Us Study & Research

Study & Research   

 By Waqas Hassan Sharif

Published: [20th February 2015] 

NASA plans mission to Europa 

NASA is planning a mission to Europa which is known as Jupiter’s Icy Moon. The mission that will cost NASA $30 million is one of the most desired projects of the researchers and astronomers at NASA.

Europa has always interested researchers as it is said to contain large amounts of frozen water beneath its surface. Planetary scientists also speculate that there could be oceans of briny water under the shell of Europa.

Teams at NASA suggest that the mission will probably be unmanned and will involve a spacecraft that will orbit Jupiter, making regular visits to Europa. The spacecraft will not be landing or orbiting the planet’s moon itself. This is due to safety reasons as Europa is located in the region which is surrounded by harsh radiations. NASA will conduct a selection of instruments and equipment this year for the mission and is considering the launch date of the mission to be around mid-2020.

Hydrogels: the killer transporter Hydrogels are special materials that are used to absorb moisture. They are commonly used in diapers and contact lenses to control humidity. Chemical engineers have now come up with a better use of hydrogels by developing a new technology that is based on thermo-sensitive nano particles or nano hydrogels that will be used in the field of medicine. These newly developed devices will be used to deliver anti-cancer drugs.

Engineers at the University of Guadalajara have come up with this idea of using hydrogels in a way that when injected into the human body, the immune system doesn’t detect or attack them when they pass through the blood circulation system. In other words, these drug carriers are designed to be compatible with the human body. The concept behind this device is the hydrogels carry the anti-cancer drugs and deliver them straight to the infected area where they can be released without damaging other parts of the body. This is due the chemical and physical properties of hydrogels as they offer the possibility of dosing a myriad of active substances on the site desired and can be administered as dry or swollen hydrogels by different routes: oral, nasal, buccal, rectal, transdermal, vaginal, ocular and parental. Drug release may come by a volume increase, changes in pH, or temperature.

The nano-hydrogels have shown very good characteristics of biocompatibility with the human organism, due to their physical properties, which make them resemble living tissues. Their high water content, soft and elastic consistency, and low interfacial tension prevent them from absorbing proteins from body fluids. Hydrogels are being used primarily in the biomedical area as investigative and diagnostic tools in membranes, coatings, microcapsules, implants for applications and applications for drug release. Also, the nano-hydrogels are used to regenerate tissue or mend fractures, serving as substrates for cell growth. Other forms of drugs known as molecular target drugs are already used against cancer, but the advantage nano-hydrogels have is that they can attack only the cancer cells or tissues without damaging healthy body parts.

Geeky Glees:

Canon`s new 750D DSLR:
The Pixel PowerCanon recently announced its new DSLR camera calling it the 750D, a successor to the previous 700D model. Canon has bumped up its pixel sensor to 24 MP from the previous 18 MP. The new 24 megapixel sensor which is made by Canon features the new version of its Hybrid CMOS auto focus system. The new system uses phase detection, focusing pixels spread across the sensor to aid faster autofocus in live view mode and when shooting movies. The latest sensor has more focusing pixels in a regular array.

Canon states that this new system is almost two generation ahead of its previous entry level DSLRs. This new system also gives Canon an upper hand over its rival Nikon. Nikon produces D3300 and D5500 in the same DSLR range. This increase in resolution has left no impact on the ISO range which goes from 100 to 12800. The processor installed is Canon`s DIGIC 6 processor. The camera has 5fps continuous shooting and 19-point autofocus system. The previous models came with 9-point focus system and the DIGIC 5 processor. The camera also features an articulating 3-inch touch screen display. The camera is capable of shooting HD movies at 30 fps, 25fps and 24 fps. Canon has also embedded the flicker detection technology for more reliable shooting under artificial light.

Samsung Portable T1 SSD External Hard drive The new T1 SSD (Solid State Drive) external hard drive from Samsung is here to fulfil all your needs for storing. It is small, light, and amazingly fast and also comes with 256 bit encryption. It’s a USB 3.0 device which is very thin. The dimensions of the Samsung T1 hard drive are 2.8 inches (71mm) long by 2.1 inches (53mm) wide, and the T1 weighs in at about 1.06 ounces (30 grams).

Samsung incorporates its V-NAND technology into the T1 series of devices. This technology helps in dealing with memory and corruption issues. When the size and memory and size of the device get smaller, the data tends to get corrupted and eventually lost. This is because the memory cells get closer and closer and the interface between these cells increases. This technology helps in eliminating the possibilities of data corruption, using less power and also increases the operating speed of the drive. This hard drive also comes with 256 bit encryption by which you can lock the hard drive and set up a simple password for access without installing any other third party applications. This SSD External Drive is available in 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB with write and read speed of 450 MBps.

Geeky Alerts! The World’s first microprocessor was created in 1971, called the 4004 by Intel. It contained 2300 transistors.

The Google homepage is so simple because when it was created, neither Larry Page nor Sergey Brin knew HTML

In 2007 a researcher from IBM was able to gain complete control of an American nuclear power plant by hacking it over the internet.

SciencSational Stuff!! 

The oceans contain enough salt to cover all continents to a depth of nearly 500 feet.

Jupiter`s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It is larger than the planet

Mercury, and is the first moon known to have its own magnetic field.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

Us - Science & Technology

Study & Research     

By Waqas Hassan Sharif    

Published [30th January 2015]

Spinal Cord implants can make paralyzed people walk


Doctors and medical researchers are working on a number of techniques to develop new devices that can enable paralysed people to walk on their own. The major hurdle researchers face is that most of the devices are too stiff and rigid to implant in the complex spinal region of the human body.  Most of the implants ended up damaging the spinal cord, as they were stiff and unnatural. Swiss scientists have developed new E-Dura implants, made up of flexible electrodes. These implants comprise platinum and silicon micro beads. They are cracked with gold electronic tracks and fluidic microchannel, so electrical impulses of the spine can be replicated. They also contain chemicals that avoid friction when moving inside the spine. They were tested on paralyzed rats and the results achieved were quite astonishing. The rats were able to walk again after a few weeks. Trials on humans are still pending, but researchers believe they can be used to treat epilepsy, Parkinson and also spinal cord injuries.   

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Silicene` the new silicon?

According to the National Institute of Material Science, Japan, Silicene is the lightest and thinnest form of silicon. It possesses semiconductor like properties that can be used to develop even smaller electronic devices than we see today. A material, known as Graphene, was discovered in 2004, which was similar to silicon. After more research and analysis in Graphene, scientists renamed it Silicene.  A report was published by scientists in Japan, in 1994, on the thinnest form of silicon. Silicon is the element that is used in integrated circuits and forms the basis of electronics and computers today.

Silicene is a single atom thick layer of carbon that can exhibit properties that of silicon and is known as the fastest carrier of electricity.  However, what makes Silicene different is just not its size, but also the fact that it’s not completely a semiconductor; it can’t switch between conducting and non-conducting states. The drawback is that it cannot be used to develop switching devices, such as a transistor.  This is why silicene is so exciting. In its freestanding form, this one-atom-thick layer of silicon atoms has graphene-like mobile carriers, as well and is metallic. On the other hand, for instance, by applying strain or an electric field, it could also be turned to behave like a semiconductor. This is because the structure could be easily modified or switched on the atomic scale. In addition, it would be compatible with already existing silicon-based circuitry. This is envisaged to lead to the development of even smaller electronics than those currently on the market.

NASA’s New Horizon all set for Pluto

NASA’s New Horizon space craft is ready for its long awaited encounter with Pluto. The space craft was launched in 2006 and aimed to discover Pluto and get a closer look at the dwarf planet. At the time of launch, it was the fastest space craft. It woke up last month from hibernation after making a journey of more than 3 billion miles. It will pass Pluto and its five known moons on 25 January, where a long range photo-shoot of the planet is expected.   

The Geeky Glees

Apple Awarded “Protective mechanism for an electronic device” patent

The United States Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) has officially granted Apple with the patent which will be used to develop techniques to protect electronic devices from the damages caused by accidental drops. The most common are the crack screens we get to see on our smart phones and tablets.

According to the patent, Apple tends to achieve this by the use of position sensors, accelerometers, Gyroscopes, GPS, as well as Ultrasonic Sensors. The information gathered by these shall be used to compute the position of the device during freefall. The parameters that will be calculated would include location, time, drop speed and other metrics. The main idea would be then to control the motion of the device, whilst dropping by a motor that would enable it to drop on different angles such as side or back to prevent maximum damage. The motors are powerful enough to change the angular momentum and the landing angle of the device. 

Surprisingly, Apple’s previous models prior to IPhone 6 and the IPhone 6 Plus incorporated such motors that could provide linear motion, meaning this technology could top the list for Apple`s next releases.                

Dell Venue - 87000 series tablet

Dell recently launched its new Venue 87000 series super slim Android tablet which incorporates the new Intel Real sense depth camera. The tablet has an 8.4 inch screen and is just 0.24 inches thick. The display is OLED with FHD (2560x1600) resolution with 10-pt capacitive touch.

It comes with a 2.3 Intel atom processor, 2 GB of RAM, and is loaded with Android 4.4 Kit Kat operating system. 

The major high of this tablet is the 8 MP camera. The Venue is the first device to feature the Real Sense camera. With this technology, though under development, is capable of doing 3D scanning, face detection and highly accurate gesture controls. The Venue camera also adds functionality to still photos. You can measure the distance between the objects and refocus the picture after shooting it. 

Xbox + Playstation 4: the perfect combo for gamers

[image]Eddie Zarick, a fire firefighter from Florida, has solved the biggest problem that gamers face: to buy a Sony PlayStation, or an Xbox. Mr Zarick has combined Playstation4 and Xbox One into a laptop and given it a 22-inch 1080 screen and called it the PlayBox. The games are loaded in from either side. It comes with Ethernet and HDMI port for displays to larger screens. It has a switch that lets you select which console to go for. Unfortunately, only one console can operate at a time due to heating issues. The inventor also created the Xbook before that combines the Xbox 360 and Xbox One into one laptop.

ScienceSational Stuff:

Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t.
The full cost of a space suit is about $11 million dollars, although 70 percent is backpack and the control module.
If the Earth were to become a black hole, its diameter would be 0.7 inches.

Geek Alerts

Facebook has 157M monthly active users who only access the site via mobile devices.
Apple Stores were speculated to be a huge failure. They now have the one of the highest sales in retail.
Oracle, the company, was founded after the CIA scrapped a secret project also called Oracle.

Innovation unbound

Innovation unbound     

By Waqas Hassan Sharif    

Published [16th January 2015]

The CES is the biggest International Consumer Electronics Show that’s held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA every year. It is considered as the biggest platform for the launch of consumer electronics with more than 3,600 exhibitors which include manufacturers, developers and suppliers. The conference and the exhibition comprise more than 250 sessions and attract a whopping 160,000 visitors from 140 countries.       

The CES exhibits products from all major categories of consumer electronics which includes Mobile, Computing, Automotive, Robotics, Photography, Health & Bio-Technology, Smart Homes, Communications, Wearables and Home Appliances etc.     

The CES was held from the 6th to the 9th January this year.

Quick facts:

First launched in 1967 in New York, USA

More than 20,000 product launches

10 products are launched per minute

It takes 18 days to setup and take down the CES

It covers an area of 28 football fields

It is closed to public

It started with 17,000 attendees to 160,000 in 2015

Apple has never participated in the event 

Highlights of CES - 2015

Here are some highlights from the show.

The Nikon D5500

Nikon launched its latest entry level DSLR calling it the D5500 looking very similar to the previous D5300. It’s lighter and incorporates a 24.2 mega pixel APS-C sensor. It has 39 autofocus points and is capable of shooting at 5fps. It comes with a 3.2 inch touch screen. GPS has been done away with in this model, so geotagging won’t be possible. But, it comes with Wi-Fi for easy connectivity to other devices.

DELL XPS 13 - 2015 Series

Dell announced the new range of Dell XPS 13 series which, according to industry experts, is here to give MacBook Air a run for its money.  The XPS 13 entry level comes with a 2.1 GHz Core i-3 processor which can be upgraded to the next level Intel’s i-7 processors 3.0 Ghz with turbo boost. 

This laptop comes with very fine thin bezels which give it a very slick look. It comes with IPS Quad HD 13” displays with aspects ratios at 1000:1.

Dell is calling the Ultra sharp Quad HD Infinity display which gives a resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels which is also available in touch screen. Dell has fitted these laptops with high performance batteries which can last up to an astonishing 22 hours depending on hardware configurations.  The laptop is small and compact; it weighs just 2.6 pounds and is 0.33 inches thick. 

BMW Remote Valet Parking Assistant

BMW has introduced what it calls the Remote Valet Parking Assistance System. It’s a laser guided automatic parking assistant specially designed by keeping in mind multi story car parks. It is connected to a smart watch and can be triggered by simple voice commands. The idea is to drop off the driver and then allowing the car to search for a parking spot and park itself.

This new technology also uses the BMW’s 360 degree collision avoidance technology. This system scans the entire parking via laser scanners and identifies empty parking spots. It also detects obstacles and even other cars that are parked incorrectly. When ready the driver can just recall the vehicle via the smart watch and pick up the driver from the desired location. BMW introduced this system by installing it first on its i3 Electric car at the CES 2015.

Garmin Vivo Active - The GPS Smart Watch

Garmin, one of the world leaders in GPS and Satellite Navigation technology, introduced the Vivo Active GPS smart watch which is being termed as one of the best wearable tech this year at the CES.

The smart watch is loaded with health and fitness apps and uses GPS technology to keep track of you and your vitals.  It uses GPS to record swimming, running, cycling, golfing, counting down your calories and, of course, also tells time.  It gives up to three weeks of battery time and connects to your smart phone for calls and messages, email and calendar alerts. 

IO Hawk

IO Hawk is the personal mobility device. It’s 24.65 inches long and weighs a mere 22 pounds. It can do a top speed of 6mph. It’s not like your regular skateboard but can go upto 12 miles on a single charge. Its movement is based to pressure weight direction from your feet and body. It responds accordingly to your balance and leans forward or backward as you desire.

Monster Super Star

Floating Speakers

Monster unveiled its new floating water proof speakers called the Super Star Back Float. The speakers are capable of floating in pools or in a lake and can be connected to an audio source via Bluetooth and also a 3.5 aux connection. It is also capable of receiving calls if connected to a phone. It comes with two built-in speakers that provide high quality monster sound.

Mercedes F105 Luxury in Motion

The Mercedes F105 Luxury car is a concept that Mercedes introduced at the show. The car drove itself to the stage and impressed the audience with its futuristic and slick look. According to Mercedes, they have been working on a driverless automatic car for 30 years. Mercedes wants it customers to think that the F105 will be the third place to be after work and home. A place where people can sleep, relax, socialise and spend quality time with friends and family.     

The car is a four-seater salon with luxury written all over it. An engineering masterpiece and a technical marvel, it showcased itself on stage with its fancy blue LED lights and its saloon doors.

It communicates with pedestrians by telling them when it’s safe to cross the road and can also project a replica of a street zebra crossing on the road. 

The internal cabin is designed as a lounge where people can just relax whilst the car drive itself. The interior has less buttons than a mobile phone and the windows are used to display emails, messages and for video conferencing. The seats also swivel around so people can face each other and interact.   

The engine is electrically powered so it makes no noise and also doesn’t involve a big engine with heavy transmission. 

The Lenovo LaVie Z Laptops

The Lenovo Z are super portable laptops that are jointly produced by Lenovo and NEC. They claim to be the lightest convertible hybrid laptops weighing around just 1.72 pounds and not thicker than an Apple Ipad 2. They use magnesium lithium as the body-build and come with fifth generation Intel Core i7 processors. They come with a 13 inch screen size, with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and an on-board storage of 128 GB.

Sony 4K Action Cam

The Sony FDR-X1000V is Sony’s answer to Go Pro cams. It comes with top specs and superior video quality. It shoots at 3840 x 2160 4K video at 30fps, 1920 x 1080 full HD at 120fps and 1280 x 720 standard HD at 240fps. It can record at 100Mbps with a UHS-1 Class 3 card or 60Mbps and is also capable of saving clean, uncompressed video to an external recorder. The FDR-X1000V is splash-proof, comes with Sony’s SPK-X1 Waterproof Case and is waterproof to a depth of 10m. Like other POV (point of view) action cams, the FDR-1000V uses a fixed focal length super-wide-angle lens - in this case, a 170-degree Zeiss Tessar.

“I’ve been lucky enough to test out the new 4K Action Cam on my skateboard, snowboard and surfboard, and have been blown away by the video quality”, said Tony Hawk, professional skateboarder and official Team Action Cam member. “The camera excelled in every shooting environment; producing stunning 4K footage unlike anything I’ve ever seen before out of a POV camera.”

The HP Sprout

The HP Sprout is the new revolution in desktop computing offered by HP. The new PC from HP is a powerful machine boasting Intel i7 processor range, 8 GB of RAM,  graphics card which has a dedicated 2 GB DDR 3 memory and  a combination of 1 TB hybrid drive and a 8GB Solid state memory for maximum performance. But the story here doesn’t end with the high end machine. It is also equipped with a projector, scanner and multiple cameras.   

HP calls it the illuminator column which is positioned over the display and consists of the built-in projector, scanner and different types of cameras. These capture images, infrared, depth, motion and more. The HP Sprout combines the above hardware with Intel`s Real Sense, a 3D photography tool used for designing, illustrations and much more thanks to custom optics and purpose built software.   

The projected image from the projector is projected onto a specialist integrated touch mat. This touch mat provides capacitive touch with the projected image. The projected screen is designed to diffuse light in a uniform manner so that visibility and accessibility is guaranteed from all angles under all light conditions. The image serves as a second image and projected onto touch pad which tracks the motion of the fingers via 20 point tracking modules.    

The touch mat is also used for scanning images, documents and most interestingly objects. The scanner offers high resolution scanning . This is a particularly intriguing tool that uses the RealSense depth-sensing cameras and Structured Light 3D scanning. The same process used in the Ortery 3D MFP to get a fully rendered 3D scan of any small object that can fit on the 20-inch Touch Mat. The matrix of sensors built into the device helps it to capture these scans in full colour, with high precision and accuracy. The 3D Snapshot software also allows you to take multiple scans of an object from several sides, combining them into a seamless virtual object.