HBO Go Lands on Xbox One

On Thursday, it was confirmed by Microsoft that the cable network's a la carte online streaming service, HBO Go, would now be available on the Xbox One gaming console. According to the reports, Microsoft had already announced that Xbox One users will be able to access the HBO Go by end of 2014.

HBO Go: 

HBO Go is one stop destination for all the viewers of HBO, as it gives them an access to an entire range of library starting from the "The Sopranos" to the most thrilling "Game of Thrones”. It has to be noticed that HBO go is only available to the paid channel subscribers. While on one side HBO Go was unavailable on the latest hardware from both Microsoft and Sony, it was available on their previous hardware like last-generation Xbox 360 from Microsoft to PlayStation 3 from Sony.

According to HBO's vice president of digital domestic network distribution, Jeff Dallesandro, the users of the Xbox One will be able to access to the action world with a series of films from HBO. The users will be able to Kinect with the films. This remark was considered quite witty as it was referring to the Kinect voice-controlled camera by Microsoft, which enables the users to switch off apps and even play games.

The existing library of Microsoft consists of companies like Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video and Netflix and now it is joined by HBO Go. This comes at a retail cost of $350 and that too after a price of $50 price cut announced by Microsoft until the end of 2014.

Market competition: 

There has been an increased competition in the market since many console makers are aggressively investing in their product marketing aiming to target both entertainment hub as well as video game players. Although companies like Microsoft and Sony continue to grow, they are always looking for an prospect to enter the living room area of nearly 10 million homes in United States of America. According to Gfk, market researcher, one of the best or most common device through which user can view Netflix on a TV screen will be the gaming console.

Microsoft and Sony have been facing problems in terms of time management as it takes long time to provide media apps on any of their latest devices. If the viewers do not have access to HBO Go, they are forced to use streaming devices and web browsers and it takes them away from PlayStation and Xbox. HBO Go is one of the most searched by customers who are looking for purchasing streaming devices. Fire TV stick, which was recently launched by Amazon lacks HBO Go and it clearly highlights the difficulty that is faced by big companies to acquire the rights for HBO movies and shows.

HBO has already announced that they are working on releasing a stand alone online service, which is meant for the users without subscription to the cable service, and this is completely different from HBO Go.

Reduce the Risk of Mobile Radiation- Follow These Tips

In order to carry out data transmission, Radio frequency Energy or RF is emitted by the mobile phones. Radio frequency Energy waves are said to be travelling in the form of electromagnetic fields. Other radiations like Gamma and X-Ray are known to cause interference or ionization in human body, but contrary to this RF waves do not cause any such problems.

Whom to trust: 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already said that the RF radiations produced by the mobile phones are at very low level hence not capable enough to cause any serious health problems. Probably the same would have been told about Alcohol and Cigarettes. Contrary to FDA, World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the electromagnetic waves, which are produced by the mobiles phones, are considered carcinogenic to human beings and this has been very much classified by the “International Agency for Research on Cancer”.

No one can assure whether mobile phones are threatening or not. If you ask a common person, excessive use of phones have really given headache and restlessness to them. So what can we do? Following the below mentioned tips will come handy:

Always buy branded phones: 

One of the best means of prevention from the dangerous radiations emitted from phones. There are many phones, which have been approved by the authorities. Some of the example brands are Apple, Samsung, Nokia, HTC, Sony, among others.

Always check the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value: 

Most of the time, this information can be found on the setting tab of the menu. If you are unable to locate the same then you need to dial *#07# on your mobile and the information will be relayed. If the phone does not relay the information, it means that the brand is not following with local and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) standards.

Headsets: 

If you are a person who is not able to invest in branded phones and have rather settled down with a Chinese make phone, it is time to start using headphones. This is only way you can avoid using the phone directly close to your head. Do not think of getting a Bluetooth device as that also will emit radiations to affect your health.

Switch of the phone when not using it: 

It is not possible to switch off the phone during office hours, but is always important to switch off the phone at bedtime and not to sleep with the phone close to you.

Keep the phone away from body: 

Always try to avoid keeping phone close to you. If the phone is in pocket always, keep the screen towards your body to ensure radiations move out of the body.

Using mobile phones continuously can never be deemed correct; it is common understanding among the users. However, sometime there are situations wherein you might have situations wherein you have to carry your phone or use it most of the time. Just try to follow above steps to avoid any future damage.

Device Could Make It Easier To Find Your Veins

Many a times we tend to face shortage of blood for life saving transfusions due to shortage of donors for the same. At times they may be discouraged due to the endurance of being poked by the nurse at several areas of their arm with a sharp needle to locate a vein which is not a very pleasant experience for them. But now with a device which shows a glowing map of the veins the process is made simple and trials of the technology have made headways in Australia.

A discovery has been made by scientists to find a way in locating the veins instead of poking around the body to find a spot. The Australian Red Cross Blood service is now utilising the near infrared light device which locates blood in studying whether it is able to locate hard to find veins resulting in less tension, making it likely for donors to come back and donate again.

The Blood service states that it would test 300 first time donors and 600 returning blood donors in the age group of 18 – 30 on several devices from different Australian providers with a hope that the vein visualization device, functions by waving a near infrared light source above the naturally deoxygenated haemoglobin in the body wherein it absorbs that light and the veins portrayed in glowing green.

Machine Safe – Adjusted to Individual Preferences

The machine is safe though it is suggested to avoid staring directly at them. Moreover, it can also be adjusted to individual preferences. This technology functions by beaming harmless near infrared light at the arm and our veins tend to contain lot of deoxygenated haemoglobin and since it is absorbed by infrared light, it develops an image of where the veins lie under the skin. Besides, the device could be used anywhere and is already being used widely in hospitals as well as pathology clinics around the world making it easier for people to have blood taken though it will also be helpful for generous donors in donating blood.

The first blood bank service in the world is the Australian Red Cross who have tried this technology and has started using in its Sydney clinics. Though it tends to look like a small radioactive, it is very safe and works by shining near infrared light on the arm that gets absorbed by the deoxygenated haemoglobin which floats around the blood and develops a glowing green image of the veins which the nurse can utilise in guiding the needle.

Reduced Anxiety/ No Painful Experience

With the introduction of this technology, which is already being used in several clinics all over the globe, enabling and assisting practitioners in taking blood samples, it will help in reducing anxiety of going through painful experience of locating vein thus enabling generous donors to return.

According to senior researcher at Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Dr Dan Waller, he states that `they are keen to retain young donors and it is important to test if this technology could help them to do that and are interested to see if the technology improves the donation experience in young people and if it increases their likelihood to return to make repeat donations’.

Graphene-Based Supercapacitors for Battery-Free Electric Cars

Photo credit: AlexanderAlUS, CC

Change in Power Battery free Electric Cars

Latest technology has brought about a change in power battery free electric cars within five years with scientists developing graphene based super capacitors which are light and can be used to create electric vehicles that are powered by their own parts of the body rather than the batteries.

Electric cars is considered as the future of sustainable transport but are held back due to the fact they need heavy, slow releasing batteries to power them and the top end Lithium-ion batteries available in the market tend to charge really slowly besides weighing a lot.

A better option is to use supercapacitors devices which could release a large energy burst though they are difficult to store much energy as batteries and hence plenty of them would be needed to power a car. Scientist have worked their way to combine batteries and supercapacitors to make batteries powerful as well as lighter in the shortest term though the ultimate goal is to create super capacitor which would also store a large amount of energy.

Since batteries seem to be the limiting element in the popularity of electric car, they are also one of the most expensive components of the vehicle, having limited range when compared to gasoline powered vehicles.

Supercapacitors Film to replace Battery

There have been remarkable changes recently wherein a team of researchers have developed a supercapacitor film which could replace the requirements of battery within the next five years and the collaboration between scientist at Queensland University of Technology and Rice University has resulted in two papers, published in Nanotechnology and Journal of Power Sources.

The supercapacitors comprises of two layers of graphene having an electrolyte layer at the centre and while the film is strong and very thin, it is able to release a large amount of energy in the shortest possible time, which is a necessity.

The ordinary batteries would take a huge amount of space while the super capacitor film can be integrated in several areas of the vehicle like the roof, floor, doors and the body panels.

The super capacitors of this size would be capable of providing the vehicle with the right amount of energy which the vehicle would be needing while at the same time making the vehicle much lighter.

A Graphene – Charges Quickly

Marco Notarianni, a PhD researcher of QUT stated in a press release that, `since vehicles would need extra energy spurt for acceleration, supercapacitors could be helpful which holds a limited amount of charge and are capable of delivering it swiftly thus making them the appropriate complement to mass storage batteries.

He was the lead author of the Nanotechnology paper - `Super capacitors offer a high power output in a short time, meaning a faster acceleration rate of the car and a charging time of just a few minutes, when compared to several hours of a standard electric car battery’.

Supercapacitor film which is grapheme has the potential of charging fully in a matter of minutes instead of the several hours taken for a conventional battery and though it would charge, releasing energy faster than standard batteries, they presently do not hold so much energy which the scientist are probably intending to change with further research.

Yahoo Replaces Google as Firefox's Default Search

Just from the coming December, Mozilla Firefox will utilize Yahoo search engine as a default, only in the United States on cell phone as well as desktop. On account of this five-year agreement, Yahoo will also start a new search experience in favor of the users of Firefox in the U.S. that would simultaneously make this Firefox to move away from Google.

Such a new kind search experience will provide a clear, fresh and immersive layout that reveals input from the Mozilla group. In Russia, Firefox will employ Yandex Search, while in China this will make use of Baidu as its default. On the other hand, Google, and a lot of other search engines like DuckDuckGo will stay as integral options.

Reasons for changing the partnership-

The Mozilla Company has long earned most of its funds by means of its joint venture with Google that has always been seen as default in Mozilla. In fact, in 2012, information known from a reliable source reveals that 88 percent of Firefox’s revenue came mainly from Google. The deal with Google was going to terminate this year, although, and it seem as either Yahoo has made an offer that Mozilla cannot reject or Google planned to walk away from the contract.

Opinion of Mozilla

CEO of Mozilla, Chris Beard stated that Google has been the default search engine of Firefox global since the year 2004. The renewal time of the deal is in this year, and hence Mozilla took it as a chance to assess its competitive approach and investigate the options. He even added that his company is really eager to work with Yahoo to get a new, expected search experience of Yahoo to the Firefox users in the particular country featuring the best of the Web, and to discover new modern search experience along with the content.

Statements from Yahoo

Similarly, CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer recently perceived that she thinks that search is really a point of investment, prospect and development for the company. Such a joint venture aids to increase their success in search and even provides with an opportunity to serve closely along with Mozilla to get ways to create something more in search matter, communications as well as digital content.

Yahoo engine, in its present form, is supported by Microsoft Bing, certainly, although the company largely alters the results it obtains from Microsoft, in terms of design and in terms of status. There have long been gossips that Yahoo might end this agreement and return back its own particular search engine; however that appears improbable

This collaboration with Firefox will definitely provide Yahoo and even Microsoft a more powerful dominance in the search market. When Firefox usage has turned down over some of the previous years, this yet accounts for minimum 15percent of the browser market in the US. Yahoo at present possesses nearly 10 percent of the search engine of US market. To return back to the Google as default is only a matter of some seconds though some of the users want to go for the default.