Stanford professor works with Stephen Hawking to develop iBrain device

Stanford University professor Philip Low is developing a device that is intended to monitor brain waves from a human and convert them into letters, words and sentences. He has been testing what he calls the iBrain with world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking with the hope that it will one day allow him to communicate more easily.

The device, originally intended to be an at-home sleep monitor, could best be described as a work in progress. Daily Mail notes that Hawking was outfitted with a special black headband containing neurotransmitters and was told to think about scrunching his hand into the shape of a ball. Doing so was able to create a pattern on the device that Low hopes can one day be translated into written communication.

Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21 during his time in graduate school at Cambridge. It’s uncommon for someone with this motor neuron disease to live more than 10 years after diagnosis but Hawking is an exception as he turned 70 earlier this year.

His condition has progressed slower than most, although he lost the ability to speak 30 years ago and is now almost entirely paralyzed. He has to rely on sensor inside his mouth to communicate which is becoming increasingly difficult as his condition continues to deteriorate.

Low is expected to share his findings at a conference next month where Hawking might even demonstrate the iBrain device for those in attendance.

Google TV service launches in UK with Sony tie-up

Sony and Google have announced a tie-up that will see Google's interactive TV service made available outside the US for the first time.

The set-top box allows users to browse the internet through their television, as well as access a range of specially designed applications.

The device, which will cost around £200 when it is released in July, will compete with Apple's own TV box.

Apple TV is already available in the UK, currently priced at £99.

In a press release, Sony said their Google TV product, the NSZ-GS7, will also soon be made available in Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico.

Dual-sided remote

"Entertainment content is available through so many channels and sites, and Google TV helps consumers easily find what they want to watch, listen to or play with the freedom of the internet and using the familiar Chrome search engine technology," said Gildas Pelliet, Sony's European head of marketing.

The device will be followed with a Blu-ray version expected to cost around £300 when it is launched later in the year.

The box will be controlled by a dual-sided remote control with a full QWERTY keyboard.

Like Apple's offering, Google TV can be controlled via a smartphone.

Google's foray into television has faced some hiccups since it first launched Google TV in the US in 2010.

Its devices were criticised for being too expensive, and several TV networks blocked the US-only service from accessing their web content

70% of teens hide online behavior from parents

Here's a real shocker: Teens are better than their parents at using the Internet, and are likely to hide some of their online behaviors from them.

That news comes from a 2,017-person survey funded by the online security software maker McAfee, which is pushing a product that helps parents monitor their kids online.

Seventy percent of teens "hide their online behavior" from parents, according to the report, which was released Monday. That's up from 45% in 2010, the group says.

These hidden behaviors include some things you might expect -- such as accessing violent (43%) or pornographic (32%) content online -- but also a few surprises. Fifteen percent of teens have hacked into social networks; 9% have hacked into e-mail accounts; 12% have met face to face with a person he or she met on the Internet; and 16% of teens surveyed said they had used their phones to cheat on tests at school.

McAfee said parents are often unaware of these behaviors.

"Parents, you must stay in-the-know," McAfee's Robert Siciliano wrote in a blog post. "Since your teens have grown up in an online world, they may be more online savvy than their parents, but you can't give up. You must challenge yourselves to become familiar with the complexities of the teen online universe and stay educated on the various devices your teens are using to go online.

"As a parent of two young girls, I proactively participate in their online activities and talk to them about the 'rules of the road' for the Internet. I'm hoping that this report opens the eyes of parents to become more involved and also consider using technology such as McAfee Safe Eyes to protect their kids online."

There's the product pitch. McAfee Safe Eyes, like similar products from other security companies, lets parents spy on their kids' online behaviors and block certain websites. According to an online description of the product, Safe Eyes lets parents log the social-media posts and instant message conversations of their children.

Nearly half of parents install some sort of online controls, the survey said. Forty-four percent know their teens' passwords, and one in 10 uses a location-monitoring device.

Not everyone advocates that approach to teen online security, however.

"We don't think it's a good idea for parents to spy on their kids surreptitiously, because eventually they're going to find something they have to confront them about, and it's going to destroy the other lines of communication," Justin Patchin, a criminal justice professor and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, told CNN in 2010.

In the report, McAfee also encourages parents to be upfront with their children if they decide to monitor their behaviors.

"Half of teens say they would think twice about their online activities if they knew parents were watching," the report said.

The McAfee-funded report, which was carried out by the research company TRU, surveyed 1,013 parents and 1,004 teens between the ages of 13 and 17. The interviews were conducted online in May.

The report, titled "The digital divide: How the online behavior of teens is getting past parents" (PDF), also includes a list of the "top 10 ways teens are fooling their parents."

Here's the list, with the percentage of teens who said they engaged in these behaviors, according to the survey results:

1. Clear browser history (53%)

2. Close/minimize browser when parent walked in (46%)

3. Hide or delete IMs or videos (34%)

4. Lie or omit details about online activities (23%)

5. Use a computer your parents don't check (23%)

6. Use an Internet-enabled mobile device (21%)

7. Use privacy settings to make certain content viewable only by friends (20%)

8. Use private browsing modes (20%)

9. Create private e-mail address unknown to parents (15%)

10. Create duplicate/fake social network profiles (9%)

Laptops can cause Toasted Skin Syndrome

 The laptop was invented to provide user mobility - so we don't end up being chained to our desk computers . But working for hours with the lappy perched on your lap could result in discoloured patchy skin. And while you could be enjoying the heat emanating from the device, especially in an air-conditioned area, you could also develop Toasted Skin Syndrome. Read on to find out more about this skin condition.... 

What is it?
Toasted Skin Syndrome is clinically known as Erythema Ab Igne and commonly known by various names such as 'laptop thigh' and 'hot water bottle rash' . Swiss doctors also call it 'laptop-induced dermatosis' . 

Who is at risk?
"People who spend prolonged periods of time studying, reading , or playing games on laptops resting on their upper legs could develop this skin syndrome ," warns dermatologist Dr Shreyas Kamath. Traditionally , this skin condition is common among people often exposed to heat while working (blacksmiths, silversmiths, cooks, etc). And now, people using laptops for long hours, even students and corporate individuals, are facing this. 

Causes
The prolonged placement of laptop on the thighs results in thermal build of around 44 degrees of heat to which the skin responds by developing persistent redness and pigmentation . This has been reported in medical literature between 2004 to date, explains dermatologist and dermatosurgeon Dr Shenaz Z Arsiwala. 

Harmful effects
"The skin develops a patch which is mottled (caused by local hemostasis - stagnation of blood) and later becomes reticulated erythema (patchy striped erythema) leaving behind pigmentation," says Dr Manerkar. 

Treatment
First of all, identification of the root cause, i.e., the source of the heat, needs to be identified . If the cause is excess duration of laptop usage, it should be cut down. Also, direct contact of the laptop and the skin should be avoided by placing a barrier in between. Dr Arsiwala says laptop coolers are also available. The skin change, if detected early and is mild in nature, can settle on its own without treatment . However, for persistent redness, anti-inflammatory creams can be used. 

Symptoms
Prolonged and repeated exposure to heat causes a marked redness and discolouration of the skin. Sometimes it will give a blotchy appearance which will appear as toasted skin. Mild itching and burning sensation on the affected area.

Facebook Finally Lets You Edit Your Comments

We’ve all typed things on Facebook that we regret. Over-the-top angry responses to shared political articles. Weirdly inappropriate comments under a friend’s photo. Typo-ridden exclamations under a big announcement.

Before, Facebook only gave you a few seconds to make an edit, which resulted in moments of panic before you either had to delete a comment or just live with it. On Thursday night, that all changed when Facebook decided to let users edit comments.

Now all you have to do is hover over the right corner of your comment and a pencil icon will appear, letting you edit or delete it. Don’t worry if you can’t do it right now; Facebook is gradually rolling it out to all users.

You’ll also be able to view the edit history of any comment by clicking on the “Edited” button near the timestamp. That means that any typos or regrettable things you edit out aren’t gone forever; they’re just gone at first glance.

This is all well and good, but what about the Facebook feature everyone really wants — the ability to edit Wall posts? The day that I can edit a rambling screed written at 3am after a night of watching my team lose at a sports bar is the day I know that Facebook is truly safe for the impulsive writer.

Google fights to save 3,054 dying languages

Will you be any worse off the moment humans cease to speak in Aragonese? How about Navajo, or Ojibwa? Or Koro, a language only just discovered in a tiny corner of northeast India?

No, you probably wouldn't, not in that moment. But humanity would be. Science, art and culture would be. If, as the phrase goes, another language equals another soul, then some 3,054 souls -- 50% of the world's total languages -- are set to die out by 2100.

Mashable.com: Kindle Espanol: Amazon launches Spanish-language ebook store

If there is hope, it lies in the world's centers of information -- such as Google. The search giant's philanthropic arm, Google.org, has launched the Endangered Language project, a website devoted to preserving those ancient tongues that are now only spoken by a few thousand of us.

Mashable.com: How technology is speeding up humanitarian response

The site, launched early Thursday, features videos and an interactive map. The curious can click on any one of the dots that hang over each country (including a suprising number in the U.S.), each representing a whole language.

You can hear the heartbreaking, beautiful sound of Koro being sung, or read 18th-century manuscripts written in a nearly-dead Native American tongue.

"Documenting the 3,000+ languages that are on the verge of extinction is an important step in preserving cultural diversity," write project managers Clara Rivera Rodriguez and Jason Rissman.

Mashable.com: 5 startups infusing social good with innovation

The idea is to unite a lot of smaller preservation efforts under the Google.org banner.

"By bridging independent efforts from around the world we hope to make an important advancement in confronting language endangerment," said Rodriguez and Rissman. "We hope you'll join us."

Check out the project's video on Mashable.com.

Windows8 brings Cloud Computing to all

Interestingly, Microsoft have listed three distinct categories of how people use cloud computing for personal use.

1. File Clouds
2. Device Clouds
3. Application Clouds

File Clouds provide cloud based traditional file storage that give users access from anywhere and examples include Microsoft’s own SkyDrive as well as services such as DropBox.
Device Clouds allow content to be purchased and shared across multiple devices in a transparent way. These devices maybe TV’s, mobile devices and work without the users having to be concerned where the content is stored. The most obvious example of this is Apple’s iCloud.
Application Clouds Hosted in the cloud, these applications allow anywhere access as well as improved document sharing and collaboration. No client software installation and a pay per use model means that these applications are attractive to individuals. Examples include Google Apps, Office365 as well as services such as Spotify.Let us see how microsoft incorpates this features in windows8.

1. A fully fledged operating system with cloud computing

Numerous efforts in the arena of cloud computing are focused on browser based cloud computing. Windows 8 is different. It seeks to provide all the features you need in an operating system while enabling cloud computing. Windows 8 will get installed on your PC, tablet or your phone and offer cloud computing on all these devices along with all that an OS brings.

2. Access to applications over the web

Installation, configuration and troubleshooting of applications will not be the responsibility of the user. In addition, you will not have to invest in buying apps that you do not need over the long term. Access applications when you need them without having to go through the hassle of installation, configuration or maintenance.

3. Freedom from need for synchronization of data on devices

This is akin to the various applications you use over the web wherein you store data that you can access anytime from any of the devices through which internet access is possible, whether it is your laptop, desktop PC, a tablet or a mobile phone.

4. Retention of device storage space

This is a definite advantage over Google’s Chromebook which allows only cloud based storage. The way Chromebook goes about providing cloud computing is not likely to go down well with everyone and may still see people getting apprehensive. Windows 8 strikes a balance with facility for storage on the device as well as in the cloud. This will certainly find favor with people.

5. Ease of scaling of resources

The high cost of maintenance, resource expansion and computing infrastructure will become a thing of the past with Windows 8. Sharing of resources and use of resources as a service will enable a reduction in operational costs. If you are a small business owner, you will benefit immensely from cloud computing services through Windows 8. Windows Azure platform is likely to come in the picture here. Your storage needs and application requirements as your business grows need not be a reason to worry. Scale up the resources seamlessly with cloud computing. Use the applications without investing heavily in buying them and worrying about the maintenance issues. Windows 8 will make this possible through cluster support.

The advantages of cloud computing presented it as a favorable alternative in the world of computing. As and when it makes its presence felt in the general desktop computing domain, the cost of using computing resources will go down significantly. In addition, syncing of data on different devices will become a thing of past. All eyes are now on the launch of Windows 8.

Windows 8 Features

In this blog, I can show the amazing features of windows. If you want to try windows8, It is available for free download, and comes in three different packages:

• (1) 64-bit version – Only the OS
• (2) 32-bit version – Only the OS
• (3) 64-bit version with developer tools

  Support for both x86 PCs and ARM tablets

  Works on both ARM based tablets and traditional x86 (as well as x32 and x64) PCs based on ARM processors from Intel and AMD.

  Windows To Go

  The “Windows To Go” seems to be an exciting feature that basically allows Windows 8 to boot from a USB device (called as Live USB), including user’s programs, settings and files. The feature is designed to work with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, and on both legacy NIOS and UDFI firmware. 
  “Windows To Go is a new feature in Windows 8 that enables enterprise administrators to create USB drives containing complete, managed Windows images that users can use to boot and run Windows on any Windows 7 or Windows 8 capable computer. Windows To Go makes it possible for employees to use a managed device whether they work from home, a client office or in a free seating environment. This session will discuss Windows To Go, its hardware requirements and building compatible and complementary software.”
  Another interesting thing about this feature is that, if the USB drive is removed, Windows will automatically freeze, but will continue to operate if the USB drive is inserted back in the next 60 seconds after removal.

  Windows Store

  To compete with Apple, Windows has confirmed the introduction of a Windows Store, similar to Mac App Store, which allows users to browse through Windows applications, while developers can publish their Metro-style apps on Windows 8 devices.
   Microsoft revealed that the Windows App Store will be the only place where users can access the Metro-styled apps.

  Windows 8 User Interface

   The UI is designed to provide a fluid and intuitive interaction and navigation with touch, or a mouse and keyboard.
  Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows who stated: “Everything that’s great about Windows 7, is better in Windows 8,” gave a quick hands on look at the Windows 8 user-interface. Here are some of the screenshots she released:
  Windows Logon Screen – Unlike the traditional way of entering a password to unlock the screen, Windows 8 can be unlocked by just tapping on the right areas of the screen.
  
  
  
   Windows 8 Start Screen – The Start screen is yet another impressive UI. The screen basically groups all your applications together, which you can easily drag and drop, or add new things.
  
  
  
   Control Panel
  
   Playing Videos in Windows 8
  
  Windows 8 Task Manager

  

  Windows 8 Minimum System Requirements

  It is reported that Windows 8 is expected to have the same system requirements as Windows 7, and will run on existing machines that run Windows 7. Here are the following minimum system requirements to run Windows 8:
  Processor: 1GHz or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor
  RAM: 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit)
  HD Space: 16GB for 32-bit (or 20GB for 64-bit)