Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Attrakt.com - The Next Big thing in "Content Curation" after Pinterest.com



These days millions of websites are available to provide content about any subject. But the biggest challenge is finding right content. Search Engines such as Google.com help to find suitable content from millions of websites upto some extent. But still it is NOT effective as the Search engines don't know much about the quality of the content.


The concept of "Content Curation" (The process of finding, organizing and sharing online content ) is growing fast to solve this problem.

I have explained about Pinterest.com few months back. Pinterest.com uses "Content Curation" concept to provide Images/pictures.


Recently I came to know about Attrakt.com which is growing very fast by applying "Content Curtaion"

Attrakt.com allows the users to create their own "Search boxes" by specifying URLs of websites from where the box need to do the search. The URLs / Links can be a website, image, webpage, youtube video, twitter Hash tags, or/and RSS feed.

For example, if you frequently browse the motivational quotes in few websites (eg. TheQuotes.net, wikiquote.com, brainyquote.com ), you can search all these sites from single search box. You need to create a search box from Attrakt.com by specifying these websites. Or, you can use the search box created by other users.

i-e Attrakt.com is somewhat similar to "Custom Search" provided by Google. But it looks like Attrakt.com is working on to provide more features. Let us wait to see how Attrakt.com is growing. i-e We can consider the Attrakt.com as the combination of Wiki and Google Custom Search.

It seems Attrakt.com is growing very fast. You may refer the below Alexa rank screenshot.



I will be writing a detailed blog post about Attrkt.com in few months once I am much familiar with this emerging site.


If you are already using Attrakt.com, you can share your experience thro' the comments.

UPDATE on 2014: It seems Attrakt.com becomes failure project. I am NOT seeing search boxes there now.

You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Will adding Epsom salt to the Dead Lead Acid battery make it work again?



 The Backup time of our Inverter battery (Lead Acid battery) got reduced to few minutes from initial 6-8 hours in 3 years.

From many forums, I came to know that adding Epsom salt (Magnesium Sulphate) to the battery cells will give back the initial Backup time. i-e We have to dissolve the 2 or 3 Spoons of Epsom Salt in a bottle of hot Distilled water, and we need to pour this solution into each of the battery cells. Actually adding water with Magnesium Sulphate gives the Sulfuric Acid which is required for replenishing the Lead Acid Battery.

i-e MgSO4 + H2O ->Mg(OH)2 + H2SO4

It seems we can try this option 3 or 4 times so that we can extend the battery life long time. And, according to these Forums, this approach will start giving the benefits only after doing 3 or 4 charging and discharging.


I am planning to try this in few days. I would like to know whether it will work out? And, whether there will be any risks involved in this process? And, where to get Epsom Salt? Few Forums say that Epsom salt will be available in Medical shops, Agriculture Stores and Grocery Stores. Is this Medical Epsom salt same as Battery Epsom salt?


I will update this blog once after I try this approach. You can visit this blog in few days to know the outcome.

WARNING: If you are going to try this approach, make sure that you use proper safety Tools to protect from the effects of Acid which may damage your eyes and skin.

Update: It didn't work for me. Did you try this? share your experience thro' the comments.

You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Monday, October 22, 2012

Future of Online Business - YouTube, Android Apps and Google Plus



Past few days I had done a detailed analysis about the things that will be having huge potential  for earning Money by doing business online.

And, I came up with below three things.

1. Media/Streaming Sites especially YouTube.
2. Mobile Apps especially Android  Applications.
3 Social Media especially Google+.

 So, I am planning to focus on these three things, i-e YouTube, Android Apps and Google+.

First I will start with YouTube, as YouTube has already enabled monetization for our YouTube Channel.

Many people have subscribed to our YouTube Channel. Right now, we have 182 Subscribers, and the channel views count crosses Half Million.

I am analyzing various ways to add quality videos into our YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/qualitypointtech

We have added many Motivational Quotes Videos and uploaded videos about Google Doodles. Even we have added a video about a Recipe   and Obama. Anyway, right now we are NOT experts in Video creation, though we are good in making it SEO friendly. So I am looking for various ways (Remixing creative commons videos, getting videos from freelancers) to get quality videos for our Channel. I will write a Separate post about it later.


 
You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit Resigns ; Michael Corbat will be New CEO of Citi.



Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit abruptly stepped down following a clash with the company's board over strategy and operating performance at businesses including its institutional clients group. [source WSJ)


John Havens, Citigroup's president and chief operating officer, is also resigned.


A statement from Citigroup Chairman Michael O'Neill said Michael Corbat, previously chief executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa, would succeed Pandit as CEO and as a board member.


"We respect Vikram's decision," Chairman Michael E. O'Neill said. "Since his appointment at the start of the financial crisis until the present time, Vikram has restructured and recapitalized the company, strengthened our global franchise and refocused the business."


It seems Shares of Citigroup is rising after the resignation of Vikram Pandit.

Citigroup is 3rd largest bank in U.S.


The board's relationship with Pandit was already under pressure after shareholders rejected the CEO's pay package in an advisory vote. He was awarded more than $15 million in 2011 compensation, but 55 percent of shareholders voted against it at an April meeting.

About Vikram Pandit

Born in Nagpur, India, the 55-year-old Pandit obtained two electrical engineering degrees and a doctorate in finance from Columbia University. He joined Citigroup in July 2007 when the bank acquired his hedge fund and private equity firm, Old Lane Partners LP, for $800 million. Citigroup had to shut down Old Lane the next summer, an early black mark for the executive.



He joined Morgan Stanley in 1983 and ultimately rose to the post of President and Chief Operating Officer of the company's institutional securities and investment banking businesses.

Pandit left Morgan Stanley to become a founding member and chairman of the members committee of Old Lane, LP. When Old Lane was acquired by Citi in 2007, Pandit became Chairman and CEO of Citi Alternative Investments. He later led Citi's Institutional Clients Group, and on Dec. 11, 2007, was named Citi's CEO.



Upon his appointment, Pandit embarked on a plan to refocus, recapitalize and restructure Citi during the toughest economic climate since the Great Depression. With the goals of long-term profitability and fueling economic recovery and growth at its core, Pandit's strategy for building a new Citi is centered on the company's historic strengths and unique competitive advantages: its global franchise, unique emerging market footprint, innovative spirit and talented and diverse employee base.

At Citi, Pandit has made Responsible Finance a priority. Citi is committed to providing choice, control and transparency for clients, managing risk responsibly and contributing to economic growth. From innovative foreclosure prevention programs that have kept more than 1,000,000 Americans in their homes to a new, disciplined approach to risk management, Responsible Finance is being engrained throughout Citi's practices and culture.

Mr. Pandit serves on the boards of Columbia University, Columbia Business School and the Indian School of Business. A naturalized citizen, he lives in New York City with his wife and two children.




While CEO of Citigroup in 2007, Vikram S. Pandit earned an annualized compensation of $3,164,320. In 2008, he earned a total compensation of $38,237,437, which included a base salary of $958,333, stocks granted of $28,830,000, and options granted of $8,432,911.

In 2008, Vikram Pandit was awarded the Padma Bhushanby the Government of India.





You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Microsoft Surface RT Tablet is priced at $499 for 32GB without Touch Cover




TechCrunch has informed that Microsoft's Tablet Surface prices were leaked out.

It seems Microsoft has set the  price of Tablet Surface too high.

The Surface starts at $499 for an entry-level 32GB version without the Touch Cover. $599 will be price if you want get it with Touch Cover. And, 64GB version with the touch cover is priced at $699.


See below the Screenshot (published by Techcrunch) of the Microsoft Store. It seems Microsoft has pulled out this screen now.





Watch the below video to know about Microsoft's Surface Tablet.







And, Microsoft has released its first advertisement for the Surface Tablet. Watch below this Commercial.





You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Felix Baumgartner had set Records by successfully jumping From The Edge Of Space at supersonic speed




Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has created history by successfully jumping From The Edge Of Space at supersonic speed today (14th October 2012).




Felix Baumgartner breaks the record for the highest ever skydive by jumping out of a balloon 128,000ft (39km) above New Mexico.




Video cameras relayed the moment Baumgartner stepped from his balloon capsule to begin his fall to Earth.

It took about 10 minutes for him to reach the desert surface below.

Helicopter recovery teams have gone to the Felix Baumgartner's landing site to return him to the mission control centre set up at Roswell airport.




You need to read my previous post if you want to know the details about this mission and to know about Felix Baumgartner.

Watch below the Highlights of the Felix Baumgartner's supersonic freefall from 128k'.





The space jumping mission was shown as Live on YouTube. And, this YouTube Live too created a record of highest ( more than 8 Million) concurrent views of Live Video.


And, you can watch the below video showing details about Felix Baumgartner.




Watch below video showing inspiring Quotes of Felix Baumgartner.






You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Google shows Excellent Animated Doodle for 107th anniversary of Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland




Today (Monday, October 15th, 2012) Google shows an excellent animated Doodle for the 107th anniversary of Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland.


Little Nemo is the main fictional character in a series of weekly comic strips by Winsor McCay that appeared in the New York Herald (from October 15, 1905 – July 23, 1911) and William Randolph Hearst's New York American newspapers(September 3, 1911 – July 26, 1914).


The strip was first called Little Nemo in Slumberland and then In the Land of Wonderful Dreams when it changed papers.


The original set-up of the comic revolved around the nightly dreams of a little boy named Nemo (meaning "nobody" in Latin). The purpose of his early dreams was to reach 'Slumberland', the realm of King Morpheus, who wanted him as a playmate for his daughter, the Princess. The last panel in each strip was always one of Nemo waking up, usually in or near his bed, and often being scolded (or comforted) by one of the grownups of the household after crying out in his sleep and waking them.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Nemo

Watch below the video showing the Google Doodle.



About Winsor McCay


Winsor Zenic McCay was born in Spring Lake, Michigan, perhaps on 26 September 1869.

Winsor McCay is best known for the comic strip Little Nemo (begun 1905) and the animated cartoon Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). For legal reasons, he worked under the pen name Silas on the comic strip Dream of the Rarebit Fiend.

A prolific artist, McCay's pioneering early animated films far outshone the work of his contemporaries, and set a standard followed by Walt Disney and others in later decades. His comic strip work has influenced generations of artists, including creators such as William Joyce, André LeBlanc, Moebius, Maurice Sendak, Chris Ware and Bill Watterson.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winsor_McCay



You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Friday, October 12, 2012

The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the European Union




The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the European Union (EU).


Norwegian Nobel Committee says that The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.





Read below the official press release about the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 is to be awarded to the European Union (EU). The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

In the inter-war years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made several awards to persons who were seeking reconciliation between Germany and France. Since 1945, that reconciliation has become a reality. The dreadful suffering in World War II demonstrated the need for a new Europe. Over a seventy-year period, Germany and France had fought three wars. Today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners.

In the 1980s, Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the EU. The introduction of democracy was a condition for their membership. The fall of the Berlin Wall made EU membership possible for several Central and Eastern European countries, thereby opening a new era in European history. The division between East and West has to a large extent been brought to an end; democracy has been strengthened; many ethnically-based national conflicts have been settled.

The admission of Croatia as a member next year, the opening of membership negotiations with Montenegro, and the granting of candidate status to Serbia all strengthen the process of reconciliation in the Balkans. In the past decade, the possibility of EU membership for Turkey has also advanced democracy and human rights in that country.

The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. The stabilizing part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.

The work of the EU represents "fraternity between nations", and amounts to a form of the "peace congresses" to which Alfred Nobel refers as criteria for the Peace Prize in his 1895 will.


The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee "Thorbjørn Jagland" announces the Nobel Peace Prize



The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It is a highly regarded award, recognized internationally.


According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who

...shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.


The Nobel peace prize will be handed out in Oslo, Norway, while the other five awards (medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics) are presented in Stockholm.

Last Year, Nobel peace prize 2011 was handed jointly to three women, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee, and Yemeni women's rights activist Tawakkul Karman.



Some facts of Nobel peace prize


92 Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on 19 occasions: in 1914-1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1939- 1943, 1948, 1955-1956, 1966-1967 and 1972.

The prize was NOT awarded at certain years as the Nobel Foundation guidelines says as "If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation's restricted funds." During World War I and II, fewer Nobel Prizes were awarded.


62 Peace Prizes have been given to one Laureate only.
28 Peace Prizes have been shared by two Laureates.
2 Peace Prizes has been shared between three person


The average age of all Nobel Peace Laureates between 1901 and 2011 is 62 years


To date, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is Tawakkol Karman, 32 years old when awarded the 2011 Peace Prize.


The oldest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to date is Joseph Rotblat, who was 87 years old when he was awarded the Prize in 1995.

Of the 101 individuals awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 15 are women. The first time a Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a woman was in 1905, to Bertha von Suttner.


The work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been honoured the most - three times - by a Nobel Peace Prize.

The Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, is the only person who has declined the Nobel Peace Prize.

Below Three Nobel Peace Prize Laureates have been under arrest at the time of the award

  • German pacifist and journalist Carl von Ossietzky
  • Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi
  • Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo

There is one posthumous Nobel Peace Prize, to Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize


Many believe that Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but he was actually awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. In fact, Churchill was nominated both for the Literature Prize and for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jane Addams was nominated 91 times between 1916 and 1931, when she was finally awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. By contrast Emily Green Balch, Fridtjof Nansen and Theodore Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize the first year that they were nominated.

About European Union


The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1951 and 1958 respectively.
Euro Bank notes

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states.

Within the Schengen Area (which includes 22 EU and 4 non-EU states) passport controls have been abolished. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development.

In 2002, euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states.




Member states of the European Union


There are twenty-seven member states of the EU.

 Six core states founded the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community, in 1957 and the remaining states joined in subsequent enlargements.

Before being allowed to join the EU, a state must fulfill the economic and political conditions generally known as the Copenhagen criteria.

These essentially require a candidate to have a democratic, free market government together with the corresponding freedoms and institutions, and respect the rule of law.







You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Astronomers have discovered a "Diamond" planet "55 Cancri e'" twice the size of Earth




Astronomers have discovered a planet twice the size of Earth made largely out of diamond.


This planet is named as '55 Cancri e', and it orbits a sun-like star in the constellation of Cancer.


This planet is discovered by a U.S.-Franco research team.

Its radius is twice that of Earth's but it is much more dense with a mass eight times greater. It is also incredibly hot, with temperatures on its surface reaching 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,648 Celsius).

"The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond rather than water and granite," said Nikku Madhusudhan, the Yale researcher.


Illustration of interior of 55 Cancri e Credit: Reuters/Haven Giguere/Yale University



And, it is estimated that at least a third of the planet's mass, the equivalent of about three Earth masses, could be diamond.

It takes less than 18 hours to complete an orbit and is the innermost known planet in its planetary system.

Like the majority of known extrasolar planets, 55 Cancri e was discovered by detecting variations in its star's radial velocity. This was achieved by making sensitive measurements of the Doppler shift of the spectrum of 55 Cancri.

Artist impression of Earth compared to 55 Cancri e


Diamond planets have been spotted before but this is the first time one has been seen orbiting a sun-like star and studied in such detail.





You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Felix Baumgartner Set to Break Sound Barrier With Record-Breaking Skydive. [UPDATE:Mission Postponed due to Heavy winds]




Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner is ready to leap from the edge of space, 23 miles above earth.


The 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria planned to take off in a 55-story, ultra-thin and easy-to-tear helium balloon that would take him into the stratosphere for a jump .

On 15 March 2012 Baumgartner completed the first of two test jumps from 71,581 feet (21,818 m). During the jump he spent approximately three minutes and 43 seconds in free fall, reaching speeds of more than 360 miles per hour (580 km/h), before opening his parachute. In total, the jump lasted approximately eight minutes and eight seconds and Baumgartner became only the third person to safely parachute from a height of over 13.5 miles (21.7 km)

Watch below one of the test jumps of Felix Baumgartner.




If the mission goes, Baumgartner will make a nearly three-hour ascent to 120,000 feet, then take a bunny-style hop from a pressurized capsule into a near-vacuum where there is barely any oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest, farthest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon.

Watch the below video which shows the simulation of this mission by giving various details such as altitude, speed, temperature and pressure in various phases such as Launch, Ascent,  the jump, stratosphere, descent and Landing..



When he jumps, Baumgartnerwill accelerate from zero to 690 miles per hour in 35 seconds, and become supersonic for almost a minute of the roughly 10-minute leap. This feat could ordinarily only be accomplished by a supersonic jet.. But the 43-year-old Felix Baumgartner believes he can do it using only his body.

"We are using a helium balloon to get to the stratosphere, but to get there we have to transit the death zone," Jonathan Clark Stratos, the project's medical director, said.

Baumgartner said he wasn't doing this just to set a record. He's also doing it for science, as the jump could help NASA design better and stronger spacesuits for astronauts.

Watch below the Live of this mission.





 If this  mission succeeds, Felix  Baumgartner will set several records, such as,

• First Human to break the speed of sound in free-fall (Mach 1 more than 690 mph)

• Highest free-fall altitude -120,000 feet (Joe Kittinger hit 105,000 feet in 1960)

• Highest manned balloon flight at 120,000 feet (previous record was 113,740 feet in 1961)

• Longest free-fall (Baumgartner's team expects 5 minutes, 35 seconds; Kittinger's was 4 minutes, 36 seconds in 1960)

• Largest manned balloon in history at 550 feet tall, with a volume of 30 million cubic feet


Among the risks: Any contact with the capsule on his exit could tear the pressurized suit. A rip could expose him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero. It could cause potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids, a condition known as "boiling blood."

He could also spin out of control, causing other risky problems.

The energy drink maker Red Bull, which is sponsoring the feat, has been promoting a live Internet stream of the event at from nearly 30 cameras on the capsule, the ground and a helicopter.


About Felix Baumgartner


Felix Baumgartner was born on 20 April 1969 in Salzburg, Austria.

Felix Baumgartner is renowned for the particularly dangerous nature of the stunts he has performed during his career. Baumgartner spent time in the Austrian military where he practiced parachute jumping, including training to land on small target zones.



In 1999 he claimed the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building when he jumped from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On 31 July 2003, Baumgartner became the first person to skydive across the English Channel using a specially made carbon fiber wing





UPDATE:
Mission Postponed due to Heavy winds


You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 was awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland



The Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 was awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems"



Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland have independently invented and developed methods for measuring and manipulating individual particles while preserving their quantum-mechanical nature, in ways that were previously thought unattainable.

The Nobel Laureates have opened the door to a new era of experimentation with quantum physics by demonstrating the direct observation of individual quantum particles without destroying them. For single particles of light or matter the laws of classical physics cease to apply and quantum physics takes over. But single particles are not easily isolated from their surrounding environment and they lose their mysterious quantum properties as soon as they interact with the outside world. Thus many seemingly bizarre phenomena predicted by quantum physics could not be directly observed, and researchers could only carry out thought experiments that might in principle manifest these bizarre phenomena.

Through their ingenious laboratory methods Haroche and Wineland together with their research groups have managed to measure and control very fragile quantum states, which were previously thought inaccessible for direct observation. The new methods allow them to examine, control and count the particles.

Their methods have many things in common. David Wineland traps electrically charged atoms, or ions, controlling and measuring them with light, or photons.

Serge Haroche takes the opposite approach: he controls and measures trapped photons, or particles of light, by sending atoms through a trap.

Both Laureates work in the field of quantum optics studying the fundamental interaction between light and matter, a field which has seen considerable progress since the mid-1980s. Their ground-breaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of super fast computer based on quantum physics. Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century. The research has also led to the construction of extremely precise clocks that could become the future basis for a new standard of time, with more than hundred-fold greater precision than present-day caesium clocks.



Serge Haroche, French citizen. Born 1944 in Casablanca, Morocco. Ph.D. 1971 from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. Professor at Collège de France and Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.

David J. Wineland, U.S. citizen. Born 1944 in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Ph.D. 1970 from Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Group Leader and NIST Fellow at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA


Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland

The practical use of their invention "ions in a trap" is to build a clock that is a hundred times more precise than the caesium based atomic clocks which are currently the standard for our measurement of time. An another important use is, nearing the dream of creating "Quantum Computer".



What is Quantum Computer?



A possible application of "ion traps" that many scientists dream of is the quantum computer. In present-day classical computers the smallest unit of information is a bit that takes the value of either 1 or 0. In a quantum computer, however, the basic unit of information – a quantum bit or qubit – can be 1 and 0 at the same time. Two quantum bits can simultaneously take on four values – 00, 01, 10 and 11 – and each additional qubit doubles the amount of possible states. For n quantum bits there are 2n possible states, and a quantum computer of only 300 qubits could hold 2300 values simultaneously, more than the number of atoms in the universe.

Wineland’s group was the first in the world to demonstrate a quantum operation with two quantum bits. Since control operations have already been achieved with a few qubits, there is in principle no reason to believe that it should not be possible to achieve such operations with many more qubits.

However, to build such a quantum computer is an enormous practical challenge. One has to satisfy two opposing requirements: the qubits need to be adequately isolated from their environment in order not to destroy their quantum properties, yet they must also be able to communicate with the outside world in order to pass on the results of their calculations.

Perhaps the quantum computer will be built in this century. If so, it will change our lives in the same radical way as the classical computer transformed life in the last century.

Nobel Prize Money got Reduced


This year Nobel prize money got reduced this year.Wineland and Haroche will get less than their colleagues last year. The Nobel foundation trimmed the value of the prize from 10 million kronor last year to the lowest level since 1999 to avoid “undermining” the foundation’s capital.

Some Facts about Nobel prize for Physics

105 Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on six occasions: in 1916, 1931, 1934, 1940, 1941, and 1942.

47 Physics Prizes have been given to one Laureate only.
29 Physics Prizes have been shared by two Laureates.
29 Physics Prizes have been shared between three Laureates.

To date, the youngest Nobel Laureate in Physics is Lawrence Bragg, who was 25 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Prize together with his father in 1915. Bragg is not only the youngest Physics Laureate, he is also the youngest Nobel Laureate in any Nobel Prize category.

The oldest Nobel Laureate in Physics to date is Raymond Davis Jr., who was 88 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002.


Of the 191 individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, only two are women.
1903 - Marie Curie (also awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.)
1963 - Maria Goeppert-Mayer


John Bardeen is the only person who has received the Nobel Prize in Physics twice. Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize twice, once in Physics and once in Chemistry.




You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Monday, October 8, 2012

Photography Tips for Great Portraits - Guest Post




This Article is a Guest Post.

Every phone currently made has a camera now. So, it would only make sense that we all take great pictures, right? Well, the pictures on Instagram seem to dispute this fact. In many cases the worst pictures are actually of people. Photographed in strange positions, with duck faces, or even in the mirror with their shirt raised to show off their six packs, these portraits would make even an amateur photographer cringe. 


Here are some better ideas for portraits that you would actually be proud to see posted to your Facebook wall.



Standing



  Different Angles

1.       Thin - To make the subject seem thinner, take a photo from the side. Have them bend the leg farthest from the camera up slightly (about 45 degrees) and place one hand on the hip facing the camera. The other hand should be raised above there shoulders: placed on top of their head like they are holding back their hair or they can point to something in the distance. This will create the optimum thinness illusion. You can also try a variation of this by having the subject cross their arms across their chest with the hand closest to the camera on the subject’s chin, or just crossed.
2.       Firm rear – To show off a curvy and firm rear end, take the photo from behind. Have the subject turn their body about ten percent in the camera’s direction so it is not straight on and then have them look over their shoulder at the camera. Their hands should be at their sides and flat against their thighs. You can also try a variation of this with their hands on their hips.
3.       Tiny waist –Another side photo, in this one have the subject put the leg closest to the camera slightly behind them, keeping it straight with their toes touching the ground. Have them lean forward and put their hands over their head, palms touching. Have the subject stretch out in the position, the hands and foot moving back as the chest and waist are pushed forward, forming a C shape.

Full Frontal

4.       Stick thin – If your subject wants to look tall and show off their natural shape, try having them stand straight but on tip-toes. Put their hands at their side palms down and parallel to the ground. Alternately, they can stand flat with their legs slightly wider apart then their shoulders in a relaxed position with their head cocked slightly to the side. If a female subject wants to show off her cleavage, she can stand with feet apart, hands on hips, and lean towards the camera at an 80 degree angle. Have her cock her hip slightly and make sure her hair stays back.
5.       Curvy – To make a subject look more voluptuous, have them bend one leg slight in front of the other. This automatically creates more curves. You can have the subject raise on or both hands above their head to make their waist look narrower. Or put hands on hips or at their side to create a leggy look.

Seated


A chair can be a versatile prop and offer many poses that standing can’t. Try having your subject sit in a plain, unpadded, and open backed chair for the best effect.
            
 Side Shot
1.       Leggy – Sitting sideways in a chair shows off more leg. Make sure the subject has their toes pointed and not flat for the best effect. Have the subject cock their head as they look towards the camera. They can also lean their head back and balance with one hand on the seat behind them. For extra leg wow, have the subject raise the leg farthest from the camera to a 45 degree angle, keeping it straight. The matching hand should be wrapped around the ankle and the head leaning forward. The other leg should remain touching the floor at a 90 degree angle.
2.       Sleek – Have the subject lean back in the chair with the leg farthest from the camera bent and clasped between their hands. Do not have the leg get too close to the chest and the arms should be almost fully extended. The other leg should be raised slightly off the floor as they balance. Make sure the subject’s hair is over the shoulder farthest from the camera so the sleek lines can be fully appreciated.
3

 Full Frontal
4.       Daring – For the brave at heart, have the subject face the camera and spread their legs further apart than the legs of the chair with their toes pointed and touching the ground. Their hands should be on their knees and they should be leaning forward slightly. Have them look to the side and not directly at the camera.
5.       Sweet – Have the subject sit up straight and cross their legs with their hands in their lap. Alternately, they can sit with their legs down and put their elbows on their knees with their hands supporting their face as they lean towards the camera. 
 Chair Play
6.       Balanced – Have the subject turn their back towards you at a diagonal with the chair and with their calves up on the back of the chair. The arm closest to the camera should hold onto the chair leg behind them and the other hand should be on the chair back or on their head. Have them look over their shoulder at the camera.
7.       Dynamic – Turn the chair sideways and have the subject sit in it with the back of the chair between their legs, their forearms should be resting against the top of the chair’s back and hands relaxed. Their toes should be pointed and angled slightly near the chair’s legs. They should sit up straight and turn their head to face the camera, forming a box shape with the chair. Alternately, have the subject face the camera and lean one elbow on the chair’s back, supporting their face with that hand. The hand closest to the camera should be clutching the back of the chair. Have the subject straighten out the leg closest to the back of the chair and bend the other leg up until their heel touches the chair leg.
8.       Bold – Have the back of the chair face the camera and the subject sit with their legs around the chair’s back. Have them place one elbow on the top of the back of the chair and support their face with that hand. The other hand should be relaxed over the top of the chair’s back. 

High and Low


Taking pictures from above or below your subject is a great way to shake things up. Try a small stepladder for high pictures and get low to the ground for low pictures. Low pictures make the subject look more powerful and also longer legged. High pictures make the subject look more submissive and dramatic.

Down Low

  Looking Down – It is all about attitude. When the subject looks down at the camera it displays a stronger and more dominate attitude. Have the subject look straight down at the camera or keep their head level but their eyes looking down.  
Looking Up- For a different approach have the subject look into the distance, look up, or even close their eyes.

Up High

Clothing – Your subject’s choice of clothing and footwear will make a dramatic impact on these shots. Tighter clothing is better and shoes that have an interesting top are recommended.
Eye lines – Have the subject cock their head and look up at the camera. Alternately, have them look back over their shoulder. 
You should also play around with different facial expressions to see what looks best. There is a ton of ways to get good photos. All it takes is a little effort and a lot of shots to capture the perfect pose. Thankfully, having digital cameras and phone cameras means you don’t have to pay for film. Just have fun clicking away and see what great shots you can capture! 

Author Bio:
Ken Myers is the founder & contributor for http://www.longhornleads.com/. He frequently researches and writes about a variety of topics like education, Technology, Health and many more.   He welcomes your comments.   

Read more Guest posts  here.


You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Niels Bohr remembered by Google Doodle on his 127th BirthDay






Today(Sunday, October 7th, 2012) the Search Engine Google is showing below Doodle on its Home Page for honoring the famous scientists Niels Bohr on his 127th Birth Day anniversary.

The Letter "O" in the "Google" logo is replaced with an hydrogen atom symbol representing the electrons in various orbits.(i-e Bohr model)


And, also it shows release of electromagnetic wave while electron jump from outer orbit (n=3) to inner orbit (n=2). And it shows the relation between the energy difference and the frequency of the emitted wave as δE=hv.

h - plank's constant
v- frequency of the released wave.






Niels Henrik David Bohr was born on October 7, 1885, in Denmark as the son of Christian Bohr, Professor of Physiology at Copenhagen University, and Ellen, née Adler.

Niels Bohr
received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics.

Niels Bohr mentored and collaborated with many of the top physicists of the century at his institute in Copenhagen.


Niels Bohr married Margrethe Nørlund in 1912, and one of their sons, Aage Bohr also received the Nobel Prize in 1975.

Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr has been described as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. Niels Bohr was a passionate footballer too.





  • Niels Bohr was one of the founding fathers of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in 1954.
  • Niels Bohr Received the first ever Atoms for Peace Award in 1957.
  • In 1965, three years after Bohr's death, the Institute of Physics at the University of Copenhagen changed its name to the Niels Bohr Institute.
  • The Bohr models semicentennial was commemorated in Denmark on 21 November 1963 with a postage stamp depicting Bohr, the hydrogen atom and the formula for the difference of any two hydrogen energy levels.
  • Bohrium (a chemical element, atomic number 107) is named in honour of Bohr.
  • Hafnium, another chemical element, whose properties were predicted by Bohr, was named by him after Hafnia, Copenhagen's Latin name.
  • Asteroid 3948 Bohr is named after him.
  • The Centennial of Bohr's birth was commemorated in Denmark on 3 October 1985 with a postage stamp depicting Bohr with his wife Margrethe.
  • In 1997 the Danish National Bank started circulating the 500-krone banknote with the portrait of Bohr smoking a pipe.

Niels Bohr Bank Note


Bohr–Einstein debates


The Bohr–Einstein debates were a series of public disputes about quantum mechanics between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, who were two of its founders.

Their debates are remembered because of their importance to the philosophy of science.

Niels Bohr had written about these debates in an article titled "Discussions with Einstein on Epistemological Problems in Atomic Physics".

Despite their differences of opinion regarding quantum mechanics, Bohr and Einstein had a mutual admiration that was to last the rest of their lives.


Niels Bohr with Einstein


Niels Bohr Quotes

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.

Stop telling God what to do with his dice.

If quantum mechanics hasn't profoundly shocked you, you haven't understood it yet.


Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.

The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth.

The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy, but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness.

There are some things so serious you have to laugh at them





Read more Niels Bohr Quotes.

You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Friday, October 5, 2012

Apple's Tribute on Steve Jobs's First Death Anniversary








Apple's website Apple.com is updated with below message. i-e Entire home page of the Apple.com is occupied by this message.



A message from Tim Cook, Apple's CEO.

Steve's passing one year ago today was a sad and difficult time for all of us.
I hope that today everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many
ways he made the world a better place.

One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No commany has ever
inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated
from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the
great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.

I'm incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our
customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road.
It's wonderful tribute to Steve's memory and everything he stood for.

Tim




The above message was getting displayed on Apple.com when I loaded it from my FireFox browser.

And, below video about Steve Jobs was getting shown when I loaded Apple.com on Chrome browser. (It required quick time plugin)




Read the Inspiring Speech of Steve Jobs with transcript.


Steve Jobs Quotes.



You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook hits 1 billion Active Users.





Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the Social Media site Facebook has reached 1 Billion Active users Today.


Mark Zuckerberg has updated his Facebook Status with below announcement.

This morning, there are more than one billion people using Facebook actively each month.

If you're reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you.

Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life.

I am committed to working every day to make Facebook better for you, and hopefully together one day we will be able to connect the rest of the world too.





And, Facebook has shared key metrics. Read below some of them.

- Facebook has seen Over 1.13 trillion likes since launch in February 2009
- 140.3 billion friend connections
- 219 billion photos uploaded
- 17 billion location-tagged posts, including check-ins
- 62.6 million songs have been played 22 billion times - that’s about 210,000 years of music
- Facebook now has 600M mobile users
- The median age of the user is about 22
- The top five countries where people connected from were Brazil, India, Indonesia,Mexico and the United States (NOTE: in alphabetical order)


And, in another Facebook Status update Mark Zuckerberg has mentioned that Facebook is similar to Chairs, doorbells, airplanes, bridges, games which connect people.


Celebrating a billion people is very special to me. It's a moment to honor the people we serve.

For the first time in our history, we've made a brand video to express what our place is on this earth.

We believe that the need to open up and connect is what makes us human. It's what brings us together. It's what brings meaning to our lives.

Facebook isn't the first thing people have made to help us connect. We belong to a rich tradition of people making things that bring us together.

Today, we honor this tradition.

We honor the humanity of the people we serve.

We honor the everyday things people have always made to bring us together:

Chairs, doorbells, airplanes, bridges, games. These are all things that connect us.

And now Facebook is a part of this tradition of things that connect us too.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as we do.

Thanks for helping connect a billion people.



You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Traffic got Reduced for this Blog. Is it because of Google's recent EMD update?



Yesterday, I have noticed a huge "traffic drop" for this blog (qualitypoint.blogspot.com) in the AdSense Report.

I had checked the Google Analytics Report also to confirm the drastic reduction in the web traffic. And, I came to know that lot of keywords which were ranking well in Google search results got affected heavily.

Even I got an alert message in my Google Webmasters tools with the subject "
http://www.qualitypoint.blogspot.com/: Big traffic change for top URL"

I couldn't understand the reason for this sudden traffic reduction.

According to the Google Analytics Report, the traffic reduction got started on September 29th.



By doing some Google search, I came to know that Google had released EMD (Exact Match Domain) updates on September 28. Many people reported that traffic got reduced for their sites also.

So, I am thinking that the EMD update may be the reason for this traffic reduction. But I couldn't understand the reason why EMD update should hit this blog as this blog domain name is NOT an exact match Domain.

If you have any comments about this traffic reduction, you can share it thro' the comments section of this post.



You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Mahatma Gandhi remembered on his 143rd Birth Anniversary



Today (October 2nd, 2012) is 143rd Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who is known as "Father of India".



Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat to offer floral tributes.




India got freedom under the  leadership for Mahatma Gandhi.  Gandhi fought against the British rulers.

Gandhiji was bom on October 2, 1869 at Porbondar, Gujarath in India as "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi".

In his boyhood, Mohandas was a shy, average type of student. After passing Matriculation examination, he was sent to England for higher study. In England, he lived a simple life.
He returned to India as a lawyer. He went to South Africa. He fought for the rights of the people there. He worked to improve the lot of Indian people.



After returning to India, Gandhi took part in the freedom movement. He travelled all over the country to study the people of India. He saw poverty and suffering all around. Gandhiji went to jail many times. He followed the principle of truth and ahimsa.

Truth and nonviolence were his two great weapons. He worked for Hindu-Muslim unity.

Gandhi’s intellectual influence on Indians has been considerable. Some were attracted by his emphasis on political and economic decentralisation, others by his insistence on individual freedom, moral integrity, unity of means and ends, and social service; still others by his satyagraha and political activism.


Gandhi’s ideas have also had a profound influence outside India. Prominent among these are Martin Luther King in the United States and,  Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

Read Mahatma Gandhi Quotes here.



You can subscribe to our Email posts, and you can bookmark this blog for further reading, or you can subscribe to our blog feed.
Read more ...

Search This Blog