New iPad Release Date

Who knew that a mere tablet PC could endow you with a fluttering peek of what does it feel like to hold the entire world in your hands? Who had an idea that it'd shush those inutile evaluators who harbored suspicion about it being a perfect replacement for laptops? While Android is having its nose to grindstone, having set out more than 80 tablets to kill the miracle called the Apple iPad, the developers of iPad repose in snugness, for the next generation iPad, the Apple iPad 2, is already seen in the cards. On January 27, 2010, the Apple fever among tech-savvies took a flight, for the first generation iPad broke through and how! Needless to say, it became a madness, a trend, a course, and of course, a must-have for every Apple lover. People anxiously waited for it to hit the stores, so that only once they could hold the beautiful king of tablets in their palm. To kick the bewilderment up a notch, that's happening again. Yes, you'll soon have in hand the new iPad, release date (2011) of which is set sometime in spring. That is to say, it's just round the corner, if the juicy iPad 2 rumors are to be presumed true. But what to expect from the new iPad 2? Today, let's draw something out of the interesting back-fence talks about the miracle that is soon going to take people's breaths away.

What is the New iPad Release Date

Rumors, rumors. Speculations on the Apple iPad 2 release date suggest that since iPad is being subjected to a considerable rise in the competition within the tablet market, it could launch the new iPad 2 quite soon. Tablets such as Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab (refer to Galaxy Tab vs iPad) have started to develop a good fan base, and are already being christened as the 'iPad killers'. Hence, it is extremely important for Apple to treat its fans with the iPad 2 at the earliest.

Another reason for Apple devotees to fervently expect the company to pass the word regarding when is the new iPad coming out is that since the first generation iPad was released in January, 2010 and shipped during Spring, chances are, something of similar sort could happen this year too. Hey, it's almost spring, innit? Tech veterans speak of the new iPad as something which is earnestly awaited, and hence, the sooner Apple launches it, the better it is for the company. After all, distractions, my friends, aren't good, or are they?

New iPad 2: What to Expect

If the buzz that's zooming with regards to when is iPad 2 coming out and what's new in it is to be believed, then you have all the reasons to buy this beautiful tablet, for Apple developers have read minds of their users. There was a reason the iPad market witnessed turbulence. It was because of the absence of a camera in the first generation iPad. Well, to save itself from witnessing users switching loyalties, rumors rife that the iPad 2 might have two cameras (8 MP or 10.2 MP back camera, and a front camera for video conferencing). That is believed to not only kick the iPad experience up a notch, but will also get Apple maximum hold of video conferencing-freak customers.

How is GPS Changing People?

Is GPS Dangerous?
Like any new technology, GPS has its drawbacks. You have probably had at least one experience with a driver who swerves all over the road, speeding up or slowing down without warning, and is a danger to everyone in the vicinity, all because his attention is locked on the GPS navigator attached to the windshield. For those who aren’t lucky enough to have these systems in our vehicles, it seems strange that people would even want to have something like a miniature computer screen constantly obstructing their view of the road. This is becoming more and more common, though, and with GPS receivers built into cell phones, some drivers don’t even have the luxury of a map attached to their windshield. Instead, they drive with one hand, continually looking down at the maps on their phones, almost as if they expect the phone to drive for them, too.

The Unfounded Fear of Progress
Those who express such sentiments as these about new technologies are often labeled reactionaries and curmudgeons, and rightly so. After all, the new technologies that have made our lives better have often started out life in the midst of fear and criticism. Many people resisted microwave ovens at first due to a fear of their radiation output. Similar concerns were voiced about cell phones, which have since become an indispensable feature of contemporary life. So perhaps using GPS for everything only seems dangerous now; when this relatively new phenomenon has had some time to become more integrated with daily life, we will scarcely give it a second thought, and will laugh at the notion that we once thought it could be dangerous.

How Technology Changes People
However exaggerated these fears of new technology, it is perhaps fair to ask about their other effects on our lives. Maybe new technologies are not always as dangerous as we make them out to be, but they do have an undeniable and indelible effect on who we are as individuals. Take the microwave as an example. Today, people who are young or single can almost entirely avoid having to learn how to cook for themselves. Almost everything is available in a microwavable version, and there are even "cookbooks" that claim to instruct people how to use the microwave to their culinary advantage. Social networking is another popular example of this phenomenon: with the ability to interact online, interacting in person has become almost obsolete, and as a result far fewer people know how to do it.

How GPS Could Change People
One could argue all day about whether these changes are good or bad, and in the end it might be futile to have the discussion, because there are both good and bad aspects to any major social change. That the changes exist, though, is certain, and it would be truly foolish to claim that people have not changed as a result of these new technologies. In the case of GPS technology, the question that needs to be asked is: how are people changing as a result? If you or anyone you know has a smart phone with an excellent navigation system, you probably already know the answer to this question. People are coming to rely on these portable navigation systems in more and more instances. Those who once knew their way around a particular city, for example, may be forgetting how to navigate without their GPS systems.

Light Microscope

If you are wondering what is a compound light microscope?, then we will like to tell you that it is a light microscope which uses more than one lens to magnify the image. Light microscopes are of various types; some simple ones, like the one you have in your laboratory, or the more complex ones which are used by biologists. Magnification and resolution are two important features of a microscope. We will know more about these, but before that let us know a bit about the history of microscopes.

Zacharias Jansen of Holland can be credited with inventing the first microscope. His microscope had two lenses, one that magnified the image and another which further magnified the image produced by the first. The lens close to the eye was a bi-convex lens and the one farther from the eye was a plano-convex lens. These two lenses were mounted on two tubes which were placed in such a way that sliding one of the tubes altered the focus of the microscope.

In 17th century, Anton von Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke researched more on this subject and they discovered that to increase the magnification power of the microscope, the focal length had to be reduced. Leeuwenhoek's microscope was a single glass lens, whereas Robert Hooke's was a compound microscope having two lenses. With time, high quality lenses were used in microscopes and both, magnification power and resolution improved. Magnification and resolution are the two factors that determine the quality of a microscope. Magnification is the degree to which a sample is magnified when placed under a microscope. The light microscope magnification is calculated as

Magnification = Objective lens × Eyepiece lens

Resolution is the ability to distinguish between two tiny objects or a measure to which we get a detailed image.

Light Microscope Parts and Functions

Eyepiece lens: This is the lens from where you look at the image. The power of these lenses is around 10x.

Tube: The tube connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses. We will know about objective lenses later on.

Illuminator: To observe the specimen carefully, natural light may not be sufficient, so a microscope has a small bulb and the light from this bulb is redirected on the specimen by the means of a mounted mirror.

Base: The base is used to stabilize the microscope and makes it easy to move the microscope from one place to another.

Objective lens: The objective lenses are attached to the end of the tube. Normally, three to four objective lenses can be found in a microscope. The magnifying power of these lenses is in the range of 4X to 100 X.

Diaphragm: A diaphragm is used to alter the intensity of light projected on the interface.

Adjustment Knobs: The adjustment knobs help in observing the specimen in a better way, that is, they enable the user to get a highly magnified image. There are two adjustment knobs in a microscope. A coarse adjustment knob and a fine adjustment knob. The coarse adjustment knob helps in bringing the specimen in the right plane of focus, whereas the fine adjusting knob helps in clarifying a partially focused image.

Electron Microscope

Light microscopes are the oldest microscopes that are still being used, but the advances in science and technology has fueled the human desire to know more about his/her environment. There are certain organisms that are so small that they cannot be seen under a light microscope. To observe these organisms, an electron microscope is used. An electron microscope has a better resolution and greater magnifying power as compared to a light microscope. There are some differences between a light microscope and an electron microscope, let us take a look at them.

Light Microscope vs Electron Microscope

S.no.	Light Microscope	Electron Microscope
1	Affordable ($150 to $800)	Expensive (More than $1 50,000)
2	Easy to operate and carry	Requires expertize to use
3	Easy sample preparation	Sample preparation takes time
4	Original color of sample is maintained	Images are produced in black & white
5	Samples used can be living or dead	Only dead samples are used
6	Magnification power is 2000X	Magnification power is over 500,000X

Japan launches 'Hayabusa' bullet train

TOKYO: Japan's latest bullet train, the thin-nosed "Hayabusa" or Falcon, made its 300 kilometre per hour (186 mph) debut Saturday, boasting a luxury carriage modelled on airline business class.

Japan has built up a network of cutting-edge Shinkansen train lines since the 1960s that criss-cross the island nation and now hopes to sell the infrastructure technology abroad, including to the United States.

The latest ultra-fast tech-marvel will make two trips a day from Tokyo to Aomori, a scenic rural backwater on the northern tip of the main Honshu island that has until now been off Japan's bullet train map. It will also make one more trip a day to Sendai, located between Tokyo and Aomori.

Mutsutake Otsuka, chairman of East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), stressed the engineering sophistication of the new ride. "To the best of our ability, we will strive to improve Hayabusa's passenger comfort, safety and environmental friendliness, not just its speed," he told hundreds of people who came to Tokyo station to see the futuristic train.

The mood at the launch was dampened slightly by a seven minute delay to the first service after a passenger fell from the platform at Tokyo station, where more than 1,000 train hobbyists rushed to take pictures. The train was not moving at the time, and the man climbed back up to the platform unaided.

The green-and-silver E5 series Hayabusa travels at up to 300 kilometres per hour to make the 675 kilometre trip to Aomori in three hours and 10 minutes. From next year, it will push its top speed to 320 kilometres per hour to become Japan's fastest train.

Passengers will glide quietly along the straight stretches and tunnels that cut through Japan's mountainous countryside, said JR East, which has heavily promoted the launch of the new service.

Those willing to pay 26,360 yen ($320) for a one-way trip can enjoy the comfort of a 'GranClass' car, where a cabin attendant will serve them drinks and food in their deeply reclining leather seats on thick woollen carpets.

To promote the service, the train company has also heavily advertised Aomori as a tourist destination, praising its landscape, seafood and winter snow.

Japan's ultra-fast, frequent and punctual bullet trains have made them the preferred choice for many travellers, rather than flying or road travel, ever since the first Shinkansen was launched in time for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. But as Japan, and its railway companies, struggle with a fast-greying and shrinking population and falling domestic demand, the government and industry are aggressively seeking to promote the bullet trains abroad.

Japan has in the past sold Shinkansen technology to Taiwan and hopes to capture other overseas markets, such as Brazil and Vietnam, but faces stiff competition from train manufacturers in China, France and Germany.

The biggest prize is a future high-speed US rail network that President Barack Obama has promoted, to be backed by 13 billion dollars in public funding. California's then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was treated to an early test ride on the Hayabusa when he visited Japan in September.

Japan says its trains boast a strong safety record: despite running in an earthquake-prone country, no passenger has ever died due to a Shinkansen derailment or collision -- although people have committed suicide by jumping in front of the trains. Japan has also been developing a magnetic levitation or maglev train that, its operator says, reached a world record speed of 581 kilometres per hour in 2003 on a test track near Mount Fuji in Tsuru, west of Tokyo.

Researchers make key memory cells in lab dish

CHICAGO: U.S. researchers have coaxed stem cells into becoming a type of brain cell that dies off early in people with Alzheimer's disease.

The new technology would provide a ready supply of cells for use in testing new drugs or even transplants to help restore lost memory, the team reported on Friday in the journal Stem Cell.

While most Alzheimer's research is done in genetically modified mice, the new technique would allow researchers to study a key aspect of the disease in human cells.

"These are cells that are critically important for memory functions," said Dr. Jack Kessler of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who worked on the study.

Kessler said the team used embryonic stem cells to create the neurons, which are thought to be among the earliest brain cells lost in Alzheimer's disease.

Stem cells are the body's master cells, the source of all other cells. Embryonic stem cells, taken from days-old human embryos, are especially pliable.

The technique to convert stem cells into neurons was developed by Christopher Bissonnette, a former doctoral student in Kessler's lab, who was inspired by the death of his own grandfather from Alzheimer's disease, a fatal brain-wasting form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior.

When Kessler and Bissonnette implanted the newly grown nerve cells into the brains of mice, they functioned normally, producing nerve fibers called axons and making the brain chemical acetylcholine, used to retrieve memories from other parts of the brain.

The researchers say the technique can produce an almost infinite number of these cells, giving other scientists the chance to study these cells.

ORDINARY SKIN CELLS

The team has used the same approach to make induced pluripotent stem cells, in which ordinary skin cells are reprogrammed into an embryonic-like state. Using these cells, also known as iPS cells, the researchers converted them into brain cells or neurons.

The advantage of iPS cells, Kessler said, is they can be made from people with known Alzheimer's disease, allowing researchers to study differences between healthy cells and diseased cells.

The team made neurons from Alzheimer's patients, healthy people with no family history of Alzheimer's, and people who are healthy but have a genetic predisposition to develop the disease.

"These are real people with real disease. That's why it's exciting," Kessler said.

Kessler said the technology is far from ready, but that eventually it may be possible to make replacement memory cells that can be transplanted into people with Alzheimer's.

"This is exactly the type of fundamental research that is needed," William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, said in an e-mail.

"Knowing more about what causes and prevents brain cell death in Alzheimer's disease will undoubtedly be important for the development of future Alzheimer's treatments."

EU drops Hollywood studios probe

BRUSSELS: European regulators dropped a probe into deals done by major Hollywood film studios that it feared would stifle access to digital screens for low-budget European movies.

"I am pleased that Hollywood studios considered our legitimate concerns and modified the contracts so that cinema-goers can watch both Hollywood blockbusters but also small budget and art-house films with the latest state-of-the-art technology," said Joaquin Almunia, European Union competition commissioner.

"As the majors concerned have modified those contracts, all ends well, like in a good film," Almunia's spokeswoman added.

Almunia's office said that an antitrust investigation probing investment deals concluded during the switchover from film projection to digital cinemas had closed after the big producers changed the terms of contracts signed.

"Several major US Hollywood film studios revised contract provisions relating to the financing and installation of digital projection equipment in cinemas," the commission said in a statement.

"The changes proposed by major Hollywood film studios will make it easier for independent and art-house distributors to have access to cinemas equipped with digital equipment," it said.

UK minister says Arab unrest can double crude prices

LONDON: The price of a barrel of crude could double if the unrest in the Arab world deteriorates, oil trader turned British international development minister Alan Duncan warned Saturday.

Duncan, who has 30 years' business experience in the Gulf, told that the price of a barrel of crude could top $200 (140 euros), well above the record high of $147 reached in July 2008.

If extremists used the instability in the Arab world to bomb oil tankers, pipelines or Saudi reserves, prices could even hit $250 a barrel, Duncan said.

Analysts fear such highs could trigger another recession in Britain.

"I've been saying in government for two months... $200 is on the cards if this goes wrong, if anyone is reckless and foments unrest. All I'm predicting is danger," said Duncan. "It could be very serious. If crude oil doubles, you're going to have a very serious spike (in petrol prices). Try living without it for a week."

The British government is under pressure over the price at the pumps, with 63 percent of the cost going to the exchequer.

If the worst happened, current prices of #1.30 ($2.10, 1.50 euros) a litre at the pump "could look like a luxury", Duncan said, warning of #4 a litre.

"A Twittered-up generation now has massive power. All Arab countries are moving on. But they are all different," he said. "The powers are shifting but you can't do it overnight. We are asking them to do at the flick of a switch what we took centuries to do. "The majority of these rulers are not dictators. These are countries with their own history and cultures.