Personal Computer (PC)

Brief History & Milestones in Computer Development:
1st Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes
2nd Gen. (1956-1963) Transistors
3rd Gen. (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits
4th Gen. (1971-Present) Microprocessors
5th Gen. (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence, Quantum computing, nanotechnology, etc.

Comparisons among Generations:

E.g. of an early computer :
UNIVAC (1951) , First commercially available computer
• Weighed 13 Tons
• Total system used 35.5 m² of space
• Computational power equivalent to a modern $15 dollar calculator
• Cost $1,500,000 to purchase
• Consumed 125000 Watts of power


E.g. of an early Personal computer :
Commodore PET (1977) , First complete PC
• Can fit on a desk
• RAM: Up to 32KB
• Had up to 7.5MB storage memory
• Rudimentary display, mostly text but allowed simple games like Space Invaders
• Cost up to $4000



Modern Desktop PC :
• RAM: Up to 16GB (524,000X increase)
• Have up to 2TB storage memory in a single Hard drive (280,000X Increase)
• Vibrant displays, user friendly & intuitive interfaces and near photo-realistic games
• Cost up to $1250
• Up to 10,000X computational power
• 128GB thumb drives are available

Recently even a consumer graphics card (Ati HD5870) costing $400 has the same computational power as a multimillion dollar supercomputer from 10 years ago!!


Key factor in growth: Doubling in performance every 1.5 years:
• Shrinking of Transistor sizes
• Improvements in chip architecture and system design
• Or use less power, run cooler and at lower cost


• Allow to use portable Notebooks, Netbooks & Pocket PC

Future of computing is in Quantum computing where individual atoms are used for calculations and has the potential to be MILLIONS of times faster than our fastest supercomputers now


Link: Allowed software to expand in functionality and user-friendliness which allowed it to do more things and allow more people to use it

Impact and role in modern Society:

1) Work
E.g. of work at home:
• Microsoft office


• Editing of pictures and video
• Checking email and business transactions



Work at home entrepreneurs number in the millions and it is reported that every 11 seconds someone starts a home based business that allows them to work at home. Also 20% of work at home businesses gross between 100k and 500k per year.
-Money Magazine

Less personal time for ourselves
Productivity Increases i.e. Get more projects and reports done in a work week.

2) Hobby
E.g. of Hobbies:
• Video and picture creation
• Software creation
• Distributed Computing projects like Folding@home

(as of march 2008) Total number of videos uploaded on YouTube is 78.3 million and over and it takes 412 years to watch all YouTube Videos. Main up loaders are from USA at 34.5%

Folding@home is a distibuted computing project where everyday people can use their computer to calculate the folding of protein an enable the research to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers
Folding@home achieved the 5.0 Petaflop performance on February 18, 2009 which is faster than the fastest single supercomputer

3) Entertainment
E.g. of Entertainment:
• Media machine: I.e. watching videos and listening to music




• Video Games
A 2001 review of the 70 top-selling video games found almost half of all games (49%) contained serious violence, while 40% contained comic violence. In 41% of the games, violence was necessary for the protagonists to achieve their goals.

However studies so far have collectively shown no long term impact on youths physical aggression




* 4) Web browsing
Almost 46 percent of all respondents use the Internet as a primary information source, with a similar percentage noting they get their news online. Men appear to be more likely than women to be online news gatherers, 50.3 to 44.3 percent.
To be expanded (Big separate topic)…



Analysis: The advancement of technology has brought much functionality in terms of software. This has enabled computers to perform roles previously held only by other devices such as the TV. It has also allowed us to do things that previously could not be done such as working at home effectively and playing video games. In areas such as entertainment it has actually displaced other devices that previously held that role primarily.
E.g. (In Entertainment) That's the conclusion of a recent Burst! Media survey of 13,000 web users age 14 and up. 86% of those surveyed felt that a week without a computer would be a disruption. Over 42% characterized that disruption as "significant."

Sources:
http://www.dia.eui.upm.es/asignatu/sis_op1/comp_hd/comp_hd.htm
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1983/4/83.04.06.x.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_PET
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/lake/pages/socialstudies/pkcivics/html/future.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIVAC_I
http://www.apa.org/releases/videogames.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Work_at_Home_Statistics_Does_it_really_make_sense_to_work_at_home.html
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2005/08/30/computers-displacing-tvs-phones-in-importance
http://ksudigg.wetpaint.com/page/YouTube+Statistics

radio

Radio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light.^[1] Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space. Information is carried by systematically changing (modulating) some property of the radiated waves, such as amplitude, frequency, or phase. When radio waves pass an electrical conductor, the oscillating fields induce an alternating current in the conductor. This can be detected and transformed into sound or other signals that carry information.

Originally, radio or radiotelegraphy was called "wireless telegraphy", which was shortened to "wireless" by the British. The prefix radio- in the sense of wireless transmission, was first recorded in the word radioconductor, coined by the French physicist Édouard Branly in 1897 and based on the verb to radiate (in Latin "radius" means "spoke of a wheel, beam of light, ray"). "Radio" as a noun is said to have been coined by the advertising expert Waldo Warren (White 1944). This word also appears in a 1907 article by Lee De Forest, was adopted by the United States Navy in 1912 and became common by the time of the first commercial broadcasts in the United States in the 1920s. (The noun "broadcasting" itself came from an agricultural term, meaning "scattering seeds widely".) The term was then adopted by other languages in Europe and Asia. British Commonwealth countries continued to mainly use the term "wireless" until the mid-20th century, though the magazine of the BBC in the UK has been called Radio Times ever since it was first published in the early 1920s.

In recent years the term "wireless" has gained renewed popularity through the rapid growth of short-range computer networking, e.g., Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), WiFi, and Bluetooth, as well as mobile telephony, e.g., GSM and UMTS. Today, the term "radio" often refers to the actual transceiver device or chip, whereas "wireless" refers to the system and/or method used for radio communication, hence one talks about radio transceivers and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), but about wireless devices and wireless sensor networks.

alarm clocks

An alarm clock is a clock that is designed to make a loud sound at a specific time. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their sleep in order to start their days in the mornings, but can also be used for short naps; they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound, a button or handle on the clock needs to be pressed, and some stop automatically after a few minutes if left unattended. A classical analog alarm clock has an extra hand that is used to specify the time at which to activate the alarm.

Traditional mechanical alarm clocks have one or two bells that ring, but digital alarm clocks can make other noises. Simple battery-powered alarm clocks make a loud buzzing sound, or other similar noise to wake a sleeper, while novelty alarm clocks can speak, laugh, or sing. Some alarm clocks have radios that start playing at specified times, and are known as clock radios. A progressive alarm clock, still new in the market, can have different alarms for different times (see Next-Generation Alarms).

In a mechanical bell-style alarm clock, a mainspring drives a gear that propels a clacker back and forth between two bells or between the sides inside a single bell. In an electric bell-style alarm clock, the bell rings with an electromagnetic circuit and armature that turns the circuit on and off again repeatedly.

Western Australia and Singapore announce cross-media development projects

Singapore, 10 December 2008 – Following the launch of the MDA-ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative earlier in October this year, the two agencies today announced the first two cross-media projects that will receive funding for further development. ‘Off the Wall’ from ZacToons (Western Australia) and Scrawl Studios (Singapore), along with ‘Origami Samurai’ by Vue DC (Western Australia) and Sitting In Pictures (Singapore), are the first two cross-media projects selected, and will be awarded a grant of up to US$30,000 each in development funding through the initiative. Each project will involve development of content to be commercialised beyond television, in other media like publishing, and for online and mobile distribution. This offers the opportunity for the content to enjoy a wide reach. “Capitalising on the experience and strengths of each other’s capabilities, Singapore and Western Australia media companies are poised to develop more multi-platform intellectual properties. We are confident that these new projects will have the potential to enjoy a wide reach globally when they are fully-commercialised.” said Dr Christopher Chia, Media Development Authority’s Chief Executive Officer. The successful recipients were announced today at the 2008 Asia Media Festival Country Showcase by ScreenWest Chief Executive Ian Booth, and are leading the way for further co-production projects between Singapore and Western Australia. “I am delighted at the high standards and strong interest shown by the production companies from both regions. As a result, two additional projects were recommended to apply under the official Singapore-Australia Co-Production treaty; documentaries ‘Extreme Wild’ from Vue DC (Western Australia) and Infocus Asia (Singapore) together with ‘Borders’ by Artemis International (Western Australia) and Threesixzero Productions (Singapore),” said Mr. Booth. Applications for the second round of the MDA-ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative will be announced in 2009. More information about this Initiative is available at: www.mda.gov.sg

http://www.mda.gov.sg/wms.www/thenewsdesk.aspx?sid=913

Ez-link Cards

The EZ-Link card is a contactless smart card based on the Sony FeliCa smartcard technology and used for the payment of public transportation fares in Singapore, with limited use in the small payments retail sector. It currently has a monopoly over public transportation fare payments in Singapore until the new NETS CashCard, which has a monopoly over Electronic Road Pricing toll payments, enters the market in September 2009 (and vice-versa). Established in 2001, it was promoted as the means for speedier boarding times on buses. EZ-Link cards are sold, distributed and managed by EZ-Link Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Singapore's Land Transport Authority. As of 2007[update], there are over 10 million[1] EZ-Link cards in circulation, with 4 million card-based transactions occurring daily. Effective 1 October 2009, the new CEPAS EZ-Link card has replaced the original EZ-Link card for use islandwide.
The card is commonly used in Singapore as a smartcard for paying transportation fees in the city-state's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and public bus services. The card also serves as a supplementary identification and concession card for students in nationally recognised educational institutes, full-time national service personnel serving in the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force or senior citizens who are over sixty years old.
The system has since been expanded, with EZ-Link cards being used for payments in Singapore branches of McDonald's. Some schools in Singapore have also started to adopt the EZ-Link card as a way to mark the attendance of students and to pay for food served within the school campus.
A system is similar to the Octopus card in Hong Kong and Touch n' Go in Malaysia.
On 3 December 2005, EZ-Link Pte Ltd announced that it was working with NETS to create a new hybrid card which will have the functions of both the EZ-Link card and the CashCard. This card would make it possible for one card to be used for payment on land transport in Singapore — ERP, bus, MRT, stalls and library. Work on this card was expected to be completed in 2008,[4] and it is to replace the existing Ez-Link cards in 2009 as the existing EZ-Link cards are being phased-out.
On 17 October 2007, Starhub and EZ-Link Pte Ltd declared the start of a 6-month trial on phones with an embedded EZ-Link card

Incinerating Toilets

Electric incinerating toilet
Incinolet currently manufactures four different types of electric incinerating toilets for applications ranging from home use to portable RV use. All of their toilets use a similar system. Before use, a bowl liner is dropped into the toilet to catch all waste. After use, the toilet is “flushed” by pushing a foot pedal. This drops the bowl liner and its contents into a lower chamber that is sealed off from the outside. The incineration cycle is then initiated with the push of the “start” button. This cycle takes 60 minutes, but the toilet can be used at any time during the cycle. The incineration process involves a heater and a blower. The electric heater raises the temperature of the storage chamber to about 650 °C (1200 °F). and then shuts off until the temperature falls to below 540 °C (1000 °F). The heater cycles twice per minute. The blower goes on when the temperature inside the toilet reaches 55 °C (130 °F). and stays on after the incinerator shuts off until the toilet falls below 55 degrees Celsius. The ash left over is collected in the ash pan and should be disposed of when the ash is about ½ inch deep.

Gas incinerating toilet
Storburn International is the largest manufacturer of gas powered incinerating toilets, they offer two versions, a propane powered toilet and a natural gas powered toilet. The Storburn gas powered toilet is more like conventional water using toilets than the electric toilet. The toilet can be used between 40 and 50 times, or until the holding tank is full, before incineration. The incinerating process uses no electricity and reduces all waste to sterile ash and water vapor. The heat from the gas burner causes water to boil, which dissolves the solids. As water evaporates, the remaining solid matter falls into the flame and is turned into sterile ash. The interior chamber never needs to be cleaned because it sterilizes itself with each incineration cycle. Storburn is also developing a portable Usenburn model, which incinerates after each use. Eco John manufactures toilets that perform another important role in waste disposal. Their WC5 and WC16 models incinerate grey and black water created from showers and sinks. These systems are separate from the toilet, and normal low water flush toilets can be used.

Mobile Phone Technology - Disadvantages

The development of mobile phones brought convenient and advantages to the world. Communication between people and people are easier and fast. Though, the disadvantages brought along with the fast grown technology cannot be ignored. These problems not only influenced people personally but also the society.

Symptoms caused by the radiation of mobile phones are one of the most argued problems. Many scientists believe that the radiation from the mobile phones may cause the users to have different symptoms such as headache, earaches, blurring of vision and even causing cancer. Though, these problems are still under research. Mobile phone users are advice to reduce the usage on mobile phones if it is possible.

Mobile phone addiction is a big social problem. Psychiatrists believe that mobile phone addiction is becoming one of the biggest non-drug addictions in the 21st century. Along with the age drop of the mobile phone users and the ease of prepaid method provide by the system operators, most teenagers now own their own mobile phone and network service. Teenagers are engaged on their mobile phones all the time, no matter on phone calls, using SMS text messages, personalising the mobile phones with ringtones and pictures etc. Besides this, many people are running after the lastest mobile phones. New models of mobile phones are released almost everyday. In order to get up-to-date, people tend to change their mobile phones once in a while. These became habits among the mobile phone users causing them to spend unnecessary cost on mobile bills and costs.

Cyber bullying is also another issue among the disadvantages of mobile phones. Cyber bullying is a bullying act using offensive words and behavior via online chatting, emails or SMS text messages. It was showed that the psychological effects of cyber bullying are much severe that face-to-face bullying. This problem now is among teenagers especially the secondary students.

There are still many problems causing but the new technology. Mobile phones with camera functions are causing privacy problems. Saudi Arabia had banned camera phones through out the country while many countries are concern about this problem. This is because many people have misused the usage on the camera phones such as using it as a hidden camera to take photos which are private. The spreading on computer viruses is also a problem for this new technology. Just like computer viruses, these viruses will affect the normal usage on mobile phones making them to malfunction and causing destructions.

GPS Systems

With the speed by which technology evolves, it is not a surprise that the world has become ‘smaller’, in the sense that communicating with another person from the other side of the world has become instantaneous. Nowadays, almost everything is possible with the latest that technology has to offer, which brings numerous advantages to users around the world. One of the products of the continuous and advancing developments in technology is the GPS or Global Positioning System. GPS is global satellite navigational system which enables a GPS receiver to determine its specific location, direction and speed by measuring the distance between the receiver and three or more (out of the 24) medium Earth satellites.

The GPS technology is currently being used for a multitude of military applications. Aside from its important application in the military, there is a wide array of civilian applications for the GPS technology, and numerous advantages to worldwide users. A GPS tracking device can be incorporated in mobile phones, vehicles, even a person – or any type of object – that you would like to locate. GPPS tracking devices are a definite must for people who are always on the go and those who are fond of updating themselves with the latest technological gizmos.

You can appreciate the value of the GPS technology by taking a look at the numerous advantages of a GPS tracking device. One of the most popular advantages of a GPS tracking device is when it is used as a vehicle navigator. If you are new to a place, you do not have to worry about getting lost and asking for directions if your car has a GPS tracking device. Here, you will be able to determine the exact location, calculate the distance and verify the direction that you need to take in order to arrive at a particular place. The same goes for boats which have a GPS tracking device, to make it easier to find your direction as you sail.

Another popular advantage of a GPS tracking device is when it is embedded as a feature of your mobile phones, palmtops or personal digital assistants. You can use this feature for direction-finding purposes, distance calculation and a lot more. Additionally, GPS tracking devices are used by sports enthusiasts to calculate the range that they traveled as they work out.

Lastly, and this is probably one of the most important uses of a GPS tracking device – is just what the name implies – ‘to track’ or determine the location of something. Whether it is a stolen vehicle, a lost pet, monitoring the location of wild or endangered species, or for surveillance purposes – a GPS tracking device definitely provides a multitude of applications, benefits and uses to suit most of your individual needs.

Human rights groups: No in-game war crimes

Here's one that will undoubtedly send some gamers into a craze. A study from two Swiss human rights organizations, Trial and Pro Juventute, has found that some video games depict war and battle actions that in real life would violate international human rights laws.

The study attempted to determine if the acts gamers engage in while they play violent titles would "lead to violations of rules of international law, in particular International Humanitarian Law (IHL), basic norms of International Human Rights Law (IHRL), or International Criminal Law (ICL)."

To find out, Trial and Pro Juventute picked up 20 games, including Call of Duty 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Far Cry 2, and others. It had "young gamers" play the games as three attorneys watched to find actions in games that in real life would violate rules and regulations that govern armed conflict.

The organizations said the study is not intended to "prohibit the games, to make them less violent or to turn them into IHL or IHRL training tools." Instead, the groups want to work with developers to ensure that in the future, their games observe real-life human-rights laws.
After evaluating the 20 games, the group found that in many cases, "shooter" games failed to take into consideration international humanitarian law.

"The practically complete absence of rules or sanctions is nevertheless astonishing: civilians or protected objects such as churches or mosques can be attacked with impunity, in scenes portraying interrogations it is possible to torture, degrade or treat the prisoner inhumanely without being sanctioned for it and extrajudicial executions are simulated," the groups wrote in a statement. "At least a few games punish the killing of civilians or reward strategies that aim to prevent excessive damage."

Individual game evaluations were just as biting. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had one of the more lengthy violation sections. According to the group, the game violates several human-rights laws by allowing games to "attack civilian buildings with no limits in order to get rid of all the enemies present in the town who are on roof tops, open areas of the town, squares featuring statues, etc. Under IHL, the fact that combatants/fighters are present in a town does not make the entire town a military objective."

The group also disliked the beating of the game's villain, Al-Asad. It asserted that the "beating of Al-Asad amounts to torture or at least inhuman treatment, which are prohibited in any context, under any circumstances, whether in peace time or during armed conflict situations. Killing him amounts to an extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary execution as it falls outside the context of any legal framework."

Similar evaluations were given on the other games the groups evaluated.

In the end, Trial and Pro Juventute delivered recommendations. The groups says it wants developers to make it clear to gamers that in any circumstance, human-rights violations cannot be allowed, even in a game setting. It also requested that, going forward, developers adhere to international human rights laws when they depict war or battle in a game.

"It is regrettable that game producers hardly ever use this possibility to creatively incorporate the rules of international law or even representatives of such rules as specific elements in the course of the game," the groups wrote in a statement. "Pro Juventute and Trial call upon the producers of computer and video games to use their strong creativity and innovation for this purpose. It would mean a wasted opportunity if the virtual space transmitted the illusion of impunity for unlimited violence in armed conflicts."

The group also said that it chose video games, rather than film, because of the former's "interactive" nature.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10404450-17.html

Customise Electrical Cars

The project is exploring how electric vehicles can be customized to cost-effectively meet an individual's specific commuting needs and how an electric vehicle's efficiency can be boosted and its battery life extended by using artificial intelligence to manage power.

Our first steps into doing this is to first analyze the needs, conditions and habits of the daily commutes of actual people and then using this information to develop electric vehicles suited to each unique commute.

Artificial intelligence which is called a supercapacitor is use to manage the flow of power between conventional electric car batteries. It has unusually high energy density and it can store and rapidly release large amounts of electrical power, a supercapacitor can serve as a buffer between the battery pack and the vehicle's electric motors, improving the vehicle's responsiveness while reducing the charge/discharge cycling that shortens battery life.

Based on a driver's route and habits, the smart power management system will decide whether to draw power for the electric motors from the batteries or the supercapacitor and decide where to store electricity produced by the regenerative braking system as the car slows down or goes down a hill."

The new car will learn to Determine the optimal means of managing. The number one cost of electric vehicle ownership is the batteries," Nourbakhsh said. "Smart power management will save money initially because it pairs a low-cost battery pack with a small supercapacitor. And it will continue to save money by increasing efficiency and extending battery life." By customizing each vehicle to the owner's specific commute, ChargeCar will save money for some owners by allowing them to purchase the minimum number of batteries necessary.

Article reference http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103451.htm

IKEA's brilliant Facebook campaign

The Swedish town of Malmo is a wonderful place.

Some feel it is wonderful because it is the spiritual home of a band that was once cool, the Cardigans.

But now all committed social networkers will think Malmo is wonderful because of its IKEA. You see, the Swedish purveyor of fast-food furniture decided to open a new store in Malmo and didn't really have a lot of money to let people know about it.

So it engaged a rather outre advertising agency called Forsman and Bodenfors to create a rather special launch campaign.

The agency created a Facebook profile for the store manager, Gordon Gustavsson. Over a two-week period, it uploaded images from of IKEA showrooms to his Facebook photo album.

Then it put out word that the first person to tag their name to a product in the pictures, won it.
Facebook being what it is, word got out and needy, enthusiastic Swedes begged for more pictures so that they could tag themselves to a new sofa, a new bed, or a new vase into which they could stick their plastic flowers or their dead grandparents' ashes.

Before Facebook could take credit for its own wonderful ingenuity in creating the world's most needed Web site, thousands of Swedes were spreading pictures of IKEA showrooms all around the personal galaxy known as their profile pages.

Please look at the video I have embedded, as this idea is, as the best always are, simple and inspired. Which, some would say, also perfectly describes the clever, affordable, if sometimes maddening-to-put-together little things made by IKEA.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10404937-71.html

Man marries video game character

As you begin to contemplate your Thanksgiving meal, your family gathered around you, your loved ones embracing you, please be thankful you are not Sal9000.

Sal appears to be a man with very idiosyncratic needs, which he has attempted to satiate by marrying his favorite video game character.

Perhaps you think I have finally lost my last marble. However, please examine this footage. Courtesy of the radical realists at BoingBoing, this video shows that Sal married Nene Anegasaki, a character in the Nintendo DS game, Love Plus.

These unique nuptials were apparently broadcast on the Japanese video sharing site, Nico Nouga Nouga, a place where many strange things occur for, no doubt, extremely sound psychological reasons.

I don't wish to so much as broach the topic of marital consummation. However, I can tell you that attending the wedding, which was held, naturally, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, were the bride's virtual video game girlfriend, a live audience and, yes, a real religious priest.

I cannot find record of where the happy couple might be honeymooning, but I have an indelible fear that it might be in a very small, dark apartment somewhere in Tokyo. I trust they will have a large and healthy family.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10404956-71.html

Lucasfilm Ltd. Announces Creation of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore.

Lucasfilm Ltd. Announces Creation of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore.

Publication: Business Wire
Date: Tuesday, August 3 2004

SINGAPORE -- Lucasfilm Ltd. today announced that it has established Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, a digital animation studio designed to produce digital animated content, including films, television and games for global audiences.

"I've been a fan of Asian animation and illustration all my life. Asian cinema has had a particularly big impact on a lot of my work. When we began thinking about developing new ways to explore the craft of animation, it seemed a natural step to combine the two," commented George Lucas. "By having a base in Singapore, we can create a new style of animation that will blend east and west -- and offer something not seen before."

"We're excited about this new venture," commented Micheline Chau, President and COO of Lucasfilm Ltd., who was in Singapore for the announcement. "Singapore was our location of choice for so many reasons -- a growing talent base, the cosmopolitan flavor, and its attractiveness as a place to live. Our long-term partnership with the Economic Development Board (EDB) gives us the resources to begin work almost immediately, working in concert with our animation unit in California."
Lucasfilm has joined with a consortium of investors in Singapore, including EDB Investments Pte Ltd. and Creative Technology Ltd.

The Singapore-based creative team will be led by Gail Currey, Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm Animation. Teo Ming Kian, Chairman EDB said, "This is a capstone for Singapore's digital media industry. We already have an established base of 17 international cable and satellite broadcasters, a burgeoning TV production sector as well as games development. This new studio will not only provide exceptional career opportunities for local animators and people keen in the creative arts, it will also attract top talent from the world over to live and work in Singapore. It will help us further diversify our economy and provide opportunities for our people with different interests and competencies."

http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/movies-sound-recording/5203096-1.html

YouTube introduces automatic captions for deaf viewers

YouTube's parent company Google has announced on its blog that automatic captions are to begin to roll out across the site.

The machine-generated captions will initially be generated in English. At first they will only be found on 13 channels.

These include National Geographic, Columbia, as well as most Google and YouTube channels.

The software engineer behind the technology, Ken Harrenstien, is deaf.

Currently YouTube offers a manual captioning service but video makers tend not to use it.

"The majority of user-generated video content online is still inaccessible to people like me," Mr Harrenstien wrote in the Google blog.

His solution combines automatic speech recognition with the current caption system.

The translation is not always perfect (in a demonstration the phrase "sim card" becomes "salmon" in text), but Mr Harrenstien says that the technology "will continue to improve with time".

Alternatively users can upload a transcript of their video and auto-timing algorithms will match the text to the words as they are spoken.

Vint Cerf, vice president at Google, is widely recognised as a founding father of the internet. He is also hard of hearing and has worn a hearing aid since the age of 13.

"One of the big challenges of the video medium is whether it can be made accessible to everyone," he told news agency AFP.

Earlier in the week YouTube announced the launch of YouTube Direct, a feed of uploaded amateur videos of newsworthy events such as protests and extreme weather conditions.

It is aimed at the media industry, and editors who subscribe will be able to request the phone numbers of contributors. So far it has been trialled by a select group of radio stations, newspapers and websites in the US.

technology in education

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Recently, a growing number of researchers have published studies that provide substantial evidence that technology can play a positive role in academic achievement. Several organizations like Edutopia, the North Central Educational Lab (NCREL) and the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET) are documenting research studies that link technology to increases in academic achievement. Two studies are reflective of the growing body of research on technology's role in academic achievement.

Harold Wenglinsky's study, "Does it Compute: The Relationship between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics," concluded that for 4th and 8th graders technology has "positive benefits" on achievement as measured in NAEP's mathematics test. But it is critical to note Wenglinsky's caveat to this conclusion. He argues that not all uses of technology were beneficial. Wenglinksky found using computers to teach low order thinking skills, "...[W]as negatively related to academic achievement…." Put another way, this type of computer use was worse than doing nothing. By contrast, teachers who had students use computers to solve simulations saw their students' math scores increase significantly. As he explored the reasons for the differing ways teachers used technology, Wenglinsky found that professional development was the difference between those teachers who used skill and drill software and those who used software that could create simulations. Teachers who had training and skills used technology in ways that focused students on simulations and applications that encouraged students to develop problem solving skills. Those teachers who hadn't had training used skill and drill software (Wenglinsky, 1998).

More recently, educators in Missouri issued their findings on a study of the impact the statewide eMints program had on academic achievement. This program is designed as a comprehensive approach to assist teachers to integrate technology. Participating teachers receive classroom equipment, and over two hundred hours of professional development over a two-year period. In addition to traditional workshops, eMints training includes peer coaching for individual teachers. The training is designed to help teachers integrate technology so that they can use inquiry-based teaching and emphasize critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. As one of the program leaders noted, "We find that when you put the two, (inquiry based learning and true technology integration) together there's a synergy created that really boosts students' learning" (Brannigan, 2002). The power of pairing technology with inquiry learning was directly reflected in the test scores of more than 6,000 third and fourth grade students who recently took the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test. "Results show that a higher percent of students in eMINTS classrooms scored in the 'Proficient' or 'Advanced' categories…when compared with other students who took the MAP tests…" (Brannigan, 2002; Evaluation Team Policy Brief, 2002).

Microchips

Microchips have made it possible to turn electricity into information. The large amount of transistors contained inside them signal "on" and "off" states which can represent a zero or a one in binary language.

On Feb. 6, 1959, the first chip was patented as an organization of semiconductor material in which all the circuits are integrated, hence the expression "integrated circuit." Jack Kilby from Texas Instruments was given credit for the idea and received the Nobel Prize in 2000 for the invention of integrated circuits.

As microchips developed, the size of their transistors kept getting smaller and smaller. In 2009, the Nehalem architecture microprocessor chip was introduced into the market which had 45 nanometer transistors (a human hair is about 2000 nanometers wide).

In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore basically predicted that the amount of transistors in a given amount of space in a microchip doubles every two years. Although this law is not exactly followed, the idea that transistors can shrink even more is conceivable because of this concept.

Integrated circuits in microchips can be structured in a way that can make a computer not only store information but process it. Microprocessors are microchips that allow computers to "think." They are basically small chips that execute commands and perform actions based on the input that is given.

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Microchip Technology (NASDAQ: MCHP) is an American manufacturer of microcontroller, memory and analog semiconductors. The company was founded in 1987 when General Instrument spun off its microelectronics division as a wholly owned subsidiary.[2] Its products include microcontrollers (PICmicro, dsPIC / PIC24, PIC32), Serial EEPROM devices, Serial SRAM devices, KEELOQ devices, radio frequency (RF) devices, thermal, power and battery management analog devices, as well as linear, interface and mixed signal devices. Some of the interface devices include USB, ZigBee/MiWi, Controller Area Network, and Ethernet. In April 2009, Microchip Technology announced the nanoWatt XLP™ Microcontrollers (With World’s Lowest Sleep Current). This industry-leading combination of low power consumption and functionality makes these PIC MCUs ideal for any battery-powered or power-constrained application.

Corporate headquarters is located at Chandler, Arizona with wafer fabs in Tempe, Arizona and Gresham, Oregon.

Among its chief competitors are Analog Devices, Atmel, Freescale, Infineon, Maxim Integrated Products, NXP, Renesas Technology, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments.

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, or libraries. The term is somewhat more common outside of the United States.

According to the European Commission, the importance of ICTs lies less in the technology itself than in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations.

Many countries around the world have established organizations for the promotion of ICTs, because it is feared that unless less technologically advanced areas have a chance to catch up, the increasing technological advances in developed nations will only serve to exacerbate the already-existing economic gap between technological "have" and "have not" areas.

Internationally, the United Nations actively promotes ICTs for Development (ICT4D) as a means of bridging the digital divide.

Asian firms go big on Twitter and Facebook

Asian firms go big on Twitter and Facebook

A survey on the usage of social media marketing by Asian businesses found that 72 per cent had a presenceon social media platforms such as YouTube or Twitter.Of these, 79 per cent had a presence on Facebook, which has overtaken blogs as the top platform for social media marketing.
The poll of 100 Asian small- and medium-sized enterprises in five countries, with a majority from Singapore and Malaysia, was conducted by marketing consultancy NetProfitQuest (NPQ).
It found that companies are increasingly using these alternative platforms for public relations and marketing.
In fact, 80 per cent of those polled planned to put a larger proportion of their marketing budget towards social media marketing in the future.
Another 87 per cent of the key marketing managers and executives at these companies already had accounts on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
NPQ co-founder Willy Lim said social media platforms were low-cost, easy to use and had a wide reach.
This levelled the playing field to allow even small businesses to reach a huge number of business prospects effectively, without facing prohibitive costs.
However, he cautioned firms against allowing the use of these outlets to degenerate into spamming - the bane of many Internet users.
He emphasised the need to build relationships by listening, learning, participating and engaging instead. 'A business using hard-sell tactics on social media is like a person asking his girlfriend to marry him on the first date.'
He said firms may have been unable to engage site users effectively, which could explain why companies have faced difficulties in obtaining returns on investments in social media.
Only 12 per cent of firms surveyed reported that more than half of sales inquiries came from online channels.
Business development manager Ruth Saw of boutique spa operator eMedi Spa also identified the task of turning site browsers into buyers as a key challenge in social media marketing.
New to this platform, she set up a company Facebook page only last month. However, she has already seen its potential first-hand with a survey she placed online receiving more than 200 responses in a span of three days.
'We're a boutique spa and do not have a huge marketing budget, so using a platform like Facebook will not cost us much. We also hope to get more referrals through positive reviews,' she said.
Recruitment company Match Resources is jumping onto the social media bandwagon and is planning to set aside 40 per cent of its marketing budget for such platforms.
Managing director Valerie Song plans to have company accounts on Facebook and Twitter up and running within the next six months, citing their ease of use and wide availability as winning points.

China Makes Breakthrough in PDP Thecnology

China has made a major breakthrough in plasma display panel (PDP) technology, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Chinese companies have not only grasped the shadow mask (SM) PDP technology with homegrown intellectual property but have also successfully developed 34-inch SM PDP high-definition and united-color monitors, said a ministry official.

The development of 42-inch display technology is also in process, said the official.

The newly developed SM PDP technology combines low cost, high definition and united color, and creates a good opportunity for Chinese companies to catch up with the world pace of developing low cost PDP products so as to significantly improve their competitiveness in global markets.

In recently years, China's color TV set production has grown rapidly, but low-price cathode ray tube products have suffered from various trade barriers in the world market, including antidumping charges.

China Makes Huge Breakthrough in Wind Power Technology

Chinese developers unveiled the world’s first full-permanent magnetic levitation (Maglev) wind power generator at the Wind Power Asia Exhibition 2006 held June 28 in Beijing, according to Xinhua News. Regarded as a key breakthrough in the evolution of global wind power technology—and a notable advance in independent intellectual property rights in China—the generator was jointly developed by Guangzhou Energy Research Institute under China’s Academy of Sciences and by Guangzhou Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd.

The Maglev generator is expected to boost wind energy generating capacity by as much as 20 percent over traditional wind turbines. This would effectively cut the operational expenses of wind farms by up to half, keeping the overall cost of wind power under 0.4 yuan ($US 5 cents), according to Guokun Li, the chief scientific developer of the new technology. Further, the Maglev is able to utilize winds with starting speeds as low as 1.5 meters per second (m/s), and cut-in speeds of 3 m/s, the chief of Zhongke Energy was quoted as saying at the exhibition. When compared with the operational hours of existing wind turbines, the new technology will add an additional 1,000 hours of operation annually to wind power plants in areas with an average wind speed of 3 m/s.

Xinhua News reports that more than 70 million households in China lack access to electricity, with most of them living in areas unconnected to power grids. The widely scattered nature of rural localities makes it difficult to supply grid-based power to these areas. The use of the full-permanent Maglav generator could potentially fill the power void in these locations by harnessing low-speed wind resources that were previously untappable.

With an increasing number of Chinese and international investors joining the global booming wind power market, the technology is expected to create new opportunities in low-wind-speed areas worldwide such as mountain regions, islands, observatories, and television transfer stations. In addition, the Maglev generator will be able to provide roadside lighting along highways by utilizing the airflow generated from vehicles passing by, said Xinhua News.

The global wind power market has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with Germany, Spain, and the United States ranking as the top producers in 2005. The output of wind turbines is increasing rapidly thanks to the world’s ramped-up wind power capacity. Global sales of wind power equipment reached $10 billion in 2004 and are estimated to reach $49 billion per year by 2012, reports Worldwatch researcher Janet Sawin in Vital Signs 2005.