Technology – Page 1012 – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Microsoft to Acquire Skype

*Combined companies will benefit consumers, businesses and increase market opportunity.*

REDMOND, Wash., and LUXEMBOURG – May 10, 2011 – Microsoft Corp. and Skype Global S.à r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services. (more…)

“Fool’s Gold” from The Deep is Fertilizer for Ocean Life

Pyrite nanoparticles from hydrothermal vents are a rich source of iron in the deep sea

Similar to humans, the bacteria and tiny plants living in the ocean need iron for energy and growth. But their situation is quite different from ours–for one, they can’t turn to natural iron sources like leafy greens or red meat for a pick-me-up. (more…)

Digital Images of Yale’s Vast Cultural Collections Now Available for Free

Scholars, artists and other individuals around the world will enjoy free access to online images of millions of objects housed in Yale’s museums, archives, and libraries thanks to a new “Open Access” policy that the University announced today. Yale is the first Ivy League university to make its collections accessible in this fashion, and already more than 250,000 images are available through a newly developed collective catalog.

The goal of the new policy is to make high quality digital images of Yale’s vast cultural heritage collections in the public domain openly and freely available. (more…)

IBM Delivers Technology to Help Clients Protect and Retain “Big Data”

Introduces industry-first tape library technology capable of storing nearly 3 exabytes of data — enough to store almost 3X the mobile data in U.S. in 2010

ARMONK, N.Y., – 09 May 2011: IBM today announced new tape storage and enhanced archiving, deduplication offerings designed to help clients efficiently store and extract intelligence from massive amounts of data. (more…)

UF Study Finds Cats No. 1 Predator to Urban Mockingbird Nests

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A new University of Florida study shows cats are the dominant predator to mockingbird eggs and nestlings in urban areas, prompting conservationists to urge pet owners to keep felines indoors at night.

The findings challenge assumptions that urban areas are places of refuge for nesting mockingbirds, a species researchers say plays an important role in controlling insect pests and serving as environmental indicators for metropolitan areas. (more…)

For UCLA Expert on Chumash Indians, Roughly Hewn Beads are Child’s Play

As the world’s leading authority on beads manufactured from shells by California’s Chumash Indians, UCLA archaeologist Jeanne Arnold was stumped by a series of anomalous artifacts excavated at former settlements on the Channel Islands. (more…)

Four Planets Huddle Up Before Dawn Next Week

AUSTIN, Texas — Four of the five planets visible to the unaided eye huddle quite close together in the pre-dawn sky next week, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.

On the morning of May 10, Venus and Jupiter will stand side by side, quite low in the east, as dawn brightens. If you have a horizon clear of buildings and trees, they will be easy to spot. They are the brightest objects in the night sky after the moon. Venus is the brighter of the two. Jupiter is to its left. (more…)

Harris School Economist: Refunds Don’t Always Help Lower-Income Taxpayers

Getting a tax refund from the federal government at the end of the year may not always be the best option for lower-income populations, according to the research from Harris School economist Damon Jones. (more…)