challenges – clean water, food, environmental woes – will fall into
place, he believed. "Step 1 of the armchair quantum nanowire project is, 'Can we get
armchairs?' We've done that," said Haroz. "Now let's make macroscopic structures -- not
necessarily long cables, but small structures -- to test their conductivity." Rice research
scientist Sergei Bachilo is co-author of the Nature Nanotechnology paper with Weisman
and Ghosh. Grants from the National Science Foundation and the Welch Foundation
supported the research. Co-authors of the ACS Nano paper with Kono, Haroz, Rice,
Weisman and Ghosh are Robert Hauge, Distinguished Faculty Fellow in Chemistry at
Rice, Rice junior Ben Lu and Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher Stephen Doorn.
The Department of Energy office of Basic Energy Sciences, the Welch Foundation, the
Air Force Research Laboratories, the National Science Foundation and the Laboratory
Directed Research and Development program at Los Alamos National Laboratory
supported the research. Read the Kono abstract at:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn901908n?prevSearch=haroz%2Bkono&searchHist
o r y K e y R e a d t h e W e i s m a n a b s t r a c t
at:http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nnano.2010.68.html
UCLA gets $5.5 million from Defense agency to

create new rotating m...
If you've ever used an iPhone, a Wii video game or an
automobile airbag, you've benefited from micro-electro-
mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, in which arrays of
tiny devices mounted on computer chips — many no larger
than the width of a human hair — are able to sense and
respond to changes in heat, light, motion, sound or other
external stimuli. Now, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of
Engineering and Applied Science has been awarded $5.5
million from the U.S. Defense Department's central research
and development agency to advance MEMS technology for
use in defense systems. The four-and-a-half-year grant
from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency
(DARPA) will fund research by UCLA engineers to create
electrically connected, rotating microscale motors for
sensing and communications as part of the agency's
Information Tethered Micro Automated Rotary Stages
program. The micromachining techniques used to fabricate
microdevices have been highly successful in producing
miniature systems and components — including sensors,
actuators and electronics — that combine high performance
with low weight and power consumption. And early MEMS work demonstrated multiple
avenues for realizing micromotors that are able to rotate 360 degrees. But even with the
progress of MEMS technology, the use of rotating microdevices has not been as
widespread as might be expected, according to DARPA, primarily because most
applications have used structures fabricated into rotary stages without the availability of
active electrical power, limiting the utility of the stages. "Providing electric connections
can be a little tricky, especially on continuous rotating platforms," said Chang-Jin "CJ"
Kim, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA Engineering and
principal investigator on the DARPA project. "You rarely see physically free objects
electrically connected. You can't have electrical wires protruding from an object that
rotates endlessly. So that's one of the challenges we are facing." Providing electrical
power on a stage while allowing full rotation and precise position control of these
components would lead to microsystems with much higher performance and functionality.
The goal of the UCLA Engineering team is to demonstrate a MEMS-fabricated rotary
stage that would enable free rotation coupled with electrical power and signal transfer.
This would launch the implementation of sensing and device operations on a microstage
with position-measuring accuracies that would most likely be better than those obtained
by large, instrumented optical rotary stages. Thus far, Kim's group has successfully
created a rotary stage using liquid droplets as the mechanical element that serves as a
bridge between two moving objects. The liquid droplets, formed into a series of rings,
provide physical support as well as rotational lubrication to the stage and allow for
multiple stable electrical connections. "On the microscale, smaller than a millimeter, the
surface tension of liquid droplets, in terms of strength, is stronger than the weight of the
droplet," said Kim, who specializes in MEMS. "That's why a smaller water droplet beads
more and spreads less than a larger droplet. It stays in the form of a sphere. The smaller
it gets, the greater the effect of surface tension gets. With liquid bearings formed by free
droplets, only because they are very small, there is no solid-to-solid contact and there is
no wear." Kim's rings are made of liquid metals or ionic liquid, which not only allows for
higher power but also leads to more stable electrical contact. The team's next step will be
to use electric signals to rotate the stage. Thus far, the capability to precisely rotate
micromachined structures in a controllable manner has not been achieved. "The rotary
stage will be electro-statically activated by high-voltages applied across electrodes
placed beneath the stage, and the high voltages will be applied by a high-voltage driver
circuit," said Ken Yang, a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA Engineering and a
co-principal investigator responsible for the development of the electronic interface that
controls the rotary stage. "The position of the stage will roughly be determined by
activating a proper set of electrodes," Yang said. "The capacitance between electrodes
will be a measure of the precise position. The control electronics will determine the
appropriate sequence of binary voltages driven to each electrode. This will determine
how the stage moves, in what direction, and how fast. We intend for the controller to be
fully incorporated on an integrated circuit, also located beneath the rotor." Once the team
shows proof of concept, they will concentrate on making the motorized rotary stage
smaller, more accurate and more efficient. Other members of the UCLA team include Eric
Chiou, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Sungtaek Ju, an
associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Jason Woo, a professor
of electrical engineering; and Chris Gudeman of Innovative Micro Technology (IMT), a
company specializing in micromachines.
Toyota USA Foundation Awards $500,000 To

Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University (WKU) has been named the recipient of a $500,000 grant
from the Toyota USA Foundation. Awarded over three years, the grant will help fund
WKU’s Math and Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA) which aims to increase K-5
student interest and achievement in math and technology among high risk youth in the
Bowling Green Enterprise Community, as well as other areas of Warren County,
Kentucky. WKU will develop the MTLA by providing intense math and technology
professional development to educators, in order to strengthen their own skills, develop a
national model for teacher preparedness and in turn, increase student achievement in
these areas. Professors from WKU’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering, College
of Education and Behavioral Sciences, and Gifted Studies will partner with
representatives from Bowling Green Independent Schools, Warren County Public
Schools and the Housing Authority of
Bowling Green to develop unique,
challenging experiences for the MTLA
teachers and the students they serve. In
addition, the MTLA will aim to increase the
number of diverse students qualifying for
advanced math opportunities while
encouraging family involvement through
Math and Technology Community School
events. “We’re very grateful for the
generosity of the Toyota USA Foundation,”
said Rick Dubose, WKU’s director of
corporate and foundation relations. “Thanks to their support, WKU and its partners can
move ahead in their efforts to make MTLA a reality. By increasing the effectiveness of
teacher leaders, we believe we can better engage young students and introduce them to
new opportunities in math and technology. At the outset, a total of 18 schools and nearly
9,000 students stand to benefit. But over the long term, we believe the positive impact for
families and communities will be far greater.” “We’re proud to support WKU’s Math and
Technology Leadership Academy and strongly believe in its mission to engage and
increase achievement among young students in high-risk, diverse communities by
developing teachers’ skills and experiences,” said Jim Wiseman, group vice president of
corporate communications and chief communications officer Toyota Motor North
America. “We are highly confident that the University’s partnership with area educators,
school districts and the Housing Authority of Bowling Green will yield great results not just
in Western Kentucky, but ultimately in communities across the country.” About the Toyota
USA Foundation
Video: Is Your Internet Chrome Fast?

Google's advertising is below par for most of their products, but they seem to have done
a good job out of advertising the Chrome Browser. In the latest video demonstrating the
speed at which chrome can deliver the internet to you, website are loaded while
competing with sound waves, lightning and a potato. All in an effort to show you what
speed really means. Video after the break.
Boeing's Phantom Ray Will Fly In December.

Looks Beautiful At Debut
After only two years of development, the Phantom Ray
unmanned airborne system (UAS) was unveiled at a
ceremony in St. Louis on May 10. Built by Boeing in St. Louis,
the sleek, fighter-sized UAS combines survivability with a powerful arsenal of new
capabilities. “Phantom Ray offers a host of options for our customers as a test bed for
advanced technologies, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance;
suppression of enemy air defenses;
electronic attack and autonomous aerial
refueling – the possibilities are nearly
endless,” said Dennis Muilenburg,
president and CEO of Boeing Defense,
Space & Security. With a 50-foot wingspan
and measuring 36 feet long, Phantom Ray
was designed and developed by Boeing
Phantom Works based on a prototype the
company had originally created less than a
decade ago for the Defense Advanced

Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/U.S.
Air Force/U.S. Navy Joint-Unmanned
Combat Air System (J-UCAS) program.
Using a rapid-prototyping approach,
Phantom Ray evolved into the technology
demonstrator unveiled today on the floor of
Boeing’s St. Louis facility. “We’re really
excited about this because Phantom Works
is back as a rapid prototyping house,
operation and organization,” said Craig
Brown, Boeing Phantom Ray program manager. “This is the first of what I expect to be
many exciting prototypes, and they’re all with exciting technology.” Financed entirely by
Boeing, Phantom Ray is a testament to the company and its Phantom Works division’s
commitment to becoming the leader in the global unmanned systems market. “Phantom
Ray represents a series of significant changes we’re making within Boeing Defense,
Space & Security,” said Darryl Davis, president of Phantom Works. “For the first time in a
long time, we are spending our own money on designing, building and flying near-
operational prototypes. We’re spending that money to leverage the decades of
experience we have in unmanned systems that span the gamut from sea to space.” This
revolutionary aircraft is on-schedule to take its first taxi tests later this summer and soar
through its initial flight profiles as early as December, continuously gaining ground toward
becoming an unmanned system that could one day penetrate enemy forces and provide
a new specter of security for the warfighter.
Itsy-bitsy DNA spider: Molecules behave like

robots
A team of scientists from Columbia
University, Arizona State University, the
University of Michigan, and the California
Institute of Technology (Caltech) have
programmed an autonomous molecular "robot" made out of DNA to start, move, turn, and
stop while following a DNA track. The development could ultimately lead to molecular
systems that might one day be used for medical therapeutic devices and molecular-scale
reconfigurable robots – robots made of many simple units that can reposition or even
rebuild themselves to accomplish different
tasks. A paper describing the work appears
in the current issue of the journal Nature.
The traditional view of a robot is that it is "a
machine that senses its environment,
makes a decision, and then does
something – it acts," said Erik Winfree,
associate professor of computer science,
computation and neural systems, and
bioengineering at Caltech. Milan N.
Stojanovic, a faculty member in the Division of Experimental Therapeutics at Columbia
University, led the project and teamed up with Winfree and ASU Biodesign Institute
researcher, Hao Yan, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and an expert in DNA
nanotechnology, and with Nils G. Walter, professor of chemistry and director of the Single
Molecule Analysis in Real-Time (SMART) Center at the University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor, for what became a modern-day self-assembly of like-minded scientists with the
complementary areas of expertise needed to tackle a tough problem. Shrinking robots
down to the molecular scale would provide, for molecular processes, the same kinds of
benefits that classical robotics and automation provide at the macroscopic scale.
Molecular robots, in theory, could be programmed to sense their environment (say, the
presence of disease markers on a cell), make a decision (that the cell is cancerous and
needs to be neutralized), and act on that decision (deliver a cargo of cancer-killing
drugs). Or, like the robots in a modern-day factory, they could be programmed to
assemble complex molecular products. The power of robotics lies in the fact that once
programmed, the robots can carry out their tasks autonomously, without further human
intervention. With that promise, however, comes a practical problem: how do you
program a molecule to perform complex behaviors? "In normal robotics, the robot itself
contains the knowledge about the commands, but with individual molecules, you can't
store that amount of information, so the idea instead is to store information on the
commands on the outside," Walter said. And you do that, said Stojanovic, "by imbuing the
molecule's environment with informational cues." "We were able to create such a
programmed or 'prescribed' environment using DNA origami," Yan said. DNA origami, an
invention by Caltech Senior Research Associate Paul W. K. Rothemund, is a type of self-
assembled structure made from DNA that can be programmed to form nearly limitless
shapes and patterns (such as smiley faces or maps of the Western Hemisphere or even
electrical diagrams). Exploiting the sequence-recognition properties of DNA base pairing,
DNA origami are created from a long single strand of DNA and a mixture of different short
synthetic DNA strands that bind to and "staple" the long DNA into the desired shape. The
origami used in the Nature study was a rectangle that was 2 nanometers (nm) thick and
roughly 100 nm on each side. The researchers constructed a trail of molecular "bread
crumbs" on the DNA origami track by stringing additional single-stranded DNA molecules,
or oligonucleotides, off the ends of the staples. These represent the cues that tell the
molecular robots what to do – start, walk, turn left, turn right, or stop, for example – akin to
the commands given to traditional robots. The molecular robot the researchers chose to
use – dubbed a "spider" – was invented by Stojanovic several years ago, at which time it
was shown to be capable of extended, but undirected, random walks on two-dimensional
surfaces, eating through a field of bread crumbs. To build the 4-nm-diameter molecular
robot, the researchers started with a common protein called streptavidin, which has four
symmetrically placed binding pockets for a chemical moiety called biotin. Each robot leg
is a short biotin-labeled strand of DNA, "so this way we can bind up to four legs to the
body of our robot," Walter says. "It's a four-legged spider," quipped Stojanovic. Three of
the legs are made of enzymatic DNA, which is DNA that binds to and cuts a particular
sequence of DNA. The spider also is outfitted with a "start strand" – the fourth leg – that
tethers the spider to the start site (one particular oligonucleotide on the DNA origami
track). "After the robot is released from its start site by a trigger strand, it follows the track
by binding to and then cutting the DNA strands extending off of the staple strands on the
molecular track," Stojanovic said. "Once it cleaves," adds Yan, "the product will
dissociate, and the leg will start searching for the next substrate." In this way, the spider
is guided down the path laid out by the researchers. Finally, said Yan, "the robot stops
when it encounters a patch of DNA that it can bind to but that it cannot cut," which acts as
a sort of flypaper. Although other DNA walkers have been developed before, they've
never ventured farther than about three steps. "This one," said Yan, "can walk up to
about 100 nanometers. That's roughly 50 steps." "This in itself wasn't a surprise," said
Winfree, "since Milan's original work suggested that spiders can take hundreds if not
thousands of processive steps. What's exciting here is that not only can we directly
confirm the spiders' multistep movement, but we can direct the spiders to follow a specific
path, and they do it all by themselves – autonomously." In fact, using atomic force
microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, the researchers were able to
watch directly spiders crawling over the origami, showing that they were able to guide
their molecular robots to follow four different paths. "Monitoring this at a single molecule
level is very challenging," Walter said. "This is why we have an interdisciplinary, multi-
institute operation. We have people constructing the spider, characterizing the basic
spider. We have the capability to assemble the track, and analyze the system with single-
molecule imaging. That's the technical challenge." The scientific challenges for the future,
Yan said, "are how to make the spider walk faster and how to make it more
programmable, so it can follow many commands on the track and make more decisions,
implementing logical behavior." "In the current system," said Stojanovic, "interactions are
restricted to the walker and the environment. Our next step is to add a second walker, so
the walkers can communicate with each other directly and via the environment. The
spiders will work together to accomplish a goal." Added Winfree, "The key is how to learn
to program higher-level behaviors through lower-level interactions." Such collaboration
ultimately could be the basis for developing molecular-scale reconfigurable robots –
complicated machines that are made of many simple units that can reorganize
themselves into any shape – to accomplish different tasks, or fix themselves if they break.
For example, it may be possible to use the robots for medical applications. "The idea is to
have molecular robots build a structure or repair damaged tissues,"Stojanovic said. "You
could imagine the spider carrying a drug and bonding to a two-dimensional surface like a
cell membrane, finding the receptors and, depending on the local environment," said Yan,
"triggering the activation of this drug." Such applications, while intriguing, are decades or
more away. "This may be 100 years in the future," Stojanovic said. "We're so far from that
right now." "But," Walter added, "just as researchers self-assemble today to solve a tough
problem, molecular nanorobots may do so in the future." The other coauthors on the
paper, "Molecular robots guided by prescriptive landscapes," are Kyle Lund and Jeanette
Nangreave from Arizona State University; Anthony J. Manzo, Alexander Johnson-Buck,
and Nicole Michelotti from the University of Michigan; Nadine Dabby from Caltech; and
Steven Taylor and Renjun Pei from Columbia University. The work was supported by the
National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research,
the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Searle Foundation, the
Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and a
Sloan Research Fellowship.
Video: Zapping Malaria With Lasers
Malaria kills people and there's no denying that. Africa is the worst affected of this vicious
disease and nothing seems to slow it down. So what do you do to get rid of Malaria?
DDT? education? nets? What do you do when none of this works? You zap them with
lasers, of course. Sounds like an episode of Star Trek in Malarialand? Former CTO of
Microsoft and founder of Intellectual Ventures - Nathan Myhrvold hasa team of innovators
and technologists who have built a super low cost laser shooting equipment that
measures the wing beat of insects, identifies female mosquitoes and zaps them with a
laser. Instant death! Still don't believe it? Watch the video after the break.
Memonic Lets You Copy-Paste the Web.

Ever tried collating information out of those
bookmarks that you saved up for your next
research project? Must be hard eh? The
information keeps changing on those pages and you never get to keep the data you
wanted. Memonic seems to solve this problem. Memonic is a service that lets you
"choose" bits and pieces of information on the internet and save it so that you never ever
loose the information you always wanted to save. All you have to do is add the "save to
memonic" button to your browser and activate it. Then you can click on information you
want to save and wallah, you have a content copying tool at your fingertips. All this
information you just saved up is stored in your account never to be lost again! Video
demo of the service after the break.
Emerson Opens $30 Million Global Innovation

Center
Emerson Process Management, a global business of
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), today announced the opening of the
state-of-the-art Emerson Innovation Center, Fisher®
Technology in Marshalltown, Iowa. This $30 million
investment is designed to help customers tackle the toughest
engineering challenges facing today’s process manufacturing and energy industries. The
world’s appetite for energy is driving the development of next-generation nuclear plants,
mega-train liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, and large oil and gas refineries, which
require larger capacities and highly engineered control valves and instrumentation. The
136,000-square-foot Emerson Innovation Center is designed to help companies deliver
record volumes of natural gas and other forms of energy and consume less in the
process, reducing costs and making plants run quieter and with reduced greenhouse
emissions. The center is home to the world’s largest “flow lab” that, for the first time,
enables large valves to be tested in real-world plant conditions to ensure production
reliability, efficiency, environmental compliance, and safety before being installed at a
customer site. “No other facility in the world can do what our Marshalltown Emerson
Innovation Center can do – from seismically qualifying a 35,000-pound control valve to
testing a two-story-tall valve that controls the flow of feedstocks for a petrochemical
plant,” said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “This $30
million investment in innovation directly reflects Emerson’s commitment to helping our
customers run smarter plants that improve production quality, lower operations and
maintenance costs, and enhance environmental performance and worker safety.”
Emerson, whose Fisher valves are installed in more than 90 percent of the world’s
nuclear facilities, is able to provide seismic qualification of its valves at the new
Innovation Center, which is critically important to making nuclear plants safe and reliable
during earthquakes. Emerson was recently awarded contracts to provide its Fisher
control valves for Westinghouse Electric Company’s newest generation of nuclear power
plants. “We are very pleased to be working with Emerson Process Management for
control valves on our AP1000™ nuclear power plant,” said William Rice, Westinghouse
director of engineering. “We plan to take advantage of this new facility to prove out critical
operating characteristics, under actual passive heat-removal system service conditions,
for one of Fisher’s unique large control valves designed to meet our requirements.” The
center’s flow lab has enough capacity to fill an Olympic-sized pool in just over eight
minutes, or a Goodyear “blimp” in about 12 seconds. Control valves can be tested at
pressures up to 3,500 psi (pounds per square inch), the equivalent of providing enough
force to support a sport utility vehicle on a postage stamp. Meanwhile, the center also is
home to a 26,000-square-foot sound chamber in which Emerson can develop and verify
noise levels of new devices before a customer’s plant is built. Located in Marshalltown,
Iowa, home to Fisher, which was acquired by Emerson in 1992, the center required
almost 2 million pounds of process piping, more than 1,600 feet of 30-inch and 36-inch
pipe, seven underground air storage tanks each more than 150 feet long, and more than
4,500 cubic yards of concrete.
Intel Capital Announces Three Investments

Intel Capital, Intel Corporation's global investment
organization, today demonstrated its ongoing support for
technological innovation with the announcement of three
U.S.-based investments totaling approximately $15 million.
The deals include eldercare website Caring.com, real estate
investment ratings provider SmartZip Analytics and
infrastructure services provider Virtustream.
In addition to these three investments, Intel Capital also highlighted several recently
announced investments. These include educational gaming company Tabula Digita,
Carrier Ethernet solutions provider Overture Networks and advertising technology
company BlackArrow. "Technological innovation is an important driver for growth across
all economies," said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice
president. "New ideas require an ecosystem to take root and grow to encourage the
formation of new businesses and creation of new industries. These three investments,
ranging from IT infrastructure to digital health and the consumer Internet, reflect the core
emphasis Intel Capital places on cultivating the most promising areas of innovation to
foster the development of the technologies of tomorrow." Details on the new investments
follow: Caring.com (San Mateo, Calif.) is an online destination for family caregivers facing
myriad challenges of eldercare, a rapidly growing category within digital health. Its
offerings include thousands of original articles, helpful tools, advice from more than 50
leading experts, a community of caregivers and a comprehensive directory of eldercare
services. With 1 million unique monthly visitors, Caring.com is a trusted source of
eldercare information and community on the Web. Caring.com will use the new funding to
support the company's continued expansion, including further development of the
Caring.com site, its local eldercare services directory and new marketing programs.
SmartZip Analytics (Pleasanton, Calif.) offers independent investment ratings and
analysis on over 70 million U.S. residential properties. The company's products are used
by homebuyers, investors and real estate professionals to find, compare and assess the
best places and best properties to buy. Built using proprietary analytics, SmartZip ratings
bring efficiency to the real estate market by helping consumers make better informed,
more confident home purchase decisions. Intel Capital's investment will be used to
expand availability of SmartZip's home investment ratings and reports nationwide.
Virtustream (Washington, D.C.) is an infrastructure services firm committed to helping
clients fully actualize the enterprise cloud by providing strategy, integration and managed
services utilizing virtualization technologies, and xStream, the company's secure cloud
platform. Virtustream delivers efficient infrastructure solutions backed by guaranteed
service levels and a resource-based pricing model. The company offers three pillars of
service including professional services, cloud services and managed services. The
investment from Intel Capital is earmarked for the continued development of
Virtustream's infrastructure and the expansion of the xStream cloud computing platform.
Funding for all six investments comes from the $200 million Intel Capital Invest in
America Technology Fund. Announced in February, the fund invests in U.S.-based
growth-oriented industries to foster economic recovery and growth, and to anchor the
nation's competitiveness on the global stage.
NSFW: Trojan Reinvents The Condom

Some innovations make us feel good, literally. Trojan, the condom brand has created
something super unique. They have changed the shape of the condom, literally. The
"Trojan Ecstasy" that is promised to feel "like nothing's there" looks like a baseball bat.
With dual lubrication on "his and her" side of the rubber, the Ecstasy promises sweet
sweet pleasure for them lovers. Check out the cool features this thing has! Technology
has found its way deep deep into your love life like never before! Posted by Akshaya
Murthy at 06:00AM ()
First U.S. Demonstration of Honda U3-X

Personal Mobility Prototype ...
Honda held the first U.S. demonstration of the company's U3-X personal mobility
prototype, first introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in October of last year. The three-day
debut event will run through April 8 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times
Square. A second demonstration will be held April 13-15, at the 2010 Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit, Michigan.
With U3-X Honda rethinks the concept of personal mobility, providing the rider with
freedom of movement in any direction - forward, backward, sideways and diagonally - by
simply leaning slightly in the desired direction. The lightweight and compact one-wheeled
device also features a foldable seat and retractable footrests. A lithium-ion battery pack
provides power for up to one-hour of use and can be recharged by plugging in to a
conventional household or office 120-volt power outlet. Weighing roughly 22 pounds, U3-
X uses an advanced Honda proprietary balance-control system which derives from its
research into human walking dynamics for the development of the ASIMO bi-pedal
humanoid robot. To realize full freedom of movement in all directions, the U3-X also
employs the world's first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction
Drive System) which utilizes a series of concentrically mounted wheels - a larger, forward
and backward moving inner wheel and a series of smaller sideways moving outer wheels.
Diagonal motion is achieved when both forward and sideways moving wheels operate in
tandem. In addition, the compact size and one-wheel-drive design of U3-X was intended
to provide user-friendly and pedestrian-friendly operation with low-mounted foot pedals
that make it easy for the rider to reach the ground, and a seat height that places the rider
at approximately the same eye-level as other people. As a company that values mobility,
Honda began research into robotics in 1986 and walking devices in 1999, culminating in
the development of ASIMO, the world's most advanced bi-pedal humanoid robot. The
cumulative study of human walking and balance control has also led to the development
of numerous other experimental technologies including the U3-X personal mobility device
as well as Honda's Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist walking
assist devices -- all geared toward further advancing human mobility through
technological innovation.
Yahoo! and Nahdet El Mahrousa Launch Social

Entrepreneurship Compet...
Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) underscores its commitment
to the Arabic-speaking world by announcing a new social
entrepreneurship campaign and competition in partnership
with Nahdet El Mahrousa, an Egypt-based nongovernmental organization (NGO). Yahoo!
Inc., Yahoo! Middle East, and Nahdet El Mahrousa are spearheading an unprecedented
online campaign called "Social Innovation Starts With YOU" to encourage social
entrepreneurship among young Egyptians. This campaign is aligned with the U.S.
Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship that will take place on April 26-27, 2010, in
Washington, D.C., where Yahoo! cofounder Jerry Yang will deliver a keynote speech
addressing entrepreneurship and innovation. "Yahoo!'s announcement to acquire
Maktoob last year shined the spotlight on tech entrepreneurs in the Arab world and the
incredible potential and talent in the region that is largely untapped," said Ahmed Nassef,
vice president and managing director of Yahoo! Middle East. "This partnership with
Nahdet El Mahrousa continues our commitment to invigorate and grow the Internet
market in the Middle East as a whole and will enable the next wave of tech entrepreneurs
from Egypt to realize their dreams. We can't wait to see their innovative ideas!" Social
Innovation Starts With YOU Today there are more than 16.5 million* Internet users in
Egypt, representing one of the largest** Arab Internet populations. The "Social Innovation
Starts With YOU" campaign is aimed at inspiring and motivating young online Egyptians.
Starting in April, two successful Egyptian social entrepreneurs will be featured on the
"Social Innovation Starts With YOU" website (http://eg.socialinnovation.yahoo.com),
sharing their compelling stories and providing advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. In
June, up to 10 entrepreneurs will be featured, and visitors to the website can vote for the
entrepreneur who they think has made the biggest impact on their communities. The
winner will be featured on the front page of Maktoob.com and invited to be a judge for the
campaign's Social Innovation Competition. In the Social Innovation Competition,
launching in June, Yahoo! and Nahdet El Mahrousa will invite individuals from across
Egypt to be the next social entrepreneurs of the year by developing new ideas in the
fields of education, health, environment, and a wildcard category. The campaign's
website will serve as an entry point for aspiring entrepreneurs by providing an online
toolkit of inspirational stories, advice, resources, and Web services to get them started.
Ten winners will be honored with monetary grants and technical and management
support to help bring their ideas to life. Among the winners will be already existing social
entrepreneurs who will receive support to scale their efforts and achieve wider impact. In
total, Yahoo! will contribute $500,000 to the campaign, and as part of that, will provide
close to $250,000 in monetary grants to awardees. In addition to monetary support, the
awardees will receive training and mentoring support for three years to help ensure their
success. "In partnering with Yahoo!, we are furthering Nahdet El Mahrousa's mission to
engage and activate young Egyptian professionals in the development and public arenas
and in shaping Egypt's future," said Ehaab Abdou, cofounder and board member of
Nahdet El Mahrousa. "The 'Social Innovation Starts With YOU' campaign will provide a
valuable platform for budding social entrepreneurs in Egypt to help make their enterprise
ideas become a reality, as well as help existing social enterprises scale up. As an added
benefit, we believe that supporting emerging and existing enterprises will help create new
jobs for Egypt and the region." Builds on Yahoo! Middle East's Efforts Yahoo!'s social
entrepreneurship campaign with Nahdet El Mahrousa follows its announcement in August
2009 that Yahoo! had acquired Maktoob.com, the leading online community in the Arab
world, which has more than 19 million unique users. This acquisition is part of Yahoo!'s
larger strategy to grow its business throughout the world's emerging markets by
connecting consumers with the content and services that matter most to them in their
local language. Internet users benefit from the combination of Yahoo!'s popular products
and services with Maktoob's compelling local content, which reaches one in three people
online throughout the region. The acquisition extends Yahoo!'s current offerings by
adding capabilities to deliver relevant Arabic-language content and services, as well as
Arabic versions of Yahoo!'s popular Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mail services. About
Nahdet El Mahrousa Nahdet El Mahrousa (NM), in Arabic meaning the Renaissance of
Egypt, is an Egyptian youth-led non-governmental organization, established in November
2003 and registered with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. NM seeks to make a positive
and lasting impact on Egypt's cultural, economic and social development through
activating and engaging Egyptian youth in the country's development, public work and
decision-making arenas. NM achieves these goals through its core program, the
"Incubator of Innovative Social Enterprises," which acts as a vehicle for social innovation.
NM currently incubates several active social enterprises in the areas of youth
development, arts and culture development, health services and the environment, linking
education to employment, promoting the culture of research and development, promoting
the values of citizenship and tolerance, and preparing emerging young leaders and
development practitioners. The NM incubator addresses a wide community of youth,
students, and other beneficiaries throughout the country.
Real Player SP Lets You Download Videos For

Any Mobile Device. Seri...
Remember Real Player? The wannabe Windows Media Player? Yeah, the same guys
are upping the game now. In what seems to the continue the web video format war
across mobile devices (read flash vs. html 5) Real will enable you to convert video from
*any* website to any format your mobile device supports. What's more? the "Real Player
SP" is free. Device support is massive with
support for any freakkin mobile video
format plus Xbox and PS3. Pretty
impressive stuff eh? Go check it out
yourself. Download RealPlayer SP here.
Lockheed Martin-Built Hubble Space Telescope

Marks 20 Years Of Astr...
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST),
built and integrated at the Lockheed Martin
[NYSE: LMT] Space Systems facility in
Sunnyvale, was launched 20 years ago aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, on April 24,
1990, ushering in a new golden age of astronomy. HST was released by the crew into
Earth orbit the next day and the universe hasn't looked the same since. “HST has had a
fundamental impact on astronomical research and how we view our universe. It is a
source of enormous pride to us all that the HST originated at Lockheed Martin in 1977
when we were awarded the prime contract for building and integrating the spacecraft,”
said Joanne Maguire, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company (LMSSC). “We’ve been at NASA’s side on this incredible journey ever since.”
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has established itself as a premier
astronomical observatory that continues to make dramatic observations and discoveries
at the forefront of astronomy, while opening up the universe to the public through its
beautiful and inspiring pictures. Among a long list of achievements: • Hubble’s ability to
detect faint supernovae contributed to the discovery that the expansion rate of the
universe is accelerating, indicating the existence of mysterious “dark energy” in space. •
Observations of Cepheid variable stars in nearby galaxies were used to establish the
current expansion rate of the universe to better than 10 percent accuracy. • In 2009,
Hubble provided our deepest view yet into the universe’s distant past. The faintest and
reddest objects in the image are galaxies that formed just 600 million years after the Big
Bang. No galaxies have been seen before at such early times. This latest deep field view
also provides insights into how galaxies grew in their formative years early in the
universe's history. • Hubble provided the first direct measurements of the three-
dimensional distribution of dark matter in space. • Peering into nearby regions of star birth
in the Milky Way galaxy, Hubble has revealed flattened disks of gas and dust that are the
likely birthplaces of new planets. • When Sun-like stars end their lives, they eject
spectacular nebulae. Hubble has revealed fantastic and enigmatic details of this process.
• Hubble made detailed measurements of a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a nearby star,
including the first detection of the atmosphere of an extra-solar planet. • The explosive
collision of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1994 gave Earthlings a cautionary
tale of the danger posed by cometary impacts. • Hubble observations have shown that
monster black holes, with masses millions to billions times the mass of our sun, inhabit
the centers of most galaxies. • Hubble played a key role in determining the distances and
energies of gamma-ray bursts, showing that they are the most powerful explosions in the
universe other than the Big Bang itself. During its 20 years in space, HST has traveled
more than 2.97 billion miles along its orbit, taken more than 900,000 exposures of over
30,000 celestial objects that have generated over 8,842 peer reviewed scientific
publications reporting Hubble results. Hubble was conceived to tackle scientific goals that
could be accomplished only by an observatory in space. Its mission was to spend at least
20 years probing the farthest and faintest reaches of the cosmos. Crucial to fulfilling this
objective was a series of on-orbit servicing missions by Space Shuttle astronauts. The
First Servicing Mission took place in December 1993 and the Second Servicing Mission
was flown in February 1997. In December 1999, Servicing Mission 3A was performed
followed by Servicing Mission 3B in March 2002. After years of arduous planning and
rehearsing, the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-125 crew launched successfully on
May 11, 2009 and completed Servicing Mission 4, the final astronaut visit mission to the
orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. In an incredible 13-day high wire ballet of humans and
machines, the Atlantis crew retrieved, upgraded, sustained and repaired the telescope,
then set it free to continue exploring the universe well into the next decade. During the
mission’s five dramatic spacewalks, astronauts installed two new science instruments,
repaired two others, replaced all six batteries and all six gyros, installed a new science
data computer, attached a soft capture mechanism to the Telescope, and fitted new
insulation panels to three of Hubble's equipment bays. The two new instruments the crew
installed were the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Wide Field Camera 3, both of
which will significantly expand Hubble’s astronomical observing capability by as much as
70 times. Each mission extended Hubble's scientific power with new instruments,
modernized its systems with new technology, and performed critical maintenance and
repairs. “All of the past and present members of the HST team here at the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and in Sunnyvale and Denver, feel a profound
sense of satisfaction as we look back on our roles in building, testing, deploying,
operating and servicing this magnificent observatory,” said Tony Cruz, Lockheed Martin
Space Systems HST program manager. “It really is not boasting to say we’ve all helped
make history with our contributions to HST and its continuing legacy.” The Lockheed
Martin Hubble servicing mission team included individuals from Lockheed Martin Space
Systems and Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services and was
responsible for: • Spacecraft Systems Engineering and Design Integration • Payload
Integration and Test at GSFC and Kennedy Space Center • Astronaut Training Support •
Replacement Satellite Hardware Design and Development • Space Shuttle Support
Equipment Design and Development • Spacecraft Mission Operations and Control •
Ground Software • Spacecraft Flight Software • Servicing Mission Planning and Timeline
Development. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. manages the
HST program for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. The Space
Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. selects observing programs from numerous
proposals and analyzes, archives and disseminates incoming astronomical data. The
Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the
European Space Agency. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC). LMSSC,
a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs and develops, tests,
manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national
security and military, civil government and commercial customers. Chief products include
human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological
and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary
spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology
research and development.
New Method Developed To Capture Fingerprints
On Difficult Surfaces
CSI notwithstanding, forensics experts
cannot always retrieve fingerprints from
objects, but a conformal coating process
developed by Penn State professors can
reveal hard-to-develop fingerprints on
nonporous surfaces without altering the
chemistry of the print. "As prints dry or age,
the common techniques used to develop
latent fingerprints, such as dusting or
cyanoacrylate -- SuperGlue -- fuming often fail," said Robert Shaler, professor of
biochemistry and molecular biology and director of Penn State's forensic sciences
program. This happens because most of the techniques currently used for developing
fingerprints rely on the chemistry of the print. Fingerprints are made up of a mixture of
secretions from the body that reacts with different chemicals to form a visible or
fluorescent product. Infrared and x-ray imaging also target specific chemicals left behind
by the ridges and valleys in the skin. "Lots and lots of processes take advantage of the
chemistry of fingerprints," said Shaler. "This approach looks at the geometry of the
fingerprints." The conformal coating applications suggested by Shaler and Ahklesh
Lakhtakia, Charles Godfrey Binder professor in engineering science and mechanics, use
the physical properties of the fingerprint, not the chemistry of the substances left behind.
In fact, the researchers believe that even after the fingerprints are developed using the
coating, forensics experts could sample the fingerprint material to determine specifics
about the person who left the prints. "The body chemistry of the person who left the
fingerprint can tell us some things," said Shaler. "If the suspect is older or younger or a
lactating mother, for example." The researchers used a form of physical vapor deposition
-- a method that uses a vacuum and allows vaporized materials to condense on a surface
creating a thin film. Normally, the deposition process requires exceptionally clean
surfaces because any speck of dust or grease on the coated surface shows up as a
deformity. However, with fingerprints, the point is to have the surface material's ridges
and valleys -- topography -- show up on the new surface so analysts can read them using
an optical device without the necessity of chemical development or microscopy. "This
approach allows us to look at the topography better and to look at the chemistry later,"
said Shaler. "We wouldn't have thought of this by ourselves, but we could do it together."
One benefit of this approach would be the ability to retrieve fingerprints off fragments
from incendiary or explosive devices and still be able to analyze the chemicals used in
the device. The specific method used is a conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation
technique developed to create highly accurate copies of biological templates such as
insect eyes or butterfly wings. Both are surfaces that have nanoscale variations. "It is a
very simple process," said Lakhtakia. "And fingerprints are not nanoscale objects, so the
conformal coating is applied to something big by nanotechnology standards." The
researchers tested two materials for coating, magnesium flouride and chalcogenide glass
-- a combination of germanium, antimony and selenium. The coating material is heated in
a vacuum, while the artifact to be coated is rotated fairly quickly to allow deposition over
the entire surface. "We need to have a coating that is uniform as far as we can see," said
Lakhtakia. "But we do not need much of a coating -- in the range of only a micron." The
researchers tried coating a variety of fingerprints on glass and even on tape. They coated
pristine fingerprints and those that had been fumed with SuperGlue. In all cases, the
coated fingerprints were usable. Of course, like all approaches, this one can only be used
on nonporous surfaces, surfaces that do not de-gas. The equipment used to deposit the
coating is a laboratory device, but it can produce the coating in about 15 minutes. The
researchers would like to design a portable device that could be brought to a crime scene
and produce readable fingerprints on site. "We are in the process of redesigning the
chamber and looking not just at fingerprints, but at other objects," said Lakhtakia. "These
would include bullets, cartridges, footprints, bite marks and lip impressions." Shaler and
Lakhtakia have filed a provisional patent application on this process.
US Postal Service Moves Closer to Energy, Fuel

Reduction Goals
The U.S. Postal Service released its 2009 annual report on sustainability performance in
which Postmaster General John E. Potter credited postal employees for the agency's
environmental achievements. "Quite simply, we want to be the best -- best neighbor, best
business partner and the best place to work when it comes to sustainable practices," said
Potter. "As the first federal agency to publicly report its greenhouse gas emissions, we've
established an invaluable baseline to guide us as we work to scale back these emissions
by 20 percent by 2020." The Postal Service has set aggressive goals to reduce energy
use 30 percent by 2015, petroleum fuel use 20 percent by 2015 and greenhouse gas
emissions 20 percent by 2020. In 2009, the agency reduced its total facility and vehicle
energy use 9 percent, as it increased its alternative fuel use 26 percent. In 2009, Postal
Service employees reduced the amount of municipal solid waste generated by 7 percent
compared to the year before. Postal employees also increased the amount of recycled or
reused electronics by 73 percent in the same timeframe. The 2009 sustainability report is
available at the Postal Service's green website, usps.com/green which shows customers
how to "skip the trip" by using free carrier pickup, Click-N-Ship and other online services.
In 2009, online transactions increased 13 percent, meaning fewer trips to Post Offices,
saving customers time and fuel and reducing their carbon emissions, too. "It's our goal to
make sure every letter and package mailed is a greener experience for the people who
use our services," said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. "Reduce, reuse,
recycle is more than a slogan -- it's a way of doing business throughout the Postal
Service. We are reducing energy and fuel use, our carbon footprint is growing smaller,
and our employees and customers are benefiting from our environment-friendly
practices." Pulcrano attributes other sustainability successes to the Postal Service's
inclusive "culture of conservation." Highlights from the sustainability report include: -- 10.8
trillion -- reduction in British thermal units (Btu) in facility energy use since 2005 -- $400
million -- savings in energy costs since 2007 -- $314 million -- savings due to reduced
contracted transportation fuel use -- 10 million -- saved sheets of paper through Human
Resources online initiatives -- 2 cents -- cost per mile to operate three-wheeled electric
delivery vehicles According to Pulcrano, "The Postal Service is making good progress in
achieving its sustainability goals and continues to lay a solid foundation for a sustainable
future for our organization, our employees and our customers. As federal agencies begin
to 'green the government' the Postal Service continues to step up and take action." The
Postal Service has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House
Closing the Circle, 10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year,
Climate Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo, and the Postal
Technology International Environmental Achievement of the Year, 2009.
Weird: Earth Space Agency Announces Call for

Musicians to Sing Abou...
Weird publicity stunts are carried out by companies, and one company is getting weirdly
creative in the way they are going about this task. Its one thing to inspire people to think
of space exploration as a career and it is another thing to ask musicians to sing about
their fantasy to go see distant planets. One "Earth Space Agency" - a private civil space
agency wants musicians to write and sing about exploring alien worlds in the hopes to
"encourage humans to dream big and to break the provincial lifestyle" Earth Space
Agency's founder Sandijs Aploks goes on to say that music can make humans "less
fearful of aliens" and hence entice them to get into space exploration. Right. I believe that
one day aliens will land on this planet but this is no way of preparing them for that day!
Anyways, full PR after the break. *****Start PR Text********* Earth Space Agency is now
asking musicians to sing songs about their desires to go and see alien worlds. The
mission is to encourage humans to dream big and to break the provincial lifestyle. “How
far are we today with going to the stars? And honestly?” asks Earth Space Agency's
founder Sandijs Aploks. “Musicians can help us to accelerate the process by introducing
back in our pragmatic society some joyful and naive optimism of previous decades. “That
provincial fear from the aliens as potential aggressors, stories about alien abduction,
avoidance to undertake really huge and novel space projects which can solve our energy
problems -- that all clearly shows that humans need some help in changing their way of
thinking.” Musicians, producers, and video clip makers can help humanity to get into
space by joining their forces to release a motivating album that would be capable to ignite
again humans’ desire for space adventures. “It is about the social responsibility of public
persons to help to make this world a better place. Let's create the hymn of the planet
Earth that inspires and unites us and gives us the goal to become a space civilization,”
summarizes Sandijs Aploks. *****End PR Text*********
Nestlé Japan aims to reduce CO2 levels with

eco-friendly hybrid tra...
Well well, Nestle's up to something to up its
"eco friendly" image. They have replaced
110 of their management team's cars with
hybrid ones. I don't know if company
changing cars to hybrid cars helps create a
green image but they are trying for sure Full PR after the break. ************Start PR
Text************ Nestlé Japan has replaced 110 of its management company cars in
exchange for eco-friendly hybrid cars, as part of its continuing effort to reduce its impact
on the environment. In line with the Company's Policy on Environmental Sustainability,
Nestlé Japan aims to reduce CO2 emission by 80.4 mega tonnes a year and cut down on
petrol usage. Cars will be replaced when they reach a certain mileage or when they are
at the end of their lease period. Nestlé Japan aims to switch all company cars by the end
of 2014. Nestlé Japan will also continue to monitor the auto
industry, while looking into replacing vans used by the sales
division to hybrid vans. At the same time, it will implement
training sessions for employees to promote eco-friendly
driving at its sales offices throughout Japan *********End PR
Text***********
NASA Sets Launch Date For Space Shuttle

Atlantis
Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to begin a 12-day flight to
the International Space Station with a launch at 2:20 pm EDT
on Friday, May 14, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida. The STS-132 mission is Atlantis' final scheduled
flight. Atlantis' launch date was announced Wednesday at the
conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During
the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers
assessed the risks associated with the mission and
determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are
ready. STS-132 is the third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010. Two flights remain
until the retirement of the shuttle fleet. The STS-133 and STS-134 launches are targeted
for September and November, respectively. The six astronauts for Atlantis' STS-132
mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1, also known as Rassvet
(dawn in Russian) to the station. The flight also will transport critical spare parts and
cargo, including six new solar array batteries and Ku-band antenna systems. During the
mission, three spacewalks are planned to put those spare parts on the station.
Commander Ken Ham and his crew are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately
7 p.m. on Monday, May 10, for final launch preparations. Joining Ham are Pilot Tony
Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen, and
Piers Sellers. STS-132 will be Atlantis' 32nd mission and the 34th shuttle flight dedicated
to station assembly and maintenance.
An Innovation Eco System called Fractal

A private company in India called Fractal is
making innovation an everyday thing. What
started off as an engineering firm has
turned to making its employees CEO's.
Read on. Origins : It all started when Mr L Kannan, founder of a product engineering
company based in Chennai, India, observed that all his engineers (both natural and
qualified) working on his pet project - the spinning machine, had their own innovative
ideas and that these creative juices were going untapped. Being a highly passionate
product engineer himself, he couldn't resist lending an ear to these sparks of ideas and
visualizing the potential and impact of these sparks. This empathy gave birth to a new
eco system. The eco system called Fractal. Vision and Mission: Today, Fractal is no
more "just a product engineering company". Fractal acts as a platform where passionate
innovators and engineers come together, share ideas and resources and give life to their
pet projects. Fractal mentors these ideas, helps the innovator drive the project in the right
direction and shares the dreams of the innovator to create a profitable business through
the product being engineered. Fractal distinguishes itself from venture capitalists and
angel investors simply because the investment is far greater than sheer money. Fractal
also distinguishes itself from incubators because the innovator does not pay back in
terms of money to get incubated. The Eco System: So how is Fractal an eco-system?
Firstly, Fractal has a very well connected network comprising professors from esteemed
colleges, investors with a true sense of engineering, successful innovators, engineers
and visionaries. While these are people who support Fractal from the outside, there is an
incessantly growing core Fractal team, comprising highly-skilled engineers from all
domains (mechanical, computer, electrical, electronic etc.) each working on their pet
project besides rendering necessary service to other pet projects functioning under the
Fractal umbrella. This is what every innovator gets from and gives back to Fractal. This is
what makes Fractal a true eco system. The Road Ahead : The Fractal mentoring team
staunchly believes that there is a great disparity between the number of able engineers
(and therefore ideas) and the number of entrepreneurs who have capitalized on these
ideas (the number of entrepreneurs being far too less). They have understood that the
reason for this is either that the idea was a brilliant one but the owner of the idea never
knew how to take it forward in the right direction or, that the idea was basically flawed but
the owner never had a forum to discuss, share and weigh the prospects of this idea.
Fractal is now looking at various channels to create an awareness about this eco system
and in-turn, the Fractal belief system and thereby bring in a wide range of worthy
engineers under the Fractal umbrella. Do you somehow belong here?
Posted by Deepti Natarajan at 04:00PM ()
Video: India's hidden hotbeds of invention

India is moving ahead in its quest for innovation. While the innovation in India is termed
"invisible" there are visible changes these innovations are bringing about. Watch Honey
Bee Networks' Honey Bee Networks supports and helps in nurturing grass roots level
innovation by facilitating knowledge sharing among communities. Anil Gupta talk about
tapping grassroots innovation in India
Computerization Of A Regional Transport Office

In India. Sigh.
Here is a business project for anyone who has the patience. I call dibbs on the idea…so
you need to pay me 40% as a consultation fee. I recently went in to get my learners
permit for a car at the Regional Transport Office. Now being from a predominantly IT
background, I’m not used to seeing that many files. Remember files? The actual ones
which look very similar to the icon on your computer? Files…made out of
cardboard…remember cardboard? Anyway, the place had only 6 computers….all black
and white monitors, and the only reason they were there was to make use of the dot
matrix printer (remember those?) to print out the learners permit. Otherwise, the entire
place seems to have become a tomb for files from 1985 stacked away in some corner.
The amount of paperwork is not funny. Here is how it typically goes, I take a form…one
for the bike..one for the car…then I fill them up, which takes a total of 20 minutes. All this
while pulling off one heck of a balancing act in the long line outside the officer’s room.
Once it is filled up and you’ve given adequate address and age proof, one needs to get a
signature…and sometimes a lecture from the officer, followed by which you fill in another
register to obtain the written test question paper. The paper is then corrected elsewhere
by another officer who tosses it into the ‘accepted’ box if you pass. One then returns after
a day or so to get the learners permit and that too is on paper, pulled out from the very
many files in another dingy room. People like me have gotten so used to the concept of
automation’ and computerization, that such a large amount of paper work is just plain
annoying. When I casually asked one of the officers there as to why they don’t
computerize everything, I was decently reprimanded with ‘ You IT fellows have all these
funny ideas….we are like this only and it is working’. Okay, here is the business idea. If
someone wants a learner’s permit, they fill out a form online and take a print out and then
take it to the officer for signing. If cleared, they can make the written tests online, and
have results delivered instantly. If the person clears, they collect the ready template for
the permit immediately or else, it goes into a database and they can come at a later date
and take up the exam. You cut out all the disguised employment for bill creation and
multiple officers to adminster tests and put signatures. Not to forget the fact that all that
paper work is done away with, and all the records are online. I know, I’ve not put too
much thought into this, and this is as naïve an idea as it can get. I am not even sure if
someone has tried this before, but imagine the government contracts on e can make from
this. Well, that’s my business plan in short. Looking for people who want to sort of get
together and get this rolling…
Infographic: State Of The Internet 2009

Always wanted to know who the internet is being used by, why it is used and how? This
infographic might help. [via Focus.com]
UTSA Researchers Win $9.2 Million In Stimulus
Funding During 2009
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) announced
today that it received $9.2 million in stimulus funding for
scientific research and university recruitment during 2009.
The majority of that funding, from the National Institutes of
Health and the National Science Foundation, will support researchers in UTSA’s College
of Sciences and College of Engineering. “UTSA is in a race with six other schools to
reach Tier One research status, so the opportunity to compete for stimulus funding
couldn’t come at a better time for us,” said Robert Gracy, UTSA’s vice president for
research. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the
stimulus bill, is an economic recovery package adopted to help states stabilize budgets
and stimulate economic growth. The bill allocates approximately $111 billion toward
infrastructure and science including approximately $21.5 billion through the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies for scientific research and
development projects. UTSA's 2009 stimulus funding will support the following 22
research and recruitment initiatives:Conformations and interactions of insect olfactory
receptor proteins, $209,630 Research will investigate the purpose and function of four
different parts of an insect pheromone receptor's structure. Findings will reveal how
pheromones can attract beneficial insects or repel harmful insects to protect the food
supply and control insect-borne diseases. Candida albicans biofilm dispersion as a key
step during candidiasis, $216,750 Research will look into how the fungus Candida
albicans forms biofilms and causes yeast infections. CAREER: Contingent static analysis
for dynamically composed systems, $425,000 Research is about new static analysis
techniques that will result in the development of faster and safer computer programs. II-
New: Enhanced parallelization for high performance computing, $227,178 Research will
establish a cluster for high-performance computing to increase the execution
performance of scientific applications. Decarbonoxylative allylic amidation: methods and
synthetic application, $390,000 The chemistry research will contribute to the development
of more effective medications to treat cancer and HIV. Post yield behavior vs. bone
quality, $330,574 Research will study the mechanism that occurs at the nano/molecular
level after bone begins to deform and structurally fails and will aid understanding of how
that process causes bones to become increasingly fragile. Modularly designed
organocatalysts for asymmetic reactions, $269,097 The chemistry research will help
develop medications that would retain their effectiveness when patients are prescribed
only half the regular dosage. Integrating high performance computing in research and
education for simulation, visualization and real-time prediction, $5,000,000 Funding will
establish a supercomputing center for interdisciplinary, computer-based research,
education and training. The center will help establish a recruitment pipeline for
engineering students of all levels from high school to Ph.D. Plant root templated
geotextiles, $354,478 Scientists will inject living plant roots with novel plastic polymers to
develop synthetic root systems that reinforce soils. A combined biochemical, molecular
and computational approach to understanding the regulation of gibberellin biosynthesis,
$150,000 This funds a study of the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of plant
hormones called gibberellins, which affect a plant's life cycle from seed germination to
flowering and seed production. A new strategy for learning highly similar concepts,
$125,416 Research will test the effectiveness of a strategy called differential-associative
processing to learn pairs of highly similar concepts. Aging, improving prospective
memory, and a formal model, $143,961 Research will focus on improving prospective
memory in young and older adults. Mechanism of steroid resistance in EAE/MS,
$105,131 Funding will help develop biomarkers that monitor the effectiveness of
glucocorticoid treatment and the development of autoimmune disease resistance.
Bacterial proteins containing novel iron sites, $22,600 The research is about the
structure, function and catalytic mechanisms of bacterial iron enzymes that scavenge
toxic oxygen and nitric oxide molecules, which are toxic to these microbes.
Computational discovery and analysis of community structures in biology networks,
$124,117 Research will develop computer programs to better understand the genetic
networks of complex diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. Recruitment of new stem
cell biologist, $316,750 Funds are for a new tenure-track assistant professor specializing
in stem cell research to support the UTSA Institute for Cellular and Molecular Primatology
and Department of Biology. Crime Analysis Consortium: Building capacity in Bexar
County, Texas, $371,522 Funding will help conduct data-driven crime analyses across a
consortium of Bexar County, Texas, law enforcement agencies and produce processes
and centralized databases that will better direct law enforcement resources. Federal
work-study, $266,452 A federal work-study student employee will assist in providing
need-based financial aid to students. Additionally, UTSA teamed with the University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on four projects. They include:Cell model
for KSHV infection and genetic manipulation, $53,183 Research will define the functions
and molecular mechanisms of microRNA in Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus
during replication. Diabetes: Implant integration, success and benefit, $44,643 Research
will analyze pentosidine concentrations in bone samples. Partnership to address physical
activities among low-income Latino adolescent girls, $15,624 Research will identify
barriers to physical activities in Latinas and develop effective strategies to promote
participation in physical activity. Partnership to address physical activity among low-
income Latino and adolescent girls, $77,619 Work will include the development,
deployment and maintenance of the project's cell phone service to promote Latina health
and connect youth to community resources.
Carnegie Mellon, Nissan Team Up For Electric

Vehicles
Students at Carnegie Mellon University
spent the spring semester exploring the
future of electric vehicles through a
partnership with Nissan North America (NNA). The class is a cross-campus collaboration
among faculty and researchers at the university's Carnegie Institute of Technology
(College of Engineering), School of Design and Tepper School of Business. The
classroom challenge for this semester focused on addressing issues and developing
solutions related to electric cars projected to be in the market in the next five years.
Professionals from Nissan's advanced planning and product planning groups, engineers
from Nissan Technical Center North America, researchers and designers from Nissan
Design America supported the students as they executed their projects. The students'
goal: developing real-world innovations for Nissan electric vehicles. "Nissan's electric
vehicle program presents an unprecedented opportunity for re-imagining the future of
transportation," saidRachel Nguyen, director, advanced planning, NNA. "The student
teams offered uniquely informed perspectives on zero-emission mobility and what that
means for their generation." The class worked in six teams, each of which spent the
semester working towards a single concept, presented today in the final class. Nissan
has committed to moving beyond a single electric vehicle solution through the
introduction of several electric vehicles, and these different solutions are designed to help
Nissan explore future possibilities. Projects include: an in-car work station; an interactive
dashboard for entertainment and connectivity; grocery-shopping support system; an
automated vehicle cleaning system; a suite of ergonomic features to reduce stress; and a
vehicle trash, recycling and organization system. "Carnegie Mellon University's
interdisciplinary approach to teaching offers these students the opportunity to gain
experience on real-world projects," said Jonathan Cagan, Ladd Professor of Mechanical
Engineering and co-director of the Master of Product Development program. "We're
looking forward to the possibility of seeing these solutions on the road, in future iterations
of Nissan electric vehicles." Cagan teaches the course with Peter Boatwright, Associate
Professor of Marketing, and Eric Anderson, Associate Professor of Design.
Real Time Photo Sharing Service Radar Shutting

Down
An amazing service is shutting down this
month. Radar - the real time photo sharing
service is closing it door on May 26th.
Radar was one of the first startups in the
photo sharing business along with Flickr
and the service was certainly unique considering the real time photo sharing feature. Now
the startup is shutting down the service post its acquisition by Shutterfly, an online photo
printing service. They are working on a new photo printing service called Wink. Wink lets
you create "photo strips", like Moo but a little longer maybe. Radar users can move their
pictures to Shutterfly before Radar is shut down. Apparently Facebook and Flickr have
made "just photo sharing" obsolete. Wishing the team the best of luck for everything they
do in the future!
Silicon nanoparticles will power next-generation

batteries
They say there is a thin line between love
and hate, a statement with which many
electronic consumers would agree when they are holding their beloved iPhones, unable
to use it because the batteries need charging. Soon enough consumers could be using
electronics powered by next-generation batteries with far longer lives. Researchers in the
laboratory have replaced a standard component in batteries with silicon nanoparticles to
successfully increase the batteries’ energy storage capacity. Lithium-ion batteries, which
power everything from cell phones to cars, have three major components: the anode (the
negative part of the battery) and the cathode (the positive part). These determine a
battery’s power capacity, and the electrolyte resting in the middle of the two regulates the
rate at which lithium is shuttled back and forth. The way a battery creates power is by
transporting electrons between the two anode and cathode terminals, otherwise known
as electrodes. Lithium ions partnered with electrons are stored and start off the journey at
the anode, or negative side of the battery. Then the electron leaves the battery to power
the device attached to the battery. The lithium ion flows through the battery to the positive
side, where it once again meets up with the electron. The anode typically has been
composed of carbon and graphite, however, researchers have replaced the bulk of the
graphite with silicon. So instead of layers of just graphene, it is now a three-part
graphene-silicon nanoparticles-graphene sandwich. Graphene is a honeycomb network
of carbons, graphite is multiple layers of graphene stacked in a specific pattern. Silicon
nanoparticles were a natural choice for researchers for various reasons, the primary ones
being that silicon has the highest energy density of any element and it is cheap.
Replacing graphite with silicon nanoparticles increases the amount of energy that can be
packed into a battery by 10-fold. “These types of nanomaterials [silicon nanoparticles]
show significant promise in the development of energy generation, storage and
conversion devices,” said Chad Mirkin, director of the International Institute for
Nanotechnology and George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern
University.In a paper releasing their most recent findings, a team of NU researchers show
that silicon nanoparticles, supported by a graphene and graphitic network can increase
the power density and cycling life of lithium-ion batteries. A cycle is made up of one
complete charge and discharge.Commercially available lithium-ion batteries have to meet
life-cycle standards set by the government. For instance, laptop or cell phone batteries
must have a life-cycle of at least 300. Within the 300 cycles the batteries capacity should
be at least 80 percent of its original capacity. If a battery originally lasts 10 hours by the
300th cycle it should last at least eight hours. The hurdle for researchers is being able to
have a lithium-ion battery with silicon-based anodes that lasts the requisite charging
cycles. “Right now with silicon batteries the battery is great at the very beginning, but by
increased use it is lowering the capacity of the battery and the wear and tear eventually
gets to it by 100 cycles,” said Cary Hayner, an NU Ph.D. student and one of the four
authors of the paper. Hayner and his colleagues have created high capacity batteries, but
he says it will be another five to 10 years before they are able to reach government
mandated life-cycles for lithium-ion batteries with silicon based anodes.Whether
Northwestern’s research group is able to achieve this first is unknown. What is certain is
that the future of batteries “at some point will be silicon,” said Hayner. The prospect of
having more powerful batteries to use in cars that will decrease America’s dependency
on oil is alluring to everyone, particularly the U.S. Department of Energy. One of its
programs, the Energy Frontier Research Centers recently granted $20 million in funding
to Northwestern University, Argonne Laboratories and University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign The money was part of a $2.4 billion stimulus package earmarked by the
Obama administration for U.S. batteries and electric vehicles. It is the single largest
investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever
made, according to an energy department press release last year announcing the grant.
“The stimulus package not only is leading to new jobs but also is funding cutting edge
work, which will drive the economy of tomorrow,” said Mirkin, a member of President
Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. A123 Systems is one of two
companies working on advanced batteries that received $550 million in federal stimulus
funds last year for establishing battery-manufacturing plants. Its work on advanced
lithium-ion battery packs is being used in applications ranging from transportation
vehicles to power tools. The company started up at a university lab at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. “Federal support for startups has historically been best applied at
the basic research level, nurturing radical new approaches across the sciences,” said
Steve Jurvetson, managing director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, whose venture capital
firm frequently looks at companies manufacturing lithium-ion batteries or companies’
creating products that use these batteries. Jurvetson, a venture capitalist, sits on the
board of Tesla Motors, a manufacturer of electric vehicles that use 6,831 lithium ion cells
in their roadsters. Hayner notes that because of the power and light weight of silicon
nanoparticles, “the lithium battery that currently powers a Tesla would weigh much less
than it currently does. And you would be able to drive the car for longer distances.”Tesla
car owners -- and people with an overabundance of lithium-ion battery powered
electronics -- are eagerly awaiting lithium-ion batteries with silicon. [via Medill Reports]
Tiny Particles May Help Surgeons By Marking

Brain Tumors
Researchers at the Ohio State University have developed a
way to enhance how brain tumors appear in MRI scans and
during surgery, making the tumors easier for surgeons to
identify and remove. Scientists at Ohio State University are
experimenting with different nanoparticles that they hope may
one day be injected into the blood of patients and help
surgeons remove lethal brain tumors known as
glioblastomas. In the journal Nanotechnology, researchers
reported that they have manufactured a small particle called
a nanocomposite that is both magnetic and fluorescent. These nanocomposites measure
less than twenty nanometers in size (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter). One sheet
of paper, for example, is about 100,000 nanometers thick. “Our strategy is combining two
particles that contain different properties to make one particle with multiple properties,”
explained Jessica Winter, assistant professor in chemical and biomolecular
engineeringand biomedical engineering at Ohio State. The magnetic nanoparticles
emphasize color contrasts within MRIs, allowing doctors to see potential or existing
cancerous tumors before surgery. The fluorescent nanoparticles can change the color
that the tumor appears in the brain when seen under a special light. Neurological
surgeons could benefit from a multi-functional particle that would allow them to better see
the tumor with an MRI before surgery, and then see it physically during surgery, Winter
said. “We’re trying to develop a single nanocomposite that’s magnetic – so you can do
preoperative MRI – and that’s fluorescent – so that when neurological surgeons go into
surgery, they can shine a light on the tumor and it will glow a specific color such as
green, for example. Then, the surgeon can simply remove all of the green,” Winter said.
“With traditional magnetic contrasting agents, you’ll get an MRI, but you won’t see
anything during surgery,“ she added. Winter’s study provided convincing proof that a
particle with dual properties can be formed. However, these multi-functional particles
can’t be used for animal or human testing because the fluorescent particle, cadmium
telluride, is toxic. “We’re currently working on an alternative fluorescent particle which is
composed of carbon. This will eliminate the complications that arise with ingesting the
cadmium telluride particles,” Winter said. atients with a specific form of deadly brain
tumor, glioblastoma, could benefit from Winter’s work. Glioblastomas are usually located
in the temporal, or frontal lobe of the brain, and tumors located there are difficult to see
and remove. Combining the two particles could provide doctors with help both before and
during the surgery to remove a brain tumor, Winter said. One of the successes in creating
the new nanocomposite particle was how they did it, Winter said. It is normally difficult to
combine particles like these, a process known as doping. The Ohio State researchers
pursued an approach which had not been attempted before. They chose to bind their
fluorescent particle on top of their magnetic particle at extremely high temperatures. "The
key is that our synthesis is done at pretty high temperatures – about 350 degrees Celsius
(around 660 degrees Fahrenheit),” Winter explained. “The synthesis was unexpected, but
cool at the same time, and we were excited when we saw what we got.” The primary
neurological surgeon that collaborates with Winter and her team, an assistant professor
with the Department of Neurological Surgery, Atom Sarkar, hopes to test the approach on
animals at some point. But first they have to produce a particle that contains no toxic
ingredients. If results continue to be encouraging, Winter is optimistic that similar
multifunctional particles could become an innovative part of neurological surgery within
the next five years. Others involved with Winter on this research were two of her post
doctoral students, Shuang Deng and Gang Ruan, and one of her graduate students, Ning
Han. Shuang has recently left and now holds a faculty position in China. The researchers
received funding from the National Science Foundation.
Mexico's Online Population Soars 20 Percent in

Past Year
ComScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR) today released a report on
Internet growth in Mexico based on data from its comScore
Media Metrix service. The report found that in March there were 15.5 million home and
work Internet users age 15 and older in Mexico, an increase of 20 percent from the
previous year, making it one of the fastest-growing markets. Microsoft Sites ranked as the
top online property in Mexico reaching more than 90 percent of the online population,
followed by Google Sites, Yahoo! Sites and Facebook. "With more than 15 million
Internet users in Mexico and growing fast, advertisers are increasingly turning to the
digital medium to reach their desired audiences with increased sophistication and
efficiency," said Ivan Marchant, comScore Country Manager for Mexico. "The ability to
target audiences across a variety of dimensions including demographics and behaviors is
vital to the success of digital campaigns. comScore's growing presence in Mexico reflects
the increasing importance of the digital medium to consumers' lives in this market." In the
past year, Internet usage in Mexico has grown considerably across nearly all measures.
The total number of visitors has grown 20 percent to 15.5 million while visitor
engagement has surged. In March, the average Internet visitor in Mexico spent 28 hours
online (up 7.5 percent), consumed 1,898 pages of content (up 18 percent) and went
online 49 times during the month (up 18.6 percent). Among users age 15+, Microsoft
Sites ranked as the top online property in Mexico with 14.3 million visitors, up 29 percent
from the previous year, followed by Google Sites with 14.2 million visitors, which grew 32
percent. Yahoo! Sites grabbed the #3 spot with 9 million visitors (up 23 percent), followed
by Facebook.com with 8.7 million visitors, more than triple the number of visitors from the
previous year, as the social networking site solidified its popularity in the market. Online
properties native to Latin America including Mercado Libre (5 million visitors), Batanga
(nearly 5 million visitors), and Taringa.net (4.7 million visitors) also ranked among the top
ten. [via prnewswire]
Truecar: Tells You What Your New Car Really

Costs
Looking around town to find the best price
for a new car? Truecar.com makes that
work a very easy thing to do! Truecar gives
you the lowest price, the highes price and
the average price of a car across dealer
networks in your zip code and makes it look pretty. Think of it as Autotrader married to
etrade. Awesome stuff. Check out the neat graphs it shows you! Posted by Akshaya
Qualcomm Is Giving Away Flo TV Personal TV's
at Uplinq 2010
This is becoming a trend now. Google gave away Nexus One
at their last I/O event, now Qualcomm at its Uplinq 2010
conference will give away Flo TV's with a 1 year paid
subscription from AT&T to all everyone registering for the event before May 4th! The
device costs about 200 bucks and the TV service costs about 30 bucks a month on these
FLO handheld TV devices. We posted this late s you missed the "window" to get a free
device. I am sure more conferences will give more things away so stay tuned. Image of
the email after the break Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 12:00AM ()
Infographic: Where Energy Is Consumed In Your
Home
Seeing huge electric bills but do not know why? This
infographic may be able to help you visualize energy use in
your home.
Lower Electric Bills Graphic
DIY Lenses For Your Eyes - Look Again.

About 45% of all Americans wear some sort of vision correction. Out of this, the majority
wear eyeglasses made of, you know - glass or plastic. But what do you do in places such
as sub-Saharan Africa where access to eye doctors, leave alone eyeglasses is as bad as
access to water? Well, make your own glasses. Confused? Prof. Josh Silver, a physicist
at the University of Oxford, UK has a unique solution to this problem. Literally. He
proposes to replace glass lenses with liquid lenses. You vary the curvature of the lens by
increasing or decreasing the amount of a viscous liquid held inside a transparent pocket.
This way you are the eye doctor and need no prescription for the power of eyeglasses
you need. You are also in control when it comes to changing power of correction
required. Say one year down the line your eye's power changes. Just change the amount
of liquid in the pocket. Ingenious eh? These eyeglasses can be made for a fraction of the
cost of normal eyeglasses and are being distributed across the globe in economically
poor regions. Video after the break!
Anonymous Feedback From Your Co-workers?

Good Idea!
BetterMe, Inc announced Thursday that its
free online tools for anonymous feedback
are currently being used by employees in
more than 1,000 companies. The site,
which launched in February, allows users to
send feedback as well as "feedback
requests" on any topic, from work to school to social situations. Fifty-nine percent of
feedback sent through the site is categorized by the sender as work-related. "We are
seeing a grass-roots feedback revolution in companies. People are taking BetterMe into
the office, sending feedback to bosses and coworkers, and asking for comments on their
own performance," said BetterMe founder and CEO Sterling Mace. "People are hungry
for honest, constructive workplace communication." David Hung, President and CEO of
Medivation says that BetterMe is enabling employees to have important conversations
they were previously reluctant to start. "BetterMe provides employees with an important
tool to improve their own performance as well as the performance of their teams," said
Hung. "Feedback is crucial to organizational development and BetterMe facilitates the
exchange of constructive feedback that may not have been happening before."
Employees across a variety of companies and industries use BetterMe for workplace
feedback, including a national healthcare services nonprofit, a global provider of IT
products, and a multinational candy company.
GE Achieves Cleaner Coal Energy Milestone

Marking a major milestone on the road to America’s clean
energy future, GE (NYSE: GE) today announced the
shipment of the second of its advanced, highly efficient
turbines to Duke Energy’s integrated gasification combined-
cycle (IGCC) power plant in Edwardsport, Ind. GE is
providing the IGCC technology for Duke’s Edwardsport
facility, which is expected to be the largest, most advanced
commercial IGCC plant in the world in 2012.
“With GE Energy’s advanced technology, we are building one of the cleanest and most
efficient coal-fired plants in the world”
“With GE Energy’s advanced technology, we are building one of the cleanest and most
efficient coal-fired plants in the world,” said Catherine Heigel, president, Duke Energy
Carolinas, South Carolina. “This project demonstrates our commitment to building a clean
energy economy for our communities.”
“GE Energy’s IGCC technology embodies the company’s commitment to powering the
world with cleaner energy products,” said Monte Atwell, general manager—gasification
for GE Power & Water. “It helps preserve a role for coal in a cleaner energy economy,
both here in the United States and around the world.” GE Energy’s IGCC technology
solution, which is available today, converts coal to gas. Pollutants—NOx, SOx, Mercury
and particulate matter—are then removed from the gas. IGCC offers the ability to capture
carbon dioxide (CO2) prior to combustion, providing an efficient, economical and
commercially feasible means of reducing this greenhouse gas when compared to a
traditional coal plant. Atwell noted that strong federal policy leadership and financial
incentives are needed to accelerate the widespread adoption of IGCC technology in the
United States. “The administration and Congress need to help jump-start America’s
transition to a cleaner energy economy,” he said. “The United States can lead the world
in IGCC technology development and deployment, but the time to act is now. Already,
China is emerging as a world leader in the construction of more efficient, less polluting
coal plants. If America doesn’t act swiftly, the opportunity to export U.S. IGCC technology
to coal-rich nations like China and India may be lost.” GE Energy has been a pioneer in
the development of IGCC technology, having provided the technology for several
milestone IGCC projects, including the pilot Coolwater IGCC plant in Barstow, Calif. GE
Energy’s IGCC technology also has been operating on a commercial scale at Tampa
Electric’s 250-megawatt Polk Power Station since 1996. The two GE 7F syngas
turbines—which will operate on cleaner burning syngas fuel produced from coal—were
manufactured in GE’s Greenville, S.C., plant, which employs approximately 3,100. The
first turbine shipped to Edwardsport in early April. When complete, Duke’s Edwardsport
plant will generate up to 618 megawatts of electricity, enough power to nearly 500,000
homes.
Willow Garage Giving Away 11 PR2 Robots

Worth Over $4 Million
Oh, the very slow but super "towel folding" robot "PR2" by Willow Garage will soon see
clones of itslef in 11 institutions and universities across the globe including the USA,
Europe and Japan. Theis "giveaway" is worth $4 mil! The objective is to get these towel
folders to be developed into something more useful than just folding towels. The creators
wnat universtities and tech institutes t ofigure out how these cumbersome robots can be
put to better use. The "Personal Robot 2" utilizes an open robot platform design and is
powered by 16 cores of raw processing power. What also makes the PR2 unique is an
open source "robot operatine system". The lucky 11 universities/institutes that will receive
the PR2 are as follows: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg with the proposal
TidyUpRobot The University of Freiburg's strength in mapping has led to multiple open-
source libraries in wide use. Their group will program the PR2 to do tidy-up tasks like
clearing a table, while working on difficult underlying capabilities, like understanding how
drawers and refrigerators open, how to recognize different
types of objects, and how to integrate this information with
the robot's map. Their goal is to detect, grasp, and put away
objects with very high reliability, and reproduce these results
at other PR2 Beta Program sites. Bosch with the proposal
Developing the Personal Robotics Market: Enabling New Applications Through Novel
Sensors and Shared Autonomy Bosch will bring their expertise in manufacturing, sensing
technologies and consumer products. Bosch will be making robotic sensors available to
members of the PR2 Beta Program, including a limited number of "skins" that will give the
PR2 the ability to feel its environment. Bosch will also make their PR2 remotely
accessible and will expand on the libraries they've released for ROS. Georgia Institute of
Technology with the proposal Assistive Mobile Manipulation for Older Adults at Home
The Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech will be placing the PR2 in an "Aware
Home" to study how robots can help with homecare and creative assistive capabilities for
older adults. Their research includes creating easier ways for adults to interact with
robots, and enabling robots to interact with everyday objects like drawers, lamps, and
light switches. Their human-robot interaction focus will help ensure that the software
development is closely connected to real-world needs. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
with the proposal Unified Framework for Task Specification, Control and Coordination for
Mobile Manipulation KU Leuven in Belgium is a key player in the open-source robotics
community. As one of the founding institutions for the Orocos Project, they will be
improving the tools and libraries used to program robots in ROS, by, for example,
integrating ROS with Blender. They will also be working on getting the PR2 and people to
perform tasks together, like carrying objects through a crowded environment. MIT CSAIL
with the proposal Mobile Manipulation in Human-Centered Environments The diverse
MIT CSAIL group will use the PR2 to study the key capabilities needed by robots that
operate in human-centered environments, such as safe navigation, interaction with
humans via natural language, object recognition, and planning for complex goals. Their
work will allow robots to build the maps they need in order to move around in buildings as
large as MIT’s 11-story Stata Center. They will also program the PR2 to put away
groceries and do simple cleaning tasks. Stanford University with the proposal STAIR on
PR2 PR1 was developed in Kenneth Salisbury's lab at Stanford, and ROS was
developed from the STAIR (Stanford AI Robot) Project. We're very excited that the PR2
will become the new platform for the STAIR Project's innovative research. Their team will
work on several applications, which include taking inventory, retrieving items scattered
about a building, and clearing a table after a meal. Technische Universität München with
the proposal CRAM: Cognitive Robot Abstract Machine TUM will research giving the PR2
the artificial intelligence skills and 3D perception to reason about what it is doing while it
performs various kitchen tasks. These combined improvements will help the PR2 perform
more complicated tasks like setting a table, emptying a dishwasher, preparing meals, and
other kitchen-related tasks. University of California, Berkeley with the proposal PR2 Beta
Program: A Platform for Personal Robotics The PR2 is now known as the "Towel-Folding
Robot", thanks to the impressive efforts of Pieter Abbeel's lab at Berkeley. In two short
months, they were able to get the PR2 to fold fifty towels in a row. Berkeley will tackle the
much more difficult challenge of doing laundry, from dirty laundry piles to neatly folded
clothes. In addition, their team is interested in hierarchical planning, object recognition,
and assembly and manufacturing tasks (e.g. IKEA products) through learning by
demonstration University of Pennsylvania with the proposal PR2GRASP: From
Perception and Reasoning to Grasping The GRASP Lab proposal aims to tackle some of
the challenges facing household robotics. These challenges include tracking people and
planning for navigation in dynamic environments, and transferring handheld objects
between robots and humans. Their contributions will include giving PR2 a tool belt to
change its gripper on the fly, helping it track and navigate around people, and performing
difficult two-arm tasks like opening spring-loaded doors. University of Southern California
with the proposal Persistent and Persuasive Personal Robots (P^3R): Towards
Networked, Mobile, Assistive Robotics USC has already demonstrated teaching the PR2
basic motor skills so that it can adapt to different situations and tasks, such as pouring a
cup. They will continue to expand on this work in imitation learning and building and
refining skill libraries, while also doing research in human-robot interaction and self-
calibration for sensors. University of Tokyo, Jouhou System Kougaku (JSK) Laboratory
with the proposal Autonomous Motion Planning for Daily Tasks in Human Environments
using Collaborating Robots The JSK Laboratory at the University of Tokyo is one of the
top humanoid robotics labs in the world. Their goal is to see robots safely and
autonomously perform daily, human-like tasks such as retrieving objects and cleaning up
domestic environments. They'll also be working on getting the PR2 to work together with
other robots, as well as integrating the ROS, EusLisp, and OpenRAVE frameworks. A
video documentary of the PR2 robot beta program after the break
Breakthrough Will Boost Semiconductor
Performance
UT Dallas researchers have laid the
groundwork for attaching virtually any
organic molecule to silicon, a technological
feat that promises to greatly improve
semiconductor devices’ performance in
health care and solar power applications in
particular. “This is very exciting to have
been able to go beyond what was thought
to be possible,” said Dr. Yves Chabal, principal
investigator in the project and head of the Materials
Science and Engineering Department at UT Dallas. His
team’s accomplishments were reported in two articles in
the October 2009 and February 2010 issues of the
journal Nature Materials. For semiconductors such as
silicon to interact with the environment – as a biosensor
that detects cancer-marker proteins, for example – it
would be necessary to have an organic layer that
interacts with those proteins. That interaction would
then be detected by traditional circuitry underneath. A
critical challenge for fabricating biosensors and
photovoltaic solar cells is to attach functional organic
molecules without introducing electronic defects at the
semiconductor surface. Up until now,
biosensor devices were made using
oxidized silicon, resulting in poor stability.
And photovoltaic devices were limited due
to what are known as interface traps,
resulting in less-efficient energy transfer.
Nearly 20 years ago, Chabal and co-
workers at Bell Labs devised a method to
prepare oxide-free silicon surfaces perfectly
terminated with a layer of hydrogen atoms.
Recently, methods to attach organic
molecules to that surface have been developed, but the number of molecules that can be
attached is very limited, restricting the value of these methods for most applications, such
as biosensors, microelectronics, optoelectronics and solar receptors. If oxidized surfaces
are used instead, poor stability results, limiting performance and eliminating widespread
use. Chabal’s latest effort took five years, culminating in several breakthroughs that
enable two novel ways to make hydrogen-terminated silicon surfaces more reactive with
organic molecules. The key to these processes is the ability to nanopattern these silicon
surfaces in a very controlled fashion. “We persisted primarily because of the excitement
of the scientific discovery,” he said, “but also because I could see that such fundamental
knowledge could have a big impact on industrial applications.” In addition to enabling
biosensors that detect minute quantities of substances such as cancer-marker proteins,
the new technology promises a new generation of higher-efficiency solar cells, which
have long languished at efficiency of less than 50 percent. Such higher-efficiency
photovoltaic cells would incorporate sunlight-sensitive biomolecules, nanoparticles or
quantum dots that capture photons and transfer the energy to the electronic substrate.
Chabal, who also holds the Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in
Nanoelectronics at UT Dallas, believes the findings of his team’s results could find their
place in commercial applications within five to 10 years. Chabal has been studying
semiconductor surfaces for 30 years. His team’s work is performed in the Laboratory for
Surface and Nanostructure Modification in the 3-year-old Natural Science and
Engineering Research Laboratory building at UT Dallas and in collaboration with
colleagues at Rutgers University, Accelrys Inc. and the Laboratoire d’Analyse et
d’Architecture des Systèmes in Toulouse, France. The research was carried out with
support from the National Science Foundation (Chemistry Division), including its U.S.-
France cooperative research program. Important collaboration also took place with
additional researchers at UT Dallas, Intel, Air Products and Zyvex Labs.
Google invests $38.8 mil in two US wind farms

Wow! Now that's an investment! After Solar, Google's headed in the windy direction.
What can be dubbed Google's first main stream investment in utility grade green energy
will power about 55,000 homes thanks to Wind energy. The two wind farms in North
Dakota are developed by Next Era Energy Resources. In a blog post on Monday, Rick
Needham, Google's green business operations manager, wrote: "Through this $38.8
million investment, we're aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in a
way that makes good business sense, too." Google has made a concerted effort in
pushing the climate change issue via its philanthropic arm Google.org and investment in
green tech is Google's way of showing that they care. The two wind farms will generate
about 169.5 MW of energy per year. This is a small chunk of Next Era Energy Resources'
wind farm capacity of 7000 MW per annum.
FDA Approves First Cancer Vaccine. Yay!

Not too often does the Food and Drug Administration approve something too good to be
true, be it in the interest of people or not. The FDA on 29th April, approved a Cancer
vaccine for men with advanced prostate cancer. This allows the immune system to fight
the cancer cells on its own rather than with the aid of chemicals injected into the body.
Full PR text after the break. ***********Start PR Text************* FDA Approves a Cellular
Immunotherapy for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration today approved Provenge (sipuleucel-T), a new therapy for certain men
with advanced prostate cancer that uses their own immune system to fight the disease.
Provenge is indicated for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic
prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and is resistant to standard
hormone treatment. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among
men in the United States, behind skin cancer, and usually occurs in older men. In 2009,
an estimated 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed and about 27,000
men died from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. “The availability of
Provenge provides a new treatment option for men with advanced prostate cancer, who
currently have limited effective therapies available,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., acting
director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Provenge is an
autologous cellular immunotherapy, designed to stimulate a patient’s own immune
system to respond against the cancer. Each dose of Provenge is manufactured by
obtaining a patient’s immune cells from the blood, using a machine in a process known
as leukapheresis. To enhance their response against the cancer, the immune cells are
then exposed to a protein that is found in most prostate cancers, linked to an immune
stimulating substance. After this process, the patient’s own cells are returned to the
patient to treat the prostate cancer. Provenge is administered intravenously in a three-
dose schedule given at about two-week intervals. The effectiveness of Provenge was
studied in 512 patients with metastatic hormone treatment refractory prostate cancer in a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, which showed an increase
in overall survival of 4.1 months. The median survival for patients receiving Provenge
treatments was 25.8 months, as compared to 21.7 months for those who did not receive
the treatment. Almost all of the patients who received Provenge had some type of
adverse reaction. Common adverse reactions reported included chills, fatigue, fever,
back pain, nausea, joint ache and headache. The majority of adverse reactions were mild
or moderate in severity. Serious adverse reactions, reported in approximately one quarter
of the patients receiving Provenge, included some acute infusion reactions and stroke.
Cerebrovascular events, including hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes, were observed in
3.5 percent of patients in the Provenge group compared with 2.6 percent of patients in
the control group. Provenge is manufactured by Seattle-based Dendreon Corp.
***********End PR Text**************
The Yatra To Entrepreneurship

1 train, 13 destinations, 15 role models, 18 days, 400 participants, 9000 kilometers. This
in short is the story of the Tata Jagriti Yatra(www.jagritiyatra.com). The Tata Group of
companies along with Jagriti (awakening in Hindi), an India-based NGO to specifically
promote the spirit of social entrepreneurship besides business entrepreneurship have
come together for the last three years and have been promoting the most raved about
journey for budding entrepreneurs. The yatra (journey in Hindi) invites applications from
all over India. The application process for the yatra starts as early as April while the
actual yatra starts on Dec 24th every year. A rigorous interview process with an eminent
panel filters application to choose the 400 worthy candidates from over hundred thousand
applications that pour in each year. A dedicated train remodeled to house the entire yatra
team is all ready to take the yatris (people who take part in a journey) to over 13 cities all
over India. In each city the yatris meet a successful entrepreneur, specifically a social
entrepreneur, understand his/her business model and journey, get a chance to see their
fitment into any of these ventures and take home with them a thorough understanding of
a very successful entrepreneurial venture. Besides meeting the entrepreneurs, some
cities also have an added attraction of a panel discussion with eminent members from
various domains discussing a key issue related to entrepreneurship. While the above
happens during the day, the participants spend their evenings and nights on the train
making presentations to one another about the meet with the entrepreneur, have
facilitated group-discussions on various topics and together work on a business model
similar to what they last saw. And if one were to think that this is an opportunity heavy on
their pockets, it just gets better with the sponsorship scheme that this initiative has.
Deserving yatris get either a part or sometimes even a full sponsorship for the entire
yatra. This is the third successful year of the Yatra. The application process has already
started in full swing. Come December and the engine to yet another new awakening
starts.
4000 MW A Year Out Of Geothermal Energy.

That's What Indonesia Is P...
What do you do when your country's volcanoes is spewing out hot gases left right and
center? Make electricity of course! Indonesia wants to follow Scandinavia in harnessing
geothermal energy to the tune of about 4000 MW per year. Yup, just 4000 MW. The
Indonesian government wants to reduce its reliance on Coal powered thermal energy.
They want to achieve this by plugging power plants over hundreds of active volcanoes
that litter the archipelago - see map below. All this by the year 2014. What this means for
Indonesia is that 35% of it population that does not have electricity will get electricity while
reducing the country's carbon footprint. Also note that geothermal energy is sustainable
and hence could be a long term solution to Indonesia's energy woes. Whatever it is, we
are happy to see third world countries go green while developed nations keep spewing
out greenhouse gases.
We Need Robotic Maids. We Do.

Oh Japanese robot builders, are you sure we need things like this in our lives? Floor
cleaning robots are great but do we really need dish cleaning "maid" robots? Why are we
making our lives a movie? (read I Robot). OK, lets stop the drama and get to the meat of
the topic now. Jouhou System Kougaku Laboratory of the University of Tokyo has
created what they call the "HRP2", a humanoid robot which helps you clean dishes. The
"HRP2" also vacuums and sweeps your home's floor, hence earning the title of a "Helper
Robot" in the true sense. This brings up the issue of Ethical Treatment of Robots. Are you
going to make slaves out of these pieces of metal and silicon? Oh we dread the day
when the "machines" will turn against us! Until then, check out these pics of the amazing
Helper Bot. [via IEEE Spectrum]
Floating Powerplants Will Make Us More Power.

Forever.
You thought wind energy was stuck on green pastures? The freaks from Denmark have
taken it off the fields and put it on the high seas. Seriously! Dubbed the Poseidon, the
massive "floating" power plant harnesses energy from the winds of the high seas that
don't get to the high plateaus. Poseidon is based on a hydraulic power take-off system.
What this means is that a bunch of windmills will float on water generating power. This
guarantees higher energy production capacities compared to other wave based energy
systems. There are several positive environmental impacts from the construction of
Poseidon. The energy production from a 230 meter Poseidon power plant will reduce the
annual emission from a traditional fossil fuel power generation by:
• 145 tons of sulphur dioxide

• 120 tons of nitric oxides
• 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide
• 2,600 tons of slag and fly ash
Poseidon utilizes and absorbs the inherent energy from the waves, thereby reducing the
height of the waves significantly and creating calm waters behind the front of the plant.
Impressive stuff! We are just waiting for a sea full of these things generating electricity for
us. We love green tech!
Ideabing Exclusive: Interview with the CEO of 30

Dollar Finance
We had introduced you folks to a new
microfinance startup called 30 dollar
finance concentrating on microfinance for
rural Indian women. The founders have been kind enough to grant us an interview on
what 30 dollar finance is up to. We talked to Snehal Fulzele, the CEO of 30 dollar finance
(30df.org) on the team, why India and a host of other topics. Full interview ahead.
[Ideabing] Talk us through how 30df.org began. [Snehal] It began at Carnegie Mellon
University in Oct 2008 where I was taking a course on 'Information and Communication
Technology for Human Development'. Back then, I had a vague idea of micro-credit as a
concept, but this was the first time I was reading and researching about microfinance in-
depth. I was and am fascinated by the impact it had made at the bottom of the pyramid. I
started researching about microfinance in India and a potential opportunity to start
something based on it. Few observations about micro-finance - it is an epitome of social
innovation, strikes a balance between capitalism and socialism, and provides an
excellent opportunity to set up sustainable non-profit/for-profit initiatives. My team started
drafting 30 Dollar Finance's plan in Jan 2009. Martin Fisher, founder of KickStart,
explains how cash based economy can be a viable and sustainable solution to poverty.
30DF seconds that – we say raising income is a solution to poverty. 30DF is one such
attempt to progress towards a cash based economy. [Ideabing] Tell us about the team
behind 30df.org [Snehal] 30df.org's core management is comprised of highly motivated
and smart individuals. The two ’M’s of the team - Mandar Marathe and Murari Sinha are
the pillars of 30$F. Their dedication and ability to come up with innovative solutions to our
road blocks amazes me. In short, they make 30$F youthful and impactful. Our Operation
heads, Kaustubh Tamaskar in India and Shivkumar Yellewar in the Middle East work
independently on creating chapters, forming corporate/NGO/non-profit partnerships and
finding investors. The core team never loses focus on overall short term and long term
goals and 30$F's mission. [Ideabing] Why does 30df concentrate on microfinance for
India? Why not the global approach of Kiva? [Snehal] We want to focus on India,
because we want to focus on India - we want to start in our own backyard. There are
more than 100 million poor people in India who are yet to get a taste of microfinance.
There is going to be demand for microfinance in India in the coming years; Regulation of
microfinance industry in India may have mixed results especially for the ultra-poor section
of the society. We want to focus on the ultra-poor section of India who may get ignored.
Right now, we are small and there are resource limitations. We have built an online
system which is capable of scale, but we are short of resources on handling country-
specific, ethnic challenges that expansion will present. So, we do not have any future
plans to go beyond India. [Ideabing] Tell us what inspired you to make this service
exclusive to rural women [Snehal] Traditionally, microfinance is catered towards women.
The ability to generate and control their own income can empower poor women.
Research shows that credit extended to women has a significant impact on their families'
quality of life, especially their children. We will continue to serve women beneficiaries.
[Ideabing] What has been the repayment rate among your borrowers? [Snehal]
Mathematically, it is almost 99%. But for us, providing micro credit means more than just
giving money - it goes beyond that. I grew up in a small place and women there are
innately shy, or rather they are never taught to talk. I was amused when I talked to them –
these women can talk!! Could this be a by-product of micro finance activities in this area?
I asked – and was told unequivocally by all beneficiaries that it is a direct impact of initial
6 months of training they received from our on-field staff as a part of forming a self-help
group and regularly held meetings after that at Village and District levels. Well, in addition
to that, everyday operations of self-help-group like accounting, payments, disbursement
etc. and regular interaction must have ignited and sustained this entrepreneurial flame in
these village women. [Ideabing] How much influence does technology have on your
operations? [Snehal] Technology is playing crucial role in streamlining our operations and
making it more efficient every passing day. Essentially it helps in reducing transaction
costs, providing transparency to our social investors, reusing artifacts that our on-field
partner creates for their operations for 30$F's tracking purposes. [Ideabing] Let’s go
beyond the realm of rural microfinance. Your views on the mainstream peer to peer
lending market? [Snehal] In the present economy, when the credit crisis is making it
harder for cash-devoid households and businesses to get bank loans, the opportunity for
creditworthy applicants to borrow money from strangers at slightly higher interest rates
can be seen as something of a godsend. It is for-profit and seems to be impactful but
definitely not in the gamut of things 30$F is trying to achieve i.e. focusing on using peer-
to-peer lending to provide microcredit to poor beneficiaries. [Ideabing] Any plans to
diversify into mainstream lending markets? [Snehal] No. Not at this point in time.
[Ideabing] Anything you would want to tell aspiring entrepreneurs? [Snehal] That people
execute an idea and people are more important than the idea itself. Having the right team
will make you successful!
Nokia Money Pilot Begins In India. Ahem.
Almost everyone in the world owns a cellphone, some of you folks are probably reading
this off your fancy Blackberry (Please donate cash…I want one too). So what does a
company like Nokia do when it has put a cellphone in almost everyone’s hands? Bank on
the re-sale? Well…that would be a little ambitious simply because the major markets in
countries like India and China lie in the low end phones. So what does Nokia do now that
it has hit the plateau and is all set to take the slide down the product life cycle? In a fairly
ambitious attempt, Nokia announced the launch of Nokia money. I happened to catch a
small demo on Youtube, which was fairly interesting as to how Nokia have decided that
merely selling cellphones no longer was the deal for them…the future lies in services.
This sounds awfully familiar to the IBM story. And if that is anything to go by, expect a fair
amount of time before Nokia bring a whole lot of people from the skeptics side of the
fence to the ‘must-have’ side of the fence. While they have teamed up with the Yes Bank
in India and are using the city of Pune to pilot the service, I see one major problem with
the service. A fairly simple problem called ‘Trust’. Come to think of it , trust is a problem
not only special to Nokia money, but to anything that involves money. While people never
trust their telecom operators, Nokia decided to make the service operator independent.
While we might give them a thumbs up for ‘most Trusted Brand’… I don’t see how Nokia
plans to get over this core problem. It’s not a problem with technology, the features are
amazing and very convenient (check out the video on Youtube) but that does not change
the fact that one finds it tough trust their money over something like a phone. How Nokia
plans to navigate the technology chasm before they hit the mainstream is going to be a
very interesting case study by itself. If Nokia really want to promote the financial platform,
they’ll probably have to look into the manner in which ATMs replaced human tellers.
People who had gotten used to seeing a face give them money and update their pass
books (which is still a system at many government banks in India) took a while to cozy up
to the ATM, I believe Nokia need to tell the same story with new characters. The next few
months are going to be interesting to see if Nokia Money has an IBM or HP happily ever
after …or otherwise.
Canada's First Financial Social Media Platform

Launches in Calgary
Today, PODIUM Participation Funds (PODIUM), the first Financial Social Media Platform,
launched in Calgary. PODIUM uses an online voting system that allows shareholders to
make hands-on decisions, influencing their investments while helping to advance local
business opportunities into global ventures. Through a community based approach,
PODIUM combines social media with modern online technologies to create a wholly
shareholder owned and influenced corporation that is locally connected, and driven by
local capital. Funds from shareholders are pooled to provide capital for investment into
local businesses. PODIUM expects to generate strong, consistent returns for
shareholders. PODIUM intends to introduce private equity to a new audience in Calgary.
Shareholders and local businesses will connect and encourage entrepreneurs to submit a
proposals for funding, and then present the opportunity to PODIUM shareholders who
then use the online voting platform to decide if the deal will be funded or not. When an
idea is accepted, each shareholder has
been included equally in which businesses
to invest in, has a personal interest in the
investment and shares equally in any
profits. "Since March of 2009 we have been
laying the groundwork, developing our
system and ensuring we have the right
people in place to execute this new
initiative. We have done our homework,
proven our model, and have our first
Founding Fifty shareholders committed,"
said Cameron Chell, Founder of PODIUM.
"It's now time to take the next step and start
investing in Calgary ventures, and today we are celebrating this accomplishment with
local entrepreneurs and business leaders." The PODIUM team built this innovative
concept using three major components, and would like to expand this model in the future:
• Using social media to invite community members to join the PODIUM platform;
• Leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the crowd to help forward and influence
what businesses the corporation invests in; and
• Individual $5,000 investments are TFSA and RRSP eligible.
PODIUM is the first Canadian Participation Capital™ investment company providing an
original platform for investing using online tools that ensure investment transparency from
start to finish.
UTSA Mechanical Engineering Students Design

Lunar Utility Cart for ...
UTSA mechanical engineering students Luis Carlos Salinas,
Chris Kite, William Dunne and Philip Haberle have yet to
graduate, but they have already collaborated with NASA to
design a new lunar utility cart. And, after building a prototype,
the UTSA student group has been named the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design
Challenge’s Fall 2009 “Top Design Team.” “NASA plans to return to the moon in 2020,
and the astronauts who make that journey will need novel equipment that is adapted to
lunar conditions,” said John Simonis, senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering and one of the team’s mentors. “The Texas Space Grant Consortium Design
Challenge is one way engineering students can contribute to the development of NASA’s
new equipment solutions.” The lunar utility cart allows astronauts to transport 500 Earth
pounds of cargo, experiments, geology samples or equipment on the rough terrain of the
moon. The cart is collapsible for space launch and travel and easily operated by one
crewmember. The students have also designed it to withstand lunar temperature
fluctuations. The Consortium competition’s judges especially liked the cart’s six-spoked
wheel design. The cart’s wheels, based on the Mars Exploration Rovers, are wide
enough to prevent the cart from bogging down in the soft dust found on the moon’s
surface, and they have casters that allow the wheels to swivel 360. In the stowed
position, the wheels conveniently lock. Self-coined “Team No Boundaries,” the four
aspiring engineers designed the lunar utility cart during the two-semester planning and
design course sequence required of all UTSA mechanical engineering majors. During the
first semester, the team worked through ideas about cart shapes and attributes. During
the second semester, the team refined its cart design and built a prototype. Team No
Boundaries was eager to work with NASA fellow Robert Treviño, an ergonomics expert,
when planning the cart’s design. “Not just anyone gets to work with someone from
NASA,” said team member Salinas. “He provided a lot of NASA resources that we could
use for our project. He helped us visualize how objects on the lunar surface behaved. He
provided us a Web site with a whole lot of information about designing devices for space
applications.” Team member Chris Kite added, “Dr. Trevino encouraged us to reach
forward and design the cart with a caution for an astronaut’s ergonomics while staying
within the constraints that NASA required. It was his welcoming personality that allowed
us to keep on rocking.” The team also received tips from UTSA mechanical engineering
professor Yesh Singh, who specializes in mechanism design, machine element design,
finite element applications in mechanical design and the mechanics of solids. “Dr. Singh
advised us in his areas of expertise,” said Salinas. “He knows how materials behave in
certain conditions. He advised us on the stress situations that could happen on the lunar
surface.” To rack up $1,650 in scholarship and other monies, Team No Boundaries
bested a group of formidable teams at the design challenge. They included teams
representing Lamar University, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and The University of Texas at
Austin. In addition, their “Top Design Team” award entitles the group to receive a trophy,
currently en route to UTSA from United Space Alliance. It depicts a commemorative
Space Shuttle Model bearing the signatures of NASA astronauts who have flown aboard
the Shuttle. “The overwhelming success of our two teams in this important state-wide
competition is another indicator of the high quality of the Mechanical Engineering
program at UTSA,” said Efstathios Michaelides, professor and chair of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering. “Our students have shown that they can compete very well with
the best out there and win similar awards.” So, what are the team’s next steps? “We do
foresee NASA probably using some of the features and ideas withheld in the design,”
said Salinas. “Dr. Trevino has suggested we take the cart to NASA’s rock yard, an
artificial lunar surface. We’ve also given thought to modify the design for commercial use
and patent that design. We’ll see what happens.” Cost of the Cart Casters: $90.87
Frame: $187.88 Wheels: $35.86 Platform: $69.03 Handle: $97.16 Miscellaneous: $30.48
Total: $511.28
Wild pockets: Making Online 3D Games?

EasyPeasy!
You like Farmville eh? How about making a
game yourself then? No resources to buy
an engine to make it happen? No problem.
Wild Pockets, a CMU Entertainment Labs
offspring has a solution for you. Wild Pockets is a free to use end to end online game
development ecosystem that gives you a full featured game engine and a host of other
features that can make your game work and then make sure it keeps working. Wild
Pockets gives you the power to first create the game thanks to the engine and all the 3D
models and textures you need to get your game up and running. It then lets you make
sure you monitize it via its micro transaction system built into the engine itself. Not
enough? There's more. You also get to directly tag your game into Youtube, track
analytics of your game's use across the web and then its all freakkin free! The WP engine
supports 3D art from most 3D modeling applications including 3DS Max and Maya. Go
build your game now!
Forum Drives University Innovations Toward

Marketplace
In just three minutes, John Groves explained how his
innovation could save time. Groves, a chemistry professor at
Princeton University, told a panel of business leaders
gathered on campus April 8 that a new technology he helped
develop could catch dangerous side effects of drugs in the earliest stages of
development, long before they would be tested in humans. Compared to existing
technology, he assured the panel, "we can do it faster and cheaper." Groves was among
16 presenters at Princeton's fifth annual Innovation Forum, which showcased Princeton
research that has the potential to be commercialized. The scientists and engineers
extolled their innovations to an audience of investors, members of the University
community and a panel of judges that, after hearing the quick presentations, allotted
more than $40,000 to the top three entries. "World-class research is performed in the
labs here at Princeton, and we will get a glimpse of some of this research tonight," Pablo
Debenedetti, vice dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, told the
audience. "There are many ways that this research can be deployed to benefit society
and improve our world. One way is to encourage faculty to share their research with
interested observers such as you and create opportunities for scientists and engineers to
talk with investors and community members about the real-world applications of their
work." This year's forum was sponsored by the University's Keller Center for Innovation in
Engineering Education, the Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network and Drinker Biddle &
Reath LLP in conjunction with Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing. Jumpstart
Chairman Mario Casabona said his organization participates in the forum as a way of
supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. “Programs like this continue to foster the
culture of innovation that we have worked so hard to achieve and maintain here in New
Jersey,” he said. The presentations, in fields including health, optics, computing and
transportation, were followed by a poster session and reception in the Friend Center
Convocation Room. The winning entry, presented by Hahn Kim, a postdoctoral
researcher in chemistry, also involved speeding the process of drug development. Called
OrgCast, it is a method for quickly generating large numbers of molecules and testing
whether they are reactive in the human body. Using the technique, Kim and his
collaborators have identified about 4 million molecules that hold potential as new drugs.
Second place went to HepatoChem, the technology developed by Groves and Marc
Bazin, a visiting associate professional specialist in chemistry. The technique mimics the
way the liver works, enabling the automated and rapid biochemical analysis of drug
compounds to speed the scientific discovery of new drugs and drug metabolites. Third
place went to Niraj Jha, a professor of electrical engineering, who developed a
technology called NATURE for use in general-purpose computer chips called field-
programmable gate arrays (FPGA). NATURE provides a more efficient way of storing
data on FPGA chips, leveraging advances in nanotechnology and potentially enabling
FPGA chips to increase their currently small share of the market. Two of the entries
addressed health and infrastructure problems in remote regions of Africa. Ismaiel Yakub,
a graduate student inmechanical and aerospace engineering, presented a system for
using inexpensive clay filters to remove parasites from drinking water, andTiffany Tong,
an electrical engineering graduate student, proposed a method for manufacturing and
distributing solar-powered lanterns to areas with no access to the electrical grid. "People
don't realize how big of an issue this is," Tong said during the poster session. "Many
people rely on traditional, nonrenewable resources that are expensive and produce a lot
of smoke. As a result, children can't study at night, and many people suffer respiratory
problems. We propose using cheap LED lights and housing them in bodies made of
wood or other natural materials instead of plastic. There's a huge potential market."
Videos of the Innovation Forum presentations will be available beginning April 18 on the
engineering school website.
AT&T Is Rethinking Possible. We Don't Think So.
Seen those new AT&T ads on TV? The whole "Rethink Possible" thing? When did they
give up making fun of Verizon? Why? Because the iPad is in its kitty and the iPhone 4G
is headed Verizon's way as well. Maybe? Apple WWDC is 1 month away and AT&T
doesn't want to loose customers to Verizon thanks to AT&T's not-so-awesome 3G "map".
So is this whole ad campaign just a bunch of marketing bullshit? May not be so. AT&t's
rolling out the 4G network quite quickly, faster than most predictions at least in "select"
cities. So the whole rethink possible is limited to that map rather than USA. So, there
goes, all the speed talk about AT&T's network is a bunch of bull coupled with zazzy
marketing. More AT&T "Rethink Possible" videos here - link
Infographic: Google Page Rank explained

Your website geta a lot of visitors but your Google page rank not going up? This
infographic might be able to explain why. [via elliance]
Robots That Can Balance On A Ball. Bullshit!

You must have heard of walking robots? Maybe 7 more species of them who did
everything but crawl? But have you heard of one that freakkin balances on any ball?
Welcome to the word of Masaki Kumagai who has built a robot that can do exactly that,
while carrying a truckload of stuff on its head. This is a robot that uses some really good
algorithms to balance itself on a ball. What's more? This one can talk to more of it's kind
to do some heavy lifting and balancing. How's carrying a door frame sound like to you?
Watch the video and drool.
Video: Volkswagen's First Two Wheeler
Friday, April 30, 2010
That Jetta's running eh? How about the bike in its boot? Did not quite understand? Let
us explain it to you. Volkswagen is planning on selling you an electric bike that fits into
the spare tire compartment in your car. Why such an absurdity? It seems they have a
good business case. And they launched it in China. No, the Americans do not deserve
electric bikes. Video embedded below.
McCormick Adds More Solar Power from

Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) and
McCormick & Company, Inc. (NYSE: MKC)
today announced an agreement to develop
a new 1.8-megawatt (DC) solar
photovoltaic power system at the McCormick distribution center in Belcamp, Md. This will
be the largest single rooftop solar installation in Maryland, and is the second solar
installation developed for McCormick by Constellation Energy. In late 2008, the
companies brought a nearly 1-megawatt solar installation online at McCormick’s Spice
Mill in Hunt Valley, Md. Construction of this latest installation has been scheduled to
begin in late June with estimated completion by the close of 2010. “In order for
renewables to expand and make a meaningful impact, you have to have organizations
like McCormick that make a commitment to sustainability and developers such as
Constellation Energy that make clean energy practical and reliable,” said Michael Smith,
senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation Energy. “We are very pleased
to be working again with McCormick on a new solar installation. This affirms that
Constellation Energy’s solar model creates an affordable and realistic renewable energy
solution for our customers.” Constellation Energy will finance the project, including design
and construction of the installation, and then own and maintain the solar power system
for a period of 20 years. McCormick purchases energy produced by the solar installations
hosted at its facilities. Structuring solar projects in this way creates an attractive business
model that creates no upfront costs for customers and provides them with firm power
costs over a long term. Constellation Energy expects McCormick to save an estimated
$3.4 million in electricity costs over the term of the agreement. “We have had a very
positive response to our earlier solar installations from our customers, employees and
shareholders,” said Alan Wilson, chairman, president, and CEO of McCormick. “With this
new project, McCormick becomes one of the largest corporate users of solar power in the
state of Maryland. This is a great source of pride and a clear sign of our ongoing
commitment to the environment and sustainability in general. Sustainability makes great
sense from a business perspective and is ‘Truly our Nature’ at McCormick.” The
McCormick Distribution Center solar project is currently designed to utilize 8,372
crystalline photovoltaic solar panels on the facility’s 363,000 square foot rooftop. The
system is expected annually to generate power equivalent to the amount of electricity
used by 195 homes in a year. Generating that same amount of electricity using non-
renewable sources would result in the release of more than 1,600 metric tons of carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and the equivalent of the emissions from more than 300
passenger vehicles annually. The project will also create a number of new green jobs,
requiring approximately 17,000 man-hours during construction. Constellation Energy
currently has approximately 25 megawatts of on-site solar projects completed or under
development throughout the U.S. and announced recently that it has set aside $90 million
to fund the development of similar solar installations in 2010. Qualifying projects of 500
kilowatts generally require at least 100,000 square feet of roof space or two acres of
open ground.
Earthwatch Institute moves world headquarters to

Harvard property i...
Earthwatch Institute, a leading international
nonprofit environmental organization, will
move its world headquarters to the Allston
neighborhood of Boston this spring,
Harvard University announced today (March 24). Earthwatch, an organization committed
to scientific research and environmental education, has a staff of approximately 50 and
will occupy 15,000 square feet of Harvard-owned property at 114 Western Ave. that once
served as the headquarters of WGBH media. The move is scheduled for April 26. To
celebrate its arrival in the community, Earthwatch will offer three fellowships for
Allston/Brighton public school teachers, who will be able to join one of its research
expeditions to advance public understanding of science and the changing environment.
Earthwatch also envisions lectures, open houses, and other forms of outreach to
neighboring communities starting in June. The lease agreement between Harvard and
Earthwatch highlights the University’s continuing stewardship of its properties and active
engagement with the Allston community. Last December, President Drew Faust said
Harvard would focus on “aggressive and effective leasing of vacant or partially vacant
Harvard properties, and community engagement,” in an effort to improve neighborhood
vitality. Earlier this year, Harvard opened a free, temporary indoor ice rink in a formerly
vacant Allston property that has resulted in more than 2,000 visits in less than two
months. Harvard continues to market available properties aggressively, seeking tenants
that can enliven the community through new services or public programming. “In
Earthwatch, we’ve found an organization that will be an important presence in Allston and
an exciting addition to the growing green jobs sector in Boston,” said Katie Lapp,
Harvard’s executive vice president. “Earthwatch is a respected, research-based
organization with an interest in building stronger ties with Harvard, Allston, and Boston.
We’re delighted to be the catalyst for their move.” “The need for objective science-based
information about our world has never been greater, and we are poised to develop and
deliver practical, sensible solutions that work and connect individuals to help make a
difference,” said Ed Wilson, CEO and president of Earthwatch. “We see our move to
across the street from Harvard Business School and into the hub of Boston as critical to
our ability to expand our reach to citizens and scientists. We look forward to new
partnerships with Boston businesses, schools, and organizations invested in the
conservation of our environment,” Wilson said. A pioneer of citizen science, Earthwatch is
one of the world’s largest private funders of research expeditions, with a portfolio of
nearly 100 projects in 40 countries that focuses on four priorities: preservation of water
and the oceans, understanding the impacts of climate change, conservation of
ecosystem services, and protection of cultural heritage. Earthwatch works with employee
teams representing more than 30 Fortune 500 companies and has earned a reputation
for engaging citizens of all ages in scientific research, especially teachers and students in
education programs designed to improve math and science literacy. “Anytime Harvard
finds tenants for its properties that are vacant or partially filled, it’s an encouraging sign.
Harvard has made it clear that filling these buildings with viable tenants is a priority, so it’s
good to see them continuing on that track,” said Paul Berkeley, chairman of the Allston
Civic Association and a Harvard Allston Task Force member. “Bringing Earthwatch to this
neighborhood not only fills a vacancy, it brings a notable environmental organization to
Allston that could also provide programming that can serve this neighborhood.” The move
to Allston completes the first phase of Earthwatch’s strategic plan to expand the reach of
its international research and environmental education programs over the next decade. It
is also the latest chapter in a series of Harvard connections that began in 1972, when
Earthwatch founder Brian Rosborough was called to support the eclipse expeditions of
Harvard solar astronomer Donald Menzel in Nova Scotia and Mauritania. That expedition
launched Earthwatch’s unique approach to social venture capital. Since then, nine
Harvard scientists, including noted biologist E.O. Wilson, have served as science
advisers. More than a dozen Harvard scientists have been principal investigators for
Earthwatch since its founding. Earthwatch will host open houses in the new Allston
headquarters in June to introduce itself to its Allston and Harvard neighbors, as it
explores ways to strengthen its local ties and engage the surrounding community in its
mission. For more information on Earthwatch and its Harvard connections.
GE, Nissan to Drive Smart Charging for Electric

Vehicles
In the race to build a smart-charging infrastructure that fuels
the coming plug-in car revolution, GE and Nissan have
teamed to research new technology developments that will
make smart charging a reality. The two companies signed a
three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore
new technologies that are needed to build a reliable, dynamic
smart-charging infrastructure. The MOU brings together two
companies with expertise in the most critical elements
needed to make smart charging work. GE is a world leader in
the energy sector, with a customer base that cuts across the entire electric grid network.
Nissan is one of the world’s top automakers and a leader in electric vehicles. The all-
electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF is scheduled to launch later this year in Japan, the
United States and Europe. “In the past few years, we have seen an acceleration of
innovations in plug-in hybrid and electric cars that have sparked a revolution in smart-
charging technologies,” said Mark Little, senior vice president and director, GE Global
Research. “Together with Nissan, we will take a comprehensive look at what
technologies will be needed in the car, on the grid and at home or work to make smart
charging a reality.” “Nissan’s vision is to realize zero-emission mobility through a holistic
approach by collaborating with various partners in a broad range of industries,” said
Shunichi Toyomasu, corporate vice president, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “Working with GE,
we expect this joint research project will provide insight for the home/building and electric
grid connections which supports electric vehicle.” GE and Nissan have outlined two key
areas for potential collaborations. The first relates to the integration of electric vehicles
with homes and buildings. The second focuses on electric vehicle charging dynamics
with the larger electric grid. In coming months, GE and Nissan will work to identify specific
projects they can partner on in each of these areas. Much of the GE work will be
conducted at GE’s global research operations located in Niskayuna, New York, where the
latest electric transportation research and smart grid technology will facilitate the
collaboration. Nissan will participate mainly through it Nissan Technical Center North
America, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with support by the Nissan Advanced
Technology Center in Japan.
Achieving Your Goals Just Became Easy.

Mentory Makes It Happen
Thursday, April 29, 2010
So you have this goal. Maybe you want to reduce your weight
or you want to make sure you finish your work on time. You
try hard but you cannot get things to work for you. If by
chance you need a mentor to help you accomplish your goals, turn to Mentory.com.
Mentory helps you find a mentor to suit your needs. You setup goals for yourself and the
mentor helps you achieve them. Awesome concept! Mentory boasts of a boatload of
mentors and a lot of interesting goals. Go start off on your goals now!
A New Way To Fight Corruption In India

How do you fight corruption in a country like India? What if the police force is itself
corrupt? Shaffi Mather talks about his ventures that stop corruption in India.
Got A Startup? Shout It Out On Sproutpitch
There's always a need to put forth that
elevator pitch for your startup. Now you
have an outlet. Sproutpitch lets you show
off your elevator pitch video online. It
doesn't stop there. The pitch then get
evaluated by a community of entrepreneurs. Good deal, but there's nothing more that the
website offers. Sproutpitch offers the usual social connections to prominent social
networking sites and lets users "heart" a pitch. These are the kind of websites
entrepreneurs need coming out of a recession. There are a lot of categories under which
you can file your pitches. It would have been great if the website offered some sort of
linking to investors. However, this is a public website. Make sure your ideas are not being
stolen!
Footnote Lists All The Best Historical Documents.

We Like This Thing
Not often do you see startups venturing into archiving
historical records. The closest one came last time was
Google with the Google Books platform and it's been a rough
ride. However one startup - Footnote.com has gotten into archiving "historical" records in
all forms - print, audio and video. Archives are of "original" historical documents starting
all the way from the 1700's to the present day. Wow! This has got to be the most useful
website for the people of the United States. Every singe document is available in digital
form. What's more interesting is that users can upload their own documents to
complement existing documents. What you are seeing here is the beginning of a great
digitizing exercise of the history of the USA. Great work, Footnote.
BSR And IDEO Reveal The ABCDs Of Building

Sustainability Into Produ...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sustainability is not just about modifying
products, but about modifying the way
products are made. The wider range of
factors to consider in product design and
management, such as eco-toxicity,
recyclability or renewability, often lie
outside the expertise of traditional
designers and product managers. Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), in
conjunction with design and innovation firm IDEO, have published a joint report, Aligned
for Sustainable Design: An A-B-C-D Approach to Making Better Products, to educate
companies about how to create internal and external alignments that achieve their
sustainable design goals. "Companies succeed in sustainable product design by
developing a more integrated design process," said Emma Stewart, Ph.D., Director of
BSR's Environmental R&D team. "Rather than just focusing on new strategies and skill
sets, they create new, cross-functional connections in their organizations that enable
them to design and commercialize breakthrough products." Using in-depth case studies,
Aligned for Sustainable Design examines the processes that Nike, Herman Miller, Clorox
and others have been going through to develop a capacity to design products more
sustainably. These real-world examples show that, as companies begin to pursue
sustainable design, they must recognize the many functions that shape their design
options and choices. The A-B-C-D framework breaks these ideas down to illustrate how
companies Assess, Bridge, Create and Diffuse capabilities in their organizations. It helps
to show why companies are transitioning away from a "pipeline" model of product
development to a more integrative design process that connects employees and groups
in ongoing learning loops throughout the design process. These cross-functional
connections are key to encouraging innovation. Aligned for Sustainable Design: An A-B-
C-D Approach to Making Better Products is an indispensable resource to companies
navigating this process. The report is available on BSR's website:
www.bsr.org/reports/BSR_Sustainable_Design_Report_0508.pdf.
World Bank And Pfizer Announce Initiative To

Help Improve Healthcar...
The World Bank and Pfizer Inc. announced they will
collaborate to improve the healthcare infrastructure,
specifically the supply chain, in developing countries, starting
with Africa. The novel public-private collaboration will focus
on enhanced use of Information and Communication
Technologies' (ICT) transformative power to improve
healthcare delivery. The project demonstrates both Pfizer's and the World Bank's
commitment to improving healthcare delivery by creating a funding mechanism to
expedite the identification of gaps in Africa's healthcare infrastructure and ultimately aid in
the implementation of ICT solutions. The effort will be part of the World Bank's new
eTransform Initiative, which was formally launched today at a World Bank Spring Meeting
side event attended by developing country ministers of finance and communications. The
eTransform Initiative aims to convene public and private sector stakeholders to promote
government transformation through the use of innovative ICTs. The goal is to use
technology to increase government effectiveness and help governments in developing
countries use their healthcare and other resources more efficiently. About 270 million
people in Africa lack regular access to even the most essential medicines. According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), among the biggest obstacles to improved health
outcomes are inadequate health delivery and financing mechanisms that place the
heaviest burden on the poor and sick, who are the least able to pay. "We recognize the
importance of improving healthcare infrastructure in developing countries so more
patients can have access to life-saving medicines," said Jean-Michel Halfon, president
and general manager of Pfizer's Emerging Markets Business Unit. "This collaboration is
the most recent example of Pfizer's Global Access strategy to improve healthcare access
for low-income populations in emerging markets through non-traditional approaches that
will contribute towards the development of commercially viable, sustainable delivery
models." "The eTransform Initiative helps access global expertise through peer-to-peer
networks of industry innovators and country leaders, and through a knowledge bank. It
also establishes a mechanism to fast-track promising projects by funding their initial
design. Under the eTransform Initiative, the World Bank and Pfizer will work together on
knowledge-sharing initiatives. They will also work to set up a trust fund to finance
innovative, ICT-based solutions to healthcare in developing countries." The funding
mechanism, or Healthcare Project Development Facility (HPDF), will be one of several
sector-specific project development facilities within the eTransform Initiative. The HPDF
entails that countries submit grant requests to support a competitively-bid feasibility
study. Study outcomes serve as the basis for proposed solutions and, if accepted by the
country and eligible for World Bank funding, the solution will be implemented on a country
level. The collaboration will focus on Africa in the initial phase. Africa is the world's fastest
growing cellular market, with about 400 million mobile phones in use. With billions of
people in the developing world having access to reliable technology, such as mobile
communications, there is a tremendous opportunity to use technology to radically
improve healthcare delivery,â€ said Mohsen Khalil, director of the World Bank's Global
Information and Communication Technologies Department. â€œThrough public-private
collaborations, which bring together global expertise, appropriate technologies, efficient
processes, and necessary financial resources, the potential of health and technology can
be fully realized. The collaboration will focus on supporting the eTransform Initiative
through studies or pilots that improve healthcare infrastructure and sharing global
knowledge about technology in developing countries, including the use of mobile
applications. "We understand that to truly make a difference in the lives of low-income
people in emerging markets, we first need research-based evidence to identify and better
understand the existing capabilities and needs of a country to improve healthcare access
for its people," said Ponni Subbiah, vice president, Pfizer Global Access.
Pepsi Adds Refreshing Content To Nokia's Ovi

Store
Nokia announced the launch of the Ovi Store football channel
featuring exclusive Pepsi content as well as entertainment,
apps and information from the world's most recognized
football content providers. The channel leverages Ovi Store's
global reach to offer Nokia football fans around the globe the easiest place to shop for the
most popular and most refreshing mobile football content. Launching today, Nokia's Ovi
Store football channel is the ultimate football fan destination featuring highly popular
apps, games, and the ability to quickly personalize and refresh your Nokia. As part of
Ovi's football offering, Pepsi's charity football anthem 'Oh Africa' will be featured for sale
on Ovi Music Store. The charity single performed by six-time Grammy nominee, Akon,
featuring Keri Hilson, the Soweto Gospel choir and sixteen youth from around the world is
the soundtrack to Pepsi's 2010 football campaign. In addition, Pepsi's football athlete
themes and wallpapers will be available for free on the Pepsi home page at www.ovi.com
"Pepsi's unique content combined with Nokia's unparalleled global reach offers football
fans around the world the chance to get involved with this year's great Football summer
no matter where they are," said Marco Argenti, VP and Global Head of Media, Nokia.
"The Ovi Store football promotion offers passionate football fans instant access to news,
apps, games and a growing selection of personalization content from some of the world's
top teams." Claudia Lagunas, Digital and New Media Director at PepsiCo International
commented: "Working with Nokia allows us to connect and communicate with the
worldwide mobile community. Nokia's Ovi Store offers an exciting new channel through
which to share our football content with millions of football fans around the globe." Also
launching today is the Nokia Skill Dribbler competition giving mobile gamers the
opportunity to win a Football trip of a lifetime for two to see 'El Clasico' in Barcelona. To
win, skill dribblers have to show off their silky football game skills, avoiding tackles and
keeping control of the ball for as long as they can to accumulate points. The highest
weekly scorers will receive a shirt signed by a one of the worlds' top footballers and Nokia
N97 mini. The top scorer of the competition will be on their way to Barcelona. To enter
and play Skill Dribbler visit www.ovi.com. In addition to PepsiCo's content Nokia's Ovi
Store football channel will also host a long list of further content dedicated to 2010's
summer of football. From competitions and tournament updates to personalizing your
device, football is a lot more fun when you are part of the action. Some of the key content
and features to get you involved include: Great goals If you are supporting Brazil,
England, or just great football, Great Goals will whet your appetite for what's to come with
a series of free audio and video downloads dedicated to great goals scored by great
players. Football updates and news No matter where you are in the world, you can't catch
every game of the tournament but you can still get live updates. 2010's summer of
football news and update applications are available from the largest football websites in
the world. Livemobile Football, ESPN Soccernet, and Goal.com are all available as free
applications to keep you up to date with breaking news from around the world, previews
and recaps of games for all major leagues in the world and more. Games Experience the
latest in mobile football gaming and battle to win the cup for your country. Games
available include Gameloft's Real Football 2010 and Real Football Manager 2010, and
beat the rest in the next generation of sports radar built for speed shooting, Speedhero
Multisport, and the latest football games from EA SPORTS. Touchnote A picture is worth
a thousand words, but reminding everyone your country beat their country with a
postcard is priceless. This app takes digital pictures and makes them into physical
postcards in a matter of clicks. Social networking Whether heading to South Africa or just
down the street to your local bar, stay in touch with your friends and family to let them
know where you are watching the game. Share your football experience with fans back
home, comment on games, post media, and find out where the nearby parties are. Social
networks like Nimbuzz and Buddycloud make sharing easy from your Nokia device. Ovi
Maps Don't miss the Game because you got lost, Use new Ovi Maps with free walk and
drive navigation available on Nokia smartphones to find your way to stadium, bar, park,
or wherever you choose to watch the game. After the game, find the best sights,
restaurants, hotels and events wherever you are through the Lonely Planet and Michelin
travel guides that come free with the new Ovi Maps. To download Ovi Maps, visit
www.store.ovi.com.
FIFA And Sony To Launch First Ever Global 3D
Experience Of The FIFA...
- Schedule of the 25 games in 3D announced - Sony to
release the official 3D FIFA World Cup™ film on Blu-ray Disc
in 2010 - Sony to produce and show 25 exclusive promotional
trailers for the official 3D Film featuring images of the FIFA
World Cup in 4,000 retail stores globally - 3D live broadcast and public viewing to be
made available at selected locations globally - Sony 3D technology as the provider of
cutting-edge next-generation 3D solutions Following the initial joint announcement to
make the world's first FIFA World Cup™ available in 3D, FIFA and Sony Corporation
today unveiled insights into what the football fans around the globe can expect from this
innovative undertaking to add a third dimension to the football viewing experience.
Coinciding with the rapidly growing consumer interest in 3D fuelled by the release of
blockbuster movie titles in 3D and impending launch of 3D TV sets for the home, the first
ever FIFA World Cup™ in 3D will further capture the excitement for millions of football
fans around the globe. With a total of seven pairs of Sony's professional HDC cameras
on rigs at every match (model: HDC-1500), the action on the pitch will be captured in a
stunning 3D quality enabled through its proprietary multi-image processor (model: MPE-
200) and 3D Outside Broadcast truck. Sony's cutting-edge processor, the only one in the
market to date, makes an end-to-end workflow possible in the production process and
automatically adjusts the depth-of-field to ensure an unprecedented and optimal 3D
viewing experience around the world. Starting from the FIFA Confederations Cup last
year in South Africa, Sony has been working on enhancing the 3D capturing of fast-
moving football action and has since conducted a number of 3D filming trials in Europe.
3D filming will be realised at five out of the 10 FIFA World Cup stadiums: Soccer City and
Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. 25 matches in total
will be filmed and broadcast in 3D, which will include a carefully chosen selection of those
games expected to attract most public attention, including the opening game on June 11
at Soccer City (South Africa vs Mexico) and the crowning final game on July 11 also in
Johannesburg. Other games to be captured in 3D are: 1. June 11 16:00h RSA v MEX 2.
June 12 16:00h ARG v NGA 3. June 13 20:30h GER v AUS 4. June 14 13:30h NED v
DEN 5. June 15 20:30h BRA v PRK 6. June 16 16:00h ESP v SUI 7. June 17 13:30h
ARG v KOR 8. June 18 16:00h SVN v USA 9. June 19 13:30h NED v JPN 10. June 20
20:30h BRA v CIV 11. June 21 20:30h ESP v HON 12. June 22 20:30h NGA v KOR 13.
June 23 20:30h GHA v GER 14. June 24 16:00h SVK v ITA 15. June 25 16:00h POR v
BRA 16. June 27 20:30h 1st B v 2nd A 17. June 28 16:00h 1st E v 2nd F 18. June 28
20:30h 1st G v 2nd H 19. July 2 20:30h Quarter finals 20. July 3 16:00h Quarter finals 21.
July 3 20:30h Quarter finals 22. July 6 20:30h Semi finals 23. July 7 20:30h Semi finals
24. July 10 20:30h 3rd place match 25. July 11 20:30h Final "The 3D feed from these 25
matches will be made available for broadcast on 3D channels, which can be enjoyed by
consumers on their 3D-compatible TV sets in the comfort of their home, almost as if they
were in the football stadium themselves," said Niclas Ericson, Director of FIFA TV.
"Whilst discussions with major broadcasters are ongoing, I am very pleased to announce
the first confirmed partners for the 3D live broadcast, who are ESPN in the US and
Sogecable in Spain. We expect further announcements to be made shortly," he added. In
line with FIFA's and Sony's endeavour to make this new exciting 3D viewing experience
available to as many football fans as possible, a dedicated global 3D public viewing
project will debut at this year's FIFA World Cup. Eight matches will be fed live to digital
cinemas and selected venues in 3D HD quality around the globe. To this end, FIFA has
appointed Swiss-based Aruna Media AG to manage the exclusive 3D cinema and
entertainment venue rights for live games in 3D. Aruna plans to broadcast live 3D
coverage of matches to around 26 countries and is in advanced discussions with several
major markets. Reaffirming its leading position at the forefront of the emerging 3D
market, Sony is the key technological enabler of this new viewing experience and
enhances the excitement of football fans, either watching a football match live in the
stadium or enjoying a new 3D experience through 3D TV channels or at the public
viewing events around the world. "Sony has long standing credentials in the creation of
professional 3D technology and content for theatrical use," said Hiroko Saito, Deputy
General Manager of Global Sponsorships, Sony Corporation. "True to our strategy eFrom
the lens to the living-room', we are actively involved at every stage of the 3D value chain
and proudly draw on the strengths of the e3D World created by Sony', which
encapsulates our expertise in professional solutions, consumer electronics, movie
making and gaming alike. We are very excited to capitalise on these strengths and to be
able to complement our compelling 3D proposition by bringing an entirely new viewing
experience to the world of football through our partnership with FIFA," Saito added.
Video: Where Does Your Money Travel

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
So you have this dollar bill you spent at the grocery store yesterday. Do you know where
this bill travels the next day or in the next year? There's one way to find out. If you had
registered that dollar bill at wheresgeorge.com, then you might have been able to track it.
Those who did register their dollar bills at wheresgeorge.com have left some amazing
trail of information about the note and in the process created a massive data pool which
gives us insights about human migration within the US. Watch the video below and be
amazed!
A&E Television Networks Signs With Microsoft’s

Admira
A&E Television Networks (AETN) and Microsoft Corp. today
announced an agreement in which AETN will use Microsoft’s
Admira television marketplace to help optimize sales of its
inventory on Bio, History International and History en Español channels starting in April
2010. Through the use of aggregated, anonymized cable and satellite set-top box
viewership data, Admira will help advertisers and agencies find the right audiences at the
right times across participating AETN programs. Admira will enable advertisers and
agencies to segment their advertising buys simply and effectively to better maximize
campaign objectives. In addition, AETN’s sales force will use Admira as an accountable
planning, reporting and verification tool to construct customized media plans. “The
addition of AETN channels to our growing footprint further validates not only Microsoft’s
Admira television marketplace, but also the use of anonymous, set-top box data to
substantiate the audience value of television inventory on a national scale,” said Scott
Ferris, general manager of the TV/Video Business Group, Advertiser and Publisher
Solutions at Microsoft. “Programmers recognize that data-driven, audience-centric media
buying can help them better monetize their inventory and deliver increased value to
advertisers and agencies. Television is an increasingly important part of Microsoft
Advertising’s vision to help advertisers and publishers engage with consumers on any
screen, anywhere, at any time.” “We knew from the start we wanted to collaborate with
Microsoft and Admira,” said Michael Peretz, senior vice president, Sales Revenue
Management, A&E Television Networks. “Admira’s dynamic solution will allow us to
simplify the sale of our inventory and allow advertisers to benefit from the near-real-time
set-top box viewership data to find the audiences they’re looking for across our networks
and platforms. Models like Admira are the future of selling television.” Beginning in the
second quarter of 2010, AETN will make available select inventory from its national Bio
and History International channels, which are received in more than 47 million U.S.
households, and its History en Español channel, which has 29 million subscribers across
the U.S. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Pesticide Atrazine Can Turn Male Frogs Into

Females
Atrazine, one of the world's most widely
used pesticides, wreaks havoc with the sex
lives of adult male frogs, emasculating
three-quarters of them and turning one in
10 into females, according to a new study by University of California, Berkeley, biologists.

The 75 percent that are chemically castrated are essentially "dead" because of their
inability to reproduce in the wild, reports UC Berkeley's Tyrone B. Hayes, professor of
integrative biology. "These male frogs are missing testosterone and all the things that
testosterone controls, including sperm. So their fertility is as low as 10 percent in some
cases, and that is only if we isolate those animals and pair them with females," he said.
"In an environment where they are competing with unexposed animals, they have zero
chance of reproducing." The 10 percent or more that turn from males into females –
something not known to occur under natural conditions in amphibians – can successfully
mate with male frogs but, because these females are genetically male, all their offspring
are male. "When we grow these guys up, depending on the family, we will get anywhere
from 10 to 50 percent females," Hayes said. "In a population, the genetically male
females can decrease or wipe out a population just because they skew sex ratios so
badly." Though the experiments were performed on a common laboratory frog, the
African clawed frog ( Xenopus laevis ), field studies indicate that atrazine, a potent
endocrine disruptor, similarly affects frogs in the wild, and could possibly be one of the
causes of amphibian declines around the globe, Hayes said. Hayes and his UC Berkeley
colleagues report their results in this week's online early edition of the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In last week's issue of the Journal of
Experimental Biology, Hayes and colleagues published a review of the possible causes
of a worldwide decline in amphibian populations, concluding that atrazine and other
hormone-disrupting pollutants are a likely contributor because they affect recruitment of
new individuals and make amphibians more susceptible to disease. "These kinds of
problems, like sex-reversing animals skewing sex ratios, are much more dangerous than
any chemical that would kill off a population of frogs," he said. "In exposed populations, it
looks like there are frogs breeding but, in fact, the population is being very slowly
degraded by the introduction of these altered animals." Some 80 million pounds of the
herbicide atrazine are applied annually in the United States on corn and sorghum to
control weeds and increase crop yield, but such widespread use also makes atrazine the
most common pesticide contaminant of ground and surface water, according to various
studies. More and more research, however, is showing that atrazine interferes with
endocrine hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone – in fish, amphibians, birds,
reptiles, laboratory rodents and even human cell lines at levels of parts per billion. Recent
studies also found a possible link between human birth defects and low birth weight and
atrazine exposure in the womb. As a result of these studies, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is reviewing its regulations on use of the pesticide. Several states are
considering banning atrazine, and six class action lawsuits have been filed seeking to
eliminate its use. The European Union already bars the use of atrazine. Hayes's studies
in the early 2000s were the first to show that the hormonal effects of atrazine disrupt
sexual development in amphibians. Working with the African clawed frog, Hayes and his
colleagues showed in 2002 that tadpoles raised in atrazine-contaminated water become
hermaphrodites – they develop both female (ovaries) and male (testes) gonads. This
occurred at atrazine levels as low as 0.1 parts per billion (ppb), 30 times lower than levels
allowed in drinking water by the EPA (3 ppb). Subsequent studies showed that native
leopard frogs ( Rana pipiens ) collected from atrazine-contaminated streams in the
Midwest, including from areas up to 1,000 miles from where atrazine is applied, often had
eggs in their testes. And many males had lower testosterone levels than normal females
and smaller than normal voice boxes, presumably limiting their ability to call mates.
Hayes' research also established that many frogs in Midwestern streams contaminated
by atrazine and other pesticides have compromised immune systems, leading to
increased mortality from bacterial disease. Those early studies were hampered by the
inability to easily distinguish genetically male from genetically female frogs. Male frogs
have two identical sex chromosomes (ZZ) while females have both a Z and a W – the
opposite of XX female and XY male humans. But because all frog chromosomes look the
same under a light microscope, it's not simple to distinguish male from female. To
overcome this, Hayes' colleague Roger Liu developed a line of all-male frogs so that the
genetics would be unequivocal. "Before, we knew we got fewer males than we should
have, and we got hermaphrodites. Now, we have clearly shown that many of these
animals are sex-reversed males," Hayes said. "We have animals that are females, in the
sense that they behave like females: They have estrogen, lay eggs, they mate with other
males. Atrazine has caused a hormonal imbalance that has made them develop into the
wrong sex, in terms of their genetic constitution." Coincidentally, another lab in 2008
discovered a sex-linked genetic marker in Xenopus, which has allowed Hayes to confirm
the genetic sex of his frogs. In Hayes' study, where 40 frogs lived for about three years
after hatching in water with 2.5 ppb atrazine, about 10 percent of the frogs appeared to
be resistant to the effects of the pesticide. In ongoing studies, Hayes is investigating
whether this apparent resistance is inherited, as well as whether the sex-reversed males
have more susceptible offspring. Syngenta, which manufactures atrazine, disputes many
of these studies, including Hayes', that show adverse effects of the pesticide. But Hayes
said that "when you have studies all over the world showing problems with atrazine in
every vertebrate that has been looked at – fish, frogs, reptiles, birds, mammals – all of
them can't be wrong." "What people have to realize is that, just as with taking
pharmaceuticals, they have to decide whether the benefits outweigh the costs," he said.
"Not every frog or every human will be affected by atrazine, but do you want to take a
chance, what with all the other things that we know atrazine does, not just to humans but
to rodents and frogs and fish?" Hayes' long-term studies of the effects of atrazine on
frogs have been assisted by many UC Berkeley students, including co-authors on the
current paper: undergraduates Vicky Khoury, Anne Narayan, Mariam Nazir, Andrew
Park, Lillian Adame and Elton Chan; and graduate students Travis Brown, Daniel
Buchholz, Sherrie Gallipeau and Theresa Stueve. The work was funded by the Park
Water Co., Mitch Kapor, Freada Klein, the Mitch Kapor Foundation, the David
Foundation, the Cornell-Douglas Foundation, the Wallace Foundation, the UC Berkeley
Class of '43 endowed chair and the Howard Hughes Biology Fellows Program.
Shootitlive Enables Real Time Media Publishing

Ever been to a live concert and wanted to
share videos the concert to all your friends
in real time? A startup called Shootitlive has
made this possible. The company claims that you can upload videos and images to the
internet within 60 seconds of shooting it, as long as you are in an area with 3G coverage.
This is how it works - Once you sign up for their service, take your WiFi equipped camera
and go shooting. You choose which pictures gets publishes by clicking a button on your
camera and the videos or photos get published in real time. Cool Eh? Apparently
Scandinavia's largest newspaper company uses Shootitlive to publish live media for their
internet assets. Go check it out at shootitlive.com
Video: A Full Sized Home In 300 Sq. Ft. Yup,

Possible
Monday, April 26, 2010
When you live in Hong Kong where space is the most important commodity, you tend to
innovate in the way you live. That's exactly what architect Gary Chang did with his tini-
tiny apartment. Just 300 sq ft in overall floorspace, Gary Chang changed his home into a
really large one by adding moving walls. A full sized bedroom, a TV room, a decent sized
kitchen, a bath tub and even a guest bed - all in this much space? Watch video below to
know how.
“MoonBots” Challenges Parent-Child Teams to
Conduct Google Lunar X ...
The X PRIZE Foundation, Google Inc.,
LEGO Systems, National Instruments, and
Wired’s GeekDad will announce
“MoonBots: A Google Lunar X PRIZE
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Challenge” today
at the FIRST WORLD Championships. The new contest will challenge small teams
comprised of children and adults to design, program, and construct robots that perform
simulated lunar missions similar to those required to win the $30 million Google Lunar X
PRIZE, a private race to the Moon designed to enable commercial exploration of space
while engaging the global public. To further this purpose, the X PRIZE Foundation and
Google have now joined forces with three other well known technology companies to
offer a competition that will stimulate learning of robotics and team building while exciting
students and their families about their potential roles in the new Moon race. “The Google
Lunar X PRIZE is helping to open a new era of lunar exploration that will involve much
broader participation than the first Moon race,” said William Pomerantz, Senior Director
for Space Prizes at the X PRIZE Foundation. “We want students and their parents to
understand that they can tackle difficult engineering problems and generate important
new ideas regardless of their age or their background—and that they can have fun doing
so. This contest is quite accessible for even very young children, but still demands
creativity, intelligence, and hard work. It’s a perfect starting point for the next generation
of rocket scientists!” Once registration for the contest opens, teams will be asked to
submit designs illustrating how they will build, program and operate their robots using
LEGO MINDSTORMS robotic kits. There will be no charge to enter the contest and
registration will be open to teams across the globe. The competition will encourage the
participants to use free software tools such as Google’s SketchUp, LEGO’s Digital
Designer, National Instruments LabVIEW, and Google’s YouTube platform to delineate
how their entry will be constructed and how their team will function. From these
submissions, a select group will be chosen as finalists and provided with free LEGO
components to construct a large Moonscape that will serve as the competition’s ‘playing
field.’ Finalists will then construct, program and demonstrate their robots to be judged.
For more than a decade, the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics toolkits have given children
of all ages the best of both the physical and virtual world, combining LEGO bricks with
state-of-the-art hardware and easy-to-use programming software. LEGO MINDSTORMS
empowers users to conceive, build and program robotic inventions for both play and
learning purposes. In just 30 minutes, young robot creators can build and program their
first working LEGO robot. “Thanks to the many thousands of users in the LEGO
MINDSTORMS community, we have an impressive track record when it comes to
amazing, imaginative robotic inventions and applications,” said Steven Canvin, Marketing
Manager for LEGO MINDSTORMS. “Users have in the past decade created LEGO
MINDSTORMS robots that have been into space twice, so creating the MoonBots contest
together with the partners around the Google Lunar X PRIZE is a natural choice”. The
teams of children and adults around the world will be challenged to use their imagination
and problem-solving skills to develop a robot for a complex mission, and we hope that
their work will encourage and inspire others to explore their creativity”. “The mission of
the LEGO Group is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, and we hope that the
MoonBots Challenge can be part of fulfilling that mission”. "We hope competitions like the
Google Lunar X PRIZE will revolutionize space exploration, and we want everyone to be
as excited about space as we are," said Tiffany Montague, Technical Program Manager
of the Google Lunar X PRIZE. "MoonBots is an important next step in this ongoing effort
because it will help better our understanding of the challenges of working, and eventually
living, in space. The participants in the MoonBots competition may become the future
technologists and engineers that ultimately help us return the Moon - we're looking
forward to seeing their work." "Travel to the Moon holds a unique place in childrens'
imaginations, and using LEGO to bring our kids' imaginations to life is one of a
GeekDad's favorite pastimes." says Ken Denmead, Editor for the GeekDad blog at
WIRED. "WIRED and its GeekDad parenting blog look forward to working with our
partners on the MoonBots challenge to inspire the next generation of lunar explorers to
build their dreams with one hand while they reach for the stars with the other." “Today's
students are tomorrow's innovators,” said Ray Almgren, Vice President of Academic
Relations at National Instruments. “National Instruments is committed to inspiring children
to develop their creativity and explore the wonders of science and engineering through
hands-on experiences such as the MoonBots contest. MoonBots participants will
program their robots with easy-to-use, graphical software powered by National
Instruments LabVIEW – the same software used by engineers and scientists around the
world for innovative applications such as testing next-generation gaming systems and
creating breakthrough medical devices." To learn more about the MoonBots competition
and to find out upcoming information when to register to compete, please visit
http://www.moonbots.org. For more information about the Google Lunar X PRIZE and the
teams currently registered in the competition, please visit
http://www.googlelunarxprize.org. High resolution photographs, video and other team
materials are available upon request.
Video: Seven Species Of Robots

Well, if you call Asimo a human being, does the robotics world have other species to
show off? Hell Yeah! Dennis Hong of Robotics Mechanisms Laboratory or RoMeLa at
Virgina Tech actually has 7 species of robots lurking around in their labs! Visit the folks at
www.romela.org Watch Mr. Hong show off his robots in the video below.
Persay Brings Voice Based Biometrics To The

Market
So seen those sci-fi movies eh? They scan everything, the
eye, the palm, finger prints to get you into that secret lab.
What if the villain cut your hands off, pulled your eyes out and
you still had to get into that secret lab? Well, there's a
solution. If that biometric security system used the solution
from Persay then your voice would get you through that security door. Persay is a voice
biometrics company. They say that your voice is as unique to you as your fingerprint is,
and hence your impersonator should really be "speechless". Persay offers multiple
biometric security solution, all driven by voice. Voice Password, Free Speech and S.P.I.D
are three of their offerings right now. Applications range from authentication to criminal
identification. Woah! You guys just found kryptonite!
Paper Describes Functional Nanomaterials For

Medical, Health Devices
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A team led by researchers from North
Carolina State University has published a
paper that describes the use of a technique
called atomic layer deposition to
incorporate “biological functionality” into

complex nanomaterials, which could lead to
a new generation of medical and
environmental health applications. For
example, the researchers show how the
technology can be used to develop
effective, low-cost water purification
devices that could be used in developing
countries. “Atomic layer deposition is a
technique that can be used to create thin
films for coating metals or ceramics, and is
especially useful for coating complex
nanoscale structures,” says Dr. Roger
Narayan, the paper’s lead author. “This
paper shows how atomic layer deposition
can be used to create biologically functional
materials, such as materials that have antibacterial properties. Another example would be
a material that does not bond to proteins in the body, which could be used for implantable
medical sensors.” Narayan is a professor in the joint biomedical engineering department
of NC State’s College of Engineering and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
One of the applications discussed in the paper is a material that could be used as a filter
for point-of-use water purification. “This would be very helpful in the developing world, or
in disaster situations – like Haiti – where people do not have access to safe water,”
Narayan says. “Over one billion people do not have access to safe water. This can lead
to a variety of public health problems, including cholera and hepatitis.” Specifically, the
researchers show that atomic layer deposition can be used to create a film for coating
nanoporous membranes, which may be used for filtering out pathogenic bacteria. “The
film could also provide antimicrobial functionality,” Narayan says, “to neutralize bacteria.”
In the study, the researchers found that membranes treated with one of these films were
able to neutralize two common pathogens: E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The
researchers are currently working with colleagues to assess how well the membranes
perform against a variety of environmental bacteria. It’s anticipated that these
membranes could find use in a variety of medical and environmental health applications,
such as hemodialysis filters and implantable sensors. The research, “Atomic layer
deposition-based functionalization of materials for medical and environmental health
applications,” is published in the March issue of the journal Philosophical Transactions of
the Royal Society A. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and
the National Institutes of Health. The research was co-authored by Narayan, Dr. Nancy
Monteiro-Riviere, professor of investigative dermatology and toxicology at the Center for
Chemical Toxicology Research and Pharmacokinetics at NC State, Dr. Chunming Jin, a
post-doctoral research associate at NC State, and Dr. Junping Zhang, a former post-
doctoral research associate at NC State. Additional co-authors were from Kodak
Research Laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, North Dakota State University,
National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan, and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan.
Unmanned Space Flight? Possible

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced the successful launch
of the Boeing-built Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), also known as
the X-37B, for the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
The OTV was launched on an Atlas V rocket into a low Earth orbit today at 7:52 p.m.
Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41. "The X-37B has the potential to
bring to space the flexibility that unmanned systems provide warfighters and combatant
commanders today," said Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense,
Space & Security. "With the ability to be launched into space and then land on its own,
the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is an example of the kind of innovation that Boeing has
been doing for decades to advance aviation, space systems, and now unmanned
systems. Close teamwork between the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the United
Launch Alliance Atlas team, and the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station made this launch a success." The vehicle will be used to demonstrate a reliable,
reusable unmanned space test platform for the Air Force. Program objectives include
space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept-of-operations development for
reusable space vehicle technologies. "The Orbital Test Vehicle combines the best of
aircraft and spacecraft to enable flexible and responsive missions," said Paul Rusnock,
Boeing vice president of Experimental Systems and program director for the X-37B. "This
first flight will demonstrate the readiness of the X-37B to begin serving the Air Force as it
continues to investigate ways to make space access more routine, affordable and
responsive." Boeing's commitment to this space-based unmanned vehicle spans a
decade and includes support to the Air Force Research Lab's X-40 program, NASA's X-
37 program, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's X-37 approach,
landing and test vehicle (ALTV) program. Boeing program management, engineering,
test and mission support functions for the OTV program are conducted at Boeing sites in
Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and El Segundo, Calif. A unit of The Boeing Company,
Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and
security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions,
and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business
with 68,000 employees worldwide.
Want To Bet Aimlessly? Flusta Is Here For You

How many betting sites have you seen letting you bet on
random things like "Is nose hair bad or mono brows?" Well, if
you like betting on random things rather than on your favorite
hockey team then head directly to Flusta. This s a crazy
place where you can create bets on anything you want and vote on bets created by other
users. You can also post a bet and challenge your buddies. All this is balanced with a
"points" system. Every time you vote on someone else's bet you get 6 points and you will
need those points to post your own bets or accept others' bets. No other use for those
points. So the more point you have the more bets you can set up. Weird business model
but we like the betting part. We have setup our own bet to you - Was the leaked iPhone
4G planted by Apple? - go vote here - link
Don't Like Your Job? iReboot Can Help

Have you lately bumped into anyone who
works at his/her dream job? Well, in an era
where dream jobs are like a hunt for the
white elephant, one company in India took
form with a vision to create dream jobs. It’s called iReboot. This company dared to cut
straight through the rat race by helping working professionals identify their dream job,
equip themselves with necessary skills and even pursue their dream job for a living. How
it works: iReboot has on its platter a wide variety of unconventional jobs in domains of
sound, music, dance, theatre, media, travel, writing, events, fashion, arts, lifestyle, food
and medicine, sports, fitness and a few miscellaneous jobs like selling antiques and dog
training. The platter ceaselessly grows. iReboot invites participants mainly from the IT
sector to attend their mentorship programs. They first conduct an internal inventory test
which helps every participant realize what s/he has a natural flare for and where s/he
aptly belongs. iReboot is very well connected with some of the big names in every
domain that they deal with who act as mentors to these participants. Participants of all
programs go through a rigorous mentoring and training program where they are given
ample exposure to their chosen segment. Candidates are taught all that there is to know
in the chosen field. Further, they are also given a close-to-live, hands-on experience and
a certificate by their mentor strongly recommending them to companies in that sector.
Thus, these candidates are all set for their dream job. Have you found yours yet?
CMU Student Uses Skin as Input For Mobile

Devices
A combination of simple bio-acoustic
sensors and some sophisticated machine
learning makes it possible for people to use
their fingers or forearms — and potentially,
any part of their bodies — as touchpads to
control smart phones or other mobile
devices. The technology, called Skinput,
was developed by Chris Harrison, a third-
year Ph.D. student in Carnegie Mellon
University's Human-Computer Interaction
Institute (HCII), along with Desney Tan and Dan Morris of Microsoft Research. Harrison
will describe the technology in a paper to be presented onMonday, April 12, at CHI 2010,
the Association for Computing Machinery's annual Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems in Atlanta, Ga. Skinput, www.chrisharrison.net/projects/skinput/,
could help people take better advantage of the tremendous computing power now
available in compact devices that can be easily worn or carried. The diminutive size that
makes smart phones, MP3 players and other devices so portable also severely limits the
size and utility of the keypads, touchscreens and jog wheels typically used to control
them. "With Skinput, we can use our own skin — the body's largest organ — as an input
device," Harrison said. "It's kind of crazy to think we could summon interfaces onto our
bodies, but it turns out to make a lot of sense. Our skin is always with us, and makes the
ultimate interactive touch surface." In a prototype developed while Harrison was an intern
at Microsoft Research last summer, acoustic sensors are attached to the upper arm.
These sensors capture sound generated by such actions as flicking or tapping fingers
together, or tapping the forearm. This sound is not transmitted through the air, but by
transverse waves through the skin and by longitudinal, or compressive, waves through
the bones. Harrison and his colleagues found that the tap of each fingertip, a tap to one
of five locations on the arm, or a tap to one of 10 locations on the forearm produces a
unique acoustic signature that machine learning programs could learn to identify. These
computer programs, which improve with experience, were able to determine the
signature of each type of tap by analyzing 186 different features of the acoustic signals,
including frequencies and amplitude. In a trial involving 20 subjects, the system was able
to classify the inputs with 88 percent accuracy overall. Accuracy depended in part on
proximity of the sensors to the input; forearm taps could be identified with 96 percent
accuracy when sensors were attached below the elbow, and 88 percent accuracy when
the sensors were above the elbow. Finger flicks could be identified with 97 percent
accuracy. "There's nothing super sophisticated about the sensor itself," Harrison said,
"but it does require some unusual processing. It's sort of like the computer mouse — the
device mechanics themselves aren't revolutionary, but are used in a revolutionary way."
The sensor is an array of highly tuned vibration sensors — cantilevered piezo films. The
prototype armband includes both the sensor array and a small projector that can
superimpose colored buttons onto the wearer's forearm, which can be used to navigate
through menus of commands. Additionally, a keypad can be projected on the palm of the
hand. Simple devices, such as MP3 players, might be controlled simply by tapping
fingertips, without need of superimposed buttons; in fact, Skinput can take advantage of
proprioception — a person's sense of body configuration — for eyes-free interaction.
Though the prototype is of substantial size and designed to fit the upper arm, the sensor
array could easily be miniaturized so that it could be worn much like a wristwatch,
Harrison said. Testing indicates the accuracy of Skinput is reduced in heavier, fleshier
people and that age and sex might also affect accuracy. Running or jogging also can
generate noise and degrade the signals, the researchers report, but the amount of testing
was limited and accuracy likely would improve as the machine learning programs receive
more training under such conditions. Harrison, who delights in "blurring the lines between
technology and magic," is a prodigious inventor. Last year, he launched a company,
Invynt LLC, to market a technology he calls "Lean and Zoom," which automatically
magnifies the image on a computer monitor as the user leans toward the screen. He also
has developed a technique to create a pseudo-3D experience for videoconferencing
using a single webcam at each conference site. Another project explored how
touchscreens can be enhanced with tactile buttons that can change shape as virtual
interfaces on the touchscreen change. Skinput is an extension of an earlier invention by
Harrison called Scratch Input, which used acoustic microphones to enable users to
control cell phones and other devices by tapping or scratching on tables, walls or other
surfaces. "Chris is a rising star," said Scott Hudson, HCII professor and Harrison's faculty
adviser. "Even though he's a comparatively new Ph.D. student, the very innovative nature
of his work has garnered a lot of attention both in the HCI research community and
beyond." The HCII is a unit of Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science, one of the
world's leading centers for computer science research and education. Follow the School
of Computer Science on Twitter @SCSatCMU.
Mint.com Planning To Add Receipt Management

Feature. We Knew This W...
Remember the post where we mentioned that the receipt emailing thingy is gaining
traction as a business model? Well, the very famous personal finance management site
Mint.com is running a survey right now to know if you would like it if they would
automatically store receipts from "top retailers" out of your credit/debit card transactions.
Mint posted this about 10 minutes ago.
"Your thoughts please... We're thinking of

adding a new feature that would allow
users to store receipts from some of the top
retailers within your Mint account. Would
you find this feature useful?http://bit.ly/bdkOv1"
The response has been an almost unanimous "Yes" and so we believe the feature should
be hitting your accounts very soon. Mint obviously takes receipt management seriously
and we believe most banks should start offering this service to all their consumers very
soon. What happens to paper receipt processing and management companies like
shoeboxed.com is yet to be seen. Hit up the survey here if you think you will need this
feature in your Mint account.
F/A 18 Super Hornets Flying On Biofuel. GE's

The Culprit
When was the last time you saw a fighter jet fly "green"? GE
has managed to power a Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornet with a
50/50 blend of biofuel and regular fuel. Awesome, right? Now
wars need not be as taxing on the environment! GE made
this possible through its F414 jet engine. While the Super
Hornet is the US Navy's first fighter jet to get the green
engine, more are in the pipeline. The US military has been
the biggest sponsor of green tech and this is another shining
example of things working very well in their favor. Obama's
plan for energy independence seems to be
working. Full PR text after the break.
*********Start PR Text************* The F414
turbofan engine powered the 'Green
Hornet,' an F/A-18 Super Hornet fueled by
a 50/50 biofuel blend, marking the first time
a United States Navy (USN) fighter had
taken to the skies with a non-petroleum fuel
source. The flight took place on Earth Day
at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River,
MD. “This flight culminates several months of component and ground testing by the F414
team to clear the engine for flight, and by all counts the aircraft did not know the
difference between the conventional fuel and the ‘drop in’ biofuel blend during the 45-
minute flight,” said Mike Epstein, GE Aviation Alternative Fuels Leader. “We are proud to
play a role in helping make energy independence and security a top priority for the Navy.”
Prior to flight testing, GE ran more than 500 hours of component tests and close to 20
hours of F414 engine testing to validate that the engine would operate successfully using
the biofuel blend. The blend used in the Super Hornet is derived from the camelina plant,
which is a U.S.-grown, renewable, non-food source. The USN has set a goal of meeting
half of its energy needs from alternative sources by 2020. Applied to today’s military
aircraft, the ‘Green Hornet’ initiative can increase capability by reducing reliance on fossil
fuels from foreign sources and decrease volatility associated with long fuel supply
transport lines. GE is working on a wide range of research and development efforts to
support the broader Green Hornet initiative, including development of component
technologies that could reduce specific fuel consumption (SFC) for the Navy’s twin-
engine F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet by 3 percent and save two million gallons annually.
Other “green” efforts include a noise reduction kit for the F414 that includes a chevron
exhaust nozzle, where each serrated lobe penetrates into or out of the primary flow and
generates a secondary stream to reduce engine noise. Testing has shown a 2-3 decibel
reduction, which is equivalent to turning off one of the F/A-18’s two engines. Powering
the Green Hornet extends GE Aviation’s leadership in evaluating fuels from alternative
energy sources for commercial and military engines to maximize economic benefits for
customers and minimize the carbon footprint on the environment. In January 2009, a
CFM56-powered Continental Airlines Boeing 737 demonstrated the use of sustainable
biofuel to power a commercial aircraft for the first time in North America. One year earlier,
Virgin Atlantic flew its GE CF6-powered Boeing 747 from London to Amsterdam,
becoming the first airline in the world to fly on biofuel. GE Aviation, an operating unit of
GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated
systems for commercial and military aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to
support these offerings. For more information, visit www.ge.com/aviation/. CFM is a 50/50
joint company of Snecma (Safran Group) and GE. *********End PR Text**************
Google Navigation On The iPhone? Drool! Drool!

The last time Google tried to put its product

into an Apple product, things did not work
out so well. The whole thing about AT&T
being converted to a data pipe in case
Google Voice came aboard the iPhone did
not go down too well AT&T or Apple. This
time round it may be different. TechRadar
reports that Google Navigation may finally be headed towards 1, Infinity Loop. Yes, you
heard it right! The iPhone may finally get the all too amazing Google Navigation app. It's
not just the iPhone but also other platforms that may get it - read Blackberry and Palm
WebOS. It is unlikely that Symbian will get it since Nokia already has it's own navigation
product. No timelines yet, but it's coming. Good timing, iPhone OS4.0 and all that? Good
times in store for Apple fanboys.
Augmented "Hyper" Reality
So, you walk into a Seven Eleven 10 years from now. You want to get yourself a cup of
tea but don't want to see any advertising. What do you do? Pay 7/11 some money to tone
down the advertising while you shop. Then you go into the store and get instructed on
how to make a cup of tea. Then you walk out after paying for the tea. All this in
augmented reality. Cool eh? Keiichi Matsuda calls it Augmented "Hyper" Reality. This is
going to be how you shop in the future. Trust us. Watch video to know what I am talking
about.
Compostable cutlery. Seriously.

Ok, we have been talking about the "green"
thing on Ideabing since the beginning of
time but this startup is awesome.
Introducing Vegware . They sell freakkin compostable tableware and cutlery! From
spoons to bowls to cups to everything you can eat your food in made out of plants. We
have seen Pepsi's "half the plastic" in our bottles bullshit but I think Vegware is doing the
right thing. Today's a field day for green folks. First Ecoscene then this. Now you don't
have to feel guilty throwing that cup in the garden. Even the "plastic" cups they talk about
come from corn based elements. Awesome! Don't expect green stuff to be cheap though.
A 50 pack of Vegware cups will run you $8 instead of $1 if you bought regular plastic
cups. 8 times the cost? Guess its worth it to save Planet Earth. but come on, at least you
can brag about being green and all that.
Ecoscene: A Review Site For All Things Green

Yeah, we are all going green. But where do
find the "best" green products? Look now
further than Ecoscene. Ecoscene is a
review site for eco-friendly products.
Product reviews range from apparels to food to office products. The site has quite a few
reviews from a lot of authors. This site may actually give you some great reviews. Apart
from independent reviewers Ecoscene also has an "Ecoscene approved" section where
you can find Ecoscene approved products. Reviews are quite comprehensive based on a
lot of factors including materials, functionality, organic origin and even its packaging.
Good stuff for the green folk. Go knock yourself out crazy!
SETI Releasing Radio Telescope Signal Data.

Rejoice!
SETI Institute, an interdisciplinary scientific organization that explores the nature of life
throughout the universe, announced that starting today it will make large quantities of
astronomical radio telescope data accessible to astronomers and other scientists as part
of an effort to build a global community of searchers for evidence of extra-terrestrial
intelligence. Today's announcement represents the latest milestone in SETI Institute's
mission to facilitate mass collaboration in the search for civilizations beyond earth. The
radio telescope data will be released by setiQuest, a program formed in 2009 after SETI
Institute Director Dr. Jill Tarter was awarded the 2009 TED Prize, whose benefits
included $100,000 and the assistance of the global TED community to help realize her
"One Wish to Change the World." Accepting the prize, Dr. Tarter asked the TED
community to "empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the
ultimate search for cosmic company." After months in development, the setiQuest
program has reached the point where it is able to invite the global scientific community to
access radio signal data collected by SETI Institute's Allen Telescope Array (ATA).
Commissioned in 2007, the Allen array is operated jointly by SETI Institute and the
University of California at Berkeley. It is a "Large Number of Small Dishes" (LNSD)
telescope array designed to conduct surveys for both conventional radio astronomy by
the university, as well as for SETI Institute's research. SETI Institute analyzes the ATA
radio data in real time with special software to detect technological signals from a distant
extra-terrestrial civilization. The process is analogous to listening to one hundred million
radios, each tuned to a different channel and attached to an antenna that is highly
sensitive to just one millionth of the sky, to find faint signals. To date, SETI Institute's
methods have focused on the search for what are called narrowband signals. One of the
benefits of opening the ATA data to the global scientific community is to invite
development of techniques to analyze broadband signals. The radio telescope data will
be made available through setiQuest's website, www.setiquest.org, in the form of files
containing streams of data samples from specific targets in space. Data can be accessed
by registered participants in the setiQuest program. SETI Institute hopes that by making
the ATA data widely available, scientists around the world will develop new and
innovative ways to process the massive quantities of radio signals streaming from space
every second. SETI Institute search programs have processed data in real time and
discarded it shortly after the observation. They are capturing these new data sets to invite
the public to expand the search. Now, setiQuest will provide a day's worth of ATA data
each week, and will leave the data on its website for up to six months. While astronomers
and specialists with experience in digital signal processing (DSP) may by the likely initial
population of scientists and technologists with an interest in setiQuest, the program
welcomes scientists and technologists of all disciplines. Those interested in learning how
they can be part of the setiQuest project can find more information atwww.setiQuest.org.
Video:No More Filthy Water

There is not too much you could do with filthy water. Especially in Africa. So what do you
do? Invent a filter that makes super filthy water super clean. Thats what Micheal Pitchard
did. He demos it at TED. Video after the break.
A Social Network Exclusively For The 40+ "Girl"

Crowd. Ahem.
Alright, move over Facebook, the 40+ "girl"
crowd doesn't consider you its online social
hangout anymore. A new social networking
website claims to be THE place for the
crowd to be. Called Fabulously 40 and
beyond, the website offers the 40+ ladies a
forum to discuss issues that are unique to
40+. Ranging from beauty advice to advice on
becoming moms, this is certainly a one-of-a-kind
website. But why restrict the site to women? I have
no clue. Maye because the 40+ "boys" crowd thinks
its a stupid idea. This website lets you use FB
connect to get through if you are to confused about
signing up. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 12:10AM
()
Dell Releasing 4 New Smartphones Very Soon
Engadget has just reported a "leak" of
Dell's future line up of mobile devices. Yes,
you heard it right, Dell is unleashing
Thunder, Bolt and Lightning and in the
process creating Smoke in the coming few
months on mobile phone consumers.
These will be the 4 new models of
smartphones Dell will be releasing
eventually. Three of them will run Android
(Thunder, Flash and Smoke) while Lighting
will run Windows Mobile 7 Series. Each
phone looks awesome to say the least and
iPhone will have some serious competition.
Then there are the tablets of course in the
Dell Mini series. Some hot action it's going
to be in the smartphone arena in the coming months. Images after the break. Images
courtesy Engaget [gallery link="file" columns="5" orderby="rand"]
Apple's iAd Platform Creating Whole Business

Units In Advert Agencies
When Apple creates a product it makes sure that Apple
makes a lot of money out of it and in the process makes sure
a lot of people outside Apple make money out of it. Apple's
starting to push the concept of high def interactive advertising
into major ad agencies quite vigorously -- so much so that one
ad agency has created an entire "iAd" business unit!
GRAPHOS, an advertising and branding agency has just
released a press note stating
"Advertising and branding agency GRAPHOS has embraced Apple's new iAd mobile
advertising platform by launching The iAd Agency, the first ad firm specializing in
developing the breakthrough ads."
The Founder of GRAPHOS goes on to say nice things about the iAd platform before
stating this -
"After nearly two decades of creating ad campaigns, video, animation and interactive
products for our clients, this is exactly where we were heading. We see iAds as
something so revolutionary they deserve to be a business focus rather than just another
service offering."
Apple has this knack of creating products with long term business implications and this is
just one example. What this also means is that Advertising agencies will actively move
towards creating HTML 5 content instead of Flash content. Good thing for the web, we
never liked browser plugins anyway. We have to wait and watch what the big ad
agencies will be doing next. Full PR after the break. ************Start PR Text***************
The advertising world is about to be transformed, and a newly minted breed of agency
plans to be front and center in the revolution. On April 8, Apple CEO Steve Jobs
announced his iAd advertising platform in a keynote for OS 4, the latest operating system
for the iPhone and iPod Touch, due for release in June and followed by a fall launch for
an iPad version. Jobs promised the iAd platform would "combine the emotion of TV with
the interactivity of the web," famously quipping that existing mobile advertising "sucks."
The iAd Agency is the offspring of veteran Alberta-based advertising and branding
agency GRAPHOS (http://www.graphos.ca). And the timing is perfect for the new firm,
says its president. "After nearly two decades of creating ad campaigns, video, animation
and interactive products for our clients, this is exactly where we were heading," says
GRAPHOS founder Laurier Mandin, who has been a user and fan of Apple product since
the 1970s. "We see iAds as something so revolutionary they deserve to be a business
focus rather than just another service offering." "It's possibly the most exciting thing that's
ever happened to advertising," Mr. Mandin says. "Our team can unite our live-action
video and animation capabilities for games and interactive three-dimensional product
tours, and suddenly the customer is a participant than just a passive audience member.
It's not just about an ad within your app. The user now gets inside the ad and drives it."
To further the immersive experience, The iAd Agency will be able to make creative use of
all the features within the user's device via iAds, something never seen before in mobile
advertising. These can include the multitouch screen, accelerometer, compass, GPS
location services, audio and vibration. Ads will take advantage of the new iPhone OS 4
multitasking capability to operate "in-app," meaning users never leave an application to
interact and even make purchases. The iAd Agency will use its own animation, creative
and development resources and its existing network to build the ads initially, and has
begun sourcing additional help, says Kelly Grainger, director of new media development
at GRAPHOS. "We've had a phenomenal response from interested developers and
programmers, many with a pile of solid iPhone apps to their credit, so we're not worried
about getting the work done. We're accepting resumes, especially from experienced
people ready to develop with HTML5." Though the iAd Software Development Kit (SDK)
for developers is yet to be released, the iAd Agency suggests interested advertisers
begin planning campaigns now. "We already know a lot about what the ads will be
capable of and how we'll achieve it development-wise, and it takes some time to work
through the conceptual and planning stages of a really great campaign," Mr. Grainger
says. "Businesses that want to get in early, should get the creative process started right
away and we'll make any necessary adjustments once the program officially rolls out. "
As with the App Store, all iAds will need to be approved by Apple, Mr. Grainger notes,
though the only ads likely to be denied entry to the platform will be ones containing adult
or offensive material. As for price, most of the information is still to come. "Apple has
always been about doing things best," Mr. Mandin says. "That's why the company is so
consistently successful. Right now this is a platform and a product for clients who want to
do something absolutely amazing to connect with their audience in a whole new way."
The iAd agency is prepared to offer ballpark pricing to potential clients based on the
number of interactive components in a campaign and complexity of development, he
says. Others will soon follow The iAd Agency, Mr. Mandin acknowledges, but he believes
his company has an edge. "We've always been much quicker, more nimble, and more
economical than the huge agencies, and the same will apply in creating iAds. Besides,
I'm certain this is the beginning of something phenomenal, and competition will be what
makes it achieve its potential. Everyone will want to be the agency whose ideas push
iAds to the next level, and we intend to be the one to watch." *************End PR
Text***************
SAMSUNG Mobile Secures #1 U.S. Market

Share For 2009. Eh?
Apple's harping about their iPhone sales and about Apple
being the world's largest "mobile devices" company and all of
a sudden Samsung springs out of the blue to declare itself
no.1 in terms of market share in the U.S? Doesn't make too much sense, but number are
numbers. Right? Apparently Samsung phone users also rank no.1 in loyalty towards
Samsung phones. Yeah, they are talking about the lower end of the segment that Apple
doesn't care about. End of the road for Nokia? Press release after the break.
***********Start PR text************ Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC
(Samsung Mobile), the leading mobile phone provider in the United States,ended the
fourth quarter of 2009 as No. 1 in domestic mobile handset market share[1], retaining the
title for the sixth quarter in a row. In addition to this distinction, the 2010 Brand Keys
Customer Loyalty Engagement Index study ranked Samsung as the customer loyalty
winner in the cell phone category, the only wireless handset provider to be awarded the
honor for nine consecutive years. The national survey identifies brands that are best able
to engage consumers by meeting or exceeding expectations, creating loyal customers. .
In the cell phone category, consumer preferences were based on wireless phone design
and performance. “The findings by both Strategy Analytics and Brand Keys establish
Samsung as the mobile phone industry’s unmatched leader in two distinct yet,
complementary categories,” said Dale Sohn, President of Samsung Telecommunications
America. “The combination of brand loyalty and market share leadership are two
excellent proof points that Samsung is surpassing our customer’s expectations as a
quality brand and building strong advocates for our mobile phones. Our ability to meet
many different consumer needs at various price points signals the likelihood that
Samsung will build on this success for many more years to come.” Brand Keys is the only
research consultancy in the world that specializes in customer loyalty, providing brand-
equity measures that accurately predict future consumer behavior. Findings from the
index rank brands based on those that consumers felt best met or exceeded their
expectations and were most likely to demonstrate the highest levels of consumer loyalty
and profitability over the coming two years. “The wireless category has shifted so
dramatically over the past year that it is a tribute to the Samsung brand to be able to
incorporate real consumer values as well as technology into their offerings,” said Robert
Passikoff, Brand Keys founder and president. “They have been better able to meet the
very high expectations of more demanding consumers and this is reflected in the very
high ratings they have received in the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index
for 2010.” For more information about the 2010 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Awards,
please visit www.brandkeys.com/awards. ***********End PR text*************
And We Need A Conveyor Belt Wrist Watch
I like good watches. I use about 6 of them
regularly. But there is one watch that has
stolen my heart. It's called the Devon WorksTread 1. Forget the dials, the LCD display,
this one changes the rules altogether. It shows you time on interwoven "time belts". Yes,
"belts". Little conveyor belts "convey" time to you in a manner you have not seen before.
And rest assured that you will see this only on Devon's watches since they have patented
this design. The style is not understated, but it can be considered quite elegant. It's just
BOLD. The in your face mofo types - and seems to pull it off very very well. Liking or
hating the design is a split second decision. You either love it or just hate it. It's like
owning an Aston Martin, you either love it or just plain hate it. It's an acquired taste and I
think I will buy this watch. Just look at those beautiful mechanical parts running in total
harmony inside that glass case. Reminds me of that Honda Accord "cog" advert, only
way more awesome. Video of the "working" of the watch after the break.
MIT Working On More Efficient Wireless Power

Delivery
In 2007, MIT researchers announced that they had discovered a novel way of
transmitting electricity without the use of wires. Now, the researchers have demonstrated
that the system’s efficiency at transmitting energy improves significantly when it is used to
charge multiple devices at the same time. The new work, reported in a paper in Applied
Physics Letters earlier this year, has also demonstrated a system much closer to one that
could be used to power typical consumer electronic devices. In the original proof-of-
concept in 2007, both the transmitter and receiver consisted of coils that were about two
feet across. These two units were placed more than six feet apart and were used to light
a 60-watt bulb — even with people sitting in between. But the new system uses a slightly
larger transmitter, with receivers that are only about
a foot across – moving closer to a size that could
eventually be built into a PC or a television set. The
transmitting coil could be built into a wall or ceiling,
the researchers say, and the transfer of power has
been shown to work over distances comparable to
the size of an ordinary room. André Kurs, a doctoral
student in MIT’s Department of Physics and the lead
author of the recent paper, says this reduction in
size of the receiving coil is an ongoing process. With
some more work on further reducing the coil’s
diameter and thickness, “we could embed it in a
portable device,” he says. The basic underlying
principle for transmitting power wirelessly goes back
more than a century to the work of Nikola Tesla and
other pioneers of electricity, but the MIT team invented a way of making the process far
more efficient and practical. The system works by creating a strong electromagnetic
resonance between the sending and receiving coils — similar to the way a tuning fork
can start vibrating when exposed to a sound of exactly the right frequency, or the way a
radio antenna can be tuned to just the frequency of a single station out of the hundreds
that are simultaneously broadcasting their signals. In this case, the magnetic resonance
between the two coils is unaffected by objects in between the coils, and by the same
token objects between the coils — including people — are not affected by the magnetic
fields. The key to that advance — that is, the ability to transmit useful amounts of power
using coils of a reasonable size — was found in 2005 by MIT assistant professor of
physics Marin Soljačić, who developed the idea along with Kurs, students Aristeidis
Karalis SM ’03 ScD ’08 (now a postdoctoral researcher) and Robert Moffatt ’09, and
physics professors Peter Fisher and John Joannopoulos. Although predicted by theory,
the increase in efficiency when powering two devices at the same time had not been
previously demonstrated in experiments. The team that carried out the recent work —
Kurs, Moffat and Soljačić — found that when powering two devices at once, which
individually could achieve less than 20 percent efficiency in power transfer, the combined
efficiency climbed to more than 30 percent. The two receiving coils resonate with each
other as well as with the transmitting coil, and help to reinforce the strength of the
magnetic field. Kurs says that the efficiency should continue to rise as more devices are
added, climbing toward a theoretical limit of 100 percent. The research has been funded
by the NSF, the Army Research Office, DARPA, and a grant from 3M. The amount of
power transmitted in the latest experiment was on the order of 100 watts, but Kurs says
that is only limited by the amplifier used for the transmitting coil, and can easily be
increased. “It could be several hundred watts, or a kilowatt,” he says — enough to power
several typical household devices at once, such as lamps, computers or television sets.
“You could feed power to a medium-sized room, and power a dozen devices,” he says.
The researchers set up a company in 2007, called WiTricity, to develop the invention and
eventually bring it to market. Most of the Watertown-based company’s principals and
board of advisors are MIT professors, students, or alumnae. The company originally
estimated it would take several years to develop a commercial product, and have “been
making good progress. I think it’s reasonably close,” says Kurs, who works at the
company while completing his doctorate. No further breakthroughs are required, the
researchers say, just continued engineering work to find the optimum design of the coils
and the electrical control systems. In addition to working on reducing the size of the
receiving coils, the researchers are also trying to improve the system for tuning the
devices to achieve maximum efficiency. In the laboratory tests, they spent considerable
time manually tuning each part of the system, but for a practical consumer product this
process will have to be fully automated. “It does get a little harder to tune multiple
devices,” Kurs says. A number of other companies have independently jumped on the
bandwagon and begun to develop similar wireless power systems, including large
companies like microchip maker Intel and electronics giant Sony. “Quite a few companies
have reproduced the original results,” Kurs says. And Tesla, whom the researchers
acknowledge in the footnotes to their papers, would no doubt be pleased by the progress.
“He did have the notion,” Kurs says, “but in practice it’s a hard thing to make work. You
need a good model of how your coupling varies with distance and how to minimize the
losses in the system, and people didn’t have a good understanding of it at the time.”
Driveburn Lets You Destroy Your Hard Drive And

Save The Planet
Strange startups eh? Check this one out -
Driveburn provides a service that
specializes in, well, destroying hard drives.
I am NOT kidding. All that confidential data
will not go into someone else's hands
anymore. Driveburn will destroy the drive
permanently. Pay Driveburn $25 and they will make sure the drive is "melted" under
video surveillance. They also send you a picture of the "destroyed" drive. Wow! So much
for proof! After all this they do some good to this planet my recycling the metal that came
out of your drive. Good folks eh?Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 12:23PM ()
Infographic: Place Jobs Here
Thought this picture was awesome. Too much fame does this to anyone! Posted by
Akshaya Murthy at 06:00AM ()
Infographic: Visualizing The Internet
Ever thought how the internet would look if you put it in a rectangular block and zoned it
like a city? BBC's got an awesome infographic that zones out the internet. Did you know
that social media sites make up for 20% of the internet? Infogfx after the break. [via BBC]
Receipt Email Services Becoming A Startup

Business Model
Square started the whole "bill anywhere,
accept payments anywhere, email the
receipt" thing but the emailing receipt piece
has become the business model for one
startup called "yReceipts". yReceipts is special because it lets both the shopper and the
retailer manage receipts - more like a marriage between shoeboxed.com and squared
minus the payment hardware. yR lets you link your debit or credit card directly with your
account -- what this means is that you receive a yreceipt to your email for every
transaction on your credit or debit card (could be classified under self-generated spam if
you are a heavy shopper). For the retailer yRetailer has a fairly straight forward solution
that fits directly into existing POS solutions, no overhead cost of buying new payment
processing hardware. Good stuff, more startups will be getting on to this train soon.
Watch out Square!
iPad In India - Perspective Of An Indian

Newspaper Reader
I don’t know how it works in the rest of the world, but a lot
of my friends have this habit of locking themselves up in
the loo with the morning newspaper. It’s a fairly annoying
habit personally, because I feel quite apprehensive to
touch that newspaper again. Before you think I’m going
to be talking about morning habits of people, trust me on
this….I’m not. Fast forward to the launch of the much
awaited Ipad….Steve Jobs opens that brown envelope.
Ooooh! Aaaah! Ohhh! Yawn! Isn’t that a really big I-
phone? Nooooooo…..it’s much more. I happened to
have a cup of tea with my professor the same evening
and we were talking about the future of print media in this
country. While I believe that it’s heading south for the
winter with no signs of it returning in the spring, my
professor vehemently begs to differ. While media itself is
changing the way it delivers, the concept is pretty much the same. I spoke about the
epaper being considered more favorable by my generation…basically because of two
reasons. First, it’s the right thing do for the environment…and the second thing is that it’s
free. Yes! We are cheap…we like free. So don’t scoff…you like it too! And then I went on
to say how Twitter changed the way news is delivered and basically how the internet is
going to kill paper. And now with the Ipad coming in, people can read in nice big fonts
and not squint to read on their phones. Well, here’s the mistake of talking to a professor.
When data does not make sense, the irrationality of human beings always will. Prof says,
‘Areyou seriously suggesting that theIpadis going to replace my morning newspaper
when I spend time in theloo? They said that about laptops, I don’t believe anyone will
take that…or theIpadto theirloo. And isn’t the darn thing a touch screen too?’ Besides the
disturbing fact that I now knew what my prof did in the morning with his morning
newspaper… when you come to think of it, besides being really large to sort of carry
around, isn’t it just plain disgusting if you’re taking a touch-screen based device to the loo
in the morning? I guess, I’ve been sold…newspapers will be around for a while.
Video: Hallucinations are a mirror of your

personality
And you thought hallucinations meant nothing? Hey, when you're high, you are in a
different world and now its official. Oliver Sacks walks you through the theory. Watch.
Chipin Creates Crowd Sourced Fundraising!

Great new startup this - called "Chipin". It does exactly what it
sounds like. Lets users chip - in money for your events. Fill in
the amount you want to raise, and for what. Key in your email
address and crowd source your fundraising effort. Simple
enough? The whole concept works well, given that the onus of marketing the event for
which you want to raise funds is on you. Chipin helps - they let you setup an event page
to track the money raised for the event. We have setup one for Ideabing [:D] - do feel free
to donate money. We have posted the Chipin widget on the left pane of the website.
Chipin comes with good social connections - it lets you publicize your event across
almost all social networks in a single click. And the money goes straight into your PayPal
account. Yay!
Fragging in the Sub-continent

Gaming is finally getting the recognition it deserves. From being more than mere
entertainement, please recollect the first days of Pong, to the current days of COD
Modern Warfare 2 (three words for that…OMG), gaming has become recognized world
over as a business and an art. India is not far behind when it comes to not only being the
largest market for games and gaming consoles, but is now a major hub for games
development and game testing. With numerous entrepreneurs coming out of premier
business and technology schools like the IIM’s and IITs, games development in India is
all set to pull a Veni,Vidi, Frag. While we’re not yet at a position like and Eidos or an EA,
considering the money being doled out by banks, investors and venture capitalist, India
has been focusing a lot on the mobile gaming market, and of late the social gaming
market. And with facebook, orkut, and india’s own zapak.com becoming major hubs for
people to get together and meet, there is only one way for gaming in India to go, up. But
then, through all this, there still remains a major problem of social acceptance from a
number of spheres in India. Most of India still consider gaming a juvenile pastime. Even
now, every time I play Counter-Strike, I can hear my father screaming ‘ You’re going to
amount to nothing in life’. And this is the story with most Indian households. If you’re a
good programmer, convention demands you join a big corporate house and create
financial applications. And if you were an entrepreneur, you created financial
applications. Notice our obsession with financial applications! But there is hope, with
avenues like facebook giving people access to numerous games, and which has become
a source of revenue for my college administration, (fines from guys who were caught
playing Black Beards Island during a class about finance derivatives….again, obsession
with finance).
Drug discovery, Netflix style?

Ranking algorithms are one of the hottest
topics in computer science: they’re what
determines the order of Google’s search
results and which movies and books Netflix
and Amazon recommend to their
customers. Now researchers at MIT and
Harvard Medical School have shown that
ranking algorithms could find an important
application in a somewhat surprising field:
drug development. Drug development
typically begins with the identification of a
“target” — a molecule involved in the
biological processes underlying some
disease. The next step is to try to find
chemicals that either promote or suppress
the molecule’s production. Scientists have assembled huge libraries — both virtual and
physical — of chemical compounds that might be active against biological targets, and
drug developers who have identified a target usually select a group of candidate drugs
from those libraries. But the majority of drug candidates fail — they prove to be either
toxic or ineffective — in clinical trials, sometimes after hundreds of millions of dollars have
been spent on them. (For every new drug that gets approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, pharmaceutical companies have spent about $1 billion on research and
development.) So selecting a good group of candidates at the outset is critical. Drug
companies have been using artificial-intelligence algorithms to help select drug
candidates since the late 1990s. But Shivani Agarwal, a postdoctoral associate in the
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Deepak Dugar, a graduate
student in chemical engineering, and the Harvard Medical School’s Shiladitya Sengupta
have shown that even a rudimentary ranking algorithm can predict drugs’ success more
reliably than the algorithms currently in use. The improvements were relatively modest,
but to Agarwal, they’re an indication that recent research on more sophisticated ranking
algorithms holds real promise for drug discovery. “The algorithms we use are actually
very basic,” she says. “So there’s a lot of scope for even further improvement using
more-optimized ranking algorithms.” How they did it: At a general level, the new algorithm
and its predecessors work in the same way. First, they’re fed data about successful and
unsuccessful drug candidates. Then they try out a large variety of mathematical
functions, each of which produces a numerical score for each drug candidate. Finally,
they select the function whose scores most accurately predict the candidates’ actual
success and failure. The difference lies in how the algorithms measure accuracy of
prediction. When older algorithms evaluate functions, they look at each score separately
and ask whether it reflects the drug candidate’s success or failure. The MIT researchers’
algorithm, however, looks at scores in pairs, and asks whether the function got their order
right. Next steps: Agarwal is investigating algorithms that maximize the accuracy of the
rankings at the top of a list, even at the expense of lower rankings, since drug developers
are generally interested in only a handful of the most promising drug candidates. Source:
“Ranking Chemical Structures for Drug Discovery: A New Machine Learning Approach,”
Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, Apr. 13, 2010 Funding: National Science
Foundation, Department of Defense Era of Hope Scholar Award, Mary Kay Ash
Charitable Foundation
Honk! A Social Network For Buying Cars

Yeah, this was the only thing remaining to use the "social"
angle of things. A new startup honk.com lets you choose cars
making sure your new car fits around your life. For example,
if you choose male, single suggestions vary from
convertibles, to coupes to all sorts of flashy cars. And if you choose to be a family guy,
the options change. The website also takes into consideration your lifestyle before
suggesting a car - like you being an outdoorsy guy with a lot of snow boarding and
trekking in your weekend schedule. So if you are the clubbing kind the website suggests
cars you can shell out more moolah on. And then there is this whole thing about what the
overall package must be to take care of all option mentioned above. And the website has
the usual package a social website must have - connects to facebook and twitter and lets
you honk your likes and dislikes to your friends. Go check it out here - honk.com Posted
by Akshaya Murthy at 06:00PM ()
Feature Consolidation Or Greed?

The age of feature consolidation has arrived for big product companies. Apple launched
the iPhone OS4 SDK a couple of days ago, Twitter acquired Tweetie and today Twitter
announced at the Chirp conference that they will launch their own url shortening service
in place of bit.ly One pattern that has emerged out of these is that product companies are
now ready to throw the kitchen sink at the user. Another pattern is that product
companies are now making their platforms "unique" and hence forcing it upon everyone.
Is this the time for feature consolidation? While Apple maintains the incremental feature
upgrade strategy with the iPad hardware
(read no camera, no video conferencing, no
flash support), it certainly thinks the iPhone
is worth the truckloads of features users
have been asking for after 3 long years. On
the other hand, Twitter has gone for
complete dominance. By making Twitter's
own url shortening service "mandatory" if
you want to use twitter it is killing off any
other url shortening service out there.
Apple's new developer agreement
restricting them to creating apps using
Apple's platform does something similar.
The acquisition of Tweetie also plugs a hole

in the Twitter product - desktop and mobile
clients. Both Apple and Twitter have also
thrown in hard-to-turn-down advertising
platforms since both seem to hate Google's

dominance in that area. Another take away
from these episodes of hole-plugging is that
these companies now have products that
has gone past the tipping point. No one can
stop using these products, leave alone
switch to new ones which do the job as well as these do. The next logical step is to bring
users and developers into platforms that give them a single window access to everything
you needed. Period. You may call it arm twisting but companies call this "higher profits".
Of course these moves come with the threat of law suits but who cares as long as these
companies keep making profits for their share holders. What it also means is that the
products have matured so much as to make way for new ones (read iPhone 4G and a
super Twitter). What we feel bad about is that hapless developers get treated badly after
the party is over. Sounds and feels more like greed, not feature consolidation.
Tweet Your Emails. Really!

We have written about some great startups
here on Ideabing. But here is one very
interesting startup that lets you "tweet-to-
email". The concept's simple, and very
powerful. Say you want to send en email to a bunch of friends but you really do not
remember all their email addresses. All you have to do is create a hash tag on
tweettoemail.com with all the emails that you want to group mail. Now go to any twitter
client and just blurt out the message with the hash tag in place. Wallah! the email gets
across to all these people you wanted to get in touch with! This service certainly has legs,
both commercially and socially. This could be a great way to get to relief groups in one
tweet during a natural disaster, or maybe reach a bunch of friends to get to a pub. We will
keep an eye on these folks!
5 Reasons Why Facebook Setup Shop in India

Here are 5 reasons why I think Facebook setting up shop in India for application
development and marketing is a totally brilliant Idea:
1. Throwing Sheep will be replaced with the desi variant of ‘Throwing the Sacred Cow’.
You can hit more people with a cow than with sheep.
2. Move over crazy Taxi, we are going to develop ‘Crazy BPO cab driver’. The developer
will be a former BPO employee who had a near death experience on his way to work and
quit the next morning.
3. ‘Farmville’ will now feature the ever game-changing ‘drought’ option.
4. Mafia wars will now have the Mumbai variant that features actual Mumbai Underworld
folks.
5. Face book will introduce the new ‘matrimony’ option. (It’s about time arranged
marriages became fun)
All jokes apart, I am oddly delighted that Facebook decided to set up shop in India. This
gives a chance for numerous application developers working out of garages to actually
join a firm that people have heard off. And you can say what you want, facebook has the
most addictive applications. I am afraid to start playing them for fear of wasting too many
hours on them. Who will play Counter-Strike if I keep playing Farmville? Jokes apart, this
is probably one of the wisest moves on part of any social networking website. India does
have the second largest population and far more users of the internet than most other
countries. And considering the number of official languages we have, facebook will have
a complete new challenge on its hands with multi-lingual support. That’s 8 million users
talking in different languages. Good luck FB developers! Also considering the fact that
most of the top application developers for a certain company named after a fruit (It could
be orange, or Pomegranate…) come from Asia, FB seems all set to take the desi road to
supremacy.
Entrepreneurship For Dummies

They say anyone can be an entrepreneur. They say anyone can come up with big ideas.
I like to believe they are right. To be an entrepreneur, to start an enterprise, is to be able
to stand up and step away from that which appears easy. Things appear easy since
everyone else is doing it. You don’t feel alone. So why is this important? Why does
almost every decision in life come out to be something related to feeling like you’re now a
part of a larger group that made the same choice? Humans are social beings. They’ve
stayed together in all activities, the most interesting one that comes to my mind is
hunting. When our forefathers wore nothing but animal skin, if that at all, they hunted in
groups. One person took on the role of the tracker, another took on the role of the first
attacker, a third took on the role of the
chaser etc. This turned out to be most
useful when they were hunting prey larger
than themselves, and a group of people
acted as one to bring down an entity larger
than them for the mutual benefit of
everyone. Once they made the kill, the
entire group feasted without having to worry
about who gets a larger proportion of the
meat. I wonder if the strongest person, or
the leader, got a major portion of the meat. Not that it matters, but as we have evolved,
this trait to be part of something bigger brings individuals together. Whether it is a shared
idea of freedom, or a shared idea for a product that can change people’s lives, or just
simply a shared idea to dream of a better world, people have found solace in company. It
means a lot to an individual to be accepted by a group, as one of them. An entrepreneur
on the other hand chooses to deliberately stray away from the herd. He chooses not to
listen to conventional wisdom. Similar to an explorer, he wishes to chart unknown territory
because he believes that there is something out there, a hunch or a wish was enough for
him to believe. Based on this whim alone, he bravely chooses to step away and fight his
primal instinct to be a part of the herd. After exploration, he has essentially made it safe
for others to exploit the field, and he joins the herd again if only for a short while. To be an
entrepreneur is not to be the guy who comes up with a lot of ideas. This is an intuitive
statement that you’ve known all along. It is said that for the problems faced by people,
there is but a finite set of solutions. Hence, frankly considering that you’re not the only
one worried about social networks or global warming or even education in third world
countries, it is highly likely that a “Best-solution-to-a-given-problem” idea that you have,
has also occurred to someone else. It then just matters as to who is willing to walk that
little bulb through to the room where it can shed light to a lot of people. An entrepreneur
is the person who chooses to explore not because he wants to make the maximum
money without sharing it with anyone, it’s because he enjoys the joy of starting something
new. Armed only with his skill and confidence, he is the person who can influence and
convince other people to join him in his vision. He’s the one who will take it all the way
and see it to completion. All because the kick and rush he gets is not in the activities
themselves, it’s in the fact that he’s building something new, the money just being a by
product. The question I put forward to you, is do you want to be an entrepreneur just
because you have an idea that can make millions? or do you believe so much in your
idea, that you’re willing to step away from the crowd, walk down an uncharted road, and
come back for the sheer joy of exploring something new?
Posted by Joel at 06:00PM ()
One Of The Best Places For You To Watch

CEOs Talk
There's Forbes.com, CNN.com and then
there are several other websites were you
can watch CEO's rant about leadership and
related stuff. There is on website that we
think offers best value for a viewer. Say Hello to meetheboss.tv High impact leaders on
high def video - what else do you need? The website features interviews of execs split
into 8 categories - Leadership, Sales, Technology, Governance, Innovation, Marketing,
Strategy and Human Capital. Great place to spend your time if you cannot afford to
spend your time in front of the TV. These folks have interviewed Fortune 500 CEO's and
visionary entrepreneurs remarkably well. Image after the break.
Plastic Electronics Could Slash The Cost Of

Solar Panels
A new technique developed by Princeton University
engineers for producing electricity-conducting plastics
could dramatically lower the cost of manufacturing solar
panels. By overcoming technical hurdles to producing
plastics that are translucent, malleable and able to
conduct electricity, the researchers have opened the door
to broader use of the materials in a wide range of
electrical devices. With mounting concerns about global
warming and energy demand, plastics could represent a
low-cost alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO), anexpensive
conducting material currently used in solar panels,
according to the researchers. Using the method, they
were able to make a plastic transistor, a fundamental
component of electronics that is used to amplify and
switch electronic signals. They produced the electrodes of
the transistor by printing the plastic onto a surface, a fast and cheap method similar to the
way an ink-jet printer produces a pattern on a piece of paper. Loo said the technique
potentially could be scaled up for mass production presses akin to those used to print
newspapers. "Being able to essentially paint on electronics is a big deal," Loo said. "You
could distribute the plastics in cartridges the way printer ink is sold, and you wouldn't
need exotic machines to print the patterns." By allowing plastic solar cells to be
manufactured using low-cost printing techniques and by replacing ITO as the primary
conducting material, the plastics the team developed hold
potential for lowering the cost of solar panels. Currently, the
electricity generated by plastic solar cells is collected by a
transparent metal conductor made of ITO. The conductor
must be transparent so that sunlight can pass through it to
the materials in solar cells that absorb the light energy. A rare
and pricey byproduct of mining, ITO had come under
increasing demand for use in flat-screen televisions, mobile phones and other devices
with display screens. "The cost of indium tin oxide is skyrocketing," Loo said. "To bring
down the costs of plastic solar cells, we need to find a replacement for ITO. Our
conducting plastics allow sunlight to pass through them, making them a viable
alternative." The researchers anticipate that the plastics also could replace expensive
metals used in other electronic devices, such as flexible displays. In addition, the
scientists are beginning to explore the use of the plastics in biomedical sensors that
would display a certain color if a person had an infection. For instance, the plastics turn
from yellow to green when exposed to nitric oxide, a chemical compound produced
during ear infections in children. If the devices could be produced at a low cost, they
might be useful in developing countries that lack advanced medical facilities. "You
wouldn't need any fancy machines or lab equipment to diagnose an infection," Loo said,
"all you would need is your eyes to see the color change in the plastics." The co-authors
of the paper were Joung Eun Yoo, who received her doctorate in chemical engineering
from the University of Texas-Austin in 2009 with Loo as her adviser; Kimberly Baldwin, a
high school student who spent a summer in Loo's lab; Jacob Tarver, a Princeton
chemical engineering graduate student; Enrique Gomez of Pennsylvania State
University; Kwang Seok Lee and Yangming Sun of the University of Texas-Austin;
Andres Garcia and Thuc-Quyen Nguyen of the University of California-Santa Barbara;
and Hong Meng of DuPont Central Research and Development. The research was
supported by the National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation and the
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. "Conductive polymers [plastics] have been
around for a long time, but processing them to make something useful degraded their
ability to conduct electricity," said Yueh-Lin Loo, an associate professor of chemical
engineering, who led the Princeton team. "We have figured out how to avoid this trade-
off. We can shape the plastics into a useful form while maintaining high conductivity." A
multi-institutional team reported on its new technique in a paper published online March 8
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The area of research, known as
"organic electronics" because plastics are carbon-based like living creatures, holds
promise for producing new types of electronic devices and new ways of manufacturing
existing technologies, but has been hampered by the mysterious loss of conductivity
associated with moldable plastics. "People didn't understand what was happening," said
Loo, who co-wrote the paper. "We discovered that in making the polymers moldable, their
structures are trapped in a rigid form, which prevented electrical current from traveling
through them." Once they understood the underlying problem, Loo and her colleagues
developed a way to relax the structure of the plastics by treating them with an acid after
they were processed into the desired form.
Seth Godin On Making Your Product Stand Out
We Love Seth Godn. We think he is one of the best thinkers around. Today's post
contains a video of Seth at the TED conference talking about making your products stand
out in the crowd. His rules are simple - the purple cow gets noticed. Ideas that spread,
win. Video after the break.
Vitamin Water Has 1.33 Million Facebook Fans?

WTF!
Woah, we did know that the "fancy" water biz was booming but we did
not know that Vitamin Water has 1.3 million fans just on Facebook!
While there are conflicting views of big brands' competence in using
social media to lure consumers the Vitamin Water Facebook page
seems to prove it all wrong. Pepsi is capitalizing on this strategy too
with its "Refresh Projects" campaign. Visit the Vitamin Water
Facebook Page here: link OR Sign up on the Ideabing Facebook
Page here: link Question: Do you really like Vitamin Water SO
MUCH?
What An Advert! What An Idea!

There can be very little debate as to how
important marketing is for any product or
service.And the giver of this product or
service has a great responsibility to
bombard his target segment in as many
ways as possible, each way getting more
captivating than the other. A marketing
strategy should be such that it makes the
audience stop,consider and seek the
product/service as if they really had a
desperate need for it. Here is one such
captivating strategy. My husband and I live
inside the campus of a popular business
school in India. Since every student in the business school comes with a minimum of
fours years of work-experience, the parking space in the campus has a wide variety of
high-end cars. However, the course at this business school is so tremendously hectic,
that the students hardly get time to start their car engines and therefore all cars have a
thick coat of dust on them. And since everybody on campus knows how common a
feature this is, no one bothered to react. No one except one gentleman who cashed in on
the dust, literally. One friday morning, all cars on campus had a name and a mobile
number written on them, simply using the dust on the cars. It further said "Wash your car
this week end!". Every car owner on campus stopped to see this advertisement on his/her
car, considered the option and called the gentleman to fix up a time for the car wash as if
they desperately wanted to wash their cars. Suddenly, there was such a high demand for
this offer, that it involved a heavy workforce by the "car-wash company", methodical
scheduling to wash the cars and there began a lucrative, steady-income, repeat-business
model. And there was yet another new, successful entrepreneur.
Posted by Deepti Natarajan at 06:00PM ()
Think Geek Makes Amazingly Geeky Products.

We Likes.
Its not everyday that you come across
insanely creative people, and I think I have
come across a whole bunch of them today.
ThinkGeek makes insanely innovative
products - I have not seen other companies
selling anything even close to these
awsome prodcuts. What products, you ask?
Well, picture this - a wearable drum kit on a
tshirt, a guitar etched into you shirt or maybe a device that tunrs your tv on and off
"randomly"! All great stuff to annoy thy spouse. I especially like the Think Geek rock
band! Ideabing loves ThinkGeek! Go check them out at thinkgeek.com. These are the
same guys who made the Wifi Detector tshirt. Some product pics after the break.
HP Labs Discovery Holds Potential to

Fundamentally Change Computer ...
HP today announced advancements in research from HP Labs – the company’s central
research arm – that could change the way computer systems are designed while better
equipping them to process the current “information explosion.” HP Labs researchers have
discovered that the “memristor“ – a resistor with memory that represents the fourth basic
circuit element in electrical engineering – has more capabilities than was previously
thought. In addition to being useful in storage devices, the memristor can perform logic,
enabling computation to one day be performed in chips where data is stored, rather than
on a specialized central processing unit. Highlights
• The latest findings about the memristor are detailed in a paper published this week in
the journal “Nature” by six researchers at HP’s Information and Quantum Systems
Lab, led by R. Stanley Williams. These developments follow the HP Labs team’s first
demonstration of the existence of the memristor in 2008.
• HP has created development-ready architectures for memory chips using memristors
and believes it is possible that devices incorporating the element could come to
market within the next few years.
• HP researchers also have designed a new architecture within which multiple layers
of memristor memory can be stacked on top of each other in a single chip. In five
years, such chips could be used to create handheld devices that offer ten times
greater embedded memory than exists today or to power supercomputers that allow
work like movie rendering and genomic research to be done dramatically faster than
Moore’s Law suggests is possible.
• Eventually, memristor-based processors might replace the silicon in the smart
display screens found in e-readers and could one day even become the successors
to silicon on a larger scale.
Memristor chips and energy use
• Memristors require less energy to operate and are faster than present solid-state
storage technologies such as flash memory, and they can store at least twice as
much data in the same area.
• Memristors are virtually immune from radiation, which can disrupt transistor-based
technologies – making them an attractive way to enable ever smaller but ever more
powerful devices.
• Because they do not “forget,” memristors can enable computers that turn on and off
like a light switch.
Supporting quotes “Memristive devices could change the standard paradigm of
computing by enabling calculations to be performed in the chips where data is stored
rather than in a specialized central processing unit. Thus, we anticipate the ability to
make more compact and power-efficient computing systems well into the future, even
after it is no longer possible to make transistors smaller via the traditional Moore’s Law
approach.” – R. Stanley Williams, senior fellow and director, Information and Quantum
Systems Lab, HP “Since our brains are made of memristors, the flood gate is now open
for commercialization of computers that would compute like human brains, which is totally
different from the von Neumann architecture underpinning all digital computers.” – Leon
Chua, professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department, University
of California at Berkeley. Dr. Chua initially theorized about and named the memristor in
an academic paper published 39 years ago. Images and videos
• Photo of the memristor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Memristor.jpg
• IEEE Spectrum’s “Six-Minute Memristor Guide”: Stan Williams gives a whiteboard
talk about how the memristor works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvA5r4LtVnc
• “The Next Step in Revolutionary Electronics”: Video about the discovery of the
memristor, produced by The Next Step:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZAHG3COYYA
Links
• Article about memristor on the HP Labs website:
http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/2010/apr-jun/memristor.html
• FAQ on memristor: http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/2008/apr-jun/memristor_faq.html
• Memristor named one of “Wired” magazine’s “Top Technology Breakthroughs of
2008”:
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/12/YE8_techbreaks?curren
tPage=all
Infographic:Know Your Brands
You think you know your brands? Not so much as the guy who shot the Oscar winning
short - Logorama. A brilliant short film which reflects upon the brands that are around us
in an everyday setting. Don't understand what i mean? Then watch this movie.
Chip Checks For Oral Cancer

The gentle touch of a lesion on the tongue or cheek with a brush can help detect oral
cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive techniques, according to
preliminary studies by researchers at Rice University, the University of Texas Health
Science Centers at Houston and San Antonio and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center.
The test that uses Rice's diagnostic nano-bio-chip was

found to be 97 percent "sensitive" and 93 percent specific
in detecting which patients had malignant or premalignant
lesions, results that compared well with traditional tests.
The study appeared online in the journal Cancer
Prevention Research. "One of the key discoveries in this
paper is to show that the miniaturized, noninvasive
approach produces about the same result as the
pathologists do," said John McDevitt, the Brown-Wiess
Professor of Chemistry and Bioengineering at Rice. His
lab developed the novel nano-bio-chip technology at the
university's BioScience Research Collaborative. Oral
cancer afflicts more than 300,000 people a year, including
35,000 in the United States alone. The five-year survival
rate is 60 percent, but if cancer is detected early, that rate
rises to 90 percent. McDevitt and his team are working to create an inexpensive chip that
can differentiate premalignancies from the 95 percent of lesions that will not become
cancerous. The minimally invasive technique would deliver results in 15 minutes instead
of several days, as lab-based diagnostics do now; and instead of an invasive, painful
biopsy, this new procedure requires just a light brush of the lesion on the cheek or tongue
with an instrument that looks like a toothbrush. "This area of diagnostics and testing has
been terribly challenging for the scientific and clinical community," said McDevitt, who
came to Rice from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. "Part of the problem is that
there are no good tools currently available that work in a reliable way." He said patients
with suspicious lesions, usually discovered by dentists or oral surgeons, end up getting
scalpel or punch biopsies as often as every six months. "People trained in this area don't
have any trouble finding lesions," McDevitt said. "The issue is the next step -- taking a
chunk of someone's cheek. The heart of this paper is developing a more humane and
less painful way to do that diagnosis, and our technique has shown remarkable success
in early trials." The way forward is with nano-bio-chips -- small, semiconductor-based
devices that combine the ability to capture, stain and analyze biomarkers for a variety of
health woes that also include cardiac disease, HIV and trauma injuries. Researchers
hope the eventual deployment of nano-bio-chips will dramatically cut the cost of medical
diagnostics and contribute significantly to the task of bringing quality health care to the
world. he new study compared results of traditional diagnostic tests with those obtained
with nano-bio-chips on a small sample of 52 participants, all of whom had visible oral
lesions, leukoplakia or erythroplakia and had been referred to specialists for surgical
biopsies or removal of the lesions. Of those patients, 11 were diagnosed as healthy. The
chips should also be able to see when an abnormality turns precancerous. "You want to
catch it early on, as it's transforming from pre-cancer to the earliest stages of cancer, and
get it in stage one. Then the five-year survival rate is very high," he said. "Currently, most
of the time, it's captured in stage three, when the survivability is very low." The device is
on the verge of entering a more extensive trial that will involve 500 patients in Houston,
San Antonio and England. That could lead to an application for FDA approval in two to
four years. Eventually, McDevitt said, dentists may be the first line of defense against oral
cancers, with the ability to catch early signs of the disease right there in the chair.
McDevitt's co-authors include Rice senior research scientist Pierre Floriano, Rice
postdoctoral associate Shannon Weigum and Spencer Redding, a professor and chair of
the Department of Dental Diagnostic Science at the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio (UTHSC). Also contributing were Chih-Ko Yeh, Stephen
Westbrook and Alan Lin of the Department of Dental Diagnostic Science, H. Stan McGuff
of the Department of Pathology and Frank Miller, Fred Villarreal and Stephanie Rowan of
the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, all at the UTHSC at San
Antonio; Nadarajah Vigneswaran of the Department of Diagnostic Science, UTHSC at
Houston; and Michelle Williams of the Department of Pathology at M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center. The researchers received a Grand Opportunity Grant from the National Institute
for Dental and Craniofacial Research Division of the National Institutes of Health for the
w o r k . R e a d t h e a b s t r a c t
athttp://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2010/03/20/1940-
6207.CAPR-09-0139.abstract.
Palm Is Up For Sale! Yay!
We had written an article some time back questioning Palm's capability to innovate. With
Palm's share price falling like a rock down a bottomless pit, Palm is reportedly up for sale!
Bloomberg reports this bit of interesting news. Goldman Sachs and Frank Quattrone's
Qatalyst Partners will be looking for potential buyers. Palm reportedly has done this
voluntarily. Interesting turn of events, given that Palm's CEO Jon Rubinstein recently said
"I think we have a better product than Droid". Sure you do, Jon - but consumers want the
iPhone! News is that Dell has already taken a swipe at Palm. HTC and Lenovo are in the
race too. This fight is going to be a crazy one. America vs. Taiwan. Fight!
Want To Broadcast Your Events? Plancast Is

Here.
Think about this - you are attending an event, you want more
people to get there. What so you do? You can send out an
email to everyone you want to invite or you could call them up or you could simply go on
Plancast and "broadcast" the event. The website defines Plancast like this
"Plancast is a service for sharing your upcoming plans with friends. It's a social calendar
of sorts. Just submit the things you're thinking about doing in the future, and your friends
will be able to hear about them - and maybe join you, too!"
Like most online services these days Plancast directly connects to your Twitter and
Facebook accounts to make sure all your friends see what you are doing, when and
where. Brilliant service to use if you are the event trotting guy. Users can opt to join the
event by just clicking "count me in". Built by Mark Hendrickson and Jay Marcyes, this
service has joined a flurry of services trying to reduce the clutter among social apps. We
give this service 5 stars!
Sustainable Chairs: Possible
Hey, this might sound very "commercial" but there's nothing commercial about this idea.
You drink Coke off a plastic bottle, right? Now Emeco picks up 111 of these nasty bottles
which would otherwise just stay dumped in the landfill for years and makes the Navy 111
range of chairs out of them. Yeah, i know - plastic chairs have been around for decades
but why din't these guys think of this brilliant idea like 25 years ago? Correct - it takes oil
shortage, global warming and a near financial collapse of the world for humans to think
straight. These chairs are "hand polished" for 8 hrs before being considered fit for sale.
Anyways, these chairs are good looking and come in 6 colors, and will increase the "cool
factor" of your living room. Each one of these chairs cost $230 (ouch) and is sold at
"Design Within Reach" Go, tree hugging millionaire, buy some of these chairs. Pics after
the break.
A Website To "Fulfill Your Dreams". Brilliant!

So, you are someone who cares about your community,
wants to help people. What do you do? You invest in some
micro finance institution, or maybe start an organization that
helps build communities. What else can you do? You can now
"fulfill" dreams of people! A website lapapaya.org lets you do
that and in the process lets you fulfill your own dreams. On
one condition - for every dream of your that is fulfilled, you
fulfill 3 dreams of others. Great concept, if it works. Members
are known as "papayos" and these folks help fulfill others'
dreams. Its a social network with a twist. Started by Felipe Velazquez, a Colombian
architect the network's aim is to "feed vitamins" to your dreams. The group already has a
considerable user base but your membership has to be approved before you can start
contributing.
Person Vs. Process – Which One’s The Right
Tool For Your Startup?
The journey of a company from its birth as a
startup, to its maturity as a successful
organization, has been studied and is well
defined. So much so that it’s now
essentially textbook. Successful startups
have few motivated people working in it,
and it’s not work-life balance that’s so much
the priority as much as getting the company
to stay ahead. It’s a purpose waiting to be
accomplished. Anyone can come up with a
good idea, fewer are considered capable of
making it click, and a smaller group within
this bunch can repeat that success. What
else could explain the difference between
luck and capability in today’s world? The art
of being able to repeat success is considered very important, and that’s where the
entrepreneur takes on a lesser role. Another person is typically brought in to take on the
role of a professional manager, to tighten the nuts and bolts and lend efficiency to the
startup. It’s very rare to find people with entrepreneurial qualities who also have
professional managerial skills. So the entrepreneur wisely (and with much pain) passes
the reins to the hands of another, so the young company can grow further. The
professional manager understands that while it is possible that people have the ability to
do the best they can in any situation, he should account for the unpredictability that
comes with them. We are not machines, our decisions are dependent on our individual
experiences. It is possible that we work hard one day, and not work at all on the next. I
might bring my personal baggage to work, and take my official baggage back home. We
are human after all. The idea of a process shows up around this stage. So what is a
process? I believe that it has the ability to allow ordered actions to take place in a
controllable manner to achieve success repeatedly. As such, the series of actions can be
tweaked; output can be measured and benchmarked against expected output. This in
turn provides feedback which lets the manager work out the kinks in the system, to get
better output. In short, a process tries to fix the unpredictability of people by replacing it
with the predictability of systems and machines. This is all fine if we are only bothered
about getting work done efficiently. People embrace the chance to repeat the miracle
they just performed, and follow the process wholeheartedly. Difficulty does not arise at
the stage of process implementation, but at the stage of sustenance after a waiting
period. It is at this stage that we really see if the person uses the process as a tool to do
better, or if he follows it just because he has to. The moment people start complaining, it
is a signal to the manager to decide what should be fixed – the people or the process. It’s
a worrying sign when people don’t complain, and don’t praise the process either. Fixing
the process is easy, change a step here, modify another there, get consistent feedback
from those who work alongside it, to make the life of the person easier. But does it come
at the cost of reduced efficiency? Fixing the people is not as easy. There’s so much
beyond our control. It’s important to fix the cause, not the symptoms. Unfortunately it is
common to see the symptoms getting treated. To declare the results of this to be positive
or negative, can be highly and well debated. Therefore, does this come at the cost of
motivation? So we come to ask ourselves if in this day of “Eat or be eaten”, if we want to
side with efficiency or motivation. We could always take the middle lane on this road, but
it’s considered unstable compared to the stable paths of efficiency and motivation. Where
the company finally reaches, depends on the lane it takes. When it comes down to the
matter of your company’s survival, what would you do?
Posted by Joel at 01:20PM ()
The impatient Indian Entrepreneur goes rural

There is a new beast on the prowl, and it’s an impatient
beast that has got fed up of complaining and waiting for
the older beasts in the jungle to make a move. Okay! I’ll
be honest, I tried to make a dramatic introduction to the
impatient entrepreneur, but this was the best I could come
up with. But this comment is the naked truth. The Indian
entrepreneur has evolved from being young folks who
opened shops, restaurants or set up trade businesses
that imported/exported dry fruits; to being technology
entrepreneurs and business solution entrepreneurs. Two
things have brought this around. The action of the Indian
government and the inaction of the Indian government.
Confused? Okay…here goes. India opened its borders to
business with the great liberalization movement of 1991.
Thank you PV Narasimha Rao. For the first time, India
saw beyond its local boundaries and the world saw India beyond our non-existent snake
charmers. But that’s where this peak of economic growth became a plateau. India
became the land of haves and have-nots. A great economic disparity ensued, which very
few governments have been able to tackle from a long term perspective. And there arose
numerous socio-economic issues that still keep India on a leash. Even today, you’d find
most government officials talking about fixing these issues, but nothing long term over the
horizon. And this has frustrated the Indian Entrepreneur. And thanks to VC’s showing a
lot of interest in India, which for all practical purposes has become the new ‘land of
opportunity’, the Indian entrepreneur has gotten fed up of waiting on the world to
change.( I hope John Mayer will not sue for borrowing his line….big fan JM) There is a
new found sense of responsibility and a lot of well educated folks from top universities
are busy creating products, business models and self-sustaining systems that are
targeted at people working at the grass root level. ‘Rural’ is the new rage. One finds more
and more entrepreneurs investing in ideas for cleaner and cheaper energy, business
models that ensure farmers know where to get best prices, retail tie-ups to ensure the
middle men are cut out, microfinancing programs and much more. More and more people
understand that despite the success of a few entrepreneurs in fields of software, the crux
of India’s development continues to remain in the mass rural sector. The impatient
entrepreneur has understood that one needs to start small and tackle issues that are
significant size. SO thinking on a grand scale is impractical as government laws and rural
social stigma leave a lot to be desired. And this is where the impatient entrepreneur has
to show a lot of patience. India is the land of ample opportunity for numerous
entrepreneurs genuinely looking to make a difference.
Eva Vertes looks to the future of medicine
Eva Vertes takes a look at the future of Cancer cure in this amazing video - what insight!
Steps To Make Your Blog Better

Its been a while since we posted some awesome tips from Problogger. Lets head there
today. There is an excellent post about how to improve your blog today. Head here - link
Apple Lessons: How To Kill Your Rivals

Polygeek posted a hilarious piece of video
by Monty Python (bring out your dead) that
equates to what Apple is doing to Flash -
forcefully killing it, although Adobe keeps
screaming "I am still alive". The last few
weeks have been very important for Apple
not just in the product launch department
but also in the "I will drive a knife up your
heart and drink your blood" department. It all
started with Apple suing HTC over the
patent violation issue. While the iPad launch
marked launch of the the "Flash is now
dead" campaign, the iPhone OS 4 event
went on to mark the campaign against
Google's products and the final nail in the
coffin for Flash. While Steve's potshots on Google's AdMob and the eventual launch of
iAd will mark the end of Google's domination in iPhone advertising, Apple's ban of 3rd
party development platforms being used for App development for iPhone and iPad will
almost certainly kill flash as a mainstream development platform. Adobe of course went
off into a defensive approach over Flash CS5's "port flash code to iPhone" functionality
being rendered useless. Apple is also being VERY loud about the numbers of iPhones
and iPads being sold on a daily basis to make sure the message is driven deep into the
minds of those who develop content for these platforms that there are certain
technologies Apple wants you to use and you use it. Period. Apple has also employed a
very subtle signs to show Google the finger as well. Look at the screen grabs below. The
frame on the left is from the Keynote presentation at the iPhone launch in 2007 while the
frame on the right is from the iPhone OS 4 launch event in 2010. Notice that Apple left
Google out of some Steve Jobs presentation glory?
More insult after the injury with potshots at Google. Stevie said:
"we tried to buy a company called AdMob... but Google snatched it away."
2 important companies have been rubbed in the face with apple's glorious middle finger
in the past 2 months. It's Apple's time now and Stevie's going for the kill. Apple's
valuation is hovering around the $220 billion mark, a foot away from Microsoft's $260
Billion market cap. Microsoft is relatively safe from Apple's kill bill rage but MS's mobile
product may already be weak thanks to iPhone OS4's feature enhancements. Apple
wants to dominate in the mobile space, and on its terms. It's catch me if you can for the
other players. Hurray for competition! Go Apple! Kill 'em all!
Innovative Desalination Technology To Receive

Government of Canada ...
A project led by Saltworks Technologies
Inc. to develop a low-energy water
desalination system that has the potential
to greatly improve the affordability and
accessibility of clean water will receive up
to $580,000 in funding from Sustainable
Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
The funding was approved by the Board of
Directors of SDTC in June 2009 as part of
the foundation's fourteenth funding round.
"By supporting innovative, clean energy
technologies like those developed by Saltworks Technologies, the Government of
Canada is helping to create a stronger and greener economy, and position Canada as a
world leader in this field," said Andrew Saxton, MP for North Vancouver and
Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board. "And we're also helping
to position Canada as a go-to source for environmental and energy solutions that can be
used here and around the world." "Access to clean water is a growing issue and it's
imperative that we find innovative ways to effectively clean the water resources that are
available," said SDTC President and CEO Vicky Sharpe. "The technology developed by
Saltworks provides a sustainable and inexpensive solution to this issue that could be
used in Canada as well as around the world." The Low-Energy Desalination
Demonstration project involves building and testing a commercial-scale 1,000 litre/day
pilot plant for seawater and brackish industrial water treatment. This novel desalination
system, powered by an inexpensive low temperature thermal energy conversion system
that can use solar energy or process heat to reduce electricity consumption, is expected
to operate without chemicals while avoiding the harmful salt loading that is often
associated with other desalination approaches. The process also has the capability to
input waste saltwater brine and treat it to produce freshwater and solid salt with low
energy consumption. "Support from SDTC has enabled Saltworks to pilot its technology
on real seawater at a small commercial scale. This sets the building blocks in place for
the future and has generated valuable IP, know how, and high skill jobs," said Saltworks
CEO Ben Sparrow. Other project partners include BC Hydro's Powertech Labs Inc. and
the BC Innovative Clean Energy Fund. [via Marketwire]
GE's LED Bulb Lasts 17 Years

The inventor of the first visible light-emitting diode makes
history again this year as it begins to show customers a 40-
watt replacement GE Energy Smart® LED bulb available later
this year or early 2011. GE Lighting’s new LED bulb is
expected to consume just 9 watts, provide a 77-percent
energy savings and produce nearly the same light output as a
40-watt incandescent bulb, while lasting more than 25 times
as long.
The new GE Energy Smart® LED bulb is expected to outperform currently available
products that may be underwhelming consumers right now. GE scientists and engineers
designed the bulb to better direct light downward on the intended surface and all around,
not just out the top of a lampshade, as most current LED bulbs are prone to do. The new
GE LED bulb offers 450 lumens—the Energy Star® threshold to be considered a 40-watt
incandescent replacement. Currently available LED bulbs produce 350 lumens or less.
GE has filed multiple patent applications for the bulb and expects it will be an ENERGY
STAR® qualified LED omnidirectional light bulb. “This is a bulb that can virtually light your
kid’s bedroom desk lamp from birth through high school graduation,” says John Strainic,
global product general manager, GE Lighting. “It’s an incredible advancement that’s
emblematic of the imagination and innovation that GE’s applying to solve some of the
world’s biggest challenges.” GE Energy Smart® LED bulb product snapshot:
• Expected to consume just 9 watts—compared with 40-watt incandescent/halogen or

10-watt CFL, while delivering nearly the same light output;
• Expected 25,000-hour rated life—will last 17 years (4 hours per day), which is 25
times longer than a general service 40-watt incandescent or halogen bulb and more
than 3 times longer than a standard 8,000-hour rated life CFL;
• LED technology delivers the instant full brightness of an incandescent or halogen
bulb;
• Durable solid-state design with no filament to break;
• Contains no mercury and will be RoHS compliant; and
• Feels cooler to the touch than CFLs and far cooler than incandescent bulbs.
The 9-watt GE Energy Smart® LED bulb, a replacement for 40-watt general service
incandescent bulbs, hits store shelves this fall or in early 2011. Retailers set pricing but it
is expected to be $40 to $50. The new bulb joins GE’s growing family of LED bulbs in a
broad range of shapes, wattages and colors, including, spot and flood lights (PAR20 &
PAR30), ceiling fan bulbs (A15), medium globes (G25), small globes (G16.5), candles
(CA10), and night lights (C7). All of GE’s Energy Smart® LED bulbs are rigorously tested
to ensure constant color, long life and verifiable lumen ratings. For more information, visit
www.gelighting.com or www.whatsyourlightingstyle.com. To learn about GE’s dedication
to LED quality standards, visit www.gelighting.com/apples-to-oranges. GE will put
prototypes of the bulb—outfitted with Cree XLamp® XP-G LEDs—on display at two
upcoming trade shows: Light + Building 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany, and LightFair 2010
in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The high-efficiency, high-lumen-output LEDs used in the GE
bulbs are Cree’s smallest and brightest lighting-class LEDs, designed specifically for
general lighting. “The introduction of high-quality retrofit light bulbs, like the GE Energy
Smart® LED bulb, is a key next step in the LED lighting revolution,” notes Norbert Hiller,
Cree vice president and general manager, LED Components. Strainic adds: “Consumers
have been reluctant to move away from less efficient incandescent bulbs because they
love the light quality. This new GE Energy Smart® LED bulb will address that lighting
preference head-on and give consumers yet another option to light their homes and
businesses.” New Lighting Legislation Starting in 2012 and continuing through 2014,
standard incandescent light bulbs are going away as a result of U.S. federal lighting
efficiency standards: 100-watt bulbs can no longer be made in January 2012; 75-watt
bulbs can no longer be made in January 2013; and 60- and 40-watt bulbs can no longer
be made in January 2014. GE has consumers covered each step of the way with
alternatives such halogen, CFL and LED bulbs that already meet the new efficiency
standards.
Apple's New iPhone Developer Agreement:

Flash? Who?
The iPhone OS 4 took was launched this morning and a developer beta of the SDK was
available shortly after that. The SDK came packaged with a shiny new EULA that has
some content that shook many developers who built apps using 3rd party IDE's to the
ground. While it affects 3rd party environments such as Titanium from Appcelerator and
the Unity Game Development Tool by Unity Technologies, it affects Adobe most. Adobe's
much touted Flash CS5 which can port to code to iPhone and Android platforms from
Flash code may never see the light of day on the iPhone or the iPad. Remember the
Wired magazine demo we had posted built out of Adobe Air? Well, that may never come
out for the iPad in the form it was originally built. Apple's new terms require developers to
write code only in "Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS
WebKit engine". The timing could not have been better either. With 4 days to go for
Adobe CS5's release, Apple has just sprayed water on camping fires of at least 2 million
developers waiting to start development for
the iPhone on Flash.
While Adobe maintains that these are "Beta" TOS, Unity is not so sure. In fact
TechCrunch reports that Unity responded to their query about the TOS' effect on the
company like this:
“We have no indication from Apple that things are going to change. We have a great
relationship with Apple and will do everything we can to comply with Apple’s TOS (also,
these are ‘beta TOS’, and these easily get changed) so that we can provide uninterrupted
service to our more than 120K users.”
Appcelerator CEO Jeff Hayne wrote an email to developers using their Titanium platform
stating
"Titanium User:
First, and most important: we value each and every one of you. As always, we will do
everything within our power to ensure that Appcelerator Titanium remains the best
platform to enable each of you to develop mobile and desktop applications on. Should
any issue arise that may affect our community, you can expect that we will be as
proactive, transparent, and forthcoming as possible. Now to the issue at hand. As part of
its announcement this morning, Apple proposed updating its Terms of Service for iPhone
OS 4.0. Since iPhone 4.0 is still in beta, both the APIs and the Terms of Service are
covered under NDA, so we cannot speak to specifics or Apple's intent with its proposed
language. However, these terms are subject to clarification and change by Apple up
through its official launch, which looks to be mid-summer. Until iPhone 4.0 is actually
released, we will work with Apple to ensure that we abide by any updates to its Terms of
Service, just as we have done successfully in the past. We know that you put a lot of trust
in Appcelerator and effort into your applications. You have our commitment that we will
do everything possible to ensure that Titanium remains the outstanding platform for
cross-platform application development for years to come. We will update you with more
information as soon as we gain a clearer understanding of today's announcement. Until
that time, iPhone OS 3.2 remains the officially released SDK and 3.2 is still the official
Terms of Service. All apps written under 3.2 are in accordance with these terms and all
apps written to date for 3.2 have been approved.Please feel free to reach out to us on
ourblog, viaTwitter, or via email with any questions. Thanks for everyone’s support and
well wishes today.Sincerely, Jeff Haynie CEO " As far as we know Apple, this move is
solely to keep Adobe out of the iPhone space in any way possible. Antitrust suit anyone?
Forcing developers to use a particular development platform may not be the best way to
keep antitrust suits out of your way. Intel and Microsoft have be forced into settlements in
the past and Apple may be dragged into one soon. But Apple will defend itself stating that
the iPhone and the software that runs on it are made and sold by Apple, and hence
requires developers to adhere to its terms in order to maintain a certain standard of
quality. Things will be clear in a couple of months when the production version of iPhone
4.0 OS is released for general use. We will keep you updated.
MIT takes step toward airport scanners that can

identify explosives
MIT researchers have developed a new
way to tune the frequency of lasers that
operate in the terahertz spectrum. The
result is an important step toward airport
scanners that could tell whether a vial in a
closed suitcase contains aspirin,
methamphetamines or an explosive.
Tucked between microwaves and infrared
rays on the electromagnetic spectrum,
terahertz rays can penetrate clothing,
plastic, and human tissue, but they’re
thought to be safer than x-rays. Since
they’re absorbed to different degrees by
different molecules, they can also tell
chemicals apart. But accurately gauging an
object’s chemical composition requires exposing it to a continuous range of terahertz
frequencies, which interact with it in different ways. In a paper appearing in the most
recent issue of Nature Photonics, Qing Hu, a professor of electrical engineering at MIT’s
Research Laboratory of Electronics, and his colleagues describe the first practical
method for tuning terahertz quantum cascade lasers, a type of laser considered the most
promising source of terahertz radation. What’s more, the method is a fundamentally new
approach to laser tuning that could have implications for other emerging technologies.
How they did it: Tuning a laser usually requires either changing the length of its light-
emitting cavity or changing its temperature. Hu compares these two approaches to
changing the pitch of a guitar string by pressing down on it — changing its length — or
screwing its tuning peg — changing its tension. Neither approach, however, works very
well with terahertz quantum cascade lasers. A third way to change the pitch of a guitar
string, however, is to change its diameter: the lower-pitched strings on a guitar are thicker
than the higher-pitched ones. And Hu’s tuning technique is, roughly speaking, to change
the diameter of the light beam. A light beam confined in, say, an optical fiber or a long,
thin, quantum cascade laser exhibits an electromagnetic-field pattern called a “transverse
mode.” The transverse mode is kind of like another electromagnetic wave that’s
perpendicular to the light beam, except that unlike a light beam, it dies off very quickly.
Hu’s new tuning technique requires a particular type of quantum cascade laser called a
wire laser, where the wavelength of the transverse mode is actually greater than the
width of the laser itself. Bringing a block of another material close enough to the laser
deforms the transverse mode, which in turn changes the wavelength of the emitted light.
In experiments, Hu and his colleagues found that a metal block shortened the wavelength
of the light, while a silicon block lengthened it. Varying the proximity of the blocks also
varies the extent of the shift. Next steps: In its experiments, Hu’s group used a
mechanical lever to bring a block of either silicon or metal close to a quantum cascade
laser from a single direction. But they’ve designed and are now building chips that would
use electronically controlled microelectromechanical devices to bring the silicon and
metal blocks in from different directions, giving the laser a precise and continuous tuning
range from short to long wavelengths. Source: “Tuning a terahertz wire laser” by Qi Qin,
Benjamin S. Williams, Sushil Kumar, John L. Reno and Qing Hu, in Nature Photonics,
published online on November 22 Funding: The work was supported by the Air Force
Office of Scientific Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and
National Science Foundation.
Will iPhone Become Invincible With OS4?

Hey, the suspense is over. The sneak peek event of the
iPhone OS4 was held at the Infinite Loop campus today. The
new OS officially bring multi tasking to the iPhone. No more
jailbreaks required to run multiple apps at once. This update
is limited to the iPad, iPod 3G and iPhone 3GS only. So does
this make the iPhone 3GS the ultimate mobile device you
could have? With over 1500 new API's added for developers to access and tons of new
features like "Folders" for bunching apps, single window email view for all your email
account, the iPhone will be the most feature rich phone ever. Nothing to crib about
anymore? Hold of on the 4G cribbing, you will need new hardware for that. A lot of cues
have been taken from the Windows 7 series phone OS internals in this rev of the iPhone
OS. Coming for general download this summer. iPhone dev program Developers can
download the SDK right away. Head here - link
Santander's Robots Will Guide You Through The

Bank's Massive HQ
What do you do to guide visitors on a
campus which is just "huge"? Deploy helper
robots, of course. Santander, one of the
world's largest banks has deployed highly
sophisticated "helper robots" that guide you to whatever place you want to visit within the
massive visitor center at Madrid, Spain. All the experience, in a language of your choice.
Santander claims that this is the first time swarm intelligence technologies have been
applied in a commercial setting. they call it "SiGA" or Santander intelligent Robotics
Assistance. That is just one piece of technology you will see at Santander's super high
tech HQ. There are interactive walls where you get information ranging from Satander's
history to current market numbers - all in real time. There are also augmented reality
maps that guide you through the campus on a big ass map - as big as a medium sized
swimming pool! Very, very, cool. Pics and video after the break. [gallery link= "file"
columns= "5" orderby= "rand"]
Trazzler Answers The "Where Should I Go"

Question
Ever traveled to a new part of the country
and not known what interesting places are
around that area? Fear not, Trazzler is here
to help you. A travel suggestions website -
Trazzler specializes in suggesting places to explore around a given zip code. This service
is awesome given that you tend to discover places you have never heard of before, like
local coffee shops near Bend, OR or the "Graveyard of the Pacific" in Astoria. Great site
to plan your travels with your friends. The site lets you access more features via
Facebook connect like inviting friends to a trip and writing "travel stories" of your past
travels. The site supports crowd sourced content, so you can be sure that the information
being passed on to you is authentic. Screengrab after the break. Posted by Akshaya
Video: The Emotion Behind An Invention
Ever thought what drives an inventor to invent something? Yes, there's the need for
something and the shortfalls of some other invention that drives someone to create
something better. But what does it take to make an inventor to go so far as to make the
invention touch millions of lives? It's the emotion. The emotion to give back to the
community. The emotion to make lives better. Watch Dean Kamen, the inventor of
Segway talk about his invention - a completely robotic arm for persons who have lost
their arms completely. This arm can do everything your natural arm can do, and more.
Video after the break.
NYU Stern Starts The "Regulating Wall Street"

Blog
As reform bills that have the potential to transform the future of financial regulation work
their way through Congress, NYU Stern professors are providing their unbiased, real-time
views on a new blog, “Regulating Wall Street.” Last year, many of these faculty members
developed 18 independent policy papers that addressed the causes of the financial crisis
and proposed market-focused solutions to reform the global financial system. Their
recommendations, which were favorably received by Washington, were published in a
book, Restoring Financial Stability: How to Repair a Failed System, (Wiley, March 2009).
The blog “Regulating Wall Street” is a prelude to a forthcoming book of the same title
authored by Stern faculty and to be published by John Wiley & Sons later this year.
Although the blog and book both cover all aspects of the upcoming financial reform, there
is a special focus on:
• Commenting on specific Congressional proposals on systemic risk of financial
institutions and developing alternative ways to manage this risk – including taxes,
restrictions on behavior and specially designed resolutions for institutional failure.
• Addressing the impact of the shadow banking system that nearly brought down
capital markets, specifically looking at how to regulate the heretofore unregulated
OTC derivatives market, money market funds, repo market and hedge funds.
• Evaluating Congress’ newly proposed regulatory structures, such as the overall
architecture for regulating banks and non-bank financial institutions, the credit rating
agencies and the consumer finance protection agency.
Among the faculty contributors to the blog and book are:
• Viral Acharya, systemic risk, OTC derivatives and repo expert
• Edward Altman, bankruptcy and credit risk expert
• Thomas Cooley, expert on the role of the Fed and overall financial architecture
• Robert Engle, Nobel Laureate, systemic risk and OTC derivatives expert
• Matthew Richardson, systemic risk, money markets and hedge funds expert
• Nouriel Roubini, international economist, widely acknowledged as predicting the
financial crisis
• Ingo Walter, risk management expert
• Lawrence White, expert on rating agencies and GSEs
“NYU Stern’s faculty continue to provide important insight into the fundamental policy
questions facing the world in the aftermath of the financial crisis,” said Peter Henry, dean
of NYU Stern. “Their independent analysis is critical to the reform debate and fully
engages our institution in a critically important conversation on the future of the global
economy.” Read the blog at www.regulatingwallstreet.com and follow Regulating Wall
Street on Twitter at www.twitter.com/regwallst.
AOL Joins MIT Media Lab Consortium

Some good press not so bad when your
brand rep is getting hurt badly eh? AOL is
trying something similar. It has joined the
MIT Media Lab as a Consortium Level
Sponsor. This means AOL will shell out a
lot of money in the hopes that the venture
will bring out something wild that AOL could use to build its product base. While AOL is
trying hard to stem the flow of cash quarter on quarter and even putting Bebo up for sale,
this venture may one one that is quite rewarding. MIT folks develop all sorts of fun stuff
(read this and this) and AOL would gladly benefit from some top notch research. We just
hope AOL doesn't shutter itself soon. Full PR text after the break. ***Start PR Text***
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) today announced it has joined the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) Media Lab as a Consortium-level sponsor. The Media Lab is a
pioneering research community focused on the study, invention and creative use of
digital technologies. The sponsorship, initially for three years, was spearheaded by AOL
Ventures, a division established by AOL in 2009 to nurture early-stage, externally
developed opportunities and employee-originated ideas. AOL will have the opportunity to
collaborate on the Media Lab’s groundbreaking research, including rights to license work
developed at the Media Lab during its sponsorship. “AOL and the Media Lab have each
pioneered significant advances in the way people communicate and consume information
in a digital environment, which makes this an exciting collaboration for AOL,” said Jeff
Reynar, Head of Technology for Engineering and Products, New York. “Investing in
innovation in a creative, non-traditional environment is a fundamental part of AOL’s
future, and through this collaboration, the company will be able to interact with Media Lab
researchers and benefit from early access to emerging technologies.” Reynar, who joined
the company in late January, is building out and managing AOL’s New York Technology
Center and is focused on innovation for AOL’s content business. He also will be
responsible for coordinating the collaboration for the company with Media Lab research
teams on projects to explore and develop advances in areas that can help transform the
way people interact with digital technologies. The Media Lab, founded in 1985, applies an
unorthodox research approach to envision the impact of emerging technologies on
everyday life. Media Lab designers, engineers, artists, and scientists work atelier-style in
some 30 research groups on projects aimed at inventing – and reinventing – how humans
experience, and can be aided by, technology. The Lab is supported by more than 60
sponsors, including some of the world’s leading corporations. "We live in a time of
abundant challenges for individuals and for society," said Frank Moss, Media Lab
director. "AOL's passion for informing and connecting people around the world is in direct
synergy with the Media Lab's unique model of idea creation and innovation. We’re
delighted to count AOL among our family of corporate sponsors, and look forward to
working with Jeff and the talented team at AOL to develop new ways for people to
communicate and connect." AOL Ventures provides an entrepreneurial environment to
attract and develop original ideas to foster initiatives that benefit consumers, advertisers
and employees and are aligned with AOL’s long-term strategy. ***End PR Text***
5 Good Looking Alternatives To Craigslist

Craigslist turned 15 this month, but the design has stayed 15 years old. While it
commands the majority of the classifieds market share, its looks don't command too
much goodwill. So what alternatives do you have which look better than the cluttered
craigslist? List and screengrabs after the break. Oodle Buy my stuff Adoos Ebay
classifieds Yellow Pages [gallery link= "file" columns= "5" orderby= "rand"]
Now Call Your Friend's Phone For Free Via

Facebook
Likiwi, a French company has just launched a beta program
of its Facebook based VOIP application. What this lets you
do is simple - lets you call any your friends' phones for free
and asks you to watch an advertisement in return. Not bad
actually, as long as you are not in a hurry to call your friend - then you have to pay for an
"urgent" call. Calls are unlimited and free as long as you have "credits" to make the call.
Likiwi gives you a variety of ways to earn credits for making calls ranging from making
you watch ads to making people sign up for the service to giving you kickbacks based on
the minutes you spend calling someone using credits purchased using real money.
These nice folks also throw in a personal phone number for you to be able to receive
calls on Facebook on a "private" number. This will run you 3 euros a month (about $5 a
month). You also have the freedom to choose a phone number in a country "of your
choice". Neat, no? Looking at the number of tablets being released which run web
browsers as their Operating systems i think this service makes sense. But Facebook as
your telephone? Doesn't make too much sense. I hope these folks make something
available outside of Facebook. A video of the product after the break.
An Afternoon Nap Markedly Boosts The Brain’s

Learning Capacity
If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle,
don't roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that
an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings
suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you
smarter. Conversely, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds
become, according to the findings. The results support previous data from the same
research team that pulling an all-nighter — a common practice at college during midterms
and finals — decreases the ability to cram
in new facts by nearly 40 percent, due to a
shutdown of brain regions during sleep
deprivation. "Sleep not only rights the
wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a
neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond
where you were before you took a nap,"
said Matthew Walker, an assistant
professor of psychology at UC Berkeley
and the lead investigator of these studies.
In the recent UC Berkeley sleep study, 39
healthy young adults were divided into two groups — nap and no-nap. At noon, all the
participants were subjected to a rigorous learning task intended to tax the hippocampus,
a region of the brain that helps store fact-based memories. Both groupsperformed at
comparable levels. At 2 p.m., the nap group took a 90-minute siesta while the no-nap
group stayed awake. Later that day, at 6 p.m., participants performed a new round of
learning exercises. Those who remained awake throughout the day became worse at
learning. In contrast, those who napped did markedly better and actually improved in their
capacity to learn. These findings reinforce the researchers' hypothesis that sleep is
needed to clear the brain’s short-term memory storage and make room for new
information, said Walker, who presented his preliminary findings on Sunday, Feb. 21, at
the annual meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
in San Diego, Calif. Since 2007, Walker and other sleep researchers have established
that fact-based memories are temporarily stored in the hippocampus before being sent to
the brain's prefrontal cortex, which may have more storage space. "It's as though the e-
mail inbox in your hippocampus is full and, until you sleep and clear out those fact e-
mails, you’re not going to receive any more mail. It's just going to bounce until you sleep
and move it into another folder," Walker said. In the latest study, Walker and his team
have broken new ground in discovering that this memory-refreshing process occurs when
nappers are engaged in a specific stage of sleep. Electroencephalogram tests, which
measure electrical activity in the brain, indicated that this refreshing of memory capacity
is related to Stage 2 non-REM sleep, which takes place between deep sleep (non-REM)
and the dream state known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Previously, the purpose of
this stage was unclear, but the new results offer evidence as to why humans spend at
least half their sleeping hours in Stage 2, non-REM, Walker said. "I can’t imagine Mother
Nature would have us spend 50 percent of the night going from one sleep stage to
another for no reason," Walker said. "Sleep is sophisticated. It acts locally to give us what
we need." Walker and his team will go on to investigate whether the reduction of sleep
experienced by people as they get older is related to the documented decrease in our
ability to learn as we age. Finding that link may be helpful in understanding such
neurodegenerative conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, Walker said. In addition to Walker,
co-investigators of these new findings are UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellow Bryce A.
Mander and psychology undergraduate Sangeetha Santhanam.
Video: Solar Powered Cargo Ship? Oh Yeah!
We did not see this coming. A cargo ship that carries Toyota Prius cars runs partially on
soler energy. Now, how cool is that? The ship name "Auriga Leader", a part of the NYK
Line shipping company actually pulls this off quite well! With large areas of open spaces
on the ship I think this is one of the best thinking I have seen from mankind. They intend
to augment this solar power with wind power as well! Go On, NYK Line. Save mankind.
Video after the break.
India Getting In "Big" Time Into Interactive

Entertainment.
So, you thought this wouldn't happen. The last thing to be outsourced to India would be
game development, right? Well, consider it done. Big Entertainment, owned by billionaire
Anil Dhirubhai Ambani has bought a 50% stake in video game development house
Codemasters for an undisclosed amount. This after Big Entertainment bought 50% in
Dreamworks Studios for $325 mil. All these developments come close on the heals of
Zinga and Facebook making large investments in India. Big Entertainment already owns
Zapak.com, a Yahoo games style gaming portal. It also owns Jump Games, which
churns out games for mobile phones. The game distribution capability of Big
Entertainment is quite large considering that the parent company owns Reliance telecom
- one of the largest mobile services company in India. Well done Anil, you are finally
taking India into the realm of game development. Maybe now parents will not scream at
their kids for having played too many games on their computers.
Princeton Engineers Turn Noise Into Vision

A new technique for revealing images of
hidden objects may one day allow pilots to
peer through fog and doctors to see more
precisely into the human body without
surgery. Developed by Princeton
engineers, the method relies on the
surprising ability to clarify an image using
rays of light that would typically make the
image unrecognizable, such as those
scattered by clouds, human tissue or murky
water. In their experiments, the researchers
restored an obscured image into a clear pattern of numbers and lines. The process was
akin to improving poor TV reception using the distorted, or "noisy," part of the broadcast
signal. "Normally, noise is considered a bad thing," said Jason Fleischer, an assistant
professor of electrical engineering at Princeton. "But sometimes noise and signal can
interact, and the energy from the noise can be used to amplify the signal. For weak
signals, such as distant or dark images, actually adding noise can improve their quality."
He said the ability to boost signals this way could potentially improve a broad range of
signal technologies, including the sonograms doctors use to visualize fetuses and the
radar systems pilots use to navigate through storms and turbulence. The method also
potentially could be applied in technologies such as night vision goggles, inspection of
underwater structures such as levies and bridge supports, and in steganography, the
practice of masking signals for security purposes. The findings are reported online March
14 in Nature Photonics. Jason Fleischer (right), a Princeton assistant professor of
electrical engineering, and graduate student Dmitry Dylov have developed a new method
for using nonlinear materials to reveal images of obscured objects. (Photo: Frank
Wojciechowski) Images for news media In their experiments, Fleischer and co-author
Dmitry Dylov, an electrical engineering graduate student, passed a laser beam through a
small piece of glass engraved with numbers and lines, similar to the charts used during
eye exams. The beam carried the image of the numbers and lines to a receiver
connected to a video monitor, which displayed the pattern. The researchers then placed
a translucent piece of plastic similar to cellophane tape between the glass plate and the
receiver. The tape-like material scattered the laser light before it arrived at the receiver,
making the visual signal so noisy that the number and line pattern became
indecipherable on the monitor, similar to the way smoke or fog might obstruct a person's
view. The crucial portion of the experiment came when Fleischer and Dylov placed
another object in the path of the laser beam. Just in front of the receiver, they mounted a
crystal of strontium barium niobate (SBN), a material that belongs to a class of
substances known as "nonlinear" for their ability to alter the behavior of light in strange
ways. In this case, the nonlinear crystal mixed different parts of the picture, allowing
signal and noise to interact. By adjusting an electrical voltage across the piece of SBN,
the researchers were able to tune in a clear image on the monitor. The SBN gathered the
rays that had been scattered by the translucent plastic and used that energy to clarify the
weak image of the lines and numbers. A new technique for revealing images of hidden
objects may one day allow pilots to peer through fog and doctors to see more precisely
into the human body without surgery. Developed by Princeton engineers, the method
relies on the surprising ability to clarify an image using rays of light that would typically
make the image unrecognizable, such as those scattered by clouds, human tissue or
murky water. In their experiments, the researchers restored an obscured image into a
clear pattern of numbers and lines. The process was akin to improving poor TV reception
using the distorted, or "noisy," part of the broadcast signal. "Normally, noise is
considered a bad thing," said Jason Fleischer, an assistant professor of electrical
engineering at Princeton. "But sometimes noise and signal can interact, and the energy
from the noise can be used to amplify the signal. For weak signals, such as distant or
dark images, actually adding noise can improve their quality." He said the ability to boost
signals this way could potentially improve a broad range of signal technologies, including
the sonograms doctors use to visualize fetuses and the radar systems pilots use to
navigate through storms and turbulence. The method also potentially could be applied in
technologies such as night vision goggles, inspection of underwater structures such as
levies and bridge supports, and in steganography, the practice of masking signals for
security purposes. The findings are reported online March 14 in Nature Photonics. Jason
Fleischer (right), a Princeton assistant professor of electrical engineering, and graduate
student Dmitry Dylov have developed a new method for using nonlinear materials to
reveal images of obscured objects. (Photo: Frank Wojciechowski) Images for news
mediaIn their experiments, Fleischer and co-author Dmitry Dylov, an electrical
engineering graduate student, passed a laser beam through a small piece of glass
engraved with numbers and lines, similar to the charts used during eye exams. The beam
carried the image of the numbers and lines to a receiver connected to a video monitor,
which displayed the pattern. The researchers then placed a translucent piece of plastic
similar to cellophane tape between the glass plate and the receiver. The tape-like
material scattered the laser light before it arrived at the receiver, making the visual signal
so noisy that the number and line pattern became indecipherable on the monitor, similar
to the way smoke or fog might obstruct a person's view. The crucial portion of the
experiment came when Fleischer and Dylov placed another object in the path of the laser
beam. Just in front of the receiver, they mounted a crystal of strontium barium niobate
(SBN), a material that belongs to a class of substances known as "nonlinear" for their
ability to alter the behavior of light in strange ways. In this case, the nonlinear crystal
mixed different parts of the picture, allowing signal and noise to interact. By adjusting an
electrical voltage across the piece of SBN, the researchers were able to tune in a clear
image on the monitor. The SBN gathered the rays that had been scattered by the
translucent plastic and used that energy to clarify the weak image of the lines and
numbers. "We used noise to feed signals," Dylov said. "It's as if you took a picture of a
person in the dark, and we made the person brighter and the background darker so you
could see them. The contrast makes the person stand out." The technique, known as
"stochastic resonance," only works for the right amount of noise, as too much can
overwhelm the signal. It has been observed in a variety of fields, ranging from
neuroscience to energy harvesting, but never has been used this way for imaging. Based
on the results of their experiment, Fleischer and Dylov developed a new theory for how
noisy signals move through nonlinear materials, which combines ideas from the fields of
statistical physics, information theory and optics. The research was funded by the
National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Air Force.
Their theory provides a general foundation for nonlinear communication that can be
applied to a wide range of technologies. The researchers plan to incorporate other signal
processing techniques to further improve the clarity of the images they generate and to
apply the concepts they developed to biomedical imaging devices, including those that
use sound and ultrasound instead of light.
Idea 293: Video: Start A Pirate Radio

London city is becoming very famous for all the weird reasons these days. Unauthorized
radio stations or "Pirate radio" stations are beaming music from artists who would never
get an audience otherwise. Some Londoners even consider owning a radio station a
right! VBS has put together a great documentary together on London's Pirate Radios.
Pirate radios have an estimated 20 million listeners. The so called pirates hide
themselves from OFCOM - UK's communications regulator by using some high tech
gear. Check these radio stations out - we think its got some great music. rinse.fm
flexfm.co.uk [via VBS]
Too Much Padding Last Week
There's been too much iPad news last week and now the news about iPhone 4 OS and
Microsoft's "secret" event. Last week's been too hectic OK? Why cram this week with
more events? Is Apple going to release a new device on 8th April? Or is it just the
software for the next device? 4G? Multitasking? Full customization? Is Microsoft going to
add a new pad into our lives and take out some padding from our wallets? We will wait
and watch. But for now we will just make sure you get good tech news. Stay tuned.
Forget Lithium Ion Batteries. Take a look at

Lithium Air Batteries.
A team of researchers at MIT has made
significant progress on a technology that
could lead to batteries with up to three
times the energy density of any battery that
currently exists. Yang Shao-Horn, an MIT
associate professor of mechanical
engineering and materials science and
engineering, says that many groups have
been pursuing work on lithium-air batteries,
a technology that has great potential for
achieving great gains in energy density. But
there has been a lack of understanding of what kinds of electrode materials could
promote theelectrochemical reactions that take place in these batteries. Lithium-oxygen
(also known as lithium-air) batteries are similar in principle to the lithium-ion batteries that
now dominate the field of portable electronics and are a leading contender for electric
vehicles. But because lithium-air batteries replace the heavy conventional compounds in
such batteries with a carbon-based air electrode and flow of air, the batteries themselves
can be much lighter. That’s why leading companies, including IBM and General Motors,
have committed to major research initiatives on lithium-air technology. In a paper
published this week in the journal Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, Shao-Horn,
along with some of her students and visiting professor Hubert Gasteiger, reported on a
study showing that electrodes with gold or platinum as a catalyst show a much higher
level of activity and thus a higher efficiency than simple carbon electrodes in these
batteries. In addition, this new work sets the stage for further research that could lead to
even better electrode materials, perhaps alloys of gold and platinum or other metals, or
metallic oxides, and to less expensive alternatives. Doctoral student Yi-Chun Lu, lead
author of the paper, explains that this team has developed a method for analyzing the
activity of different catalysts in the batteries, and now they can build on this research to
study a variety of possible materials. “We’ll look at different materials, and look at the
trends,” she says. “Such research could allow us to identify the physical parameters that
govern the catalyst activity. Ultimately, we will be able to predict the catalyst behaviors. ”
Why it matters: Lightweight batteries that can deliver lots of energy are crucial for a
variety of applications — for example, improving the range of electric cars. For that
reason, even modest increases in a battery’s energy-density rating — a measure of the
amount of energy that can be delivered for a given weight — are important advances.
Next Steps: One issue to be dealt with in developing a battery system that could be
widely commercialized is safety. Lithium in metallic form, which is used in lithium-air
batteries, is highly reactive in the presence of even minuscule amounts of water. This is
not an issue in current lithium-ion batteries because carbon-based materials are used for
the negative electrode. Shao-Horn says the same battery principle can be applied without
the need to use metallic lithium; graphite or some other more stable negative electrode
materials could be used instead, she says, leading to a safer system. A number of issues
must be addressed before lithium-air batteries can become a practical commercial
product, she says. The biggest issue is developing a system that keeps its power through
a sufficient number of charging and discharging cycles for it to be useful in vehicles or
electronic devices. Researchers also need to look into details of the chemistry of the
charging and discharging processes, to see what compounds are produced and where,
and how they react with other compounds in the system. “We’re at the very beginning” of
understanding exactly how these reactions occur, Shao-Horn says. Gholam-Abbas Nazri,
a researcher at the GM Research & Development Center in Michigan, calls this research
“interesting and important,” and says this addresses a significant bottleneck in the
development of this technology: the need find an efficient catalyst. This work is “in the
right direction for further understanding of the role of catalysts,” and it “may significantly
contribute to the further understanding and future development of lithium-air systems,” he
says. While some companies working on lithium-air batteries have said they see it as a
10-year development program, Shao-Horn says it is too early to predict how long it may
take to reach commercialization. “It’s a very promising area, but there are many science
and engineering challenges to be overcome,” she says. “If it truly demonstrates two to
three times the energy density” of today’s lithium-ion batteries, she says, the likely first
applications will be in portable electronics such as computers and cell phones, which are
high-value items, and only later would be applied to vehicles once the costs are reduced.
Source: “The Influence of Catalysts on Discharge and Charge Voltages of Rechargeable
Li–Oxygen Batteries,” Yi-Chun Lu, Hubert A. Gasteiger, Michael C. Parent, Vazrik
Chiloyan, Yang Shao-Horn. Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 1 April 2010 (Vol.13,
No.6). Funding: Department of Energy, with additional support from the Martin Family
Society of Fellows for Sustainability and the National Science Foundation
A web based iTunes? Its Here

Apple may not be interested in releasing an
iTunes in the cloud but 3rd party
developers see immense value in this
model. That said, there is no telling what
Apple is up to after the acquisition of Lala.com. Anyway a startups called AudioBox has
created a very iTunesy looking web app called AudioBox available at audiobox.fm It is
basically a cloud service that stores all your music and lets you stream it to your PC with
an internet connection anywhere in the world. The UI looks very much like iTunes with
some features thrown in here and there that lets you manage you music repository.
There is no software to install on your PC which means less hassle. The service starts for
off free with 1 GB of online music storage and goes all the way up $24.99 a month giving
you 151 GB of storage space. AudioBox will be adding mobile players and multi format
audio playback soon. Right now it supports M3 files only. The company claims that your
data will be perfectly safe but who's to confirm in these days of cyber wars. After Lala's
exit this is the first service to get into the online personal music streaming space. But
unlink Lala AudioBox does not let you purchase music. It's all going to be your music
online. 3rd party developers will also be able to plug into AudioBox thanks to the
developer API. Will Google snap it up? Go take it for a test drive, its worth the trouble.
MIT researchers develop heat-powered

electronics
It can be inconvenient to replace batteries
in electronic devices that need to work for
long periods of time, either in biomedical
monitoring systems worn by a patient or in
monitors for machinery or industrial
installations in remote or inaccessible
situations. But new technology being
developed by MIT researchers could make
such replacements unnecessary. New
energy-scavenging systems being
developed by MIT Prof. Anantha
Chandrakasan and alumnus Yogesh
Ramadass PhD ’09 could provide power for
such sensors just from differences in
temperature between the body (or other
warm object) and the surrounding air, eliminating or reducing the need for a battery. The
unique aspect of the new MIT-developed devices is their ability to harness differences of
just one or two degrees, producing tiny (about 100 microwatts) but nevertheless usable
amounts of electric power. The findings were presented last week at the International
Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco. Ramadass says that as a
result of research over the last decade, the power consumption of various electronic
sensors, processors and communications devices has been greatly reduced, making it
possible to power such devices from very low-power energy harvesting systems such as
this wearablethermoelectric system. Such a system, for example, could enable 24-hour-
a-day monitoring of heart rate, blood sugar or other biomedical data, through a simple
device worn on an arm or a leg and powered just by the body’s temperature (which,
except on a 98.6-degree F summer day, would almost always be different from the
surrounding air). Or it could be used to monitor the warm exhaust gases in the flues of a
chemical plant, or air quality in the ducts of a heating and ventilation system. How they
did it: The key to the new technology is a control circuit that optimizes the match between
the energy output from the thermoelectric material (which generates power from
temperature differences) and the storage system connected to it, in this case a storage
capacitor. Next steps: The present experimental versions of the device require a metal
heat-sink worn on an arm or leg, exposed to the ambient air. “There’s work to be done on
miniaturizing the whole system,” Ramadass says. This might be accomplished by
combining and simplifying the electronics and by improving airflow over the heat sink.
Video: The Next Beneficiary Of Innovation: The
Coffee Cup
Do we need a better coffee cup? Consider this - 58 billion
coffee cups thrown away every year in the USA alone. I think
we need a better coffee cup. Video after the break.
[via GOOD]
India Finally Makes Elementary Education Free

And Compulsory, Till ...
Elementary education was always free in India, till the 10th
grade. But there was no mechanism to make sure it was
implemented. Finally, after almost 65 years of
independence India made the "free" education
"compulsory". In a country where kids work from the age of
4 just to live, it will be interesting to see how effectively this
law is implemented. This problem coupled with rampant
corruption, a shortage of teaching staff, lack of basic
infrastructure will must pose some serious problems to the
government. This free education will be for all kids
between 6 to 14 years of age. Of the 5-10 million kids that
this law promises to benefit only 20-30% may actually see
full benefits. What will cost the Indian government $35
billion over the next 5 years will go a long way in defining
the sub continent's competence over the next century. A
fully literate and educated India in the next 50 years? The west has some serious
competition coming its way if the education systems are not fixed, quickly. Imagine two
billion educated people. India may have to start an H1 visa program in the next 50 years.
Is Adobe Romancing The iPad This Time?

Flash may not have been the best thing Adobe created keeping the iPhone and iPad in
view but it looks like Flash may not be the ultimate answer for Adobe to make love to the
iPad. The solution, which sounds quite light is Adobe Air. Wired magazine has teamed up
with you know who to create one of the most stunning magazine reading experiences
that we have seen in our lives. While editors at Wired magazine describe the iPad as the
"platform we have been waiting for since 15 years", Adobe doesn't really talk about the
iPad. They just say "We will help make experiences better on new platforms". Hmmm..
why so much hatred before you go to bed with Apple, Adobe? Apple's gonna ask you to
say its name, ain't it? Video demo of the Wired Magazine for iPad after the break.
Ideabing gift certificate giveaway

We will make this really easy for you. Ideabing is giving away a $5 Gift certificate to
EVERY person signing up for our daily newsletter. No exceptions. Sign up here:
http://eepurl.com/i5e8
Sign up with a valid email address - that's where the gift

certificate will be delivered. Please allow 4-8 weeks for delivery
of gift certificates. Context ends 24 April 2010.
Open Source Micro Finance Platform Starts A

Revolution
Now this is what we call grass roots
revolution. The Grameen Bank, that
showed the world that poor people are
capable of paying back loans wants to
replicate the model that worked in the
remotest parts of Bangladesh across the
globe. To achieve this, Grameen
Foundation - a part of the Grameen Bank
has built a system called Mifos or "Micro

Finance Open Source" that lets
entrepreneurs enter the micro finance
arena with one less barrier. Entrepreneurs
no longer have to depend on paperwork to manage investments. Mifos allows them to
manage investments via an online framework which works in conditions that are all too
prevalent in third world countries - limited internet access. The architecture is so flexible
that you can hook up your existing institution's database and access it from anywhere via
a variety of means - the internet, via text messages and even via phone calls. This allows
Grameen Foundation to establish a "standard" in the way micro finance institutions
should operate in order to be profitable while providing open source, inexpensive
technology. Tens of institutions in India and Brazil have adopted this framework. Go
check it out here. A short video about Mifos after the break.
Infographic: What Does It Take To Be A Nerd?
Let's accept it. To be an innovator you got to be a nerd, somewhere, somehow. There's a
Venn diagram to get that calculated. Picture after the break. [via sedcontra]
Video: How Much Do You Know About Your

Online Consumers?
So, you have this company that sells stuff online. But what do you now about people
buying your stuff? This video by GOOD puts the numbers across. Watch. [via GOOD]
America's First Super Car. The Rapier SL-C.

When was the last time you saw an
"American" super car? We are not talking
about them muscle cars, we are talking
Ferrari and Lamborghini beating, race track
hugging super car. A little known company
called Rapier Automotive made this
possible. What could be dubbed the first
true American super car. What is called the 2010 Rapier SL-C goes from 0-60 in about
3.2 seconds, hits a max speed of 222mph and runs you a bill of $179 grand. All this,
delivered in 9 months. This beautiful car is completely hand made as per specs handed
out by the owner who orders the car. The stock car has a Chevy LS7 heart that pumps
out 500 HP @ 6200 rpm. All these specs put this car right behind the Saleen S7 which
has about the same 0-60 figures but runs you an extra $400 grand to own. So, is this the
"low cost" super car going worth it? You decide. Pics after the break. [gallery link="file"
columns="4" orderby="title"]
Flash Was Dead Yesterday, Today It Is Being

Buried.
The iPad has more or less killed Flash, like
we mentioned sometime back. Now Apple is
up to burying Flash altogether. Apple has
put out a list of VERY prominent websites
that have ditched Flash in favor of HTML5.
Cool eh? The list includes bigwigs such as
CNN.com, Time.com, TED.com and
Vimeo.com. After the "Flash is dead on TV"
post we had several tweets telling us things
like "Flash is changing for the better" and
"Flash is not as dead as you think" but we
are assuming that these tweeters did not
see this day coming. Why bother
maintaining 2 different standards when you
can have one? Especially when the iPad is
getting so much attention? Reminds me of the days when each browser had a different
way of doing things - ultimately several browsers died by not adhering to the new rules of
engagement. Will Flash become one such martyr? Or will Flash become the platform
HTML5 will flourish on? Only time will tell. The site also lets you submit your own iPad
ready site. For now, lets observe a minute's silence as Flash is lowered into the grave. A
resurrection is not ruled out though.
Idea 292: Allow Tweeters To Schedule Their
Tweets
There are many Twitter apps available on
the internet, but one in particular has
caught our eye. Its called "Twaitter". Notice
the Twitter + Wait = Twaitter formula?
Yeah, this service lets you schedule your
tweets - FREE. Twaitter is web based and
lets you tweet your tweets out when ever
you want. You are not just allowed to tweet
to Twitter but also allowed to post to Ping.fm which means that you have a Twitter tool
that lets you be all over the social networking map in one button press! This service is
required, especially when you are a lone blogger, like MOST bloggers on the internet. We
are so impressed with the service that Ideabing's primary tweet scheduling service is
Twaitter. And yes, they also provide follow management for twitter apart from feed
management for your twitter all your rss feeds. Go check it out yourself! its awesome
Video: Ideas For A Better City

Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Live in a crowded city? Some big cities across the planet are making lives better by
making small changes in the way things work. Watch the video for more insight. [via
GOOD]
One Low Cost Innovation, One Smoked Up Car

Remember the cheapest car in the world -
the Tata Nano? The Nano is a prime
example of low cost innovation, from the
drawing board to the consumer. Delivered
at a very inexpensive $2500 - $3500 a
piece. That said, there are problem with this
model of innovation. While you are trying to
get the cheapest product out, you tend to
ignore a few key problems. Apart from the
absence of air bags and a crash safety
rating, one particular problem with the Nano
coming to the fore is "self immolation" of
the car. About 3 cars have "caught fire" on
the road. While Toyota's sucking it up with all the recalls, the corrupt Indian political
system may not allow a high profile company like Tata, which manufactures the Nano to
lose credibility in the Indian market. Since the car has been announced to be launched in
the EU later next year, it remains to be seen how the Nano will be received in nations that
are used to 4 airbags and 5-star crash safety rated cars. I wonder how the Indian
government can even let these mini coffins run around on the streets anyway! But hey,
Tata has shown the world how you can give 1 billion people what they need at an
affordable price. This model will go a long way in defining how multinational car
manufacturers do business in countries like India.
New Electric Car Company On The Block

How often do you see a company scoring $394 million on
funding? Coda Automotive has just scored that much in
funding! Coda will be using these funds to ramp up battery
production for their new car. Although its not a great looker,
the company expects the Code "Hero" to give 120 mpg equivalent and get a 5-star crash
safety rating. Not bad for a company which does not have the media presence an electric
car company must have! But who cares? They just got themselves a lot of money to play
with. No price point for the car yet, but it looks like the car is being made for the masses.
Images of the car after the break.
Solar Energy Scoring Big Bucks. Enphase

Energy scores $40 mil.
Solar Energy companies are commanding a large piece of the money going into clean
energy startups. We had reported Spectra Watt's $41 million round some time back. Now
its Enphase Energy's turn. Enphase energy, a solar energy inverter manufacturing
company has scored a cool $40 million in financing. It is important to note that money is
flowing into the solar energy market both on the energy generation and the energy
storage and distribution ends. This brings a lot of strength into this sector as we go into
an of oil free future. Bay Partners led the equity financing. This round of financing also
included participation from Horizon Technology Finance, Bridge Bank (NASDAQ: BBNK)
and existing investors Third Point Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners, Madrone Capital
Partners and Applied Ventures LLC. Full PR text after the break. ***Start PR Text***
PETALUMA, CA--(Marketwire - March 30, 2010) - Enphase Energy, the leader in solar
microinverter systems, today announced that it has secured $40 million in funding, with
Bay Partners leading the equity financing. This round of financing also includes
participation from Horizon Technology Finance, Bridge Bank (NASDAQ: BBNK) and
existing investors Third Point Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners, Madrone Capital
Partners and Applied Ventures LLC. "Enphase has captured significant market share in
the inverter space in an extraordinarily short time frame. This financing will be used to
fund our expansion plans and further strengthen our balance sheet," said Sanjeev
Kumar, chief financial officer of Enphase Energy. "We are pleased to have the support of
Bay Partners, Horizon Technology Finance, Bridge Bank and our existing investors, and
their recognition that Enphase is poised to further accelerate this market share growth."
"Enphase has a remarkably driven management team, and an excellent track record of
technology innovation. We're excited to invest in a company that is leading the transition
in the inverter market from central to microinverters," said Sandesh Patnam, general
partner at Bay Partners. "Shipping 250,000 inverters in such a short period of time is a
remarkable achievement for any company," said Greg Clark, Managing Director of
Horizon Technology Finance. "This new round of financing will enable Enphase to
continue this phenomenal growth." "We look forward to providing a fast-growing company
like Enphase with working capital," said Mike Lederman, Senior Vice President and Team
Leader of Bridge Bank's Technology Banking Group in San Francisco. "Enphase's
success thus far is a direct result of their ability to execute and we're excited to participate
in their growth." Recognized as the fastest growing inverter company in the U.S. in 2009,
Enphase Energy continues to outperform the market having sold more than a quarter
million microinverters since launch. Enphase Microinverter Systems provide more
productive, reliable, safe and cost-effective solar energy than conventional approaches,
for both small and large-scale systems. The Enphase Microinverter System is the first
and only commercially available microinverter system. It dramatically improves the
economic model of solar energy, helping advance the adoption of residential and
commercial solar power. Enphase integrates state-of-the-art microinverters and power-
line communications with Web-based monitoring to create a new class of advanced solar
energy solutions. Enphase systems offer a number of advantages over traditional central
inverters including a five- to 25-percent increase in energy yield, increased system
reliability as well as a simpler and safer installation. Enphase products also remove
design constraints by allowing modules to be installed in any combination of type, age
and location. In addition, a proprietary communications technology is a key component of
the Enphase Microinverter System, enabling continuous, remote, per-module monitoring
to maximize energy production. ***End PR Text***
Idea 291: Know Japan, Well

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Don't know about the most technologically advanced nation in the world? A 12 minute
video from Kenici, a graphic designer from Japan might be able to enlighten you. I think I
can head off to Japan right away and have absolutely no problems living there, after
watching this video. Video after the break. UPDATE: The author of the video as taken the
English version offline. We have now posted the Japanese version. Thanks for the tip
Jerome!
Japan - The Strange Country (Japanese ver.) from Kenichi on Vimeo.
Idea 290: Smash Microscopic Particles Together.
We are not really looking for life "out there" very actively but hey, we ARE seeking bigger
answers - like how this universe was formed. The CERN Large Hadron Collider has
taken one step forward in realizing answers to that question. The LHC struck particles at
a record 7TeV today in search for the "God Particle". What LHC calls the first high energy
collision sets the ground for new discoveries in Physics. Are we looking at a new golden
age of Physics? We will know in 2 years time. Apparently 2000 graduate students are in
line to access full data from these experiments. Full PR text after the break. ***Start PR
text*** LHC research programme gets underway Geneva, 30 March 2010. Beams
collided at 7 TeV in the LHC at 13:06 CEST, marking the start of the LHC research
programme. Particle physicists around the world are looking forward to a potentially rich
harvest of new physics as the LHC begins its first long run at an energy three and a half
times higher than previously achieved at a particle accelerator. “It’s a great day to be a
particle physicist,” said CERN1 Director General Rolf Heuer. “A lot of people have waited
a long time for this moment, but their patience and dedication is starting to pay
dividends.” “With these record-shattering collision energies, the LHC experiments are
propelled into a vast region to explore, and the hunt begins for dark matter, new forces,
new dimensions and the Higgs boson,” said ATLAS collaboration spokesperson, Fabiola
Gianotti. “The fact that the experiments have published papers already on the basis of
last year’s data bodes very well for this first physics run.” “We’ve all been impressed with
the way the LHC has performed so far,” said Guido Tonelli, spokesperson of the CMS
experiment, “and it’s particularly gratifying to see how well our particle detectors are
working while our physics teams worldwide are already analysing data. We’ll address
soon some of the major puzzles of modern physics like the origin of mass, the grand
unification of forces and the presence of abundant dark matter in the universe. I expect
very exciting times in front of us.” "This is the moment we have been waiting and
preparing for", said ALICE spokesperson Jürgen Schukraft. "We're very much looking
forward to the results from proton collisions, and later this year from lead-ion collisions, to
give us new insights into the nature of the strong interaction and the evolution of matter in
the early Universe." “LHCb is ready for physics,” said the experiment’s spokesperson
Andrei Golutvin, “we have a great research programme ahead of us exploring the nature
of matter-antimatter asymmetry more profoundly than has ever been done before.” CERN
will run the LHC for 18-24 months with the objective of delivering enough data to the
experiments to make significant advances across a wide range of physics channels. As
soon as they have "re-discovered" the known Standard Model particles, a necessary
precursor to looking for new physics, the LHC experiments will start the systematic
search for the Higgs boson. With the amount of data expected, called one inverse
femtobarn by physicists, the combined analysis of ATLAS and CMS will be able to
explore a wide mass range, and there’s even a chance of discovery if the Higgs has a
mass near 160 GeV. If it’s much lighter or very heavy, it will be harder to find in this first
LHC run. For supersymmetry, ATLAS and CMS will each have enough data to double
today’s sensitivity to certain new discoveries. Experiments today are sensitive to some
supersymmetric particles with masses up to 400 GeV. An inverse femtobarn at the LHC
pushes the discovery range up to 800 GeV. “The LHC has a real chance over the next
two years of discovering supersymmetric particles,” explained Heuer, “and possibly giving
insights into the composition of about a quarter of the Universe.” Even at the more exotic
end of the LHC’s potential discovery spectrum, this LHC run will extend the current reach
by a factor of two. LHC experiments will be sensitive to new massive particles indicating
the presence of extra dimensions up to masses of 2 TeV, where today’s reach is around
1 TeV. “Over 2000 graduate students are eagerly awaiting data from the LHC
experiments,” said Heuer. “They’re a privileged bunch, set to produce the first theses at
the new high-energy frontier.” Following this run, the LHC will shutdown for routine
maintenance, and to complete the repairs and consolidation work needed to reach the
LHC’s design energy of 14 TeV following the incident of 19 September 2008.
Traditionally, CERN has operated its accelerators on an annual cycle, running for seven
to eight months with a four to five month shutdown each year. Being a cryogenic machine
operating at very low temperature, the LHC takes about a month to bring up to room
temperature and another month to cool down. A four-month shutdown as part of an
annual cycle no longer makes sense for such a machine, so CERN has decided to move
to a longer cycle with longer periods of operation accompanied by longer shutdown
periods when needed. “Two years of continuous running is a tall order both for the LHC
operators and the experiments, but it will be well worth the effort,” said Heuer. “By starting
with a long run and concentrating preparations for 14 TeV collisions into a single
shutdown, we’re increasing the overall running time over the next three years, making up
for lost time and giving the experiments the chance to make their mark.” ***End PR
text***
Idea 289: Award An Outstanding Engineer

Do you know an outstanding engineer?
Someone who has pushed the boundaries
of technology and created something
amazing? Then go ahead and nominate
them for an SME award. The Society of
Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the
world’s leading professional society serving
the manufacturing industry, is issuing its annual call for nominations for the 2011
International Honor Awards, the Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award and
the Award of Merit. For more than 50 years, the prestigious International Honor Awards
have honored academics and leading business people who have made outstanding
contributions and achievements in their fields. Some previous recipients have included
Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo!, Richard E. Morley, the father of the programmable
controller, Gene Haas, founder and president of Haas Automation as well as Masahiko
Mori, president of Mori Seiki Co. Ltd. There are seven distinct Honor Awards including
those which recognize exceptional success in manufacturing management, research,
productivity, manufacturing education or service to SME. While the Honor Awards
recognize those at the zenith of their engineering or industrial careers, the Outstanding
Young Manufacturing Engineer Award honors engineers age 35 and under for
exceptional accomplishments in technical publication, patents or technical professional
society leadership. And like the International Honor Awards, SME’s Award of Merit also
has a long history. Since 1958, this award has recognized SME members who have
made valued and balanced contributions to the Society’s professional activities and
growth. This call for nominations coincides with the ramp up to the Bridging the Gaps:
SME Annual Conference. Slated for June 6-8, 2010 in Nashville, Tenn., the Conference
will bring together manufacturing professionals looking to share and discuss new ideas,
the latest developments and real solutions. The Conference will include a diversity of
activities including technical and breakout sessions, keynote speakers, facility tours as
well as awards ceremonies. Several 2010 Award of Merit and Outstanding Young
Manufacturing Engineer Award recipients are scheduled to be honored during the
Conference at an Awards Luncheon scheduled for Monday, June 7. Later that day, the
2010 International Honor Award recipients will be recognized at the International Awards
Gala. Both events are expected to spur nominations for 2011. The annual deadline to
submit nominations is August 1 of each year. Nomination forms can be downloaded from
each individual award’s landing page (Honor Awards, Outstanding Young Manufacturing
Engineer Award and Award of Merit) or at sme.org/awards. Forms can be sent
electronically to nominations(at)sme(dot)org, by faxing to 313.425.3406 or mailed to SME
Headquarters at: SME International Awards & Recognition Committee c/o Executive
Offices Society of Manufacturing Engineers One SME Drive, P.O. Box 930 Dearborn,
Mich. 48121-0930 USA For more information about the SME Awards visit
www.sme.org/awards or to register for the SME Annual Conference visit
www.sme.org/conference.
Chevy Equinox + Amp = All Electric Chevy

Equinox
Tired of waiting for that much talked about all-electric car
(read Nissan Leaf) or can't afford one of those Fisker
Karmas?? If you cannot wait, the check this out. A little
known company from Ohio called Amp Electric Vehicles is
taking regular road cars and converting them into all-electric
versions. The latest feat has been the conversion of a full fledged Chevy Equinox to an
all electric version. The motor runs a full 150 miles before it runs out of charge and can
run at 90 miles an hour all through! Not bad for a heavy-as-a-tank SUV. They have three
cars in their range - the Chevy Equinox, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky although
the company has conveniently replaced the cars' GM brand names with "Amp". If you
want to get your hands on one of those Equinoxes get ready to cough up 50 grand. If you
just want to have a look at them then they will be at the NY Motor Show starting March 2
2010.
Disruptive Innovation: GE's Next Generation

4MW Windmill
Monday, March 29, 2010
An interesting article is out on PopSci - a break up view of GE's brand new next gen
windmill. The new windmill generates a massive 4 MW of electricity! This beats GE's best
wind turbine with a rating of 2.5 MW. Although this energy output is about 75% of
Enercon's E126, which sports a 6MW rating, the GE windmill will be unique in its own
right. The blades which are 170 feet long and made of carbon fiber can twist as required
to get the most lift out of the wind around it. The effect is a considerably large energy
output even at lower wind speeds. The length of GE's new blade is about 40% more than
the length of blades on conventional windmills today. The second aspect that makes this
baby unique is that it has not gearbox. Since the blades do not need high wind speeds to
work, they do not need a gearbox. This is a major shift from conventional windmill
operation. What this means is that the
windmill does not need the frequency of
maintenance that conventional windmills
need. All this put together outputs higher
energy at lower wind speeds coupled with
lowered maintenance costs. See this one
fly in 2012. [via PopSci]
Infographic: Who is coming to the USA

We recently wrote about Xerox heading to India looking for Innovation. Today let us look
at who is headed to the US. This graphic - a representation of the 2008 statistic of who
got to the US is a beautiful way of putting the message across. While Mexico tops the list
of countries from which immigrants came to the US, China and India take up the second
and third spots respectively. Infograhic after the break. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at
06:00PM ()
Idea 288: Save Homeowners Some Energy
Costs
Think your home appliances are eating up
too much electricity? There may be a
solution in sight. Washington based
Am
erican Grid has just released a system which
could save an average American household up
to 20% on electricity bills every month. What
these folks call the Smart Home Energy Network
plugs into everything in your house that
consumes electricity. The system once setup is
like a wireless network for your home
appliances. All of them start "talking" to the main
"gateway". It then tracks energy consumption,
stores and transmits this data wirelessly for you
to view on your computer- something that they
call a "Home Energy Dashboard". The company
also claims that their monitoring system is
compatible with all the brands of appliances you
can buy at major retailers. Neat eh?
Idea 287: Find Your Lost Electronic Gear

Lost your phone anytime and never got it back? Chances are
that you never had a "Stick-and-find" label on that phone. Did
you also know that more than 9,000 cell phones and 1 Million
laptops are turned in to Southwest Airlines' lost and found
every year and that 65% of these items are never reclaimed?
A new company - Stick And Find claims to turn that number
around its head if people start using a specially coded label
which helps
people return lost and found goods without
hassle. Full PR text after the break. ***Start
PR Text*** An independent trial has been
conducted to determine whether people
who find lost or misplaced items are likely
to return them if there was a convenient
way to locate or contact the owner. The
study realized a 75% success rate, with three quarters of the cell phones that were
intentionally “lost” in public places for the study being returned. This was directly related
to the fact that the lost phones had been affixed with special identifiable labels from
StickandFind to let people know how to return them to their owners. StickandFind labels
are permanent, attractive, and preserve anonymity. Most people have no contact
information on their often expensive items. That means anyone who finds such an item
has no way of knowing where or how to return it or to even let the owner know that their
property has been found. All too often, recovered goods are turned in at a counter in
public places, and end up sitting unclaimed. In a separate study supported by Dell, it was
determined that more than nine thousand cell phones and one million laptops were
turned into Southwest Airlines every year. Of that number, 65% never left the company’s
Lost and Found department. Airline personnel were unable to contact the owners since
there was no identifying information on the lost items. The reason the StickandFind trial
was so successful in recovering goods was because of the special labels applied to the
phones. Each label contained a unique eight digit code, along with the stickandfind.com
website, so that for any item found, returning it would be quick and easy for the ‘finder’.
Thanks to the successful trial, professional StickandFind labels are being made available
to the public. The specially coded labels can be ordered through the stickandfind.com
website for multiple products and are easy to adhere to the items, without difficulty. Once
a lost item with a StickandFind label is recovered, the ‘finder’ simply enters the
information onto the website or calls the 24 hour bilingual recovery center. Stick and Find
notifies the item owner immediately and arrangements are made for the return to take
place. With privacy being such an important issue, StickandFind also takes steps to
ensure user confidentiality. Customers can specify how they wish to be contacted once
their items are found. Users can remain as anonymous as they wish, and make
StickandFind act as intermediary should they choose. No confidential or identifying
information is released to the ‘finder’ unless the owner chooses that option. This feature
is especially important for women. The labels are permanent and cost effective,
especially when compared to the price of replacing items, such as laptops, mobile
phones, iPods, cameras or other equipment. The design is tasteful and does not to
detract from the appearance of the item. Labels can be ordered with black or white print
on a transparent background. Individual labels are $9.95, with multi-pack discounts
available for businesses and large orders. There are no other costs involved to take
advantage of the Stick and Find service and there are no annual or recurring fees. Once
the market becomes more aware of Stick and Find, the percentage of lost, abandoned or
unclaimed items should drastically reduce. As the trial results demonstrate, a large
portion of the population is genuinely honest and happy to return misplaced items that
are found, so long as they are provided with a convenient way to do so. For the price,
StickandFind has made this option extremely attractive and affordable for consumers. An
independent trial has been conducted to determine whether people who find lost or
misplaced items are likely to return them if there was a convenient way to locate or
contact the owner. The study realized a 75% success rate, with three quarters of the cell
phones that were intentionally “lost” in public places for the study being returned. This
was directly related to the fact that the lost phones had been affixed with special
identifiable labels from StickandFind to let people know how to return them to their
owners. StickandFind labels are permanent, attractive, and preserve anonymity.Most
people have no contact information on their often expensive items. That means anyone
who finds such an item has no way of knowing where or how to return it or to even let the
owner know that their property has been found. All too often, recovered goods are turned
in at a counter in public places, and end up sitting unclaimed.In a separate study
supported by Dell, it was determined that more than nine thousand cell phones and one
million laptops were turned into Southwest Airlines every year. Of that number, 65%
never left the company’s Lost and Found department. Airline personnel were unable to
contact the owners since there was no identifying information on the lost items. The
reason the StickandFind trial was so successful in recovering goods was because of the
special labels applied to the phones. Each label contained a unique eight digit code,
along with the stickandfind.com website, so that for any item found, returning it would be
quick and easy for the ‘finder’. Thanks to the successful trial, professional StickandFind
labels are being made available to the public. The specially coded labels can be ordered
through the stickandfind.com website for multiple products and are easy to adhere to the
items, without difficulty. Once a lost item with a StickandFind label is recovered, the
‘finder’ simply enters the information onto the website or calls the 24 hour bilingual
recovery center. Stick and Find notifies the item owner immediately and arrangements
are made for the return to take place. With privacy being such an important issue,
StickandFind also takes steps to ensure user confidentiality. Customers can specify how
they wish to be contacted once their items are found. Users can remain as anonymous
as they wish, and make StickandFind act as intermediary should they choose. No
confidential or identifying information is released to the ‘finder’ unless the owner chooses
that option. This feature is especially important for women. The labels are permanent and
cost effective, especially when compared to the price of replacing items, such as laptops,
mobile phones, iPods, cameras or other equipment. The design is tasteful and does not
to detract from the appearance of the item. Labels can be ordered with black or white
print on a transparent background. Individual labels are $9.95, with multi-pack discounts
available for businesses and large orders. There are no other costs involved to take
advantage of the Stick and Find service and there are no annual or recurring fees. Once
the market becomes more aware of Stick and Find, the percentage of lost, abandoned or
unclaimed items should drastically reduce. As the trial results demonstrate, a large
portion of the population is genuinely honest and happy to return misplaced items that
are found, so long as they are provided with a convenient way to do so. For the price,
StickandFind has made this option extremely attractive and affordable for consumers.
***Start PR Text***
Video: What Can Daylight Savings Time Do To

You?
What does Daylight savings time do to your health and body? You will be surprised to
know that the effects range from heart attacks to even suicides according to studies by
the New England Journal of Medicine. Video after the break.
Video: How Does A Windmill Change Your Life?

Sunday, March 28, 2010
The American power companies offer green energy as a "luxury", at a premium. But in an
impoverished country like Malawi where "regular" power is at a premium what does one
do? William Kamkwamba tells us a moving story. Video after the break.
Battery Powered Locomotive? Possible.
Hey, throw your Prius away. Norfolk Southern's NS999 locomotive pumps out 1500 HP
and runs for 34 hrs straight. Penn State and NS have pulled this amazing feat off. Got get
one! Full PR text after the break. In September 2009, Norfolk Southern unveiled its NS
999, a prototype 1,500-horsepower switching locomotive that relies solely on
rechargeable batteries for power. When the company set out to design and build this all-
battery-powered locomotive, they had little experience with batteries and the assembly of
battery plants. So the company needed a partner to help with battery research and
testing. Gerhard Thelen, corporate vice president responsible for research and
development, contacted Penn State’s College of Engineering, and with the assistance
from the Industrial Research Office, representatives from Norfolk Southern spent a day
meeting with faculty members and researchers. “In that one-day visit, we were able to
assess the abilities of Penn State researchers working in our particular areas of interest,”
says Thelen. “We knew about the difficulties in managing the batteries properly so you
don’t lose the life or create safety issues. In the visit we had, the researchers convinced
us that through testing and modeling, they could come up with a duty cycle that would
optimize the life and prevent any safety issues from occurring.” Also, Thelen adds,
because of the number of batteries in the locomotive (over 1,000) and the high cost
involved, Norfolk Southern preferred that testing on charging and discharging the
batteries was done in the lab first. Thelen and his team are working with Chris Rahn,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Chao-Yang Wang, Distinguished Professor of
Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Electrochemical Engine Center, one of the
top fuel cell and battery research labs in the country. Partial funding for the collaborative
research project comes from the U.S. Department of Energy. Wang is researching battery
systems, particularly looking into how many charge and discharge cycles can be
achieved in locomotive operations. “It’s what we call cycle life,” explains Wang, “and
that’s very important because that determines the life of the battery system, which is a
very expensive component in the locomotive.” Wang’s research group has been
conducting experimental testing and computer modeling to learn the battery cycle life and
how to extend it. Rahn’s role in the research is system dynamics. “My job is to develop
the models to be used by systems engineers so they can analyze the system to see how
it is performing—to predict the state of charge in the actual battery system, for example,”
says Rahn. “One of the things we’re doing is developing a meter that will provide the
status of every single battery in the system.” The team has completed its first year of
research and has received funding for a second year. “During that first year, we were
looking at the actual batteries and testing under different concepts of charging and
discharging,” explains Rahn. “And this will continue.” They have good models that predict
the performance of the batteries. The next step, Rahn says, is to look at those models in
terms of aging. “One of our questions is, ‘how do you make this battery pack last for five
years?’ That involves understanding what causes batteries to age and fail.” Thelen says
that working with Penn State has allowed Norfolk Southern to advance its research and
development opportunities. “We don’t have the capabilities or knowledge that a university
like Penn State has,” he says. “Chao-Yang is one of the top battery people in the country.
Even if we did our own testing, we wouldn’t have his subject knowledge. And Chris
Rahn’s expertise helps us incorporate that knowledge into the locomotive.” With the
success of this collaborative effort, Thelen hopes to develop a closer relationship
between Norfolk Southern and Penn State. “We’re very much interested in having
graduates work for us, and this is a good project to give us visibility.”
Infographic: The GrowVC startup funding model

Saturday, March 27, 2010
We have talked about 2 crowd sourced startup funding groups- GrowVC and Kickstarter
Today we post an infographic that allows you to understand how the GorwVC community
funding model works. Graphic after the break.
Photo: Attack Drones Have A New Good Looking

Sibling
The Predator UAV was getting old, and
seriously, it was ugly. Now thanks to
Northrop Grumman the UAV family may get
a good looking sibling. NG has just
released an image of the X-47B UAV.This drone has stealth capabilities too.. This one's
headed to the US Navy. Image after the break. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 05:45PM ()
Idea 286: Learn how to report news
Some weekend fun we shall have, shall we? We all love the news don't we? Now learn
how to make a news report, BBC style. I love British humor, especially when it's coming
out of the BBC! LOL!
Flash Is Dead on TV
Oh poor Flash, we pity you. We supported you, HP supported you, you somehow coaxed
Microsoft and Google into supporting Flash on their mobile operating systems. But are
you going to survive Hulu and CBS TV dropping Flash as their defacto video platform?
You heard it right Flash, you are now dead on TV. What's more? There are tutorials
popping up teaching developers how to build HTML 5 apps. Soon you will be dead on
Android, on Windows Phone 7 series and on everything else. So long, Flash. We will
miss you.
Idea 285: Learn the 4 foundations of a successful

blog
Friday, March 26, 2010
We love Darren Rowse - we think he is the one of the best resources you could tap if you
want to be a successful blogger. Today he writes about the 4 foundations of a successful
blog on Problogger. Head here for more - link.
Xerox Heads To India Looking For Innovation
This piece of news is awesome. Xerox will
open its first ever "innovation hub" in India.
Xerox is not the first company to bring R&D
work to India but is the first to bring it at the
scale they are talking about. Maybe the
whole bad blood between technology
companies and Obama is making
companies shift entire innovation and product development operations to other countries
like India instead of haggling with the US government over H1 and L1 visas. When whole
technologies and products come from India, there is nothing that was really outsourced,
right? And there was this report which claimed an abundant supply of talent within the US
to work at growth of science and technology firms. Hmm, Maybe these corporations just
cannot afford the engineers in the USA anymore. What poses to be the start of a new
wave of technology companies actually moving the entire innovation process to low cost
locations instead of small portions of work could be a great strategy to keep the company
fresh with new ideas and great products while cutting costs. Nice job Xerox! Full PR text
after the break. ***Start PR text*** Xerox Corporation, inaugurated its first ever innovation
hub in India at the Olympia Technology Park inChennai. The concept of such initiative is
to bring Xerox's scientists & engineers and leading Indian academic institutions, research
labs and industry partners under one roof. "Open innovation" is the motto of this particular
project. The hub will undoubtedly act as a link between Xerox Corporation and India.
Chief Technology Officer and President of the Xerox Innovation Group, Dr. Sophie
Vandebroek informed that India is the world's largest and fastest growing market as far
as technical innovations are concerned. At the same time it has been blessed with some
extra ordinary analytical brains. He also revealed that the India Innovation Hub is an
effort to create more sophisticated research facilities in India. The company can use the
nation's local knowledge to extend its expertise in global initiatives. Initially the firm will
emphasize on developing various document management solutions for theemerging
market countries like India. ***End PR Text***
Aha, Nokia wants you to develop apps for their

phones!
Guess who wants to get into the apps
game now! Nokia wants the "innovator" in
you to develop apps for their next gen
mobile platforms. They have even setup a website - http://www.callingallinnovators.com/.
With rumors abound about a Symbian 3 handset to be in the market soon and a platform
that could change Nokia's fortunes, you might be in for a gold rush. Nokia has to pull this
one off thanks to Windows 7 Phone and the rumored iPhone 4G with LTE network
support. The Ovi store has more or less been useless so they need to get some fresh
stuff into it. 3 winners get $30k, $15k and $5k in each of the categories Nokia has laid
out. The 3 Best apps gets a massive $50k each and a showcase in the Ovi Store. Cool
stuff eh? Go on, get working on them apps.
Why We Should Go Back To Mars

Watch Joel Levine talk on why we have to go back to Mars. Only this time go back with
way more technology.
Infographic: Convert a plane into a flying

infographic
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Kulula, a South African airline has converted its planes into flying infographics. Ranging
from designs that mark the parts of a jet to explaining what daylights saving is all about -
this is a rather cool concept. Never seen something like this before. Check out pictures
after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]
F-35 Lightning Gen II Helmet Mounted Display

System achieves first ...
Looks like what was something we were ogling at yesterday
is a reality so quickly. San Jose, CA based Vision Systems
International is behind this Darth-Vader style Helmet Mounted
Display System. VSI announced the successful first flight of
the F-35 Gen II Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) on
the F-35B Lightning II
Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) jet. Full info
after the break. VSI is currently performing under a
Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract to
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. for the delivery of
the F-35 Gen II helmet displays and aircraft ship-sets
in support of the F-35 Lightning II HMDS program. VSI
has also received contracts for production tooling and
initial funding for the Pilot Fit Facility Standup at Eglin
Air Force Base for the HMDS program. "The most
advanced helmet mounted display system in the world
flew a very successful flight on the F-35," said VSI
President Drew Brugal. "The Gen II system is the
culmination of extensive VSI R&D. It provides the F-35
aviator unmatched situational awareness presenting
symbology and pilot selectable augmented reality in a
wide field-of-view display format. The "virtual" Head-Up Display (HUD) presented by the
HMD replaces traditional HUD systems and gives the pilot precise, stable symbology in
the forward cone and a seamless transition to mission critical symbology in the remaining
field-of-regard." The F-35 Gen II HMDS displays biocular video and symbology
information on the helmet visor, providing pilots with all information necessary to execute
both day and night missions under a single integrated configuration. The system enables
pilots to accurately cue onboard weapons and sensors using the helmet display. The
HMD also allows the aircraft systems to alert pilots of potential threats and hazards,
significantly improving situational awareness. Advanced night imagery is provided by the
helmet mounted night camera and aircraft Distributed Aperture System (DAS). The F-35
Gen II HMDS's accuracy and very low latency enables the F-35 to be the first front line
tactical aircraft in decades to eliminate the traditional HUD. The HMDS is the "virtual"
HUD of the aircraft.
Google, Nokia, T-Mobile, Yahoo, Dell and BBC

getting pally in Amste...
When do Google, Nokia, T-Mobile, Yahoo, Dell and BBC decide to meet up in
Amsterdam? When they want to discuss monetization strategies for location based
services. We are so optimistic about location based mobile services that we predict that
location based services will make up for 30% of all mobile advertising revenues in the
next 2 years, if not more. Going hyper-local is the trend today thanks to Gowalla and
Foursquare helping things. Recently the who's who of search and mobile will meet up at
the Location Business Summit in Amsterdam starting 28th April 2010 to discuss how they
can make money out of our locationo-philia. Full PR text after the break.
Location-based services are gaining real traction with consumers and businesses alike.
Innovation and investment is rampant, but one vital question remains: How should
companies monetise location data and services? Gartner predicted that the number of
subscribers using location-based services (LBS) globally would double in 2010, even as
mobile device sales decline by 4%. The number of LBS subscribers is forecast to reach
95.7 million by the end of this year, up from 41 million in 2008. LBS-associated revenues
will also more than double this year, reaching $2.2 billion, up from $998 million last year.
However, the industry is struggling to identify the winning profit strategy. “The expected
increase is due to the availability of GPS-enabled wireless phones, along with reductions
in prices for services and the growth in application storefronts that offer location-aware
software,” says Annette Zimmermann, a Gartner analyst, who will be keynoting the
Location Business Summit in Amsterdam on April 28th – 29th. The industry also seems
confident that 2010 is the year in which LBS will take off with consumers. “Location is
everywhere,” says Fraser Campbell, CEO of Wcities. “Location-enhanced services are
multiplying at an incredible pace. The key disrupting trends are platforms, convenience
and personalisation.” Analyst predictions are also supported by serious investment in the
industry. After Nokia’s $8.1 billon acquisition of mapping giant NAVTEQ, it is clear that
location-based services are a top priority for the world’s largest phone manufacturer.
Sylvain Grande, head of Places at Nokia, agrees, and stresses the importance of a
seamless experience. “The companies that facilitate the interactions between the desktop
and the mobile while connecting people, personalising their experience and making it
effortless, will be a great value to the consumer.” Despite consumer adoption and
investment, the clear profit models are yet to be defined. Location and context-enhanced
advertising still attracts the most attention, but there is also a great interest in local
search, location data mining and intelligence, revenue sharing models, the long tail of
services, premium content and free services. The location industry will be convening to
discuss the winning profit models on April 28th and 29th in Amsterdam at The Location
Business Summit – Europe’s largest LBS conference. Osman Iqbal, Head of research at
TheWhereBusiness and conference director, commented: “The demand for a high level
LBS meeting in Europe has been absolutely phenomenal. It’s incredible that there isn’t a
conference out there for an evolving industry that is bursting with players, investment and
innovation.” With more than 200 attendees, the conference will be the business epicentre
for high-ranking members in the LBS ecosystem. The fast evolving competitive
landscape will be dissected by the leading industry figures, partnerships formed and vital
decisions made on the future direction of companies. The industry’s elite will come
together with more than fifty senior level speakers from Google, Yahoo!, T-Mobile,
Vodafone, Microsoft Advertising, Nokia, Ogilvy, BBC, Dell Computers, Intel, Open Street
Map, Orange FT, Opera Software, Penguin Books, Yelp, KPN and more. With a mix of
mobile operators, advertising agencies, content providers, LBS service providers,
mapping companies and device manufacturers attending, the Amsterdam conference will
be the hub of the entire location ecosystem.
New Green Tech Saves 30% on Industrial and

Commercial Air Condition...
Wow! that's what I call a leap in technology.
One that saves money while lowering
greenhouse emissions. This new
technology promises to dramatically lower industrial and commercial cooling costs while
quickly paying for itself. Greenworks Energy Solutions' (http://www.greenworksesi.com)
Pre-Cooling system works to lower the energy consumed by air conditioners, air-cooled
chillers and other refrigeration equipment by 25-30% during warm months. The system
works by using a proprietary Pre-Cooling mist technology to lower the temperature of air
before it is introduced through the air intake of cooling systems. Independent tests have
shown that 'pre-cooling" the air consistently saves from 25-30% in energy usage. Fact:
As much as 50% of a facilities' energy usage can be from cooling in warm months. Fact:
Roof temperatures can be 15 - 25 degrees hotter than ambient on the ground. Fact:
Every 10 degrees over 95 degrees an air conditioning system loses 2 points of SEER
rating. This means air conditioning systems' efficiency drops dramatically when it is
needed most. Fact: Reducing the temperature of air going into an air conditioning system
can reduce energy consumption 25% or more. Fact: Independent testing shows the Pre-
Cooling system available from Greenworks can reduce energy usage up to 30% and can
pay for itself in as little as one summer. Developed and proven over the past few years,
the Pre-Cooling system has been successfully installed on manufacturing plants, retail
stores, warehouses and even military bases around the US. To ensure trouble-free
operation, the units feature a proprietary filter to keep the system clean and prevent scale
buildup near condensers. In addition a thermostat control prevents "slugging", a
condenser flow problem which can occur if the air is allowed to over-cool. "Of all the
energy saving products we have evaluated, the Pre-Cooling system is the simplest, most
affordable and common-sense choice we have seen. It installs easily, operates on its
own, requires very little maintenance, and the results speak for themselves," said Josh
Novak, president of Greenworks Energy Solutions. "Some of our solutions are very
technical and may require energy audits, evaluation and testing in order for customers to
understand their value. However, this system has really made it simple and we can show
customers their results just minutes after installation. We believe any industrial or
commercial facility with a cooling system can benefit immediately with the Pre-Cooling
units." Keep it coming! We need this planet to be a lot MORE cooler than it is right now.
Idea 284: Build a sustainable fridge

Refrigerators are the monsters of power consumption in your home. The problem with
conventional fridges is that you need electricity to run them which is not a problem if you
live in the US, but certainly is a problem if you are living in a remote part of Africa. Lack of
refrigeration affects a lot of thing - from storing food to storing life saving drugs. An
inventor - Adam Grosser's got an idea to make a fridge which uses absolutely no
electricity. Watch the video and you will know what it is all about.
Idea 283: Give computers a sense of smell

I DO NOT want my computer complaining
when I don't take bath. But folks at Evolved
Machines have decided to give my
computer a sense of smell anyway. How?

By building the world's first Integrated
Circuit chip built out of Field Effect
Transistors (FET) made using Carbon
Nanotubes. So long, Silicon! Evolved
Machines, today announced completion of
the first carbon nanotube field effect
transistor (nanotube-FET) integrated
sensor chip. Consisting of 1,536 nanotube-
FET sensors along with a digital backplane
for individually addressable gating and
readout, the sensor chip is the first
integrating high temperature carbon nanotube growth with a conventional logic
backplane. Development of this milestone in the use of nanotube transistors was funded
in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the
auspices of its RealNose program. When functionalized with single-strand DNA (ssDNA),
Evolved Machines’ affiliate Nanosense has demonstrated that this new class of sensors
exhibits sequence-specific, rapid, and highly reversible responses to volatile odorants.
These properties enable a new generation of both hand-held and robotically mounted
sensors, allowing the repeated re-sampling required to identify target odorants in the
presence of complex background environments. The DNA sequence-dependence of
analyte binding confers enormous dimensionality, allowing chemical detection of diverse
odorants with a single chip. Applications for sensor devices based on this technology
range from the detection of explosives and contraband, to the monitoring of industrial
environments for toxic industrial chemicals, to breath-based diagnosis of lung cancer and
other disease emitting a volatile signature. In addition, recent results have demonstrated
that the nanotube-FET sensor can also be functionalized with membrane proteins
embedded in nanoscale membrane discs (Nanodiscs). Ligand- and receptor-specific
binding is then read out as a concentration-specific perturbation of transistor current.
Here the array of nanotube FET’s can be functionalized with a panel of membrane
proteins, with their binding to candidate molecules read out rapidly and electronically.
This class of sensor chips comprise a new platform for the screening of compounds
against panels of membrane receptors, with potentially broad and powerful applications
across biotechnology, including but not limited to drug development. Looks like these
chips are headed to Afghanistan and Iraq to sniff out explosives and narcotics. Nice job
DARPA! You guys are just plain amazing! Wonder when the food tasting chip will be out.
At least i don't have to taste the food I cook before I eat it. Let the computer bear the
brunt!
Super Nano Lithium Batteries developed by

Illinois based firm
OK, check this out. EcoloCap, an Illinois
based research firm has just delivered the
Nano Lithium battery with what the
company claims it the best commercially
available Nano Lithium battery tech. This
means faster battery recharge times and longer drives on those Electric Vehicles
everyone is talking about. The Nano Lithium X (Adding an X adds the x-factor innit?)
battery technology also has the lowest cost of production and sales price. The large
capacity of the battery will allow for the fastest recharge time of any commercially
available battery. Using a multidisciplinary approach involving electrical, mechanical,
scientific, thermal and statistical analysis, the Nano Lithium X battery was extensively
tested for its charge and discharge capabilities at 100 amps, 150 amps, 200 amps and
235 amps. Rigorous testing has concluded that the Nano Lithium X Battery performs
even better than the company previously estimated (talk about low expectations!), and
represents a substantial improvement over existing lithium-ion batteries in terms of
energy density, total cost, and recharge time. Goodie, goodie! “It is rewarding to see that
our investment in developing the Nano Lithium X battery has come to fruition, and we are
excited to generate substantial value for our shareholders,” said EcoloCap Solutions
President and CEO Michael Siegel. “This battery is well-positioned to become a leader in
key markets seeking high-performance batteries, including use in electric vehicles, golf
carts, cellular towers and similar demanding applications.” He added. Test results have
concluded that the Nano Lithium X Battery is now proven to have:
• The highest energy density output of any commercially-available battery
• The fastest recharge time of any comparable commercial battery
• The lowest cost per unit of energy output of any commercially-available battery
This technology fills a void in the market for high-powered batteries at a low cost. The
battery employs low levels of powdered Lithium, enabling it to be produced at a lower
cost than all other types of lithium cells. At the same time, no other technology can match
its performance. While typical lithium-ion batteries require hundreds or thousands of
small milliwatt to single watt cells in most applications, EcoloCap’s batteries are far more
efficient and cost-effective, with each cell rated at 4.2 volts at 240 Ahr. EcoloCap is
ecstatic with the final test results for the Nano Lithium X battery and management is
currently exploring strategic opportunities with leading battery manufacturers. you have to
be mate! You guys are powering the world of tomorrow! Full test results after the break
Vonage Receives Second Virtual Phone Number

Patent
Woah! The once troubled Vonage could
start stepping on many tails with this patent.
A broad patent awarded to Vonage can
change the way the VOIP market operates,
at least in the USA. The patent -- No.
7,680,262 – titled “Method and Apparatus
for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on

a Virtual Phone Number,” allows
consumers to communicate to distant
locations without incurring long distance or
international calling charges. This is
Vonage’s second patent related to the use
of virtual phone numbers. Vonage’s first
patent directed to the use of virtual phone
numbers -- No. 7,386,111 -- was granted
on June 10, 2008. “We continue to drive
innovation that translates into unique
products and services for our customers,”
said Nick Lazzaro, senior vice president of
product development and information
technology. “This breakthrough takes
advantage of our Session Initiation
Protocol-based network and enables our customers to save significantly when they
communicate with their friends and families across the country or around the world.”
Virtual phone numbers allow people outside a Vonage customer’s local calling area to
call for the price of a local call. Vonage customers can choose a virtual phone number in
the calling area of a parent, relative or friend or wherever they want to establish a “virtual”
presence. Vonage offers virtual phone numbers across the United States, Canada,
United Kingdom and in more than 14 other countries. What this really means is that no
other VOIP company may allow users to "roam" on a VOIP connection. We will have to
wait and watch what this means for players like Magic Jack and Skype who provide the
virtual number calling feature in their products AND let users roam the world with their
account anywhere in the world and call in to any US number just by hooking up to the
internet. We also have to see how the proposed WiMax based calling coming to the US
gets affected by this patent, Google Voice as well. Nice on Orange fella!
Idea 282: Manufacture Solar Cells

SpectraWatt, a New York based high efficiency solar cell manufacturing company has
just scored a massive $41 million round of funding. Investors include Intel Capital, PCG
Clean Energy and Congentrix Energy. We know green tech will get a lot of attention in
the coming years, companies like Bloom Energy and SpectraWatt are demonstrating just
that. With Obama pushing the concept of USA becoming the leader in clean tech, this
sure is a bright beginning! SpectraWatt was a part of Intel corporation before it was spun
out as a separate entity. This round of funding certainly fuels the next phase of growth for
SpectraWatt. Full press release after the break. ****Start Press Release**** Hopewell
Junction, NY - March 23, 2010 - SpectraWatt, manufacturer of photovoltaic cells for the
solar industry, has received $41.4 million in investor funding in the form of convertible
debt. Investors include Cogentrix Energy, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Intel Capital, PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund and
two other unnamed sources. The funds will be used to finalize completion of the
company’s factory, advance internal operations and technology development and allow
for planned capacity expansion. “We are pleased to announce this significant incremental
funding in SpectraWatt,” said Andrew Wilson, SpectraWatt CEO. “These investors share
our vision of an empowered U.S.-based solar industry delivering innovative industry-
leading products. The funds will allow us to expand and build toward that national goal.”
SpectraWatt has completed construction of its manufacturing facility in Hopewell
Junction, New York and has begun initial cell production. The company is currently
preparing for an official launch in the spring with customer shipments beginning in the
second quarter of 2010. “We are excited to see SpectraWatt begin producing products for
the growing solar industry,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and Intel
executive vice president. “This investment reiterates Intel Capital’s commitment to the
clean technology and renewable energy markets. SpectraWatt’s focus on advancing
solar cell technologies, which complements Intel Capital’s strategy, will help accelerate
the adoption of photovoltaic technology worldwide through greater energy conversion and
manufacturing efficiencies.” ****End Press Release****
Infographic: Aftermath of earthquake at Haiti

Yeah we know, we are on an infographic overload. We first posted the "20 things that
happen in a minute" infogfx. in fact, we may consider posting one infographic every day!
but now lets go to something more grim. After the earthquake at Haiti there was a rush to
get the world to see what was happening. The data was raw, it had to be put into a format
that everyone understood. The following infographic describes very elegantly the damage
done to Haiti's population. The graphic covers key information such as the hardest hit
cities, the hardest hit population and the aid flowing in to Haiti. Emily Schwartzman, the
author of the amazing piece of information won the contest at coolinfographics.com.
Great work! The infographic up next. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 07:26PM ()
Large scale water desalination? Possible

You will run out of fresh water, eventually. Every country is dreading the day when there
is no water left in its rivers. BRIC nations are already struggling, thanks to their industrial
growth in the past decade coupled with population growth. There is no freakkin water left
that is good for drinking. All their rivers are either dirty or they have just run dry. The only
sources of water left for these nations are the oceans and the seas, filled with salt water.
Desalination costs shit loads while sucking up lots of electricity. There has been no cost
effective option till now. Nanotechnology has come to the rescue, again. New research
has brought to light, a new technology which could cut costs of desalination drastically.
Dubbed Ion Concentration Polarization, the technology can desalinate water AND purify
water at the same time. This technology also brings up the possibility of small and
medium scale desalination plants thanks to the filtering membrane's efficiency and size.
You also have the option to run this on battery power. Going into the next decade this
technology coupled with improving battery technology could mean uninterrupted supply
of fresh water to people at a lower cost.
Infographic: 20 things that happen in a minute

So, what did you do in the last 1 minute? Got to this website? Checked up
some email? Let's go beyond the realm of you. Let's see what happens
around you in a minute. We found this amazing infographic at
www.onlineeducation.net. The graphic more or less summarizes the cycle of
life and death and everything in between. For all you know this thing might
change your life. One thing remains constant though - USA is making money
throughout the cycle. Take a peek. Posted by Akshaya Murthy at 06:00AM ()
Idea 281: Live before you die
Watch Steve Jobs talk about life and death, connecting the dots
and doing what you REALLY want to do.
Idea 280: Get a loan for your small business

Hey, ever stuck thinking where to get a loan for your small business or startup?
Entrepreneur.com has advice for you, from local banks to credit cards to tapping into your
retirement funds. Head here - link
Idea 279: Start a multi-author blog

A single author blog is easy to maintain, and run. You have no one to convince, except
yourself. But if you are thinking of a multi-author blog Darren Rowse of The Casual
Observer has some insights for you. Head here - link
Idea 278: See the center of the Milk Way galaxy

You live on a tiny planet called Earth. Earth is in one of the solar systems in a galaxy
called Milky Way. The galaxy has a beautiful center. Watch it here. Galactic Center of
Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.
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Idea 277: Print shoes in 3D

An interesting piece of news this. 3D printing has been around for ages but for
mechanical parts design and development. Going mainstream with 3D printing to "create"
objects of everyday use is a growing trend, it seems. Inc.com has fished out one such
example - 3D printed shoes! Desktop Factory, a South Carlina based technology
company has developed and is now selling a desktop 3D printing system which can be
had for as little as $4995. The company
also claims that its "3D prints" are durable
thanks to the technology it uses. The
system can take all industry standard 3D
formats as input and deliver a actual 3D
product on your desktop. HP just released
a 3D printer as well. The market is heating
up! Soon you will be able to print everything
you need, just pay for the "ink".
Oh Palm, what happened to your innovation? Did

Microsoft kill it? o...
There were days when Palm was king of the hill. It held a niche market of CXO's who
wanted to manage their time efficiently. That was the time when no mobile phone
company had dared to manage CEO's lives as well as Palm's devices did. I remember
my friend's dad importing one of those shiny Palm PDA's just to make sure he knew
when his meetings were. He had a Nokia cell phone. What changed over a period of 5
years? 5 years in which Palm went from king of the hill to dog of the streets? Palm has
gone down SO bad that investors are now lowering its target share value to $0. Ah, such
a shame to a company of its stature. So, when did the fall begin? The fall began when
Palm started losing track of market conditions about 10 years ago. While sticking to its
Palm PDA platform it ignored Windows mobile as a force that could change the way
people managed their time. The rusty Palm interface and lackluster app support made
the Palm platform old, boring and almost useless. Windows mobile had it all - the familiar
operating system that people saw on their desktops every day, the Microsoft office apps,
the tons of applications to manage anything and everything a CXO ever wanted.
Moreover Palm was still stuck catering to a target audience that had diluted. Thanks to a
generation that embraced technology like ants would, sugar - Windows mobile had found
its spot among the many million mobile phone users. Time management was no longer
for top managers, it was for everybody. Enterprises realized this and started rolling out
Windows mobile PDA's across the board. It integrated well with the exchange servers
they used and the applications they deployed. there was no need for enterprises to buy
their employees a PDA and then invest in middle ware to interface corporate
infrastructure with the hardware. Palm started losing revenue, and quickly. Palm realized
that its platform was aging and then did something drastic to change its fortunes. Palm
switched to Windows mobile. Wow! How could a company that was so well known for its
innovation do something so stupid? In one stroke Palm become "another" hardware
manufacturer. Since there were a million other hardware vendors offering similar if not
better Windows mobile cell phones Palm got into this crazy market of hardware
manufacturers and failed to innovate in that arena as well. As we can see today, HTC
has won. Another factor that killed Palm is the emergence of Blackberry as an enterprise
email platform. While Windows mobile was great at sending and receiving email,
Blackberry was awesome! It was a master at this craft, and it was inexpensive to own
one. Palm was slowly being cornered into this spot where key technologies mattered than
who made the hardware that ran those technologies. As years passed every damn phone
started becoming a "smart phone". Everyone wanted to look at emails everywhere,
irrespective of who that person was. Palm's market was not niche anymore. The field was
huge and everyone had a piece of pie. Perhaps the biggest blow to Palm was Apple's
iPhone. While Apple targeted the phone at anyone and everyone, it made sure all your
productivity tools were "available" via the app store. There was no reason for anyone to
choose any platform other than the iPhone. The UI was fresh, unique and uncluttered.
Although the iPhone had its shortfalls, people who purchased it just loved it. Apple was at
its game again - when you release something into the market, make it perfect for
everyone, and it won. Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Palm lost market share heavily to
Apple. Palm had not given up yet. It tried to capitalize the iPhone's shortcomings to sell
its new OS platform - the Palm WebOS on a new phone - Palm Pre. But hey, who's
perfect? The marketing was bland and crappy, so was the carrier it tied up with - Sprint.
Who ties up with Sprint to sell new phones - maybe Kyocera? The timing couldn't have
been worse either. The product was announced a couple of days before Apple's next
phone's announcement AND delivered after 6 months by when Apple had already sold
about 500 thousand shiny new iPhones. And the fact that Palm's sticking to Sprint does
not help issues either. With a share prince stuck at $4.50 a share today, we could be
seeing the share price go down to $0 in the next one week. End of the road, Palm? Or is
Apple going to eat you up? Apple, remember - Eat not the Palm that feeds you! Oh, and
did we mention Google's Android platform that every hardware manufacturer is
embracing? It IS the end of the road for you Palm, unless someone rescues you. Lesson
to be learned is this - do not stop innovating at any cost. When you succumb to your
rival's platform you lose your niche. Let’s hope for the best for palm. Let’s hope that the
government rescues this company as well, like they rescued GM. That way the FCC will
have another reason why they should argue for net neutrality.
Idea 276: Get rid of barcodes, get rid of queues

Remember that Black Friday queue you
were in during thanksgiving last year? That
could change if retailers dump the bar
codes and pick up shiny new RFID tags to
process billing. While bar-codes require a
physical bar code reader to read data
regarding the product, RFID tags can be
read wirelessly and without the need for a
physical tag reader at the billing counter.
What this means is that you no longer have
to stand in a long queue to bill all that you
have purchsed. Your shopping cart will come equipped with an RFID tag reader that will
recognize all items in the cart for which you can pay, right at the cart! Folks at Rice
university have accomplished the feat of creating this type of an RFID tag which could
replace the ailing barcode. Size and flexibility, the main barriers for RFID tags - have
been taken care of, thanks to nanotechnology. These tags are now so flexible and thin
that they can be slid into product packaging or into the product itself to avoid detection
while making you wait a lot less at the billing counter.
Idea 275: Invest in rural India

A million online micro finance platforms exist but which ones are the best to reach rural
India? While local banks lend money to the majority of the poor, two online micro finance
startups are making a difference - rangde.org and 30dollarfinance (30df). These seem to
be the only online gateways to get exclusively into the Indian rural micro finance scene.
While rangde has no restriction on the gender of the borrower 30df is exclusively for rural
women. Both agencies also provide a credit rating system to keep the investor informed
about the creditworthiness of the borrower. While rangde.org claim a 98.9% repayment
rate, 3df boasts of a 100% repayment rate! Both agencies are a good way to get into the
micro finance market in India, especially if you are sitting at home in the US or the UK
and cannot make it to rural India on our own. Field partners work with both agencies and
investment management is taken care of by them. Rangde accepts payments in INR
while 30df accepts payments in USD. While 30df does not give an interest payback on
your investment, Rangde does. My investments in micro finance institutions have yielded
100% repayments so far. If you are interested in a far more diversified investment across
geographies head to kiva.org
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Idea 274: Build a new type of power outlet. Get
rid of home fires.
Watch John La Grou talk about a new type of fire outlet that stops home fires before they
happen. He converts normal electrical outlets into intelligent network systems to achieve
this. How cool! Watch the video for more.
Idea 273: Add augmented reality to a car's

windshield
And here we are again, talking about augmented reality. This time its GM. They are
predicting that future cars will have special sensors that will augment your real word
vision with virtual display technologies via a transparent display in the form of a
windshield. Wow! Imagine, the windshield points to the building that you have to reach, or
even draws out the road for you on the windshield just in case its too foggy! More in the
video.
Want to follow NASA on your iPhone? There's an

app for that. And it...
Want to stalk NASA everywhere you go? NASA just released an updated version of it
popular iPhone App. The app has gone hyper social with integration with Facebook and
Twitter. Its also got a cool offline caching system (very useful in case you are running on
the AT&T network) to make sure you don't miss out on the action one bit, even when you
are offline. What's more, you can even read emails sent by astronauts apart from viewing
amazing pictures and stunning videos. Screen shots right after the text. Go download it
from the Apple App Store, its free.
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Idea 272:Make your blog work for you.

Have a blog running your life but not enough money flowing in off the adverts that you
post on your blog? Chances are that you are running a pay per click program on your
blog. The problems with CPC based adverts are a million but there are ways to get
around these headaches. To start with, I am going to state the obvious here before more
hardcore suggestions are given: a. Write better content b. Publicize your site via
whatever means you can c. Make your blog social. A standalone blog disconnected from
the social web will not work out so well in today’s context. d. Make your blog search
engine friendly e. Keep discussions going on your website f. Post regularly – maybe twice
a day. This way your audience sees fresh content more often g. Get guest writers of
repute to grace your post, their rep will rub off on your blog Once you have setup the site
to make it the advert magnet you want it to be, understand what CPC advertising is all
about. Most publishers think every ad pays out equally. This is not the case. CPC ads
have a different payout for every single ad. The payout depends on a. The advertiser b.
The advertising agency c. The advertising platform (Google adwords, cpx-interactive etc)
Entrepreneur.com lists 7 ways to increase ad click through rates (link). There are
chances that CPC is not for you, based on the traffic you get on your website. High traffic
websites may want to run CPM ads (Cost per 1000 impressions). There are several
advertising platforms that support CPM advertising. Since several browsers have ad
blocking capabilities it is possible that all ads on your website do not work for you,
especially CPM ads. However this is used only by a small percentage of web users. If
your blog is a massive authoritative one, you could also choose an affiliate program
which pay per action (CPA). What this means is that you sport a banner of an advertiser
who pays you commission for every action that the user completes – the action could be
a sale, a sign up, a visit – whatever the advertiser decides. Bur beware of fraudulent
advertisers, your commissions may not come your way. Choose affiliates carefully.
Google Affiliate program and Commission Junction are two major affiliate platforms. The
final form would be to get private advertisers to post adverts on your site. This is possible
only via a high quality blog. This lets you negotiate the terms of posting the advert. As a
general rule of thumb make sure your blog has a design to gobble up several sizes and
formats of adverts. Each advertiser has an array of sizes of banners and links to offer,
and it’s up to you to monetize it most efficiently. This way you can fit any type of ad –
CPC or CPM into these slots. All in all, make a better blog and get better traffic. Traffic
brings in advertisers, Advertisers bring in money. It’s like nurturing a plant, the more care
you give the sweeter the fruits it will bear.
Idea 271: Start a business in your pajamas

No money to start a new business? That's the case with most of us, right? While most
businesses require some amount of investment there are a few of them that do not.
inc.com lists 9 such businesses. Go take a peek! - link
Idea 270:One day everything you do will power

the planet
Alright, everyone's talking about everything green these days. But what's your idea of
green? Vimeo posed a contest and here's one of 'em. Power the planet with every small
thing you do. Really. Watch video for more.
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Idea 269: Microsoft, DO NOT put the cart before

the horse
Ughh. We spoke too soon. Too soon about the awesomeness,
amazingness and guilt-free-ness of owning a Windows 7 Series
Phone. A couple of bones are starting to show up. a. NO Winmo
6.5 devices can be upgraded to W7SP b. NO "Copy and Paste"!
(WHAT? Its just copy and paste. JUST. How could you not
achieve that?). Didn't all of Winmo till date have copy and paste?
c. The phones will be locked to AT&T. Just kidding. This would be
a W7SP killer, almost immediately. Microsoft has started to give
out details waaaaaay too early on W7SP. I think they should have
waited till devices start getting launched - at least a few hundreds
of those devices would have been sold. Now where does it stand
in relation to the iPhone? Well, gets back to iPhone 2G in terms of
functionality levels. Does it record videos or no? LOL, this is
getting funny. All that jazzed up UI for nothing? Give us a break
fellas!
Idea 268: Crowd source software testing
Everything's being crowd sourced eh? Check this one out - An interesting company has
come to the fore - uTest. uTest is a global marketplace for crowd sourcing your software
testing requirements. How could you benefit? a. No guilt of outsourcing your work to India
b. You application gets tested in the real world - literally! c. you save on software and
hardware costs involved. Privacy of data may be an issue though. If you are a tester sign
up here - link. Novel Idea! Watch an interview with the CEO below.
The most original musician on this planet is here

This dude is amazingly funny! To be honest I haven't watched a song this original. This
dude's from India and has his music on iTunes. Visit his website here: www.wilbur.asia
Idea 267: Find the right CEO for your company

Why bother finding a good CEO for your startup? Ever heard of the HP fiasco? A good
CEO can help you avoid those scenarios, and grow your business at the same time - like
Eric is right now, for Google. More expert tips on finding the right CEO here - link
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Sony Playstation "Move" has one leg in the grave

Hmm, we seem to get it right more often
than not. We were wondering why Sony
ripped off the Wii and called it "Play Station
Move". We don't even want to start on what
it looks like, we will just say it looks like a
toy you figure out what toy. Looks like the
copy move hasn't really paid off. Microsoft
which is on an innovation high with its
success with Windows 7 and the launch of
Windows Phone 7 series has scored again
with consumers, this time with the Xbox
Project Natal where you don't need no controller- YOU are the controller! Mashable
reports that Sony's "MOVE" is already in 2nd place according to a readers' vote
competing with Microsoft's project Natal! Microsoft's give 'em a peek and ask them what
they feel approach is working well. It worked with Windows 7, now with Project Natal.
Don't copy Sony. Make something new. Watch the Project Natal video if you don't know
what we are talking about.
Idea 266: Bank on the FCC to fix your internet

speed
Remember the FCC? Yes, the same guys who intervened in the whole net neutrality
thingy and the Google voice thingy? The FCC is now up to fixing the internet in the USA.
First the announcement of the mobile broadband test app for the iPhone and now talk
about increasing broadband penetration to 90% of Americans. Apparently the penetration
stands at 65% right now. Somehow, the plan will help reduce health care costs. Most
probably that will be achieved by using Optic fiber cables in place of catheters. More here
- link. One thing that confuses me, why only an iPhone app for mobile broadband
speeds? Did AT&T get into FCC's bad books? Doesn't the chairman of the FCC carry
around an iPhone? Interesting.
Idea 265: Pixallate your TV. Make it your

personal assistant
Another art diploma project, another brilliant idea. What if your TV could disintegrate into
a million pieces to rearrange itself around anything, turning any surface into a display?
The student names it "curious" displays. Watch video for more insight. Curious Displays
from Julia Tsao on Vimeo.
Idea 264: Make use of that stimulus money. Buy

robots.
Will you stop complaining about how the stimulus money is being used? We know its
been misused here, here, here and in many other places. All that aside, there are some
people putting it to good use here, here and here. The best use of the money I have
come across is this one - buying robots for a technology company. Hey, tech is what
keeps America ahead. All hail the stimulus package! More here - http://bit.ly/cF1CBf
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Idea 263: Buy a Windows Phone 7 series mobile

device. Avoid patent ...
HTC has been dragged into something it is
not really responsible for. Google has stood
behind HTC like an overpaid body guard.
Apple has been threatening HTC with
patents which are too broad in definition to
be limited to HTC's phones. So what
happens if Apple wins the battle? In all
probability you will lose multi-touch, the
interface and the identity of your Android
phone. You can however be proud that you

are a FOSS supporter (chuckle). All that
said, how can you keep your "super" phone
and its identity and all the features it comes
with? You cannot. Buy a Windows 7 series
phone. Yeah I sound like an anti open
source fanatic, but seriously, this level of
ripoff in an open source Operating System?
Android has copied way too many things fro
the iPhone! Starting
with the swipe unlock action on the home screen, next the whole
icon based UI thingy, then the home button, then the.. the list
goes on. Agreed that its open source, but don't steal so much
from your competitor's design, especially when its Apple's design.
Apple itself seems to have taken cues from Symbian S60's UI,
minus the home button and multi-touch magic. Nokia will not sue
Apple on those grounds since Nokia most probably never
patented any UI elements like Apple did. Moreover USA is a loss
market for Nokia, so we would think they are a little chicken when
it come to lawsuits in the US. This is all you have to do to remain
free from any rip-off products. Get yourself a Windows phone 7
series mobile device. Why? Have you looked at the amazingly
fresh, original UI on the WinMo 7 series phone? Just check that
UI out! Only a genius could have made a UI so amazingly
original!Plus you get to play all your Xbox 360 games on it.
Imagine starting your game at home on the Xbox and finishing it
on your cell phone! how cool is that? Plus you have flash support, so you can watch
movies right off any web page! Your life is going to be free of any guilt associated with
ripped off interfaces and home buttons. Multi-touch could still be an issue but come on,
Apple and Microsoft are buddies, right? They can work things out. Not so with Google
though! Just one disadvantage. Your 12 month old toddler may not be able to figure out
how the phone works. Its a good thing, kids shouldn't be playing with cell phones anyway.
Ah, more crowd sourced fund raising for startups!

Remember Growvc? The crowd sourced funding company? Now you have more options
- Kickstarter, a new crowd sourced funding company is giving away cash for promising
startups. Read more here or get right into the action here.
Want to see the sun in 3D? There's an app for

that
This one we couldn't resist posting.You've seen Google maps, Google sky and a host of
other apps that show you the way on the road and in the sky. Now check this out - a 3D
Sun app for the iPhone! Its free, so anyone with an iPhone can get it. Check it out here -
3DSun.org
Idea 262: Get some poppy. Kill the pain.

Hey, always high on Opium? Do you live in Afghanistan by any chance? We have always
known the drugs made out of poppy kill pain - basically by making you sleep. It can also
get you high if you do Opium, a really sweet high. Indians have used poppy in a variety of
foods including what is known as the "ghasa-gase payasa" (ghasa-ghase means poppy
in a Dravidian language called Kannada) which is a sweet dish made out of milk and
poppy seeds and lot of those Indian spices (recipe here). The western world however
chose to make painkillers out of it - Morphine and Codeine being the most famous. Now,
after all these years of biotechnology research scientists want to isolate the genes that
produce these two chemicals and see how they can use it to treat pain in an whole new
way! More here - http://bit.ly/bqqkLP
Idea 261: Learn how to manage big accounts

Got too many big names on your client list? Folks at Inc suggest you drop some of them.
- http://bit.ly/aRY7nO
Idea 260: Weigh digital data
Would you like to buy 1 lb of data? Would you want it delivered to your home? How much
does Iran weigh? How much does the crisis in Iran weigh? How about the crisis 12 days
ago? A student in Germany has made it possible to weigh data "physically". Watch the
video and you will know. virtual gravity - the physical weight of data from Silke Hilsing on
Vimeo.
Idea 259: Learn some old tricks to make your

blog better
Copyblogger has some great tips for bloggers. Today they have put up some "old school"
tips to make some fresh green. Go take a peek - http://bit.ly/cPmZkW
Idea 258: Buy a business

Have enough cash but don't know where to start? Maybe its time that you buy an existing
business. The advantage is that the business already has a ready consumer base, a
monthly revenue and qualified employees. This saves you a lot of time and money. But
for you to understand how to get this all done, head here - http://bit.ly/9bckxG
Idea 257: Invent new ways of presenting data to

infomorons
Bored with the way you interact with your computer? Want something brand spanking
new? 2 students have demonstrated new ways in which abstract data for entities such as
water pollution levels, per capita income etc. can be delivered to you and me who don’t
really care about such data. These folks use highly immersive graphics to deliver the
message and make us care about such data. Neat stuff. Video up next. Experiencing
Abstract Information from Stefan Kuzaj on Vimeo.
Why we arent giving away an iPad like everyone
else
Sure, every freakkin tech blog network is giving away an iPad. Why is Ideabing not
interested? Because we don’t think the iPad will be able to cater to your needs. Yeah it’s
from Apple, we know that. It looks good, we know that. But if you cannot surf like 80% of
all websites ever built on a tablet which is supposed to give you the "best" internet
experience, we don’t think it’s worth the time or money. Since Flash is a no no for the
iPad, we will certainly be giving away the HP tablet when it makes its debut, or the Notion
Ink Adam when that comes out. Right now go win yourself a Seagate external hard drive
or a Nikon D90 DSLR Camera. Head to the contests page.
Tech Move series: Part 1 of 5: Where are the

terms technology, inno...
Still think USA is THE place to be for
technology and innovation and all things
like that? Sure its citizens consume lots of
technology and innovation but where is it
starting to create a mature buzz? One theory (that we suggest) is that Google trends is a
safe way to predict that. Since Google trends uses search volumes to determine the
graph, its more or less like the pulse of the people behind the searches, just like the
Twitter time line. We have setup a series of 5 posts to cover this topic, since there is lots
of data to be parsed. We call it the Tech Move series. Suggest a better name if you can
think of one. Lets get to post no. 1. Lets look at the countries behind these searches over
the past 7 years. Which countries do you think searched the most for these 3 terms?
Remember we predicted this some time back? Its India. These folks are searching for the
3 terms quite voraciously. So voraciously that USA finishes in a lowly 10th spot. Overall,
Asia takes the cake. The graphic below must be able to help you digest this fact. The
only comforting thing for the US may be that it finishes 6th overall in the "idea" category
while it stays out of the top 10 in the "innovation" category. We will get into more details in
further posts. For now if you are living in the US, start thinking. Go to India.
Idea 256: Holographic "3D" Displays

Thrilled enough with Avatar and Alice in
wonderland? All that 3D, that was
entertainment. But what about real world
3D vision? No glasses and bull crap like
that? Remember CNN tried holograms
during the US elections although it looked
way too crappy? What about 3D for architectural design firms? Many companies are
trying to get this thing to work but one company in the US is showing it off. Zebra Imaging
has released a full color, full 3D holographic display system and its available all the way
from 12X12 sq. inch all the way up to 24x36 sq. inch panels. Some really cool stuff going
on here. What you basically get is a fully scalable, rotatable panel that lets you visualize
3D stuff in real time. What this means is that all the stuff we saw in Avatar is achievable in
real time, especially when you are planning to destroy home tree.Only problem is that
Zebra Imaging is still on this planet. All that said, interactivity still remains an illusion. You
win, James. Hey, Sony - when are you making 3D holographic stuff for PS3? Video after
the jump.
Idea 255: Location based coupons.

Remember the "online coupon" company we had written about? Looks like the world is
moving one step forward from there. Now we are talking about "location based" coupons.
Not only will you phone have coupons, its going to be location based coupons. Let me
give you an example. Lets say you walk into Walgreens on Times Square. You obviously
want to know what offers are on at that location. You could pick up the handout and flip
through the pages OR you could pull out your "smart phone" or "super phone" and check
in into the location, just like you would into a flight. This check in triggers a response from
the server delivering all the coupons for that particular location! Say you did not find what
you need at Walgreens. You walk across the street into Duane Reade. You do the drill
again for that location. Yay! you got the deal you wanted! There are players in this field
but they are not quite in the coupons business yet. Gowalla and Foursquare serve a
purpose but not entirely on the coupons front. New York times has some perspective.
What does Ideabing think? Yes, it will take off, in the next 1 year. Reasons? a. There is
going to be an explosion in the number of phones that will have built in GPS in the next
year and beyond. b. Data usage is now normal for most mobile subscribers c. Retailers
want in on the whole location thingy d. LTE networks are being setup, FAST. Isn't that
what SXSW was all about this year? Need more reasons? Try subscribing to anything in
print in the next 2 years.
Idea 254: Learn how to feed the world. Becoming

a vegetarian helps.
Picture this. If you line up all the people in the world in a single line, 1 out of every 7
people in the line is malnourished. How do you feed them? Become a vegetarian.
Seriously! Check out the video. How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on
Vimeo.
Idea 253: Buy pico projectors. Distribute it among
your road warriors.
Lagging sales? Got a good product offering but clients don't see the point? Can't afford to
not show off your shiny ppt's to clients when you are traveling but don't always travel to
places that have projectors? Get a Pico projector dammit! They fit in your pocket dude!
AND your wallet. They aren't too expensive, some start at $199. Just buy a bunch of
them and distribute it among your road going marketing ninjas. Entrepreneur has a good
article about these little light emitting, pocket fitting thingys. CNET's got a list. Some of
these connect right into that iPod of yours and into laptops. Cool, no? Go ahead, get
projecting!
The next steps in mobile communication? Rob

Glaser's got something ...
Already overwhelmed with the amount of change you have seen in the mobile arena of
late? Don't be. There is more to be overwhelmed with in the coming days/weeks/months.
All the new hardware coming out will force fundamental changes in the way technology is
implemented today. iPad's going to make AT&T change some stuff around core mobile
telephony infrastructure. There's 4G coming in across the board, then there's LTE. Phew!
Imagine the change coming through? Former CEO of Real Networks - Rob Glaser's got
some thoughts to share. Head here - http://bit.ly/bcKAsO
Idea 252: Build a flying telescope. NASA style.

NASA's just built a flying telescope. No. The telescope does not fly-fly. It sits on a 747
jumbo jet and pilots fly the jumbo jet which in turn makes the telescope, well, fly. Weak
language skills. I know. This thing is the infrared kind, the ones used to take a peek at
distant stars. Video right after this.
Why innovation will spring out of patent lawsuits

in the next decade
Its strange what competition can do to you. Especially to Nokia. First Apple claimed that
they are the biggest mobile devices company. Nokia rejects that claim. Then there are
patent lawsuits, counter suits filed by both parties. Nokia sounded like a loser, really.
Nokia has not invented much off late, has it? Same old Symbian bricks hitting the market
again and again. But then came the resurgence, the zeal, to beat Apple at its game.
Several of its programs came to the fore - Symbian was opened up, the community
design program was launched and then came this interesting patent filed by Nokia. A
freakking battery charging mechanism based on movement. You move around, the
phone charges up. Harnessing motion was not a big deal for watches, it always had
moving parts. But harnessing it out of solid state electronics? Patent worthy stuff! So you
take this phone, put it in your pocket and walk around all day - right? The thing is that this
phone will not run out of battery, ever - as long as you are moving. When you join the
dots, you start looking into the future of mobility. Since this thing charges up upon
movement, you will almost always carry it with you. This opens up an amazing set of
applications ranging from location based services to (really crisp, truly, meaningfully)
green energy. What IF you could plug the phone back into your wall socket and light up
your home? That is extremely possible in rural India where one whole house lights up on
ONE single bulb. Neat stuff eh? Who said necessity is the mother of invention? Patent
law suits could be an equally motivating factor. Good job, Nokia!
Idea #251: Watch some LIVE IPL twenty twenty

cricket on Youtube. Sp...
So, how many sports events have you seen live on Youtube? Zero? Then this is your
chance to be a part of the sports broadcasting revolution. Youtube will be telecasting
"Live" cricketing action from the Indian Premier League twenty twenty series. IPLT20 as it
is known is the MLB of Cricket, only much larger. So much larger that NBA moved their
schedule to make sure IPL fans get to watch their cricket. Afterall, there are about 1.5
billion people who watch cricket across the globe. And Google is telecasting this event
"Live" (with a 5 minute delay) to the entire world. How much does it cost to watch these
matches live? Zero - Zilch. It is also a proclamation by BCCI (IPL's parent body) that
broadcast piracy will be taken care of via the fremium model. Watch out for big branding
of Google all over India. Google is making a big statement with this tourney - sports
broadcasting is not a big deal for Google. With NBA, MLB, EPL closely guarding their
telecast rights to be sold for billions, IPL may break the mold. Its amazing how much
change technology can bring to sports. ESPN started this with ESPN360.com, now
Google is taking over. We have talked on Ideabing about Adidas doing this, we have also
advised you to guy purchase a cricket team in India to play in next year's IPL! Keep an
eye out for Cricket, that's where the next sporting revolutions are going to happen, be it
broadcasting, clothing or sporting technologies.This must be giving the beautiful game
some serious inferiority complex. IPL website: http://www.iplt20.com IPL youtube
channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/IPL IPL iPhone App:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipl-t20/id354123732?mt= 8 IPL schedule:
http://www.iplt20.com/fixture.php
Idea 250:Make sure your ideas make the cut
before you implement it.
OK, how many of you have been trying out ideas for a LONG time with no success what-
so-ever? I am guessing 99% of you. The problem is that you have a great idea, but your
idea may not have a market. Make sure you do your research before you dive. More at
this link - http://bit.ly/cuifwl
Idea 249: Start a food truck. It's supposedly one

of the best selli...
Ready to truck? I mean "Food" truck? Of all the things you can do in the world to get rid
of your boring job where you pretend to work and your employer pretends to pay, food
trucks are the hot potatoes among entrepreneurs. Don't believe me? Watch the video.
Idea 248: Make sure your blog has the right

niche. This way you can...
Problogger has some of the best tips for the blogging world. I thought one particular post
right out of the crowd like a dancing peacock! How do you make sure your blog gets the
right attention? Get the right name, and then get the right nice and then write the right
stuff. That's what makes money for you and you become "riche" - http://bit.ly/dpDZFQ
Idea 247: Head to SXSWi

There's an interactive session going on at SXSW, find out more - http://bit.ly/d8dufA
Idea 246: Use walls at your office to brainstorm.

Save paper, Save ...
Ever imagined what would happen to all those ideas you guys generate if you ran out of
whiteboard space at office? Don't worry! Ideapaint is here to convert your wall into a giant
brainstorming workspace. Brilliant idea, no? - http://bit.ly/dkjD9l
Idea 245: When you cannot innovate, copy
Oh Sony, what have you done! We know you want to make sure The Nintendo Wii is
eating into your market share but was releasing your own "stick" the only way to get the
market share back? Or is it a part of your overall "3D" strategy? We shall see. -
http://bit.ly/cpg0CS
Idea 244: Go find your startup the perfect apps at

the Google App S...
Google has just launched the Google Enterprise App Store. What does this mean for
your small business? It means free to use, cloud based secure software available to you.
Improve productivity or just go ahead accept credit cards without having to pay the bank!
Gogole knows what to sell for free, when. - http://bit.ly/buGbGq
Idea 243: Develop a business growth strategy.

You business not growing as quickly as you wanted? Maybe there is something lacking in
the way you are running your business. Do you have short term and long term goals for
your business? Do you have the plan for 5 years from now? Learn how to develop a
strategy for long term growth here - http://bit.ly/9IM2dA
Idea 242: Save $2 mil by removing 1 stop sign.

Look at Gary Lauder'...
Not often do such thoughts come to the common man's mind. One 3 way Stop sign can
account to $2 million in losses per year for people using that intersection! Don't believe it?
We will let Gary Lauder to guide you through this insane calculation. Oh, he also has a
new traffic sign for you to use!
Subscribe to our posts and win a Nikon D90 SLR
Camera plus a lens k...
Howdy! Want to win yourself a shiny new Nikon D90 plus a lens
kit worth $1300? Then head to this link and subscribe to our
daily posts. Contest ends March 27 2010 -
http://eepurl.com/i5e8Posted by Akshaya
Idea #241: Attend Cloudcamp 2010. If you are in

the cloud computing...
Cloudcamp 2010 dates are up! If you want to be in the know, you got to go - to this event.
Cloudcamp is THE idea exchange conference on cloud computing. This is where the next
"avatar" of the internet will take shape. After the success of Google docs, Salesforce and
the likes, expect the whole world to fly, in the cloud. Book your seats now! Venues and
dates listed below. Register here - http://www.cloudcamp.org/schedule March 11, 2010 in
Westminster, London, UK March 13, 2010 in Vancouver, BC, Canada March 16, 2010 in
Philadelphia, PA, USA March 23, 2010 in Washington, DC, USA March 26, 2010 in
Wellington, New Zealand April 1, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia April 6, 2010 in Toronto,
Canada April 8, 2010 in Perth, Australia April 14, 2010 in Dublin, Ireland April 15, 2010 in
Cork, Ireland April 20, 2010 in Springfield, MA 01105, USA April 20, 2010 in Barcelona,
Spain April 27, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil May 5, 2010 in Durham, United Kingdom
May 6, 2010 in Leeds, United Kingdom July 22, 2010 in Dunedin, New Zealand July 23,
2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand September 17, 2010 in Hamburg, Germany
Contest for this week: Win a 500 GB Seagate
External HDD
Win a 500 GB Seagate External Hard drive. What do you have
to do? Leave a comment and/or re-tweet this post with the
#ideabing hashtag. The highest retweeter wins the hard drive.
Simple enough? Now start retweeting!
Contest closes 14th March 2010

Idea #240: Listen to Charles Leadbeater on

innovation
Idea #239: Build a mind reading computer. I am

not kidding.
I am warning you! This is a plot to control your mind. The author claims that it can save
your life though. Read on - http://bit.ly/aX3VHB
Idea #238: Rent cars for an hour, or two or 24.
Save the planet.
Idea #237: When in doubt, sue HTC.

No one saw this coming, or did Google see this coming? Apple's selection of HTC as a
sue-mate over 20 patents that Apple holds is interesting. Is Apple just setting the rules
straight fro the US market? You shall not use multi-touch or icon based menus or a home
screen button. This is plain funny! When did Apple get down to this level? Aren't they
supposed to be good competitors? I see an antitrust suit coming Apple's way -
http://bit.ly/dfsucF
Idea #236: Revolutionize sports with tech. Adidas

works its magic o...
Adidas knows how to sneak into a sport and flush it with technology. They have done it
with Football, Basketball, Baseball (and many other sports) now its Cricket. Their new
"Pellara" bat is supposedly much lighter while being more balanced. Perfect for front
footers who like to smak the ball across the boundary line - http://bit.ly/cgNPno
Idea #235: Biodegradable plastics. Finally.

Again?
Oh we have heard this before. Biodegradable plastics. Sounded more like a marketing
stunt than anything else! But apparently IBM and Stanford University have both unveiled
"sustainable" plastics. Does this mean i can throw that Walmart plastic bag in my garden?
in about 10 years time? - http://bit.ly/bOb0eu
Idea #234: Screw Cellular. Get into the Wimax

game
Still planning a cellular network roll out? Don't bother. Voice as we know it will be
obsolete by 2012. All communication will use data. Invest in a WiMax network instead. -
http://bit.ly/cjjEAh
Idea #233: Start managing your online reputation.

Everyone's online these days but few get the spotlight. Ever wondered why no one gives
a damn about you online? Ever tried to gauge your reputation among your online peers?
Read on - http://bit.ly/aBlTDN
Idea #232: Working but want to start something?

Just do it!
Never quit your job to start something new, at least till the startup grows up to stand on
two and a half feet. Entrepreneur gives you some advice. http://bit.ly/ba5Ha1
Idea #231: Design for the post apocalyptic world.

Really.
Look what people are up to. Some believe the world's going to end tomorrow. These folks
have ended up designing structures that can support post apocalyptic life. Really, will you
be able to survive without the internet? Lets just be optimistic and look at these images -
http://bit.ly/bvgMzu
Idea #230: Become an antiques collector. Start

your collection with...
The antiques sector has taken a beating during the recession, but it may be coming back
to life now. Auctions have been demanding high values for collections and more
interesting things are coming up for auction. Wired reports that the oldest "flying car" is up
for auction. Silly? Yeah right - http://bit.ly/cBlyqk
Idea #229: Get a celebrity to endorse your
product
Oh well, you knew it. Want your product to go places? Then get a celebrity to endorse it.
Don't get Britney to endorse your SEO product, get Bill Gates to do it. -
http://bit.ly/b4oVkG
Idea #228: You will love this bit of news if you are
in the social ...
Wow! The hugely successful social check in company Causeworld is getting some
serious "charity money". Citi, the latest to give away money for free. Did we just pay the
government to bail Citi out? What the hell's happening? - http://tcrn.ch/9rOSC6
Idea #227: Read this blog if you are in the p2p

lending arena
In the p2p lending business? Then you need all the news fro across the globe in that
territory. Check out p2plendingnews.com This blog give you the latest news and insights.
Idea #226: Having trouble managing a large

mailing list? Make life ...
Mailchimp, the cool-ass mailing list management website is doing some seriously
impressive stuff. Check them out here - mailchimp.com
Idea #225: Ask your government to share data to

the world. Then bui...
A great movement is on to harness government data. A few good people have made
apps to harness and present this data, as useful information. tim Berner-Lee talks about
this movement. Are you building something like this? Let us know!
Idea #224: Listen to cells in your body. One
molecule of H2O2 at a ...
New "Sensor Array" developed by MIT detects "single molecules" of Hydrogen Peroxide
being emanated from cells - http://bit.ly/9Gl487
Idea #223: You a web designer? Then you must

be read these magazine...
Smashing Magazine compiles a list of print magazines you should be reading if you are a
serious web designer - http://bit.ly/d02h17
Idea #222: Integrate and grow. Going solo is not

the best idea.
Hootsuite now integrates with Gowalla and Myspace. Is your product integrating too> Let
us know! - http://bit.ly/b1X0LQ
Idea #221: Outsource your next software project

to Kenya. It saves ...
A social entrepreneur is driving software development in Kenya employing refugees.
Sounds too good to be true? Read on - http://bit.ly/bporac
Idea #220: Build a tablet PC. Its the next "big

thing"
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang talks tablet PC's, mobility computing and Nvidia's vison for
the future. Watch the video below.
Idea #219: Make money for your next startup in
these companies
Looking for a high growth job? Maybe you have one waiting for you in one of these
companies. See CNN money's best places for job growth list here. http://bit.ly/cCQy3X
Idea #218: Give Flash a chance

HP's latest tablet PC aims at doing exactly that. Shouldn't Silverwire be given a chance
too? The tablet's running Windows after all! Head here - http://bit.ly/dt9klO
Idea #217
Understand poverty. #ideabing #idea #money
Idea #216
Take a sports car, plug it into the wall. #ideabing #idea #technology #innovation
Idea #215
Make your blog stand out from the crowd. #ideabing #idea #blogging
Idea #214
Head to Brazil. Make some money there. #ideabing #idea #money
Idea #213
Democratize the internet, even in Iran. #ideabing #idea #internet
Idea #212
Let the blind see the world. #ideabing #technology #idea
Idea #211
Offer exotic cars on rent. #ideabing #idea
Idea #210
Make money off unsigned music artists. #ideabing #idea #music
Idea #209
Start a Cricket team in India. #ideabing #idea
Idea #208
Assemble a high performance team for your next project. #ideabing #idea
Idea #207
Use a sea-squirt to test new medical advances. #ideabing #idea #medicine #technology
The iBing Shop is now open!

We have put up a new "store" on Ideabing! We call it the "iBing
Shop". Buy books on ideation, innovation, management or even
buy software to streamline your small business, all at the iBing
store. The store is powered by Amazon.com, so your
transactions are super secure. Let us know what you think of
the store, we will make changes to suit your needs.
Idea #206
We told you there was electricity in your garbage. #ideabing #idea #energy
Idea #205
Clean up the planet. #ideabing #idea
Idea #204
Alternate energy from space? Oooh yeah. #ideabing #idea #energy
Idea #203
Adapt to new technologies. #ideabing #idea #google @rebuzzthis #startups
Idea #202
Give the iPad even MORE competition. #ideabing #idea
Idea #201
Get website referrals to work for your small business. #ideabing #idea
Idea #200
Build a hybrid power plant. #ideabing #idea #energy
Idea #199
Sleep well, oh great multitasker #ideabing #idea
Idea #198
Got a disruptive idea? Show it off here. #ideabing #idea
Idea #197
Want iPhone users to grace your site? Ditch Flash. #ideabing #idea
Idea #196
Make hay while the sun shines. #ideabing #idea
Idea #195
Make the iPad work for its money. #ideabing #idea
Idea #194
Know what makes a blog tick. #ideabing #idea
Idea #193
Innovate in the name of sports. #ideabing #idea #sports
Idea #192
First know what innovation means. #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #191
Don't share your product roadmap with anyone. #ideabing #idea
Idea #190
Refresh what you know, again and again. #ideabing #idea
Idea #189
Create something that everyone wants. #ideabing #internet #idea
Idea #188
Tell users how much energy their bulbs are eating up. #ideabing #idea #energy
Idea #187
Get your sales team working. NOW. #ideabing #idea #internet
Idea #186
Add a "Caller ID" system to your website. #ideabing #technology #idea
Idea 185
A credit monitoring system to play games? #idea #ideabing
Idea #184
Grow, with your competition. #ideabing #idea #microsoft
Idea #183
Watch Google's CEO talk about technology, innovation and the global economy.
#ideabing #idea #technology #google
Idea #182
Get the sun to get that odor out of that public transport. #ideabing #idea #energy
Idea #181
Yay! wearable batteries! #ideabing #idea #energy
We are giving away 2 "polished stainless steel"

iPod Shuffles. Why?...
So, seen the new 4 GB "polished stainless
steel" iPod Shuffle on the Apple store lately?
We are giving away 2 of them. What do you
have to do to get your hands on one?
Simple. Tell us why you are worth it. Leave a
comment why we should give it to you and 2
of the best reasoners will get a shuffle each.
Contest ends 7th March 2010.
Idea #180
Get some sound startup advice. #ideabing #idea #makeastartup
Idea #179
Allow anyone to make beautiful music. ANYONE. #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #178
Get your innovation timing right. #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #177
Generate supercool blog headlines. #ideabing #idea #blogs
Idea #176
Building a new product? Then attend this session. #ideabing #idea #events
Idea #175
Deligate work well. Learn how. #ideabing #idea #advice #leadership
Idea #174
Read out books to listeners. #ideabing #idea #startup
Idea #173
Go for the moon! #ideabing #idea #space
Idea #172
Fill up your booze with oxygen the next time round. It reduces hangovers. #ideabing
#idea
Question from a reader: I have invented a new
regulator circuit for...
We had a question from one of our readers today - "I have invented a new regulator
circuit for electrical fans. How do I copyright this?" Mr. Mohamed, I am assuming you
want to know how to patent the idea and not really "copyright" it. We suggest that you file
your patent in the United States of America since USA provides the best protection for
your ideas. Here's what you have to do.
1. Document your idea thoroughly - diagrams, working of the circuit, why it is unique
etc.
2. Try and get the idea working via a prototype
3. Hire a patent attorney to prepare a patent application and make the submission for
you (click here to search for patent lawyers). They will check if the patent already
exists for the same circuit design. In case there is another circuit of the same kind
which has also been applied for a patent, the lawyers will be able to represent you in
court.
If you do not want to hire a lawyer, head straight to the US Patent and Trademark office
website. You will find all the information in the world on how to file for a patent in the US.
Check your local government's patent office website for details on how patents work in
your country. Keep your questions coming! We love them!
Idea #171
Take part in the Intel science talent hunt. #ideabing #idea #intel
Idea #170
Build your blog, STRONG. #ideabing #idea #blog
Idea #169
Check out the top 10 areas you have to start your company in. #ideabing #idea
Idea #168
Listen to Arun Sarin on leadership. #ideabing #idea #leadership
Idea #167
Build a social operating system. #ideabing #idea #ubuntu - http://bit.ly/bVdovw
Idea #166
A retractable swimming pool. #ideabing #idea
Idea #165
Help people schedule their tweets. #ideabing #idea
Idea #164
Learn leadership from Jeff Bezos. #ideabing #idea #leadership
Idea #163
Watch how P&G innovates. #ideabing #idea #innovation #fmcg #retail
Idea #162
Build a perfect insulator. #ideabing #idea
Idea #161
Take a peek at the state of web design in Israel. #ideabing #idea
Idea #160
Make sure your workforce does not have minors working in it. #ideabing #idea
Idea #159
Don't like the way a movie ended? Then end it the way you want it to end. #ideabing
#idea
Idea #158
Is Twitter the next Google? #ideabing #idea
Idea #157
Want to go to Google I/O 2010? Then check this out. #ideabing #idea
Idea #156
How do you reduce poverty? Reduce the price of electricity. Watch Bill Gates talk on
energy. #ideabing #idea
Idea #155
Marrying a geek? Then get this ring! #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #154
Grow your business by shouting out loud. #ideabing #idea
Idea #153
Not enough comments on your blog? Understand why. #ideabing #idea #blogging
Idea #152
Seeking an entrepreneur community in India? Head here. #ideabing #idea #startups.
Idea #151
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Check out America's coolest college startups. #ideabing #idea
Idea #150
Teach machines how to make music. And then make them self learn. And then make
them produce works which humans envy. #ideabing #idea
Idea #149
Friday, February 26, 2010
Did we say "Augmented Reality" was the future? #ideabing #idea
Idea #148
A disruptive idea. Read on. #ideabing #idea
Idea #147
Want to know how square works? Watch the video. #ideabing #idea
Idea #146
Learn something new in design today. #ideabing #idea
Idea #145
This is seriously cool stuff. #ideabing #idea
Idea 144
Translate your website into music. #ideabing #idea
Idea #143
Show your customers that you care. #ideabing #idea
Idea #142
See what your website's rank is in the world wide web. #ideabing #idea
Idea #141
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thought a solar powered plane was impossible? Then watch this. #ideabing #idea
#innovation
Idea #140
Building a UI for a business web app? Get some advice here. #ideabing #idea #design
Idea #139
Tired of gridlocks on the road? IBM may have a solution. #innovation #ideabing #idea
Idea #138
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Can create jobs in the US? Get a green card free! #ideabing #idea #startupvisa
Idea #137
Find out why Google search is the best. #ideabing #idea
Idea #136
Get a peek at the wireless future of health care. #ideabing #idea
Idea #135
Find out why Intel is investing that $200 mil in tech. #ideabing #idea
Idea #134
Now use Quicken on Mac. #ideabing #idea
Idea #133
Generate energy in your backyard. #ideabing #idea #energy
Watch CBS News Videos Online

Idea #132
Get into the flow. #ideabing #idea
Idea #131
Augmented reality - the next big thing. #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #130
Work form home. #ideabing #idea
Idea #129
Does Apple know this? #ideabing #idea
Idea #128
Run your cell phone on fuel cells. #ideabing #idea #innovation
Idea #127
Charge your cell phone in your pocket. #ideabing #idea #innovation #energy
Idea #126
Are you a guest writer on a blog? Then read this. #ideabing #idea #bloggers
Idea #125
Get a piece of this pie. #ideabing #idea
Idea #124
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Learn how to use multimedia for your marketing your business.
Idea #123
Help more students graduate from college.
Idea #122
Hire only those who fit into your startup's work culture.
We now have traffic from 101 countries. Asia
beats everyone else ha...
Remember our last post 5 days back
regarding traffic to Ideabing from 30
countries? Guess what, the number of
countries people visit us from has tripled
since then and so has the traffic. We now
have visitors from 101 countries across the
globe! We cannot thank our readers
enough for this! Check out the stats after
the break. Traffic patterns have changed
over the past few days - Asia has emerged as the largest consumer of the content on the
website. India in particular has gobbled up a HUGE portion of the global traffic. USA is
not far behind but doesnt look lke its going to catch up with Asia anytime soon. The traffic
chart now look like this (most to least traffic) India - 23.2% USA - 20% Egypt (!!) - 4%
Pakistan - 3% Philippines - 3% UK - 3% Iran (!!) - 3% Romania - 2% Malaysia - 2%
Indonasia - 2% Rest of the world - 35% There is also an interesting trend building up.
since our website shows up on search engines when you look for ideation, ideas and
similar keywords, correlating this with the traffic suggests that the thirst for "new ideas",
ideation and innovation is growing at a phenomenal pace in Asia. Although there is traffic
from BRIC nations, it is from developing countries that we are seeing most traffic. Africa
is not fa behind either. They are the ones who search for these keyword most! Looks like
the developed world will face some really stiff competition in the coming years in areas of
innovation and startup building. All in all, we thank all our readers for dropping in,
checking the site out and coming back for more. We appreciate your support. This will go
a long way in making Ideabing what we envision ourselves to be in the coming years -
THE spot for people to come and look or new ideas.
Idea #121
Monday, February 22, 2010
Are you a writer or a photographer trying to get your content up? Get your butt here.
#ideabing #idea
Idea #120
Get some advice on healthy competition. #ideabing #idea
Idea #119
Don't get into the online music business. The d00d is already in. Big time. #ideabing
#idea
Idea #118
Become a domain name seller. #ideabing #idea
Idea #117
Drive more traffic to your small business blog. #ideabing #idea
Idea #116
Get into this business school if you want to start a company, for less. #idea #ideabing
Idea #115
Give the bars in your area some publicity. #ideabing #idea
Idea #114
Give people some space to brag. #ideabing #idea
Idea #113
Make telephone calls cost zilch. #ideabing #idea
Idea #112
Know the "customer is always right" rule well. #ideabing #idea
Idea #111
Take a peek at the most innovative companies today. #ideabing #idea
Idea #110
Get Obama to pay for your next clean energy venture. #ideabing #idea #venturecapital
#energy
Idea #109
Manufacture "personal" power plants. #ideabing #idea
Idea #108
Read this. #IDEABING #IDEA
Idea #107
Carry coupons with you by not carrying them with you. #ideabing #idea
Idea #106
Help businesses write business plans. #ideabing #idea
Idea #106
Develop apps for Windows Mobile 7. #ideabing #idea
Idea #105
Get your startup back to profitability. #ideabing #idea
Idea #104: Help distribute videos on all freakkin

platforms #ideabi...
Help distribute videos on all freakkin platforms. #ideabing #idea
Idea #103: Write a marketing plan for your startup

#ideabing #idea
Write a marketing plan for your startup. #ideabing #idea
Ideabing is now on facebook. #ideabing #idea

It was natural, we had to be on facebook. Ideabing is now on facebook. Go here to see
what we are up to. You can also become our fan on facebook now. Do that, and you will
get listed for our t-shirt giveaway contest.
Up and Down and Up again #ideabing #idea

Our website as been up and down and up again thanks to some problems with the server
our website is hosted on. We are back up now and should continue posting ideas soon.
Dont forget to enter the Ideabing massive t-shirt giveaway contest! Its on right now!
Ideabing's massive t-shirt give away.
We are giving away a massive load of t-shirts from Glenzz Tees. How do YOU get one?
Follow us on twitter @ideabing and/or become a fan of ideabing on facebook. Show us
some love and we will return the favor! Contest ends Sat - 27th Feb 2010.
Idea #102
Help people meet their friends. #ideabing #idea #loopt
Idea #101
Help websites see what visitors are clicking on. #ideabing #idea
And the winner of the Nexus One is...

Saturday, February 20, 2010
2 contests ending in one day. The traffic to our website shot up today - looks like
everyone wanted to get in line at the last moment. Lets me get to the point. One Ms. Sally
(she did not update her full name, just signed up as Sally) from the United Kingdom has
won the Ideabing Google Nexus One giveaway contest. Ms. Sally, we have sent you an
email asking you for your shipping address. We will ship the phone to you as soon as we
receive your shipping address!
Ms. Jo Jones won our t-shirt contest

You know it pays to visit Ideabing and check things out! Not only you get a truckload of
ideas to start with (some useful, some not so much) but also get to win some cool stuff!
Mr. Ms. Jo Jones won our zazzle.com t-shirt contest. We have sent him a $25 gift
certificate from zazzle.com! More contests are coming - keep visiting our website! Sorry
Ms. Jones, we mistook you to be of the other gender!
Idea #100
Carry the phone OS with you, on the SIM card. #ideabing #idea #android
Idea #99
Pick the right site for your business. #ideabing #idea
Idea #98
Change the way people think about aerodynamics. #ideabing #idea #design
#aerodynamics
The Ideabing t-shirt contest is over!

The first Ideabing t-shirt contest is now "over". Thank you for the overwhelming response,
from a total of 53 countries! We will announce the winner shortly. The winner get a $25
gift certificate from us to shop on zazzle.com. The Google Nexus One contest is still on,
for the next 18 or so hours. Get yourself rushing to this link!
Idea #97
Give small businesses the power to accept credit cards, anywhere. #ideabing #idea
#iphone
Idea #96
Build a fan without blades. #ideabing #idea #dyson
Idea #95
Cant get enough TV? Let customers carry one around. #ideabing #idea
Idea #94
Find out which franchise is the best for you to start with. #ideabing #idea
Idea #93
Is your VC killing innovation? Find out why. #ideabing #idea
Idea #92
Fed up of waiting for a doctor's appointment? Then stop waiting. #ideabing #idea
Idea #91
Stop using Google adsense. Sell your OWN ads. #ideabing #idea
Idea #90
Bid for Government projects. #ideabing #idea
Idea #89
Thought Google analytics was good? Think again. #ideabing #idea
Idea #88
Run your business on Google's stuff. #ideabing #idea
Idea #87
Learn how to advertise on facebook. #ideabing #idea
Idea #86
Go beyond branding. Provide personal branding services. #ideabing #idea
Idea #85
Start an alternate media company. #ideabing #idea #publishing
We have started to conquer the world AND get a

free custom t-shirt ...
Ideabing went live a week ago (our first
post here) and readers from over 30
countries frequent the site now!We started
to receive some fan mail (and some hate
mail) for the content on the website. The
majority seem to love the site. Keep it
coming folks! We love you guys! Expect
more from the newest kid on the block in
technology blogging. We have big plans for the future (muhahahahahaha :D). So what
countries are our readers coming from (see screen grab of map below)? The list in order
of traffic 1. USA (of course!) 2. India - not Asia since traffic from India is about 90% of
traffic from Asia, almost equal to the traffic from the US! 3. EU 4. Rest of Asia 5. Africa 6.
Rest of the world As a thank you gesture we are giving away one t-shirt of your choice
from Zazzle.com. You know the drill - register at our website or subscribe to our posts.
One lucky winner gets a custom made t-shirt of their choice (with the Ideabing logo of
course) from zazzle.com. Also check out our Google Nexus One giveaway contest. You
still have 2 days to get in line to win one. Go here unless you do not read a really big
announcement on our homepage.
Idea #84
Get funded by Comcast for you next media venture. #ideabing #idea #media #civentures
Idea #83
Stack up lyrics of all the songs in the world. #ideabing #idea
Idea #82
Build an iPhone app. Then get bought by Google. #ideabing #idea #google
Idea #81
Start a nuclear power plant in the USA. #ideabing #idea
Idea #80
Get into the iPhone credit card payment arena. #ideabing #idea
Idea #79
Make a spokeless cycle, well, almost. #ideabing #idea #yale
Idea #78
See if you are fit to be a CEO. #ideabing #idea #leadership
Idea #76
Start a space company. #ideabing #idea
Idea #77
Sell weapons to India. #ideabing #idea
Idea #75
When all else fails, go social. #ideabing #idea
Idea#74
Get people to date for free and earn $10 million. #ideabing #idea
Idea #73
Predict the infrastructure needs of a company. #ideabing #idea
Idea #72
Help websites retain their visitors. #ideabing #idea
Idea #71
Enlighten the world for free. #ideabing #idea #publishing
Have ideas to share?

Hello Ideabing patrons! Share your ideas with us. We will publish them to the world. Head
here and submit your ideas. the best ideas submitted through the week will be published
on ideabing.com
Google Nexus One give away!

We are giving away ONE Google Nexus One "Super
Phone" to a lucky visitor on Ideabing.com. There are 3 ways
for you to qualify to win this one. Do one of these before 6
PM PST on Saturday, 22nd Feb 2010 to be eligible. a.
Register yourself at our site on the home page. b. Subscribe
to our posts here. We wont spam you, promise! c. Leave a
comment on any post on the website before 6 PM PST on
Saturday, 20th Feb 2010. The winner will be announced on
Monday, 22nd Feb 2010 after a lucky draw. We will ship the
phone to where ever you are on this planet. This will be the
first of "many" contests on Ideabing. Keep visiting to be in
the know. All the best!
Idea #70
Create a tool for companies to manage their twitter campaigns. #ideabing #idea #twitter
Idea #69
See if you want to head to Singapore to start your company. #ideabing #idea
Idea #68
Make your company the coolest workplace for people. #ideabing #idea #workplace
Idea #67
Make sure your competition does not kill your business. #ideabing #idea #startup #failure
Idea #66
Start an online music website. #ideabing #idea #music #technology
Idea #65
Start your company with the right branding. #ideabing #idea #franchise
Idea #64
Get your company ready for the next gold rush. #ideabing #idea #windows #microsoft
Idea #63
Start your own URL shortening service. #ideabing #idea
Idea #62
Don't let go of this opportunity in the mobile app space. #idea #ideabing
Idea #61
Get seed funding for your startup from a community of entrepreneurs. #idea #ideabing
#growvc #startups
Idea #60
Make money riding on Apple's back. #ideabing #idea #technology
Idea #59
Build a highly profitable blog. #idea #ideabing #blog
Idea #58
Mind others' money. #ideabing #idea #internet #technology
Idea #57
Start an adult oriented magazine. #idea #ideabing #publishing
Idea #56
Become a farmer. #idea #ideabing #technology
Idea #55
Chill out with design gurus. #ideabing #idea #technology
Idea #54
Get people to check in, not at an airport though. #ideabing #idea #foursquare
Idea #53
Get banks to fight to lend money to you. #ideabing #idea #money #lending
Idea #52
Get people to discover their roots, really deep roots. #ideabing #idea #technology
Idea #51
Allow people to meet in high definition. #ideabing #idea #technology #online
Idea #50
Attend the most important tech conference of the year. #ideabing #idea
Idea #49
Decide what your priorities are. #ideabing #idea
Idea #48
Raise $33 million for your startup. #ideabing #idea
Idea #47
Get help from Microsoft to run your startup. #ideabing #idea
Idea #46
Make the Apple iPad look obsolete.
Idea #45
Challenge the need for mobile voice networks. #ideabing #idea
Idea #44
Allow people to show off what they are spending on. #ideabing #idea
Idea #43
Lend money to a total stranger. #ideabing #idea
Idea #42
Change the way people pay for your stuff. #ideabing #square #money #iphone
#payments
Idea #41
Give your startup the right launch pad. #ideabing #business plans #funding #venture
capital
Idea #40
Make HTML 5 mainstream by killing off mainstream technologies. #ideabing #apple
#flash #html5 #adobe
Idea #39
Empower the world to compete with facebook. #idebing #ning
Idea #38
Let people wear a different design, one t-shirt at a time. #ideabing #zazzle #design
Idea #37
Get talented music artists stand up on their own feet. #ideabing #indie music #sonicbids
Idea #36
Help small businesses build a solid company through your company. #ideabing #crm
#personal finance
Idea #35
Hack Microsoft technology and create your own. #ideabing #divx #microsoft #avi
Idea #34
Make people ditch Microsoft office.
Idea #33
Get the right resources for your startup to thrive. #ideabing #startupweekend #dropbox
#amazonwebservices #gmail #skype #twitter #wordpress #salesforce
Idea #32
Get your ass down to a worthwhile weekend. May help you get your idea going places.
#ideabing #startupweekend
Idea #31
Board a bus, start your own company in 3 days. Then show it off at a conference.
#ideabing #startupbus
Idea #30
Start a business news paper, take it online, index the hell out of it on Google, threaten to
pull the index and make money. #ideabing
Idea #29
Build a list of internet radio stations around the world. #ideabing
Idea #28
Create Sports analysis software. #ideabing
Idea #27
Copy a popular brand name and make it your own. #ideabing
Idea #26
Create a website that gives out FREE ideas. #ideabing
Idea #25
Create a scam busting website. #ideabing
Idea #24
Make money out of the poor. #ideabing
Idea #23
Make money out of trash. #ideabing
Idea #22
Copy facebook and twitter and launch a new microblogging service. #ideabing
Idea #21
Go into space and then dive into the deep sea. #ideabing
Idea #20
Ban CRT everything. #ideabing
Idea #19
Build a building to house a city. #ideabing
Idea #18
Build Farmville for actual farmers. Include predictive rainfall, crop prices. #ideabing
Idea #17: Replace all public transport in the world

with Maglevs
Replace all public transport in the world with Maglevs. #ideabing
Idea #16: Start a software services company in

Chile.
Start a software services company in Chile. #ideabing
Idea #15: Harvest organs from death row inmate
Harvest organs from death row inmates. #ideabing
Idea #14: Form a country out of facebook users.

Form a country out of facebook users. #ideabing
Idea #13: Ban inefficient light bulbs

Ban inefficient light bulbs. #ideabing
Idea #12: Form a super bank. Get all the VC's of

the world to inves...
Form a super bank. Get all the VC's of the world to invest in it. #ideabing
Idea #11:Desalinate ocean water. Counter ocean

level rise due to gl...
Desalinate ocean water. Counter ocean level rise due to global warming. #ideabing
Idea #10: Replace Silicon transistors with

Graphene transistors.
Replace Silicon transistors with Graphene transistors. #ideabing
Idea #9: Power everything with the sun
Power everything with the sun. #ideabing
Idea #8: Enable M&A of nations by other nations.

Enable M&A of nations by other nations. #ideabing
Idea #7: Ban private transport.

Ban private transport.
Idea #1: Make international roaming free on any

mobile phone. Launc...
Make international roaming free on any mobile phone. Launch an all in one unlimited
calling plan for cell phone users. #ideabing
Idea #6: Make invisible headphones.

Make invisible headphones. #ideabing
Idea #5: Do away with the concept of patents. Let

intellectual prop...
Do away with the concept of patents. Let intellectual property thrive in public domain.
#ideabing
Idea #4: Make free universal health care,
universal
Make free universal health care, universal. #ideabing
Idea #3:Make cameras obsolete. Design

something that uses your eye ...
Make cameras obsolete. Design something that uses your eye to snap up pictures and
record videos. #ideabing
Idea #2:Make nuclear fusion power technology

available to the poore...
Make nuclear fusion power technology available to the poorest nations on the planet.
#ideabing
385
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All rights reserved by their respective parties. Patents pending
for the SharedBook technology. NOT FOR RESALE.
For personal, noncommercial use only.
LIABILITY LIMITED TO COST OF PRODUCT.
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The Ideabing Idea Book I

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