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Microsoft HoloDesk allows you to juggle digital balls

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Microsoft Research, the arm of Microsoft that's seemingly from the future, has been busy creating what it has called a HoloDesk - a display, which allows a user to interact with digital objects.</div>
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A video demo of the concept desk is impressive and shows off the technology that's behind the kit.</div>
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Using a webcam, a beam-splitter and some facial recognition technology, the HoloDesk creates the illusion that objects on a screen are actually projected on a desk below. The user can then play with these projections as if they are real objects.</div>
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Beyond 3D</h4>
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In the video, one of the demos is of someone playing with juggling balls that aren't actually there.</div>
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The concept is never likely to hit shops – Microsoft is having a hard enough job explaining the use of Surface to the general public – but this could be the kernel of an idea that in the future is used by engineers and the like, or anyone that wants more interaction with 3D objects.</div>
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Microsoft Research have been busy this week - it also unveiled a new Kinect port that allows you to turn anything into a touchscreen device.</div>
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Microsoft HoloDesk allows you to juggle digital balls

Microsoft Research, the arm of Microsoft that's seemingly from the future, has been busy creating what it has called a HoloDesk - ...

Tech support for iPhone is cheaper than BlackBerry, Android

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Research into IT administration has already shown that Macs are cheaper to manage than PCs. According to analytics firm ClickFox, the same is true of the iPhone versus its competitors. InfoWorld reports that ClickFox found the iPhone requires far less tech support from the carriers than phones based on the BlackBerry or Android platforms.</div>
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ClickFox performed an analysis of support calls placed to call centers dedicated to the three platforms and discovered that multiple agents, multiple transfers, and often multiple sessions are required in order to solve BlackBerry or Android issues. By contrast, iPhone problems usually resolved in only a single call. Using the iPhone as a baseline, ClickFox found BlackBerry users required additional support (e.g., call transfers, followups) 37 percent of the time. Android users required more help a staggering 77 percent of the time.</div>
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All that additional time on the phone with tech support adds up. With 11.5 million BlackBerry incidents and 24 million Android incidents requiring extra support, those costs spiral upward pretty quickly. Compared to support costs for the iPhone, ClickFox estimates the total cost of additional tech support is US$46 million higher for BlackBerry users and $97 million higher for Android users -- per year.</div>
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Apple's focus on user experience is key to the iPhone's success, and if ClickFox's survey data is accurate, it looks like that's trickled down to lower support costs as well. That might be a contributing factor in the high iPhone adoption rates that firms like Good Technology keep seeing in the enterprise sector.</div>
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Tech support for iPhone is cheaper than BlackBerry, Android

Research into IT administration has already shown that Macs are cheaper to manage than PCs. According to analytics firm ClickFox, the ...

Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval

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You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology have built a 1,500-pound X-ray camera that can shoot ten million frames a second and then pointed it at a nearby flash of lightning to try and learn more about it. How did they know where the lightning would strike? Well, in true scientific fashion, they caused it themselves! This was done by shooting rockets into thunderstorms, with attached wires directing the flow of energy down into their target zone. The imagery produced from the X-ray sensor is actually extremely low-res -- a 30-pixel hexagonal grid is all you get -- but it's enough to show that X-ray radiation is concentrated at the tip of the lightning bolt. What good that knowledge will do for the world, we don't know, but we're sure it'll provide nice fodder for the next round of superhero empowerment stories.<br />
<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/28/lightning-photographed-by-superfast-x-ray-camera-nikola-tesla-n/"></a><br />
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Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval

You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida In...

New research says e-cigarettes are safer than real ones, no cigarettes safer still

<DIV class=separator style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWR5ym8CjHTIsRgxzJgkL4arVq5_N8vPo10yv0rrhWVpvfc4bjsppeTwezGt73ee7HH9SNd5VYGQcV8hAXgRPEI2tbNaGCp8rE4QSmT_sBoQv_iPTse4uBbsEQzSPxB_6gcvzJr1rv_4/s1600/e-cigarette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWR5ym8CjHTIsRgxzJgkL4arVq5_N8vPo10yv0rrhWVpvfc4bjsppeTwezGt73ee7HH9SNd5VYGQcV8hAXgRPEI2tbNaGCp8rE4QSmT_sBoQv_iPTse4uBbsEQzSPxB_6gcvzJr1rv_4/s1600/e-cigarette.jpg"></A></DIV>Research swayed back and forth on the health risks associated with e-cigarettes since their debut in the US about three years ago. The faux cigs, which are essentially nicotine inhalers intended to help smokers kick the actual smoking habit while still getting their dose of nicotine, the main addictive ingredient in tobacco. In the first truly comprehensive study of the somewhat controversial nicotine replacement method, researchers at Boston University's School of Public Health has found that not only are e-cigarettes much safer to "smoke" than normal ones, they may also aid in kicking the addictive habit altogether. According to the researchers, "few, if any" of the chemicals found in e-cigarettes pose serious health risks, and carcinogen levels in them are up to 1,000 times lower than in actual tobacco. This research, of course, disagrees with the FDA's findings that essentially, the chemicals found in e-cigarettes were risky and unknowable. The FDA has yet to evaluate e-cigarettes the way that they have done with all medications and other nicotine replacement products, so we can't be sure, but it's looking more and more possible that if you just need to smoke, an e-cigarette may be a safer route... for everything but your dignity, of course.

New research says e-cigarettes are safer than real ones, no cigarettes safer still

Research swayed back and forth on the health risks associated with e-cigarettes since their debut in the US about three years ago. The faux ...

30 million unused computers in the UK, says research

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/mobile-computing/MSIXSlimX340-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>Microsoft has suggested that there are a whopping 30 million PCs and laptops lying unused around the UK, suggesting we should use the old machines to get more people online. </P><br /><P>Backing Marth Lane-Fox's vision of a Networked Nation and as part of the not-very-snappily-named GO ON: Give Someone Their First Time Online campaign (<a href="https://extranet.futurenet.com/+CSCO+1075676763663A2F2F6A726F7A6E76792E68782E7368676865726172672E70627A++/owa/-CSCO-3h--redir.aspx?C=1734d5d577a04a65961e698634e426cd&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.get-someone-online.com">www.get-someone-online.com</A>) Microsoft's research suggested some interesting trends. </P><br /><P>Apparently, some 30 per cent of us have a PC or laptop at home they no longer use, 15 per cent have two unused machines and 9 per cent three or more. </P><br /><P>This has led to the 30 million number being suggested, and those machines could be put to better use – according to the campaign. </P><br /><P><STRONG>"Live" offline...pah!</STRONG></P><br /><P>Nickie Smith, Marketing Director, Microsoft Advertising, said; "Working in the digital media industry it's very easy to forget that millions of people in the UK do live offline, and have no way of accessing the many benefits that the internet offers. </P><br /><P>"With nearly one in ten (8 per cent) people in the UK planning to buy a new PC or laptop this Christmas, there is a real opportunity for people to do some good by donating their old machines to help someone else."</P><br /><P>Martha Lane Fox added, "The 'Go On Give Someone Their First Time Online' campaign is a great opportunity for the millions of internet users in the UK to give the 9.2 million people a chance to enjoy the benefits that so many of us enjoy every day. </P><br /><P>"If every connected person helped just one friend or family member to get online, the race would already be won. </P><br /><P>"By working together we can accelerate progress towards building a more networked UK."</P>

30 million unused computers in the UK, says research

Microsoft has suggested that there are a whopping 30 million PCs and laptops lying unused around the UK, suggesting we should use the old ma...

Car Computers - Research Indicates They Are Extremely Vulnerable

<br />		<p>Anti-virus software is a colossal industry; and for a good reason. Everyday hackers steal myriads of vital information losing companies and consumers' time and money alike. Anti-virus software along with other programs are continually updated in preemptive attempts to thwart future cyber attacks.</p><p>Your computer may not be you're only valuable at risk. A group of researchers from the Universities of California and Washington feel the auto industry in particular, is highly susceptible to cyber attacks. In fact, after a slew of controlled tests in which researcher attempted to cyber hack a few recently released vehicles, the findings were alarming.</p><p>Researchers who "cyber hacked" an array of vehicles found that with a little tweaking they were able to control many of the vehicles vital components. Even when the physical driver would attempt to intervene and manually gain control of the vehicle, the hackers were able to over ride the manual controls and in essence have the control of the drivers life.</p><p>Once given access to an on board diagnostic port installed for dealers to quickly access the vehicles computer, researchers were able to set up a wireless network in which they could send and receive the information needed to remotely access the vehicles. By flooding the vehicles system with packs of data, the researchers were shockingly able to map-out and manage many of the vehicles controls.</p><p>After an array of tests, researchers found that they were able to perform an assortment of tasks ranging from maintaining the volume of the radio to completely disabling the breaks at high speeds. The tests found holes in these systems highlighting the fact that there is in fact a huge potential window for cyber attacks.<br /><br>The researchers found that hacking these complex vehicle computer systems was relatively easy in light of the fact that some vehicle systems can carry more complex computer code than a fighter jet. Researchers are hoping the public and media will find these results un-ignorable.</p><p>As vehicles get more and more autonomous, they naturally begin to rely more and more on their computer systems. As connectivity and the use of electronic data increases, the likelihood of hackers potentially attempting to enter vehicle systems drastically increases. With vehicles heavily relying on computer systems to function, the potential threat of a hacker becomes more and more a serious issue that could have vast detrimental consequences.</p><p>Due to the lack of efficiency in their computer systems, many auto manufactures have taken a plethora of bad media and lost a great deal of income due to the degradation in consumer trust and appeal. The fact that nearly half of all automotive warranty claims come from vehicle electronics systems already says a lot about the security and functionality of many of these vehicle computer systems. To add to the surmounting pressure of the volatility of vehicle systems, up to half the purchase cost attributed to many high end vehicles is directly accrued from purchasing these systems.</p><p>Researchers are hoping that by providing concrete evidence on how fragile these automotive computer systems actually are, the automotive industry and public alike will recognize the drastic need for IT and how it can help integrate up-to-date, safer systems. These aspirations for newer more secure systems aim is to provide increased safety, increased security, boost consumer trust and appeal, and to decrease maintenance and failure costs.</p><p>The world is constantly transforming due to the technological advances happening every day. As the world changes, industries, such as the automotive industry, must do everything possible to remain a lucrative business. Whether it is reducing emissions, meeting governmental safety regulations, or keeping your vehicles data system secure, there is always something new for the pack to chase.</p>	<br />	<br />		<br />			<br />				<br />					<br /><br />						<p>Rusty Shakelford works as a freelance writer and marketer for companies like <a href="http://www.CarLocate.com" target="_new">http://www.CarLocate.com</a>, a web portal where you can conduct car research and <a href="http://www.carlocate.com/SearchCars.aspx" target="_new">buy a car</a>. When he is off the clock, Rusty writes, stays up on the latest marketing innovations, and follows the latest in the automotive industry and cars.</p>					<br />

Car Computers - Research Indicates They Are Extremely Vulnerable

Anti-virus software is a colossal industry; and for a good reason. Everyday hackers steal myriads of vital information losing companies a...