Microsoft Xbox One launched in India on 23 September

Just as expected Microsoft has officially launched the Xbox One, its latest generation gaming console in India. The Xbox One is being exclusively sold through Amazon.in and available in a couple of variants.

The Xbox One without the Kinect is priced at Rs 39,990, whereas the Xbox One with Kinect motion detection system is retailing for Rs 45,990. Fifa 15 is free on both systems, while the latter will also get a DLC for Dance Central Spotlight.
There are other goodies as well for those who pre-order, such as a Rs 2,000 Amazon gift coupon, which gives you Rs 2,000 off on the Xbox controller (retail price: Rs 3,999), and Blu-ray discs of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Captain America- The Winter Soldier, worth Rs 2,500. For those who are considering buying the Xbox One, the launch titles that will be available tonight onwards include Forza Motosport 5, Forza Horizon 2, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3 and Destiny, besides Fifa 15.

The full edition Xbox One box set includes the console and the Kinect motion controller, a single Xbox One Wireless Controller, an Xbox One Chat Headset, a high-speed HDMI Cable, a 500GB Hard Drive, two AA Batteries, a power supply unit, and an AC Power Cord. In addition, the box comes with a 14 Day Xbox Live Gold Trial Card. Microsoft launched its Xbox Live Gold Rush programme in India in April to offer gamers free access to Xbox 360 titles and entertainment apps, as well as exclusive game content. The Gold subscription package is available for Rs 3,400 for the year and you can purchase it at authorised retailers or via the console itself.

Tiny implants to give humans self-healing powers

US researchers are developing a revolutionary new device that can be implanted in the body to heal organs when they become infected or injured.
The implant, which uses electrical impulses to monitor the body's organs, is being developed under a project known as Electrical Prescriptions, or ElectRx.
The programme could reduce dependence on pharmaceutical drugs and offer a new way to treat illnesses, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the branch of the

US Department of Defense responsible for developing the programme.
DARPA hopes to develop a device so tiny that it can be implanted using only a needle.
The implant would be something akin to a tiny, intelligent pacemaker, according to Doug Weber, programme manager for DARPA's biological technologies office, 'Live Science' reported.

The device would be implanted into the body, where it would continually assess a person's condition and provide any necessary stimulus to the nerves to help maintain healthy organ function, he added. 
The idea for the technology is based on a biological process known as neuromodulation, in which the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that connect every other part of the body to the brain and spinal cord) monitors the status of internal organs and regulate the body's responses to infection and disease.
When a person is sick or injured, this natural process can sometimes be thrown off, according to DARPA.

With the help of an electrically charged implant, DARPA said it can keep neuromodulation under control.
Electric impulses from the device will stimulate the nerve patterns that help the body heal itself and keep the out-of-whack nerve stimulus patterns that cause a sick person even greater harm from doing damage.

India to take part in tsunami drill

Hyderabad: India, along with 23 other countries, will be participating in a major mock tsunami drill on September 9 and September 10. The drill is aimed at testing the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System.

The mock drill, conducted by the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Informatics Services, and organised by the Unesco’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, is aimed at increasing preparedness, evaluate response capabilities of each country and improve coordination across the region. The drill will also evaluate the system’s operational capacity, the efficiency of communications systems, and the state of preparation of national emergency services.

Dr Srinivas Kumar of INCOIS said that during the drill, 15 tsunami notifications will be generated and information will be disseminated to national and regional contacts.

The recipients at the national level include control rooms of NDMA, MHA, disaster management offices of all coastal states/UTs, NDRF, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy and critical coastal installations.

How to hold your pizza slice

Do you know why despite your best efforts, the slice of pizza you are about to enjoy flops over and dangles from your fingers?
It has nothing to do with either a non-stiff crust or extra toppings. You just need to learn a bit of science about how to hold your slice right.

The cue lies in a powerful mathematical result about curved surfaces invented by the German mathematical genius Carl Friedrich Gauss in the 19th century.

He named it Theorema Egregium - Latin for excellent or remarkable theorem.

This is how it works for pizza.

When the pizza is flat, it has zero curvature.

When you pick up a slice, fold the pizza slice sideways in a U-shape.

This way, you are forcing it to become flat in the other direction - the one that points towards your mouth.

This will keep the slice from flopping over.

The theorem assures that one direction of the slice must always remain flat - no matter how you bend it, the pizza must retain a trace of its original flatness, wired.com reported.

New graphene-based light detector can unearth everything hidden

Terahertz radiation can be brought to market with the help of a new detector. Terahertz radiation is a type of light with far longer wavelengths compared to infrared rays and may be helpful in examining almost everything very effectively.
Researchers have concluded that this latest graphene-based light detector may be able to calculate wavelengths of light that human eye may not see.
A report while talking about terahertz says, “The terahertz range refers to electromagnetic waves with frequencies between 100 GHz and 10 THz, or wavelengths between 3 mm and 30 μm. Light between radio waves and infrared has some unique properties. Terahertz waves pass through a variety of amorphous substances – many synthetics and textiles, but also paper and cardboard are transparent to terahertz waves. Many biomolecules, proteins, explosives or narcotics also feature characteristic absorption lines, so-called spectral “fingerprints”, at frequencies between 0.1 and 2 THz. The two main advantages of terahertz radiation are thus the penetration of conventionally opaque materials on one hand, and a high chemical selectivity on the other hand”.
Researchers have said that Terahertz radiation that is located in between infrared and microwave frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum and detectors may be able to work at the two given frequencies to come up with more sensor equipment with much greater sensitivity than today’s technology.
There is no denying the fact that graphene, a sheet of carbon one atom thick, has without doubt great electronic and physical properties. It also has the capability to absorb a wide range of electromagnetic frequencies, making it ideal for use as a terahertz detector.
In a press release Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials says, “University of Maryland researchers have discovered a way to control magnetic properties of graphene that could lead to powerful new applications in magnetic storage and magnetic random access memory”. Light hitting graphene in the detector excites atoms of carbon in the material. According to them the excessive energy is then drained very fast to surrounding molecules. According to them if electrical contacts are placed on the graphene, this energy will consequently move toward the metal. They say that applying two varying materials for the contacts, like chromium and gold, creates a current in the device. This helps the new detector to measure the amount of terahertz energy.

Intel Core M processor Offers Faster Performance, Longer Battery Life

The Intel Core M processor can handle more than eight hours of video play and doubles the battery life of the average 4-year old PC

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) introduced its new Intel Core M processor, which offers a faster performance and longer battery life, during the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin today.

“We’ve been on a multi-year mission to address end-user requirements and transform mobile computing. Core M is the first of a new product family designed to deliver the promise of one of the world’s thinnest laptops and highest performance tablets in a single 2 in 1 device,” said Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of personal computing at Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC).

Intel Core M processor capabilities

According to Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), the Intel Core M processor will power 2 in 1 devices from different manufacturers. It is designed to deliver an optimal blend of mobility and performance to the thinnest, fan-less ultra-mobile devices.
The Intel Core M processor can handle more than eight hours of video play, which is 20% longer than the 4th generation Intel Core processor and doubles the battery life of the average 4-year old PC.
The Intel Core M processor delivers up to 50% computing performance and 40% faster graphics performance than the 4th generation Intel Core processor.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) emphasized that consumers will notice a significant improvement with Intel Core M processor because their computing performance will be two time faster, and graphic performance is seven times better than a 4-year old PC.

The Intel Core M processor is 50% smaller, and it has 60% lower thermal power than its predecessor allowing OEMs to design sleek, fan-less systems (less than 9mm thin).
According to Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), the Intel Core M processor is a “conflict-free product. It does not contain conflict minerals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold that directly or indirectly finances or benefit armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries.

Intel Core M processor based devices

At present, there are already more than 20 OEM products powered by Intel M Core processor in the development pipeline. According Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INCT).
Different manufacturers including Acer Incorporated (TPE:2353), ASUSTEK Computer Inc. (TPE:2357), Dell Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) unveiled their upcoming devices powered by Intel Core M during the IFA.
Acer Incorporated (TPE:2353) introduced its latest 2-1 notebook called Aspire Switch 12 featuring a 12.5-inch FHD display with a unique kickstand and magnetic keyboard to move smoothly between five modes.
In Q4, Acer will expand its popular 2-in-1 series of notebooks with the Aspire Switch 12*, featuring a 12.5-inch FHD display with unique kickstand and magnet keyboard to move smoothly between five modes.
ASUSTEK Computer Inc. (TPE:2357) unveiled its ASUS Zenbook UX305, an Ultrabook with 13-inch QHD display, and the ASUS Transformer Book T300FA, a high-performance 2-in-1 notebook, which will be available in Europe for €599 this fall.
Dell Inc. launched its Latitude 12 7000 Series, 2-in-1 and lightweight business Ultrabook and detachable tablet.
Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) introduced two new HP ENVY x2 detachable PCs (13.3-inch and 15.6-inch).

'Telepathy' experiment sends 1st mental message - brain-to-brain communication

 

First brain-to-brain communication in humans demonstrated.

 

For the first time, scientists have been able to send a simple mental message from one person to another without any contact between the two, thousands of miles apart in India and France.

Research led by experts at Harvard University shows technology can be used to transmit information from one person's brain to another's even, as in this case, if they are thousands of miles away. "It is kind of technological realization of the dream of telepathy, but it is definitely not magical," Giulio Ruffini, a theoretical physicist and co-author of the research, told AFP by phone from Barcelona. "We are using technology to interact electromagnetically with the brain." For the experiment, one person wearing a wireless, Internet-linked electroencephalogram or EEG would think a simple greeting, like "hola," or "ciao." A computer translated the words into digital binary code, presented by a series of 1s or 0s. Then, this message was emailed from India to France, and delivered via robot to the receiver, who through non-invasive brain stimulation could see flashes of light in their peripheral vision. The subjects receiving the message did not hear or see the words themselves, but were correctly able to report the flashes of light that corresponded to the message. "We wanted to find out if one could communicate directly between two people by reading out the brain activity from one person and injecting brain activity into the second person, and do so across great physical distances by leveraging existing communication pathways," said co-author Alvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. "One such pathway is, of course, the Internet, so our question became, 'Could we develop an experiment that would bypass the talking or typing part of Internet and establish direct brain-to-brain communication between subjects located far away from each other in India and France?'" Ruffini added that extra care was taken to make sure no sensory information got in the way that could have influenced the interpretation of the message. Researchers have been attempting to send a message from person to person this way for about a decade, and the proof of principle that was reported in the journal PLOS ONE is still rudimentary, he told AFP. "We hope that in the longer term this could radically change the way we communicate with each other," said Ruffini.

Shape changing robot developed

New York, Sept 5:  

Researchers have developed a shape-changing robot that walks on four legs, can operate without the constraints of a tether, function in a snowstorm, move through puddles of water, and even withstand limited exposure to flames.

The soft robot is capable of functioning for several hours using a battery pack or for longer periods with a light—weight electrical tether, and able to carry payloads of up to 8 kg.

The robot has been designed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including those from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, at Harvard University, and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University.

Robots intended for use outside of laboratory environments should be able to operate without the constraints of a tether; this is especially true for robots intended to perform demanding tasks in challenging environments (for example, for search and rescue applications in unstable rubble), researchers said.

“We have developed composite soft materials, a mechanical design, and a fabrication method that enable the untethered operation of a soft robot without any rigid structural components,” researchers said.

The details of the robot have been described in the journal Soft Robotics.

Vavia launches ‘txtBrowser’ direction solution on mobile devices without Internet

Vavia Technologies, now upholds its offline internet access platform ‘txtBrowser’ for providing two cutting-edge solutions. ‘txtBrowser’ is an SMS based search engine that allows a user to access any information that is available on the internet over SMS by simply sending his query in natural language. The latest facility offered by the platform is ‘Find Directions on SMS’ and ‘Send Email on SMS’.
“The fabulous responses that we’ve been receiving from the users inspire us to constantly keep innovating. We are relentlessly keeping an eye on the industry and identifying the shortcomings. These two features are our effort to answer those deficiencies that we’ve identified in the recent days”, said Alan D Souza, Founder & CEO, Vavia Technologies.
Users can find Directions on SMS is a feature that functions similar to GPS without internet. To find directions user needs to send their query to 55444 in a specified format i.e. direction <starting point> to <destination> over SMS.
Furthermore, users can send email on SMS is a feature that has great utility. It enables users to send email through SMS in the easiest possible way. To send an Email user needs to send a message on 55444 in this format: email <email id of recipient><message>Eg: email abc@vavia.in let’s do some good work.
These two features come handy in areas with poor internet connectivity or no internet connectivity at all. The product can be used from any phone in plain every day English without having to remember complex combinations of keywords and symbols.

The new Sony Xperia Z3 siblings

As expected Sony has announced the flagship Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact at its pre-IFA event in Berlin. Both will go on sale in the ‘autumn’ which we take to mean is sometime this October in most major markets.

The new Z3 and Z3 Compact are waterproof

The Sony Xperia Z3 runs on the same quad-core 2.5GHz MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 chip that is featured in the HTC One M8, LG G3 and the Galaxy S5. The powerful SoC with 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 graphics means Android 4.4 KitKat should have no issues running on the Z3 even with Sony’s customisations. The display though is not a late 2014 flagship-like 2K panel, but instead Sony has opted for a 5.2inch 1080 p display with the Triluminos and X-Reality mobile engine for enhancing colours and image quality.

In terms of build, the Z3 is smaller than the Z2 by about 1mm on each side, which is a terrific thing, while bezels have been trimmed down to less than 2 mm on the sides. The Z3 is 11g lighter than the Xperia Z2. Sony’s typical Omnibalance design makes a reappearance with a brushed metal frame with rounded edges separating the glass front and back. New colour options in the Z3 include a silver green and copper variant, which replace the purple option from the Z2 lineup. As before, the Xperia Z3 is a waterproof and dust-proof device with an IP65/68 rating.

Z3′s metal and glass combination is stunning

Battery life should be great thanks to the 3100 mAh battery, which Sony claims offers up to 2 days of usage. It comes with either 16 or 32GB of storage which can be further expanded to up to 128GB thanks to the microSD card support. Connectivity options are top-end too, with Wi-Fi ac, USB on-the-go, GLONASS and NFC all packed in.

PS4 Remote Play compatible

The Z3 Compact has a smaller display at 4.6 inches and sacrifices the full HD panel for a 720p display. It eschews the metal frame of the Z3 for a lighter plastic build, while the battery is also smaller at 2,600mAh, but slightly larger than the last-gen model. Both phones are identical in terms of specs otherwise. The biggest commonality is the rear camera. While the sensor on the new phones is the same 20.7 MP unit as the last-gen models, Sony has added a new lens and some key Cyber-shot elements to the camera firmware. Firstly, there’s ISO 12800 sensitivity for better low-light shots. The Sony G Lens has been upgraded to 25mm for wider shots.

PS4 integration is also present, and the Z3 series will support the Remote Play feature, allowing you to attach a Dualshock controller and stream games from the PS4 to your mobile device. This will go live in November, and Sony says it plans to bring to older devices as well.

Asus ZenWatch

Asus showcased its new smartwatch, the ZenWatch at the ongoing IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. The ZenWatch is powered by Android Wear.

The ZenWatch can also be paired with any Android 4.3 or higher smartphone as well, which is fairly convenient. According to Asus, the watch also comes with a version of the ASUS ZenUI user interface developed specifically for ZenWatch. It also serves as a personal health manager and Asus has designed an ZenUI Wellness app to function with the watch.

As far as specifications go, the ZenWatch has a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen. The display is an AMOLED screen and the screen size is 1.6-inches, the screen resolution is 320×320, which comes to 278ppi. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.2GHz CPU, 512MB RAM and 4GB total storage space.

The smartwatch supports Bluetooth 4.0 and Micro USB on the Charging Cradle. It has a built-in microphone and the battery is Polymer 1.4Wh and Asus hasn’t specified how long the battery will last. The watch is also water resistant. It also has a 9 Axis Sensor and Bio sensor.

The weight of the watch is 50 g while the strap is another 25g. Dimensions of the watch are: 50.6 x 39.8 x 7.9-9.4mm. Where colours are concerned, Asus has gone for the bold choice making the smartwatch available in Silver and rose gold colour layering. The strap is genuine leather.

Asus is also promising over 100+ combination watch face choices. Some of the features include: Watch Unlock (lets users unlock their phone via the smartwatch), Remote Camera (access to the smartphone camera), Cover to Mute ( cover ASUS ZenWatch with your hand to mute an incoming call), Find My Phone (helps you locate your phone instantly if misplaced) and Presentation Control (allows ZenWatch to be used as a remote control and time manager when giving a business presentation or lecture).

The 9-axis sensor will help the watch function as a health manager as it will track steps taken, calories burned, activity duration, heart rate, exercise intensity and relaxation level. Users can set and monitor personal fitness goals with ease, and see their progress as well on the watch in the Asus Wellness app.

Virtual reality headset powered by Galaxy Note 4

Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 4 at IFA, Berlin at the Samsung Unpacked 2014 event, but the announcement that got a lot of cheer was certainly the Gear VR headset. The Gear VR is a virtual reality headset which is powered by the Note 4 and Samsung has collaborated with Oculus to come out with it. The pricing details for the Gear VR headset were not announced.

Oculus, the maker of Oculus Rift, was recently acquired by Facebook. It has partnered with Samsung and other VR developers to come out with the Gear VR, which is completely untethered virtual reality headset. The Gear VR has a removable front cover into which slips in the Note 4 acting as the screen. There is a focus dial on top, a touchscreen controller on the right hand side. The Gear VR works only with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and it uses the Note 4 for its image processing and display features. There is also a provision to switch on the Note 4′s rear camera to switch off from the 3D virtual world and see the real world as well.

Samsung Gear VR offers a 96 degree viewing angle and works only with the Note 4 at the moment

The Gear VR has an accelerometer and a gyrometer for tracking the head movement. There is a 96-degree field of view and a 60 Hz refresh rate. Samsung and Oculus claim that there is no noticeable lag when you move your head and the visuals on screen.

As of now the availability date hasn’t been announced and neither has the price. But Samsung maintains that it will launch the Gear VR this year. You will get 16GB microSD card pre-loaded with a variety of 360-degree videos and 3D movie trailers which will be on the Note 4.