Facebook, Google launch $15 mn prize for scientists who cure deadly diseases

The founders of Google, Facebook and other tech giants have announced a new multi-million-dollar prize for scientists who are working to cure the world’s most devastating diseases. Mark Zuckerberg, his partner Priscilla Chan, Google co-founder Sergei Brin, 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki and Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner will launch 15 million dollars annual Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in hopes of curing cancer and other diseases

Five scientists will be given three million dollars for ‘recognizing excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life,” the New York post reports. Zuckerberg said in a statement that he believes the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences has the potential to provide a platform for other models of philanthropy, so people everywhere have an opportunity at a better future.

According to the paper, the inaugural year of the prize, however, has gone to 11 scientists who will each receive three million dollars to further their scientific research. Among this years winners were Charles L. Sawyer, who the committee singled out for his work on cancer genes, and Shinya Yamanaka, whose research focuses on stem cells. Art Levinson, chairman of the board of Apple and Chairman and former CEO of Genentech, will serve as the Chairman of the Board of Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation, which will distribute the prize money each year, the report said.

The first 11 recipients of the Breakthrough Prize are:

– Cornelia I Bargmann

– David Botstein

– Lewis C. Cantley

– Hans Clevers

– Napoleone Ferrara

– Titia de Lange

– Eric S. Lander

– Charles L. Sawyers

– Bert Vogelstein

– Robert A. Weinberg

– Shinya Yamanaka

All prize winners have agreed to serve on the Selection Committee of the Foundation to choose recipients of future prizes.

“We are thrilled to support scientists who think big, take risks and have made a significant impact on our lives. These scientists should be household names and heroes in society,” said Anne Wojcicki. “Curing a disease should be worth more than a touchdown,” said Sergey Brin. “Priscilla and I are honored to be part of this,” said Mark Zuckerberg. “We believe the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences has the potential to provide a platform for other models of philanthropy, so people everywhere have an opportunity at a better future.” “Solving the enormous complexity of human diseases calls for a much bigger effort compared to fundamental physics and therefore requires multiple sponsors to reward outstanding achievements,” said Yuri Milner.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/facebook-google-launch–15-mn-prize-for-scientists-who-cure-deadly-diseases/1077600/0

Google reveals what users of wearable computer ‘Project Glass’ will see

Google has revealed for the first time what view users will get through its “Project Glass” wearable computer. The glasses allow wearers to see sat-nav directions, take pictures and reply to emails, but until today Google has refused to show how they actually work. But now the firm explained for the first time what looking through its high-tech glasses feels like, the Daily Mail reports. “Want to see how Glass actually feels? It”s surprisingly simple. “Say “take a picture” to take a picture. Record what you see, hands free. Even share what you see, live,” Google said.

“Directions are right in front of you. Speak to send a message, or translate your voice. Get the notifications that matter most. Ask whatever”s on your mind and get answers without having to ask,” the firm added. The firm also said all of the footage was captured through Project Glass, which will come in five colours – black, gray, blue, red or white and have removable shades.

According to the paper, Google also detailed how the first people to get hold of them. Potential “Explorer” early-adopters will have to apply in 50 words or less, including a short video (15 seconds max) and five photographs, to explain what they would do with the early version of Glass, the paper said. They will then have to order a 1,500 dollars Project Glass “Explorer” kit and attend the pick up in New York, LA or San Francisco in person, it added.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/google-reveals-what-users-of-wearable-computer-project-glass-will-se…/1077591/

Apple computers targeted by Facebook ‘hackers’

Tech giant Apple has said its computers were attacked by the same hackers that targeted Facebook last week.

The US-based firm said a small number of its machines were affected, but added there was ‘no evidence’ of data theft.

Last week Facebook said it had traced a cyber attack back to China, which had infiltrated employees” laptops, the BBC reports.

In a statement, the iPhone maker said that it has ‘identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers.’

It added that the firm is working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/apple-computers-targeted-by-facebook-hackers/1076926/

Top iPhone, iPad apps on App Store

Apple app store official charts for the week ending February 18, 2013:

Top Paid iPhone Apps:

1. Clear Vision 2 (DPFLASHES STUDIO)

2. Minecraft – Pocket Edition (Mojang)

3. WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc.)

4. Angry Birds Star Wars (Rovio Entertainment Ltd)

5. Wood Camera – Vintage Photo Editor (Bright Mango)

6. Fruit Ninja (Halfbrick Studios)

7. Plague Inc. (Ndemic Creations)

8. CraftedBattle (C-Apps)

9. Haze (Robocat)

10. Arms Cartel Global (Pixel Addicts)

Top Free iPhone Apps:

1. 4 Pics 1 Word (LOTUM GmbH)

2. Lazors (Pyrosphere)

3. iMadeFace (Keyloft LLC)

4. Temple Run 2 (Imangi Studios, LLC)

5. YouTube (Google, Inc.)

6. What’s the Word? – new quiz with pics and words (RedSpell)

7. Fast Camera (i4software)

8. Infinity Blade (Chair Entertainment Group, LLC)

9. Google Maps (Google, Inc.)

10. Ruzzle (MAG Interactive)

Top Paid iPad Apps:

1. Minecraft – Pocket Edition (Mojang)

2. Angry Birds Star Wars HD (Rovio Entertainment Ltd)

3. Pages (Apple)

4. Fionna Fights – Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)

5. Bad Piggies HD (Rovio Entertainment Ltd)

6. FIFA SOCCER 13 by EA SPORTS (Electronic Arts)

7. Trainz Driver – train driving game and realistic railroad simulator (N3V Games Pty Ltd)

8. Where’s My Perry? (Disney)

9. TETRIS for iPad (Electronic Arts)

10. The Room (Fireproof Games)

Top Free iPad Apps:

1. Infinity Blade (Chair Entertainment Group, LLC)

2. 4 Pics 1 Word (LOTUM GmbH)

3. Temple Run 2 (Imangi Studios, LLC)

4. YouTube (Google, Inc.)

5. Tiny Dentist (fantastoonic)

6. Calculator for iPad Free (International Travel Weather Calculator)

7. Candy Crush Saga (King.com Limited)

8. Skype for iPad (Skype Communications S.a.r.l)

9. Netflix (Netflix,Inc.)

10. What’s the Word HD (RedSpell)

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/top-iphone-ipad-apps-on-app-store/1076938/0

Nature follows a number pattern called Fibonacci

What do pine cones and paintings have in common? A 13th century Italian mathematician named Leonardo of Pisa.Better known by his pen name, Fibonacci, he came up with a number sequence that keeps popping up throughout the plant kingdom, and the art world too.

A fibonacci sequence is simple enough to generate: Starting with the number one, you merely add the previous two numbers in the sequence to generate the next one. So the sequence, early on, is 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on.

NUMBERS AND PLANTS

To see how it works in nature, go outside and find an intact pine cone (or any other cone). Look carefully and you’ll notice that the bracts that make up the cone are arranged in a spiral. Actually two spirals, running in opposite directions, with one rising steeply and the other gradually from the cone’s base to its tip.

Count the number of spirals in each direction a job made easier by dabbing the bracts along one line of each spiral with a colored marker. The number of spirals in either direction is a fibonacci number.

I just counted 5 parallel spirals going in one direction and 8 parallel spirals going in the opposite direction on a Norway spruce cone.Or you might examine a pineapple. Focus on one of the hexagonal scales near the fruit’s midriff and you can pick out three spirals, each aligned to a different pair of opposing sides of the hexagon. One set rises gradually, another moderately and the third steeply. Count the number of spirals and you’ll find eight gradual, 13 moderate and 21 steeply rising ones. Fibonacci numbers again.

Scales and bracts are modified leaves, and the spiral arrangements in pine cones and pineapples reflect the spiral growth habit of stems. To confirm this, bring in a leafless stem from some tree or shrub and look at its buds, where leaves were attached.

The buds range up the stem in a spiral pattern, which kept each leaf out of the shadow of leaves just above it. The amount of spiraling varies from plant to plant, with new leaves developing in some fraction _ such as 2/5, 3/5, 3/8 or 8/13 _ of a spiral. Eureka, the numbers in those fractions are fibonacci numbers!

You can determine the fraction on your dormant stem by finding a bud directly above another one, then counting the number of full circles the stem went through to get there while generating buds in between.

So if the stems made three full circles to get a bud back where it started and generated eight buds getting there, the fraction is 3/8, with each bud 3/8 of a turn off its neighbor upstairs or downstairs. Different plants have favored fractions, but they evidently don’t read the books because I just computed fractions of 1/3 and 3/8 on a single apple stem, which is supposed to have a fraction of 2/5. All are fractions with fibonacci numbers, at least.

NUMBERS AND ART

I haven’t forgotten about the artists. It turns out there are certain proportions we humans generally find pleasing: the rectangular proportions of a painting, for example, or the placement of a focal point in a painting.

In a painting, for example, the Golden Cut states that the ratio of the distance of the focal point from the closer side to the farther side of a painting is the same as the ratio of the distance from the farther side to the painting’s whole width. A pleasing ratio, it turns out, is 0.618… or, if you want to use the inverse, 1.618… . Enter fibonacci: Divide any fibonacci number by the fibonacci number before or after it and you get 0.618… or 1.618…, not exactly at first, but closer and closer the higher the fibonacci number you start with. Try it.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nature-follows-a-number-pattern-called-fibonacci/1076960/0

Microsoft users say goodbye to Hotmail, hello to new Outlook.com

Microsoft has announced that its new webmail service, Outlook.com, is now set to replace Hotmail.com. The software giant said that Outlook.com is coming out of beta testing and is now ready for primetime. The service, which was announced last July, now has 60 million users and will now replace Microsoft’s older webmail system. Microsoft”s Hotmail, which was originally MSN Hotmail, has been online since 1997. Hotmail users will still keep their Hotmail.com email addresses and their contacts and emails will all be moved over, they will just now get a new user interface and all the new features of Outlook.com, ABC News reports. According to the report, Outlook.com was designed with a similar aesthetic to Microsoft”s Windows 8 operating system.

It also includes new social features and a sorting option called Sweep, the report said. The Sweep feature moves newsletters, promotional messages and other recurring emails into their own folders or to the trash, it added.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/microsoft-users-say-goodbye-to-hotmail-hello-to-new-outlook.com/1076963/

HTC says it ‘reinvents smartphone’ with new Android-powered handset

Taiwan-based mobile maker HTC has announced its latest flagship Android phone -the HTC One. Mike Woodward, President of HTC America said that they think ‘it”s time to shake things up in the smartphone space.’ The firm has decided to come out and reinvent the smartphone, he added.

According to Woodward, the One is a complete shift for the industry, built around how people use their phones now, ABC News reports. The report said that HTC”s Android phones have always been known for their top-of-the-line hardware parts and the One is no different. The phone is made entirely of aluminum, no small feat, according to Woodward, who said it took two years to make a good all-metal phone.

It also has a large 4.7-inch, 1080p screen, which is flanked vertically by two speaker strips. (HTC calls it Boomsound.) The phone is fast too, due to its quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM. According to the report, where the One stands out from other Android phones on specs is with its camera. HTC has ditched megapixels for an ultrapixel camera, which would allow users to take much better low-light shots without having to use flash, Woodward said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/htc-says-it-reinvents-smartphone-with-new-androidpowered-handset/1076972/

Ruchi Soya forays into health drinks

Ruchi Soya Industries Limited (RSIL) has expanded their product portfolio by launching ‘N’rich’ in the beverage segment with their flagship brand-Nutrela. RSIL is the first Indian company to export Soya meal and manufacture edible grade Soya flour and textured Soya proteins.

N’rich is a tasty protein drink available in 3 distinct flavours, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which make it a healthy beverage. The flavours are a rich combination of exotic fruits like, Apple Kiwi, Apple Peach and Multifruit. The range of fruit juices are an assortment of traditional Indian and international flavours. The product will be offered in all leading metros.

On the occasion of the launch, Sarvesh Shahra, Head-Foods Division, RSIL said, “While all segments of the beverage market are evolving, the growth seems to be directed more towards healthy, light and low-calorie drinks, in particular organic and fruit juice varieties. We have created N’rich using an innovative technology and recipe that includes ingredients from natural sources, capitalizing on the growing consumer demand for premium and more nutritious products.”

N’rich is a packaged, 100% preservative-free fruit juice brand offering consumers the great taste and wholesome nutrition of fruit juices in a hygienic and attractive pack.

Source: http://metrocitiesnews.wordpress.com/

Launchpad: Samsung REX 90

Samsung REX 90

Samsung has launched a new series of feature phones developed in India. The REX ‘smart’ feature phones are priced between Rs 4,280 and Rs 6,490 and run on the Java platform. The company launched four models. REX phones are dual SIM and let you change SIM cards while the phone is on. They run the TouchWiz interface and two of them support WiFi.

Dell Inspiron 15z

Dell has launched a new model in its mid-range Inspiron laptops. Inspiron 15z is available starting Rs 41,990. The ultrabook comes with a 15.6-inch LED display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels and weighs 2.17 kg. Another variant comes with a touchscreen. The laptop has Intel’s third generation core-series processor and Nvidia GeForce GT630M 2GB graphics card, optimised for Windows 8.

XOLO A1000

Xolo has entered the 5-inch smartphone segment with A1000. The device runs on Android Jelly Bean and has One Glass Solution HD IPS display. Other specs include 1GHz (dual-core) processor, 1GB RAM, 8-MP rear camera and a 2100mAh battery that Xolo claims delivers music playback of 21 hours, and 4GB memory expandable up to 32GB.

MapMyIndia LX340

Digital maps and GPS provider MapmyIndia has added another product — Lx340 Navigator — to its navigation devices portfolio. It has a 4.3-inch display for seamless navigation. Its Don’t Panic software features instant route calculation and re-routing, and has visual and audible alerts for lane guidance, over-speeding and road signs.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/launchpad-samsung-rex-90/1075724/

Scientists discover water on Moon’s oldest rocks

Researchers have detected traces of water within the crystalline structure of one of the oldest rocks obtained from the Apollo missions on Moon. The new findings indicate that the early Moon was wet and that water there was not substantially lost during the Moon’s formation.

The lunar highlands are thought to represent the original crust, crystallised from a magma ocean on a mostly molten early Moon, according to a University of Michigan study.Researchers used Infrared spectroscopy to analyse the water content in grain of plagioclase feldspar from lunar anorthosites – highland rocks composed of more than 90 per cent plagioclase. The bright-coloured highlands rocks are thought to have formed early in the Moon’s history when plagioclase crystallised from a magma ocean and floated to the surface. The infrared spectroscopy work detected about 6 parts per million of water in the lunar anorthosites. “The surprise discovery of this work is that in lunar rocks, even in nominally water-free minerals such as plagioclase feldspar, the water content can be detected.

“It’s not ‘liquid’ water that was measured during these studies but hydroxyl groups distributed within the mineral grain,” researcher Youxue Zhang said in a statement.

“We are able to detect those hydroxyl groups in the crystalline structure of the Apollo samples,” said study’s first author Hejiu Hui from the University of Notre Dame.

The hydroxyl groups the team detected are evidence that the lunar interior contained significant water during the Moon’s early molten state, before the crust solidified, and may have played a key role in the development of lunar basalts.The results also contradict the predominant lunar formation theory that the Moon was formed from debris generated during a giant impact between Earth and another planetary body, approximately the size of Mars.”Because these are some of the oldest rocks from the Moon, the water is inferred to have been in the Moon when it formed,” Zhang said.”That is somewhat difficult to explain with the current popular moon-formation model, in which the Moon formed by collecting the hot ejecta as the result of a super-giant impact of a martian-size body with the proto-Earth.

“Under that model, the hot ejecta should have been degassed almost completely, eliminating all water,” Zhang said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/scientists-discover-water-on-moons-oldest-rocks/1075845/0