http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tech-news/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 05:51:58 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418828/posts The United States is considering allowing Japan to take part in a multinational project to develop the F-35 next-generation stealth fighter, a press report said Tuesday. Washington may allow Tokyo to participate in the project even without assurances from Japan that it will procure the F-35, Kyodo News reported, quoting sources from both governments. The move is intended to clear the way for Japan to introduce the F-35 as its future mainstay fighter as countries not participating in the joint development would not be allowed to acquire it at an early date, Kyodo said. Tokyo's participation would be limited to... Space War http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418828/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 05:51:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418780/posts Nature Methods' Method of the Year 2009 goes to induced pluripotency for its potential for biological discovery. This series of articles—and the related video—showcase how induced pluripotency is coming into its own in 2009 as a tool for discovery in both basic and disease biology and explore the incredible impact this area promises to have in biological research. The Methods to Watch feature provides a glimpse of future Methods of the Year and the Reader's Choice shows methods nominated by readers and editors, and the votes that they received... Nature Methods http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418780/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:36:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418778/posts Abstract A brief overview of methods for reprogramming to induced pluripotency and of the properties of induced pluripotent stem cells. Introduction What is induced pluripotency? Pluripotency—the ability to make all cell types of the body—is a property possessed by a few cells in the early mammalian embryo, those belonging to the blastocyst inner cell mass. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived by in vitro culture of the inner cell mass and are also pluripotent. As the embryo develops, its cells become progressively more specialized and pluripotency is lost, although somatic tissues retain what are called multipotent cells (or adult stem... Nature Methods http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418778/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:25:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418747/posts Reporting from New Delhi - It takes a lot fewer than 140 characters to say, "Do you want to keep your job?" In what some are billing as a generational clash of technology and culture involving India's famously inefficient government and bureaucracy, a junior minister has broken ranks with his bosses on the issue of Twitter, earning front-page treatment and leaving his higher-ups unamused. The scrimmage, played out between outspoken State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shashi Tharoor and senior Cabinet ministers, has titillated a nation that enjoys political intrigue almost as much as its cricket matches. Tharoor, former U.N. official,... Los Angeles Times / latimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418747/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 02:23:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418720/posts Abstract Rapid progress with induced pluripotent stem cells is bringing scientists closer to understanding their strengths and weaknesses as embryonic stem cell stand-ins. Introduction In 2006, with formidable legal and technical obstacles keeping the promise of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in check, Shinya Yamanaka's announcement was truly a scientific 'shot heard around the world'. He and his team at Kyoto University had reprogrammed adult mouse fibroblasts into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)1, opening the stem cell field to legions of eager scientists and offering the promise of unprecedented capabilities for targeted disease research using stem cells derived directly from... Nature Methods http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418720/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 01:12:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418597/posts Monya Baker is Technology Editor at Nature and Nature Methods Correspondence to: Monya Baker1 e-mail: m.baker@us.nature.com Abstract Now that the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells is becoming routine, researchers can get on to the more exciting prospect of using the cells to make discoveries in disease and basic biology. Monya Baker reports. Introduction As Shinya Yamanaka finished the experiments that would win him the 2009 Lasker prize, a stem-cell fraud was prominent in his thoughts. In 2005, Woo Suk Hwang had rocketed to star status for reportedly developing a technique to generate human embryonic stem (ES) cells genetically matched... Nature Methods http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418597/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:00:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418351/posts Today, we have learned that Indian automaker Mahindra is on track to sell the TR-series diesel trucks after completing all federal tests and is set to submit certification paperwork to the government in January. Final federal approval is expected in February; the trucks would then finally go on sale in the spring. It was just last month that we reported that the trucks were under review by the EPA and NHTSA, with final approval expected by Q1 2010. “As of today, we are projecting that the vehicles will be on sale in the middle of spring, [2010],” said John Perez,... www.trucktrend.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418351/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:26:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418287/posts Plug-in hybrids may generate more eco-buzz when the calendar flips, but diesels could prove more powerful in revving up the automotive economy. Those of us who remember diesel-powered hatchbacks of the '70s as loud, dirty and troublesome may have to adjust our thinking to see them as "Green Cars." But the diesel-powered Audi A3 TDI won the title of Green Car of the Year at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, following in the tracks of Jetta TDI, another diesel from Audi's parent Volkswagen. And there are more where those came from. In truth, diesels have become quiet, strong and... www.scrippsnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418287/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:35:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417921/posts The amount of venture capital that went toward green-technology companies fell to $4.85 billion in 2009, compared to $7.6 billion in 2008, according to numbers published on Wednesday by Greentech Media. The number of deals was up slightly from 350 in 2008 to 356 this year. ... But even with billions of government stimulus dollars spent on energy, the economic downturn has clearly had an impact on the overall sector. Venture capitalists cut off funding for at least two companies in 2009--algae fuel company Greenfuel Technologies and battery company Imara, which both failed to generate significant revenues. CNET http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417921/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:13:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417072/posts Redwood City, California - Electronic Arts has acquired the assets of Sierra Entertainment from Activision Blizzard for $20 million and plans to merge the popular Tiger Woods PGA Golf franchise with the Leisure Suit Larry series to more clearly reflect the lifestyle of the best golfer in the world. Mary Cameron, director of marketing for EA, said, "We could view the recent revelations about the life of Tiger Woods as a detriment, but we'd rather see it as an opportunity for growth." The game will have gameplay elements of both series incorporated into the new franchise. Players can choose to... http://www.bbspot.com/News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417072/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:32:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416056/posts What revelations caused the biggest buzz in chemistry labs around the globe during 2009? With the help of an expert panel of journal editors, Chemistry World reviews the ground-breaking research and important trends of the year's published chemical science papers. Life in 3D DNA origami, the folding of DNA into shapes on the nanoscale, moved from 2D into 3D during 2009. Hao Yan's team at Arizona State University kicked off this craze with a tetrahedron shaped 3D container made of DNA.1 A day later, Danish researchers led by Kurt Gothelf, from Aarhus University, published details of a nanosized 3D DNA... Chemistry World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416056/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:39:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415699/posts Sandia National Labs recasts solar industry with MEMS PORTLAND, Ore. — Sandia National Labs has harnessed silicon's natural tendency to grow into islands and used micro-electro-mechanical systems techniques to free those islands into the world's smallest solar cells. Sandia claims the micron-sized solar cells are as efficient as their wafer-sized big brothers, but consume only one hundredth the amount of semiconductor. Rather than force solar cells to grow across an entire wafer in a perfect crystalline lattice, and throw the whole wafer away if any imperfections develop, Sandia National Labs has found that smaller is better. Measuring just 100 microns... EETimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415699/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:30:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415197/posts The HMAS Melbourne has demonstrated the navy's updated naval air defense capability with the firing of a Standard Missile (SM-2) off Jervis Bay. Minister for Defense Personnel, Materiel and Science Greg Combet said in a written statement that the SM-2 would be further enhanced throughout 2010. "This missile firing was the first time an SM-2 has been fired from an Adelaide-class frigate," Combet said. "The missile was prepared, launched and supported in flight before engaging a target." Combet said Melbourne is now equipped with two modern missile systems to combat anti-ship missiles and aircraft. "HMAS Melbourne is an Adelaide-class guided-missile... Space War http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415197/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 05:09:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414821/posts The U.S. Air Force appears to have halted the forthcoming competition to build C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits, a sign that this program could be terminating in the coming budget request for 2011. On Dec. 16, the Air Force program office overseeing the C-130 AMP program issued a statement noting that the "government is finalizing the way forward on the C-130 AMP program" and the solicitation is "cancelled." The statement adds that "the government will readdress the [issue] once a way forward for the AMP program has been determined." This is the latest chapter in the troubled $5.8 billion... Aviation Week and Space Technology http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414821/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:06:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414278/posts December 23, 2009: The solar system is passing through an interstellar cloud that physics says should not exist. In the Dec. 24th issue of Nature, a team of scientists reveal how NASA's Voyager spacecraft have solved the mystery. "Using data from Voyager, we have discovered a strong magnetic field just outside the solar system," explains lead author Merav Opher, a NASA Heliophysics Guest Investigator from George Mason University. "This magnetic field holds the interstellar cloud together and solves the long-standing puzzle of how it can exist at all." The discovery has implications for the future when the solar system will... Science@NASA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414278/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:42:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413594/posts Russia has delayed, for at least a few months, starting construction of their fourth Borei class SSBN (ballistic missile nuclear subs, or "boomers"). Russia wants to have the new Borei class boats replace the current Delta IV class SSBNs. The first Borei is already in the service, but not yet commissioned, and two others are under construction. The problem, and unofficial reason for the delay, is the inability to make the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) work. The latest Bulava test was a spectacular failure (which lit up the pre-dawn sky of northern Norway, for all to see).... The Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413594/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:09:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413589/posts NASA’s managers have settled on a fix they say will protect astronauts from potentially dangerous levels of vibrations that could otherwise reach the planned Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle during its climb to orbit atop the Ares 1 rocket, according to information posted on a NASA Web site. NASA Constellation program officials decided Dec. 17 to update the Ares 1 vehicle design to include upper-plane C-spring isolators and an upper-stage liquid oxygen (LOX) damper intended to keep vibrations originating in the Ares 1 main stage from reaching Orion and its crew. The Constellation program is a 5-year-old effort to replace the... Space News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413589/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:50:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413185/posts Microsoft must remove custom-XML editing from Word or face a permanent injunction barring the company from selling recent versions of the software, a federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a $290m patent infringement judgment against Microsoft, won by Toronto-based software company i4i in Texas. It alleges Microsoft's software infringed on its patents that cover extensible markup language technology. Microsoft has been given until January 11 to remove the custom XML functionality — five months from the original August 2009 ruling, according to Bloomberg. The injunction bars Microsoft from selling the 2003... The Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413185/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:19:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412758/posts Lockheed Martin missile defense systems achieved several key milestones in 2009, including five successful intercepts and numerous other major accomplishments, further solidifying Lockheed Martin as a world leader in air and missile defense. With 20 successful Aegis BMD intercepts, six successful Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) intercepts and 26 successful Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile intercepts since the inception of those programs, Lockheed Martin continues to build on its unmatched legacy as the pioneer of hit-to-kill technologies. "Lockheed Martin is proud to continue to lead ballistic missile defense efforts for the United States and allied nations," said John Holly,... Space War http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412758/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:19:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412757/posts Yahoo.com is allegedly spying on its customers and acting as a proxy for U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. According to Wired.com, Yahoo also charges the agencies for the information. That means U.S. citizens' tax dollars are being used by federal agencies to pay for information gathered in Yahoo's spying. A Yahoo customer who asked not to be identified became suspicious of Yahoo's operations when the image below appeared on his screen while downloading his e-mail. WND http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412757/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:07:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412079/posts Testing of the Lockheed Martin Sniper Targeting Pod on board the B-1B Lancer bomber has been accelerated in recent and is nearly completed, leading to the Air Force's Air Combat Command plans to approve sending pod-equipped bombers on operational missions by mid-summer. Because the sniper pod is a desperately needed capability in theater, Edwards Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force and the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, combined the operational and developmental testing of a B-1B Lancer to accelerate the integration of the sniper targeting pod with the B-1B bomber. "Everyone at the here... Defense Update http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412079/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:22:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411977/posts One reason so many roadside bombs in Afghanistan use pressure plates or wire controlled devices to detonate these weapons, is because American jamming technology has made wireless detonation of the bombs so difficult. The U.S. Department of Defense is working on a third generation of jammers, to make sure the terrorists have to rely on less effective means of detonating their bombs for the foreseeable future. The most recent innovation in the areas was the JCREW (Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare) 3.1 dismounted (wearable) jammer. These cost about $99,000 each. The wearable JCREW jammers are more useful... The Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411977/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:23:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411971/posts The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences Corp. a $75 million contract to develop the final design for a radically new space architecture in which traditional, large spacecraft are replaced by clusters of wirelessly connected orbiting modules. Dubbed System F6, short for Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying spacecraft, Orbital’s design was selected among four competing study contracts issued in 2008 and 2009, according to a Dec. 18 company news release. The new contract is valued at $74.6 million over a one-year period. Gregg Burgess, Orbital’s vice president for national security systems in the company’s Advanced... Space News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411971/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:13:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411881/posts Dedicated scientists are working hard to close the gaps, fix the errors and finally complete the human genome sequence. ...Deanna Church has few distractions from the job that lies before her. On her computer sit 888 open 'tickets', or outstanding problems with the human genome sequence. Although that number fluctuates, it's a not-so-subtle reminder that she and her team at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) have a long way to go... --snip-- By April 2003, the sequencing had surpassed the international project's technical definition of completion — the sequence contained fewer than 1 error per 10,000 nucleotides and... Nature News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411881/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:57:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411633/posts One good link hijack deserves another. Prank URLs blocked by the Republican party's new-media consultancy on GOP.am now lead to "action pages" that support the GOP. Pranksters riddled a new Republican-branded URL-shortening service this week with unwelcome links juxtaposing the GOP brand with ironic web pages, such as one featuring a sex toy in the likeness of Barack Obama. The pranks forced the party’s web consultant, Political Media, to block certain URLs manually and work on implementing an automatic filtering system.Now the Republicans are hoping to have the last laugh. Political Media recently flipped a switch redirecting the blocked URLs... Military Photos http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411633/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:11:23 GMT