May 23, 2006, 11:55 PM CT

Ultra Wideband Antenna

By taking advantage of a phenomenon that earlier designers had struggled to avoid, engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a new approach to phased-array antenna design that could allow a single ultra-wideband device to do the job of five conventional antennas.

The "Fragmented Aperture Antenna," a computer-designed planar system, has already demonstrated a 33-to-1 bandwidth - well beyond the 10-to-1 ratio achieved by conventional designs. The researchers believe they can extend that range to at least 100-to-1 for use in radar and communication applications.

"Phased array antennas take up space, and if you must have a different antenna for every function - communications, radar and other tasks - the space required can be considerable," noted Paul Friederich, a principal research engineer in GTRI's Signature Technology Lab (STL). "On any military platform, space is at a premium. Our antenna can replace five conventional antennas, which would reduce the weight and volume required for antennas".

The GTRI ultra-wideband antenna would also have applications in most Department of Defense agencies. Current ships must carry dozens of antennas - a problem for all ships, especially submarines. Aircraft have limited surface area for antennas, with weight always a concern. Ground vehicles and even individual soldiers could benefit from reducing the number of antennas they must carry, Friederich noted.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 22, 2006, 10:23 AM CT

Tube Shaped USB Drives

Sold in orange, gold, black or silver colors, the following USB drives, manufactured by Elecom, offer 1GB of memory. Store important files or programs easily with the partitioned (2 section) memory offered. One side is password protected for those sensitive files you might carry with you.

Measuring 19x59mm and weighing 30g this will be a small addition with big space for your USB drive collection. They look extremely sturdy and have still not been announced with a price.

Attachable to a keychain or other easy-to-remember spot.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 22, 2006, 10:07 AM CT

Google Reader Mobile

Google Reader Mobile is now available on your mobile phone. The pages are served using XHTML 1.0 for mobile, including access keys for each list item.

The mobile reader is a good blend of what you would like to configure on your desktop but still access on a more limited input device such as a mobile phone. The mobile interface is purposefully barebones but utilizes features made possible by the full desktop experience such as browsing tagged posts.........

Posted by: Ashley      Permalink         Source

May 18, 2006, 11:43 PM CT

Searching For The Soul In The Machine

If computers could create a society, what kind of world would they make? Thanks to the work of an ambitious project that adds a whole new meaning to the phrase, 'computer society', in which millions of software agents will potentially evolve their own culture, we could be about to find out.

With funding from the European Commission's Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) initiative of the IST programme, five European research institutes are collaborating on the NEW TIES project to create a thoroughly 21st-century brave new world - one populated by randomly generated software beings, capable of developing their own language and culture.

This kind of social interaction is a tantalising prospect for the artificial intelligence (AI) experts, computer scientists, sociologists and linguists working on NEW TIES. The keyword here is 'social.' "While individual (or machine) learning and evolutionary behaviour have been quite well studied, social learning is still an unknown quantity," says project coordinator Gusz Eiben, an AI professor at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Joining the Vrije Universiteit are the University of Surrey, Budapest's Eotvos Loránd University, Edinburgh's Napier University and Tilburg University in The Netherlands. The multidisciplinary team has a dual goal: to study natural processes (like language development), and to advance the construction of collective artificial intelligence.........

Posted by: Ethan      Permalink         Source

May 18, 2006, 11:32 PM CT

Phones Have Changed, But Teenaged Girls Have Not

Cellphones come in many shapes, colors and sizes now, but the teenaged girls who use them may not be very different than the young women who were learning how to use telephones more than 40 years ago.

A University of Alberta study published in the recent issue of Journal of Youth Studies revealed that a group of teen girls aged 14 to 17, while attracted to the cool and hip images of cellular phone advertisements, expressed that a series of advertisements they were shown published in issues of Seventeen magazine from 1960 most reflected their experiences as users. These ads for Bell telephones showed young ladies the uses of a telephone, including helping friends with homework and talking about boys. Many of the teens interviewed identified with these ads and the importance of friendship and responsibility that they showed, said researcher Rachel Campbell, author of the study and a PhD student in sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

In contrast, the freedom-filled world presented in many of today's cellular phone advertisements was not a reality in the eyes of these young women. They viewed their opportunities to 'go out' as limited, particularly when compared to their male friends.

Campbell's study also found that most of the girls she talked with were given cellphones by their parents to keep them safe - a safety that the girls believed was a real concern. The young women recognized their parents' worry and emphasized wanting to be good, responsible daughters. Despite this, some of the girls admitted to occasionally wasting their parents' minutes, "fibbing" about where they were, or refusing to answer the cellphone's ring. Yet, Campbell said, "these actions never deviated far from what was expected by their parents. They still carried the cellphone and called home. They just wanted to create a space for themselves. With the cellphone many even said they 'felt safer'".........

Posted by: Ashley      Permalink         Source

May 18, 2006, 9:57 PM CT

Eco-Friendly IPod Cases from Miniot

No other case can protect your iPod nano like these elgant wooden iPod cases by Miniot. The iWood cases by the company are carved from the single piece of the finest hard-wood.

You can also get your monogram engraved on the top of the case along with a two-line message carved inside. The iWood cases feature concealed steel hinges and stays shut with tiny magnets. The eco-friendly iPod cases are available in limited edition collection and each case will have a serial number.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 14, 2006, 9:51 AM CT

Razer Pro|Solutions Pro v1.6 Mouse

Razer, the makers of the really cool gaming peripherals like the Razer Copperhead, have a new Pro|Solutions line of computer peripherals they are aiming at professional and office users. The Line includes a nice mouse with the rather Borgish name Pro v1.6.

The mouse is an infrared mouse with sensitivity of up to 1600dpi. the Pro|Solutions line uses the same Razer features that made the gaming mice so appealing like always on mode so you never catch the mouse sleeping when you are ready to work. The only difference between the v1.6 and the gaming Diamondback mouse is the color and packaging, basically the v1.6 is an albino Diamondback. ........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 14, 2006, 9:44 AM CT

How to Choose a Laptop or Notebook Computer

Today's laptops are much more powerful than even the hottest desktop computers of yesterday. They're also lighter and much more stylish. A number of people are opting out of desktop computers altogether and use a laptop for all their computer needs. If you're thinking of going this route, check out these shopping tips.

Steps:

1. Read through How to Choose a Desktop Computer. The "Before you shop" points and most of "The basics" also apply when shopping for a laptop.

2. Pick up the laptops at the store. (Ask to have them unlocked if necessary.) Choose one that feels sturdy, solid and not too heavy.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 14, 2006, 9:25 AM CT

The Planisphere Watch For Astronomers

If you always had a keen interest in Astronomy then the Planisphere watch will help you chart the night sky onto your wrist! The watch displays the constellations visible in the northern hemisphere. Just align the date and time and you can view the major constellations visible that evening.

The watch features a durable brass case, scratch resistant crystal dome lens, Japanese quartz movement and a "Super Luminescent" dial that glows for 2 to 3 hours to enable you to view in dark. The mini Planisphere on the dial add to its astronomic-looks. The watch sells for just $50 at ThinkGeek.

Cool factor: Astronomy Feature & Cheap price.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source

May 14, 2006, 9:22 AM CT

Electronic Paper Umbrella

Want to change the themes of your umbrella just like you do on your cell-phones or desktop, then get yourself this innovative Electronic paper Umbrella designed by Hsiao Yong-li. The designer has applied electronic paper on the surface of the MY-DAY umbrella. The storage and computer-chip are putted in the stem, data and electric force flow through umbrella frame. The replaceable storage allows you to change the ambiance of your umbrella at the touch of a button. You can view the various themes by moving the knob and the sound adds more to the special effect.

So, if you have selected the forest ambiance then you can hear the birds chirping to feel like you are actually in the forest. You can now refresh yourself by selecting the sunny-theme ambiance on a rainy day, or even on a hot afternoon. YankoDesign reports that, lot of service points will be available for My-Day in the future which will enable you to download and select your personal themes or even create personal theme for your self.

Cool Factor: Changing Themes & Sound Effect.........

Posted by: Ryan      Permalink         Source