Major Developments Major Developments by Calendar Year

March 24, 2010

Microsoft’s First Android App Scans Barcodes

Filed under: Science and Technology — Tags: , , , — Winson @ 9:51 AM

Microsoft introduced an Android app, Tag, which was the first to be developed for the direct opponent to Microsoft’s own mobile OS, Windows Mobile.

Tag will make the Android owners use their device like a barcode scanner, efficiently. The user can take a photo of a barcode. The program can identify it, and probably alerts the user regarding special coupons or discounts open for the item or at the store.

Primarily, Tag is not only competing with third-party applications such as ShopSavvy, which works same as that of a Tag, but it is also competing promptly against Google Shopper, a Google-designed app which enables user to take photograph of items, not just the use of barcodes, to search for them.

In fact, Tag has already been introduced on many other popular smartphone devices, like Windows phones, the iPhone, and Blackberry and Symbian devices. Microsoft also introduced a Bing app for the iPhone, that remains in the App Store which will be a drawback to Google, the search engine that comes automatically installed in the iPhone’s default browser, Safari.

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March 19, 2010

Cancer-One of the Serious Killers in United States

Filed under: 2010 — Tags: , , — Winson @ 9:56 AM

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States as many people refuse to stop the bad habits.

An epidemiologist from American Cancer Society recently said that medical advances and awareness campaigns have helped reduce the death rate from cancer by almost 16 per cent in the past two decades, but it still was able to kill almost 560,000 in United States and almost 1.5 million people all over the world in 2009. These numbers predict that it may the deadly disease in the future.

Poor lifestyle choices made by people like taking up smoking is one of the major reasons for the widespread of the disease. Many of the people continue smoking even after they get to know that they are being affected by this deadly disease. It generally strikes people in later life when they cross 55 years of age.

Another lifestyle issue among the Americans to worry about is obesity and being overweight. Around two-thirds of US adults are said to be overweight or obese. Obesity or being overweight is now known to cause many types of cancer.

According to a study by the American Cancer Society, being overweight or obese causes more than 100,000 incidents of cancer in the United States. It is said that half the men and women who are diagnosed with cancer will die.

It is very important to understand that sedentary lifestyles and smoking are on some of the major reasons for cancer attack. It is advised not to practice these unhealthy practices and stay away from cancer.

March 18, 2010

Barack Obama Creates Budget Deficit Taskforce

Filed under: Politics — Tags: — Winson @ 7:05 AM

President Barack Obama has prepared a taskforce to deal with the growing US budget deficit. The task force body will summarize on what steps should be taken to attain the deficit down to 3% of GDP. This 2010 year’s deficit is supposed to increase to 10.6% of GDP. Last year it attained 9.9%, the highest rate from World War II.

The US budget deficit for the year cessation 30 September 2009 was $1.415 trillion (£907bn). It is suspected to hit a record $1.56 trillion in 2010. President Obama has organized the bi-supporter taskforce after plans for a congressionally-accepted body were frequently poosed by Republicans in the Senate. A congressionally-appointed commission can have high power to necessiate lawmakers to vote on its approvals.

The huge size of the deficit is due to the impact of a extreme recession, which has decreased government tax receipts, and raised spending on programmes like unemployment insurance and food stamps. Government finances were also influenced by the billions of dollars forced into the economy in 2008 to support the banking system.

March 17, 2010

Skype Coming To Verizon Wireless Phones?

Filed under: Science and Technology — Tags: , — Winson @ 7:04 AM

As per the reports, Verizon Wireless could soon be appending Skype software to some of its phones. Verizon is not expressing publicly on the statement, but Bloomberg is presenting anonymous sources who say the company is thinking to include Skype’s Internet calling software shortly in some of its phones. This service allows customers make Skype calls over Verizon’s 3G data network.

Telecom giants have anticipated that Voice Over IP (VoIP) services, like Skype, would dump their traditional and lucrative voice businesses. As the price of voice services is getting gradually reduced, operators are approaching data services to increase revenue. And applications, like Skype, will assist them in selling more data packages and make subscribers to utilize the data services more frequently.

Verizon and AT&T have each reduced their unlimited voice schemes to $70 a month from $100 a month. At the same time, these companies have also tweaked adjusted their data services plans to include more customers to get subscribed to data services.

If the Skype-enabled handset comes with built-in Wi-Fi, subscribers can make use of Skype application to make calls from a Wi-Fi hot spot, employing the Wi-Fi for the data connection rather than 3G network.

March 15, 2010

Scientists Confirmed that Dinosaurs Were Killed by Giant Asteroid

Filed under: Science and Technology — Tags: , — Winson @ 7:05 AM

Scientists have recently confirmed that a giant asteroid that struck the Earth some 65 million years ago killed dinosaurs and 70 percent of other species on earth.

Scientists have been working on this single-impact theory since last 30 years. A research team has gathered huge amounts of evidence that a single asteroid struck the Gulf of Mexico. The asteroid was estimated to be around 6 miles in diameter and traveling around 43,000 mph. A member of this research team said that the impact caused a 24 miles deep and 125 miles wide crater, which was discovered in 1991 in Chicxulub, Mexico.

Scientists said that the impact was so powerful that it is equivalent to a blast from hundred million megatons of TNT, which is more powerful than blasting all the atomic weapons on the Earth at a shot. Scientists say the impact triggered a huge earthquake also.

Other theories also suggested some reasons for this mass extinction. Some suggest that it would have taken many meteorites to cause such a disaster. Another theory suggested that a massive volcanic eruption in India around the same time might have caused this.

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