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Showing posts from September 12, 2010

Email virus attacking servers across the world Day

WASHINGTON: An e-mail virus has launched a "phishing attack" on servers across the globe, including those at ABC, NASA, Comcast, and Google and possibly US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The virus, called "Here You Have" or VBMania, is a Trojan Horse that arrives through e-mail in your inbox with the suggestive subject line "here you have," and the body message "This is The Document I told you about, you can find it Here" or "This is The Free Download Sex Movies, you can find it Here," reports Fox News. Leading virus monitors such as McAfee Labs and Symantec are investigating the virus threat, which launches a program on selecting the link in the message, and spams the virus out to everyone in the address book. "It's a phishing attack -- when you click on the link in an e-mail it goes into the address book. It was clogging a bunch of e-mail and that's it....It's too early to say how sophisti

Breakthrough: sensors that can convert thoughts into speech

A mind reading machine has edged closer to reality after scientists found a way of converting thoughts into words. Researchers were able to render brain signals into speech for the first time, relying on sensors attached to the brain surface. The breakthrough, which is up to 90 percent accurate, will be a boon for paralysed patients who cannot speak and could help read anyone’s thoughts ultimately, reports the Telegraph. “We were beside ourselves with excitement when it started working,” said Prof Bradley Greger, bioengineer at the Utah University who led the project. “It was just one of the moments when everything came together. “We have been able to decode spoken words using only signals from the brain with a device that has promise for long-term use in paralysed patients who cannot speak. I would call it brain reading and we hope that in two or three years it will be available for use for paralysed patients.” The breakthrough came when the team attached two button-size

Laser based missile defence for helicopters on the anvil

A new laser technology being developed at the University of Michigan and Omni Sciences, Inc. will protect helicopters in combat from enemy missiles. “Our lasers give off a signal that’s like throwing sand in the eyes of the missile,” said Mohammed Islam. These sturdy and portable “mid-infrared supercontinuum lasers” are being made using economical and off-the-shelf telecommunications fibre optics and could blind heat-seeking weapons from a distance of 1.8 miles away. The robust, simple design can withstand shaky helicopter flight and their mid-infrared supercontinuum mode can effectively jam missile sensors. They also give off a focused beam packed with light from a much broader range of wavelengths. And they are the first to operate in longer infrared wavelengths that humans can’t see, but can feel as heat. Heat-seeking missiles are designed to home in on the infrared radiation that the helicopter engine emits. Because this new laser emits such a broad spectrum of infrared light, it c

ISRO successfully conducts static testing of new age rocket

Six months after a failed test, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the second static testing of its liquid core stage (L110) of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk -III), according to a press release. The test lasted 200 seconds at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) test facility at Mahendragiri today (September 8, 2010) at 15:50 hrs. L110 is one of the heaviest earth storable liquid stages ever developed by ISRO. L110 stage had two high pressure Vikas engines in a clustered configuration. Nearly 500 health parameters were monitored during the test and the initial data acquired indicates its normal performance. Today’s successful test of L110 for its full flight duration of 200 seconds, is a major milestone in the earth storable liquid rocket programme of ISRO and a significant step forward in the development of GSLV-Mk III launch vehicle. ISRO conducted the test for 150 seconds at LPSC test facility on March 5 thi

Dell to end shipping of Windows XP systems

Bangalore: Abiding by the Microsoft's guideline which bars OEMs from shipping any PCs with Windows XP Professional or XP Home after October 22, 2010, Dell has announced its decision to stop shipping Windows XP systems. According to Dell, it will stop offering XP as a OEM or downgrade option on its PCs beginning this month in preparation for the termination of all consumer licensing agreements for XP by Microsoft. Dell is advising customers who need to use XP for any reason to run XP Mode in Windows 7 Professional if required. Microsoft's Windows customer support blog has also advised customers that Windows XP SP2 support officially ended on July 13, 2010; however, support for Windows XP SP3 will continue through to April 2014. "Per Microsoft guidelines regarding Windows XP, system vendors like Dell will no longer be able to ship systems with XP Professional and XP Home after October 22, 2010," states a company blog post. "This means that we will stop offering X