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You don’t have to fumble with a remote control to pause a video on Toshiba’s Qosmio G55-Q802. Simply hold your palm up in the universal “stop” sign.
The laptop reads this and other hand signals instantly using the Cell, the supercomputer chip best known for powering the PlayStation 3. An Intel CPU performs most of the tasks on the G55, but a special version of the Cell tackles complex video-manipulation jobs by breaking them into bite-size chunks and parceling them out to four processors on the chip. The Cell also lets the computer scan videos and index every new face it finds. So instead of blindly fast-forwarding, you can just click a thumbnail to jump to the part where someone appears.
The G55 is the first PC with a Cell, and software that takes advantage of the chip is limited. Along with Toshiba’s hand-gesture and video-indexing applications, the laptop comes with ultrafast Cell-enabled versions of Microsoft’s PowerPoint and Corel’s Ulead video-editing program.
Well ! I think there is need to introduce Mr.Gary McKinnon ,the british HACKER who hacked 97 US Military and Nasa computers from his north LONDON home.
Gary McKinnonn, also known as Aka Solo, was born in Glasgow in 1966. Gary got his first computer when he was 14 years old, and has been a hobbyist ever since. He left school at 17, and became a hairdresser. But, in the early 1990s, some friends convinced him to get a qualification in computers. After completing a course, he started doing contract work in the computing field.By the late 1990s, Mr McKinnon decided to use his hacking skills to do what he calls "research" on an issue he firmly believes in. He tried to hack different unauthorised systems using different hacking tools.
The US government alleges that between February 2001 and March 2002, the 40-year-old computer enthusiast from north London hacked into dozens of US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense computers, as well as 16 Nasa computers.It says his hacking caused some $700,000 dollars(£375,235) worth of damage to government systems.
What's more, they allege that Mr McKinnon altered and deleted files at a US Naval Air Station not long after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and that the attack rendered critical systems inoperable.The US government also says Mr McKinnon once took down an entire network of 2,000 US Army computers. His goal, they claim, was to access classified information.
In July 2005, Mark Summers, another official representing the US government, told a London court that Mr McKinnon's hacking was "intentional and calculated to influence and affect the US government by intimidation and coercion".
McKinnon was originally tracked down and arrested under the Computer Misuse Act by the UK National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) in 2002 who informed him that he would face community service. The Crown Prosecution Service refused to charge him. Later that year he was indicted by the United States government. McKinnon remained at liberty without restriction for three years until June 2005 (after the UK had implemented a new extradition treaty with the US) when he became subject to bail conditions including a requirement to sign in at his local police station every evening, and to remain at his home address at night. In addition he was banned from using a computer with access to the Internet. There have been no more developments in respect of the charges relating to United Kingdom legislation but in late 2005 the United States began extradition proceedings.
If he is extradited to the US and charged, McKinnon faces up to 70 years in jail and has expressed fears that he could be sent to Guantanamo Bay. He has said that he will contest the extradition proceedings and believes that he should face trial in the UK, principally as he argues that any alleged crimes were committed there and not in the United States.
Following legal hearings in the UK it was decided in July 2006 that he should be extradited to the United States. In February 2007 his lawyers argued against the ruling in an appeal to the High Court in London, which was turned down on April 3. He still has the possibility of appealing to the House of Lords, and his lawyer has stated that he will do this, using the argument that because the alleged offences were committed in the UK this is where he should be tried. On July 31, 2007 the House of Lords agreed to hear the appeal.
Click hereto view the official report of US department of Justice indictment for Gary McKinnon, this report consists of all crimes that US claims against Gary.
His supporters even started a blog aiming US to free Gary from extradition.
McKinnon responds to media in various occations-few of them reports as- Gary never denied accessing the computer networks between February 2001 and March 2002. He has always maintained that he was motivated by curiosity and only managed to get into the networks because of lax security.
Mr McKinnon said that he was not a malicious hacker bent on bringing down US military systems, but rather more of a "bumbling computer nerd".He said he's no web vandal, or virus writer, and that he never acted with malicious intent.But he did admit that he hacked into dozens of US government computer systems. In fact, he calmly detailed just how easy it was to access extremely sensitive information in those systems.
"I found out that the US military use Windows," said Mr McKinnon in that BBC interview. "And having realised this, I assumed it would probably be an easy hack if they hadn't secured it properly."
Using commercially available software, Mr McKinnon probed dozens of US military and government networks. He found many machines without adequate password or firewall protection. So, he simply hacked into them.
Regarding UFO search, Gary reportedly feels that US is hidding certain info from the world as he says- "It wasn't just an interest in little green men and flying saucers," said Mr McKinnon. "I believe that there are spacecraft, or there have been craft, flying around that the public doesn't know about."
He further explained that he believes the US military has reverse engineered an anti-gravity propulsion system from recovered alien spacecraft, and that this propulsion system is being kept a secret.
In that sense, Mr McKinnon said he sees his own hacking as "humanitarian." He said he only wanted to find evidence of a UFO cover-up and expose it. He called the alleged anti-gravity propulsion system "extra-terrestrial technology we should have access to".
As he added-"I wanted to find out why this is being kept a secret when it could be put to good use," he said in the BBC interview last year.
He siad-"I'd stopped washing at one point. I wasn't looking after myself. I wasn't eating properly. I was sitting around the house in my dressing gown, doing this all night."
Thus, Gary McKinnon's search turned into an obsession, an addiction. As he probed high-level computer systems in the United States, his life in Britain fell apart. He lost his job, and his girlfriend dumped him. Friends told him to stop hacking, but to no avail.
Eventually, Mr McKinnon got sloppy. He started leaving behind clues. At one point, Mr McKinnon began posting anti-war diatribes on the screens of the US government computers that were his targets. He has insisted, however, that he never attempted to sabotage any operations.
Few people felt that-
Hackers and other hi-tech vandals should be punished for their crimes, but questioned whether Mr McKinnon's treatment had been "fair" as so far the evidence presented by the US against him had not been contested in court.
Slightly more than 50% of 500 IT professionals polled online by computer security firm Sophos said that Mr McKinnon should not be extradited to the US.
A decision in the case was originally due in February 2006 but was postponed as the UK sought assurances from the US about some issues in the case.
The UK wanted to be sure that Mr McKinnon would not face a military tribunal, will be eligible for parole and that he would not serve his sentence at Guantanamo Bay.
A humanoid robot is a robot with its overall appearance based on that of the human body. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots may model only part of the body, for example, from the waist up. Some humanoid robots may also have a 'face', with 'eyes' and 'mouth'. Androids are humanoid robots built to resemble a male human, and Gynoids are humanoid robots built to resemble a human female.Read more about Humanoid Robot in Wikipedia.
REEM-B is the evolution of the first humanoid created by Pal Technology Robotics, the REEM-A. The first prototype was designed to play chess with the Hydra chess engine and to be used as development platform. With REEM-B, Pal Technology comes astonishingly close to its final goal; to create a humanoid service robot that will be able to help humans in the future with sophisticated tasks.
Reem B has the unique ability to map and self localize itself, both elements that distinctly set it apart from Reem A. Although both robots can perform face recognition, object recognition, voice recognition, walking and playing chess, Reem B can also converse with humans, walk dynamically, recognize and grasp objects, accept voice commands, and even remind appointments like secretary.
Reem B is also able to carry up to 25% of its weight, making it the world’s strongest humanoid robot. In addition, the 1.47 meter tall robot has a fingered hand with 12 motors, and is able to maneuver up and down stairs, with added sensors to ensure that it avoids any obstacles. Reem B also boasts the longest battery autonomy of any robot – an impressive 120 minutes. Mr Davide Faconti from Pal Technology said: “Our dedicated team of engineers has worked hard for four long years to get to where we are today. This is an extremely proud moment for all of those who have worked tirelessly in helping to develop Reem B. The event will showcase a number of Reem B’s advanced skills, including the ability to proficiently navigate a room and steer around obstacles.”
Mr Basar Shueb, General Manager of Pal Technology said: “Pal Technology’s ultimate goal is to create a truly useful humanoid service robot that will be able to help humans in the future with sophisticated tasks. Reem B is clearly aligned with this vision, not only representing the next generation of humanoid robotics, but a robot designed to assist people and not replace them.”
About Pal technology
PAL Technology was established in 2000 as a subsidiary of the PAL Group of Companies in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The company covers four main business entities: research & development, district cooling, construction & water, and dredging & reclamation. PAL Group was formed to cater to various segments, including the IT industry, security, water desalination, construction, entertainment and many others. With in-house expertise in the different business segments, each company has proved itself as a leading business solution provider in its respective field.
PAL Technology is engaged in the research and development of high end products and technologies in the field of microelectronics, sophisticated mechatronics engineering & designing, artificial intelligence, multitasking computer programming and different prospects of renewable energy. PAL Technology is continuously investing in the field of research & development through its local and foreign collaborations in order to add value engineering to its current project as well as development of new gamut.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists unveiled the world's fastest supercomputer on Monday, a $100 million machine that for the first time has performed 1,000 trillion calculations per second in a sustained exercise.
The technology breakthrough was accomplished by engineers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the IBM Corp. on a computer to be used primarily on nuclear weapons work, including simulating nuclear explosions.
The computer, named Roadrunner, is twice as fast as IBM's Blue Gene system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which itself is three times faster than any of the world's other supercomputers, according to IBM.
"The computer is a speed demon. It will allow us to solve tremendous problems," said Thomas D'Agostino, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees nuclear weapons research and maintains the warhead stockpile.
But officials said the computer also could have a wide range of other applications in civilian engineering, medicine and science, from developing biofuels and designing more fuel efficient cars to finding drug therapies and providing services to the financial industry.
To put the computer's speed in perspective, if every one of the 6 billion people on earth used a hand-held computer and worked 24 hours a day it would take them 46 years to do what the Roadrunner computer can do in a single day.
IBM and Los Alamos engineers worked six years on the computer technology.
Some elements of the Roadrunner can be traced back to popular video games, said David Turek, vice president of IBM's supercomputing programs. In some ways, he said, it's "a very souped-up Sony PlayStation 3."
"We took the basic chip design (of a PlayStation) and advanced its capability," said Turek.
But the Roadrunner supercomputer is nothing like a video game.
The interconnecting system occupies 6,000 square feet with 57 miles of fiber optics and weighs 500,000 pounds. Although made from commercial parts, the computer consists of 6,948 dual-core computer chips and 12,960 cell engines, and it has 80 terabytes of memory.
The cost: $100 million.
Turek said the computer in a two-hour test on May 25 achieved a "petaflop" speed of sustained performance, something no other computer had ever done. It did so again in several real applications involving classified nuclear weapons work this past weekend.
"This is a huge and remarkable achievement," said Turek in a conference call with reporters.
A "flop" is an acronym meaning floating-point-operations per second.
One petaflop is 1,000 trillion operations per second. Only two years ago, there were no actual applications where a computer achieved 100 teraflops -- a tenth of Roadrunner's speed -- said Turek, noting that the tenfold advancement came over a relatively short time.
The Roadrunner computer, now housed at the IBM research laboratory in Poughkeepsie, New York, will be moved next month to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Along with other supercomputers, it will be key "to assure the safety and security of our (weapons) stockpile," said D'Agostino. With its extraordinary speed it will be able to simulate the performances of a warhead and help weapons scientists track warhead aging, he said.
But the computer -- and more so the technology that it represents -- marks a future for a wide range of other research and uses.
"The technology will be pronounced in its employment across industry in the years to come," predicted Turek, the IBM executive.
Michael Anastasio, director of the Los Alamos lab, said that for the first six months the computer will be used in unclassified work including activities not related to the weapons program. After that about three-fourths of the work will involve weapons and other classified government activities.,
Anastasio said the computer, in its unclassified applications, is expected to be used not only by Los Alamos scientists but others as well. He said there can be broad applications such as helping to develop a vaccine for the HIV virus, examine the chemistry in the production of cellulosic ethanol, or to understand the origins of the universe. And Turek said the computer represents still another breakthrough, particularly important in these days of expensive energy: It is an energy miser compared with other supercomputers, performing 376 million calculations for every watt of electricity used.
A network of tiny pipes of water could be used to cool next-generation PC chips, researchers at IBM have said.
Scientists at the firm have shown off a prototype device layered with thousands of "hair-width" cooling arteries.
They believe it could be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components.
The technology was demonstrated in IBM's 3D chips, where circuits are stacked one on top of the other.
Saying chips vertically, instead of side by side, reduces the distance data has to travel , enhancing performance and saving critical space.
"As we package chips on top of each other....we have found that conventional coolers attached to the back of a chip don't scale," explained Thomas Brunschwiler at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory.
"In order to exploit the potential of high-performance 3D chip stacking, we need interlayer cooling."
Cool running
Heat is seen as one of the major hurdles of producing ever smaller and quicker chips. It took IBM a decade to work out how to build 3D chips
It is the by-product of the movement of electrons through the tiny wires connecting the millions of components on a modern processor.
As more and more components are packed on to chips - Intel recently launched a processor with two billion transistors, for example - the problems become worse.
As a result, researchers around the world are engaged in a search for the most efficient way to take the heat off the chip industry.
For example, in 2007, US researchers built tiny wind engines that created a "breeze" made up of charged particles, or ions, to cool computer chips.
But the problems are exacerbated in the multi-storey chips which IBM, as well as others, believe offer "one of the most promising approaches" for building future processors.
Each 4 sq cm sandwich is just 1mm thick but pumps out close to 1kilowatt - equivalent to that generated by a hotplate.
Conventional cooling techniques such as fans and heat sinks do not work as well with the 3D technology, particularly as heat has to be drawn away from between the individual chips.
To get around this, researchers piped water through sealed tubes just 50 microns (millionths of a metre) in diameter, between individual layers.
Water is much more efficient than air at absorbing heat and so even with tiny amounts of liquid flowing through the system the researchers saw a significant effect.
The idea of pumping liquids around computers is not entirely new. Early mainframe computers had water pumped around them.
High end computers have been "modded" for a number of years with water coolers and various researchers and companies have put forward proposals for directly cooling chips with fluids.
In 2003, Stanford University spin-out company Cooligy showed off its Active Micro-Channel Cooling (AMC) technology which allowed fluids to circulate through hundreds of tiny channels on the upper surface of a chip.
The technology was used in some versions of Apple's Power Mac G5 desktop computer, released in 2004.
IBM has said its water-cooling technology could be in products within five years.
A humanoid robot is a robot with its overall appearance based on that of the human body. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots may model only part of the body, for example, from the waist up. Some humanoid robots may also have a 'face', with 'eyes' and 'mouth'. Androids are humanoid robots built to resemble a male human, and Gynoids are humanoid robots built to resemble a human female.Read more about 
Reem B has the unique ability to map and self localize itself, both elements that distinctly set it apart from Reem A. Although both robots can perform face recognition, object recognition, voice recognition, walking and playing chess, Reem B can also converse with humans, walk dynamically, recognize and grasp objects, accept voice commands, and even remind appointments like secretary.
