Nano satellite designed by Chennai students, to be launched April

A group of 54 engineering students from the city has designed a 10-kg nano satellite to monitor greenhouse gases (GHG) that the Indian space agency is planning to launch in April.

The students from the SRM University, some 40 km from the capital city, have been working on the project 'SRMSAT' since 2008. The satellite weighing just 10 kg is being developed under the guidance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a cost of 1 crore.

With climate change becoming a cause of serious concern globally, the satellite will monitor GHG - mainly carbon dioxide - in the atmosphere. A grating spectrometer is employed for monitoring earth-based sources and sinks of anthropogenic and natural sources of GHG.

The students from 12 disciplines of engineering in the university have been working closely with the ISRO to develop the nano satellite.

A nano satellite is one that weighs less than, or equal to, 10 kg.

"The satellite is scheduled for launch in April this year with ISRO's Megatropics G satellite. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the national space agency for the project," M. Loganathan, former ISRO scientist who is heading the team, told IANS on the sidelines of the ongoing Indian Science Congress at the SRM University campus here.

According to Loganathan, the students are very passionate about the project and would work on it after their classes.

"Their classes get over by 4 p.m. and after that all of them hang on in the research laboratory for say till midnight to work on the nano satellite. It's their baby and an outcome of their hard work," he said.

The ISRO said the satellite has to be tested before it can be included as a payload.

The students have been wholly involved in the project, right from procuring components to assembling and testing the satellite.

Explaining the initial problems they faced, Sarwesh Narayaan, a mechanical engineering student, told IANS: "It was difficult to communicate technically as we all come from different disciplines of engineering, but we did overcome it as each of us had to understand the concepts of all the other disciplines before designing the project."

"All of us are multi-tasking, and an electrical engineer student in the group is also conversant with the concepts of mechanical, aerospace, electrical communication and information engineering. We have been solving each others' problem," Guruditya Singh, a final year student, told IANS.

It's the team spirit that keeps this group of 51 men and 3 women students going.

"Whenever we get some time, maybe over lunch or dinner or during weekends, our point of discussion is only SRMSAT. Each one of us enjoys talking about it and our sessions go on for hours. There is nobody junior or senior but a team, and our mantra is value for thought. A first year student can also give a good piece of advice to the group," said Anushree Mahapatra, a student of electronic and information engineering.

The conception of SRMSAT dates back to August 2008 when the vision of launching a student satellite was put forward at a seminar taken by eminent space scientist D. Raghavamurty.

"It is planned to make our first nano satellite as a SRMSAT bus so that further missions can be continued with different payloads that can be supported with this design," said Loganathan.

More and more students are showing interest in the space science.

In 2010, ISRO launched Studsat -- a tiny satellite built by 35 students from four engineering colleges in Bangalore and three in Hyderabad -- which can take pictures of the earth from space, helping in weather forecasting.

During the golden jubilee celebrations of IIT-Kanpur last year, President Pratibha Patil handed over to the ISRO a nano satellite 'Jugnu' developed by students of the country's premier institution.

Other institutes have got in the act as well. A 3.5-kg satellite 'Pradhan' is being built by students of IIT-Mumbai. Students of Sathyabhama University, Chennai, are also working on a nano satellite.

In Vellore Institute of Technology University (VITU), Vellore, the students have designed the TubeSat, which is a pico-satellite, weighing less than 1 kg.

Top 10 Piano Songs

Songs with piano accompaniment leave us with a mix of emotions -- feeling melancholy, inspired, playful or even loved. Piano songs fused with rock are no different, especially when the talent behind the melodic chord progressions derives from iconic artists such as Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Elton John.

10 'Werewolves of London'

Warren Zevon

Co-written by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel (who has worked with Keith Richards, James Taylor and Stevie Nicks) and Warren Zevon, the 1978 single features Fleetwood Mac's bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The notable playful piano melody fits well with chorus refrain ("Ah-ooo!") and the bizarre lyrics: "I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's / His hair was perfect." Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett and even Adam Sandler have all covered the tune, which was Warren Zevon's only successful single.

iTunes | Lyrics

09 'The Way It Is'

Bruce Hornsby and the Range

Written by Hornsby, The beautifully composed piano-driven song references the civil rights movement: "Well they passed a law in '64 / To give those who ain't got a little more / But it only goes so far / Because the law don't change another's mind." Generation Y may recognize the piano medley, which was heavily sampled in Tupac's 1998 single 'Changes.'

iTunes | Lyrics

08 'Maybe I'm Amazed'

Paul Mccartney

Initially featured on McCartney's eponymous 1970 album, the piano song was never released as a single. The live track from the Wings' 1976 Tour of America however, became insanely popular -- reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Pop charts. The romantic song is dedicated to McCartney's late wife Linda.

iTunes | Lyrics

07 'Walking in Memphis'

Marc Cohn

Singer/Songwriter Marc Cohn wrote this after seeing an Al Green sermon in Memphis. The lyrics emphasize a "spiritual awakening" in the world of blues and soul rock. The piano driven song -- with elements of Billy Joel melodies and Bruce Springsteen vocals -- grew in popularity on both the US and UK charts, resulting in a Best New Artist Grammy win for Cohn in 1991. A 2008 live performance of the song proves that Cohn's still got it.

iTunes | Lyrics

06 'Imagine'

John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band

I don't even need to dwell on this favorite. Written in 1971 on a white grand piano (alongside Yoko) while at his estate in Tittenhurst, England, the song's piano melody is so simplistic, chills linger as Lennon sings about world peace and love: "Imagine there's no countries / It isn't hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace." Almost 40 years later and this prolific song is still classic. 'Rolling Stone' agrees: They ranked the song No. 3 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

iTunes | Lyrics

05 'Clocks'

Coldplay

According to frontman Chris Martin, the song's repeating, pulsing piano riff was inspired by the band Muse. 'Clocks' was not even supposed to be featured on 'A Rush of Blood to the Head,' but once Martin played the haunting tune on a keyboard for lead guitarist Johnny Buckland, Buckland had worked out a chord progression. Lyrics soon followed, and the album was delayed two months to include the song. 'Clocks' won Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammy Awards and is considered their biggest hit to date.

iTunes | Lyrics

04 'Let It Be'

The Beatles

Inspired by a dream McCartney had of his mother, the song's lyrics evoke subtle religious imagery. The piano melody -- written in the key of C Major -- features a series of cadences and inversions, which set the mood of the song. There are three versions in existence: two are official releases (the single, and the 'Let It Be' album track) and the third (an unofficial track from the aborted 'Get Back' album) is the least tampered with, and only available illegally. The other two had much work -- overdubbed with string orchestration and guitar.

Lyrics

03 'Lean on Me'

Bill Withers

The lyrics stem from Withers' childhood memories growing up in the coal-mining town of Slab Fork, WV. The fond memories of community were vapid once he moved to Los Angeles, which inspired him to write this song. The piano intro grabs you immediately, followed by Withers soulful, R&B vocals. The song reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

iTunes | Lyrics

02 'Tiny Dancer'

Elton John

Penned by Bernie Taupin, the lyrics are about Taupin's first wife Maxine Feibelman, a seamstress for John's band. Taupin's romantic lyrics paired with Paul Buckmaster on strings and Rick Wakeman on the organ help the song, but the backbone is John's breathtaking piano melody. This piano song -- featured on John's 1972 'Madman Across the Water' -- only reached No. 41 on the US Pop chart, but was revived after it's inclusion in the Cameron Crowe flick 'Almost Famous.' Ben Folds, Tim McGraw, and even Dave Grohl have covered this tune. Check out Grohl's acoustic cover on Kilborn.

iTunes | Lyrics

01'Piano Man'

Billy Joel

Sometimes the best songs have the simplest melodies. If you take out the lyrics, which reference people's unfulfilled dreams and disappointing lives, this 1973 tune is quite repetitive. But Joel's intentions of the song -- to be a distraction to those who feel miserable -- turned out to be quite effective. The piano riff and spliced harmonica sound are so beautiful, jovial, and almost romantic, you "forget about life for a while," and start singing. Go on: "La la la, de de da / La la, de de da da da."

iTunes | Lyrics

Tracking of lost laptops made easier

Quick Heal, an Internet security tools provider, has introduced a new technology called Laptop Tracker that helps to track and recover lost laptops. The technology works on the premise that every laptop or PC has a Media Access Control ID (MAC ID) - the physical address of the device. When the stolen devices are connected to the Internet, its IP location can be found using the physical address number.

To use the services of the Laptop Tracker technology, one needs to register into its website known as www.trackmylaptop.net. All one needs to do there is key in the physical address number of the laptop or PC.

The solution from the Pune-based company is open for everyone. However those of who are using its anti-virus solution do not have to fill the MAC IDs. The technology would help the cyber crime departments and law enforcement departments of the country and the company is in talks with them to deploy the technology.

At 12, he is newspaper editor, reporter and publisher

He is all of 12 years but Utkarsh Tripathi painstakingly brings out a handwritten newspaper every week to spread awareness among his peers on issues like the environment and female foeticide. And all this to satisfy his urge to "serve the country".
A Class 8 student of the Brij Bihari Sahai (BBS) Inter College in Allahabad, Utkarsh has been bringing out the newspaper Jagriti for the last one year.
And for the four-page, black-and-white newspaper, Utkarsh not only dons the role of a reporter, editor and publisher, but also turns hawker for circulating the weekly.
Unlike other papers, readers of Jagriti don't have to spend a single penny -- Utkarsh distributes it free of cost.
"Yes, I manage it all alone. Right from gathering the content, its editing, publishing and ultimately distributing the copies to readers," Utkarsh, a resident of Khatju colony in Allahabad, told IANS.

"I know, you would like to know how I publish the newspaper. First I prepare a handwritten copy of Jagriti and later take out copies at a photocopy shop in my locality. It's simple," he explained.

Jagriti has about 150 readers belonging to varied age groups in Allahabad, some 200 km from the state capital Lucknow.

"Children comprise the major chunk of Jagriti readers - my school friends, my seniors in school, teachers and also my neighbours," he said.

According to Utkarsh's father Hari Prasad, who runs a coaching institute, his son has a flair for writing and wanted to serve the country in some way.

"More than a year ago, he read an article on Indo-China relations in a Hindi daily. I don't know what came into his mind... After reading the article, he came to me and asked me to suggest a way he could serve the country," Prasad said.

"At that time I wasn't sure how serious he was about the question... I said that joining the defence services was one of the best options to serve the country... To this, he said that he wanted to start serving the society from his school life itself. I then suggested why not work like a journalist and make people aware of their rights," he added.

Utkarsh took the suggestion seriously and came up with Jagriti.

"I named the newspaper Jagriti, as my mission was to make people aware of various issues affecting them," the 12-year-old said.

"I try to cover social issues pertaining to environment, female foeticide and others in the editorial section, and also information about public welfare schemes and important government policies for the betterment of the poor or children," Utkarsh added.

Jagriti also has success stories of scientists, political leaders and other prominent personalities.

But how does he get time from his studies to bring out a weekly newspaper.

"I believe if anyone is passionate about something, he or she can take out some time to purse his passion, irrespective of the hectic schedule," Utkarsh replied.

"I spend some time daily on researching topics and gathering public utility information from sources like magazines, news dailies and the internet. On Sunday I get more time to work on my project and make pictorial representations that could go along with the articles," he said.

Utkarsh's efforts are much appreciated by people in Allahabad.

"He has shown all of us that an ordinary person can contribute to the society in one way or other...You just need to have an urge for that," Kashi Kesarwani, a resident of Chandpur area, told IANS.

Nutan Devi, a local journalist and the boy's neighbour, said; "For me it's real journalism... It has revived the decades-old objective of journalism that seems to have now have got lost somewhere..."

Pod car in India

The Pod car used in personal rapid transit system has been designed by the UK-based firm ULTra.

ULTra-Fairwood, the joint venture which wants to introduce personal rapid transit (PRT) system in India, is in talks with infrastructure developers for partnership. It is also in talks with small car manufacturers to ensure local manufacturing of the pod car.
In a PRT system – small, driverless, battery powered vehicles with Central control system or pod cars – run on slender, special purpose tracks. The tracks (or guideways) can be on ground or elevated. The cars – with capacities of seating 4-6 people – provide on-demand transport.
ULTra (Urban light rapid transit) is a UK-based company, which owns this PRT technology, and has just concluded trials on its 4-km track at Heathrow airport (between Terminal 5 and parking).
The company is hopeful of getting its first projects off ground in Amritsar and Gurgaon; and is pursuing its case with State Governments of Punjab and Haryana. According to the project proposal, the Amritsar project is expected to cost about Rs 500 crore, while the Gurgaon project is expected to cost about Rs 5,000 crore.
In Amritsar, the company proposes to build 3.2 route km stretch with seven stations. In Gurgaon, it aims to build 105 km of route with 143 stations powered by about 3,000 vehicles.
“For users, the ticket pricing will be at a level lower than auto rickshaw fares, and higher than bus fares,” said Mr Ranbir Saran Das, Managing Director, Fairwood. Mr Das shared that the company is in talks with infrastructure developers and small car developers but declined to share details.
ULTra-Fairwood proposes to implement the project on a build operate transfer (BOT) basis, so that the State Governments do not have to make any financial investments. For this, apart from the right to operate the system for a long-term (30-35 year) period, it requires to get right of way from the State Government to make elevated guideways on which the pod cars can move. It also requires land for building stations.
On the company's fund raising plans, Mr Das said that the company is in talks with developers and financial investors, but the exact contours of financing will emerge only after there is further clarity on the concession terms being extended by the State Governments.
However, the challenge for State Governments would be to give out the project to ULTra-Fairwood through a bidding process.

Vehicle Overview

The ULTra Heathrow vehicle design.

The ULTra vehicle's modern design immediately conveys the feeling of travelling in an iconic “streamlined” mode of travel, with clean and subtle lines the result of extensive design and customer focus research. ATS began developing the ULTra system in 1995, and the design of the vehicles has progressed from initial concept, through prototyping and testing (the Cardiff Test Facility opened in 2001), to reach the sleek and high quality product supplied to BAA for the London Heathrow application.

Capacity

A standard ULTra vehicle is fitted with four contoured seats, with ample space for other items such as shopping, pushchairs and luggage (Total ~450kg). Other arrangements are possible, such as bench seating (selected by BAA for the Heathrow vehicles) which allows further flexibility in group sizing, such as five adults plus luggage, or two adults with four children. The vehicles can also easily accommodate bicycles and wheelchairs, and are designed to meet access requirements for both the UK (Disability Discrimination Act, DDA) and the US (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) - see the Accessibility page for further information.

An example of an ULTra vehicle interior; this option is fitted with four contoured seats, with room for shopping, pushchairs or luggage. The vehicles can also easily accommodate bicycles and wheelchairs.

The vehicle is designed to make the passenger feel safe, secure, and comfortable at all times.

Passenger Comfort & Security

The personal nature of the ULTra experience ensures that passengers feel safe and secure at all times: passengers have exclusive use of their vehicles and travel only with chosen companions - once a passenger journey starts the vehicles do not stop to pick up other passengers. In addition, the vehicle is continuously monitored by the control system during use - passengers may contact the system controller at any time, and the controller can talk to the passengers, see them via onboard CCTV, and respond to any concerns immediately.
Air-conditioning and heating systems provide passenger comfort during journeys, and can be adapted to suit the most extreme environments. The vehicle controls, lighting and information systems are designed to the latest standards to aid usability, with the option of in-vehicle media systems (e.g. music/video clips) to provide entertainment if desired.
For further details, please see the pages on the user benefits of the ULTra system.

An ULTra vehicle under construction.

Construction

ULTra vehicles are four wheeled with rubber pneumatic tyres, front-wheel steering and conventional damped spring suspension. They comprise an aluminium ladder frame chassis on which the majority of the vehicle propulsion and guidance equipment is mounted. Sitting on top of the chassis is an aluminium honeycomb floor. The above floor level is constructed of a steel frame and an ABS panel body that can be fitted with single side or double side electric doors.
See the Configuration & Features and Vehicle Specifications pages for more details.

Guidance and Power

Vehicles use a laser sensor system to guide the vehicles on the guideway and in the stations. Vehicles are currently lead acid battery powered to allow for rapid charging (up to 150amps) and to achieve recyclability. The vehicles are designed to be adaptable for future battery developments and for other power sources such as hydrogen fuel cells, ultracapacitors, and Tesla Motors-style lithium ion battery systems. Batteries are charged via electrical contacts at station berths, or at waiting points. ULTra vehicles have a very low energy usage of 0.15Kw h/vehicle km at 25mph.
See the Control Systems page for an operational overview of the ULTra control system.

2 tips for filling petrol and diesel

2 tips for filling petrol and diesel:-

Only buy or fill up your car or bike during early morning, when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks underground. . The colder the ground, the more dense the fuel. When it gets warmer, petrol expands. So, buying in the afternoon or in the evening, your litre is not exactly a litre. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature play an important role. 1 degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

Another most important tip is to fill up when your tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank the less is the air occupying its empty space. Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS - IT IS IMPORTANT FOR AS MANY PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF RISING PETROL PRICES.

Ford Figo wins Indian Car of the Year award

In the fiercely competitive and rapidly growing market, Ford Figo was selected the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2011 on Thursday.
Now in its sixth year, the ICOTY is awarded to a new vehicle after comprehensive testing by a jury of leading automobile journalists in India.
Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, accepted the award from R P Singhania, vice chairman and managing director, JK Tyre & Industries, at a ceremony in Mumbai.
The Ford Figo is a celebration of the best-in-class features, style, comfort and ownership.

• Robust build and construction
• Interiors more comfortable than chief competitors i10 & Swift
• 1.4 Diesel's proven driveability and fuel efficiency. No turbolag
• The Ford Figo's mature big-car-like ride quality
• Ford's DNA in the on-road behaviour and quick steering
• Class-topping 284 liter boot space
• Lacks the modernity of recently launched hatchbacks
• Both of the engines in the Figo are lacking in outright performance. Neither engine can exploit the car's dynamics
• No true top-end variant (tilt adjustable steering, rear power windows, MID etc.)
• Average backseat legroom. Not in the league of, say, an Indica Vista
• Ford's sub-par dealership experience

Dimensions
The Figo is one of the longest, widest and shortest in height in its segment. This contributes to the best aerodynamic design and its spacious interiors.

• Overall length - 3795 mm
• Overall width - 1680 mm
• Overall Height - 1427 mm

Wheelbase

With a 2489 mm wheelbase, the Figo clearly offers the most spacious interiors in its category.
Leg Room
Smart designing makes the Figo one of the most spacious cars available.

• Front leg room - 1084 mm
• Rear leg room - 860 mm
• Rear shoulder room - 1300 mm

Boot space
The Figo has 284 litres of boot capacity - again, the largest among all hatchbacks.
Air-conditioning
The Figo boasts of the most powerful air conditioner in its segment.
With the largest compressor and the best air speed, the Ford Figo offers the fastest-in-class time to comfort.

Bluetooth
Plug and unplug mobile phones to make and receive calls and hear the other person's voice over car speakers, access your complete phonebook on the audio unit without reaching for the phone, browse the last 10 dialed numbers, the last 10 missed and received calls, redial a particular number and swap, hold, mute and transfer calls from audio to phone.
Smart audio allows you to stream songs from mobile phones to the car audio via Bluetooth and enjoy music over the car speakers without transferring files.

Intelligent features

• Programmable keyless entry
• Intelligent safety locking features (central locking, drive away, crash unlock, ignition off auto unlock, and auto relock)
• Distance to empty display
• RDS capable audio
• Speed sensing volume controls
• Electric boot release
• Lane change indication
• Hazard deceleration warning
• Variable (6 Speed) intermittent wipers
• Intelligent PATS

Styling
The Figo is designed in line with Ford's Global Kinetic Design philosophy.
Streaky side repeater lamps, raising belt line, door lines, grille-less front, wide open trapezoidal lower grille, wrap-around head lamps and stylish tail lamps make it stamp a style statement.
Interiors: The Figo sports a unique coral theme on the inside, along with colour coordinated instrument panels and stylized door boards with pull cup type handles.
Vibrant Instrument Panel: The Figo is the first in its segment to make a style statement with colour infused vibrant interiors.
The coral Instrument panel makes for the most vibrant looking Interiors available in its segment.

Google TV

Google TV is an internet-connected television platform. It was announced by Google on May 20, 2010 at Google’s Google I/O event and was co-developed by Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech. Google TV integrates Google’s Android operating system and Google Chrome browser to create “a new experience for television”.Google TV officially launched October 6, 2010 with devices from Sony and Logitech

Features

Google TV leverages many of Google’s existing products. Google’s Android operating system provides the underlying foundation, allowing developers to create applications that extend the system’s functionality. Google’s Chrome browser provides a gateway to the Internet, allowing consumers to browse web sites and watch television, in tandem. Consumers can access HBO, CNBC, and content from other providers through the Chrome browser. Partners have built applications that allow customers to access content in unique ways. Netflix, for example, has built an application that allows customers to access Netflix’s large library of movies and television shows. Android and Apple phones will be used as remote controls for Google TV. Google TV products ship with wireless remote controls with a full QWERTY keypad.

Sony Internet TV

Devices

• Sony Internet TV - 24", 32", 40" and 46" models (NSX-24GT1, NSX-32GT1, NSX-40GT1 and NSX-46GT1)
• Sony Internet TV Blu-ray (NSZ-GT1)
• Logitech Revue (PN 970-000001)

According to a Bloomberg report, Toshiba and Vizio will unveil Google TV devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011.

Critical Reaction

Google TV has been met with mediocre reviews. Nilay Patel, of the tech blog Engadget remarked, “Google TV feels like an incomplete jumble of good ideas only half-realized, an unoptimized box of possibility that suffers under the weight of its own ambition and seemingly rushed holiday deadline.”
Kevin Sintumuang said of Google TV during his Wall Street Journal review that, “The potential is as big as, well, the Internet, but right now Google TV is a bit of a tease.”
The New York Time’s David Pogue had similar sentiments, saying, “This much is clear: Google TV may be interesting to technophiles, but it’s not for average people.” David Pogue also expressed concern about the inconsistencies throughout the user interface as well as the fragmentation of Google TV.Fragmentation is when a product is launched by many different companies spawning similar, yet different iterations of the original product which may not support the same features. Google currently faces this problem with the Android operating system.

What's new with Google TV?

It’s been two months since the first Google TV device went on sale. Since
then, we have been hard at work thinking about how we can make the
platform even better for our users. In fact, one of the greatest things
about Google TV is that it comes with free, automatic “over-the-air”
software updates that give you the newest features and content as we
release them. It’s as if Google TV goes up in value over time.

Today we’re excited to start pushing out our first Google TV software update. In addition to fixing some bugs, there are four significant improvements to the platform:

Netflix

We’ve partnered up with our friends at Netflix to upgrade the app so that you can search, browse and watch any movie or show
that is in the Netflix streaming catalog. You can even add these titles
to your DVD queue if you want them mailed to you. Not sure what to
watch? The new Netflix app will also give you personalized
recommendations based on what you’ve watched before. Your TV is now an
unlimited source of entertainment.

Dual View

Google
TV brings the TV and web together in one seamless experience so you can
easily watch your favorite TV show and browse your favorite website
together at once. With the feature, you can do things like watch Conan
while tweeting about him on Twitter at the same time. Since launch,
we’ve had users give us feedback that they want even more customization
options for this feature, and so today we have enhanced it to allow you
to re-size and move the window however you’d like. 

Standard capability

New capability to move and re-size

Remote Control App for Android Phones

What
if you could control your TV with the power of your voice? Starting
today you can download the Google TV Remote app in Android Market. Apart
from the standard TV remote options like changing channels or accessing
your DVR, you can now interact with your TV in ways you never have
before. For instance, try using the integrated voice search which allows
you to find your favorite shows and movies just by speaking into your
phone. Or, go from small screen to big screen by sharing videos and
websites directly from your phone to your TV. We’ve included a short
preview of these features below. Stay tuned for more information about
the Google TV Remote for other platforms in the near future.

Movies

Say
you’re searching for a movie like ‘Harry Potter’. Google TV now has a
movie results page that shows you all films associated with the title so
you can quickly watch what you want, wherever it’s available -- ranging
from sources like live TV, Netflix, and Amazon Video on Demand. You can
also read a quick summary, see photos, and find the cast list. Click on
the name of a cast member and we’ll take you to a new search landing
page where you can find other movies featuring that actor. Trust us,
you’ll never leave the couch again.

Google
TV users will start to see these updates roll out to their devices
throughout the week. The Google TV Remote app is available today (click here from your Android device or scan the barcode below) but all features may not work until your device has received the update.

There's more on TV than television.

Search your television

Type in what you want to watch, and we'll find it for you. Google TV lets you seamlessly search all of the content on your TV, the web, and apps – then access it with a single click. You can also easily switch between TV and the web without having to change inputs on your television.

The web is now a channel

With Google Chrome and Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Google TV lets you access everything on the web. Watch your favorite web videos, view photos, play games, check fantasy scores, chat with friends, and do everything else you're accustomed to doing online. Plus, the world's best websites are now being perfected for television -- check out our Spotlight gallery for examples.

A new world of apps for your TV

Google TV will come pre-loaded with apps like Netflix, Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Napster, NBA Game Time, Amazon Video On Demand and Gallery. Starting early next year, apps from Android Market will work on Google TV as well.
Watch the video.

Your phone = remote control

Your Android phone or iPhone can be used to control your Google TV in place of a remote control. Use your voice to search, and even use multiple phones to control the same TV. No more fighting over the remote!

Fling a video to your television

Find a great website on your phone and want to show it to everyone? Now you can. "Fling" what you're watching, listening to, or doing on your phone by sending it to your TV with the press of a button.

Watch it now

Never miss a show again. With Google TV, you can access over 40,000 shows and movies whenever you want with Netflix ($8.99 a month) or Amazon Video On Demand (shows start at 99 cents!).

YouTube perfected for TV

YouTube is great on the web, but it's even better on television. With YouTube Leanback, you can watch videos without ever clicking play -- just sit back and watch all of your favorite YouTube content, personally chosen for you, in full screen HD. You can even create new channels on the fly.

Watch and browse,
simultaneously

With Google TV, you can browse the web or open an app and watch TV on the same screen. Check your fantasy football stats while watching the game, check your @replies on Twitter during American Idol, or purchase a product online right after you watch the ad. It's just like picture-in-picture mode, but with the web and the TV.

TV gets a homepage

Turn on your television and you'll instantly have access to your favorite channels, apps, podcasts, and websites, thanks to the Google TV home screen. The home screen is customizable for you, by you, so that you can always change your preferences.

Find your favorite episode

Google TV has a special page for every TV series that lets you quickly find and watch any episode, whether it's on TV or the web.

Create a TV playlist

Want to watch something, but don't have time right now? Send it to your Google Queue and watch it later. You can also subscribe to your favorite websites and video podcasts, add YouTube videos, and more. It's like building a DVR for the web.

Record from the search bar

If you're a DISH Network subscriber using Google TV, you’ll enjoy many enhanced TV and DVR features, including recording a show right from the search bar and being able to search all of your recordings at once.

Rock out in your living room

Listen to your favorite music on the best speakers in your house by creating a personal radio station on the fly with Pandora or listening to any song, any time, with Napster.

The ultimate picture frame

Turn the biggest screen in your house into a beautiful, high definition photo gallery. Now your TV can stream photos from Picasa, Flickr, and every other photo-sharing site. Plus, you can access any public gallery, not just your own.

Over-the-air updates

How many consumer electronics products go up in value after you buy them? Google TV updates itself automatically, so you'll get new features for free.

3D website

In what is touted to be the world's first 3D website, Stereografix, a UK based company has launched a stereoscopic 3D website which is designed specifically for viewing on 3D HD TV sets. Although the website is still a prototype, the basic requirements to correctly view 3D components on the website include your computer/laptop to be connected to a 3D television, a compatible browser and 3D viewing glasses.

The website, stereoscopic-3d.co.uk, features a 3D interface as well as additional content. The company's Founder Saif Chaudhry said, "I don't think many people are even thinking this far ahead, and we've got a prototype already. It's not every day you can say you're first with something where the internet is concerned."
However Chaudhry is of the opinion that there is a demand for more 3D TVs and computer monitors before the website actually becomes mainstream.

The 3D website has two optimised display versions: Active (LCD Shuttering) and Passive (Polarised). Although you need 3D glasses to view the site now, the company is working toward a version with passive 3D televisions planned.

Stereografix was launched in March and offers services in the latest 3D technology to organizations. 

Indian origin kid wins $100,000 for speech recognition

Inspired by the science fiction movie "I, Robot," two high school students, one of them an Indian American, have developed a speech recognition technology that has won them a $100,000 grand prize.

Akash Krishnan and Matthew Fernandez of Portland, Oregon, who developed a computer algorithm that can detect a speaker's emotions better than current technology, would share the team prize, the Siemens Competition for America's top math and science students announced Monday.

Krishnan, 16, and Fernandez, 17, watched "I, Robot," while taking a break from trying to come up with a project idea. The movie featured a robot that could detect when its user was stressed, and they decided to try to improve on the existing technology.

Their algorithm has a 60 percent accuracy rate, compared with about 40 percent for a previous system. They say their work could be used to improve computer automated phone systems, helping, for example, to tell if a caller was becoming irate.

"The duo built a computer algorithm that allows us to listen to an auditory signal from a human, analyse it and assess the emotional state of the speaker," said competition judge Gert Lanckriet from the department of electrical and computer engineering, University of California, San Diego.

"It can help identify if the speaker is angry, sad, bored, anxious or happy. They came up with a strong creative idea and brought it from theory into practice."

"Using an emotional speech database with 18,215 files and five emotions -- anger, positive, neutral, emphatic, rest-the team developed, trained and tested a classification engine to determine emotions from an input signal," he said.

Lanckriet said that their work could even be used to enhance
cellphone technology.

"In cell phones, most of the encoding is designed to ensure words are understood, but the emotional background of the conversation may be lost. Krishnan and Matthew's work could help ensure that the emotion comes through," he said.

Krishnan was not the only one in the competition who has his roots in India. Three other students of Indian origin-Santosh Narayan of Munster, Indiana, Nikhil Mehandru of Roslyn, New York and Sonia Prasad of Roslyn Heights, New York-bagged the fourth position in the team category in the national championship and were awarded a $30,000 scholarship.

China reveals world's fastest train

China played host to railway authorities and railway experts from around the world in Beijing , and used the opportunity to showcase a high-speed train that clocked the fastest ever speed in a test run last week.

In the spotlight is the 16-car CRH380A, a new generation of high-speed train which Chinese Ministry of Railways officials say recorded a top speed of 486.1 kilometers per hour on Friday, far exceeding Japan's bullet trains.

Chinese railway officials say the CRH380A, designed to operate at a cruising speed of 380 kph, is the fastest train in operation in the world today.

China is reportedly in the process of developing a super high-speed train that can run at 600 kph.

China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp., which designed the CRH380A, was clearly the focus attention as foreign railway experts toured an international exhibition of railway technology organised by the Ministry of Railways on the sidelines of a world congress on high speed rail.

After attending a briefing by China South Locomotive, an Iranian government official said Iran is considering buying the Chinese high-speed train.

"We definitely want to import it," an Israeli railways executive also said.

Railways executives from the US State of California also listened attentively as China South Locomotive officials briefed the international visitors.

China boasts the world's longest high-speed railway network, which totals 7,531 km, and Chinese railway officials say the country plans to expand the system to 16,000 km by 2020.

The exhibition, held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, has drawn entries from more than 200 companies worldwide, each showcasing its wares and know-how to a global audience of railway experts and transport officials.

Twelve common mistakes done by programmers

Most often, software developers seem locked into certain failure modes that can't be avoided and such is the frequency with which they fall prey to a particular poor programming practice. Peter Wayner of Computerworld writes about twelve most common programming mistakes, each of which is accompanied by its opposing pair. Below are the twelve programming pitfalls developers should stay away from.

Playing it fast and loose
Failing to prop up the basics is the easiest way to make errors in coding. There are a lot of small places where a developer may make a mistake which causes software to fail. And the worst part about sloppy programming is that advances in language design aimed to fix these problems don't do their job. There have been improvements in syntax in programming languages. For instance, the latest version of Java tries to make null-pointer checking easier by offering shorthand syntax for the endless pointer testing. But such syntax improvements can only prevent code from crashing. They don't eliminate the root of the problem: the proliferation of null values due to fast and loose programming.

Overcommitting to details
On the flip side, overly buttoned-up software can slow to a crawl. Relentless devotion to detail can even lock up software if the obsessive checking requires communicating with a distant website over the network. Here, the challenge is to design the layers of code to check the data when it first appears, which is much easier said than done.

Not simplifying control
Not simplifying control over tasks in their code may invite disaster for developers. The software assumes that if someone creates an object of type Name with two fields first and last, then it should immediately create a database table called Name with two columns, first and last. The names are specified in only one place, avoiding any problems that might come if someone fails to keep all of the layers of configuration in sync.

Delegating too much to frameworks
Sometimes the magic tools lead only to confusion. By abstracting functionality and assuming what we want, frameworks can all too often leave developers at a loss for what's gone wrong in their code. The rules are, while quite reasonable, not entirely trivial. As the app grows, it depends on more and more of these almost-trivial bits of external knowledge.

Trusting the client
Many of the worst security bugs appear when developers assume the client device will do the right thing. For example, code written to run in a browser can be rewritten by the browser to execute any arbitrary action. If the developer doesn't double-check all of the data coming back, anything can go wrong.

Not trusting the client enough
Sometimes too much security can lead paradoxically to gaping holes. Because of this, many Web developers are looking to reduce security as much as possible, not only to make it easy for people to engage with their products but also to save them the trouble of defending more than the minimum amount of data necessary to set up an account.

Relying too heavily on magic boxes
Many programmers assume they can link in the encryption library, push a button, and have iron-clad security. But many of these magic algorithms have subtle weaknesses, and avoiding these weaknesses requires learning more than what's in the Quick Start section of the manual.

Reinventing the wheel
Then again, writing your own libraries just because you think you know a better way to code can come back to haunt you. But grow-your-own cryptography is a welcome sight to attackers. Many libraries don't need to be perfect, so grabbing a magic box is more likely to be better than the code you write yourself.

Opening up too much to the user
Placing the onus on users to customize functionality they do not fully understand can invite disaster in the form of inadvertent security holes and privacy violations. When making purchasing decisions, most users can't handle the breadth of features offered by any given piece of software.

Over determining the user experience
Some developers decide to avoid the trouble of too many features by offering exactly one solution. But if users don't like the idea, they will look for ways to work around these limitations, and it will lead to an outcome that could translate into security vulnerabilities.


Closing the source
The decision to not distribute code works against the integrity of that code and it can discourage innovation and fixing bugs. Just opening up the code forces you to make the info more accessible, understandable, and thus better.

Assuming openness is a cure-all
While openness can make it possible for others to pitch in and, thus, improve your code, the mere fact that it's open won't do much unless there's another incentive for outside contributors to put in the work. Opening up a project can also add new overhead for communications and documentation. Moreover, a good open source project comes with extensive documentation of the API and road maps for future development.

Facebook was my idea, not Mark Zuckerberg's - Claims an Indian

A 28 year old, Divya Narendra, son of an Indian immigrant doctor couple in the U.S., has moved to courtroom in battle with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He believes that he, and not Mark Zuckerberg, came up with the idea of social networking website Facebook, reports Ishani Duttagupta from The Economic Times.

Narendra, along with his former Harvard University classmates Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss, has charged Zuckerberg with stealing the idea they conceived over a year, when they were students at Harvard University.
Who is the owner of Facebook? Court to decide

"I spent almost one year developing the concept and searching for programmers (along with the Winklevoss twins) to build what was then called Harvard-Connection.com (a social network for Harvard students which was to expand to other schools). When I heard about Mark Zuckerberg for the first time in the fall of 2003, he seemed like a natural fit to join our team. Three months later, Facebook launched and all the time and effort I had put into my vision had been taken away," Narendra said.

He and the twins first tried to convince Harvard's administrative board and president (Larry Summers) to take action against Zuckerberg. But they had to file a lawsuit as the matter was outside the jurisdiction of the university. While an initial settlement had been reached in the suit, reportedly at $65 million, it was reopened in May 2010. If the current suit goes in favour of Narendra and his friends, the value of the settlement could escalate to about $466 million.

4 Indian origin young entrepreneurs U-20

Are entrepreneurs born or made? There is no single, clear-cut answer. But there are a few who make us believe that they are born entrepreneurs. These young Indians have figured out their passion at an early age to purse them to be an entrepreneur in this tough corporate world. The rich entrepreneurial spirit and the attitude of never giving up enable them to explore their innate tendencies to identify the business opportunities.

Farrhad Acidwalla

16 years old Farrhad Acidwalla from Mumbai started his entrepreneurial journey with an investment of just $10. When he was in the eighth grade, he borrowed $10 from his parents and bought his first domain name. Farrhad began building a web community devoted to aviation and aero-modeling. Within a short period of time, his website took off and Farrhad decided to sell the site for far more than his initial $10 investment.

Today Farrhad is the CEO and founder of Rockstah Media, a cutting-edge company devoted to web development, marketing, advertisement, and branding. Although the company is just over a year old, it has own developers, designers and market strategists spread across the globe. Being the CEO, Farrhad takes care of the clients and guids the creative team. Currently, Farrhad is studying finance at H.R. College of Commerce & Economics.

King Sidharth
Belonged to a backward sector in Northern India, 18 years old King Sidharth and a few friends began organizing events and competitions for other children. They used to make tickets and charge an entry fee, then award little prizes to the winners. Today, Sidharth is organizing a conference for teenagers called Createens that will give young people an opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship, blogging, and more from world-wide experts.

King Sidharth has just graduated from high school and he has already made a name for himself as one of India's top young entrepreneurs. Apart from that King is a speaker, author and a magazine publisher. He speaks on topics of entrepreneurship and spirituality and is currently writing an e-magazine for teens (Friendz) and a book about the intersection of spirituality and science (Bhagvad Gita & the Law of Attraction).

Arjun Rai
It was at the age of seven when Arjun Rai showed his entrepreneurial spirit, selling knickknacks that he found around the house. He also set up shop to sell leftover wildflower necklaces after a wedding. This youngster became the COO of a quickly growing online advertising company, but his entrepreneurial mind drove him to form a brand-new venture called odysseyAds, an online advertising network with a focus on catering to 21st century marketer needs.

18 years old Arjun, who has just completed his junior year of high school, was inspired by TV shows like "The Oprah Show" and "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch".

Ankur Jain
Having seen his father Naveen Jain (the serial entrepreneur who built Infospace and Intellius) build companies, Ankur started his own venture called Starnium at the age of 12. Now a sophomore at the Wharton School, Ankur along with some of the ingenious students there, have conspired to establish a society of collegiate entrepreneurs, called the Kairos Society and, in less than a year, the group has gone from nationwide to global.

The purpose of Kairos is to bring together the brightest college students from different economic backgrounds from all over the country, which have passion for entrepreneurship. With a motto of inspiration, experience and innovation, the Kairos Society aims to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among students by connecting them with one another, forging relationships with emerging start-up companies around the world.