A life-size, robotic fly has taken flight at Harvard University. Weighing only 60 milligrams, with a wingspan of three centimeters, the tiny robot's movements are modeled on those of a real fly. While much work remains to be done on the mechanical insect, the researchers say that such small flying machines could one day be used as spies, or for detecting harmful chemicals.
"Nature makes the world's best fliers," says Robert Wood, leader of Harvard's robotic-fly project and a professor at the university's school of engineering and applied sciences.
Technology Review: Robotic Insect Takes Off - [via] Link.
When you think about it, it's amazing how many different types of electronic memory you encounter in daily life. Many of them have become an integral part of our vocabulary:
You already know that the computer in front of you has memory. What you may not know is that most of the electronic items you use every day have some form of memory also. Here are just a few examples of the many items that use memory:
Here's a nice how-to on building a wireless transceiver for embedded RF applications. Now you just have to find a pumpkin to stick these in for the ultimate Halloween scare.
The researchers have already built larger 'brains'
A tiny chemical "brain" which could one day act as a remote control for swarms of nano-machines has been invented.
The molecular device - just two billionths of a metre across - was able to control eight of the microscopic machines simultaneously in a test.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists say it could also be used to boost the processing power of future computers.
Many experts have high hopes for nano-machines in treating disease.
"If [in the future] you want to remotely operate on a tumour you might want to send some molecular machines there," explained Dr Anirban Bandyopadhyay of the International Center for Young Scientists, Tsukuba, Japan.
"But you cannot just put them into the blood and [expect them] to go to the right place."
Dr Bandyopadhyay believes his device may offer a solution. One day they may be able to guide the nanobots through the body and control their functions, he said.
"That kind of device simply did not exist; this is the first time we have created a nano-brain," he told BBC News.
Deborah Gordon studies how the interactions of ants following simple rules can result in the more sophisticated behaviors of the colony without any executive ant in control.
Pleased to the rising up with 10 HP and come down of the weight, Superleggara is fastest and more agile ahead of the normal Gallardo.
Superleggera needs just 3.5 seconds to reach the speed of 100 km/h, with 0.2 seconds faster then standard Gallardo being equipped with automated gearbox (optional manual) that come as standard, a sport package with new buffer and special steering wheel dressed in suede.
The car engines represent the last version of well known propulsion Lamborghini V10, 4961 cc and 530 hp at 8000 rpm.
Lamborghini engineer reduce the weight already very low of the standard Gallardo with the use of new materials with 100 kg. So the engine hood is built from carbon fiber and plastic. Rear speaker, floor, mirrors, doors panel and median tunnel are made from carbon fiber.
So with all the new things Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera deserve to be the best from the Gallardo series is a good adversary for Ferrari 430 Scuderia.
General Motors is known to have had its eye on the niche occupied by the Jeep Wrangler. And at the Detroit auto show next week, it will reveal more of its intentions to field a Wrangler competitor in the shape of the HUMMER HX concept.
HUMMER's general manager, Martin Walsh said, "We've made our intentions clear that we want to expand our product line. To do this, we need another, smaller vehicle." Certainly, the H2 and H3 were smaller than the original H1, but there is clearly room beneath the H3 for a Wranger-sized SUV. Following HUMMER's naming convention, the betting money is on H4 as the model name.
The HX Concept, shown in sketches at a GM press event, also embodies some of the off-road hallmarks of the Toyota FJ Cruiser. But GM says the design of the new HX concept is all HUMMER, even though it's the work of three young designers that are new to GM Design Staff.
The resulting HX concept shares some elements with other HUMMER vehicles, like the seven-bar grill. The concept's 3.6-liter V-6 powertrain is also flex-fuel-capable, helping to point toward the E85 ethanol powertrains coming to the HUMMER line in 2008. Walsh noted that every HUMMER would offer either a flex-fuel or bio-fuel capable powertrain by 2010. This further confirms talk of wider diesel engine availability, including the new 4.5-liter for the H2 and perhaps the H3.
Compared to the H3, the HX concept is shorter by approximately 10 inches, but the HX's track is slightly wider than the H3's, giving it a squat look that should prove exceptionally stable off-road. Engineers on hand wouldn't comment on whether the HX was built on a shortened H3 chassis, but the likelihood is strong.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Mechanical details of the concept vehicle include 35-inch tires mounted to 20-inch rims with bead locks, coil-over shocks, and a fully independent rear suspension. Power comes from an E85 version of GM's 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 (similar to the top V-6 in the 2008 Cadillac CTS).
Now we're torn. Yesterday we saw the Aston DBR9 Le Mans racer in Gulf livery and were certain we'd found the coolest racing car of the year. But now Nissan has gone and taken the wraps off the awesome GT500 GT-R, in Tokyo, and we're all torn.Because, well, just look at it. The GT500 is, as you might have guessed, a racing version of the GT-R (Top Gear's Supercar of the Year, no less), set to compete in Japan's Super GT Championship.
It'll race in the top category, the GT500 - quite possibly the fastest GT series in the world thanks to a list of regulations that reads something like: 'Do more or less whatever you want, so long as you keep under 500bhp.' As the road-going GT-R puts out some 480bhp, that means it won't be much more powerful on paper. But, as a quick look at (and, more important, a quick listen to) this video of the car in testing reveals, there has been some pretty serious work put into the GT-R's 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6. What a noise.
Click the image above for a high res image.
Nissan hasn't released any technical details on the GT500 yet, but we do know that it won't be allowed traction control, ABS or stability control. Whoever takes control of that thing needs cojones of carbon fibre. The organisers of the Super GT confidently assert that over the past few years, they've introduced more stringent regulations regarding aerodynamics, aiming to bring GT500 cars in line with GT1 cars. By the looks of the rear end of the GT500, those regulations aren't too strict yet: look at the size of that rear wing and diffuser.
The GT500 also shows off Nissan's new works livery, which owes much to the paintjob on the current Fairlady Z race car. According to the Nissan spiel, 'the red symbolises the passion for racing, while the black signifies the high performance of the new GT-R'. Even if you painted the GT500 pink and plastered it in fluffy bunny decals, it'd still look scary enough to make Ross Kemp weep. We'll find out more about the GT500 GT-R at the end of this month.
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(from Aston Martin Press Release) Aston Martin Racing will return to Le Mans in 2008 to defend its GT1 title in the distinctive blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.
Two Aston Martin DBR9s will look to emulate Gulf’s first victory at the 24 hour race 40 years on.
Alain Dujean, Gulf Oil vice president international, said: “This is arguably the most important year ever for Gulf in motorsport. The famous Gulf racing colours first tasted victory at Le Mans in 1968, so 2008 already had great significance for us, but for Gulf to have joined up with Aston Martin Racing for this year is fantastic – the coming together of two great automotive names, for what I hope will be a long and fruitful partnership.”
David Richards, chairman of Aston Martin, said: “Endurance racing is engrained in the heritage of both Gulf and Aston Martin and we have also both been intrinsically linked through Le Mans for many decades. It was perhaps destined that, in the year we defend our GT1 title and Gulf celebrates the 40th anniversary of its win, we would finally race together at La Sarthe.”
The two Aston Martin DBR9s for 2008 will be entered as numbers 007 and 009.
BMW of North America to partner with Rahal Letterman Racing for 2009 season
BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a 485 bhp eight cylinder engine, this impressive race car has been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car is based on the fourth generation of the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.
BMW's 2009 entry into the American Le Mans Series will be driven by a partnership between BMW of North America, LLC and Rahal Letterman Racing, co-owned by US motorsport legend Bobby Rahal.
The BMW M3 Race Version: Sportiness personified.
In the course of developing the race version of the BMW M3, BMW's engineers were faced with an ambitious task: to improve upon the sportiness of an already sporting car. A better base would, though, be difficult to find. In standard form the vehicle delivers powerful dynamics and sporting aesthetics. Thanks to an eight cylinder engine producing 414 bhp, BMW's customers are provided with a unique driving experience.
Those engine blocks, cast in BMW's light alloy foundry in Landshut - the very source of BMW's Formula One castings - selected for race duty need to withstand even more power: the BMW P65 race engine delivers 485 bhp.
In order to enable the BMW M3 to make full use of this performance on the race circuit, the experts in Munich have not concentrated solely on the engine, but have race-tuned the chassis as well. The race version of the BMW M3 is wider and significantly lighter than its production equivalent, enabling it to perfectly transmit the power of its V8 to the track. Widespread use of carbon-reinforced plastic (CRP) provides proof of substantial weight reduction. As with the production version, the race car's roof is manufactured from this high-tech material.
The race version of the BMW M3 is clearly aimed at the top echelon of motorsport. As such, it is no surprise to discover that in the course of its development, begun in mid-2007, numerous Formula One techniques were applied. These include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel analyses, both of which have ensured the best possible aerodynamic package for the BMW M3.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and the upcoming X6 Sport Activity Coupe. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Sure, we're probably all guilty of fanboy bickering at one point or another in our lives, but even if you prefer the whips found in Back to the Future or Ghost Rider above all, just about anyone who appreciates restorations (and whiz-bang interiors) would be forced to give this faithful clone its due credit. The Ontario-based 1984 Pontiac Trans Am reportedly became a $40,000 project to turn an ordinary ride into a blast from the past, as the owner took extra care in crafting the posh dashboard and sleek exterior cues to mimic the real K.I.T.T. (which already sold) found in Knight Rider. Aside from the throwback lighting system and branded steering wing, this bad boy packs twin four-inch LCDs, "real working gauges," DVD / CD / MP3 players, and a custom stereo system with amplifiers. No, this ride doesn't come with any sort of warranty (nor a functioning Turbo Boost, sadly), and unless you're a Canuck, you'll be making a trip across the border to pick it up, but if you've got the $19,000 (or more) to burn, here's your chance to be David Hasselhoff incarnate. Click on through for a few more pics, or hit up the auction for the full spill.
Like the Internet World Maps, this picture illustrates the popularity of various social networks across different countries of the world. Credit: lemonde.fr.
This world map shows the popularity of social networking websites in different countries. Orkut sweeps Brazil and India, LiveJournal is in Russia while MySpace is all over Australia. Credit: ValleyWag
The above visualizations show the density of Internet connections worldwide and how international cities are connected. Credit: Chris
The Internet Black Hole world map depict countries where Internet Filtering is common and freedom of online expression is a rare commodity. China, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and other countries where Internet access is restricted are included in the Black Hole world map. Credit: RSF
The map shows regions where blogging and Web 2.0 is popular. The bulk of is concentrated in North America, Europe, Australia and South Asia. Countries Where Web 2.0 Is Popular
This poster of online communities shows the various social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Orkut, etc represented as islands and continents in the style of a “treasure map.” The relative size of the land roughly represents the size of that community on the web. Credit: xkcd
And finally, this real image of the world from NASA shows what our planet Earth looks like at night. The bright portions are due to the city lights.
These days, cell phones provide an incredible array of functions, and new ones are being added at a breakneck pace. Depending on the cell-phone model, you can:
But have you ever wondered how a cell phone works? What makes it different from a regular phone? What do all those terms like PCS, GSM, CDMA and TDMA mean? In this article, we will discuss the technology behind cell phones so that you can see how amazing they really are. If you are thinking about buying a cell phone, be sure to check out How Buying a Cell Phone Works to learn what you should know before making a purchase.
To start with, one of the most interesting things about a cell phone is that it is actually a radio -- an extremely sophisticated radio, but a radio nonetheless. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and wireless communication can trace its roots to the invention of the radio by Nikolai Tesla in the 1880s (formally presented in 1894 by a young Italian named Guglielmo Marconi). It was only natural that these two great technologies would eventually be combined.
Cell-phone Frequencies
In the dark ages before cell phones, people who really needed mobile-communications ability installed radio telephones in their cars. In the radio-telephone system, there was one central antenna tower per city, and perhaps 25 channels available on that tower. This central antenna meant that the phone in your car needed a powerful transmitter -- big enough to transmit 40 or 50 miles (about 70 km). It also meant that not many people could use radio telephones -- there just were not enough channels.
The genius of the cellular system is the division of a city into small cells. This allows extensive frequency reuse across a city, so that millions of people can use cell phones simultaneously.
A good way to understand the sophistication of a cell phone is to compare it to a CB radio or a walkie-talkie.
Full-duplex vs. half-duplex - Both walkie-talkies and CB radios are half-duplex devices. That is, two people communicating on a CB radio use the same frequency, so only one person can talk at a time. A cell phone is a full-duplex device. That means that you use one frequency for talking and a second, separate frequency for listening. Both people on the call can talk at once.
Channels - A walkie-talkie typically has one channel, and a CB radio has 40 channels. A typical cell phone can communicate on 1,664 channels or more!
Range - A walkie-talkie can transmit about 1 mile (1.6 km) using a 0.25-watt transmitter. A CB radio, because it has much higher power, can transmit about 5 miles (8 km) using a 5-watt transmitter. Cell phones operate within cells, and they can switch cells as they move around. Cells give cell phones incredible range. Someone using a cell phone can drive hundreds of miles and maintain a conversation the entire time because of the cellular approach.
In half-duplex radio, both transmitters use the same frequency. Only one party can talk at a time.
In full-duplex radio, the two transmitters use different frequencies, so both parties can talk at the same time.
Cell phones are full-duplex.
In a typical analog cell-phone system in the United States, the cell-phone carrier receives about 800 frequencies to use across the city. The carrier chops up the city into cells. Each cell is typically sized at about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers). Cells are normally thought of as hexagons on a big hexagonal grid, like this:
Because cell phones and base stations use low-power transmitters, the same frequencies can be reused in non-adjacent cells. The two purple cells can reuse the same frequencies.
Each cell has a base station that consists of a tower and a small building containing the radio equipment. We'll get into base stations later. First, let's examine the "cells" that make up a cellular system.
CELL PHONE CHANNELS
A single cell in an analog cell-phone system uses one-seventh of the available duplex voice channels. That is, each cell (of the seven on a hexagonal grid) is using one-seventh of the available channels so it has a unique set of frequencies and there are no collisions:
A cell-phone carrier typically gets 832 radio frequencies to use in a city.
Each cell phone uses two frequencies per call -- a duplex channel -- so there are typically 395 voice channels per carrier. (The other 42 frequencies are used for control channels -- more on this later.)
Therefore, each cell has about 56 voice channels available. In other words, in any cell, 56 people can be talking on their cell phone at one time. Analog cellular systems are considered first-generation mobile technology, or 1G. With digital transmission methods (2G), the number of available channels increases. For example, a TDMA-based digital system (more on TDMA later) can carry three times as many calls as an analog system, so each cell has about 168 channels available.
Cell phones have low-power transmitters in them. Many cell phones have two signal strengths: 0.6 watts and 3 watts (for comparison, most CB radios transmit at 4 watts). The base station is also transmitting at low power. Low-power transmitters have two advantages:
The transmissions of a base station and the phones within its cell do not make it very far outside that cell. Therefore, in the figure above, both of the purple cells can reuse the same 56 frequencies. The same frequencies can be reused extensively across the city.
The power consumption of the cell phone, which is normally battery-operated, is relatively low. Low power means small batteries, and this is what has made handheld cellular phones possible.
The cellular approach requires a large number of base stations in a city of any size. A typical large city can have hundreds of towers. But because so many people are using cell phones, costs remain low per user. Each carrier in each city also runs one central office called the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO). This office handles all of the phone connections to the normal land-based phone system, and controls all of the base stations in the region.
CELL PHONE CODES
All cell phones have special codes associated with them. These codes are used to identify the phone, the phone's owner and the service provider.
Let's say you have a cell phone, you turn it on and someone tries to call you. Here is what happens to the call:
When you first power up the phone, it listens for an SID (see sidebar) on the control channel. The control channel is a special frequency that the phone and base station use to talk to one another about things like call set-up and channel changing. If the phone cannot find any control channels to listen to, it knows it is out of range and displays a "no service" message.
When it receives the SID, the phone compares it to the SID programmed into the phone. If the SIDs match, the phone knows that the cell it is communicating with is part of its home system.
Along with the SID, the phone also transmits a registration request, and the MTSO keeps track of your phone's location in a database -- this way, the MTSO knows which cell you are in when it wants to ring your phone.
The MTSO gets the call, and it tries to find you. It looks in its database to see which cell you are in.
The MTSO picks a frequency pair that your phone will use in that cell to take the call.
The MTSO communicates with your phone over the control channel to tell it which frequencies to use, and once your phone and the tower switch on those frequencies, the call is connected. Now, you are talking by two-way radio to a friend.
As you move toward the edge of your cell, your cell's base station notes that your signal strength is diminishing. Meanwhile, the base station in the cell you are moving toward (which is listening and measuring signal strength on all frequencies, not just its own one-seventh) sees your phone's signal strength increasing. The two base stations coordinate with each other through the MTSO, and at some point, your phone gets a signal on a control channel telling it to change frequencies. This hand off switches your phone to the new cell.
As you travel, the signal is passed from cell to cell.
Let's say you're on the phone and you move from one cell to another -- but the cell you move into is covered by another service provider, not yours. Instead of dropping the call, it'll actually be handed off to the other service provider.
If the SID on the control channel does not match the SID programmed into your phone, then the phone knows it is roaming. The MTSO of the cell that you are roaming in contacts the MTSO of your home system, which then checks its database to confirm that the SID of the phone you are using is valid. Your home system verifies your phone to the local MTSO, which then tracks your phone as you move through its cells. And the amazing thing is that all of this happens within seconds.
The less amazing thing is that you may be charged insane rates for your roaming call. On most phones, the word "roam" will come up on your phone's screen when you leave your provider's coverage area and enter another's. If not, you'd better study your coverage maps carefully -- more than one person has been unpleasantly surprised by the cost of roaming. Check your service contract carefully to find out how much you're paying when you roam.
Note that if you want to roam internationally, you'll need a phone that will work both at home and abroad. Different countries use different cellular access technologies. More on those technologies later. First, let's get some background on analog cell-phone technology so we can understand how the industry has developed.
To change the direction that the orbiter is pointed (attitude), you must use the reaction control system (RCS) located on the nose and OMS pods of the aft fuselage.
Photo courtesy NASAOMS firing
The RCS has 14 jets that can move the orbiter along each axis of rotation (pitch, roll, yaw). The RCS thrusters burn monomethyl hydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer just like the OMS engines described previously. Attitude changes are required for deploying satellites or for pointing (mapping instruments, telescopes) at the Earth or stars.
To change orbits (e.g., rendezvous, docking maneuvers), you must fire the OMS engines. As described above, these engines change the velocity of the orbiter to place it in a higher or lower orbit (see How Satellites Work for details on orbits).
Tracking and Communication
You must be able to talk with flight controllers on the ground daily for the routine operation of the mission. In addition, you must be able to communicate with each other inside the orbiter or its payload modules and when conducting spacewalks outside.
NASA's Mission Control in Houston will send signals to a 60 ft radio antenna at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. White Sands will relay the signals to a pair of Tracking and Data Relay satellites in orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites will relay the signals to the space shuttle. The system works in reverse as well.
The orbiter has two systems for communicating with the ground:
S-band - voice, commands, telemetry and data files
Ku-band (high bandwidth) - video and transferring two-way data files
The orbiter has several intercom plug-in audio terminal units located throughout the crew compartment. You will wear a personal communications control with a headset. The communications control is battery-powered and can be switched from intercom to transmit functions. You can either push to talk and release to listen or have a continuously open communication line. To talk with spacewalkers, the system uses a UHF frequency, which is picked up in the astronaut's spacesuit.
The orbiter also has a series of internal and external video cameras to see inside and outside.
Navigation, Power and Computers
The orbiter must be able to know precisely where it is in space, where other objects are and how to change orbit. To know where it is and how fast it is moving, the orbiter uses global positioning systems (GPS). To know which way it is pointing (attitude), the orbiter has several gyroscopes. All of this information is fed into the flight computers for rendezvous and docking maneuvers, which are controlled in the aft station of the flight deck.
All of the on-board systems of the orbiter require electrical power. Three fuel cells make electricity; they are located in the mid fuselage under the payload bay. These fuel cells combine oxygen and hydrogen from pressurized tanks in the mid fuselage to make electricity and water. Like a power grid on Earth, the orbiter has a distribution system to supply electrical power to various instrument bays and areas of the ship. The water is used by the crew and for cooling.
The orbiter has five on-board computers that handle data processing and control critical flight systems. The computers monitor equipment and talk to each other and vote to settle arguments. Computers control critical adjustments especially during launch and landing:
operations of the orbiter (housekeeping functions, payload operations, rendezvous/docking)
interface with the crew
caution and warning systems
data acquisition and processing from experiments
flight maneuvers
Pilots essentially fly the computers, which fly the shuttle. To make this easier, the shuttles have a Multifunctional Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS), which is a new, full color, flat, 11-panel display system. The MEDS, also known as the "glass cockpit", provides graphic portrayals of key light indicators (attitude, altitude, speed). The MEDS panels are easy to read and make it easier for shuttle pilots to interact with the orbiter.
See larger image ThinkGeek introduces a cool new black t-shirt with a useful functionality. The Wi-Fi Detector T-shirt as the name already implies shows the signal strength of available Wi-Fi hotspots near you.
The Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt can detect 802.11b and 802.11g networks. The rings around the tower on the T-shirt logo light-up depending on the signal strength.
The Wi-Fi T-Shirt will sell for $29.99 when it begins shipping later this month from ThinkGeek.
You can use the "Email me when available link" on ThinkGeek to remind you about this great new black T-Shirt.
The Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt is powered by 3 AAA batteries.
IF THIS IS POSIBLE WHY DON'T YOU DESIGN ON
The MC1 is really a joint project between two companies: MotorCity Europe and C2P Automotive. C2P handled development of the MC1 and will likely be responsible for building it, while MCE coordinated its design. Mechanically speaking, all we know is that the MC1 is powered by a 600bhp V10 and features an all-carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Its wheels are enormous at 20-inches up front and 21-inches in the rear. In terms of size, CAR states that the MC1 is “slightly shorter and narrower than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, and a mere 15mm higher.”
The MCE MC1 is still not necessarily destined for production, as this “concept” needs funding to get flying. But MCE has obviously done a lot of heavy lifting so far, including track testing and nailing the car’s overall aesthetic, which, as you can see in the gallery, is every bit as ostentatious as a supercar should be.
Little bugs... for bugging people -
