Tech Roundup: Mars One, Lab Grown Kidney & More
[A recurring feature on the latest trends in Science & Technology.]
Ready for a one-way trip to Mars?
Mars has forever remained an ultimate obsession for us mortals! That it might have once harbored life has only heightened our fixation. After a couple of unmanned missions including Curiosity's sojourn last year, a Dutch firm Mars One is now aiming at a human settlement on the Red Planet and has begun receiving applications from public, out of which 24 - 40 candidates will be eventually selected to fly to the point of no return in 2023 (of course after all the necessary training). Applications close on August 31, 2013 and involve a fee (based on your country's GDP) in addition to uploading a minute-long video letting them know why you are the apt man for the job. The company is also expected to send rovers to the planet in the coming years to set up houses and necessary infrastructure prior to the exact mission.
Scientists create lab grown kidney:
Science has improved a lot over the years and stuff that seemed straight out of a science-fiction novel are becoming increasingly possible to achieve. One such area is regenerative medicine, a branch that deals with regenerating human cells, tissues and organs in order to restore normal function. The latest concerns a bio-engineered kidney which upon a successful transplantation into rodents began to filter blood and produce urine. With the current medical procedures involving risks of rejection, this promising development could be a boon for kidney transplants in humans as the replacement organs could be re-grown from a patient's own cells. Oh the wonders of science!
LG planning water-less washing machines:
Conventional washing machines, as well all know, require detergent and water to scrub off stains from our clothes. But Korean electronics giant LG is taking the next step with a washing machine that won't require water at all! It sounds like a very interesting idea alright, but sadly details are scarce (supposedly a trade secret) except that it's in early stages of development. Hmm...
Goldilocks planets just like Earth:
So far Earth seems to be the only planet conducive to life, but that doesn't mean there aren't any Earth-like planets in other star systems. Located right about in the 'goldilocks' zone and thus be able to maintain liquid water on their surface (at least that's the theory), the two newly discovered super-Earths could be the potential candidates for supporting life. The exosolar planetary system, called Kepler-62 and consisting of five planets altogether, orbits a relatively older star than our Sun and is about 1200 light-years away from the Earth in the constellation Lyra. Scientists are yet to find proof of life on these newfound planets, but the discovery shows how such solar systems can be common in the Universe.
How the tech giants fared last quarter:
Enough of science news you think? Got it, and since it's the season of quarterly results what's better than discussing about them! Google, despite a great quarter, struggled with ads on mobile (the same problem that continues to befuddle Facebook as well) and its acquisition of Motorola is yet to bear fruition. For Microsoft, it could not have been any better than this. Notwithstanding a tepid response to Windows 8 and an overall decline in PC sales, the tech giant reported strong numbers in all of its units, the most profitable being its Business Division (that produces Office software) as usual. Finnish handset maker Nokia's encouraging financials were backed by strong sales of Lumia smartphones and it looks like its restructuring efforts have paid off rather well.
Apple, on the other hand, saw its profits decline YoY for the first time in a decade with iPhone sales stagnating as it faces market saturation and stiff competition from Samsung (and Android in general) and iPad minis eroding its profit margins. But a cheaper iPhone could be logically the next thing if the company decides to capture emerging markets like India and China. CEO Tim Cook has however promised exciting things in store, although these assurances weren't enough from dragging its share price below $400 mark (it has rebounded back to $414 since then). Korean juggernaut Samsung continued its winning streak with record smartphone shipments that offset the fall in earnings in other divisions. With Samsung Galaxy S 4 just out, rest assured the smartphone should alone be sufficient to push up their profits next quarter!
In other news:
Ready for a one-way trip to Mars?
Mars has forever remained an ultimate obsession for us mortals! That it might have once harbored life has only heightened our fixation. After a couple of unmanned missions including Curiosity's sojourn last year, a Dutch firm Mars One is now aiming at a human settlement on the Red Planet and has begun receiving applications from public, out of which 24 - 40 candidates will be eventually selected to fly to the point of no return in 2023 (of course after all the necessary training). Applications close on August 31, 2013 and involve a fee (based on your country's GDP) in addition to uploading a minute-long video letting them know why you are the apt man for the job. The company is also expected to send rovers to the planet in the coming years to set up houses and necessary infrastructure prior to the exact mission.
Scientists create lab grown kidney:
Science has improved a lot over the years and stuff that seemed straight out of a science-fiction novel are becoming increasingly possible to achieve. One such area is regenerative medicine, a branch that deals with regenerating human cells, tissues and organs in order to restore normal function. The latest concerns a bio-engineered kidney which upon a successful transplantation into rodents began to filter blood and produce urine. With the current medical procedures involving risks of rejection, this promising development could be a boon for kidney transplants in humans as the replacement organs could be re-grown from a patient's own cells. Oh the wonders of science!
LG planning water-less washing machines:
Conventional washing machines, as well all know, require detergent and water to scrub off stains from our clothes. But Korean electronics giant LG is taking the next step with a washing machine that won't require water at all! It sounds like a very interesting idea alright, but sadly details are scarce (supposedly a trade secret) except that it's in early stages of development. Hmm...
Goldilocks planets just like Earth:
So far Earth seems to be the only planet conducive to life, but that doesn't mean there aren't any Earth-like planets in other star systems. Located right about in the 'goldilocks' zone and thus be able to maintain liquid water on their surface (at least that's the theory), the two newly discovered super-Earths could be the potential candidates for supporting life. The exosolar planetary system, called Kepler-62 and consisting of five planets altogether, orbits a relatively older star than our Sun and is about 1200 light-years away from the Earth in the constellation Lyra. Scientists are yet to find proof of life on these newfound planets, but the discovery shows how such solar systems can be common in the Universe.
How the tech giants fared last quarter:
Enough of science news you think? Got it, and since it's the season of quarterly results what's better than discussing about them! Google, despite a great quarter, struggled with ads on mobile (the same problem that continues to befuddle Facebook as well) and its acquisition of Motorola is yet to bear fruition. For Microsoft, it could not have been any better than this. Notwithstanding a tepid response to Windows 8 and an overall decline in PC sales, the tech giant reported strong numbers in all of its units, the most profitable being its Business Division (that produces Office software) as usual. Finnish handset maker Nokia's encouraging financials were backed by strong sales of Lumia smartphones and it looks like its restructuring efforts have paid off rather well.
Apple, on the other hand, saw its profits decline YoY for the first time in a decade with iPhone sales stagnating as it faces market saturation and stiff competition from Samsung (and Android in general) and iPad minis eroding its profit margins. But a cheaper iPhone could be logically the next thing if the company decides to capture emerging markets like India and China. CEO Tim Cook has however promised exciting things in store, although these assurances weren't enough from dragging its share price below $400 mark (it has rebounded back to $414 since then). Korean juggernaut Samsung continued its winning streak with record smartphone shipments that offset the fall in earnings in other divisions. With Samsung Galaxy S 4 just out, rest assured the smartphone should alone be sufficient to push up their profits next quarter!
In other news:
- The latest outbreak of avian flu deadlier than previously thought; first case reported outside China.
- Google ready to label its services, display rival content on its search results to escape European Union antitrust fines.
- Microsoft reportedly working on a smartwatch, reports The Wall Street Journal.
- Nokia launches entry level handset Nokia 105 worth Rs. 1249.
- Google Glass specs reveal a 5 MP camera, high resolution display, 12GB memory space and a day's battery life with typical use.
- Facebook readying to display upto 3 video ads per day on users' News Feeds.
- Microsoft Outlook gets two-factor authentication (follow the steps here); allows sign-in via alias addresses.
- Samsung Galaxy S 4 out in India for Rs. 41,500.
- Android was originally meant for cameras, says former Android boss Andy Rubin.
- Motorola working on smartphones running stock Android and sized 'just right'; to be out later this year.
- Twitter officially outs #Music app on iOS and Web.
- Microsoft's Windows 8.1 to have option to boot straight into desktop mode; to sort of bring back the Start button.
- Apple celebrates 10th anniversary of iTunes.
- Smartphones outsell feature phones for the first time ever, reports IDC.
- Google disables non-Play store app updates after Facebook's recent attempt; says it violates its 'updated' Play Store terms and conditions.
- Apple sets its developer conference WWDC for June 10th, tickets sell out in less than 2 minutes.
- Microsoft to unveil new Xbox console on May 21.
- Latest update to HTC One said to improve image quality.
- USA's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approves Boeing Dreamliner 787 battery fixes; ends flight ban.
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