Smart sensors stop flickering wind turbines

COMPLAINTS about wind turbines are nothing new - the noise of the machines and their impact on picturesque landscapes are common irritants. But there is another hated side effect: shadow flicker.

"Shadow flicker drives people mad, even if they keep their curtains shut or their blinds down," says Angela Kelly, head of Country Guardian, a British anti-wind-turbine pressure group.

As each turbine blade sweeps around, repetitive, strobing shadows can be cast on houses when the sun is low in the sky. Outdoors, it is distracting, but inside it is even worse - some people who experience flicker liken it to having the lights continually switching on and off (see video at bit.ly/qAX6kD).

A possible solution is at hand. Vestas Wind Systems, a turbine maker in Randers, Denmark, has developed a predictive system that works out when shadow flicker is about to happen and stops the turbine rotating until the sun moves the shadows onto uninhabited land.

The measure is designed to head off an oft-cited objection in local authority wind farm planning enquiries, says Bruno Lund Mathiasen, a Vestas engineer.

Called the Vestas Shadow Detection System, the technology is based on software that computes four risk factors: the angle and position of the sun, the distance of the wind turbine to any potentially affected properties, the radius of the rotor blades and the height of the turbine hub from the ground.

Light levels are assessed using two light meters placed on the east and west-facing sides of a wind turbine's support tower. If one is reading very high light levels while the other is low, it means the weather is set for very strong shadow production shortly after sunrise or before sunset, says Mathiasen.

Once the risk of shadow flicker has been calculated, the software decides whether the turbine should be temporarily shut down.

"The turbine will be put in idle mode, which means we twist the blades so the rotor turns very slowly. This stops any shadow flickering," says Mathiasen. "Based on its calculation of the shadow effect, the system will decide by itself whether to put the turbine in idle mode or not."

The system has been shown to be effective in tests at 50 Vestas sites around the world, the firm claims.

Mathiasen will not say how much Vestas will charge the firms that operate turbines for the technology, but Kelly thinks any price would be too much. "If Vestas is serious about this they ought to contact anyone with wind turbines causing flicker problems and offer them this technology for free," she says.

posted by: Mirza Hassan Baig

Source :http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228346.300-smart-sensors-stop-flickering-wind-turbines.html

T- mobile announces the dual screen(LG Doubleplay)

T-Mobile is a mobile telephone operator headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. T-Mobile has 101 million subscribers making it the worlds sixth largest mobile phone service provider globally. A first glimpse of the new LG Doubleplay sporting its dual screens have been released , and as you can see by the press picture below the new LG Doubleplay is equipped with a physical keyboard which is split down the middle by a neat rectangular extra screen. Which can be combined with its larger 320×480 HVGA screen to providing you with extra space and access to application icons.
The LG Doubleplay will be arriving on the T-Mobile network and was originally announced four months ago by the carrier when it was labelled with the codename Flip II. This now seems to have changed to Doubleflip to incorporate the dual screen functionality into the name.

Very few specifications have been released about the LG Doubleplay but its thought to be equipped with a 5 megapixel camera and is expected to arrive on November 2nd for around $150 with a two year contract. Unfortunately no information on worldwide availability has been released as yet, but as soon as more information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.

MY VIEW: 
This is the coolest technology, he dual screen,which announced by T-mobile few days before. I guess this product will go fast..
T-Mobile would be the carrier of choice here, so if you’re going to rock to what LG deems as “the ultimate multitasking handset”, then you might want to check out just what kind of data plans they’re offering.




Source ; http://www.gadgetlord.com/android/lg-doubleplay-unveiled-with-dual-screens/
Posted by: Vikash Kumar

QRIO-latest robot by SONY

The QRIO prototypes were developed and manufactured by Sony Intelligence Dynamics Laboratory, Inc.The number of these prototypes in existence is unknown. Up to ten QRIO have been seen performing a dance routine together; this was confirmed by a Sony representative at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA on January 22, 2006. Many videos of this can be found on the web.
Four fourth-generation QRIO prototype robots were featured dancing in the Hell Yes music video by recording artist Beck. These prototypes lacked a third camera in the center of the forehead and the improved hands and wrists which were added to later prototypes. It took programmers three weeks to program their choreography.

QRIO is capable of voice and face recognition, making it able to remember people as well as their likes and dislikes. A video on QRIO's website shows it speaking with several children. QRIO can run at 23 cm/s, and is credited in Guinness World Records (2005 edition) as being the first bipedal robot capable of running (which it defines as moving while both legs are off the ground at the same time). The 4th generation QRIO's internal battery lasts about 1 hourIn the study, QRIO was introduced into a classroom of toddlers aged 18 months to 24 months. Children of this age group were chosen because they have no preconceived notions of robots and they communicate using touch as much as speech.
"The children accepted the presence of QRIO very well," Movellan told LiveScience. "There were a few children who were very interested but maintained distance. Over time, the relationship between children and QRIO evolved positively."
In phase I of the experiment, which lasted 27 sessions, QRIO was instructed to interact with the children using its full behavioral repertoire, which included head-turning, dancing and giggling. At first, the children would touch the robot on its face, but as they warmed to him, the majority of their touches were to its hands and arms—a pattern the children also displayed toward each other.
During phase II, which lasted 15 sessions, QRIO ignored the children's touches and danced throughout the session. "At that point, the [children] quickly lost interest," Movellan said.
When QRIO's ability to respond to touch and giggle were returned for three sessions in phase III, the children became friendly with the robot again. When robot's batteries died and it laid on the floor, some of the children cried. Others put a blanket over him and said, "nigh-nigh."
Like R2-D2
QRIO's success shows robots don't need to be entirely "life-like" to be successful, Movellan said. QRIO stood only about 2-feet (58 centimeters) tall, and its only resemblance to a human was that it had two hands and walked on two legs. And because speech-recognition technology doesn't work well in noisy environments, QRIO couldn't even talk.
"QRIO was kind of like R2-D2 [in "Star Wars"]," Movellan said. "It expressed emotions but not speech."
The ability to respond to touch is relatively easy to program into robots, Movellan said. "We had things like computer vision in the robot, and touch was the easiest thing," he said. "And it turned out to be the most important to get things going."
Adults weren't completely immune to QRIO's charms either, Movellan said. Even though the researchers said it was OK, teachers supervising the children would try to stop them when they poked QRIO in the eye. However, the teachers did not try to stop the children when they poked the eyes of an inanimate toy robot, named "Robby," that looked like QRIO.

QRIO "elicits these feelings on us," Movellan said. "First of all, we feel badly if the children are doing that to the robot. And secondly, there is this problem that if you don't tell the children not to treat the robot as another person, they may actually be learning bad things about how to treat other people."
posted by: Abdul Zahir Jan Magsi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_QRIO_SDR-4x

Latest device from Takata Corporation and TruTouch Technologies checks the alcohol level through your finger

Takata Corporation and TruTouch Technologies have developed a new in-car detection device that can tell if driver is too drunk to drive. This device uses infrared technology that scans the driver’s finger and checks the alcohol level through the skin of the finger, and in case that driver’s alcohol level is over the limit, the car won’t start at all, since this button is the part of starting mechanism.

Although this device won’t remove drunk drivers from the streets, it will at least stop some of them from driving under the influence. As for the price, Takata and TruTouch estimate that this device will cost about $200, and that it will be affordable to car manufacturers.

Posted By: DeepaK PirwaNI

sprint-ceo-wireless-industry-can-help-our-troubled-economy

SAN DIEGO--Sprint Nextel Chief Executive Dan Hesse said the wireless industry can help get the troubled economy back on track.

"Mobile has a direct and powerful impact on efficiency, productivity, and the economic performance of any business in this country," Hesse said during his keynote address at the CTIA Enterprise & Application conference today.

Hesse, Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead, and AT&T head of mobility Ralph de la Vega reunited for another round of keynote addresses at CTIA. Unlike the last CTIA gathering in March, the executives were scheduled to speak in separate addresses, avoiding the colorful barbs and jabs that were the highlight of their last discussion, which came shortly after AT&T announced its plans to buy T-Mobile USA.

Notably, T-Mobile USA wasn't invited to speak today in an event billed as the titans of the industry.

The separate speeches didn't stop Hesse from taking a shot at de la Vega, saying he looks like John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Lincoln. He attempted to make nice by calling it a "compliment," and said he actually likes his fellow telecom executives.

De la Vega, during his address, responded by calling Hesse "the best actor we have in the industry today."

The executives, however, were largely congenial with each other, contrasting some of the sharp shots delivered a few months ago.

Beyond that, the executives played it safe. Hesse talked about the CTIA's "green" initiative, as well as the trade group's focus on preventing distracted driving. He even complimented Verizon Wireless and AT&T's own initiative

He added that a competitive U.S. wireless industry can generate an additional $800 billion to the gross domestic product through increased productivity.

The speech was a far cry from Hesse's investor presentation on Friday, in which he laid out the company's 4G plan to a sometimes testy audience. That was followed by a series of downgrades from Wall Street yesterday. Hesse didn't mention the company's 4G plans during today's speech.

De la Vega, meanwhile, talked up the company's open nature and the company's AT&T Foundry locations, innovation centers that are based in various areas, including Palo Alto, Calif. He talked up the company's ability to work with the startup culture to tap into new talent.

AT&T has also embraced a venture capitalist model, de la Vega said, noting that the company is getting more than 500 ideas a month and funding more than 50 projects. One such project came to fruition through AT&T Toggle, which allows phones to juggle two separate identities: one for work and one for personal use.

De la Vega also touted the company's early entry in the emerging devices business through the creation of a specific group. The group has enabled AT&T to connect everything from e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle to picture frames with a cellular connection. The company is working to connect cars and devices in industries such as health care.

Verizon's Mead, meanwhile, also talked about the need for collaboration in the industry for the common good. He cited as examples the aid that the wireless industry has been able to deliver during times of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.

"Even though the wireless industry is fiercely competitive, it's been able to grow because of mutual cooperation," Mead said.

Like de la Vega, Mead talked about the benefits of connected devices, citing as an example a suitcase that can tell you its location and a car that takes a picture and alerts you when it gets hit while parked.

We're helping our customers envision the scope of possibilities that come from machine-to-machine," he said. "We have an exciting future, and we're just at the beginning."

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20118659-10356022/sprint-ceo-wireless-industry-can-help-our-troubled-economy/#ixzz1YEqlh04i




PsTED mY:Deepak  Pirwani

Hands-On: Ditching Cards and Cash for the Google Wallet App

Until today, that NFC chip on your Sprint Nexus S 4G hasn't been living up to its potential. Today, though, today Google and Sprint have given it life -- and with it, certain death to many a MasterCard balance. Google Wallet is Android's long-awaited mobile payment app, which allows you to morph a smartphone into a full-fledged spending machine.
Before we start: If you're not sure what NFC is, might we recommend a read of our NFC primer? It'll tell you everything you need to know about near-field communication.
Now, a quick history lesson: In 2003, MasterCard introduced PayPass, a system in which a credit card outfitted with a near-field communication (NFC) chip could be passed within a couple inches of a reader to pay without swiping. Google Wallet, however, takes the card entirely out of the equation and turns your handset into an agent for credit cards or cold, hard cash.
Shoppers can authorize the app to charge a preexisting Citi MasterCard card or deduct money from a prepaid debit card (you can add funds from your bank account or a non-Citi-card, though that's kind of an awkward workaround at the moment). Google just announced today that Wallet will also soon support Discover, Visa, and American Express accounts. On our tester handset, I was able to quickly add my MasterCard by inputting some simple identifying info -- birthday, zip code, stuff like that -- for an instant cellular $100 line of credit. You can authorize the handset to have access to your entire available balance, but I chose to at least try to keep things in check.
Right now, you're able to set one payment card as your default, but as the app matures and store cash registers get their own software upgrades, users will be able to create store-specific profiles. So, if you have a Macy's gift card, the app will know to use that automatically when sending payment information to a Macy's register.

 

  Eventually, upgraded registers at participating stores, including Macy’s, Subway, and Walgreens, will allow customers to redeem electronic coupons, “swipe” store loyalty and gift cards, and save electronic receipts on their handsets at the end of a transaction. RIght now you can only add store-branded cards for American Eagle Outfitters (cargo shorts shopping spree!), but more are promised in the future.
But what about security? The Nexus S 4G hardware protects your virtual cash with two layers of security. The NFC chip, which is built into the rear battery door, works only when the screen is on, which means a passerby can’t steal payment info when your phone is sitting idle in your pocket. A second secure chip stores all your authorized credit-card information. You must be logged into Wallet with a unique PIN to allow any seller access to the data on the secure chip, a process that times out at an interval you set, forcing you to re-enter your information every 20 minutes or so.
In order to get Wallet of the ground, Google had to create a secure payment network and follow a distinct path for each transaction. At checkout, the phone's NFC chip initiates a connection with a receiver—in this case, a cash register—by way of a four-inch-wide magnetic current. The cash register transmits the total amount due to a secure payment chip inside your phone. That chip sends a request to the bank through the phone’s antenna, and the bank then authorizes the transaction through the register. The entire process takes only a few seconds.


Source:http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-09/google-wallet-ditching-cards-and-cash-app

Postedby:Vikash Kumar

Samsung Flexible AMOLED Smartphone, Coming Soon

The futuristic flexible and slim Galaxy Skin smartphone has been confirmed by Samsung will head for production by the second quarter next year. The flexible AMOLED display will be rollable and bendable, and capable to survive blows from a hammer.

Graphene itself is an allotrope of carbon, whose structure is one-atom-thick planar sheets of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice.[1] The term graphene was coined as a combination of graphite and the suffix -ene by Hanns-Peter Boehm,[2] who described single-layer carbon foils in 1962.[3] Graphene is most easily visualized as an atomic-scale chicken wire made of carbon atoms and their bonds. The crystalline or “flake” form of graphite consists of many graphene sheets stacked together.

          Souce : Wikipedia
Not much info about the features and functions on the new Samsung Galaxy Skin yet, but it will have a 1.2 GHz processor with no further info whether a single or dual core, there will be 1GB of RAM, 8 MP VGA front camera, and a 1500 mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy Skin is still in its prototype stages, pictures showing the possibility of using the Galaxy Skin as a mouse, clock, in-car GPS navigation, wrist watch as well as smart projector, but with above mentioned core engine, should there be something ‘revolutionary’ not being exposed yet.


Posted by: Vikash Kumar

Source:http://thecoolgadgets.com/galaxy-skin-samsung-flexible-amoled-smartphone-coming-second-quarter-2012/#ixzz1ZmgYNFYW