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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…)

Researchers Discover New Wintering Grounds for Humpback Whales Using Sound

Nature

Researchers at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), an organized research unit in the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology have made a remarkable new discovery. (more…)

Tsunami Waves Crash Into Japan’s North-east After Powerful Quake

Environment, General

The government of Japan has provided a report about the damage caused by a strong earthquake which rocked the north-east of the country on Friday, March 11. The Associated Press reports with reference to Japanese television that the tsunami wave, triggered by the quake, caused significant destruction in the northern part of the country.

The magnitude of the earthquake, which took place in Japan on Friday, was measured 8.8 on Richter scale. Quakes still continue in the capital, Tokyo. The epicenter of the quake was located 382 kilometers to the north-east off Tokyo, at the depth of 10 kilometers. (more…)

Main Culprit of Deadly Russian Heat Wave? Natural Variability

Environment

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. (more…)

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

Science

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…)

Anderson Forecast: Economy ‘On the Mend’ as GDP Grows, Payroll Employment Increases

Economy

In its first quarterly report of 2011, the UCLA Anderson Forecast is cautiously sanguine about the national economy, as real gross domestic product continues to grow at a steady pace and employment continues to increase. (more…)

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

Technology

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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Facebook Valued More Than Russia’s Largest Oil Company

Technology

Investment firm General Atlantic is going to purchase 0.1 percent of world’s largest social network Facebook. The deal may push the price of the network up to $65 billion, but the transaction requires approval from Facebook at first. The company has been showing an impressive growth during the recent years. In the middle of 2009, the deals with its shares were concluded on the base of the company cost of $10 billion.

General Atlantic announced an intention to purchase the shares from several former Facebook employees. The deal has not been closed yet. According to CNBC, the deal boosted the cost of the social network 30 percent up. At the end of January of 2011, the company was valued at $50, when Goldman Sachs placed Facebook shares worth $1 billion among its clients, the Vedomosti wrote. (more…)