Posts filed under 'Misc / Humour'
Scientists at IBM and The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne are to attempt to precisely model the human neo-cortex. They will use IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer to carry out the project, which may take years.
Relatively little is actually known about how the brain works. Using the digital model scientists will run computer-based simulations of the brain at the molecular level, shedding light on internal processes such as thought, perception and memory. Scientists also hope to understand more about how and why certain microcircuits in the brain malfunction — thought to be the cause of psychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and depression.
“Modeling the brain at the cellular level is a massive undertaking because of the hundreds of thousands of parameters that need to be taken into account,” said Henry Markram, the EPFL professor heading up the project. “IBM has unparalleled experience in biological simulations and the most advanced supercomputing technology in the world. With our combined resources and expertise we are embarking on one of the most ambitious research initiatives ever undertaken in the field of neuroscience.”
The Blue Gene system that will be installed at EPFL will occupy the floor space of about four refrigerators, and will have a peak processing speed of at least 22.8 trillion floating-point operations per second (22.8 teraflops), making it one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world.
June 6th, 2005
Microsoft has made an interesting announcement about the next version of Office, not due until some time in 2006, namely that it will replace its propriety file format with one based on XML.
In the long term this is good news for software developers who have struggled to backwards-engineer the existing formats as Microsoft is notoriously tight-lipped about the current structure. Software such as Open Office has got better over the years at reading and writing in Office formats, but it has never quite got it right, especially with Powerpoint.
The new XML-based format will use what Microsoft calls ‘Microsoft Office Open XML’. Note that it isn’t open source and Microsoft will no doubt maintain tight control over the schema, but they do promise detailed documentation so that developers can easily integrate Office files into their products. There will of course be a delay after the new version of Office is released before other software companies can reproduce the format, unless Microsoft announces any early details of the schema - very unlikely.
Microsoft also promise that the new format will be more robust. If a section of the file becomes corrupted it will be easier to rebuild the file from the unaffected fragments. They also predict smaller file sizes as in addition to the inherently smaller XML overhead, the files will be compressed.
“Making XML the default Office file formats is, for me, the culmination of a 35-year dream,” said Charles F. Goldfarb, the inventor of the markup language technology and author of “The XML Handbook.”
“In 1970 we had just one system that could share documents between an editor, a back-end database and a publishing package. Now Microsoft is enabling hundreds of millions of people to routinely create XML that can interoperate with every kind of back-end system and Web service. I foresee a whole new range of advanced information- sharing scenarios, with improved workflows and enhanced individual and organizational collaboration.”
“Microsoft Office Open XML Formats have the potential to make a hugely positive impact on workers’ effectiveness and productivity without requiring a minute of additional training,” said Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Office at Microsoft. “Customers have asked us for improved file and data management; improved interoperability; and open, royalty-free, published file format specifications — without sacrificing backward compatibility. We’re confident that by adopting XML-based default file formats, we are delivering the tools that will help IT professionals address these challenges, while enabling developers to integrate Office even further into their customized solutions.”
June 2nd, 2005
The Japanese seem to go out of their way to avoid having flesh-and-blood canines in their houses, but that does open them up to the problem of insufficient home security. Of course, the Japanese will always use technology to solve such an issue and in this case they’ve come up with Roborior, a giant eyeball on wheels.
In case you weren’t on the ball Roborior is a cunning amalgam of Robot and Interior, making this an interior robot. It is supposed to be a nice piece of art when not in use and certainly succeeds on that front, but when set into ‘guard-dog’ mode it becomes a highly connected, piece of art on wheels, eagerly looking out for intruders and contacting the owner of the house when it finds one.
“This is a robot that can actually be used in people’s home,” Yuji Kawakubo, the official in charge of Roborior, said Wednesday. “It is inspired by jellyfish, a type of living creature that communicates through light.”
$2,600 will get you a Roborior, but only in Japan. TechSmec.com will keep the pooch we’ve already got.
June 1st, 2005
TechSmec.com has always been a believer in the saying ‘you reap what you sow’ and the plain and simple fact is that in today’s era of the internet you can’t really expect someone to take nude photos of you without them showing up online at some point in your lifetime. However, that’s just what Oregon woman, Cecilia Barnes, aged 48 expected when her then boyfriend took naked pictures of her.
The problem for Cecilia is that the relationship ended, presumably on a sour note, and her ex took to posing as her in Yahoo online chatrooms. He created an online profile that not only showed the pictures, but suggested that she might be more than liberal with her sexual favours.
As a result Barnes was plagued by the more naive users of the internet turning up at her workplace (her kind ex had posted that information as well) expecting to get their collective legs over. Not surprisingly this didn’t go down too well and Barnes asked Yahoo to remove the images. Yahoo allegedly failed to do so, despite several requests and only agreed to take them down after Barnes went to the local television station.
However, Barnes claims the photos are still online and is suing Yahoo for $3 million. Nice money if you can get it.
TechSmec.com is currently looking for a new partner with whom to take nude photos, break up and launch a similar law suit….
May 27th, 2005
If you view RSS feeds in Internet Explorer, but you’ve recently downloaded Netscape 8, you may have noticed a few problems, namely that you can’t see them any more.
“We have just confirmed an issue that has started to be reported on newsgroups and forums that, after installing Netscape 8, the XML rendering capabilities of Internet Explorer no longer work,” wrote Dave Massy, senior programme manager for IE, on the Microsoft IE blog.
He posted the following workaround.
1. Uninstall Netscape 8
2. START->RUN
1. Type: regedit
2. Hit ENTER
3. Navigate to the following:
4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extension
5. Highlight and right-click the node titled “xml” and select delete.
6. Restart Internet Explorer
Unfortunately if Netscape 8 remains installed then the registry key is continually rewritten so this is an essential step if you are to be able to view XML content in IE.
According to AOL, however, this workaround is unnecessary. “This issue affects a very small number of users who visit sites that require that advanced technology,” said Andrew Weinstein, an AOL spokesman, implying that AOL users may not be the most advanced of netizens if they don’t bother with RSS feeds.
“We would not encourage people to uninstall or effect their browser settings,” Weinstein said, attempting to protect Netscape 8’s currently small share of the browser market. “It’s a minor issue.”
Netscape said they would release a fix next week.
May 27th, 2005
It seems like the perfect union, so the only surprise is that it’s taken Apple so long to integrate podcasts into iTunes.
Podcasts are internet-based radio shows that are shaking up the industry. Anyone with a microphone and some basic software can create a podcast and place it online for download to mp3 players. Major broadcasters, such as the BBC, are also joining in by making several of their shows available in podcast format.
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, demonstrated to a US Wall Street Journal technology conference, how the new version of iTunes, available in a few weeks, will allow users to access, organise and manipulate podcasts.
The integration of podcasts into iTunes will surely open up and even larger readership for this new and exciting medium.
May 26th, 2005
Writing down your passwords is secure - that’s the message from Microsoft’s Jesper Johansson, a senior program manager for security policy.
His argument is that most users cannot remember a variety of strong passwords and therefore use the same password for every system, creating a massive security issue. A securely-kept piece of paper with all passwords written down is a better solution.
The comments were made on the opening day of a conference hosted by Australia’s national Computer Emergency Response Team, or AusCERT.
Delegates agreed that Johansson’s comments made sense, but were unsure about the practicalities.
May 25th, 2005
British Telecom futurologist, Ian Pearson, reckons that by 2050 it will be possible to download the contents of the human mind into a computer and that by 2080 it will be a process affordable at all levels of society.
“We are very serious about it,” says Pearson. “That’s how fast this technology is moving: 45 years is a hell of a long time in IT.”
He cites the PS3 as an example of how computing power has increased in recent years, with the new console being 35 times as powerful as its PlayStation ancestor.
TechSmec.com isn’t too sure about this. Just because we will have the computing power to match the human brain, doesn’t mean that we will have the technology to actually interface a computer and the mind. And when we do, why would we want to do it?
Maybe to preserve memories, or perhaps to produce a virtual clone. Perfect for sending into boring meetings - “just deal with my electronic consciousness….I’m on the golf course”. Of course, there is always the possibility of electronic immortality.
We sign off many of our stories by saying ‘we’ll bring you more news as it arrives’. In this case, you might have a long wait. We’ll update you in about 30 years.
Source: The Inquirer
May 24th, 2005
It’s one of the iconic images of late 70s sci-fi - the space billboard, large enough to fill the sky with messages from McDonalds, Burger King and Nike. Think of Bladerunner and you think of a neon hell hovering above your head.
Now the Federal Aviation Administration has moved to ban this, as yet uninvented, threat to the night sky. It has proposed an amendment to its powers which would allow it to regulate advertisements placed in zero gravity.
“Objects placed in orbit, if large enough, could be seen by people around the world for long periods of time,” the FAA said, citing the interests of astronomers as a reason for enforcing a ban.
TechSmec.com wonders what has prompted this move right now. Was the prospect of space billboards about to become a reality? Sponsorship of space missions can only be a short while off now that private, commercial space flight is on the starting blocks, but mile wide billboards floating 100 miles up? Come on….
May 22nd, 2005
You may think that having those tell-tale white earphones plugged into your head while you ride the subway / tube / metro makes you look cool. Well, we’re not arguing, but it also acts as a big sign above your head saying “$400 iPod over here - please steal me!”.
Figures just released by the New York Subway show that although crime as a whole is down, theft is up with no less than 50 iPods reported stolen this year already. That may not seem like many, but it’s 50 more than were stolen in the whole of 2004.
The transit authority are so concerned about how their figures are skewed because of a wave of iPod theft that they are urging you to replace the white earphones with cheaper, less-distinctive models.
So, the thieves won’t know you have an iPod, but then neither will anyone else, and as 90% of the point of owning an iPod is showing off, you might as well have saved your money and bought an iRiver instead.
April 28th, 2005
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