Microsoft Axum for .Net

Build Parallel Applications using Axum

Axum is a language that builds upon the architecture of the Web and principles of isolation, actors, and message-passing to increase application safety, responsiveness, scalability, and developer productivity.
Other advanced concepts we are exploring are data flow networks, asynchronous methods, and type annotations for taming side-effects.

You can learn more about it at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/dd795202.aspx

Virtualization with Hyper-V

Well this is not a very new technology but i am realy loving it now, it can reduce the cost and management effectively. With Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology. This enables you to make the best use of your server hardware investments by consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual machines (VMs) running on a single physical machine and also efficiently run multiple different operating systems—Windows, Linux, and others—in parallel, on a single server, and fully leverage the power of x64 computing.




For further details see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv-main.aspx

Blu-ray Disc Technology

Its has been more than year this technology is avilable. Most of the new Sony laptops has this technology. Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed by Sony to take the place of the standard DVD format. Its main purposes are high-definition video and data storage with 50GB per disc. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs use to have.
The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue laser used to read and write to this type of disc.

Pololu 3pi Robot

Just heard about 3pi robot on a magzine very good and cheap robot kit. 

That can be programmed in C language. I really

 like its speed. 

The Pololu 3pi robot is a complete, high-performance mobile platform featuring two micro metal gearmotors, five reflectance sensors, an 8×2 character LCD, a buzzer, and three user pushbuttons, all conn

ected to a C-programmable ATmega168 microcontroller. Capable of speeds exceeding 3 feet per second, 3pi is a

 great first robot for ambitious beginners

 and a perfect second robot for those looking to move up from non-programmable or slower beginner robots.

Visit http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/975 for more details.

Windows 7 Release Candidate

Welcome to Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) testing. We're on our way to Windows 7, and if you like trying out pre-release software, now’s your chance. You get to see what's coming, and we get to see if our changes and fixes from the Beta testing are working correctly.

How do you test the software? You put it on your PC, and then do what you'd normally do. Your PC will automatically and anonymously send our engineers the information they need to verify the fixes and changes they made based on the Windows 7 Beta tests

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/Windows-7/download.aspx

Moduler Robot

A robot developed by robotics at the University of Pennsylvania is made of modules that can recognize each other and reassemble when kicked apart. When physically damaged, the T-1000 is capable of reforming itself in seconds, closing up bullet holes and reattaching limbs.

With an ultimate range up to 1000 km, a maximum operating depth of 6000 m, and a
generous payload capacity of 0.5 m3, Autosub6000 will be one of the world’s most
capable deep diving science Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). It is scheduled
for deep water trials on the RRS Discovery in September 2007, after which it will be
available for science missions. We encourage proposals for the use of Autosub6000 from
2008 onwards. We envisage its use in a wide variety of missions, for example : overflow
and exchanges across sills, abyssal circulation + mixing, Southern Ocean mixing
processes, ocean ridge, marine census, canyons and sea-mounts, ocean margins benthic
communities, gas hydrate surveys.


Autosub6000 is the latest 6000 m rated version of the Autosub AUV series, which has
been used extensively for ocean science during the last 10 years, including work under
ice operations in the Arctic and Antarctic. The design of the nose and tail sections,
including the navigation and control systems, are substantially inherited from the tried
and tested Autosub3. The main difference is the depth rating (6000m rather than 1600m),
and the energy system (Lithium Polymer rechargeable batteries rather than primary
manganese alkaline cells).



Dimensions 5.5 m long, 0.9 m diameter
Mass 2000 kg (Dry), 2800 kg (Wet).
Range, endurance 1000 km at 1 m/s (8.6 days). 400 km at 1.6 m/s. (2.9 days).
The 2007 version will have 50% of this range.
Depth capability 6000 m maximum.
Navigation 0.1% of distance travelled since last GPS or USBL fix.
Telemetry and
Tracking
Linkquest TrackLink 10000 USBL and bidirectional telemetry system.
Control Modes Constant depth, constant altitude (5 to 200m), profiling.
Recharge time 5 hours from fully exhausted lithium polymer battery pack.
Standard Sensor
Suite
300 kHz RDI Workhorse ADCP. Fitting of Seabird 911 CTD be requested
from NMFD.
There are plans to fit a Mulitbeam system by August 2008.
Payload Capacity Similar to Autosub3. Large (0.5 m3) volumes free in the nose area for
payloads.
Power for sensors Up to 250 Watts at 48 volt.
Data Handling 100 M bit s-1 TP Ethernet .200 G byte data storage. IEEE 802.11g WiFi for
data download.
Shipping One standard 20 foot shipping containers. Launch and recovery gantry.


A titanium tube housing the Inertial
Navigation Unit (IXSEA-PHINS), a 300 kHz
RDI ADCP, and a high performance Thales
GPS receiver. We are developing navigation
algorithms, involving processing of imaging
or multibeam data, which, for area survey
missions in deep water, will maintain GPS
quality accuracy over periods of several days.

New Armed Robot Groomed for War

The company behind the only armed robots in Iraq is rolling out a new model of gun-toting machine, built from the start for combat. DANGER ROOM has exclusive pictures and footage.

During the early days of the Iraq war, the roboteers at Foster-Miller modified their bomb-disposal machines, to have them carry machine guns, grenade launchers, or rockets.

After years of safety testing and modifications, three of these deadly SWORDS ("special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system") robots were recently sent to Iraq.

But even now, safety concerns (among other reasons) have kept those machines from firing a shot in combat. But Foster-Miller is already rolling a new model of armed robot — one that’s comes with additional extra, built-in precautions, and has been designed from the beginning to fight.

MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) features new software controls, which allow the robot’s driver to select fire and no-fire zones. The idea is keep the robots from accidentally shooting a flesh-and-blood American. A mechanical range fan also keeps MAARS’ gun pointed away from friendly positions.

The robot is also equipped with a GPS transmitter, so it can be seen on — and tap into — the American battlefield mapping programs, just like tanks and Humvees. These "Blue Force Trackers" have been credited with dramatically reducing friendly-fire incidents during the Iraq war. MAARS comes with an extra fail-safe, which won’t allow it to fire directly at its own control unit.

Nor does the robot always have to carry a gun. A mechanical arm can be swapped "in a couple of minutes" for the weapon, according to MARRS program manager Charles Dean, a retired Army Lt. Colonel. Which means the robot could be used for "inspecting IEDs, opening doors, even dragging casualties."

The tracks can also be removed, and changed out for wheels; better for urban operations, perhaps. Combined with a lower center of gravity, Dean believes the MAARS will be about 50% faster than its predecessors, which rumbled over streets at 5 miles per hour.

See more details at http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2007/10/tt-tt/...

Programming i-Box III

iBox III Programmed to Never Fall From Table and Stay Away From Walls...

All you need is

2x IR Reflectors

1x Distance Sensor

2x DC Motors1x iBox III Microcontroller

This is very simple program following commands will do this all.

start

to alert

beep

end

to start

wait 100

ab, setpower 8

loop [ if (( sensor 0) > 300

and ((sensor 1) > 300 ))

[ ab, thisway ab, on ]

if ((sensor 2) > 300)

[alert

ab, thatway ab, onfor 150

a, thisway a, onfor 50

a, thatway

ab, on]

if ((sensor 0) <>

[alert

ab, thatway ab, onfor 150

a, thisway a, onfor 50

a, thatway

ab, on]

if ((sensor 1) <>

[alert

ab, thatway ab, onfor 150

b, thisway b, onfor 50

b, thatway

ab, on] ]

if ((sensor 3) > 850)

[alert

ab, thatway ab, onfor 150

a, thisway a, onfor 50

a, thatway

ab, on]

]

end

Please note this programme will handle both 1)Never fall from table 2) Never collide with Walls.

You can add further funcaitonlity in this program for example add a light sensor and then you can program to start moving is light is on and stop when light is off, things like this.

i-Box III Programmable Microcontroller

i-BOX 3

Is very good Microcontroller for beginners. It allow you to write your own programs in logo language. You can attach different kind of sensors to it to make robots.

Features of i-BOX 3.0

• 16KB memory
• 4 DC motor output
• 4 Digital inputs
• 2 Digital outputs
• 4 Analog input 10-bit ADC
• Piezo speaker
• Download program via Serial Port
• Supply voltage : 4 of AA battery (Rechargeable battery 1700mAH or higher)
•