Attendees of the latest TED conference got a look at a futuristic device called SpaceTop where the user views a 3-D workspace through a transparent display, manipulating the on-screen elements with just their hands. It won't be on shelves any time soon, but it does pique the imagination.
The demonstration was by Jinha Lee, an MIT graduate student who undertook an internship at Microsoft's Applied Science group to develop a 3-D desktop. Part of that project was creating a new method for users to interact with the computer.
Mice and touchscreens, of course, really only let one interact along two dimensions ? you can scroll left, right, up, and down, but going in and out must be done with 2-D gestures like pinches, whereas in real life you would just move your hand forward or back.
Lee's work focused on creating an interface though which one could move one's hand naturally and interact with familiar elements like windows and documents. The result is still rather rough, but it's promising.
The transparent display is equipped with a camera that tracks the user's head and adjusts the perspective on the 3-D desktop "under" it. Meanwhile, a second camera watches the user's hands and determines their position in three dimensions.
While it's still limited to a few demo applications, it's fascinating to watch: Grabbing a file from a stack is as easy as plucking it out, and when you need to type, just drop your hands onto the built-in keyboard.
Among the many challenges of developing such a system is that there is essentially no software written for it. Every operating system with which an average user might be familiar is built around the idea of a flat display navigated by a mouse or touchscreen. So Lee's had to be built from scratch.
As such, it's still very much just a concept or work in progress. His original work was done in late 2011, and the "core design and framework" were presented at Microsoft's TechForum in 2012. But this week's TED demonstration was much farther along and the first time it has been shown so publicly.
Whether this kind of interaction becomes commonplace or not (devices like the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion also present alternative input methods and are farther along in development), it's still a thrill to see something like this that seems to be science fiction made fact.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
Attendees of the latest TED conference got a look at a futuristic device called SpaceTop where the user views a 3-D workspace through a transparent display, manipulating the on-screen elements with just their hands. It won't be on shelves any time soon, but it does pique the imagination.
The demonstration was by Jinha Lee, an MIT graduate student who undertook an internship at Microsoft's Applied Science group to develop a 3-D desktop. Part of that project was creating a new method for users to interact with the computer.
Mice and touchscreens, of course, really only let one interact along two dimensions ? you can scroll left, right, up, and down, but going in and out must be done with 2-D gestures like pinches, whereas in real life you would just move your hand forward or back.
Lee's work focused on creating an interface though which one could move one's hand naturally and interact with familiar elements like windows and documents. The result is still rather rough, but it's promising.
The transparent display is equipped with a camera that tracks the user's head and adjusts the perspective on the 3-D desktop "under" it. Meanwhile, a second camera watches the user's hands and determines their position in three dimensions.
While it's still limited to a few demo applications, it's fascinating to watch: Grabbing a file from a stack is as easy as plucking it out, and when you need to type, just drop your hands onto the built-in keyboard.
Among the many challenges of developing such a system is that there is essentially no software written for it. Every operating system with which an average user might be familiar is built around the idea of a flat display navigated by a mouse or touchscreen. So Lee's had to be built from scratch.
As such, it's still very much just a concept or work in progress. His original work was done in late 2011, and the "core design and framework" were presented at Microsoft's TechForum in 2012. But this week's TED demonstration was much farther along and the first time it has been shown so publicly.
Whether this kind of interaction becomes commonplace or not (devices like the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion also present alternative input methods and are farther along in development), it's still a thrill to see something like this that seems to be science fiction made fact.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
Feb. 28, 2013 ? A novel discovery brings a close to a 17-year-old scientific debate about the impact of mechanical stretching on the structure of DNA.
A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Yan Jie from the Department of Physics at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Science has identified three new distinct overstretched deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structures caused by mechanical stretching. This discovery provides a clear answer to a long-running debate among scientists over the nature of DNA overstretching.
Debate on Possible DNA Structural Transitions
Recent single-molecule studies revealed that mechanical stretching could induce transitions to elongated DNA structures. Three possible elongated DNA structures have been proposed, namely: a single-stranded DNA under tension, DNA bubbles consisting two parallel, separated single-stranded DNA under tension, and a new form of base-paired double-stranded DNA. The existence of the three transitions has been heavily discussed among scientists for some 17 years.
To fully understand the nature of DNA overstretching, the team led by Assoc Prof Yan, which comprises members from NUS, the University of Minnesota and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explored the possible structural transitions.
Three Distinct Transitions Revealed
In their recent study, the researchers systematically investigated the three possible transitions induced by mechanical stretching, with methods to control DNA construct, temperature, force and salt concentration. Their data successfully identified all the three proposed structures and fully characterised their respective thermo-mechanical properties. These findings were first published on the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 19 February 2013. These findings complete the picture about the structures of DNA under tension, providing a conclusion to the 17-year-old debate.
Biological Implications and Potential Applications
As forces over a wide range are present in the DNA of cells, the researchers' findings provide new perspectives of possible force-dependent regulations of critical biological processes, such as DNA damage repair and gene transcriptions.
In addition, as many recently developed DNA devices are based on thermo-mechanical properties of various DNA structural motifs, these findings may also have potential applications in designing new DNA devices for the future.
The Next Step
To further their research, Assoc Prof Yan and his team will study the physiological functions of the three overstretched DNA structures, and investigate the presence of any new DNA structures under other mechanical constraints.
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, was briefly hospitalized due to her bipolar disorder, the actress' spokeswoman said on Tuesday after video emerged of Fisher giving an unusual stage performance. The video came from a show Fisher gave aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean last week, according to celebrity website TMZ, which posted the clip. The clip shows Fisher, 56, singing "Skylark" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," at times appearing to struggle to remember the lyrics. ...
After the lovely Bumpy Road and the funky Beat Sneak Bandit, Simogo has decided to change up the pace with a bit of unsettling, unnerving, absolutely creepy, isolated first person adventure puzzling based on a particularly horrifying piece of Swedish mythology. Year Walk is the name of said game, and it lives up to all of the hype created by the trailers. With a unique perspective, elegant design, and all the iconic, memorable, terrifying mythological imagery your retinas can handle, this is a must buy.
Based on the Swedish myth of the same name, Year Walk is about people who isolate themselves and completely fast for a full day before going to the local church at midnight. Supposedly, if they make it, they'll get to see the future at a very high price. And a bit of lightheadedness and weakness isn't their only worry on the road. There are plenty of devilish monsters waiting for you along your journey.
This is actually a first person game, in which you swipe the camera left and right, moving forward and backward through different planes as you play. The music is moody and used appropriately, often allowing the sound of footsteps in the snow act as your only soundtrack. You'll have to solve various puzzles to progress, but the more puzzles you solve, the more the landscape around you changes, and the next thing you know, you can't even find your cottage anymore. Through excellent sound design and a few, occasional, earned jump scares, this game can scare the pants off of you if you let it, though wearing headphones and playing in the dark will probably help. No one can deny that the game is at least completely unsettling, and gets into your head at some point without you even realizing it.
The art style is simply excellent and only adds to the unnerving feeling this imagery will illicit. It can occasionally feel like there is too little direction or help for the player, but most of these games have that problem at some point. Most of the time, it was completely manageable. What I really love about this game is that it gives us a slice of another culture's horror, which I always find fascinating to explore. If you also enjoy that aspect, you can download the Year Walk Companion for free, featuring explanations and entries on all sorts of horrors and symbols. Otherwise, you can download the iOS Universal Year Walk for four dollars at the time of this review. I recommend it completely.
26 February 2013 The way in which the Metropolitan Police spends millions of pounds on iPad style tablet computers and other technology like fingerprint scanners and smartphones is to come under the scrutiny of London Assembly members.
A new review launched by the London Assembly's Budget and Performance Committee is to ask whether the Met should be spending money on technology like this to help officers work more effectively, or whether this spending is a "costly distraction".
The committee will examine the Met's technology strategy and how it can find technology savings of ?42m in 2014-15 and ?60m in the following year.
Assembly members want to explore how the force will use 30,000 new mobile devices to cut the time officers spend on paperwork, and whether this will free them up to spend more time on the beat.
"The Met is facing budget cuts of 20 per cent over the next three years and it is inevitable that technology spending is going to feel the squeeze, but it is clearly also the case that judicious investment in technology could improve productivity and be an aid to change," said committee chairman John Biggs.
"Whether it's backroom ICT support or the use of innovative new devices like smartphones or fingerprint scanners, the Met will need to ensure that it's getting the best value for money.
"We all know that big IT projects often have a habit of getting out of control and falling victim to unforeseen glitches, compatibility problems and ballooning costs.
"Our review is all about ensuring that the Met avoids the pitfalls and gets the most out of the technology budget, because at the end of the day, better deals and smarter systems could mean a more efficient police force and more officers out on the streets."
In its review, the committee is expected to consider whether some contracts can be renegotiated or even cancelled. Presently the force spends ?325m a year on technology, with a third of this spend committed to one deal with Capgemini that is due to end in 2015.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) ? Ethiopia's long-ruling leader died half a year ago, but it seems Meles Zenawi still holds on to power. In the capital, his face looks down from hundreds of posters plastered on walls, and government representatives vow to implement the late Meles' vision without alteration.
Meles, who held tight control of the country since 1991, died Aug. 20 at the age of 57. A major U.S. counter-terrorism ally, Meles was credited with uplifting the country's poor, but he was condemned for human rights abuses and crushing the opposition.
Since his sudden death, Meles' pictures and past statements have become commonplace throughout Addis Ababa, the capital, and smaller cities and towns.
"Our great leader ... we will never forget you!" reads one gigantic billboard erected in the capital's main street.
An upcoming meeting of the congress is billed as an opportunity to achieve goals, speed up development and build democracy "based on the vision of Meles." That vision can be boiled down to two things: economic advancement, and a tight hold on political power.
While Meles has many fans in Addis Ababa, some residents feel the six-month lionization has gone on too long.
"During the news of his death and funeral, all the pictures and tributes were understandable and also fitting as a lot of people wanted to celebrate a man's life who had left a clear mark in the nation's history," said resident Adey Derbew.
"But now ... when you see such a sustained campaign spearheaded by the government, you wonder what it is really about. I think it actually hurts the people's confidence in the government as the current leaders are saying that their best one is gone," she said.
State-run media still carry headlines of officials vowing to follow the late leader's visions in all sectors, ranging from pastoralist area development projects to efforts to modernize the country's military.
Meles long insisted he wanted to create a developmental state with his ruling party dictating the country's fate. Meles said the opposition would undermine the country's constitution if they get the chance. An untold number of opposition leaders were jailed during his rule.
"You are allowed, as they say, until you become a 'clear and present danger' to public institutions," Meles said to the lone opposition member of parliament.
A number of projects and activities, including the country's national soccer tournament, have been named after Meles in recent months.
On Jan. 17 the parliament issued legislation to establish The Meles Foundation. The upcoming foundation will include a mausoleum where the body of the late premier will rest and be visited by the public. Officials say the foundation premises will also showcase the late leader's writings and documentary videos done on his life, while promoting research on developing states and green economies.
Ethiopia's new leader, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, also continues to praise Meles in all of his major speeches both at home and abroad.
Following Meles' death, the country saw its first ever peaceful power transfer. Though the power transition went smoothly, Hailemariam has three deputies, each from the other three parties of the ruling coalition. That was not the case for Meles, who was a founding chair of the ruling party and accompanied by a low-profile deputy. Meles was re-elected to the position and premiership several times, always unchallenged.
Hailemariam's leadership is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon. Next month when some 2,500 ruling party elites and supporters meet for a congress in a regional town, Bahir Dar, he is expected to be re-elected as party chairman. Senior officials back in September, however, announced that Hailemariam can serve only two terms as prime minister.
The memory of Meles will also cast its weight on the decision. The head of the secretariat of the ruling party, Redwan Hussein, told journalists on Thursday that the congress will serve "to renew commitment, to achieve the goals, to speed up development and build democracy based on the vision of Meles."
Some observers of Ethiopian politics are concerned that Meles' policies are sticking around too long, such as suppression of the free press.
The country's largest weekly, Feteh, and the opposition paper Finote Netsanet were forced off the market last year after the state-owned Berhanena Selam printing company refused to continue printing them. Charges against the editor of Feteh, Temesgen Desalegn, were dropped during Meles' funeral, but those charges were revived last month.
"Hailemariam has thus far perpetuated the policies of late Meles Zenawi in limiting the growth of independent media in Ethiopia," said Mohamed Keita, Africa Advocacy Coordinator of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "But he still has an opportunity to show strong leadership. He holds the power to remove Ethiopia from the list of nations in Africa with journalists in prison."
Tired of the lack of opportunity to gain political traction, leading opposition parties have decided to boycott local elections due in April.
"Thirty-three opposition parties have demanded the election be carried out properly and for the electoral board to be neutral and independent. We wanted to talk about this . they said no," said Girma Seifu, the lone opposition member of parliament. "So we said in that there is no point of contesting, as these people are determined to have themselves elected by any means. There is no competition; it is only the ruling party's candidates that are contesting the seats, so there is no real election."
FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Hewlett-Packard is selling its webOS software to South Korean electronics company LG Electronics, securing a new home for a technological orphan.
The deal announced Monday rids HP of the centerpiece of its ill-fated, $1.8 billion purchase of Palm Inc. three years ago.
HP used webOS as its springboard into the smartphone and tablet computer market in 2011, but quickly scrapped the mobile devices running on the software amid disappointing sales. With that retreat, Hewlett-Packard Co. stopped developing webOS for its own products and gave away the underlying technology as open-source software for programmers elsewhere to modify for their own needs.
LG Electronics has grander plans for webOS. Initially, the software will be melded into a new line of Internet-connected televisions from LG Electronics Inc. If those are successful, LG Electronics is considering selling household appliances and other devices that run on webOS in an attempt to create a so-called "smart" home. That's a concept that could appeal to a generation of consumers who wouldn't consider leaving their homes without their smartphones.
In a sign of its commitment to webOS, LG Electronics also acquiring the team of engineers who had been working on the software for HP. Those employees will be able to keep working in their current California offices in Sunnyvale and San Francisco. The precise number of HP workers moving to LG Electronics wasn't disclosed.
The opportunity to pick up a pool of talented software programmers and gain control over the core of webOS were the main reasons LG Electronics wanted to do the deal instead of simply relying on the free open-source project, LG Electronics spokesman John Taylor said.
Financial terms of the webOS sale weren't disclosed. It's unlikely that LG Electronics had to pay much, given that HP had already absorbed $1.6 billion in charges to account for the diminished value of Palm and other costs caused by its decision to stop making webOS devices.
HP, which is based in Palo Alto, is in the process of eliminating 29,000 jobs in an effort to cut costs amid a slump that has seen its revenue falling for the past 18 months. Through January, HP had jettisoned more than 15,000 of the jobs targeted in its streamlining.
HP is still holding on to some vestiges of its Palm acquisition. Among other things, HP retains ownership of other computing coding outside webOS, along with Palm's hardware and Palm's customer contracts. HP will also continue to employ former Palm employees who weren't involved in webOS and will continue to handle customer support for people who still use Palm products made in the past.
Besides getting webOS' source code and other key parts of the technology, LG Electronics will take over stewardship of the open-software project.
HP is jettisoning webOS just as the company is gearing up to introduce a new tablet that features a 7-inch screen and will sell for just $169. The upcoming device, called Slate 7, will run on the popular Android software made by Google Inc. It will supplement a more sophisticated and expensive tablet computer designed primarily for business users. That tablet runs on Windows 8, a recently released makeover of Microsoft's ubiquitous operating system.
HP's stock fell 13 cents to close Monday at $19.07.
Contact: Iqbal Pittawala iqbal@ucr.edu 951-827-6050 University of California - Riverside
UC Riverside research shows hovering hummingbirds generate two trails of vortices under their wings, challenging 1-vortex consensus
RIVERSIDE, Calif. As of today, the Wikipedia entry for the hummingbird explains that the bird's flight generates in its wake a single trail of vortices that helps the bird hover. But after conducting experiments with hummingbirds in the lab, researchers at the University of California, Riverside propose that the hovering hummingbird instead produces two trails of vortices one under each wing per stroke that help generate the aerodynamic forces required for the bird to power and control its flight.
The results of the study could find wide application in aerospace technology and the development of unmanned vehicles for medical surveillance after natural disasters.
The researchers used high-speed image sequences 500 frames per second of hummingbirds hover-feeding within a white plume (emitted by the heating of dry ice) to study the vortex wake from multiple perspectives. They also used particle image velocimetry (PIV), a flow-measuring method used in fluid mechanics, to quantitatively analyze the flow around the hummingbirds. PIV allowed the researchers to record the particles surrounding the birds and extract velocity fields.
The films and velocity fields showed two distinct jets of downwards airflow one under each wing of the hummingbird. They also revealed that vortex loops around each jet are shed during each upstroke and downstroke.
The researchers therefore propose in their paper published online last month in the journal Experiments in Fluids that the hummingbird's two wings form bilateral vortex loops during each wing stroke, which is advantageous for maneuverability.
"Previous studies have indicated that slow-flying bats and faster flying birds produced different structures in their wakes," said Douglas Altshuler, formerly an assistant professor of biology at UC Riverside, whose lab led the research. "We have been investigating the wake structure of hovering hummingbirds because this allows us to decouple the effects of different types of wings bat versus bird from different forward flight speeds.
Hummingbirds each weigh 2-20 grams. Because they can hover with high precision, they are able to drink nectar from flowers without any jiggling movement to their bodies. Besides using upstrokes and downstrokes, hummingbirds can rotate their wings. They can even flap their wings from front to back with a 180-degree amplitude.
"We began this study to investigate how the hummingbird used its tail while hovering," said Marko Princevac, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a coauthor of the research paper. "After all, many insects also hover, but they have no tail. Instead, however, our research showed something interesting about the hummingbird's wings: the bilateral vortex structure. Hummingbirds hovering should cost a lot of energy but these birds are able to hover for long periods of time. Ideally, unmanned vehicles need to be operated with a very limited energy supply, which is why understanding how the hummingbird maximizes its use of energy is tremendously beneficial."
Sam Pournazeri, a former Ph.D. graduate student in Princevac's lab and a co-author on the paper, explained that in a downstroke, the air pressure difference developed as a result of wing movement creates flow from the bottom to the top of the wing. The result is a circular movement or vortex.
"Based on theories in fluid mechanics, this vortex should close either on the wing/body or create a loop around it," he said. "It's these loops that provide circulation around the wings and cause the hummingbird to overcome its weight. Hovering requires the bird to create a lift that cancels its body weight. Although the two-vortex structure we observed increases the hummingbird's energy consumption, it provides the bird a big advantage: a lot more maneuverability."
Next, the research team plans to study the hummingbird in a wind tunnel to closely observe how the bird transitions from hovering to forward motion, and vice versa.
"Current technology is not successfully mimicking how living things fly," Princevac said. "Drones don't hover, and must rely on forward motion. Research done using hummingbirds, like ours, can inform the development of the next generation of drones."
###
The research was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation to Altshuler, now a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Paolo S. Segre, a former UCR graduate student working with Altshuler at the University of British Columbia, also participated in the study. Pournazeri and Segre contributed equally to the research.
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Iqbal Pittawala iqbal@ucr.edu 951-827-6050 University of California - Riverside
UC Riverside research shows hovering hummingbirds generate two trails of vortices under their wings, challenging 1-vortex consensus
RIVERSIDE, Calif. As of today, the Wikipedia entry for the hummingbird explains that the bird's flight generates in its wake a single trail of vortices that helps the bird hover. But after conducting experiments with hummingbirds in the lab, researchers at the University of California, Riverside propose that the hovering hummingbird instead produces two trails of vortices one under each wing per stroke that help generate the aerodynamic forces required for the bird to power and control its flight.
The results of the study could find wide application in aerospace technology and the development of unmanned vehicles for medical surveillance after natural disasters.
The researchers used high-speed image sequences 500 frames per second of hummingbirds hover-feeding within a white plume (emitted by the heating of dry ice) to study the vortex wake from multiple perspectives. They also used particle image velocimetry (PIV), a flow-measuring method used in fluid mechanics, to quantitatively analyze the flow around the hummingbirds. PIV allowed the researchers to record the particles surrounding the birds and extract velocity fields.
The films and velocity fields showed two distinct jets of downwards airflow one under each wing of the hummingbird. They also revealed that vortex loops around each jet are shed during each upstroke and downstroke.
The researchers therefore propose in their paper published online last month in the journal Experiments in Fluids that the hummingbird's two wings form bilateral vortex loops during each wing stroke, which is advantageous for maneuverability.
"Previous studies have indicated that slow-flying bats and faster flying birds produced different structures in their wakes," said Douglas Altshuler, formerly an assistant professor of biology at UC Riverside, whose lab led the research. "We have been investigating the wake structure of hovering hummingbirds because this allows us to decouple the effects of different types of wings bat versus bird from different forward flight speeds.
Hummingbirds each weigh 2-20 grams. Because they can hover with high precision, they are able to drink nectar from flowers without any jiggling movement to their bodies. Besides using upstrokes and downstrokes, hummingbirds can rotate their wings. They can even flap their wings from front to back with a 180-degree amplitude.
"We began this study to investigate how the hummingbird used its tail while hovering," said Marko Princevac, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a coauthor of the research paper. "After all, many insects also hover, but they have no tail. Instead, however, our research showed something interesting about the hummingbird's wings: the bilateral vortex structure. Hummingbirds hovering should cost a lot of energy but these birds are able to hover for long periods of time. Ideally, unmanned vehicles need to be operated with a very limited energy supply, which is why understanding how the hummingbird maximizes its use of energy is tremendously beneficial."
Sam Pournazeri, a former Ph.D. graduate student in Princevac's lab and a co-author on the paper, explained that in a downstroke, the air pressure difference developed as a result of wing movement creates flow from the bottom to the top of the wing. The result is a circular movement or vortex.
"Based on theories in fluid mechanics, this vortex should close either on the wing/body or create a loop around it," he said. "It's these loops that provide circulation around the wings and cause the hummingbird to overcome its weight. Hovering requires the bird to create a lift that cancels its body weight. Although the two-vortex structure we observed increases the hummingbird's energy consumption, it provides the bird a big advantage: a lot more maneuverability."
Next, the research team plans to study the hummingbird in a wind tunnel to closely observe how the bird transitions from hovering to forward motion, and vice versa.
"Current technology is not successfully mimicking how living things fly," Princevac said. "Drones don't hover, and must rely on forward motion. Research done using hummingbirds, like ours, can inform the development of the next generation of drones."
###
The research was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation to Altshuler, now a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Paolo S. Segre, a former UCR graduate student working with Altshuler at the University of British Columbia, also participated in the study. Pournazeri and Segre contributed equally to the research.
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
This year's Mobile World Congress is bound to be frenetic with phone news. That's why we're about to brave Barcelona's rain, airline strikes and pickpockets (no offense, dear BCN) in order to stay up-to-date. But if there's one aspect of mobile phones we're not counting on to provide much excitement, it's their fundamental physical design or form factor. We're in the grip of the monolith, the concrete slab, the plain rectangle, with its full touchscreen and a couple of buttons here and there, and that grip is so tight that even the pickpockets are slightly shocked when they haul in something with a physical QWERTY.
But the point of this piece isn't merely to plot the decline of form factor diversity. It's actually to argue that the current monotony is probably only temporary, and that signs of a revival are already in the air. Read on and we'll do our utmost to convince you.
A mission that aims to slam a spacecraft into a near-Earth asteroid now officially has a target ??a space rock called Didymos.
The joint European/U.S. Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission, or AIDA, will work to intercept Didymos in 2022, when the space rock is about 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers) from Earth, European Space Agency officials announced Friday (Feb. 22).
Didymos is actually a binary system, in which a 2,625-foot-wide (800 meters) asteroid and a 490-foot (150 m) space rock orbit each other. Didymos poses no threat to Earth in the foreseeable future.
The proposed asteroid-smashing AIDA mission will send one small probe crashing into the smaller asteroid at about 14,000 mph (22,530 kph) while another spacecraft records the dramatic encounter. Meanwhile, Earth-based instruments will record so-called ?"ground-truthing" observations.
The goal is to learn more about how humanity could ward off a potentially dangerous space rock. The necessity of developing a viable deflection strategy was underlined in many people's minds by the events of last Friday (Feb. 15), when the 130-foot (40 m) asteroid 2012 DA14 gave Earth a historically close shave just hours after a 55-foot (17 m) object exploded above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring 1,200 people and damaging thousands of buildings.
The AIDA impact will unleash about as much energy as that released when a big piece of space junk hits a satellite, researchers said, so the mission could also help improve models of space-debris collisions.
"The project has value in many areas, from applied science and exploration to asteroid resource utilization," Andy Cheng, AIDA lead at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, said in a statement.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has asked scientists around the world to propose experiments that AIDA could carry in space or that could increase its scientific return from the ground. Researchers have until March 15 to pitch their ideas.
Johns Hopkins? Applied Physics Laboratory is providing AIDA's impactor, which is called DART (short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test). The observing spacecraft is known as AIM (Asteroid Impact Monitor) and will come from ESA.
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It wasn?t quite so eagerly anticipated as last year, but Stephen Strasburg made his spring debut on Saturday, giving up two runs in two innings against the Mets. Both runs came on a first-inning Ruben Tejada homer that benefited from a nice little breeze to left-center. After throwing 31 pitches in the first, Strasburg was perfect in an 11-pitch second inning.
The outing was Strasburg?s first since he was famously shut down last September 7 after 28 starts and 159 1/3 innings.
This year, Strasburg is working with ?no restrictions,? according to manager Davey Johnson. Nationals VP of player development Bob Boone clarified that with USA TODAY last month:
To say there?s no restrictions really means, ?Hey, we?d like him to pitch 200 innings,? ? Boone said. ?But, you?re not gonna say no restrictions like you might have on Steve Carlton, who would throw 320 innings. You?re not gonna do that. There?s always restrictions, but the meaning is, ?We?re not gonna shut him down after 160 innings.?
Strasburg, for what it?s worth, talked about being ready to ?throw 200-plus innings.? GM Mike Rizzo hasn?t chimed in with any specifics.
Personally, I can?t imagine Strasburg being allowed to throw 200 regular-season innings this year, not with the Nationals hopeful of ?playing deep into October. Because if Strasburg throws 200 regular-season innings, then he could end up approaching or even topping 230 innings should the Nationals reach the World Series.
I think the ideal would be for Strasburg to throw about 180 innings during the regular season this year. That?d be a nice little boost from last year and still not a scary number for him to enter the postseason with.
Still, I don?t know whether that is part of the plan at all. Last year, the Nationals refused any possible alternatives that could have made Strasburg available for the playoffs. And the simple fact that he was on the mound today, on Feb. 23, suggests they?re not very concerned with any sort of innings rationing at the moment.
In 2012, Strasburg made his first spring start on March 4 and was fine to throw seven innings on Opening Day. It would have made sense to have him on a similar schedule this spring. As is, he?s due to make seven spring starts, which is two more than he or anyone else really needs. Perhaps that?s not so important without the innings limit this year, but I?d still rather save any extra bullets for September and October than have him pitch in games in February.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Washington's protracted budget stalemate could seriously undermine the economy and stall gains made since the recession, exasperated governors said Saturday as they tried to gauge the fallout from impending federal spending cuts.
At the annual National Governors Association meeting, both Democrat and Republican chief executives expressed pessimism that both sides could find a way to avoid the massive, automatic spending cuts set to begin March 1, pointing to the impasse as another crisis between the White House and Congress that hampers their ability to construct state spending plans and spooks local businesses from hiring.
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a former congressman, noted that the cuts ? known in Washington-speak as "the sequester" ? could lead to 19,000 workers laid off at Pearl Harbor, site of the surprise attack in 1941 that launched the United States into World War II. Today, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam supports Air Force and Navy missions.
"That will undermine our capacity for readiness at Pearl Harbor. If that doesn't symbolize for the nation ... what happens when we fail to meet our responsibilities congressionally, I don't know what does," Abercrombie said.
The budget fight came as many states say they are on the cusp of an economic comeback from the financial upheaval in 2008 and 2009. States expect their general fund revenues this year to surpass the amounts collected before the Great Recession kicked in. An estimated $693 billion in revenues is expected for the 2013 budget year, nearly a 4 percent increase over the previous year.
"It's a damn shame," said Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat. "We've actually had the fastest rate of jobs recovery of any state in our region. And this really threatens to hurt a lot of families in our state and kind of flat line our job growth for the next several months."
At their weekend meetings, governors were focusing on ways to boost job development and grow their state economies, measures to restrict gun violence and implement the new health care law approved during Obama's first term.
Some Republican governors have blocked the use of Medicaid to expand health insurance coverage for millions of uninsured while others have joined Democrats in a wholesale expansion as the law allows. The Medicaid expansion aims to cover about half of the 30 million uninsured people expected to eventually gain coverage under the health care overhaul.
Yet for many governors, the budget-cut fight remains front-and-center and fuels a pervasive sense of frustration with Washington.
"My feeling is I can't help what's going on in Washington," Gov. Terry Branstad, R-Iowa, said in an interview Saturday. "I can't help the fact that there's no leadership here, and it's all politics as usual and gridlock. But I can do something about the way we do things in the state of Iowa."
Indeed, right now no issue carries the same level of urgency as the budget impasse.
Congressional leaders have indicated a willingness to let the cuts take effect and stay in place for weeks, if not much longer.
The cuts would trim $85 billion in domestic and defense spending, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers at the Transportation Department, Defense Department and elsewhere.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces.
The looming cuts were never supposed to happen. They were intended to be a draconian fallback intended to ensure a special deficit reduction committee would come up with $1 trillion or more in savings from benefit programs. It didn't.
"We should go back and remember that sequestration was originally designed by both the administration and Congress as something so odious, so repellent, that it would force both sides to a compromise. There can't be any question, this is something that nobody wants," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat.
Obama has stepped up efforts to tell the public about the cuts' negative impact and pressure Republicans who oppose his approach of reducing deficits through a combination of targeted savings and tax increases. House Republicans have said reduced spending needs to be the focus and have rejected the president's fresh demand to include higher taxes as part of a compromise.
Governors said they are asking the Obama administration for more flexibility to deal with some of the potential cuts.
"We're just saying that as you identify federal cuts and savings, allow the states to be able to realize those savings, too," said Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican and the association's vice chairwoman.
___
Follow Steve Peoples at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples and Ken Thomas at: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
___
Online:
National Governors Association: http://www.nga.org
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te?o wasn?t the only high-profile college star creating as many questions as he answered Saturday.
LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery detailed hundreds of dollars worth of bets with teammate Barkevious Mingo while they were in college, and a $5,000 bet on which one is drafted higher (which he?s almost certainly going to lose).
But the thing NFL teams will want to know about was his admission that he took plays and games off while at LSU.
?You know, some weeks when we didn?t have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed,? Montgomery said. ?But when we had the big boys coming in, the ?Bamas or the South Carolinas, I grabbed close to those guys and went all out.
?Of course, this is a new league, the NFL and there are no small teams, small divisions, it is all Alabamas and LSUs every week. It?s definitely something I have to get adjusted to, but I?m sure with the right coaching I will be fine.?
Asked if NFL teams might be concerned about his ability to flip the switch from not trying all the time, Montgomery said he has matured in the months since he left LSU.
?When you are a young, you do things as a boy, but when you grow, you do things as a man,? he said. ?From a maturing standpoint, and from everything going into this league that I have learned so far, I was a boy in college, and now that I am going
into the league, I?ve become a man.?
Montgomery said he and Mingo (who many expect to be a top-10 pick, while Montgomery is projected as a late-first) had a $500 bet on who had more sacks in the final game, $1,000 on season sacks along with the big wager on draft status.
?Here?s the thing: Hard work, and betting like that, pushes greatness,? Montgomery said. ?That?s actually motivating me and Mingo. It?s not about the money, it?s about pushing us, at the combine and the drills in between. That?s what is pushing us to be the best.
?It?s always been competitive for me and Mingo and it makes us better in the end. He?s a fast defensive end, I?m more physical. We have to switch over in those realms, so putting big stakes on it makes us more dominant players in the end.?
Setting aside the friendly bets, teams are going to wonder what they have to do to motivate Montgomery once they?re the ones paying him.
Sonyhttp://www.rssmicro.com/?q=Sony&f=0
Real-time search results for Sonyen-usFri, 22 Feb 2013 18:51:39 GMTReal-Time Search Powered by FeedRank?http://www.rssmicro.com/images/rssmicro_logo3.gifhttp://www.rssmicro.com
1440Sony unveils PS4, but not what it will look likehttp://www.yorkdispatch.com/business/ci_22645376/sony-unveils-ps4-but-not-what-it-will?source=rss
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.yorkdispatch.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />DERRIK J. LANG NEW YORK -- <b>Sony</b> showed off what the PlayStation 4 can do, but not what it will look like. ...</p>http://www.yorkdispatch.com/business/ci_22645376/sony-unveils-ps4-but-not-what-it-will?source=rssFri, 22 Feb 2013 17:46:02 GMTWIN one of FIVE Xperia™ Z from Sony smartphones @ Stuff.tvhttp://www.hotukdeals.com/competitions/win-one-five-xperia-z-from-sony-smartphones-stuff-tv-1483046
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.hotukdeals.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />Found by pjj1805 The Xperia™ Z from <b>Sony</b> is the smartphone that has taken the next great leap: large screen, thin body; elegant design yet water- and dust-resistant. It is a special bit of kit. It has become Stuff's favourite new smartphone receiving a five-star rating in the March issue, impressing with battery life, a stunning 5in 1080p screen and that you really can use it in the shower. And we've got five to give away. Stuff and Xperia™ Z from <b>Sony</b> have produced a short series of videos: '8 things to do with the new Xperia™ Z smartphone.' For your chance to win, watch the videos then correctly answer the question below. Question: In which cafe do the Stuff couple first share their experiences? Answer : The Nearest cafe Completion message : Thank you for entering the competition! ...</p>http://www.hotukdeals.com/competitions/win-one-five-xperia-z-from-sony-smartphones-stuff-tv-1483046Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:13:01 GMTSony se disculpa por la ausencia de The Last Guardian en la PlayStation Meetinghttp://www.niubie.com/2013/02/sony-se-disculpa-por-la-ausencia-de-the-last-guardian-en-la-playstation-meeting/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.niubie.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />Sin lugar a dudas, uno de los grandes ausentes durante la conferencia de <b>Sony</b> el pasado mi?rcoles fue The Last Guardian, juego que fue presentado en 2009 y del cual se han revelado pocos datos hasta la fecha. De hecho, la ?ltima informaci?n que les compartimos sobre esta entrega de Team Ico fue que Fumito Ueda continuaba siendo parte importante de su desarrollo, y que, seg?n rumores, se hab?a saltado la PlayStation 3 para llegar directamente a la nueva consola de la compa??a. Precisamente fue este ?ltimo rumor el que hizo especular a varios sobre su posible aparici?n en el evento dedicado a la revelaci?n de la nueva integrante, pero eso nunca sucedi?. Al respecto, Shuhei Yoshida, presidente de <b>Sony</b> Worldwide Studios, pidi? disculpas a todos los espectadores que se quedaron con las ganas de ver algo nuevo del juego, y asegur? que est?n esperando el momento preciso (cualquier cosa que eso signifique) para develar m?s informaci?n. ?Me disculpo con las personas que estaban esperando el juego. Ueda-san public? recientemente que a?n est? trabajando en el juego en la direcci?n creativa, y el equipo de Jap?n est? trabajando muy duro. Estamos aguardando por el momento ideal para re introducir a The Last Guardian? . Sobre si el juego formar?a parte de la plantilla de la PlayStation 4 en alg?n futuro cercano, el directivo acot? que tendremos m?s palabras sobre esto en cuanto les sea posible compartirlas, sin desmentir o ratificar los rumore ...</p>http://www.niubie.com/2013/02/sony-se-disculpa-por-la-ausencia-de-the-last-guardian-en-la-playstation-meeting/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:00:41 GMTSony PS4 launch event falls flat (por NMAWorldEdition)http://antoniobarbudo.tumblr.com/post/43732951871
<p><font color="Gray">Source: antoniobarbudo.tumblr.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><b>Sony</b> PS4 launch event falls flat (por NMAWorldEdition ) ...</p>http://antoniobarbudo.tumblr.com/post/43732951871Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:49:46 GMTNEWS: Sony teases us with all-new driving game for PlayStation 4http://www.topgear.com.ph/news//sony-teases-us-with-all-new-driving-game-for-playstation-4
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.topgear.com.ph --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://www.topgear.com.ph//images/articleImages/news/0_2013/02/22/driveclub/driveclub-thumb.jpg" & width="150" & height="107" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" /><b>Sony</b> has released some trailers of the games designed for its next-generation PlayStation console. And while the Gran Turismo franchise has, for the longest time, been associated with the popular gaming console, it seems the Japanese electronic giant is letting a new driving game join its expansive library of, well, games. Known as DriveClub, the game is developed by Evolution Studios for the PlayStation 4 and is "a next-generation, socially connected racing game that captures the heart and soul of car culture and the passion it creates." So, while the game is still played on the console, the social-media aspect of the game allows you to create a club with your friends and challenge a rival club using a tablet or smartphone. While the trailer does show quite a handful of exotic cars that should appear in the game, what awed us was its cutting-edge, next-generation graphics. It would've been nice to see what the game's physics engine is like--whether it's nearly as realistic as Gran Turismo's or as arcade-like as?Need For Speed. Do you see yourself buying DriveClub when it goes on sale, or would you rather wait for what could take years for the next Gran Turismo game? Check out the trailer for DriveClub below. ? If you're viewing this on a mobile device and can't see the video, please click?here. ...</p>http://www.topgear.com.ph/news//sony-teases-us-with-all-new-driving-game-for-playstation-4Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:50:47 GMTSony to show PS4 console at E3 or at separate upcoming eventhttp://www.tapscape.com/sony-to-show-ps4-console-at-e3-or-at-separate-upcoming-event/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.tapscape.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />According to the CEO of <b>Sony</b>, the PS4 console will be revealed at the E3 conference this year, or possibly a little sooner at another event. The PlayStation 4 reveal event on Feb 20 failed to show any design teasers of the new PS4 console. Jack Tretton told Forbes earlier that the lack of PS4 console at the PlayStation event surprised him, as he didn?t expect viewers to want to see the console so badly. The main theme of the night seemed to be more for developers than consumers. Tretton said ?I would look for E3 as a time when you?ll get a good look at it,? and added ?Or sooner?, possibly implying that <b>Sony</b> will show the PS4 console at another PlayStation event. Hopefully the event won?t go on for as long. This seems like a clever move by <b>Sony</b>, to keep the PS4 console hidden and keep hype on the subject. If they had released everything at the Feb 20 event, then we would just be waiting almost a year for the console release. Keeping the PS4 console away from eyes is a great way for people to keep checking rumours, leaks and keep the excitement going for June?s E3 event. Nothing is certain, but we expect the Xbox 720 to arrive at E3 as well. Microsoft may plan an earlier press event where they show off capabilities and other new stuff that the Xbox 720 will have. This means both consoles are likely to be shown at the same event, which is very exciting. Other reasons why the PS4 console wasn?t revealed at the PlayStation event inclu ...</p>http://www.tapscape.com/sony-to-show-ps4-console-at-e3-or-at-separate-upcoming-event/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:50:10 GMTSony offering punters free copy of MotorStorm RC to make up for Ratchet & Clank: QForce delayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PocketGamerLatestAdditions/~3/a2_klExBXqQ/news.asp
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.pocketgamer.co.uk --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/artwork/thumbs/na-usupn_vita_insomniac_ratchet_and_clank_full_frontal_assault_01_jpg_100.jpg" & width="100" & height="54" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />Back in February 2012, SCEA producer Greg Phillips announced on <b>Sony</b>'s US PlayStation Blog that the PS Vita version of Ratchet & Clank: QForce would be delayed until January 2013. Well, January 2013 has been and gone, and QForce is nowhere to be seen. That's because Ratchet & Clank: QForce will now be released sometime this spring. The game has been delayed yet again to allow developer Ti... ...</p>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PocketGamerLatestAdditions/~3/a2_klExBXqQ/news.aspFri, 22 Feb 2013 15:22:00 GMTPLAYSTATION 4 ANNOUNCED & SONY STOCK DROPS (Escapist News Now)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXsbPqv34mY&feature=youtube_gdata
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.youtube.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GXsbPqv34mY/default.jpg" & width="120" & height="90" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />PLAYSTATION 4 ANNOUNCED & <b>Sony</b> STOCK DROPS (Escapist News Now) Subscribe to Escapist Magazine! bit.ly Want to see the next episode a week early? Check out www.escapistmagazine.com for the latest episodes of your favorite shows. Escapist News Now brings you gaming's biggest headlines in bite-sized pieces Subscribe bit.ly Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com Find us Google+: bit.ly Follow us on Pinterest: bit.ly Check out our Merch: www.splitreason.com From: TheEscapistMagazine Views: 278 17 ratings Time: 01:22 More in Gaming ...</p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXsbPqv34mY&feature=youtube_gdataFri, 22 Feb 2013 15:16:52 GMTPlaystation 4 Controller and Console Specs Unveiled by Sony at New York Eventhttp://z6mag.com/featured/playstation-4-controller-and-console-specs-unveiled-by-sony-at-new-york-event-1619134.html
<p><font color="Gray">Source: z6mag.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://z6mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/playstation-4-controller.jpg" & width="150" & height="81" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />With the New Year rolling right along, the gaming industry is getting a few steps closer to welcoming another new video game console to the market. Even though <b>Sony</b> has not officially announced a release date for the much anticipated PlayStation 4, they did provide several updates and details about what the new system will provide its buyers at a New York event on Wednesday Feb. 20. ?This will be the most powerful platform ever, our main goal was to architect the system so as to support a breadth of experiences and we believe we have done so,? <b>Sony</b> Computer Entertainment president and CEO Andrew House said. The heart of the PlayStation 4 will be its new powerful internal layout and memory as it will come equipped with a supercharged? x86 processor, a PC-style graphics processor, and eight gigabytes of RAM. The controller is not too much different from the PS3 controller which is good for comfort and familiarity purposes, but it is much more dynamic with a few new features to it as well. I think it?s kind of interesting that the new DualShock 4 controller sports a touch pad that is actually right dead center of the controller. The top of the controller has the usual LED lights that identifies when a player is connected. When you take a look at the bottom of the controller there will be a small headphone jack for connecting a headset. Along with this the system will sort of mirror the motion sensory movement of the Xbox Kinect, as ...</p>http://z6mag.com/featured/playstation-4-controller-and-console-specs-unveiled-by-sony-at-new-york-event-1619134.htmlFri, 22 Feb 2013 15:13:01 GMTIn no way will we forget about PS3, says Sonyhttp://community.videogamer.com/forums/article_comments/in_no_way_will_we_forget_about_ps3_says_sony/?goto=new
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.videogamer.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />I think there is still Beyond: Two Souls and The Last of Us so I think we are still OK all round :) ...</p>http://community.videogamer.com/forums/article_comments/in_no_way_will_we_forget_about_ps3_says_sony/?goto=newFri, 22 Feb 2013 15:04:22 GMTSony offers Ratchet & Clank: QForce buyers two free games after second Vita delayhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/22/sony-offers-ratchet-clank-qforce-buyers-two-free-games-after-second-vita-delay/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.vg247.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://images.vg247.com/current//2012/09/Ratchet-and-CLank-QForce.jpg" & width="150" & height="43" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" /><b>Sony</b> will offer buyers of Ratchet & Clank: QForce two free Vita games after the handheld version of the game received a second delay. QForce, which released as Full Frontal Assault outside of Europe, made its way to the PS3 in November 2012. The game is a cross-buy title, meaning anyone who owns it for the PS3 can also play the game for free on their PS Vita. Unfortunately, the handheld version?s original delay until January 2013 has been extended. To make up for this, buyers will receive a download code for MotorStorm RC on the Vita, and Ratchet: Gladiator when the game goes live on PSN. Ross Alexander, <b>Sony</b>?s European product manager hinted at the QForce?s Vita release date over on the EU PS Blog . ?As announced, the PS Vita version of the game is now due in Spring 2013.? Thanks, EG . ...</p>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/22/sony-offers-ratchet-clank-qforce-buyers-two-free-games-after-second-vita-delay/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:02:37 GMTSony PlayStation 4: What You Need to Knowhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AmogRss/~3/JVxDy7OFeDU/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: amog.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://amog.sa.metacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/0221_PlayStation4-550x217.jpg" & width="150" & height="59" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />PlayStation 4 | Official US Blog Andrew House, President and CEO of <b>Sony</b> Computer Entertainment, introduced their next-generation platform in a highlyanticipated event held last Wednesday. The PlayStation 4 is believed to leverage the company?s advancements in hardware, software, and Internet-based technologies. With this, <b>Sony</b> hopes to create a game experience that will pull it out of its current third-place position in the console race. Taking PlayStation Out of the Living Room During the event, <b>Sony</b> pointed out that the upcoming platform will take the PlayStation out of the living room and focus more on the gamer. Aside from that, they are pushing the ?immediacy? built into the PS4, which includes background downloading, instant play of new purchases, and social network sharing. Their latest console will boast chip that is based on x86 architecture, on-board HDD storage, and 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM. In relation to this, <b>Sony</b> noted that these were the sort of design choices that game developers have urged them to put in their next console. DualShock Controller for PlayStation 4 Aside from that, the company also introduced their much-anticipated new controller?the DualShock 4. It maintains mostly the same controller design as its predecessors, but with the addition of touchpad, headphone jack, share button, and a ?light bar?. The touchpad was first introduced in PlayStation Vita, while the light bar will make the controller a Kinect-l ...</p>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AmogRss/~3/JVxDy7OFeDU/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:00:34 GMTThe DeanBeat: Sorting through the significance of Sony?s PlayStation 4 revelationhttp://venturebeat.feedsportal.com/c/34021/f/617406/s/28da8f9f/l/0Lventurebeat0N0C20A130C0A20C220Cthe0Edeanbeat0Esorting0Ethrough0Ethe0Esignificance0Eof0Esonys0Eplaystation0E40Erevelation0C/story01.htm
<p><font color="Gray">Source: venturebeat.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://venturebeat.feedsportal.com/c/34021/f/617406/e/1/s/28da8f9f/l/0Lventurebeat0Bfiles0Bwordpress0N0C20A130C0A20Cplaystation0E40Bjpeg/playstation-4.jpeg" & width="150" & height="100" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />Read all of our PlayStation 4 coverage here . As the curtain closed on <b>Sony</b>?s revelation of the PlayStation 4, I was pretty excited. After all, <b>Sony</b> hasn?t revealed this much about the future of games since 2005 and 2006. But some of that reality distortion field is wearing off, and I?ve decided to take a step back and rate the overall goods that <b>Sony</b> delivered against expectations. I was annoyed that <b>Sony</b> didn?t say more. The Japanese company revealed a fall launch, but not a launch date. It didn?t show the box, talk about the price, or say if it had functioning hardware. Given the history of console-first revelations, that?s typical. After all, it doesn?t want to give too many answers to its rivals Microsoft and Nintendo, which will maneuver based on what they learn about <b>Sony</b>?s strategy. And it doesn?t want to overpromise and underdeliver. Still, I come away unsure about whether <b>Sony</b> ?gets it? and really understands how to make itself relevant in game world that is full of business and technology disruptions. <b>Sony</b> answered this in part, but not in full. But some questions are being answered as I write. <b>Sony</b> didn?t say, for instance, if the PS4 would play used games ? considered a sacred right of fair use by many gamers. But <b>Sony</b>?s game studio chief Shuhei Yoshida told Eurogamer that players would indeed be able to. By the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), <b>Sony</b> should address all of our lingering doubts. I was intrigued to no ...</p>http://venturebeat.feedsportal.com/c/34021/f/617406/s/28da8f9f/l/0Lventurebeat0N0C20A130C0A20C220Cthe0Edeanbeat0Esorting0Ethrough0Ethe0Esignificance0Eof0Esonys0Eplaystation0E40Erevelation0C/story01.htmFri, 22 Feb 2013 15:00:12 GMTSony?s waiting for the right time to show ?The Last Guardian?http://stickskills.com/2013/02/22/sonys-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-show-the-last-guardian/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sonys-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-show-the-last-guardian
<p><font color="Gray">Source: stickskills.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://stickskills.com/omega/wp-post-thumbnail/Bhv0ou.jpg" & width="150" & height="77" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />Even when Fumito Ueda confirms it still exists , The Last Guardian was a no-show at the PS4 event. Is it a PS4 game even or is it still on track for the PS3? <b>Sony</b> spoke to Kotaku about the matter where <b>Sony</b> Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida responded: ?I apologize to people who are waiting for the game. Ueda-san posted that he?s still working on it, that he?s creative-directing it and that the team in the Japan studios are working hard. We are waiting for the right time to re-introduce The Last Guardian.? When asked if it was moved to PS4, he responded that we?ll know more details at a later date. Possibly E3? Who really knows at this point, maybe it?ll come out or maybe it?ll become the new Duke Nukem Forever . Let us know what you think in the comments below or post in our forums ...</p>http://stickskills.com/2013/02/22/sonys-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-show-the-last-guardian/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sonys-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-show-the-last-guardianFri, 22 Feb 2013 14:57:36 GMTSony Offers Two Free Games To PS3 Ratchet & Clank: QForce Ownershttp://www.thesixthaxis.com/2013/02/22/sony-offers-two-free-games-to-ps3-ratchet-clank-qforce-owners/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.thesixthaxis.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />We looked at the PS3 version of Ratchet & Clank: QForce back in November of last year , but the promised PS Vita companion game is still delayed. So whilst <b>Sony</b> have now locked down ?Spring 2013? as the date the Vita version will appear (those that bought the PS3 version will be able to download it for free) the company is dishing out two games to say sorry for the lengthy pause. ?For those of you who have purchased the PS3 version of the game and are waiting for your PS Vita entitlement, we want to make it up to you as best we can,? says Ross Alexander ? European Product Manager, SCEE. ?And so we?ll be offering MotorStorm RC as a free download to all who purchased Ratchet & Clank: QForce for the PS3 system. You?ll receive a download voucher for MotorStorm RC via email before the end of February, which will be valid for 60 days.? In addition, <b>Sony</b> will offer a free download for the port of the 2005 PlayStation 2 game Ratchet: Gladiator for PS3 when it releases at a later date. A nice gesture. ?We really appreciate your patience and are aiming to announce a specific release date for R&C: QForce on PS Vita as soon as possible,? concludes the note. ...</p>http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2013/02/22/sony-offers-two-free-games-to-ps3-ratchet-clank-qforce-owners/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:55:07 GMTSony 4K Home Theater has it all: Home Automation, Content, Audio, Videohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cepro/industrynews/~3/Qb4T4kn0Ng8/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.cepro.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />At CES 2013, <b>Sony</b> ES 4K Ultra HD home theater showed the most comprehensive line of audio, video, home automation products available from a single vendor. ...</p>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cepro/industrynews/~3/Qb4T4kn0Ng8/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:49:56 GMTSony Announces PlayStation 4, Releases Trailer For 'Destiny'http://www.tvshark.com/read/?art=arc10431
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.tvshark.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><b>Sony</b>'s showed off its next-generation gaming system, the PlayStation 4, at a packed event on Wednesday as it promised improved social and remote capabilities on the console. ...</p>http://www.tvshark.com/read/?art=arc10431Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:47:55 GMTSony wins at Android this year for gamershttp://forums.androidcentral.com/general-news-discussion/254849-sony-wins-android-year-gamers-new-post.html
<p><font color="Gray">Source: forums.androidcentral.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />For anyone into console gaming, <b>Sony</b> just made themselves very difficult to pass up for your next phone. Besides the fact that the new Xperia Z / ZL already nailed it as an amazing phone on its own merits, now it looks like <b>Sony</b> plans to use their acquisition of streaming service Gaikai to allow streaming games and multimedia from their Playstation Network to "Playstation certified" (translation: <b>Sony</b>) android devices. They're also going to launch a tablet with this as well supposedly. ...</p>http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-news-discussion/254849-sony-wins-android-year-gamers-new-post.htmlFri, 22 Feb 2013 14:46:50 GMTSony "Waiting For The Right Time" To Re-Reveal The Last Guardianhttp://www.gamerevolution.com/news/sony-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-rereveal-the-last-guardian-17707
<p><font color="Gray">Source: www.gamerevolution.com --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br /><img src="http://media.gamerevolution.com/images/misc/url(13).jpeg" & width="150" & height="85" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />We were all hoping to see (or at the very least hear) something about The Last Guardian during <b>Sony</b>'s PlayStation Meeting. Sadly, the little boy and his giant beast friend were nowhere to be seen. Read more on GameRevolution.com ...</p>http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/sony-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-rereveal-the-last-guardian-17707Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:35:32 GMTa new opinion in Photography about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/digital-camera/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-w510/1691369/
<p><font color="Gray">Source: rss.dooyoo.co.uk --- Friday, February 22, 2013</font><br />a new opinion on www.dooyoo.co.uk about <b>Sony</b> Cyber-shot DSC-W510 written by user789 I looked and researched the cheap digital camera market quite thoroughly and came to the decision of buying the Cyber-shot DSC-W510. At first I was hesitant as I thought the cheapness will defiantly affect the build and picture quality. Turns out I ... ...</p>http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/digital-camera/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-w510/1691369/Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:16:32 GMT
The art style is simply excellent and only adds to the unnerving feeling this imagery will illicit. It can occasionally feel like there is too little direction or help for the player, but most of these games have that problem at some point. Most of the time, it was completely manageable. What I really love about this game is that it gives us a slice of another culture's horror, which I always find fascinating to explore. If you also enjoy that aspect, you can download the Year Walk Companion for free, featuring explanations and entries on all sorts of horrors and symbols. Otherwise, you can download the iOS Universal Year Walk for four dollars at the time of this review. I recommend it completely.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
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