The software giant Microsoft is getting innovative and also experimentative. After the Queen of Britain setting “The Royal Channel - The Official Channel of the British Monarchy” on the video-sharing website ‘YouTube’, Microsoft PR people have also started their own channel ‘WindowsVistaAndLive‘ on the site. The channel, started on December 21, offers some good demonstrations of Vista, but it’s making news in the blogging world not for the less known features being publicized on the video-sharing site, but for the comments people have left on the channel.

As one can easily guess, the channel has received good number of comments and most of them are against the Vista. Most bloggers see Microsoft’s move to open the channel for comments as self-destructive. Most of the people who have left comment on its channel have found Vista to be a bad operating system, making is more annoying than appealing. One user EnzyteBob113 has written,

Are you sure you want to watch Microsoft’s YouTube channel? Yes. Are you sure you want to push the play button to begin watching the video? Yes. Are you really sure you want to push the play button? Dammit, yes. I wish Window’s Vista would stop treating me like I’m retarded.

Another user called Damejiar has expressed his heart as such,

Windows Vista really Sucks, too much requirements, too much memory consumption, and the interface is really bad, it was better Windows XP.
But I prefer Linux instead!!!!

Both ‘Linux’ and ‘Windows’ fans are giving negative feedbacks on Vista, the new Windows version, claimed to be a very evolved version of Windows. Many people are alleging Microsoft for being imitator, as they claim some open source operating system had already launched Vista-like system some five years back. One YouTube user, nebuchadnezzar38, said,

Vista sucks and Microsoft just steals innovations from other people. what losers. i wish i could pie Bill Gates again.

So, if you would like to share your views on windows, particularly Vista, the creators, Microsoft PR people would be too pleased (if you give some positive feedback about Vista, of course).

It can’t be said that the channel would succeed in breaking into competitors’ territory, but this surely proves that YouTube has grown too big and now commands respectable position in the world of communication. Had it not been so, the biggies like Microsoft and the Queen won’t have come to the video-sharing site with the desire for more effective communication.

And for Microsoft, “Any publicity is good publicity.” [This should keep them in good spirit.]

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Source: Techcrunch

Glubble does not only provide a safe web browsing for children, it also filters searchs and gives result only from approved list of site, which the Glubble developers call ‘Glubble World’ of the user.

The Glubble free tool also improves the browsing experience of the entire family sharing the computer. It makes the Mozilla Firefox browser more user-friendly giving each family member a personalized homepage with individual login.

If you are among those looking for good things on the web, why not give it a try. Even if you don’t have child to monitor and guide, you will love the value addition that Glubble will do to your Mozilla Firefox browser. All those Microsoft Internet Explorer users will have to wait till they get something like this in their web browser. Alternatively, they can switch to the open-source Mozilla Firefox browser to have a better experience of the web.

Source: Glubble
Image:Glubble

Scientists have found ways to prepare stem cells from skin of an adult rat, without harming embryos. The discovery, which was done successfully on rats, will remove the ethical concerns of using stem cells for various medical purposes.

Researchers have shown that it is possible to create stem cells similar to those present in embryos from skin. So far, mature cells were considered incapable of producing stem cells.

The success of the research on rat has made scientists hopeful of being able to do this in case of humans as well. If this happens, the stem cells obtained from skin cells of a person will be able to produce cells and tissues that would be genetically an exact copy of the original, dispelling any rejection by the body that was probable for a stem cell obtained from an embryo.

Stem cells are totipotent–capable of developing in any kind of tissue present in the body. Such a capability is of immense benefit as they can be used to replace the damaged cells and tissues, thus providing possible cure for several diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The use of stem cells from embryo had ethical and moral concerns as the collection of stem cells damages the embryos. This many said is tantamount to murder or cannibalism.

The new discovery, if successful for humans, will pave new ways for curing several diseases including those which were till now could not be treated. This will surely help cure many diseases and body defects. An advancement in this technique may also provide body organs for transplantation. The possibilities are immense but some concerns will continue to remain. The stem cells could be used rampantly for cosmetic purposes like skin grafts. This may also open a new arena of spare parts for human bodies as is available for machines. This will obviously dent the magical power of life.

The cliche remains valid even here - every coin has two sides. It’s all up to us to choose the positive side.

Learn more about stem cells.

Source: BBC, Daily Mail

Image Source: Canada.com

It seems like gulping cups of coffee during exams to stay awake may soon be outdated. All those sleepy souls may be free from the almost ritualistic drinking of coffee [or tea], smoking cigarettes one after the other, all of it for one purpose — keeping sleep at bay and being able to slough hard. A team of US scientists have found a chemical, which promises the same effect on our body that a good sound sleep provides.

A nasal spray of a hormone found in brain — Orexin A — has been found to have reversed the symptoms of sleep-deprived monkeys, allowing them to behave like those who had been given adequate rest. The discovery is believed to be very useful in treating excessive sleep disorder or narcolepsy.

Unlike the addictive stimulants, found to have several side effects along with increasing arousal, the new treatment is said to be harmless. Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at University of California, Los Angeles, and one of the four scientists who made the discovery said,

(The treatment is) a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the new study shows it to be relatively benign. It reduces sleepiness without causing edginess.

Generally, an eight-hour sleep is recommended, but given the fast-pace life, most people have to do with less than eight hours of sleep. This causes several problems for people. Also, there are some professions, which demand long hours of work, depriving people from rest. Those involved in professions that require one to work during nights is equally tiring.

The new discovery can surely help face such situations. The treatment may also be a substitute for amphetamines administered to pilots for being alert during long-haul flights. But can the “sleep drug” replace the need for sleep? The scientists do not have an answer to it as yet.

Image: www.journalism.ryerson.ca

Source: Wired

Are you pissed off with low speed of your broadband Internet connection? It’s quite probable that your Internet service provider does not provide you with the bandwidth that you were made to believe you would get. But thanks to their ‘up to’ 256kbps [or any other bandwidth speed] clause, they are not at fault even if you actually get a far slower connectivity. But now we can look forward to some relief from this trickery.

The telecom regulator TRAI has taken a tough stand on this mode of circumventing the law using clauses like ‘up to’. TRAI has said that the service providers should not advertise in a way that does not commit any minimum speed. It has asked the service providers to guarantee a minimum download speed while providing Internet connections and also provide correct information about it.

A TRAI press-release said,

Incidences have come to the notice of TRAI where service providers are using words like ‘up to’ to define broadband speed without indicating minimum committed speed of the packages. In certain cases packages of Internet speed less than 256 kbps have also been marketed as broadband connections. TRAI has already written to all the service providers not to use words like ‘up to’ and unambiguously indicate minimum committed speed of the plan which must be at least 256 kbps in case of broadband.

The regulator has said, the service providers have agreed to clearly mention minimum guaranteed speed limit for broadband Internet connections. At present a broadband connection is defined as an ‘always-on’ Internet access with a minimum speed of 256 Kbps from the service provider’s (ISP) Node to the customer premises equipment.

This can give much relief to users as they would get a guaranteed minimum speed for their Internet connections. I am looking forward to the implementation of TRAI’s guidelines so that I am assured a minimum speed for my broadband connection, which at present keeps dipping every now and then far below acceptable levels. A good speed is always a pleasant surprise and most elusive.

Hope I [and all of you] get a consistent Internet speed, that doesn’t dip beyond respectable limits and we actually get the speed what we are promised.

Image: Flickr

Source: Business standard

We humans indulge in various activities that add to the climate change, including brushing our teeth. Yup, Brushing teeth as well. At the rate of one toothbrush every three months, we consume a good number of toothbrush during our entire lifespan. This, since toothbrushes are made of plastics, add to climate change. But now there’s a toothbrush that’s made from 100 per cent recycled plastics, a fairly good per cent (35) of it from recycled disposable cups that come with ready-to-eat food.

Recycline, a company manufacturing recycled raw materials, has introduced Preserve toothbrush made up of recycled plastic only. The toothbrush comes in various shapes and size for both adults and children. For $2.50 a toothbrush, they come with a travel case that has breathing holes to keep your brush fresh for long.

That’s not all, the company has also made sure that these toothbrushes do not add to the growing pile of plastic waste. It comes with a postage-paid mailer which you can use to send your toothbrush back for recycling after it has worn out. The company will then turn it into plastic lumber. Isn’t that great?

With the growing impact on climate due to heavy industrialization, consumption and growing number of vehicles, there is an urgent need to take every care of the earth that we can. However small, it will always help save the earth from harm and help our environment keep a bit cleaner. So why don’t we bear this in mind and save our earth by consuming less, saving power, and burning less fuel.

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Source: Got2begreen

Driving can be really dull if you have to traverse the same road very frequently, say while going to office. And hiring a chauffer cannot be the way out of this problem for most of us. What if there was a fully-automated car that takes care of the driving and all you have to do is to listen to your favourite music on the FM or music player, or use your laptop?

Though not exactly the dream automated car, but Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that it had developed a function, called “Navi Brake Assist“, that notifies the driver about the traffic signals and stop lights [indicators] of other vehicles and helps in stopping the vehicle.

The Navi Brake System, that works with a car navigation system, was developed to reduce collisions at intersections. The new system will be employed in Toyota’s new models to be launch in Japan in the near future.

The system can be really helpful for people with colour-blindness, as will it be for those who have to drive with a sleep-deprived body. Though the innovation will help in better and safer driving, we need systems that can automatically detect the surrounding and help vehicles steer and navigated safely to its destination, averting any collision. If robots can take up so much of work in modern-day factories, why can’t we have a robot driven vehicle that uses navigation system with some instructions from the passenger.

Then one won’t have to learn to drive and take a driving test. All one would need would be a self-driving car. Get in and tell the car the destination, it will steer you to your destination.

Image: www.roadtraffic-technology.com/
Source: techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/

Motorola, the world’s third biggest mobile phone manufacturers and the inventor of mobile phones, is going to launch its another invention - a mobile media player that shows live television broadcasts, on-demand videos and video clips. The new invention, which is still in its early stages of development, brings web browsing, radio and TV together, keeping mobile telephony untouched. The move is expected to give a boost to revenues of mobile operators who are witnessing a decrease in earnings per user.

Motorola, which had been losing its market share, is looking at paperback book-sized mobile TV to improve its position in the market. The device will be exhibited in next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The device allows users to pause live TV for five minutes and also record up to 90 minutes of video by adding memory cards.

The cell phone manufacturers have already been offering mobile phones with TV. This is the first time that a player is launching a standalone mobile TV without telephone facility.

This kind of device that offers the facility to watch television on the go may become quite popular among the people who need to keep travelling, not only long distances but also those who travel for good time within the city itself. Most people see the time spent commuting as a waste and a TV may be of some relief as they would be able too enjoy their favourite programmes while they are travelling in a bus or taxi. On-demand videos may also emerge as a major revenue earner enabling lot of new players to enter the arena giving jobs to hundreds of performance artists. Mobile clips may also be used to generate income for traditional performers who are losing their patrons thanks to massive reach of TV and cinema. Let’s see what’s going to happen with this new invention.

Image: Flickr
Source: Reuters

Hey Delhites! Do you carry an identity proof when out on roads of the capital? If no, you may land up in trouble. From January 15, it would be necessary for all to carry identity proofs for [as they say it] security reasons. The Leutinent-Governor of Delhi said on Friday that the Delhi Police had been issued orders to conduct random checks on people to establish their credentials.

Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna said,

The decision to verify the identity of the citizens has been taken in the wake of the recent terror attacks in various parts of the country. The move would help in preventing such incidents.

Identity cards issued by schools, colleges, and offices would also serve the purpose along with election photo I-card, passport and ration cards, or just any valid identity proof. The Delhi government would give adequate publicity to this moves, the Leutinent-Governor (L-G) has said.

The L-G said that the move was not aimed at harassing people but protecting them. But in a country like ours, not everyone has got an identity proof. It is mainly due to lack of appropriate certificates like birth certificates and the new election I-Card. A large number of people flock to Delhi in search of livelihood as they do not get ample to survive in their villages and small-towns.

A majority of these people are not likely to possess any identity proof. So will they require not to venture out on roads? Or simply be asked to leave the city? Or put in jails? The move to make carrying I-Cards necessary in Delhi, is a major setback to the freedom of people. If I can’t move freely in my own country, then where can I? It’s fine that there is a need to nab terrorists but, is it imminent to curtail the freedom of a common-man?

As long as terrorists are concerned, I am dead sure they would manage to spoof this new provision some how or the other. Making a forged identity card is not that difficult and it’s quite unlikely that the police will verify the document.

Are you ready to get down from your AC vehicle at the dead of night and be frisked, that too in a chilly winters of Delhi. Hope people get used to the insult soon.

Image Credit: Himalmag

Source: The Hindu

Something becomes so common for those enjoying the privileges like the idea of someone being ‘unprivileged’ doesn’t really occur! It’s something like Mary saying, “If they don’t have bread, why don’t they eat cake?” The Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, commonly known as Forest Rights Act, notified on January 1, requires passports or satellite images as evidence for claiming rights on the forest land possessed by tribals.

But, how many of the 10 million forest dwellers expected to benefit from the Act are supposed to have a passport and a satellite image of their houses and land?! But, the government has included it in the list of evidence for proving their land rights! The other thing that can be produced as evidence include ration cards, voter ID cards and house tax receipts.

The newly-notified law will give tribals and other forest dwellers the right to cultivate forest land under their occupation and customary rights inside forests like grazing. But the right to forest land will be restricted to 4 hectares. All those who have been living in and depending on forests for livelihood for the last three generations [75 years] as on 13 December, 2005 will be benefited by the Act.

The Act also recognizes the right to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce, which has been traditionally collected within or outside village boundaries. These “minor forest produce” include all non-timber forest produce of plant origin, including bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers and the like.

The Act is a good step towards the rights of tribals, who have been caught in the forest-human interference tangle, which has been mainly created by those who lived outside the jungles. But, the Act in itself has not pleased tribals and activists who see the present law as flawed. They say the provisions for claiming land rights are such that they may promote non-eligible people to gain control of forest land through unfair means.

The provisions, they say, may also harm forests. The law has left many areas open to interpretation thereby giving the government chance to exclude several tribals. The government should obviously make or amend laws in such a way that they could not be misused - both by people and the government.

But given the present scenario, the law will obviously give some relief to the tribals, who had been fighting hard to get their rights on the forest land and escape eviction from their dwellings. But the poor people living in tiger forests need to be looked after and properly resettled, if they are uprooted from their age-old habitats.

Image: Tourorissa.com

Source: Business Standard