Technology

In computer science, a virtual machine (VM) is a software implementation of a machine (computer) that executes programs like a real machine. System Virtual Machine vs Process Virtual Machine A virtual machine was originally defined by Popek and ... Goldberg as "an efficient, isolated duplicate of a real machine". Current use includes virtual machines which have no direct correspondence to any real hardware. Virtual machines are separated into two major categories, based on their use and degree of correspondence to any real machine: a System Virtual Machine and a Process Virtual Machine. A system ... (view more)

A netbook (or mini-notebook) is a small portable laptop computer designed for wireless communication and access to the Internet. The word netbook is a portmanteau of the words Internet and notebook. Primarily designed for web browsing and emailing, ... netbooks rely heavily on the Internet for remote access to web-based applications" and are targeted increasingly at cloud computing users who require a less powerful client computer. As of the start of 2009, the established definition of a netbook was a notebook computer with a low-powered x86-compatible processor (compatible with PC standard ... (view more)

Researchers have developed a system that adapts a Windows-based smartphone to act as an ultrasound scanner. The device could be revolutionary in developing nations and might also have military uses. The system is based on existing portable ... ultrasound wands, which scan using soundwaves to produce an image of the inside of a body. The technique is best known for scanning images of fetuses, but has a wide range of medical uses. The problem with the existing system is that the wands then had to be plugged into an Internet-connected computer via a USB cable in order to share the results instantly ... (view more)

Will astronomers some day find an unspoiled planet where we can all move when this dying rock is kaput? It seems scientists are getting closer, having discovered a planet very close to earth's size -- and it's only 20 light years away. The discovery ... was recently announced at a conference at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, with more details submitted in a paper to the journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The planet in question lies way, way off in the distance, orbiting around a dim red star called Gliese 581 in the Libra constellation. The new planet, now dubbed Gliese 581e by ... (view more)

Cloud computing or cloud services is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Examples of cloud computing include Google Apps which provide common business ... applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers. The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on how the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams, and is an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it conceals. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or ... (view more)

The solution to the age-old problem of weakening battery capacity may soon emerge thanks to tech wizzes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. Scientists there have discovered an efficient way of powering electronic devices using ... bacteria-infused batteries. No, this isn't a late April Fool's joke or a long-lost X-Files plot. It's true; the new batteries use a kind of bacteria that can construct an anode after being protected by a layer of cobalt oxide and gold. Once this process is complete, the bacteria batteries can be formed into a nanowire . This makes them drastically ... (view more)

Smokers wanting to kick their addiction might receive a helping hand from a neat little tech gizmo called the "electronic cigarette" or "e-cig" for short. The device runs on a rechargeable battery and requires a nicotine cartridge. E-cigs only have ... four ingredients: water, propylene glycol, a special added flavoring, and nicotine. The liquid substance is transformed into a smoke-like vapor that is then inhaled by the smoker. Once the smoker takes a drag, nicotine is released into the mist and the sensation of hitting the lungs is almost identical to actual cigarettes. All The Flavor, Without ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed more about Windows 7 and its support for touch screen technology. The system sounds impressive, however, reports suggest it appears to have a high error rate. The Redmond-based company originally considered setting up a ... completely separate interface for software which used touch screens, similar to the way Media Center works. Instead, Microsoft opted to build everything into the main Windows 7 experience in order to cut down on switching back and forth between two interfaces. When Windows 7 is used with a touch screen, there will now be some slight tweaks to make it ... (view more)

An average of 22 million Americans accessed online information via mobile device each day in January, double the amount for the same period last year. That's good news for advertisers, who say mobile users are much more likely to click on ads. The ... figures, from market research firm Comscore, show 63 million people accessed the web on a mobile device at least once during January, also a steep rise. Oddly, however, the figures showed that 19 million accessed the mobile web once a week, which is lower than the daily figure. These figures may actually be quite conservative. They don't include ... (view more)

Research suggests that global warming could have a significant impact as sea levels continue to rise. True, it was hard to tell last month that global warming was ever a problem. However, it is having an impact, even if we haven't yet seen any 70 ... degree Fahrenheit January mornings. Instead, the effect could drastically change what a summer is like in New York City and the rest of the heavily-populated Northeast and it won't necessarily be limited to temperature -- it could have a direct impact on all weather in this part of the country. Among the Most Vulnerable Regions According to Florida ... (view more)