Author Archives: Guest Post

Color View from Orbit Shows Mars Rover Beside Crater

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has nearly completed its three-month examination of a crater informally named “Santa Maria,” but before the rover resumes its overland trek, an orbiting camera has provided a color image of Opportunity beside Santa Maria.

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired the image on March 1, while Opportunity was extending its robotic arm to take close-up photos of a rock called “Ruiz Garcia.” From orbit, the tracks Opportunity made as it approached the crater from the west are clearly visible. Santa Maria crater is about 90 meters (295 feet) in diameter. (more…)

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Main Culprit of Deadly Russian Heat Wave? Natural Variability

WASHINGTON — The deadly Russian heat wave of 2010 was due to a natural atmospheric phenomenon often associated with weather extremes, according to a new study. And while the scientists could not attribute the intensity of this particular heat wave to climate change, they found that extreme heat waves are likely to become increasingly frequent in the region in coming decades.

The research team drew from scientific observations and computer climate models to evaluate the possible roles of natural and human-caused climate influences on the severity of the heat wave. The study has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. (more…)

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Perfect Buns: Imaging System Controls Baking Process on Production Line to Improve Sandwich Bun Quality

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) may possess the secret to baking perfect buns every time. Its researchers have developed a production-line system that automatically inspects the quality of sandwich buns exiting the oven and adjusts oven temperatures if it detects unacceptable buns.
    
“We have closed the loop between the quality inspection of buns and the oven controls to meet the specifications required by food service and fast food customers,” said GTRI senior research engineer Douglas Britton. “By creating a more accurate, uniform and faster assessment process, we are able to minimize waste and lost product.” (more…)

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7 of 10 Indian Web Users Watch Online Video in a Month

YouTube Accounts for Nearly Half of All Videos Viewed in India

comScore to Host Complimentary Webinar “The Rise of Online Video in India” on March 10

Mumbai, India, March 9, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its latest study on online video viewing in India based on data from its comScore Video Metrix service, which was launched in India earlier this year. The report found that 30.2 million online users in India watched online video in January 2011, representing 72 percent of the total online population. The report also found that Google Sites led the market as the top video property, driven mainly by viewership at YouTube.com. These findings and others will be presented via live webinar, The Rise of Online Video in India, on March 10.
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T-Systems Streamlines Desktop Deployment With Windows 7 Enterprise

*Global services provider delivers improved IT security, mobility and deployment costs to customers*

REDMOND, Wash. — March 9, 2011 — Deutsche Telekom AG subsidiary TSystems International GmbH today announced it is migrating its managed desktop services to Windows 7 Enterprise. The decision to move 250,000 managed seats to Windows 7 was part of the company’s decision to standardize desktop deployment on the latest information technology, which will provide increased security, reduced costs and greater productivity to Deutsche Telekom PC users around the world. (more…)

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Fossil Bird Study Describes Ripple Effect of Extinction in Animal Kingdom

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida study demonstrates extinction’s ripple effect through the animal kingdom, including how the demise of large mammals 20,000 years ago led to the disappearance of one species of cowbird.

The study shows the trickle-down effect the loss of large mammals has on other species, and researchers say it is a lesson from the past that should be remembered when making conservation, game and land-use decisions today. (more…)

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