Google puts tsunami alert on home page

Google put a tsunami alert on its famously spartan home page on Friday following the strong earthquake in Japan.

"Tsunami Alert for New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and others," said the message placed below the Internet search box.

"Waves expected over the next few hours, caused by 8.9 earthquake in Japan," it said.

Google frequently makes mapping, communications and other tools available after natural disasters but a news alert message on the Internet giant's home page is unusual.
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Weed-eating fish key to reef's survival

Preserving a species of weed-eating fish may be the key to saving the world's coral reefs from being engulfed by weed as human and climate impacts grow.

A new study by the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) has found weed-eaters like parrotfish and surgeonfish can only keep coral reefs clear of weed up to a point.

For some years, researchers have pinned their hopes on the ability of weed-eating fish to keep the weeds at bay while the corals recover following a major setback like bleaching, a dump of sediment from the land, or a violent cyclone, the journal Ecology Letters reports.

However, the latest work by Andrew Hoey and David Bellwood at CoECRS and James Cook University shows that once the weeds reach a certain density, the fish no longer control them, and prefer to graze less weedy areas.

"As a result, the whole system tips from being coral-dominated to weed-dominated," Andrew says, according to a CoECRS statement.

Facebook teams up with WB to stream rental movies

With strong subscriber base, the popular social networking site Facebook has teamed with media giant Warner Brothers to offer movies on the web.

Customers can rent the films for 30 Facebook credits, about USD 3. The movies will be available for 48 hours. Millions of its subscribers can pause or restart a movie if they leave the site and log back in.

Warner Bros has started the trial with the smash hit 2008 Batman movie, The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. The movie is available for rent from the movie's Facebook fan page using its virtual currency.

The Facebook service will initially be available only in the United States. Overseas Facebook fans would provide a serious revenue stream for this project.

Facebook's cut of income generated from the streamed films is said to be 30 per cent.

"Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts," said Thomas Gewecke, president of digital distribution at Warner Bros.

Facebook unveils option to let friend know of online bullying

'Facebook' users can now tell a "trusted friend" if they feel they are being bullied or harassed online, thanks to a new option introduced by the popular social networking site.

Facebook has said that its reporting option allows members to alert someone in their support system, like parents or teachers, to the problem so that online behaviour is linked to "real world consequences".

"Often the best way of sorting offensive content is for friends to flag those things to each other. In the real world you have a sense of when you need to escalate something to the right organisation.

"If someone is calling you names, it might not be appropriate to go directly to the police," the 'Daily Mail' quoted Facebook's Director of European Policy Richard Allan as saying.

However, the social networking site said users would be put in contact with police or suitable organisations in the event of more serious concerns.

Mobile battery life could last months thanks to nanotechnology

Have you ever dreamt of owning mobile devices that run for months rather than days without charging? Well, your wish may soon be granted — thanks to nanotechnology.

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed an ultra-low-power digital memory that is faster and uses 100 times less energy than currently used memory modules.

They believe the technology would significantly enhance battery life of portable devices, including mobile phones.

“I think anyone who is dealing with a lot of chargers and plugging things in every night can relate to wanting a cell phone or laptop whose batteries can last for weeks or months,” said lead author and electrical and computer engineering professor Eric Pop.

The flash memory used in mobile devices currently stores bits as charge, which requires high programming voltages and is relatively slow.

‘Magic cap’ that helps you spell words with your mind!

How great would it be if you could do away with a keyboard forever and simply type using your mind?

Now, that’s possible using intendiX – a device that spells words based on brain waves.

Developed by Austrian company Guger Technologies, it’s essentially a skullcap, covered in electroencephalographic (EEG) electrodes, with a computer interface, reports Discovery News.

The wearer stares at a computer screen, which flashes highlights over different rows in a matrix of letters and symbols set up like a keyboard on the screen. Simply by paying attention to the desired letter for a few seconds, the program can determine what the user intended to pick.

The ‘magic cap’ could be a blessing for those with spinal injuries or other conditions that impair use of the arms or vocal cords.

According to Guger Technologies, most people become competent thought-communicators after 10 minutes of training on the system and are able to spell out five to 10 characters a minute.

The user can also make it read the message out loud in digitized prose, print the text, or send it in email or via another electronic messaging system -- intendiX is Bluetooth-ready.

The only ability needed to use the system, besides a few seconds of concentration, is eyesight.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Apple's iPad 2 hits stores Friday in latest test

Apple Inc kicks off sales of its latest iPad on Friday, likely extending its lead in the burgeoning market while offering an important snapshot of consumer demand for tablet computing.

Nearly a year after the original proved a smash hit and inspired a wave of imitators, investors will be watching the turn-out for the U.S. release of the iPad 2, which Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled last week.

The release -- which as always will be closely scrutinized by fans and investors -- may be a litmus test for the overall appetite for tablets.

Apple may still be hoping for a repeat of April 2010, when thousands of people lined up to buy what was then a largely novel device with an uncertain market. But analysts say the 10-inch touchscreen iPad 2 has been improved incrementally, not reinvented wholesale. It is thinner, faster and adds a pair of cameras for video chat.

The benchmarks for the iPad 2 are clear. The first iPad sold 300,000 units on its first day, 500,000 in the first week, and crossed the 1 million unit mark in 28 days.

Microsoft's Kinect sets record as fastest-selling tech gadget

Microsoft's Kinect has been named the fastest-selling tech gadget of all time after racking up sales of 10 million units since its launch in November.

The unit is the first mass-produced device that allows for motion and voice control of a video game console without the need to hold any controller. Microsoft said the device's success staked it a spot in the Guinness Book of Records by beating the previous sales record set by Apple's iPad.

"The sales figures here speak for themselves," said Gaz Deaves, editor of Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition, according to a Microsoft statement.

"We can confirm that no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector," Deaves said.

Guinness said that Microsoft sold eight million of the devices in its first two months on the market, for an average daily volume of 133,333.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Google lets searchers sidestep unwanted websites

Google on Tuesday began letting people sidestep unwanted websites by eliminating them from Internet search results.

"Now there's yet another way to find more of what you want on Google by blocking the sites you don't want to see," Google search quality engineers Amay Champaneria and Beverly Yang said in a blog post.

People who jump back to the Google search results page after checking out a link will have the option of signaling they have no interest in seeing that website suggested in the future.

"Perhaps the result just wasn't quite right, but sometimes you may dislike the site in general, whether it's offensive, pornographic or of generally low quality," the engineers said.

"For times like these, you'll start seeing a new option to block particular domains from your future search results."

A small "block" button was added to options listed with search result links.

Blocked domains are associated with people's Google accounts. Subsequent searches that would have generated the unwanted websites will show instead messages indicating they were blocked.

"We're adding this feature because we believe giving you control over the results you find will provide an even more personalized and enjoyable experience on Google," the engineers said.

The new feature began rolling out Tuesday for English-language versions of Google.com accessed with the latest Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer Web browsing software.

It is to expand soon to other languages and browser software.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us