Michigan Micro Mote - a computer smaller than a rice grain

Those days are gone when computers used to be as large as size of a  room. These days, technology is developing at an exceptional pace compared to any other aspect of human life. Here is the result of persistent efforts of professor David Blaauw and five of his students. Professor and his students since the last decade were focusing on the development of world's smallest computer. They have developed a computer which is smaller than even a rice grain. Michigan Micro Mote (M^3) is only two millimeters across. Although this computer is extra-small, its features can't be underestimated. M^3 is powerful enough to take pictures, record temperature,pressure and can be used for radio communications too.

Prof. David Blaauw says
To be 'complete', a computer system must have an input of data, the ability to process that data-meaning process and store it, make decisions about what to do next- and ultimately the ability to output that data. The sensors are the input and the radios are the output. The other key to being a complete computer is to supply it's own power.
The M^3 was eventually designed to be charged with light. When its operator strobes light at a high  frequency, it can send information to the Micro Mote. Then, it can process the data and send it to a different computer through radio frequencies. The Phoenix processor inside of the compute requires just 500 pico-watts ( which is pretty amazing because the power consumed by a single human cell is 1 pico-watts) in standby mode,  and it can charge its battery in a room with no natural sunlight.

As for the Michigan team, they think that the M^3 could prevent people from losing items, such as keys or wallets. The computers could be adhered to items that may get lost, and its central system could help users find items around the house.

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Outernet: Free internet for all

Outernet, a United States based independent startup has decided to do something big and unimaginable. Do you have any guesses? I am damm sure that there won't be any guesses related to Outernet's aim. This startup aims to provide something huge that almost everyone on earth can access. Outernet aims to provide free internet to everyone, not only in US but to everyone on this earth. In the announcement made by Outernet, it said that with the help of U.K. Space Agency, Outernet will be launching three new nanosatellites, approximately at the start of 2016. These nanosatellites will be manufactured by Clyd Space, a Scotland based company.
According to a survey, out of total world's population, almost half of the people don't have a good internet connection. It isn't a very old news that Outernet started providing its service to 1.3 billion people residing in North America, Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. Outernet distribute's internet similar to a radio broadcast. Outernet will be giving internet services in a similar way in which we receive radio signals. Tiny satellites (a bit bigger than the size of a shoebox ) called Cubesats would operate from Low Earth Orbit in UHF frequency which transmits the signals. These signals can be picked up with a much cheaper hardware.
Recently, another technology called "Lantern". Lantern is a distinct WiFi hotspot which has the ability to create WiFi signals by receiving satellite data. Founder and CEO of Outernet, Syed Karim told

"We could send all of the Wikipedia. Essentially, anything that lives on your 

computer is what we can transmit over Outernet. Everyone in the team believes 

in the notion of universal access of information. I've been told by the people who

interacted closely with North Korean defectors and they said that there is internet 

there and it is very limited. They have their own version of Wikipedia.

Now as these satellites will be in space, there shall not be any restrictions on broadcast. Outernet can be a big milestone, if which when crossed, can spread news and unbiased textbooks to all parts of the world.

What do you think, will Outernet be successful in providing free

internet to all or will it fail? Provide us with your 

feedback in comments.

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3D SSDs with 10TB storage announced

 Intel and Toshiba 3D SSDs with 10TB storage announced at affordable prices 

   The upcoming SSDs (Solid State Drives) will be much richer in terms of storage efficiency. The major obstacle which inhibits the sale of these SSDs is their price. But still being aware of this challenge, Intel and Micron have said that new SSDs with storage capacity up to 10TB will be soon in market, possibly by next year. Whereas Toshiba has been working on the development of similar technology  called "3D NAND" which too will come with higher storage capacity. Consequently Flash Storage Devices and SSDs will get cheaper with increasing storage capacity. Let us know more about both these invention respectively:

Intel and Micron

Intel and Micron has revealed that 3D NAND technology will be providing three times more storage efficiency than any other existing NAND technology. This technology uses floating gate cells that make it the
flash drive with highest density.
In this 3D NAND technology, data storage cells are stored vertically with an exceptional accuracy to create storage devices with three times more efficiency.
Apart from decreased cost and high efficiency, new 3D SSDs will be faster.

Toshiba

Toshiba has said that it is the creator of world's first 48 layer NAND 3D SSD. Tokyo based Toshiba corporation has called this BiCS- a 2-bit-per-cell 16GB device. The BiCS uses 48 layer stacking process with reliability and speed. Right now company is speeding up for its mass production and also distributing samples to other companies.

These 3D SSDs will be tough competitors for the existing players thereby providing  greater speed along with better storage capacity. 

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Your beloved apps are betraying you

Do you seriously read all permissions while you install an app ? For many of us, the answer is a big NO. But while installing an app you unconsciously give many permissions. So here is a piece of bad news for you. You are under a continuous surveillance of your favourite smartphone application. In fact, the apps you have installed for your help are spying on you.
This news became renowned when a team of computer scientists at the Carnegie Mellon University conducted a research on twenty-three randomly selected Android 4.3 users from Craiglist and Carnegie Mellon University's student body. As a result, more than a score of android apps including some of the famous apps like Go Launcher Ex, Groupon, Facebook etc. collect your location data up to 50 meters near you roughly every 3 minutes or 6200 times a week. This doesn't end here, but even your personal details like galleries, call logs and many more are on record with the app publisher.
Norman M. Sadeh, a Carnegie Mellon professor who co-authored the study questioned:

"Does Groupon really need to know where you are every twenty minutes?"

While some of the apps like navigation, forecasting etc are answerable to this obtrusion but the others are invading the privacy of unaware users. Some of the pre-installed services like google play services distribute this information to a variety of third party apps. What's more worse is that you have no control over this.
This report may cause unwarrented suspicion among the public in the era where security and privacy are the foremost concerns of every user.  

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