Automatic Chinese/English Voice Translation, Thank’s to Jajah
August 7, 2008
Image via WikipediaTechcrunch is reporting that the instant voice translation service from Jajah is working surprisingly well. They asked a TechCrunch intern Matthew Schulz
, who is fluent in Chinese, to do the test with them.
His conclusion? The service work surprisingly well as long as he enonciated a bit more his chinese sponke sentence.
This might be helpfull with the 2008 Olympics just around the corner if you traver over there. Read more
Cisco to Acquire Pure Networks
July 23, 2008
Image via WikipediaCisco today announced its intent to purchase privately held Pure Networks, a Seattle-based leader in home networking-management software and tools.
Pure Networks’ home networking-management solution allows users to easily set up and manage a home network and connect a range of devices, applications and services within a home.
“With the rapid proliferation of networking technology and new consumer electronics devices, the ability to quickly and easily connect to a range of devices, content and services throughout the home is becoming paramount to achieving a satisfying consumer experience,” said Ned Hooper, senior vice president for Cisco’s Corporate Development and Consumer Group.
“The Pure Networks acquisition follows Cisco’s “build, buy, and partner” innovation strategy focused on capturing market transitions to expand existing product categories and enter new markets.
By attaining Pure Networks’ valuable network-management technology and intellectual property along with a dedicated research and development team, Cisco will be able to further advance its consumer strategy.
Upon the close of the acquisition, Pure Networks’ employees will remain in Seattle and be integrated into Linksys, led by Mike Pocock, Linksys senior vice president and general manager.
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Intel’s microprocessors vulnerable to remote attack
July 17, 2008
Image by trekkyandy via FlickrSecurity researcher and author Kris Kaspersky plans to demonstrate how an attacker can target flaws in Intel’s microprocessors to remotely attack a computer using JavaScript or TCP/IP packets, regardless of what operating system the computer is running.
The proof-of-concept attacks will show how processor bugs, called errata, can be exploited using certain instruction sequences and a knowledge of how Java compilers work, allowing an attacker to take control of the compiler. Read more
Kodak Introduces 50-Megapixel CCD
July 9, 2008
Sorry Kodak 
Professional photographers will soon be able to take shots at an astounding 8176 x 6132 resolution with Kodak’s record-breaking image sensor.
Professional photographer, no resolution is ever really “enough” has been answered by Kodak on Tuesday with the introduction of the world’s first 50-megapixel CCD for professional cameras, the KAF-50100, which takes photos in a staggering 8176 x 6132 resolution.
Kodak claims that if an aerial photograph of a field 1.5 miles across were taken with the sensor, viewers would be able to pick out an object like a small notebook computer.
Besides its record-breaking resolution, the KAF-50100 has been optimized for a number of other important photographic factors as well, such as increased data throughput for faster frame rate, a reduced “click-to-capture” time for improved camera response, lower power consumption, and improved color fidelity.
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Roadrunner, the new military supercomputer
June 9, 2008
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An American military supercomputer, assembled from components originally designed for video game machines, has reached a long-sought-after computing milestone by processing more than 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second.
The Roadrunner supercomputer costs $133 million and will be used to study nuclear weapons.
The new $133 million supercomputer, called Roadrunner in a reference to the state bird of New Mexico, was devised and built by engineers and scientists at I.B.M. and Los Alamos National Laboratory, based in Los Alamos, N.M. The machine is an unusual blend of chips used in consumer products and advanced parallel computing technologies. The lessons that computer scientists learn by making it calculate even faster are seen as essential to the future of both personal and mobile consumer computing. Read more
Industry Canada involved in Wikipedia edit-war over Canadian DMCA
June 6, 2008
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BoingBoing write that the Wikipedia entry that details the controversy about the introduction of a Canadian version of the disastrous US Digital Millennium Copyright Act has been repeatedly bowlderized by the office of Industry Minister Jim Prentice. The selective edits remove material that is critical of the Minister’s approach to introducing the bill, which has been high-handed in the extreme, ignoring repeated cries for consultation from other ministers, Canadian technology and entertainment executives, citizens’ rights groups, librarians, educators and other affected parties. Read more
150 MPG hybrid car
June 4, 2008
Image by kqedquest via Flickr
King5 report that with gas prices at their highest ever, Detroit automakers are being forced to consider new electric technology.
They may need to look no further than in King County, where a company has developed a plug-in Hybrid system it claims can deliver 150 miles per gallon.
Bellevue-based AFS Trinity Corporation, which developed this technology in the XH-150, says it has solved the battery dilemma. Batteries don’t last long when asked to provide sudden bursts of power, but this one uses a specially designed capacitor to store the battery power and pack the punch.
It’s a lot of technical stuff developed by the biggest gang of techno-geeks you can imagine. Read more
Starbucks Offers free Wi-Fi
June 4, 2008
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dmwmedia report that Starbucks has begun offering customers two hours of free Wi-Fi access per day through its new Internet partner, AT&T, USA Today reports.
The offer will be available to customers who purchase a $5 Starbucks Card, register for the company’s Rewards Card program, and use the card at least once a month.
Starbucks’ previous partner for offering Internet access in its coffee shops was T-Mobile, with whom it had worked for seven years.
The company told USA Today that customers loaded nearly $1 billion onto Starbucks Cards last year, and nearly 14% of all U.S. store transactions are paid for on them. Read more
GM closes 4 North American plants in shift from trucks toward cars
June 3, 2008
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Responding to a consumer shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors said Tuesday that it would stop making pickup trucks and big sport utility vehicles at four North American assembly plants and would consider selling its Hummer brand.
The moves, announced Tuesday by the company chairman and chief executive, Rick Wagoner, will slash 500,000 units from the automaker’s overall production, and pave the way for increased investment in smaller cars and passenger vehicles.
Wagoner said that rising gasoline prices had forced a “structural shift” by U.S. consumers away from truck-based vehicles built by GM. Read more
95% or return electronic goods is not broken
June 3, 2008
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A STAGGERING 95 PER CENT of electronic goods which are taken back to the shop are not actually broken, according to consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture.
Apparently, when punters return their electronic gear as faulty, only five per cent are telling the truth.
Accenture believes that 68 per cent of returns are products that work properly but do not meet customers’ expectations. They either thought it was broken or it didn’t do what they thought it would do. Read more
