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     Volume 4 Issue 36 | March 4 , 2005 |


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Sci-tech

Global Warming
Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said yesterday they have discovered the first clear evidence of human-produced warming in the world's oceans, a finding they say leaves little doubt that man-made "greenhouse gases" are the main cause of global climate change. Even if environmental changes are made immediately, researchers said, some parts of the world -- including the western United States, South America and China -- won't be able to stop dramatic water shortages, melting glaciers and ice packs, and other crises in the next 20 years. "The implications are huge ... and in the short term, we're sort of screwed," said Tim Barnett, a marine physicist at Scripps, part of the University of California, San Diego. Barnett said the findings were so significant that the Bush administration should immediately convene research for solutions on the level of the Manhattan Project, the unprecedented World War II research operation that quickly developed the atomic bomb.

Macrovision Aims to stop DVD Rippers
RipGuard is just the start of tough protection for DVDs. With the introduction of high-definition DVDs, copy protection will get tougher yet, observed Ross Rubin, director for industry analysis for the NPD Group. "One of the key features of the next generation of DVDs is very strong encryption," he said. The technology, called RipGuard DVD, is the first product to be verified through a new programme offered by THX, a San Rafael, California, provider of quality assurance services for the entertainment industry. "We have come up with a format-based technology that uses a unique digital framework per title, and it stops these rippers cold," said Adam Gervin of Entertainment Technologies Group. "Since studios are losing over a billion dollars a year as a result of these rippers, we believe that we can prevent 97 percent of that revenue loss through RipGuard DVD," he added.

First DDR3 Memory Chip
Samsung Electronics stayed a bit ahead of the curve with its announcement that it has developed the first working DDR3 DRAM (dynamic random access memory) device. The 512 MB DDR3 (double data rate 3) can process data at 1,066 mbps, which Samsung equated with 8,000 newspaper pages a second. It is expected to be available in early 2006. "Samsung is the first to announce that it has built any chips this fast but that's not unusual," said Nathan Brookwood of Insight 64. "Samsung typically leads with regard to the introduction of new memory technologies." The new memory chip also reduces the amount of battery power needed to 1.5 volts from 1.8 volts. It will be used in notebook computers, desktops and servers.

Feeding meter through Cellular Technology
Tired of feeding the metre? Dial your cell. That's just what students and faculty have been doing at the University of California-Santa Barbara, in the year and a half since the campus, with help from IBM, overhauled its parking system. Now, experts expect that more people will dig into their pockets for a phone rather than a quarter to pay for a parking spot -- at colleges, businesses or just on the street. Installations are in place in Europe and in a growing number of North American cities, including Seattle; Vancouver, Canada; and, soon, Minneapolis.

Computer Security Comes of Age
A new generation of security-minded desktop and laptop computers is giving new marketing life to the IBM Personal Computing Division. Add to this new line an innovative, out-of-the-box approach to user authentication and computer security takes on a much safer atmosphere. A new security platform for business requires customers to type in their user name and a second later their cell phone or business line rings. Consumers answer the call and instantly are logged onto their bank account or corporate network. That method of user authentication is already available from Strikeforce Technology. In 2005, IBM will extend its previously announced biometrics security solutions by expanding the integration of fingerprint readers more widely among ThinkPad notebooks. This makes IBM one of the industry's largest suppliers of biometric-equipped devices. "Every PC user recognises that security threats are increasing in volume and complexity," Anderson said. "Our solution is to provide an even stronger, multi-layered set of security tools that builds on IBM industry leadership."

Iranian Scientists produce GM rice
Iran's first genetically modified (GM) rice has been approved by national authorities and is currently being grown commercially for human consumption. Researchers at the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) modified rice to resist attack by insects by inserting a bacterial gene that produces a toxin. The chemical kills insects but is harmless to birds and mammals. The research was conducted in collaboration with the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) using a local variety of aromatic rice, Tarom molaii. Following laboratory tests, the GM rice was grown in a greenhouse and in field experiments from 1999 to October 2004 - a total of six generations. Additional tests showed that the modified rice had the same nutritional value as the variety it was developed from. Livestock too accepted the GM rice and had no adverse health effects from eating it.

Apple Dots some more 'i's
The most important letter in Apple's alphabet must be "i" -- not just for its iMac and iBook computers but for its flock of i-named multimedia applications. ITunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD -- sold with the Garage Band music mixer in a bundle called iLife -- turn a Mac into the center of a digital lifestyle, letting people tap into digital music, photography and movies with uncommon ease. Apple updated this set of programs last month with the release of iLife '05 and added a second set of "iApps," called iWork '05.

 

 

Source: Technewsworld.com / 10e20webdesign.com / Webindia123.com

Compiled by: Imran H. Khan

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