Monday 20 June 2016

US Navy Reveals Latest Hi-Tech 'Iron Man' Diving Helmet for Elite Soldiers

helmet

An Improved Reality Display – Divers’ Helmet


The U.S. Navy together with the scientists have been working in developing an improved reality display for divers’ helmet which tends to permit them to see photos, sonar reading as well as texts while operating under water. The Iron Man helmet known as DAVD – Divers Augmented Vision Display has been described as a `high resolution, see through head-up display – HUD that is embedded directly in a diving helmet. The futuristic-looking helmet providing a kind of Iron Man-meet Aquaman is what the Naval Surface Warfare Centre has named the `next generation’ technology.

Dennis Gallagher, the Navy’s Underwater Systems Development Project Engineer, had mentioned in a statement that `by building this, directly in the dive helmet, instead of attaching a display on the outside, it could provide a capability identical to something from an Ironman movie and you have everything you visually need directly here in the helmet’. The smart helmet had been demonstrated to around 20 military divers. Divers would be in a position of having real-time visual display of everything according to the news release of the Navy. The Navy considers in conducting in-water simulation testing in October with extended field testing set for 2017. It has not been specified by the military as to when the helmets could be in actual use.

Works with Sensors – Video Systems/Sonar


The new helmet, according to the Navy is said to be used by military divers for under water construction, searches as well as salvage operations and could be utilised by first responders and commercial divers. The technology is said to be designed to assist divers by providing them visuals of precisely what they would be looking for, recording information and messages from the surface.

The military also observed that it works with sensors, especially video systems and sonar, which the individual diver would use in murky conditions with the data that is fed directly in the smart helmets. Gallagher stated that they have been constantly engaged with the operators and if there is a vision they have, they can make it happen. By having this kind of positive on-the-spot feedback, you know that you are going down the right road’.

 This diving technology is said to be the latest which tends to help the elite forces of the Navy in underwater combats. Besides this, it has real time link enabling operators on the surface to chat as well as to send video. But there seems to be a problem wherein it tends to make soldiers seems uncannily like a follower.

Prototype Utilised for Diving Missions


Rather than relying on pre-dive updates in determining what they are looking for, or how specific items need to appear and where they may be isolated, the system tends to provide the information right before the eyes of the diver with a look and a feel similar to a point of view video game display.

Researchers state that the device which seems to be a prototype presently could be utilised for diving missions such as ship husbandry, besides underwater construction and salvage operations. Ultimately the purpose is to have it utilized by first responders together with the commercial diving community. In the next stage two, involves designing components to comprise helmet systems as well as full face masks.

How to Find Wireless Networks With Windows 10?


Action Center

Microsoft Adding Expansions/Features in Windows 10


Microsoft will be adding a vast number of expansions as well as features in Windows 10 and one of the changes is adding of the Settings app that tends to replace `PC settings’ from Windows 8, which will ultimately also replace the Control Panel. In the Settings, individuals would find the latest `Network & Internet’ section and unlike Windows 8, the latest settings would be enhanced in Windows 10. For instance, Microsoft would be dividing wireless and wired connections in various sections – Wi-Fi and Ethernet, in Windows 10.

Users could also share and connect to wireless network with their contacts utilising Wi-Fi Sense and can perform all the wireless networking functions right from the Settings.If one only uses Ethernet, the connection to a network seems very forthright and on plugging the Ethernet cable in the network adapter in your computer, you can get started. While on the other hand connecting to a wireless network tends to have additional steps where there are various types of features. Windows 10 tends to have its own version of the wireless networks list which can be opened from the Notification section of the taskbar.

View List – Network Icon in Notifications Section


One option of viewing the list can be done by clicking the Network icon in the Notifications section towards the right area of the Windows 10 taskbar, where the wireless version tends to look like radio waves fanning outwards.If this icon is not seen there, it could be in the Hidden Icons space.

On clicking the small upward pointing arrow on the taskbar, you can locate the Network icon and you can drag it back out to the Notifications area. Once the Network icon is clicked, you will see a list of wireless networks that are in the vicinity and rather than the green bars which Windows 7 seemed to use, signal strength is specified by the number of radio waves in the icon near each name of the network. You could also see if the network seems to be secured with a password or if it is open for any user to join in. As a means of precaution, users need to be careful on joining open wireless networks since they could put your data security in danger.

Various Shortcuts to Common Settings


Another way of seeing a list of accessible wireless network is to open the Windows 10 Action Centre which tends to have a collection of various shortcuts to the common settings, notifications as well as apps. The user can go to the Action Centre in various ways namely by clicking its icon, that is near to the time and date towards the right area of the taskbar by pressing the Windows and A key on the keyboards, or swiping in from the right edge of the screen. On arriving in the Action Centre, you could click or press the Network icon and tap the Go to Settings button which tends to show up in order to see the network list in the Wi-Fi settings box.

Friday 17 June 2016

Chinese Funeral Home 3D Prints Body Parts For Damaged Corpses

3d print

3D Printing Body Parts – To Repair Disfigured/Damaged Bodies


According to Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Radio International, a 3D printing body parts has been started by a funeral home in Shanghai in an effort to repair disfigured or damaged bodies. Chinese state-funded news site The Paper noted that the Funeral Parlor, the 3D printing repair service in Longhua comprises of building various layers of material over each other in order to construct a three-dimensional product. The outlet has informed that with the combination of 3D printing, makeup and hair implants it would be capable of reconstructing faces similar at least by 95%.

The Paper noted that destroyed bone structure and damaged body parts could be the consequences of deaths from natural disasters, industrial and traffic accidents. The director of Shanghai’s funeral services centre, Liu Gengming, informed Shanghai Daily that `it would be difficult for relatives to see incomplete faces or bodies of their loved ones when they attend memorial services and makeup does not always repair them adequately. He added that people could utilise the technique in making the corpses of their dear one seem younger or better in looks.

Mend Damaged Bodies with Wax & Sludge


The Paper mentioned that Chinese funeral homes, usually mend disfigured or damaged bodies with materials like wax and sludge. Liu states that while these materials helped in reconstructing the shape of the faces of the bodies, they seem to fail in recreating accurately, the texture of their skin and hair. According to China Radio International, a facial reconstruction would be costing $620 to $776. Hundreds of people in China, in recent years, had died resulting in industrial accidents, several of which were the outcome of negligent enforcement and regulations.

An artificial landslide of accumulated construction waste had collapsed in Shenzhen, southern China, in December, killing around 60 people. Longhua’s venture, assumed to be the first time that a Chinese funeral home has provided 3D printing services as part of Shanghai’s implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan, of China according to The Paper. The plan, which had been approved last October calls for more improvement in science and technology. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the country had also issued a plan demarcating goals to develop the 3D printing industry of the country, in February 2015.

Opening Avenues in Solving Issues of Disabilities/Shortage of Donor Organ


The new service of Longhua adds to a developing list of methods which scientists seem to be using 3D technology on the human body. A group of scientists and researchers, last month had announced that they achieved a 3D print an organ which could work on humans for the first time, thus opening avenues in solving the issue of disabilities or shortages of donor organ.

 Today, 3D printers have been transforming medicine by constructing replacement of bones, fingers, skin and ears for patients and accident affected victims. 3D printed human tissue, on the cutting edge of this area is known as `bio-printing and is created by utilising modified printer cartridges and extracted cells which have been obtained from the biopsies of the patient. They are grown by using standard techniques which are cultured in a growth medium in dishes, enabling them to increase. The cells can then be loaded in cartridges and printed into layers that tend to fuse together, maturing into tissues.

Microsoft’s ‘Smart Mirror’ Can Read Your Emotions

Smart Mirror

Microsoft’s Magic Mirror – Hidden Facial Recognition Camera


The message from the Magic Mirror of Microsoft, `You can be smart and good-looking, a so-called smart mirror which tends to distinguish and welcome users, read their emotions as well display the weather, time, together with other information. The mirror seems to look like a regular mirror. Izzat Khair, a member of developer experience team of Microsoft Singapore explained - `imagine when you wake up in the morning, you are able to use the mirror to style your hair, do your make up and while at the same time, you can also view the weather’.

The Magic Mirror tends to have hidden facial-recognition camera which has the capability of sensing eight human emotions, comprising of anger, happiness and surprise. Microsoft intends to extend the features of the mirror enabling it to show app-fed news together with Facebook and Twitter feed in a display section.

 Khair has mentioned that the mirror is yet in its demo stage though has real business prospective and pointed out that the advertising as well as marketing industries for instance, could make use of the technology. He added saying `imagine on the monitor of the mirror you are able to play an advertisement. You have a camera which can snap a photo of the users, viewing the advertisement.

Real-Time Information to Advertisers


He also added that the facial recognition features of the mirror can provide real-time information to advertisers regarding the reaction of the viewers to the advertisement. Among the various tech products, the cutting-edge technology, the Magic Mirror had been on display at InnovFest UnBound 2016, a digital technology conference, in Singapore, showing the changing ways; users were cooperating with the technology.

 Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, in an address at InnovFest recently stated that he wanted the country to build an operating system database for 100 million smart objects for the next five years, when the Internet of Things trends took off. Microsoft is said to be working with the government agencies of Singapore on enhancing the city-state’s IoT ecosystem and on talent development, cyber security, research and public sector partnership as part of the country’s Smart Nation enterprise.

Data Stored on Private Cloud


Keeping the focus on cyber security, Khair has mentioned that the data administered by the mirror had been stored on a private cloud which the programmers of Microsoft could not access and the data is said to be deleted after a period of seven days. It is said to be a one-way mirror which is made smart with a 23.6-inch LCD lit screen sitting behind it that tends to show white UI components on a black background.

 Users can see their reflection as well as the white component in the mirror, when the display is powered on. The Magic Mirror tends to use Windows Hello technology for the purpose of facial recognition and Raspberry Pi seems to power the device. Microsoft had mentioned in a blog post that `to power the mirror, they have chosen a Raspberry Pi due to its popularity, support, price point together with the specifications of hardware.

Thursday 16 June 2016

Lost your iPhone? New Google Feature is here to Help

lost phone

Google’s Latest Feature – Search Misplaced Lost Phones


There is some good news for iPhone or Android users where Google has introduced a latest feature which enables them to search misplaced or lost phones. The user could just go to Google search engine and type in `I lost my phone’ wherein they will be given various options on how to discover misplaced device. In the search results, the user will find a list of selections on how to find their device on a map or even make it ring. The tech giant had announced in a blog post recently that the new features rolling out on the search engine would help in locating or secure a misplaced device, even if it’s an iPhone.

Once updated, users would be able to Google `I lost my phone’ and opt from a number of helpful choices. Besides making the phone ring, you could also display a message on the screen for whoever locates it, lock the device or delete all its data. While Googling `I lost my phone’ or `find my phone’ would display a map indicating an approximate location of where the gadget could be though it would not work unless the GPS of the phone is on. Moreover, this service had been earlier available through the Android Device Manager only.

Phone-Finder Feature works with Android/iOS Devices


The new phone-finder feature now tends to work with Android as well as iOS devices. Besides this, Google has also announced new methods of accessing private settings wherein you will be capable of using voice command to toy with your controls or search for name to visit your account page.

You should know that these features seem to work because you are allowing Google to access your personal data including your location if you tend to use the `lost my phone’ feature. The user has the option of deciding if it is worth trading a bit of your privacy, for convenience. The process of locating is simple. The user can go to Google’s `My Account’ and on scrolling down can click `Find Your Phone’. Choose the device one intends to locate, sign into your Google account and you will get the options such as:

Feature Prevents Others from Accessing Your Account


But the phone location feature of Google is not yet accomplished of locking the iPhone or remotely deleting it. However, there are other options to assist you in locating misplaced devices or if the user needs to figure out where their gadget could be. With this feature, other individuals would be preventing from accessing your Google account since you have the capability of signing out remotely which makes it impossible for thieves from accessing your private information.

This service could be considered as a public on the part of Google because it permits the user to locate for missing or lost devices with much trouble or it could be a scheme to induce iPhone users in using the services and features of Google and ultimately shift to Android in the long run.