Oct 28

The touch, the feel of cotton, the fabric of our… transistors

Posted in: research, science, Today's Chili

Transistors of all shapes and sizes form the foundation of just about every electronic gadget under the sun, and similarly, cotton clothing is a key component of a well-rounded wardrobe. It was only a matter of time before these two got together to form a fashion-forward future, and an international team of scientists have accomplished the trick by creating a transistor using fibers of cotton. Now, this isn’t the first organic transistor, but cotton’s plentiful, cheap, lightweight and sustainable nature make it a great choice for use as a substrate in carbon-based transistors. To get the fluffy white stuff ready to amplify and switch electric signals, it was conformally coated (to cover all the fiber’s irregularities) with gold nanoparticles, semiconductive and conductive polymers in a super thin layer to preserve its wearability flexibility. The result was an active transistor that can be used in integrated circuits sewn into your shirt, socks, or even pantaloons, if you like. The future of fashion is right around the corner, folks, and in that future your pants are the PC.

The touch, the feel of cotton, the fabric of our… transistors originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCornell University  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 28

Computer Use Causing Your Aches & Pains?

Posted in: General, Today's Chili

This article was written on June 29, 2008 by CyberNet.

rsi.pngAll who suffer from back aches, shoulder pain, and/or wrist and hand pain, raise your hand. There’s gotta be a lot of you that do, at some point, even if it’s not on a regular basis due to working conditions. Perhaps you’ve never associated those pains to work, but they’re likely related if you spend much of your day working on a computer or mobile device. A recent Microsoft research study found that the number of people suffering from repetitive strain injuries is on the rise and this increase is causing over $600 million in lost working hours.

So what’s the specific cause of these problems? One cause is the lack of ergonomic hardware. According to the findings, not enough companies are spending the money needed to equip people with ergonomic chairs, mice, keyboards, and other types of equipment. Microsoft also says that this new trend to work wherever we are isn’t helping the cause either. If you’re slouched in a chair at the airport working on your laptop before your plane takes off, chances are, your back and wrists simply aren’t getting the support that they need.

How many of you think your miscellaneous pains could be due to repetitive strain injury?

Source

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 28

Save XP Petition Grows to Over 200,000 Signatures

Posted in: Microsoft, Today's Chili, Windows, Windows Vista, Windows XP

This article was written on May 19, 2008 by CyberNet.

xp petition.pngWe’ve mentioned the “SAVE XP” Petition that InfoWorld has put together before and at last count in mid-April, over 164,000 people had signed it. The purpose of the petition is to ask Microsoft to extend the date that XP will be available. InfoWorld has just updated the petition count and at this point, over 200,000 people have signed it. The exact count as of May 15th is 200,805 signatures and that’s the number after they took out those who signed multiple times, as well as the fake sign-ups. Clearly people want XP to stay around a little longer but is it enough?

In the big scheme of things, 200,000 people really isn’t THAT many people when you take into consideration the millions of people still using XP. It is a large enough number though that it should eventually get Microsoft’s attention and may make them stop and reconsider how long they should keep XP around. At this point they aren’t willing to meet with InfoWorld to receive the petition, but they do know that it exists. In their most recent update, InfoWorld says, “through its PR firm, Microsoft has declined to meet with InfoWorld to receive the petition and discuss the concerns of its customers who have signed it.“

One of the first thoughts that came to mind when we first heard about this whole petition several months ago was “are we going to be seeing a SAVE VISTA petition several years from now?” So many people are resistant to change because they get comfortable with what they are using and don’t want to have to get used to using something else. People were resisting XP back when it first came out. Technology changes and advances and upgrading to a new operating system allows us to take advantage of it.

So what will come of this? There are a couple of things that could happen. First of all, we’ve seen Microsoft extend the deadline for ULCPC’s (ultra low-cost personal computers) until June 30, 2010. Maybe they’ll decide to extend the date for anybody who wants to run XP and allow Vista and XP to co-exist? Or maybe they will just stick to their original plan?

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 28

New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp

Posted in: medical, Medicine, robot, Today's Chili

A researcher at the Netherland’s Eindhoven University of Technology has invented a new type of eye surgery robot designed to steady the ophthalmologist’s hands and minimize error — always a good thing when it comes to having needles and knives near your peepers. Kind of like an Igor to a mad scientist, the robot is considered a “slave” to its “master” doctor, who controls the automaton’s arms using two joysticks. The doctor is still in charge of the cuts, but the technology makes sure the MD jabs that needle in at the exact same entry point each time without shaking to minimize ocular marring. Another notable feature is the robot’s ability to switch between tools quickly, ensuring that if this whole doctor thing doesn’t work out, it’ll at least have a job at Hibachi waiting. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.

Continue reading New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp

New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceNetherlands University of Technology  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 28

Windows 8 Desktop Notifications

Posted in: preview, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8

This article was written on September 23, 2011 by CyberNet.

The new (default) Windows 8 interface is something that Microsoft has spent a lot of time rethinking, and will drastically shift the way we use computers. The good news is that the classic Windows 7-style interface is still buried underneath for those that want it, but you won’t be able to move completely away from the Metro-style UI.

One good example of that is with the notification system. There are all kinds of reasons that you’d see a popup notification on a Windows system. For example, if you insert media into the DVD drive you’ll see a popup like this:

Windows 8 metro notification 1

That is a slick little popup that doesn’t feel obtrusive, and it fits in extremely well with this new design. If you go ahead and click on that notification you are given a few different actions you can take:

Windows 8 metro notification 2

In this situation those actions will take you back to the classic desktop interface, but that’s understandable considering the type of media I inserted. What’s interesting, however, is how the notifications look when you’re already on the classic desktop. Instead of the balloon notifications we’re used to seeing in Windows 7 the design is now exactly the same as what we saw above with the Metro-style UI:

Windows 8 desktop notification 1

And then going on to click on the popup reveals the actions:

Windows 8 desktop notification 2

Considering the fact that this is a developer preview Microsoft still has plenty of time to refine the desktop UI, but I’m hoping they don’t try to force some of the Metro-style elements onto the desktop where they may not work as well. I do prefer these style of popups to the old ones, but the color scheme and overall design should conform to the Aero theme that is being used when they are displayed on the desktop.

Download the Windows 8 Developer Preview

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 28

CyberNotes: Tweak Your Desktop to Increase Productivity

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Windows Vista

This article was written on December 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Microsoft Monday

It seems as though there’s never enough time in the days, weeks, and months to get everything done and fit everybody into the schedule.  Time is precious which is why it’s important to try and save yourself as much of it as possible.  One of the best things about Windows Vista is that there are a few built-in settings that can be tweaked and changed to increase your productivity.  All it will take is a few minutes and then you’ll be shaving minutes off the tasks your perform on your computer.

Add “User’s File” Folder to Desktop

When you install Vista, by default, one of the only things you’ll see on your desktop is the Recycle Bin. This is nice for those of you who like a clean desktop and prefer to have nearly nothing displayed.  If you’d like to make yourself a little more productive and save some time, there is one additional thing you’ll want to add to your desktop and that is your User’s File Folder. You can do this by right-clicking on your desktop > Personalize > Change desktop icons. Once you do this, you should see a screen like what’s shown below:

desktop icon settings

Check the box where it says “User’s Files, and then click OK. The user folder will now be added to your desktop. All it takes is a double-click and then you’ll have quick and easy access to documents, pictures, videos, music, and more.

Review Start Menu and Taskbar Properties

Click Start > Then Right-click >Select Properties. You should now be at a page that looks like this:

taskbar and start menu

Under the “Start Menu Tab” click Customize. It’ll pull up a rather long list of different options to customize how links, icons, and menus look and behave on the start menu. Here are a few recommended changes to increase productivity:

  • To search for for files or not? Scroll to the bottom of the list and find “Search Files.” If you access files frequently, you’ll want Vista to search the user’s file. One word of caution is that this can slow the search process down if it’s searching through all of your user files.  On the bright side, if you access them frequently, the few extra seconds it takes to perform will be worth it. Ultimately, it will save you more time in the end.
  • How many programs do you want displayed? That’s another option you’ll see on that same screen. If there’s only 5 programs you regularly use, you’ll want to decrease the number of programs to display down to five. This will make it quicker for you to spot the program you need.
  • Display the control panel as a menu – you’ll want to select this option if you regularly access your control panel.  By default it’s set to be displayed as a link.  When it’s displayed as a menu, it means less clicks that you have to make. Nice!
    controlpanel

Customize Your Toolbars

toolbars changes

To customize your toolbars, you’ll need to right-click the taskbar and then select “Toolbars.” Here you can add different elements to your taskbar like an address bar which can come in handy. Adding an address bar means you can enter URLs right from your desktop.  

Pin Applications to the start menu

If there are applications that you use frequently, you’ll want to pin them to the Start Menu so that they will always appear at the very top of the menu which will save you from searching. To pin an application to the start menu, just click “All Programs” and find the one you’re wanting to pin. Once you find it, right-click on it and you’ll notice one of the options is “Pin to menu.” Click it and you’ll always have the application at the top of your list in the start menu.

With these changes, you should be able to save yourself quite a bit of time!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 28

Google gets ready to play traditional TV, preps original YouTube channels

Posted in: content, Google, hdpostcross, rumor, Television, Today's Chili, TV, YouTube

From rumors to reality: YouTube is taking a crack at original programing. Sources close to the Wall Street Journal say that the streaming outfit is partnering with a broad mix of media firms, production companies, and savvy content creators to launch 100 channels, generating over 25 hours of original content each day. Most of these channels aren’t slated to launch until next year, but when they do they are said to be backed by names like Ashton Kutcher, Tony Hawk, Jay-Z, and Madonna. YouTube is reportedly paying content partners over $100 million to jump-start this project, and hopes to create quality that can be sold to Advertisers. YouTube’s blog confirmed that the first of these premium channels is set to launch next month, with subsequent channels coming in waves over the next year. Hit the source link below so see YouTube’s official announcement and an early list of channels and content providers. We know you’ll join us in giddy anticipation of Shaquille O’Neal’s Comedy Shaq Network .

Google gets ready to play traditional TV, preps original YouTube channels originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceYouTube, Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 28

IDC: Samsung, ZTE see jump in mobile shipments, Apple slides to fifth place

Posted in: Apple, business, LG, market, market share, marketshare, mobile, mobilepostcross, money, nokia, research, samsung, smartphone, statistics, Today's Chili
Q3 earnings reports have been pouring in over the past few days, which means it’s time to check in with IDC on the state of the mobile market. The research firm’s latest report, released today, is something of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Q3 global shipments increased by 12.8 percent year-over-year — higher than the 9.3 percent that IDC had predicted for the quarter and the 9.8 percent growth observed last quarter. At the same time, however, the market grew at the second slowest pace in two years and shipments to Western Europe and the US actually declined over the year, something the company attributes to more restrained consumer spending and more widespread economic uncertainty.

On the company level, both Samsung and ZTE came away as the biggest winners this quarter; Sammy’s shipments increased by 23 percent over the year, good for second place, while ZTE’s shot up by a whopping 57.9 percent, launching the company into fourth place. Apple, meanwhile, saw 26.2 percent growth in its shipments and a slight bump in market share, but still couldn’t avoid getting leapfrogged by ZTE and dropping down to fifth place. And then there’s LG, which had by far the worst quarter, relative to Q3 2010. The manufacturer saw shipments decline by nearly 26 percent over the year, while its market share slipped to 5.4 percent. All these horses, however, are still chasing Nokia, which saw a small drop in shipments, but managed to hang on to the top spot, with over 106 million shipments during the quarter — good for 27 percent of the market. For more numbers and insight, check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading IDC: Samsung, ZTE see jump in mobile shipments, Apple slides to fifth place

IDC: Samsung, ZTE see jump in mobile shipments, Apple slides to fifth place originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 28

Journalism Is Fine Because Everyone Is a Journalist

Posted in: Phones, Today's Chili, top

The Washington Post had an interesting back and forth wringing its hands over the future of journalism. Oh no! Journalism is dying! Again! Or so a newspaper with declining readership and revenue would have you believe. More »

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Oct 28

HP ‘officially’ out of TouchPads, Best Buy can still help you out

Posted in: BestBuy, HP, minipost, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

Looks like the tablet that wouldn’t die is finally dead — well, kind of sort, for now. HP sent out a note to let the world know that it’s “officially out of stock” of the zombie TouchPad. It’s not all bad news, however — apparently you can still pick one up at Best Buy, so long as you buy an HP computer at the same time. Mourn another quasi-death for the webOS slate with Boyz II Men after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading HP ‘officially’ out of TouchPads, Best Buy can still help you out

HP ‘officially’ out of TouchPads, Best Buy can still help you out originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHP , Reuters  | Email this | Comments

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