Brutal Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series

2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series

Due for its public debut at the upcoming Los Angeles motor show, Mercedes-Benz AMG has finally revealed images and details of the SLS Black Series. Ever since the gull-winged wonder was first released in 2010, enthusiasts and schoolboys have been anticipating the inevitable ultimate (road-going) version. It'll come as no surprise that the beast in question is wider, harder, faster, and completely awesome.

"The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one hundred percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG. "We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a conceptual and a technological level. Boasting numerous lightweight components and fascinating dynamics, our fifth Black Series model guarantees pure, unadulterated 'Driving Performance.' The SLS AMG Black Series is the ultimate choice for fast laps and a highly emotional driving experience."

Fair enough Ola. The uprated AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine generates a power output of 622 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque making the SLS AMG Black Series the most powerful AMG high-performance automobile with a combustion engine. Only the planned SLS AMG Electric Drive with a maximum output of 740 hp has more power.

The vehicle accelerates to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and onward to a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). The additional 39 hp of power compared to the 583 hp delivered by the SLS AMG GT is courtesy of the following enhancements:

• Increase in maximum engine speed from 7,200 to 8,000 rpm
• Fully revised high-speed valve train with modified camshafts, adapted cam geometry and optimized bucket tappets featuring a special coating that is typically used on race vehicles
• Modification of the intake air ducting: de-throttling and adaptation to match the new maximum engine speed
• Adaptation of the engine mapping and increase in peak pressure

2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series engine bay

The AMG V8 engine in the SLS AMG Black Series also has an additional specialized mounting system. A gas-filled strut braces the eight-cylinder engine against the body, effectively eliminating undesired load shifts during highly-dynamic race-track driving (i.e. behaving like a loony).

With a curb weight of 3,417 pounds (1550 kg), the Black Series is not only 154 pounds lighter than the regular SLS, but unsurprisingly also attains the best power/weight ratio by far of all AMG Black Series vehicles to date. Numerous body parts, such as the hood, the rear panel behind the AMG sports bucket seats, the diagonal braces on the underbody and the torque tube between engine and transmission are made entirely from carbon-fiber. In contrast to its 58.6-pound counterpart with a sand-cast aluminum housing, the carbon-fiber torque tube weighs just 29.3 pounds. Carbon fiber components also replace a number of parts of the aluminum spaceframe, while a lithium-ion battery takes on the role of the conventional starter battery, saving an amazing 17.6 pounds – why don’t all cars have them?

The regular 7-speed transmission has of course been breathed on to provide faster shifts and a more pronounced "blip" on downchanges – which should sound hilarious through the the new, even louder, exhaust. The gearbox has actually been mounted slightly lower and, like the engine, is held in place with gas struts to help contain the violence.

Naturally the suspension has been modified for greater rigidity and a new lighter wheel design saves another 8.8 pounds of unsprung weight per corner.

Of course none of this engineering is of any use if the machine doesn’t look the part. The aforementioned wheels now carry 10.8 inch (front) and 12.8 inch (rear) wide sports tires that fill the widened arches. Front, rear and side skirts and a rear diffuser, all in a signature Black Series design style signal the vehicles intent. The package features extensive use of carbon fiber on the front splitter, side sills and rear skirt. The enlarged air intakes with carbon fiber “flics” also ensure optimum airflow into the cooling modules at the front. The rear wheel arches feature massive air-flow oulets.

As on the SLS AMG GT3 racer, the carbon-fiber hood features a central air outlet. Aside from effectively dissipating engine heat, this outlet also increases downforce at the front axle. The wing-like cross-fin and the star recessed into the radiator grille are finished in high-gloss black to match the exterior mirrors and the fins on the hood. The carbon-fiber insert on the sides with air outlet and a black fin is also reminiscent of the GT3; this feature helps reduce the temperature in the engine compartment.

You might like this: Screwdriver-powered vehicle "EX"

If all of this isn’t quite extreme enough for you then you can option a massive carbon rear wing plus additional carbon flics at the front fro increased downforce, as the cars in the photos are wearing. Just the thing for the weekly shop.

It’s clear that a huge amount of real engineering development has been carried out over the past year to create what will be AMG’s flagship vehicle. It’s quite likely that many of these cars will be purchased simply as toys for posing, but its nice to know that you really are purchasing the closest thing to a GT3 racer for the road that will undoubtedly be a complete hoot on a track.

Available Mid-2013, the price is likely to be north of US$400,000

Source: Mercedes Benz

First pressure-sensitive, self-healing material

The material repairs itself in about 30 minutes after being sliced in half with a scalpel

Our largest bodily organ is also one of the most remarkable. Not only is our skin pressure sensitive, it is also able to efficiently heal itself to provide a protective barrier between our insides and the world around us. While we have covered synthetic materials that can repair themselves or are pressure sensitive, combining these properties in a single synthetic material has understandably proven more difficult. Now researchers at Stanford University have developed the first pressure-sensitive synthetic material that can heal itself when torn or cut, giving it potential for use in next-generation prostheses or self-healing electronic devices.

To create a material that combines the self-healing ability of a plastic polymer with the conductivity of a metal, the Stanford team in the lab of chemical engineering Professor Zhenan Bao, started with a plastic made of long chains of molecules joined by hydrogen bonds. It is these bonds, created by the relatively weak attractions between the positively charged region of one atom and the negatively charged region of the next, that team member Chao Wang says allows the molecules to break apart easily.

However, the bonds are able to reorganize themselves when reconnected so that the material’s structure can be restored after being damaged. The material is also bendable at room temperature, with a consistency that Wang says feels a bit like saltwater taffy that has been left in the fridge.

To provide the conductivity required to make the material pressure-sensitive, the researchers then added nickel nanoparticles. As well as increasing the mechanical strength of the material, the rough nanoscale surfaces of the nickel concentrate an electrical field to make it easier for a current to flow from one particle to the next. The result was a plastic with excellent conductive properties.

While the researchers knew the material could restore its mechanical strength after damage, they needed to check whether its electrical conductivity was also restored.

After cutting a thin strip of the material in half with a scalpel, they gently pressed the two pieces back together for a few seconds and found that 75 percent of its original strength and electrical conductivity was restored. After about 30 minutes, the restoration was close to 100 percent. Additionally, the same piece of material could be cut repeatedly in the same place, with a sample still able to repair itself and retain its flexibility after being cut 50 times.

Although the time the material takes to repair itself is impressive, the researchers say they may be able to improve upon it. The delay is caused by the nickel particles, which prevent the hydrogen bonds from reconnecting as well as they should. Bao said that adjusting the size and shape of the nickel nanoparticles or the chemical properties of the polymer may help speed up the healing process in future generations of the material.

Because twisting or putting pressure on the material alters its electrical resistance by changing the distance between the nickel particles, the team was able to use these subtle changes to provide information about pressure and tension on the material.

Researcher Benjamin Chee-Keong Tee said it was able to detect the pressure of a handshake. In addition to downward pressure, it is also able to detect flexing. So in addition to potentially being used as a touch-sensitive skin in prosthetic devices, the material may also be able to register the degree of bend in the joint of a prosthetic limb.

Other potential applications suggested by Tee include electrical devices and wires coated in the material that could self repair to get the electricity flowing without costly and time-consuming maintenance.

Not content with the material’s self-healing and pressure-sensitive properties, the researchers are aiming to make it stretchy and transparent. This would expand its potential applications to include protective coverings on electrical devices and displays.

The team’s research appears in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Source: Stanford University

Hybrid nanomaterial converts light and heat into electricity

A hybrid nanomaterial synthesized by combining copper sulfide nanoparticles and SWNTs can convert light and heat into electricity

We’ve seen nanomaterials that can be used to convert light into electricity and others that can convert heat into electricity. Now researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington and Louisana Tech University have created a hybrid nanomaterial that can do both. By pairing the material with microchips, the researchers say it could be used in self-powered sensors, low-power electronic devices, and biomedical implants.

While single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been used in the construction of transparent solar cells and all-carbon solar cells, these are still very inefficient when compared to their conventional photovoltaic brethren. By supplementing the electricity generated by light with some thermoelectricity, the hybrid nanomaterial could outperform materials that only do one or the other.

“If we can convert both light and heat to electricity, the potential is huge for energy production,” said UT Arlington associate physics professor Wei Chen. “By increasing the number of the micro-devices on a chip, this technology might offer a new and efficient platform to complement or even replace current solar cell technology.”

The new material was synthesized by combining copper sulfide nanoparticles and SWNTs and then used in a prototype thermoelectric generator that the team hopes will eventually be able to produce milliwatts of power.

Compared to SWNT thin-film devices, the researchers say the new thin-film structure increases light absorption by as much as 80 percent in laboratory tests, making it a more efficient generator. Additionally, copper sulfide is much cheaper and more readily available than the noble metals used in similar hybrids.

Lab tests also showed that the optical and thermal switching effect exhibited by the hybrid nanomaterial thin-film devices could be enhanced by up to 10 times by using asymmetric light illumination and thermal radiation rather than symmetric illumination.

The team's paper appears in the journal Nanotechnology.

Source: UT Arlington

Solar-powered combustion engine

The prototype HydroICE engine

OK, first things first – stop picturing a car with solar panels connected to its engine. What Missouri-based inventors Matt Bellue and Ben Cooper are working on is something a little different than that. They want to take an internal combustion engine, and run it on water and solar-heated oil instead of gasoline. That engine could then be hooked up to a generator, to provide clean electricity. While that may sound a little iffy to some, Bellue and Cooper have already built a small-scale prototype.

A cut-away view of the prototype HydroICE engine, with cotton batten indicating how steam would be used to drive the piston down

The duo have labelled the system HydroICE, which is short for Hydro Internal Clean Engine. Here’s how they envision it working ...

To begin, mirrored parabolic solar collectors would be used to heat oil to a temperature of at least 400 to 700ºF (204 to 371ºC). This hot oil would then be injected into the cylinder chamber of the engine, just like gasoline ordinarily is. A few microdroplets of water would then also be introduced, which would turn to steam immediately upon contact with the hot oil.

The rapidly-expanding steam would serve the same purpose as exploding gas, driving the piston downward and turning the driveshaft. As the piston reached the bottom of its stroke, the spent steam and oil would exit the cylinder and be run through an oil/steam separator. They could then each be returned to their respective reservoirs, for re-use within the closed-loop system.

Hot oil would be injected into the cylinder (Fig 1/Port A), water droplets would then be introduced to that oil (Fig 2/Port B), then the resulting steam would force the piston down (Fig 3)

In order to test the technology, Bellue and Cooper have converted a 31cc 2-stroke gas engine to run as a HydroICE engine. While it isn’t clear if they’ve actually had the thing running yet, they have partnered with Missouri State University and the Missouri University of Science and Technology to develop all the necessary peripheral hardware (such as the solar collectors), and to test the engine’s efficiency.

That efficiency is currently estimated at being at least 15 percent – about the same as the maximum efficiency of existing photovoltaic panels. The technology's big advantage, however, would be price. They’re projecting that a HydroICE system would cost about a quarter of what an equivalent-output photovoltaic system would go for ... obviously, though, that’s still looking some distance down the road.

For now, they’re trying to raise research and development funds via Indiegogo. More information is available in their pitch video below.

Source: HydroICE

HTC Windows Phone 8X

We've been hearing about Windows Phone 8 software for a few months, and now we finally have the chance to spend time with a WP8 device. Microsoft has allowed HTC to simply call its line "Windows Phone 8", indicating that these two devices are somehow the perfect showcase for the new OS. The Windows Phone 8X is the higher-end of the two models from HTC.

First of all, there's no mistaking this phone for any other. Apple will not be filing any lawsuits against HTC's bold new shapes and colours. Between HTC and Nokia's chosen palettes, Windows Phone devices really do stand out in the crowd of black and grey Androids and iPhones.

Slim and stylish

The 8X has a cushiony shape, with thin edges and a bulging back, which actually makes it more comfortable to hold. The front is almost entirely composed of a Gorilla Glass 2 panel, though the coloured plastic body frames it quite nicely. Our test unit came in a relatively sober blue, though your choices include bright red, fluorescent yellow and, thankfully, black.

The rear camera is an 8-megapixel unit and the front one is 2.1-megapixels. Both can capture 1080p HD video, and the front camera has been given an extra-wide angle lens to help you take self portraits and group shots at arm's length, or video chat in groups. The top edge hosts a standard 3.5mm audio jack and power button, while a volume rocker and dedicated camera button occupy the right edge. The left is completely blank, and the bottom has only a microUSB port. The SIM card tray sits flush with the body's edge and is barely noticeable. Sadly, HTC has put form over function by omitting a microSD card slot.

The 8MP shooter

Once switched on, the improvements in WP8 over its predecessor are obvious. Screen resolution has been increased, and everything looks much crisper. The new lock screen has five slots for notification icons on the bottom and one large text field for alerts. You choose which apps (such as the phone, messaging, email, calendar) get to occupy each slot, which doesn't make much sense, as you can't see alerts from lower priority apps even when there aren't any from your selected ones. The lock screen can also change dynamically, for example, you can choose to see sports scores, stock alerts, Facebook photos or the Bing picture of the day.

The Start screen now extends across the entire display area, without the unnecessary strip on the right. Tiles can be of three different sizes, depending on your preferences and desire to see live updates. Swiping to the right brings up the same alphabetical list of all installed apps.

The volume toggle and camera shutter

The OS has a few neat touches, such as the Rooms feature that allows you to group message any set of people, and share photos, maps and contacts. NFC allows for tap-to-share and pair with other WP8 devices, though apps still have to take advantage of it. You can plug the phone in via USB and simply drag and drop audio and video content across, without any software like Zune Desktop or iTunes. You even have more choices of colours for your Start screen tiles and highlights.

There's also Microsoft Office, which lets you open any document saved to your SkyDrive account and even create new ones from scratch or from templates. OneNote gets its own app and takes the place of any basic note taking app. It also adds support for audio and video clips, links, photos, and of course, cross-device access.

The power button

The most interesting built-in app is called Kid's Corner. This is effectively a separate user profile with no access to your stored data and no ability to use the phone's calling features. It's perfect for allowing children to play games or watch videos that you explicitly whitelist, and you don't have to worry about them fidgeting with your settings, making inadvertent calls or racking up massive charges on your credit card.

Microsoft claims there are around 100,000 apps in its store now, which is still far fewer than what iOS and Android have to offer. This will only grow, since WP8 overcomes many of the limitations of WP7—both in hardware and in software.

Firefox 17 to come with click-to-play, stricter HTTPS enforcement

Mozilla’s latest version of Firefox will come with click-to-play enabled by default. This feature is meant to deal with vulnerable or outdated plugins, and plugins that are blocked with the click-to-play flag will not be loaded by default — you will have to click on the plugin to run it in your browser. The click-to-play plugins will accompany a blocklist, which is essentially a list of addons and plugins that are disabled to prevent users coming to harm. This includes vulnerable and outdated versions of popular plugins.

Whenever you are browsing a site that utilises a vulnerable or outdated plugin that has been included in the blocklist, you’ll see the click-to-play frame over the blocked content. If you think that the site is safe enough for you to run the plugin, simply click on the content to run it. Combining click-to-play with a blocklist enables you to choose whether vulnerable but useful plugins can be run on certain websites.

Click-to-play will improve plugin security on Firefox.

This is quite a useful feature that can be enabled in Chrome as well. For users with slow Internet connections or data limits, click-to-play can prove to be especially useful as flash and other content can be loaded only when needed. This feature can also be found enabled by default on some smartphone browsers, including Opera, Chrome and Dolphin. Click-to-play is also a user-friendly way to indicate that you have outdated or unsafe plugins installed in your browser.

Apart from click-to-play, Mozilla is testing a new security mechanism in Firefox that will enable the browser to connect securely to a specified set of websites only when the site sends a valid security certificate. Future releases of Firefox will contain a list of sites known to employ HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security), which is a mechanism by which a server can indicate that the browser must use a secure connection when communicating with it. This list in Firefox is important because a browser usually doesn’t know that it should communicate securely with a domain or website unless the server asks it to. This may lead to hackers or malicious code preventing the browser from ever establishing a secure connection with the host. The HSTS list will indicate to the browser that it is to connect to the specified sites securely by default, and unsecure connections to these must be refused.

A post on the Mozilla Security Blog states, “We have added to Firefox a list of hosts that want HSTS enforced by default. When a user connects to one of these hosts for the first time, the browser will know that it must use a secure connection. If a network attacker prevents secure connections to the server, the browser will not attempt to connect over an insecure protocol, thus maintaining the user’s security.”

Must-have apps for your Android phone

Buy a brand new smartphone these days and the first thing you’ll want to do is figure out which cool apps to install on it. Of course, there are thousands of apps to choose from, but there are a few that every smartphone user must install, and we’ve put together this list for you Android users.

Any.do - To-do list (Google Play link)

Any.do - helps you keep track of your tasks, in style

An Android phone can do much more than just play Angry Birds; it can even help simplify your life. There are several tasks in a day and it’s hard to keep track of them. Not if you install this slick little app called Any.do. It’s got one of the most intuitive interfaces on any Android app and it’s also got some great features. It lets you quickly add tasks you want to do and sort them by a rough timeline. It even allows you to sync them with the online service for free and includes Google Tasks support. There’s a widget and there’s even support for voice entry.

Aldiko - eBook reader (Google Play link)

Aldiko - an easy-to-use eBook reader

As larger and higher resolution screen smartphones became common, they have also become more and more like e-book readers. They offer users the ability to fit large amounts of text in a single screen, without having to scroll too often. If you use a phone that has a decent-sized screen, then apps such as Aldiko are a must. Aldiko supports a variety of formats that include the popular EPUB and PDF formats. Users can easily bookmark pages and change the brightness of the screen on demand. Customisation for the amount of text in each screen is also possible by changing font size, page margins as well as text spacing. It’s a must-have app if you’re on the move constantly but want to catch up on your reading wherever you are.

AndChat - IRC client (Google Play link)
If you’re a gamer or a developer or just an old-time IRC user, you’ll want to stay connected with your friends on your favourite IRC channels. There is no shortage of IRC clients, but you’ll find AndChat to be just right for your needs. The app weighs a little more than 400KB and is totally free. Users can add multiple servers and quickly switch between channels on a single server by swiping their fingers across the screen.

Google Chrome - Web browser (Google Play link)

Chrome - Google's own desktop browser, now on Android

If you’re buying a new phone these days, chances are you’ll get an ICS-based phone. The default browser on ICS is decent, but you’ll probably find yourself at home if you download Google’s own Chrome browser for the Android platform. Benefits of using Chrome, of course, include the ability to sync with your Google account and carry your bookmarks and settings with you wherever you go. If you don’t like Chrome and don’t want to use the default Android browser, you should probably give Firefox for Android a shot. Things have gotten way better than they were when it was first launched as an early development build.

Google Drive - Productivity and cloud storage (Google Play link)

Google Drive - your personal drive in the cloud

Google Drive, or Google Docs as it was previously known as, is more than just a productivity app. Once known as the best web-based office suite, the service has transformed into an online storage solution, just like Dropbox. Apart from 5GB storage, you can also collaborate when you work so you can have several users working on a single document or spreadsheet. All of the services work closely together so if you want to make a list of things to buy or just write an article, this is the app to do it in.

Imo.im - All-in-one messenger (Google Play link)

Imo.im - chat with all your favourite instant messaging services at the same time

Android devices come with Google Talk preinstalled on them. But many of us use other services as well and you’ll most likely find those messenger clients on your device too. It’s a pain, however, to switch between each one of these messenger clients. An app called imo messenger lets you add several instant messenger clients and chat with all of them using a single app. There’s support for MSN, Skype, Yahoo, Google Talk, Steam, ICQ and Facebook, besides some others.

Flipboard - News reading app (Google Play link)

Flipboard - your own personal magazine

Flipboard is like your personalised newspaper on your Android phone. Forget reading your daily newspaper before leaving for work or college. You can read all of it and much fresher news in a very well-formatted manner using Flipboard. Flipboard lets you choose your interests and sites that you frequently visit. It then downloads all the text from it and formats it like a newspaper so you get all the juicy information minus ads, comments and all the unnecessary bits. It even syncs your Twitter and Facebook accounts in the same manner, so the interaction is very fluid and as user-friendly as possible. Another slightly less popular option is Zite, which does roughly the same thing.

K9-Mail - E-mail client (Google Play link)
The default GMail app on Android is more than sufficient for basic purposes. The moment you want to start doing more advanced things and handling bulk e-mails, a slightly more specialised e-mail app such as K9-Mail comes into the picture. The app lets you handle multiple accounts and offers a wide variety of customisations. The simplest of these includes the presentation of e-mail and how often e-mails are downloaded. You can even make sure you aren’t disturbed beyond work hours by setting silent hours where you won’t be notified of new mails. If you’re an e-mail warrior, then this should be your weapon of choice.

MX Player - Video player (Google Play link)
Media players change all the time and there’s always a new favourite media player app for Android. Right now, the most popular one has to be the MX Player. It’s free and only has a small ad that shows up occasionally if you use the free version. One of the great features of the app is that it hides the touch buttons found on most Android 4.0 and above devices when the movie starts playing, so you get a lot of screen space. Once you have your movie playing, you can quickly change brightness and volume levels by swiping your finger vertically on either side of the screen. Skipping to different points in the video can be done by moving your finger from one side to another. Oh, and MX Player handles pretty much every format you throw at it.

Twicca - Twitter client (Google Play link)

Twicca - a highly customisable Twitter client

Twitter is a big thing and almost everyone who’s always connected to the Internet on their phone will try and experiment with Twitter at some point in time. Twitter’s official client is simple but not necessarily fast. Twicca, a free Twitter client, offers a whole lot more, looks better and offers a long list of customisations. You can set colours for your favourite accounts you follow. You can even get in-client image previews without having to open a separate browser window.  If you’re on Twitter, do follow us. Our handle is @tech2eets.

Google Reader - RSS feed reader (Google Play link)
If you visit more than 10 sites each day and don’t want to check on each one to find the latest stories, it’s a good idea to use Google Reader. It’s a free RSS feed reader by Google that checks all those sites for you and shows you only the list of new stories. You can read a brief of the news story in the client and access the complete version by opening the link in a browser.

Skype - Audio-video calling (Google Play link)

Skype - voice and video chatting for free

If you have an affordable 3G connection or Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s a cheap way to make phone calls. Using this app, you can make calls to another phone, tablet or PC connected to the web for free. Keep in mind though, the app is a little heavy, so older phones may not be able to handle it too well. You’ll also need a front-facing camera if you want to make video calls.

WhatsApp - Texting app (Google Play link)

WhatsApp - message all your friends for free

SMSes are expensive and cumbersome. This SMS replacement app needs no introduction. It allows users to send text messages to one another over the Internet for free. The app picks up all the contacts from your phone and checks to see if they’re registered on the WhatsApp service. You can even send attachments – images, videos and audio files – for free. There’s even a group chat option that allows up to 30 people to chat at the same time.

And that’s our list of recommended apps that every Android user must install on his or her new phone. If you think we missed out on apps or if you have any tips for us, post them in the comments section here.

India to have 11-digit mobile numbers next year

India will face a 'number crunch' by the middle of next year. With a swelling subscriber base in the country, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) are fast looking at other options, including the use of 11-digit mobile numbers. The Times of India now reports that the number series starting with 98 or 99 is nearing the end of its capacity and hence the need to quickly work out a way is both, crucial and time-bound. Rajan Mathews, director general of the COAI was quoted as saying, "There might be a serious problem if a new series of numbers are not brought in by the middle of next year. We are theoretically reaching the limit of existing number sets with a subscriber base of one billion."

It is sure going to be difficult to remember

Elaborating further on the process, Mathews shared that the numbers are assigned to operators in batches, depending the size of subscriber base and how well the existing number sets are put to use. He explains that a batch system is the one used, since it helps keep away chaos arising because of the different kinds phone numbers flooding the market.

It is common knowledge that a specified range of numbers are assigned to one operator and the first two digits of the number like the first two digits are associated with that operator.

Sandip Biswas, director at consultancy firm Deloitte was quoted as saying, "None of these number ranges can be used to their full extent due to the way in which they are allotted. Only a certain portion of these numbers are used as phone numbers. This is called percentage of numbering system utilization and it hovers around 50 percent, meaning only around half or more of the potential numbers are used as phone numbers”.

Biswas even went on to add that considering the numbers, there may even be 12-digit mobile numbers introduced in the future. "The numbers will have to be increased by at least one digit to accommodate new devices. However, to ensure there's absolutely no scope for any problem, we may even see the introduction of 12 digit numbers," he added.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had reportedly sent a similar proposal to the DoT, which the latter did not act upon. Mathews added, "DoT said that it may need remapping of networks and there might be issues conforming to international numbering standards too. DoT hasn't rejected the idea completely but is looking into alternatives."

Among the immediate measures, the TRAI has reportedly made recommendations to discontinue inactive numbers in a bid to free up some space. It even plans on getting over a million landline numbers to be used in the mobile domain.

Biswas went on to add further, “The numbering system in general is dependent on the number of subscribers. However, it is a different situation after mobility came into picture. Today, devices ranging from cars to tablets to washing machines are connected to networks.”

Facebook referral program offers free talk time in India

Facebook is offering Rs 50 worth of mobile talk time to its selective users in India joining the social network through referrals. The system is very new, and the program in India is one of the tests being carried out. As confirmed by Kevin D'Souza, Country Growth Manager, Facebook, the amount of recharge will vary from user to user and place to place. 

D’Souza went ahead and also confirmed that the offer was for users coming through referrals. He was quoted as saying at a press conference, "We keep on trying new things. Because we do not know what will work. This is one of the tests. Just to get a feel of it, this particular test is being done in India.” 

Available for users in India joining via referrals

At the moment, the plan is developing with multiple pricing strategies, and D’Souza shared that different telecom carriers have different Facebook plans. After registration, those interested will have to provide their mobile number to get Rs 50 worth of free talk time, and also the mobile number of the individual who may have referred him/her.

"Once you sign up and confirm your account, you will receive the talktime within three days," Facebook said. "Facebook reserves the right to discontinue this service at any time without notice. Talktime rewards earned before this service is discontinued will be credited as appropriate," the company added.

Only this week, Facebook’s "The Anti-Virus Marketplace" or The AV Marketplace got updated to accommodate seven new partners to its existing network of security companies. What this means is that now Facebook users will be able to download software from avast!, AVG, Avira, Kaspersky, Panda, Total Defense, and Webroot. Users will also have access to new anti-virus software for their mobile devices from many of Facebook's existing partners such as Microsoft, McAfee, Norton, TrendMicro, and Sophos. A user can download free anti-virus software for his or her PCs, Macs, and mobiles from the AV Marketplace.

If you have been spotting a slightly different looking top navigation bar in your Facebook account, then you are among the chosen few on whose profiles Facebook is testing it. Inside Facebook now reports that some users have been spotting a rather different-looking top navigation bar, in which the Search bar has been pushed closer to the company logo. The icons to view friend requests, messages, and other activity notifications have been moved further right on the bar. In fact, closer inspection reveals that Facebook has completely done away with the 'Home' button. Users viewing the test design have to click on the Facebook logo to go to their news feed.

Facebook is known for introducing cosmetic changes to the profile appearance and to the way images are displayed. The tweaks to the top navigation bar are under test, and there is no saying if the changes will actually find their way to user profiles. The most prominent of the changes that Facebook introduced to user profiles in the recent past remains the Timeline.

Google announces Chromebook with 3G

At last year’s Google I/O Google announced the Chromebook that was described by Hugo Barra, Director of Android Product Management at Google as a tablet with a keyboard. He added that the attributes that make phones and tablets great are being brought to the notebooks. Since its launch, it did not gather as much steam as expected. However, it now appears that Google has come back with a new model, this time around teaming up with Samsung to launch the 11.6-inch Chromebook that will be available for $249.99, while the 3G equipped model is priced at $329.99.

As per a post on Google’s official blog, Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps stated that many people use the Chromebook today as the additional computer for their home. For families, it becomes easy to use and share, with the ability of having kids doing their homework on the couch, parents catching up on emails in the kitchen counter and grandparents staying connected by using the video chat. He states that there is no need to worry about security updates and maintenance is easy. All one needs to do is charge the battery to get it up and running.

Easy enough for everyone to use

The feature that sets this Chromebook apart from others available in the market is that it comes with an ARM-based processor. The Samsung Chromebook is powered by a Samsung dual-core Exynos 5 Dual 5250 processor.

Here is a look at the highlighted features of the Samsung Chromebook:

• 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768
• 0.8 inches thin - 2.5lbs/ 1.1kg
• Over 6.5 hours of battery
• Samsung Exynos 5 Dual Processor
• 100GB Google Drive Cloud Storage with Solid State Drive
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• VGA Camera
• 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
• HDMI Port
• Bluetooth 3.0 Compatible

Commenting on the weight of the device, Pichai stated, “It’s one of the lightest laptops on the market. You can easily carry it around all day — it’s 2.5 pounds, a mere 0.8 inches thick, with more than 6 hours of battery life for the typical user.”

Pichai has also spoken about the other features of the Chromebook and he said that even though it features a compact design, it still features good performances and has the ability to boot up within 10 seconds and resumes instantly as well. Pichai stated, “And as you‘d expect from a Chromebook, it’s easy to share with others. Everyone—mom, dad, grandparents, tech lovers, tech haters—can have separate accounts where all of their stuff is kept safe. Finally, if you’re an active Google user of products like Gmail, Drive, Search, Maps, YouTube, Play or Google+ Hangouts, everything just works seamlessly.”

 

The Samsung Chromebook is available online for preorder from online retailers such as Amazon, PC World and other retailers. From next month the Chromebook will be available on the same online retailers as well as the Google Play Store. As of now, there is no word on when this laptop will launch in India.

Windows RT Surface vs. Nexus 7

Is the smaller Nexus 7 a match for the full-sized Surface?

The tablet wars have begun. Though the iPad remains in the driver's seat, the last year has shown strong competition from several other companies. Two tablets that will be duking it out for your dollars this holiday season are the Microsoft Surface RT and Google/Asus Nexus 7. Let's see how these two (radically different) tablets compare.

Dimensions

They're almost as different as two tablets can be

Nobody is going to get these two confused. Surface is a full-sized tablet, while Nexus 7 is a mini-tablet. Microsoft's slate is intended for landscape mode, while Asus' is primarily a portrait device.
Despite its much larger build (or maybe because of it?), Surface is a bit thinner than the Nexus 7.

Weight

Surface is twice as heavy as the Nexus 7

Surface is exactly twice as heavy as the Nexus 7. This lends itself to Microsoft's more productivity-focused brand, while the Nexus 7 is more in line with the Kindle Fire. They're both great for casual one-handed reading, browsing, and gaming.

Display

Until we see it, we're skeptical of Microsoft's raves about Surface's display

Microsoft insists that its ClearType display boosts the "perceived resolution" in Surface, but until we get our hands on one, we're skeptical. For a 2012 tablet, Surface's resolution is sub-par. It barely has more pixels than the Nexus 7, despite toting an extra 3.6 (diagonal) inches.

Processor

The tablets' Tegra 3 chips are fraternal twins

The tablets' chips are almost identical. Both rock NVIDIA Tegra 3 SoCs; the only difference is that Surface sports the (slightly higher clocked) T30 model, while the Nexus has the T30L.

RAM

Double the RAM for Surface

This could potentially give Surface the edge in performance, as its 2GB of RAM double the 1GB in Nexus 7.

Storage

Surface offers much more storage, but that may be changing soon

These numbers could be changing soon. Leaks have shown a 32GB Nexus 7 model coming for the holidays at the same price point as the present 16GB model. As it stands now, though, Surface offers more storage.

Wireless

Nothing but Wi-Fi

Neither device (at present) offers mobile data. You'll need a Wi-Fi network to connect to both tablets.

Cameras

Microsoft's cameras are a mystery, while the Nexus 7 only sports a front-facing shooter

Microsoft hasn't revealed the full specifications for Surface's cameras, but it does have two "720p HD" shooters. The Nexus 7 only sports a front-facing camera.

Battery

This looks like a huge advantage for Microsoft, but the Nexus 7 gets terrific battery life

Surface's battery hardware is superior, but it's also powering a larger display. The Nexus 7 gets terrific battery life, though, and Microsoft would be fortunate to see similar uptimes.

Intangibles

Windows RT and Touch Cover, or the more established Google Play?

As physically different as the two devices are, they may differ even more in software. Surface runs the new Windows RT branch of Windows 8, while the Nexus 7 runs Android 4.1, Jellybean. Since Windows RT doesn't run traditional Windows desktop software, the Nexus 7 has a big advantage in terms of apps. Microsoft has worked with developers to make sure Windows Store doesn't launch as a ghost town, but it has some catching up to do.

The Touch Cover keyboard is Surface's killer feature. As an optional add-on (an extra US$100 bundled, or $120 separately), it can quickly transform the tablet into something resembling a laptop. The accessory features unique pressure-sensitive keys, and it can fold over to protect the display (similar to Apple's Smart Covers). The tablet's built-in kickstand and bundled Microsoft Office only accentuate its work-oriented brand.

... then there's the matter of price. The 32GB Surface (without keyboard) costs US$500, while the 8GB Nexus 7 is a mere $200. For the price of one Surface, you could buy two Nexus tablets and still pocket $100. Apple sells $500 iPads in bunches, but it's the established market-leader; Microsoft is walking on shaky ground with its unproven Surface.

Summing up

Surface and Nexus 7 are two different devices, with different strengths and weaknesses. Microsoft is angling for a new kind of device with Surface: a tablet that takes a bit more from laptops, and a bit less from smartphones. Whether that works for you is your call, but remember that few outside of Microsoft have even touched one. Until the device gets in customers' hands, much is still a mystery.

The Nexus 7 is already established as one of the best 7-inch tablets on the market. The iPad Mini, however, is looming on the horizon. Unless you're fervently pro-Android or anti-Apple, it couldn't hurt to wait for the event before plunking down for a new Nexus 7.

What do you think: was Microsoft smart to go straight for the high end of the tablet market, or would it have been wise to start with something more affordable? Let us know in the comments.

Earth-sized planet with a molten surface discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B

Artist's impression from a point in the Alpha Centauri triple star system, showing the newly discovered planet orbiting around Alpha Centauri B, with Alpha Centauri A in the distance

European astronomers working from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile have discovered a planet slightly more massive than Earth, orbiting a star in the Alpha Centauri triple star system – the nearest stellar system to our planet. Alpha Centauri Bb (as the new exoplanet is called, the star being Alpha Centauri B) is the first Earth-sized body found orbiting a Sun-like star and was discovered by measuring the tiny wobbles of Alpha Centauri B as it moves in response to the gravitational pull of the orbiting planet. It is orbiting Alpha Centauri B every three days and six hours at an orbital radius of six million kilometers (3.7 million miles). The proximity to the star leads to a surface temperature of some 1,500º K (2,250º F/1,232º C) – hot enough to melt granite.

The Alpha Centauri system is one of the brightest stars in our night sky, exceeded in brightness only by Sirius and Canopus. At a distance of 1.34 parsecs (4.37 light years) it is the nearest stellar system to our Solar System. It is actually a triple star – a system consisting of two stars similar to the Sun orbiting close to each other, designated Alpha Centauri A and B, and a more distant and faint red dwarf known as Proxima Centauri or Alpha Centauri C (C is called Proxima at times because it is the closest of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, at 1.29 parsecs (4.24 light years) distance).

Alpha Centauri A is the largest of the trio, having the same spectral classification as the Sun, a mass of 1.1 solar masses, and a luminosity about 1.5 times that of the Sun. Alpha Centauri B is the star around which the new planet has been found orbiting. It is an orange dwarf with a mass of 0.9 solar masses. The orange color is the result of being about 900º K cooler than A, and this also results in B having a luminosity 0.5 times that of the Sun.

Alpha Centauri C (Proxima Centauri) is a dim red dwarf with a mass of 0.123 solar masses and a luminosity less than 0.2 percent that of the Sun. It is located about a quarter of a light year from the A-B pair, which orbit each other with a period of 80 years at an average distance of 23 astronomical units (AU – the distance between Earth and the Sun) – a bit more than the distance between the Sun and Uranus. It is not entirely clear that C is gravitationally bound to A and B, that is, if C actually orbits the A-B pair, or if it is in a hyperbolic path around them and will escape their grip in the next few million years. The escape velocity at Proxima's distance from A and B is about 0.5 km/second (0.3 miles/second), which is smaller than the present uncertainty in Proxima's speed relative to A and B. The general consensus at this time is that Proxima is probably the third member of the triple star system Alpha Centauri.

Orange dwarf stars have many features that make them excellent candidates for hosting life-bearing planets. They evolve slowly as hydrogen burning stars along the main sequence for 15 to 30 billion years compared to the Sun's 10 billion years, giving more time for life to appear and evolve. They support a habitable zone from roughly 0.5 to one AU orbital radius from the star, which is enough distance that a planet in that zone will not be tidally locked to the star. Orange dwarfs have low stellar flare activity and emit small quantities of ionizing radiation, as well as exhibiting generally more placid stellar dynamics (e.g., pulsations, chromospheric activity, sunspots (starspots?), etc.) than either hotter or cooler stars. The result is that orange dwarfs are often considered "Goldilocks stars" – prime candidates for the formation and steady evolution of life.

The HARPS spectrograph and the 3.6-meter (11.8-ft) telescope at La Silla

Alpha Centauri Bb was detected using the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) instrument on the 3.6-meter (11.8-foot) telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. HARPS measures the radial velocities of stars with the highest accuracy available. To achieve very high long term radial velocity accuracy, HARPS is designed as an echelle spectrograph optimized for mechanical stability. It is optically fed by a pair of fibers from the Cassegrain focus of the 3.6 m (11.8 ft) telescope, one fiber picking up the light of the star being measured, and the other being fed a reference spectrum. HARPS is mounted in a vacuum chamber to avoid spectral drift due to temperature and air pressure variations.

HARPS detects exoplanets using a method known as the Doppler wobble. As a planet orbits a star, in reality each of them orbits their mutual center of mass. The center of mass for a pair of bodies is the point on a massless connecting rod where a teeter-totter would be evenly balanced. For example, Jupiter has about 0.001 of the mass of the Sun, and orbits at a distance of about 740 million kilometers (460 million miles). The center of mass is a point 0.001 x 740 million kilometers = 740,000 kilometers from the center of the Sun. This is a point just above the surface of the Sun.

This seems a lot of movement, but it takes place over Jupiter's 12-year orbital period. Once you work out the geometry, the maximum speed of the radial wobble is about 12 m/s. This produces a small Doppler effect whereby the spectrum of the Sun will show a periodic redshift with a magnitude or 12 m/s / 300,000,000 m/s, or 40 parts in a billion. To measure such tiny velocities through their redshifts requires not only the highest resolution spectrographs, but also state-of-the-art data collection and analysis techniques. In discovering Alpha Centauri Bb, HARPS detected radial velocity changes of 0.5 m/s – a very slow walk and the very limit of this technique with present technology. In this case, the center of mass lies only 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) from the center of Alpha Centauri B.

To detect an Earth-mass planet orbiting in the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri B would require detecting radial velocity changes of about 0.1 m/s – a sensitivity within reach of near-future instruments. Such an instrument is the Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO), which will offer a tenfold improvement in the detection threshold for Doppler wobble, thereby making possible the discovery of Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of Sun-sized stars.

ESPRESSO is to be installed in 2016 at the ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), also located in Chile. The VLT includes four 8.2-meter (26.9-foot) individual telescopes, which can be used individually or coupled together to attain the equivalent resolution of a 130-meter (424-foot) telescope – about 0.001 arc second. The VLT in its combined mode would allow two people standing at arms length on the surface of the Moon to be seen as separate objects.

As Earth-sized planets in Alpha Centauri B's habitable zone have not yet been discovered or ruled out, it is worth revisiting an old controversy that is still not resolved. Namely, can planets form in a binary or multiple star system at all? Well, we know they can – Alpha Centauri certainly has a planet, as do 15 other binary or multiple stars as of this writing. In fact, the binary systems NN Serpentis and HW Virginis each have two confirmed exoplanets.

The orbit of Alpha Centauri A and B, plotted about the location of A

However, the basic issues of planetary orbital stability and the planet formation dynamics in the ever-changing gravitational fields of a binary system are still not well understood. It is like cuckoo clocks on a wall – eventually even a small interaction will cause the clocks to tick in unison. A planet is too small to do anything but what the nearby stars allow. As a result, either the planet will follow an orbit that is consistent with the variable gravitational forces which act on it, or it will be thrown off into a very different orbit – possibly even escaping the system.

Let's illustrate this situation by looking at a hypothetical Earth-sized planet Hypo orbiting Alpha Centauri B at a radius of 0.7 astronomical units – within the habitable zone. Alpha Centauri A orbits every 80 years at distances between 11.2 and 35.6 AU. The gravitational pull of B on Hypo is about 0.01 m/s². The gravitational pull of A on Hypo varies between 0.0002 and 0.00002 m/s² – it is between two and 0.2 percent of B's pull on Hypo, and changes direction and size in a (relatively) fixed pattern with a period of 80 years.

When external influences on a planet's orbit are slow and small, the angular momentum of the planet is approximately conserved. This is not to say that the orbit will not be affected – you can imagine that Hypo's orbit will have a "tidal bulge" of various sizes that points toward A – but the orbit will not change dramatically. Given what we know about tides, it seems reasonable that Hypo may be able to remain in its orbit.

What about Hypo's brother, Hype? Hype orbits B at a distance of 5 AU. The gravitational pull of A on Hype varies from 7.5 to 325 percent of the pull of B on Hype. In this case, it is clear that Hype will not be able to maintain a well-behaved orbit around B. It is pulled more strongly toward A than toward B for a significant part of the 80 year orbit of A and B.

Somewhere between 5 AU and 0.7 AU will be an orbital distance after which a planet's orbit will be unstable in the long run. Similar problems will appear as the early planetesimals coalesce into clouds and then into planets – strong and variable gravitational fields will disperse the material. It is a difficult problem to determine what is the maximum "safe" orbital distance. However, what has been observed is that low-mass planets tend to be found in multiple-planet systems, so we may yet find a friendly neighbor in the Alpha Centauri system.

The video below shows an artist's conception of what a person on a trip through the Alpha Centauri system, including passes by the new exoplanet, might experience.

Source: ESO