NASA and Microsoft Provide Mars 3-D Close Encounter

Skyb-Umpunk- NASA and Microsoft Research are bringing Mars to life with new features in the WorldWide Telescope software that provide viewers with a high-resolution 3-D map of the Red Planet.

Microsoft's online virtual telescope explores the universe using images NASA spacecraft return from other worlds. Teams at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., jointly developed the software necessary to make NASA's planetary data available in WorldWide Telescope.
"By providing the Mars dataset to the public on the WorldWide Telescope platform, we are enabling a whole new audience to experience the thrill of space," said Chris C. Kemp, chief technology officer for information technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The fully-interactive images and new NASA data will allow viewers to virtually explore Mars and make their own scientific discoveries. New features include the highest-resolution fully interactive map of Mars ever created, realistic 3-D renderings of the surface of the planet, and video tours with two NASA scientists, James Garvin of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and Carol Stoker of Ames.
Garvin's tour walks viewers through the geological history of Mars and discusses three possible landing sites for human missions there. Each landing site highlights a different geological era of the planet.
Stoker's tour addresses the question: "Is there life on Mars?" and describes the findings of NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander.
"Our hope is that this inspires the next generation of explorers to continue the scientific discovery process," said Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden.
The Intelligent Robotics Group at Ames Research Center developed open source software that runs on the NASA Nebula cloud computing platform to create and host the high-resolution maps. The maps contain 74,000 images from Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera and more than 13,000 high-resolution images of Mars taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. Each individual HiRISE image contains more than a billion pixels. The complete maps were rendered into image mosaics containing more than half a billion smaller images.
"These incredibly detailed maps will enable the public to better experience and explore Mars," said Michael Broxton, a research scientist in the Intelligent Robotics Group at Ames. "The collaborative relationship between NASA and Microsoft Research was instrumental for creating the software that brings these new Mars images into people's hands, classrooms and living rooms."
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached the planet in 2006 to begin a two-year primary science mission. The mission has returned more data about Mars than all other spacecraft sent to the Red Planet. Mars Global Surveyor began orbiting Mars in 1997. The spacecraft operated longer than any other Mars spacecraft, ceasing operations in November 2006.
"Microsoft has a long-standing relationship with NASA that has enabled us to jointly provide the public with the ability to discover space in a new way," said Tony Hey, corporate vice president of the External Research Division of Microsoft Research.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. HiRISE is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego provided and operated the Mars Orbiter Camera.

Artificial Noise Saves Energy For Computer Network Providers

Artificial noise saves energy.

Skyter-Kee Ell- Ecological and economic factors are prompting telecommunications companies to deploy energy-saving systems. The broadband DSL access network consumes about 20 billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year worldwide – equivalent to four percent of Germany’s annual energy consumption.

The use of a low-power mode (L2 mode) in standard ADSL2/ADSL2+ systems could significantly reduce the amount of electricity consumed by the DSL network. At present, broadband access always runs on full power, but the L2 mode could reduce the transmission output of the system and therefore its power usage during quiescent communication.

Although the mode has already been standardized and is present in many devices on the customer and network side, it is not being used. The problem is that L2 mode causes considerable interference to neighboring DSL systems.

When a modem connects to the Internet while neighboring modems are still in L2 mode, only a small degree of interference occurs and the data transmission rate is high. If, however, systems in neighboring houses or apartments become active, the interference to the first system is so great that the connection crashes and the modem can only go online again after a prolonged restart phase. What’s more, the data speed is significantly lower. For this reason, the operators of broadband networks deactivated the low-power mode and did not include it in the standardization for future broadband connections with faster data transmission rates (VDSL).

Scientsists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication Systems ESK have now succeeded in using artificial or virtual noise to stabilize DSL connections so that L2 mode can be deployed. The artificial noise simulates typical cable bundle interference to the broadband receivers. When a modem tries to connect to the Internet, the system registers normal interference even if the device next door is in low-power mode. Although the connection does not take place at the highest-possible transmission rate but at a slightly reduced speed, it remains stable when a neighbor goes online. Both the L2 mode and artificial noise can be used now.

Network operators could reduce their electricity consumption by several million kilowatt-hours per year, which in Germany alone would mean an annual saving of 15 million euros on operating costs. At first, however, only the network operators would save money, not the users.

Future of Broadband: Where Data Is Broadcast Using Desk Lamps

Skyters-Kewwel- In the future, getting a broadband connection might be as simple as flipping on a light switch. In fact, according to a group of researchers from Germany, the light coming from the lamps in your home could one day encode a wireless broadband signal.

"The advantage is that you'd be using light that is already there," says Jelena Vučić of the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institute in Germany. Vučić and her colleagues have found a way to get the most from this synergy of illumination and information and will be presenting their findings during the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC), which will take place March 21-25 in San Diego.

As of now, the majority of wireless in homes and businesses is achieved through a radio-frequency WiFi connection. But WiFi has limited bandwidth, and it's unclear where to find more in the already-crowded radio spectrum. By contrast, visible-frequency wireless has all the bandwidth one could want. The signal would be generated in a room by slightly flickering all the lights in unison. No one would be bothered by this because the rate of modulation would be millions of times faster than a human eye can see. Since visible light can't go through walls like radio, there would be no unwanted interference from stray signals and less worry of outside hackers.

Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs can't flicker fast enough, so all the lights would have to be LEDs. Although commercial LEDs have a limited bandwidth of only a few MHz, Vučić and her colleagues were able to increase this bandwidth ten-fold by filtering out all but the blue part of the LED spectrum. With the visible wireless system built in their lab, they downloaded data at a rate of 100 Mbit/s. They have now upgraded the system's receivers and are getting 230 Mbit/s, which is a record for visible wireless using commercial LEDs. Although state-of-the-art radio wireless can achieve comparable speeds, Vučić says they should be able to double their data rate again by employing a more sophisticated modulation signal.

Imperfect Chips Pave the Way for New Quantum Technology

Electron microscope image of a photonic crystal membrane made by etching holes in a gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate. By omitting a row of holes, a waveguide is created, along which the light will propagate. Nanoscopic light sources (so-called quantum dots) are placed in the middle of the membrane, indicated by the yellow triangles on the image. (Credit: Image courtesy of Technical University of Denmark (DTU))



Skysters-Keyyyel - When it comes to optical chips, disorder can actually be desirable. The surprising finding was made by a research group at DTU Fotonik, overturning the common notion that optical chips must be perfect.

his discovery is published in journal Science.

Messy accounts, noise on the line or production errors: Disorder is, in many respects, considered an evil. This also applies within photonics, and researchers worldwide have put considerable effort into perfecting optical chips which, among other applications, can be used in quantum technology.

An optical chip can be used to manipulate information in the form of light, and the functionalities are integrated in a few thousandths of a millimetre. Up until now, a major problem has, however, been the fact that nanometre-scale imperfections are inevitable during optical chip production. So far, it has been the general conviction that this reduces or simply destroys functionality, and that this has hampered the possibility of upscaling optical chips to larger and more complex circuits.

Disorder as a valuable resource

A group of physicists from DTU Fotonik has now turned this notion upside down and demonstrated that imperfection in the form of disordered structures on optical chips may actually be an advantage: The disordered structures on an optical chip may be used to capture, for example, light waves.

The research group has demonstrated that when the light is captured on the imperfect optical chip, the interaction of light with matter (an atom) is increased approximately 15 times. The discovery allows the production of a new type of optical chips where disorder is utilised as a valuable resource instead of being considered a limitation. It may potentially be used to develop efficient miniature lasers, solar cells and sensors and to pave the way for a completely new quantum information technology, including quantum computers.

Optical chips with ordered structures

On optical chips based on photonic crystals, a structure of holes is normally etched, and so far the aim has been to achieve a regular and ordered structure. Even though modern nanotechnological techniques make it possible to fabricate very precise structures, a certain element of disorder is inevitable in any real system. There will thus be roughness and variations in the positioning of the holes of which a photonic crystal is made up. By changing the distance between the holes in the photonic crystal and omitting a row of holes, a waveguide is created, which can guide light in desired directions, thus providing new possibilities for taming light. A properly designed photonic crystal thus makes it possible to stop or capture light -- and even control the emission of light.

Optical chips with disordered structures

The researchers at DTU Fotonik have fabricated an optical chip where disorder has deliberately been introduced in the structure. Without disorder, the light will propagate along the waveguide, whereas the presence of disorder alters this picture completely. The light will thus be captured in the waveguide as it is scattered on the imperfections and subsequently interferes with other parts of the light wave. This way of localising light has proved surprisingly efficient, and in the experiment carried out at DTU Fotonik, the researchers succeeded in localising the light in the waveguide within a region smaller than 25 microns (one micron = one thousandth of a millimetre). In their experiment, the researchers used nanoscopic light sources inside the photonic crystal (the so-called quantum dots). A quantum dot can be seen as an artificial atom emitting exactly one photon at a time. The researchers have thus succeeded in making a 'box for photons', i.e. capturing and retaining the elementary constituent of the light: the photon.

Unbreakable messages and quantum computers

The ability to localise light is crucial for many applications, as light in many contexts is intractable: It propagates at a speed of almost 300,000 km/s, making it very useful for transmitting information for use in optical communication. Unfortunately, it also means that the interaction with matter is generally inefficient, which is a problem for a number of applications, e.g. in solar cells and optical sensors or within quantum information technology. The dawning quantum information technology promises fundamentally new ways of coding and processing information, using the laws of quantum mechanics. This can, among other things, be used to exchange 100% unbreakable messages or, ultimately, for a quantum computer which can perform a number of calculation tasks far more efficiently than even the supercomputers of today.

Research based on Nobel Prize winner's theory

The use of very disordered structures to capture light waves was predicted in theory by the US researcher Philip W. Anderson, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics back in 1977.

In the 1950s, Philip W. Anderson predicted that the transport of electrons may be suppressed in a highly disordered lattice. This phenomenon is called Anderson localisation. This is due to the fact that electrons in the world of quantum mechanics have wave properties, and that these waves can interfere, like other types of waves can be mixed, which is a well-known phenomenon by everyone who has been swimming in the breakers. Anderson's discovery has proved to be a universal phenomenon which not only applies to electrons, but to all other types of waves. Disorder can thus also be used to localise light waves -- i.e., capture light in a very small area.

In quantum information technology, it is crucial to have a very strong light-matter coupling at the most elementary level -- i.e., so that one photon interacts efficiently with one atom. Such an increased coupling is exactly what the researchers at DTU Fotonik have demonstrated, where a photon in an Anderson-localised cavity interacts with a quantum dot. The increased coupling results in the quantum dot emitting a photon more rapidly when its wave length matches that of the cavity (i.e. is in resonance). This is exactly what the researchers have observed, as shown in Figure 3, which shows that the quantum dot emits photons up to 15 times more rapidly under resonant conditions than under non-resonant conditions.

The research group behind the discovery

The research has been conducted at the Department of Photonics Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark by a research group consisting of postdocs Luca Sapienza, Søren Stobbe and David Garcia, PhD students Henri Thyrrestrup and Stephan Smolka as well as Associate Professor and group leader Peter Lodahl.

Symantec Announces Symantec Data Loss Prevention 10

Skyters-Malasnyeer- These are key benefits and features of DLP 10:

1. Apply Encryption and ERM Based on Content

• The new FlexResponse feature of Symantec Data Loss Prevention 10 will help security teams apply policy-based protection to files containing confidential data, including encryption or ERM. Until now, integration of DLP with other IT solutions has required manual processes.

• By partnering with leading third-party providers, including GigaTrust, Liquid Machines, Oracle and PGP Corporation, Symantec will offer customers the broadest range of integrated remediation options.

• For example, a company that is restricting access to a merger agreement to a small group of people will easily be able to instruct their DLP policy to classify data and use Microsoft Active Directory Rights Management Services (ADRMS) to apply ERM to copies of this content providing granular protection.

2. Extend Usage of DLP Intelligence

• New support for XML and Web Services will enable Symantec Data Loss Prevention 10 to send rich DLP data to any application or reporting system, including enterprise security dashboards and compliance solutions, such as Symantec Control Compliance Suite.

• For example, an e-commerce site might begin by using DLP to identify servers with data that falls under PCI DSS regulations. By sending this information to Symantec’s Control Compliance Suite, the DLP incident data can be used to prioritise these servers for more frequent auditing to provide additional scrutiny to places where valuable data is housed.

• New import/export capabilities will allow organisations to keep policies current with new regulations as well as collaborate and exchange policies to share best practices with other users.

For more information, visit www.symantec.com

3. Integrate with Additional Symantec Solutions

• New integration with Symantec Workflow will enable users of Symantec Data Loss Prevention 10 to trigger policy-based actions such as automatic encryption and endpoint lock-down by Symantec Endpoint Encryption, Symantec Endpoint Protection, and other security solutions from Symantec as well as third-party providers.

• For example, if an employee is trying to download confidential information to a USB drive, Symantec Data Loss Prevention can trigger Symantec Endpoint Protection to disable USB usage through a simple workflow.

• Users of software-as-a-service (SaaS) email security solutions, such as MessageLabs Hosted Email Encryption (a Symantec Hosted Service), will be able to monitor, protect and securely deliver confidential information in outbound email without requiring on-site email gateway infrastructure.

4. Services, Language & Availability

• Symantec Data Loss Prevention Services enable customers to achieve measureable success from DLP deployments and gain the knowledge and experience needed to continually optimise the solution over time. By combining industry-leading advisory consulting services and data loss prevention technologies, Symantec provides customers with a detailed analysis of their exposure to internal and external data breaches, and a quantitative assessment of actual data loss across networks, web applications storage and endpoints.

• Symantec Data Loss Prevention 10 will have policy and detection support for 25 languages and will add full product localisation for Japanese, Simplified Chinese and French languages so that native speakers can create policies, manage and respond to incidents, and perform full system management.

Intel to introduce faster Atom chip Monday

Skyters-Zurich- Would on be 1st March bro, Intel plans to release a faster version of its "Pine Trail" Atom processor for Netbooks on Monday, bringing a little extra performance to this popular segment of the laptop market.
Major PC makers are expected to announce new products or product refreshes with the new processor, the N470, which will be identical to the current 1.66GHz N450 but get bumped to a speed of 1.83GHz, according to a source familiar with the announcement.

Every little speed increase helps, as Atom processors, compared to their mainstream chip cousins, have always been performance-constrained. Intel uses a different chip architecture for its Atom processors that delivers better power consumption efficiency but lower performance, compared to mainstream Core 2 and Core i series mobile processors. And Atom processors used in Netbooks--smaller-than-usual laptops typically priced lower than RM 1370--are almost always single-core, compared to the faster dual-core processors used in mainstream laptops.

Oi! google shows off chrome OS tablet idea?

Skyters-Lombong- Todays tablet, in contrast, tend to focus more on a collection of specialized uses such as reading book, surf net and chores that only require light typing. With that approach, Chrome OS's break from the PC world could be less jarring. The tablet market isn't as big as the Netbook market, though.




Glen Murphy said "While its primary focus is Netbooks, Chrome OS could eventually scale to a wide variety of devices. Each would have vastly different input methods, available screen space, and processing power," according to the Chromium form factors site. Chromium is the name of the open-source developer project that underlies the branded Chrome product".

This we can call 'what tee fong choo hai'. This tablet look real simple book. What do you think about our malaysian children used that going to school, its mean just exchange with text book, but still have too bring exercise book.

i7 on HP notebook..want it?, u buy it from me!

Skyters-lempang- Hp create extermely high-end notebook with core i7-720QM processor. This notebook HP Pavilion dv7-3080CA 17.3' perfects who those work with highly post like in engineering, medical, research & developement also some gig gamerszz.
Technical Specification :

- Intel Core i7-720QM Processor (1.6 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 1333 MHz FSB)
- 6 GB DDR3 RAM (2 Dimm); Max supported 8 GB
- 500GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive (SATA); LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double
layer Support
- 17.3" Diagonal HD+ High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1600 x
900); Nvidia GeForce GT 230M discrete 1 GB up to 2.8 GB total graphics memory
- Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit




how bout that haaa??nice figure.
And this is some Product Details:-
- Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 13.6 x 20.5 cm ; 11 Kg
- Shipping Weight: 454 g