Tag Archives: Germany

‘Kinect Star Wars:’ A Tour de Force by Fans, for Fans

*Meet the Force-sensitive fans who helped bring the Star Wars universe to life in “Kinect Star Wars,” the ultimate Jedi experience for Padawans of all ages.*

REDMOND, Wash. – Abby Lee walked into a Seattle toy store recently and purchased two LEGO Darth Vader alarm clocks, a Star Wars pop-up book, and a few LEGO speeder bikes. The bemused checkout clerk asked if she was going to a birthday party.

“No,” Lee replied. “I’m going to work.” (more…)

Read More

Number of European Smartphone Users Accessing News Surges 74 Percent Over Past Year

*Nearly Half of UK Smartphone Users Access News At Least Once Each Month*

LONDON, UK, 22 March 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released an overview of mobile news access across the five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) using the comScore MobiLens service. The study showed that nearly 37 percent of smartphone users in EU5 reported accessing news sites via an app or browser in January 2012, showing an increase of 74 percent over the past year. For EU5 smartphone users who accessed news sites on a near-daily basis, the growth rate was even stronger at 82 percent. The UK showed the highest penetration with nearly half (46.8 percent) of smartphone users reporting having accessed news sites at least once in the past month. (more…)

Read More

Confidence in Climate Data: Using 3 Million-Year-Old Records

How do we understand what’s happening today by looking back millions of years?

Scientists are looking at what climate conditions were like 3.3 to 3 million years ago, during a geologic period known as the Pliocene, and they are confident in the accuracy of their data.

The Pliocene is the most recent period of sustained global warmth similar to what is projected for the 21st century. Climate during this time period offers one of the closest analogs to estimate future climate conditions. (more…)

Read More

Sailing in a Sea of Microbes

Researchers led by Matt Sullivan at the UA are among the first to dive into the world of viruses drifting through the world’s oceans.

Surrounded by the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean stretching from horizon to horizon, a lonely dot is glinting in the sun. It is the aluminum hull of a sailboat, a 118-foot schooner with white sails billowing from two masts.

On the deck, crewmembers and scientists are milling about. Commands are flying back and forth, and soon a strange contraption consisting of tubes clustered around an array of sensors dangling from a crane is lowered into the water, until it disappears in the clear blue depths. (more…)

Read More

comScore Releases the “2012 Mobile Future in Focus” Report

*Report Offers Insights on the Mobile and Connected Device Landscape in 2011 and What They Mean for 2012*

RESTON, VA, February 23, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the 2012 Mobile Future in Focus report. This annual report examines the mobile and connected device landscape, covering several mobile markets measured by comScore, through an exploration of key trends driving smartphone adoption growth, mobile media usage in categories such as social networking and retail, mobile ecosystem dynamics, and shifts in multi-device digital media consumption in 2011. The report highlights insights primarily from mobile markets in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada. (more…)

Read More

The Netherlands and France Have the Highest Penetration of Online Banking Users in Europe

*comScore Releases Overview of European Internet Usage for December 2011*

LONDON, UK, 16 February 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released an overview of internet usage in Europe, showing 381.5 million unique visitors went online in December 2011 for an average of 27.5 hours per person. This release highlights internet usage in 49 European markets aggregated into the European region and provides individual reporting on 18 markets. Amongst its findings, the study also shows that online banking reached 66.3 percent of the internet audience in the Netherlands, making it the top market in Europe for sites such as ING Group. (more…)

Read More

Moonlighting Enzyme Works Double Shift 24/7

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A team of researchers led by Michigan State University has discovered an overachieving plant enzyme that works both the day and night shifts.

The discovery, featured in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, shows that plants evolved a new function for this enzyme by changing merely one of its protein building blocks. (more…)

Read More

Microsoft Provides Tips to Help Protect Your Online Image

*Microsoft encourages individuals to examine their online reputation and offers tips to start the new year with the best digital foot forward.*

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 24, 2012 — In observance of Data Privacy Day 2012, Microsoft Corp. is releasing new data about consumer behaviors online and is offering guidance and tips to help people better manage their online profiles and maintain a positive reputation. In an increasingly connected world, everything people do online, from responding to emails and texts to clicking the “like” and “retweet” buttons on favorite Web pages, uploading photos and making purchases online, contributes to their online reputation.

Although 2012 is still new, Microsoft recommends people resolve to actively monitor and safeguard their online reputations. (more…)

Read More