Asus Will Stop Making Windows RT Tablets
Asus has told the Wall Street Journal that it will no longer make Windows RT tablets with ARM chips due to it taking a loss on the Windows RT devices in the last quarter.
The company has said that it will build full Windows 8 devices using Intel processors instead. Asus joins other companies like Samsung, Toshiba, HTC and Nokia in curtailing efforts.
Although Asus was originally one of the operating system’s main supporters, the announcement is not a huge surprise. For some unknown reason the Windows RT devices do not offer all the same features as Windows 8. Intel’s Atom chips manage to run full Windows 8 just as well if not better than the ARM alternative, and so Windows RT devices have comes down in price alot due to big discounts.
At the Computex Taipei event, not one Windows RT tablet was announced.
Microsoft are determined not be to put off though. Although it took a $900 million hit on the Surface RT slate, the company is producing another Surface with an Nvidia chip inside. Microsoft have said, “Windows remains committed to the ARM platform.”
[Image via dailytech]
SOURCE: http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/9/4607140/asus-will-no-longer-make-windows-rt-tablets
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Impossible Material Upsalite Discovered by Accident
When the words accident and science are used in the same sentence, it’s often the mark of something disastrous. But not this time, as Swedish scientists discovered what they described as an impossible material by accident.
The material is a new magnesium carbonate and it was believed impossible to make for over a century. In honor of the place of discovery, Uppsala University, the non-toxic material was named Upsalite.
Scientists discovered the new magnesium carbonate while researching a material aimed to be a more viable solution for drug delivery. While making porous calcium carbonate they tried to make porous magnesium carbonate unaware that attempts to develop such a material had been going on for decades.
The impossible material was obtained after the fabrication process was tweaked and the resulting substance was left in a reaction chamber over a weekend. This happened in 2011 and since then, Uppsala researchers have been working on refining the material and of course, replicating its manufacturing process.
But what’s even more important than the discovery is how special Upsalite is: the material has the highest surface area ever measured in an alkali metal carbonate – 800 square meters per gram, and has an extremely porous surface that give it impressive moisture absorption capabilities.
This is due to the fact that Upsalite consists of minute nanopores (less than 10 nanometers in diameter) that allow it to absorb more water at low humidity levels than any other material currently available.
Upsalite is currently being developed for industrial use, and the research team is planning to commercialize it through their company Disruptive Materials. Upsalite can have amazing applications in fields such as electronics and drug delivery, as it can reduce the energy needed to keep environmental moisture under control.
The new magnesium carbonate could also be used to clean up dangerous chemicals, oil spills and toxic waste and for a significant number of industrial applications, according to the researchers.
[Image via Dvice]
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Calling all Indian social entrepreneurs: apply for the Google Impact Challenge
Today we’re launching the Google Impact Challenge in India, inviting Indian nonprofits to tell us how they’d use technology to improve people’s lives. At the end of the challenge, four nonprofits will each receive a Rs 3 crore (around $500,000) Global Impact Award and technical assistance from Google to bring their projects to life.
Get started on your application today: registered Indian nonprofits can apply online until September 5 at g.co/indiachallenge. Googlers from India, and around the world, will review applications and announce the 10 best projects on October 21. You can learn more about the top 10 finalists then, and cast a vote for who you think should receive the Fan Favorite award.
On October 31, I’ll join Ram Shriram, Jacquelline Fuller, Anu Aga and Jayant Sinha in Delhi to hear the 10 finalists pitch live. As judges, we’ll select three awardees based on their potential impact, scalability and ingenuity. We’ll also announce the winner of the Fan Favorite, according to your vote.
Growing up in India, I’ve seen firsthand the vibrancy and innovativeness of India’s social entrepreneurs. I’m excited to see their projects and support their ideas for how to use technology and Rs 3 crores to change the world.
via The Official Google Blog http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/calling-all-indian-social-entrepreneurs.html
Security researchers describe SMS malware markets
via PCWorld http://www.techhive.com/article/2046361/security-researchers-describe-sms-malware-markets.html#tk.rss_all