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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Asus UL20A-A1 12.1 Inch Notebook Review

This popular “sub-notebook” us the best value for money offering of all the 12.1 inch screen ASUS notebooks. It offers less battery life than the more expensive models, but makes up for that in the slightly lower price.

The Asus UL20A hits that spot between a full notebook and the ever-popular netbooks. It costs the same as a high-end netbook, but offers a larger screen, and performance and specifications that are more typical on a notebook computer.

Here’s some of the features:

1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core2 Duo CPU2GB of memory250GB SATA hard drive12.1 inch WXGA LED LCD displayWifi 802.11 b/g/nWebcam and built-in microphone and speakersWindows 7 Home Premium

The weight of the Asus UL20A is a little high. Netbooks come in at less than 3lbs, whilst this model weights 5.4lbs. Not a major setback, but a little heavy for a computer of this size. UPDATE: this model comes in at 4.18lbs which is much more reasonable and pretty standard for this size. Not too much effort to lug it around. Will give you a bit of workout if you drag it around all day. The ultra-thin design is very appealing however, so despite the weight it still fits comfortably in a big bag of backpack.

The speed will not disappoint; with a processor that is pretty well specced. The memory is what helps the most and the system will be able to handle as many of the standard programs you care to throw at it: web browsing, instant messaging, typing documents and even doing graphics will all be fine. As with all notebooks, fast 3D games will not handle very well.

The not so technical features are worth noting too. The battery lasts for up to 8 hours, which is most of the day. There’s an accidental damage warranty which covers against some common things like spilling coffee on the keyboard and touts a 3 business day turnaround time for repairs.

Overall a decent amount of power in a very thin package.

Good:

Very thinLong battery lifeLarge hard drivePowerful

Not so good:

Tags: 12.1 inch, Asus, Laptop and Notebook Computer Reviews, notebook computer reviews, windows 7


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ICOO A80 MP3 Player

ICOO A80 MP3 Player

Featuring a magnesium alloy body, the A80 is the latest MP3 player from ICOO. The player comes with touch sensitive control buttons, a quick charge function (5 minutes charging for 120 minutes of continuous music playback) and supports a wide range of audio formats. Pricing info is still unknown at the moment.

TechFresh, ICOO A80 MP3 Player

See also:


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World's fastest Rubik's cube solving machine does it in a little over 10-seconds

World's fastest Rubik's cube solving machine does it in a little over 10-seconds

Gone are the days where solving a Rubik's cube in under a minute is considered an achievement. The students at the Swinburne University of Technology have created a robot that can do it in seconds - less than 11 seconds in fact. Called Ruby, the puzzle solving machine managed to solve a randomized cube, including the time it took to scan the toy, in just a little over 10 seconds: 10.69 seconds to be exact. The robot uses a web cam to scan the scrambled cube, and then uses a software algorithm to figure out what moves it needs to make in order to solve it.



Ubergizmo, World's fastest Rubik's cube solving machine does it in a little over 10-seconds

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Sony Vaio C class released

Read about it fully here.

Today, Sony announced their newest line of models, the C class. It isn’t that much different than the E class (EA ,EB, EC) except for a few noticeable difference. Like the E class, it comes in different sizes, 14 and 15 inch models, and has an optical drive.What separates it from the E class, is how much flashier it is. It looks thinner than the EA, comes in bright neon colors, and has some kind of design that “radiates” light through the edges, keys, and VAIO logo. Sony also claims to have included a sort of Multimedia Suite that looks like it is targeted toward the Mac iLife Suite. It also packs an optional hybrid graphics system. The sole fact that it has a backlit keyboard makes this a better computer than E series. Pricing starts at $800.


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Shuttle Crew Prepares to End Mission

The STS-134 crew members were awakened at 4:57 p.m. CDT with the song “Sunrise Number 1,” performed by the band Stormy Mondays. This song was chosen in an online vote of the general public as the winner in the Space Shuttle Program’s Original Song Contest, which attracted 1350 entrants.

The shuttle crew begins deorbit preparations at 8:26 p.m. and should close Endeavour payload bay doors at 9:49 p.m. By 12:19 a.m. Wednesday Entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci will poll his team for a “go” or “no-go” on the deorbit burn; assuming the decision is “go,” Commander Mark Kelly will fire Endeavour’s engines at 12:29 a.m. to slow the orbiter enough for it to fall out of orbit and begin the last leg of its trip, concluding with a touchdown on runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 1:35 a.m.

Space shuttle Atlantis will begin its journey to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A at 8 p.m. EDT and the four-member crew of STS-135, the final shuttle mission, will field media questions at 8:30 p.m. Both events will be live on NASA Television and the NASA web at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
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New NASA Map Reveals Patterns Of Tropical Forest Carbon Storage

Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
 
Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

WASHINGTON -- A NASA-led research team has used a variety of NASA satellite data to create the most precise map ever produced depicting the amount and location of carbon stored in Earth's tropical forests. The data are expected to provide a baseline for ongoing carbon monitoring and research and serve as a useful resource for managing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

The new map, created from ground- and space-based data, shows for the first time the distribution of carbon stored in forests across more than 75 tropical countries. Most of that carbon is stored in the extensive forests of Latin America.

"This is a benchmark map that can be used as a basis for comparison in the future when the forest cover and its carbon stock change," said Sassan Saatchi of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., who led the research. "The map shows not only the amount of carbon stored in the forest, but also the accuracy of the estimate." The study was published May 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Deforestation and forest degradation contribute 15 to 20 percent of global carbon emissions, and most of that contribution comes from tropical regions. Tropical forests store large amounts of carbon in the wood and roots of their trees. When the trees are cut and decompose or are burned, the carbon is released to the atmosphere.

Previous studies have estimated the carbon stored in forests on local and large scales within a single continent, but there existed no systematic way of looking at all tropical forests. To measure the size of the trees, scientists typically use a ground-based technique, which gives a good estimate of how much carbon they contain. But this technique is limited because the structure of the forest is extremely variable and the number of ground sites is very limited.

To arrive at a carbon map that spans three continents, the team used data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System lidar on NASA's ICESat satellite. The researchers looked at information on the height of treetops from more than 3 million measurements. With the help of corresponding ground data, they calculated the amount of above-ground biomass and thus the amount of carbon it contained.

The team then extrapolated these data over the varying landscape to produce a seamless map, using NASA imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, the QuikScat scatterometer satellite and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission.

The map reveals that in the early 2000s, forests in the 75 tropical countries studied contained 247 billion tons of carbon. For perspective, about 10 billion tons of carbon is released annually to the atmosphere from combined fossil fuel burning and land use changes.

The researchers found that forests in Latin America hold 49 percent of the carbon in the world's tropical forests. For example, Brazil's carbon stock alone, at 61 billion tons, almost equals all of the carbon stock in sub-Saharan Africa, at 62 billion tons.

"These patterns of carbon storage, which we really didn't know before, depend on climate, soil, topography and the history of human or natural disturbance of the forests," Saatchi said. "Areas often impacted by disturbance, human or natural, have lower carbon storage."

The carbon numbers, along with information about the uncertainty of the measurements, are important for countries planning to participate in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program. REDD+ is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests. It offers incentives for countries to preserve their forestland in the interest of reducing carbon emissions and investing in low-carbon paths of development.

The map also provides a better indication of the health and longevity of forests and how they contribute to the global carbon cycle and overall functioning of the Earth system. The next step in Saatchi's research is to compare the carbon map with satellite observations of deforestation to identify source locations of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

- end -
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Computers With The Best Video Options

When it comes to your video management system, you want to find a machine that handle this software well. This can be difficult, due to the amount of RAM that video require to be efficient, not to mention the necessary processing power. It is a good idea to consider your options for the best computing systems to meet your need or the needs of your business.

Desktop vs. Laptop

Today’s laptops are more powerful than ever. You can find laptops with a good amount of RAM, as well as high processing power. However, it is important to note that no matter how great your laptop is, there is a good chance that a desktop will be a less expensive option to provide what you need to keep your video management system going.

For most projects, it is possible to make use of a laptop with its built in cameras and video editing software. You are able to make the most of your mobility, however, for those who need some serious RAM and processing power, desktops are likely to also do the job. Bulky frames and energy consumption may play a role in considering a laptop over a desktop. Also, when you might need to upgrade your equipment, many laptop will automatically search for software updates to save you time. It is worth remembering that you are likely to get power for your buck with a desktop. It really depends on the options you consider most important, and the price you’re willing to pay.

PC or Mac?

Another concern is whether or not you want a PC or Mac. It comes down to personal preference in a lot of cases, and the system that is easiest to navigate for you. When you are dealing with video material, MAC are suggested by some consumers, since there computing systems were designed to deal with processing speed necessary for video. Keywords for Mac also make it easy to navigate between and within programs.

For gaming video, there are those who prefer a PC to a Mac. Serious gamers can look to Alienware for options, and, if you will be doing video editing as well, Alienware offers compatible software that can be quite helpful. Whenever you are video editing, though, it is usually helpful to have at least one additional monitor. You will also want monitors that are large enough to accommodate your needs.

Bottom Line

Choosing a computer for your video management system should be a process that takes extensive research as to which systems will mesh with your needs. Realistically ascertain your needs, and then decide what type of machine is most likely to give you the most bang for your buck.


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Over the Earth

Earth's atmosphere and a starry sky just off the port wing of the docked space shuttle Endeavour are the subject of this image photographed by the Expedition 28 crew, while the shuttle was docked with space station on the STS-134 mission.

Endeavour and the STS-134 crew undocked from the station on Monday, May 30, and landing is slated for 2:35 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 1 at the Kennedy Space Center.

Image Credit: NASA
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Digital Forensics: Regional Labs Help Solve Local Crimes

In 2008, Illinois police received disturbing information about a Chicago woman who had taken a 3-year-old to a “sex party” in Indiana where the child and an 11-year-old girl were abused by three adults. However, by the time the tip was received, the crime had already occurred, and there seemed to be no evidence to support criminal charges.

But there was evidence, buried deep within the woman’s computer, and examiners from our Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) in Chicago found it—a deleted e-mail titled “map to the party” that contained directions to an Indiana hotel. The evidence led to charges against all three adults, who were later convicted of aggravated sexual abuse and are currently in prison serving life sentences.

“That’s just one example of what we do every day,” said John Dziedzic, a Cook County Sheriff’s Office forensic examiner who is the director of the Chicago RCFL. “Evidence we produce here—and testify to in court—is crucial in a variety of major investigations.”

The FBI established the first RCFL in San Diego in 2000, and today there 16 Bureau-sponsored labs located around the country, staffed by agents and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (see sidebar).

Each facility is a full-service forensics laboratory and training center devoted to examining digital evidence in support of investigations—everything from child pornography and terrorism to violent crime and economic espionage cases.

Using sophisticated tools and technology, RCFLs analyze evidence from all kinds of electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, video game consoles, and even reel-to-reel tapes.

“Anything that can store data electronically can be analyzed,” said Special Agent Justin Poirier, deputy director of the Chicago RCFL.

RCFL examiners—all certified by the FBI—specialize in locating encrypted, deleted, or damaged file information that could be used as evidence in an investigation.

“Digital evidence has become part of just about every type of investigation,” Poirier said, “because today everybody uses computers and portable electronics such as cell phones.”

The benefit of having a regional forensic facility, he added, is that the FBI can bring its expertise and training directly to where it is needed.

“The idea is to create regional resources,” Poirier explained. “We train the state and local examiners, who make a three-year commitment to the RCFL. When they return to their agencies, they have expertise and access they didn’t have before. And in the process, we build lasting relationships with our regional partners.”

Dziedzic added, “Instead of sending evidence to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, we can analyze it much faster here in our own backyard.”

Chicago’s RCFL was established in 2003 and consists of five FBI employees and 13 examiners from agencies including the Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is the only digital forensics lab in Illinois to be accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board.

“Accreditation is the gold standard when it comes to prosecuting cases and testifying in court,” Dziedzic said. “It means that we operate at the highest professional standards.”

“Criminals are using more sophisticated electronic methods to commit crimes,” Poirier said. “This regional approach to digital forensics—pairing the Bureau with local law enforcement to collaborate on cases—is the future for law enforcement. It really works.”

RCFL By the Numbers
The Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory program, a national initiative funded and administered by the FBI, recently released its annual report for fiscal year 2010. Below are a few of the program’s accomplishments. For more information, read the entire report.

- Number of RCFLs nationwide: 16
- Participating agencies: 130, from 17 states
- Examinations conducted: 6,564
- Examiner court testimony: 80
- Computer hard drives processed: 57,067
- Agencies making requests: 722
- Training conducted: 7,403 law enforcement personnel.
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Lockheed-Martin Purchases D-Wave's First Quantum Computer

D-WaveD-Wave out of Canada has just sold the first of its commercial quantum computers and they sold it to Lockheed-Martin. However, it wasn't as easy as your average sale. Despite the fact that D-Wave managed to make the sale, the company had to do it despite a debate over whether it truly was a quantum computer.

Back in February 2007 D-Wave demonstrated a machine that could solve problems regular computers are incapable of solving, in principle that is. The reason it is only in principle is because the tests run on the computer were not impossible on a regular computer. This created a fair bit of doubt among some that the chip was actually performing quantum-mechanical computations.

The computer works differently than the regular "gate model" of quantum computing where a series of quantum bits can be encoded as either 0, 1 or both simultaneously. D-Wave's machine uses something researchers are calling "adiabatic quantum computing" or "quantum annealing". However, some people disagree that this process is actually, truly quantum computing.

But despite all this, Lockheed-Martin wasn't turned away. The company just recently signed a deal with D-Wave to purchase a quantum computer for an estimated $10 million. This agreement will span multiple years and include system maintenance as well as various other professional services.

As of right now, it is unclear what Lockheed-Martin plans on doing with the computer. However, according to D-Wave's President and CEO Vern Brownell, "Our combined strength will provide capacity for innovation needed to tackle important unresolved computational problems of today and tomorrow. Our relationship will allow us to significantly advance the potential of quantum computing."

This is the second biggest deal the company has signed in the past couple of years with the biggest being a tie-up with Google in order to improve image search algorithms. Despite the fact that D-Wave's technology has not been 100% proven, Lockheed-Martin has still seen it as worthy of a $10 million investment. If anything, it gives them first access to this kind of technology.

Source: Wired - D-Wave sells its first 'quantum' computer

SMBnow.com is news of, for and by SMBs!
SMBnow.com... The Small & Medium Business Magazine!
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Space Shuttle Endeavour Returns to Earth for Final Time Wednesday

Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington                                   
 
Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
 
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to return to Earth for the final time on Wednesday, June 1, completing a 16-day mission to outfit the International Space Station. If Endeavour lands Wednesday, it will have spent 299 days in space and traveled more than 122.8 million miles during its 25 flights. It launched on its first mission on May 7, 1992.

Wednesday's landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are at 2:35 a.m. and 4:11 a.m. EDT. Endeavour's entry flight control team led by Tony Ceccacci will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour to land. If the shuttle is unable to return Wednesday, additional opportunities are available on Thursday at Kennedy and at backup landing site Edwards Air Force Base in California. For recorded updates about landing, call 321-867-2525.

Approximately two hours after Endeavour lands, NASA officials will hold a briefing to discuss the mission. The participants will be:
-     Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations
-     Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager
-     Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director

After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo routine physical examinations and meet with their families. The crew is expected to participate in a post-landing news conference about six hours after landing. Availability is subject to change due to real time circumstances. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

The Kennedy Press Site will be open for shuttle Atlantis’ rollout to Launch Pad 39A scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday and will remain open until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

News media representatives who have been approved for STS-134 mission badges but have not picked them up yet may do so at NASA's Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3 on May 31 from 4 - 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on June 1. The last bus will depart from the news center for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour before landing.

If the shuttle landing is diverted to Edwards after Wednesday, reporters should call the public affairs office at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at 661-276-3449. Dryden has limited facilities available for previously accredited journalists.

The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To follow, visit http://www.twitter.com/nasa.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For the latest information about the STS-134 mission and accomplishments, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Review MSI X420 Laptop


 
 
 
 
 












 Nme

 Cpu
Intel®   Core 2 Duo SU7300
 Cpu speed
1,3GHz
 Ram
 DDR3
Ram size
4GB
 Hard drive
 Go 500 5400 rpm  
  graphic
ATI Radeon HD5430

/
screen
14"
sys
 Windows®  7  Home Premium   64-bit

Laptop
 Cost

864,00€ 

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Docked One Last Time

Backdropped by a night time view of the Earth and the starry sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is photographed docked at the International Space Station on May 28, 2011. The STS-134 astronauts left the station the next day on May 29, after delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and performing four spacewalks during Endeavour's final mission.

Image Credit: NASA
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Handling Events with the Microsoft Reactive Extensions

The Microsoft Reactive Extensions (RX) are a library of methods and types that extend the LINQ standard query operators to encompass event-based data sources and asynchronous operations. RX extends the ability of LINQ to handle dynamic observable collections.

In the traditional LINQ model, you define an enumerable collection of objects, and then iterate over that collection and process each item in turn. The collection that you iterate over must provide a means of enumerating elements in that collection, and so it commonly implements the IEnumerable interface (either directly or indirectly, possibly via the IQueryable interface). The IEnumerable interface defines the GetEnumerator method which returns an IEnumerator object. This object actually does the work of retrieving elements from the collection, providing a property called Current which returns the current item from the collection, and a method named MoveNext which is used to move on to the next item in the collection (returning true if there is such an item, or false if there are no more items). LINQ enables you to write code that looks like this, where customers is an enumerable collection of customer objects:
var customersAgedOver30 = from cust in customers
where cust.Age > 30
select cust;

foreach (var customer in customersAgedOver30)
{
ProcessCustomer(customer);
}

This much is “old hat”, and most .NET Framework developers are familiar with this model. However, the scheme specified by implementing the IEnumerable interface is focused on explicitly pulling data, on-demand, from the data source. If there is no data left, the MoveNext method of the enumerator returns false, and the application processing the data assumes that that is no more data to fetch so it stops trying to retrieve any more.

RX takes the view that not all collections match this behavior. Instead, RX enables you to define an observable collection. An observable collection is a dynamic set containing a potentially infinite number of elements; new elements may be added to the collection at any time. If you want to examine the data in this collection, then merely attempting to enumerate the elements that it contains is no longer an appropriate strategy (enumerating an infinite collection will take a very long time!). The Observer pattern provides an ideal solution to this problem, based on pushing data out to parties that are interested in it. This pattern has been around for years, and is well-documented by Gamma et al in their Design Patterns book.

The Observer pattern defines two types of entity: subjects that expose data, and observers that need to know when this data changes. A subject provides a means to enable observers to register their interest, and then notifies these observers when data is updated. In the past, the .NET Framework has supported the Observer pattern through the ObservableCollection class, but RX enables a more generalized implementation through the Observer and Notification types, together with a number of extension methods that make the functionality of these types accessible through LINQ. Using RX, you can easily convert an enumerable collection into an observable one simply by applying the ToObservable extension method, and then you can create an observer by using the Subscribe method of the observable collection; this method expects you to provide a delegate to a method that runs as each element in the collection is observed.

In its simplest form, you might simply consider RX as a simple recasting of code to iterate through enumerable collections. However, the real power of RX lies in being able to apply LINQ semantics to data that was previously non-enumerable. Consider a device capturing data such as the locations and magnitude of seismic waves caused by an earthquake and raising an event each time a new shock was detected. If you were writing a Windows program to capture and process this data, you would typically add a handler that listens to the corresponding events emitted by the device with code similar to this:

EventDataSource earthQuakeDataSource = new EventDataSource();
...
earthQuakeDataSource.EarthquakeDetected += (source, eventArgs) => ProcessData(eventArgs);


Now suppose that you wanted to filter the data so that it only detected earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more. You might amend the code in this way.

earthQuakeDataSource.EarthquakeDetected += source, eventArgs) =>
{
if (eventArgs.Magntitude >= 5)
ProcessData(eventArgs);
};

Additionally, consider what you might need to do if the eventArgs object contains a lot of information that is superfluous to the ProcessData method, and that you only want to pass the data in the Location property (specifying the coordinates of the epicenter of the earthquake) of this object to the ProcessData method:

earthQuakeDataSource.EarthquakeDetected += (source, eventArgs) =>
{
if (eventArgs.Magntitude >= 5)
ProcessData(eventArgs.Location);
};

Each of these coding changes is arguably quite small, but each one starts to obscure the information that you are passing to the ProcessData method. As you add more conditions (for example, suppose you wanted to refine the data further and only capture the details of earthquakes recorded in Alaska), the code could quickly become much more complicated. If you need to change the magnitude and location requirements at a later date, you could quite easily miss the code that implements them.

If you think about it, what you are actually doing is applying a predicate to filter the data, and then performing a projection operation. This is exactly the sort of thing that LINQ is good at with its where and select operators. However, events are not an enumerable data source, and applying LINQ to them was quite tricky. RX fixes this.

With RX you can observe events using the static FromEventPattern method of the Observable class. This is a generic method that takes the event source and the name of the event as arguments. You can then subscribe to this observable collection and arrange for a piece of code to be run to be run each time a new event is detected, as follows.

var earthquakeEvents = Observable.FromEventPattern<QuakeEventArgs>(earthQuakeDataSource, "QuakeDetected");

var subscription = earthquakeEvents.Subscribe(args => ProcessData(args.EventArgs.Location));

Note: Although it exhibits some collection behavior, the earthquakeEvents variable is not really a true collection; the data defined for each event is not retained in any form of queryable structure, and once the corresponding notification to call the ProcessData method has been fired the data that defines the event is discarded.

The Observable class provides extension methods that enable you to apply LINQ operators, so to filter and project the earthquake event data as specified earlier you can simply add the appropriate where and select clauses:

var earthquakeEvents = from evt in Observable.FromEventPattern<QuakeEventArgs>(earthQuakeDataSource, "QuakeDetected")
where evt.Magnitude >= 5
select evt.EventArgs.Location;

var subscription = earthquakeEvents.Subscribe(args => ProcessData(args));

At first glance it might seem that the FromEventPattern really does little more than provide an alternative syntax for handling events, but as soon as you adopt this approach you can quickly start to gain from many of the other benefits that RX provides. To extend the earthquake device scenario, suppose that you wanted to stop monitoring for earthquake events if the user pressed the Escape key on the keyboard. In the traditional approach, you might add another event handler to listen for keyboard events, filter these events to determine whether the user had pressed the Escape key, and then unsubscribe the earthquakeDataSource from the EarthquakeDetected event. You can achieve the same results with RX by observing the KeyDown event, and then applying the TakeUntil method to combine the two event observations together, as follows:
var earthquakeEvents = from evt in Observable.FromEventPattern<QuakeEventArgs>(earthQuakeDataSource, "QuakeDetected")
where evt.Magnitude >= 5
select evt.EventArgs.Location;

var escapeKeyPressed = from key in Observable.FromEventPattern<KeyEventArgs>(this, "KeyDown")
where key.EventArgs.Key == Key.Escape
select key;

var dataUntilEscPressed = earthquakeEvents.TakeUntil(escapeKeyPressed);

var subscription = dataUntilEscPressed.Subscribe(args => ProcessData(args));

The TakeUntil method causes the subscription to the first observable event to be canceled if an instance of the event defined by its parameter occurs.

Using RX to subscribe events enables you to separate the code that handles the events from the definitions of those events, leading to more easily readable and maintainable code. Additionally, the ability that RX provides for composing and combining events together makes for a very elegant solution to many common event-handling problems.
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Apple provide iWork package users of iPhone and iPod Touch

Apple released a while ago and before the date of the Conference of Apple's global developer update to iWork package to work with iPhones and iPod Touch, where she was previously working with the iPad, but only now has become a comprehensive programs.

And talking about this update, Phil Schiller, vice president of global marketing for Apple:

Now you can use Elkinot, Pages Nmprz and on the iPhone and iPod Touch to make wonderful presentations, documents, spreadsheets, the palm of your hands. Ritna wonderful screen, interface URL About Touch and the wonderful and powerful system makes it so the industry documents, edit, and share is easy with the iPhone iPod Touch 4.

All programs in the package containing the same properties Balaibad but now has become available on the iPhone and iPod Touch and became a comprehensive program to support the two devices together.

If you purchased the software previously, you can update for free to run on the iPhone or iPod Touch or purchase each program on the unit value of $ 9.99:

From here
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Steve Jobs : the Lion and iCloud iOS 5 on June 6

Apple announced in a press statement that the premiere (Keynote) to Developers Conference WWDC 2011 submitted by the company's chief executive Steve Jobs. Will be next Monday June 6 at 10 am

Crowd out Apple on Monday unveiled the next operating system coming from the Mac Mac OS X Lion and the next operating system for mobile devices (iPhone and iPod Touch and iPad) iOS 5 and service iCloud (cloud) to come.
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Theme for Iphone and ipad touch

Beautiful theme to download for your iphone and ipad touch

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6695/djcarpenterdeliversbyzo.jpg
Download from here.. / 
 MediaFire / http://www.mediafire.com/?dwaa8f4wzbrys4a
MegaUpload / http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QEUVEFG4
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Endeavour Prepares for Return Home

Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday, ending a stay of 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes at the orbiting laboratory.

Pilot Greg Johnson, at the aft flight deck controls, flew Endeavour in a circle around the station at distances of about 450 to 650 feet. Crew members took still and video images of the station.

As Johnson was about to begin the flyaround, Commander Mark Kelly radioed mission control that he could see the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle physics detector Endeavour had brought to orbit. "It's a new day for science on the space station," he said to mission control.

After the flyaround and a separation burn, Kelly took the controls for a test of an automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation. Endeavour moved about 20,000 feet above and behind the station, then to a point below and behind it.

Kelly subsequently maneuvered the shuttle on a rendezvous-like course, winding up at a point about 950 feet below the station. There the shuttle did a separation burn, beginning its departure from the area with the STORRM sensors still tracking the station until contact was lost. Initial reports were that the test had produced good data. All Endeavour crew members, including Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff, were scheduled for almost four hours of STORRM work.
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STORRM Complete, Endeavour Sets Course for Final Return to Earth

At 4:38 a.m. EDT, Endeavour fired its jets to complete the final separation from the International Space Station, setting it on its course for return to Earth Wednesday, June 1. The shuttle will begin to increase its distance behind the station with each trip around Earth.

The shuttle's re-rendezvous with the space station for the Sensor Test for Orion Relative-navigation Risk Mitigation, or STORRM, was completed as planned, with Commander Mark Kelly flying Endeavour to an approach within about 950 feet of the station as the systems visual navigation system was tested.

Today's Mission Status Briefing is at 6:30 a.m. with Space Shuttle Lead Flight Director Gary Horlacher and Heather Hinkel, principal investigator for the Sensor Test for Orion Relative-navigation Risk Mitigation, or STORRM, system.
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RFMD expands portfolio of broadband components with new IQ modulators

GREENSBORO, USA: RF Micro Devices Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency components and compound semiconductor technologies, has extended its portfolio of broadband components to include two new low power IQ Modulators featuring integrated fractional-N synthesizers and voltage controlled oscillators (VCO).

The RFMD2080 and RFMD2081 are broadband devices capable of generating output frequencies from 45MHz to 2700MHz. They are suitable for a wide range of applications, including satellite communications, Point-to-Point radio, software defined radio, and other wireless and wireline applications requiring QPSK/QAM modulators. The broadband nature of the components and the integration of the local oscillator offer customers a competitive combination of functionality, versatility, and size.

The RFMD2080 features a baseband interface incorporating programmable filtering and gain control. Optimized for low power operation, the device has current consumption of 150mA from a 3V supply, allowing customers to create more environmentally friendly systems with reduced power consumption. Both the RFMD2080 and RFMD2081 are programmable using a simple 3-wire serial interface and offered in QFN 5x5mm packages.

Alastair Upton, general manager of RFMD's Broadband Components Business Unit, said: "RFMD's new IQ Modulator products significantly reduce implementation size and complexity, power consumption and cost for our customers. We are very pleased to offer these market-leading devices, which leverage our optimal technology matching (OTM) strategy and highlight our 'green' approach to product development and performance."
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Backlit Keyboards

How Important are they?

Possibly one of the most underrated features in laptops today is the backlit keyboard. This is not, and never really was, an issue with desktops for I don’t know many people who enjoy working at a desk in the dark. With a laptop these days, there are very few places people will not try to get work done. The most common useful places for backlit keyboards are darkened lecture halls (for powerpoint presentations) and business meetings with similar settings. Another time I find that the backlit keyboard a godsend is on a night flight. Yeah, you could turn on the crummy yellowish light above you, bothering not only the person next to trying to sleep, but almost making yourself queazy by the gross color cast caused by the light. Instead of having to disrupt a complete stranger that I would be sharing a cramped space with for a few hours, the automatic backlight provides exactly what I need to clearly see every key on my keyboard.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, certain keyboards have a “backlit” function where LED lights behind each key light up when the light sensors deems necessary. This way if you are in the dark, the keys will light up, making it easier to type. While being able to touch type has made looking at the keyboard only a once in a while thing, it is nice to be able to correct a mistake without having to squint at the keys.

This feature was originally targeted towards businessmen,who are  the ones most often in dark meeting rooms and dimly lit airline cabins. Today, many jobs require the use of laptops outside of the actual work day. This means the possibility of not working in ideal conditions such as a well lit office. This was the biggest letdown when using a netbook for a weekend a while back, I couldn’t see the keys while on the plane. This feature is typically only on the higher end models, such as the professional or business line. While it comes standard on all Macbook Pros and the Sony Vaio Z series, it is not available on the Macbook. This was seen as such an important feature, that a mod used to be available online for the iBook(it had a translucent keyboard) to add LEDs giving it a backlit keyboard. Lenovo’s ThinkPad line goes about this in a different way. Instead of having LEDs behind each key, it has a light that sits next to the camera above the screen. The light is not automatic, so it has to be turned on and off via the keyboard, but it does light up the keyboard. I believe this is a lower cost option and possibly more robust way of doing it. Though it does the same thing as a backlit keyboard, I do think it is more distracting.

I have not seen this feature standard on any sub $1000 for the most part, but it is un upgradeable option for certain machines such as the Toshiba M645. The 13 inch Macbook Pro and Macbook have identical specs except for a different material for the unibody, and less ports, but this may be a solid reason to step up to the $200 more expensive Macbook Pro. I was very disappointed to see that the Macbook Air no longer has a backlit keyboard. This could honestly be a deal breaker for those looking at it for a lightweight business laptop. While keyboard lights are cheap and available online, it is pretty un-Mac like to have whip out a USB light every time you have to work in the dark.


View the original article here

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Genesis Photonics places multi-unit order for MaxBright MOCVD systems

PLAINVIEW, USA: Veeco Instruments Inc. announced that Taiwan based Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) has placed a multi-unit order for Veeco’s recently released TurboDisc MaxBright Multi-reactor MOCVD System. GPI will use the systems to increase capacity for the production of high brightness light emitting diodes (HB LEDs) being driven by applications such as backlighting, lighting, displays, and automotive.

David Chung, chairman and CEO of GPI, commented: "We have been very pleased with the production proven performance of Veeco's K465i MOCVD systems already installed in our manufacturing facility. They helped us to achieve LED brightness higher than the industry average. By now adding Veeco’s new MaxBright systems, we will further lower our LED manufacturing costs, maximize our fab space, and accelerate our productivity.”

William J. Miller, executive VP, Veeco LED & Solar, added: “It is gratifying to have the MaxBright system selected by GPI, one of Taiwan’s top LED manufacturers. Our customers are resonating with the message that the MaxBright system can deliver more good LEDs for less money than other tools on the market. We are particularly pleased that GPI is choosing MaxBright, which further solidifies our relationship with this important customer as they grow their position in the LED industry.”
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Endeavour Undocks from Station

At 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday, space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station. Endeavour spent 11 days, 17 hrs and 41 minutes docked to the orbiting laboratory. At undocking, the spacecraft were 215 miles above LaPaz, Bolivia.

The fly around of the space station will begin at 12:22 a.m., with Pilot Greg Johnson maneuvering Endeavour to circle the station at a distance of about 600 feet. The shuttle crew members will take detailed photographs of the external structure of the station, which serves as important documentation for the ground teams in Houston to monitor the orbiting laboratory.

Once the shuttle completes 1.5 revolutions of the complex, Johnson will fire Endeavour’s jets to leave the area. Nearly two hours after undocking a second firing of the engines, which would normally take the shuttle further away, will serve as the first maneuver to bring Endeavour back toward the station for the Sensor Test for Orion Relative-navigation Risk Mitigation, or STORRM. Commander Mark Kelly will pilot Endeavour for the re-rendezvous.

The test will characterize the performance of sensors in Endeavour’s payload bay and acquisition of reflectors on the shuttle’s docking target at the station. The re-rendezvous will mimic the Orion vehicle’s planned rendezvous trajectory and will approach no closer than 600 feet to the station. Endeavour is targeted to approach the station to a point 1,000 feet below and 300 feet behind the station at its closest point.
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Studying Hard in School Opens Doors, Stresses Astronaut

By Lt. Jennifer Cragg, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs Officer

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- More than 1,100 students and teachers from 12 area high schools were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Robert E. Fitch High School to learn from a former submariner and veteran of three NASA space shuttle flights, May 26.

Capt. Stephen G. Bowen, NASA astronaut, a native of Cohasset, Mass., stressed the importance of education, particularly in science and math, which help to expand the number of career choices, especially in his own life during the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) event.

"A lesson learned for me was if you study hard in school and do well in a lot of classes, you have more choices," said Bowen. "There are many other places I could have gone, but I chose to go to the U.S. Naval Academy. By the time I got out of the Naval Academy … I chose to go into submarine force."

Bowen graduated from Cohasset High School, Cohasset, Mass. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a degree in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In July 2000, he was selected to be a mission specialist for the Space Shuttle Program, becoming the first submarine officer selected by NASA.

"He is unique. He is the only submariner to be accepted for the astronaut career track," said retired Navy Cmdr. Tony Quatroche, a former New London Submarine Base and Submarine School executive officer, who currently teaches math at Robert E. Fitch High School.

Capt. Paul Kelleher, commanding officer, Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory along with Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board and EASTCONN helped to arrange Bowen's visit. Also attending the STEM event was fellow U.S. Navy Academy classmate, Capt. William Merz, commanding officer, COMSUBDEVRON Twelve.

Bowen reflected on working in the "world's greatest job," and his thoughts on being chosen for the astronaut program.

"You feel very lucky to be chosen," said Bowen. "Of those that apply and qualify only about .8 percent gets selected," said Bowen.

During his visit Bowen discussed both his career track in the submarine force and the astronaut program, stressing the importance of the teamwork aspect of flying in space.

"STS-132 was the first mission in over a decade where every single crew member had flown in space previously," said Bowen. "Based on that, we chose to emphasize the team effort required while in space."

The Eastern Connecticut high schools participating included: Robert E. Fitch High School, Bacon Academy, East Lyme High School, Ellis Technical High School, Ledyard High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Norwich Free Academy, Old Saybrook High School, Stonington High School, Windham High School, Woodstock Academy, and Valley Regional High School.
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