Archives July 2013

"The S3200 standard will sustain the position of IEEE 1394 as the absolute performance leader..." James Snider, 1394 Trade Association During the mid-1980s, engineers at Apple, Inc., began working on a new, high-speed data transfer medium to exchange large amounts of data on computers. They dubbed this technology "FireWire"in view of the increased speed, and released it in 1995. Apple's engineers produced their first specification sheet for the setup in 1987. The company realized that USB devices were fine for keyboards and mice, but faster speeds were required for high-memory applications, such as video cameras, which had many gigabytes of data to be exchanged. They approached the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) with the intention of making the technology the standard for all computers, both Macintosh and Windows-based, which the IEEE endorsed in 1995. The first instance of the interface system was called IEEE 1394 and had data more...

Before the invention of the lawn mower, fine lawns were the exclusive preserve of those who could employ gardeners to scythe the grass. English engineer Edwin Beard Budding (1795-1846) invented the cylinder mower to maintain the grass of sports fields and the gardens of the wealthy. Patented in England in 1830, Budding's machine used a heavy roller to drive the cylinder, requiring two gardeners to push and pull it. The Regent's Park Zoological Garden in London was an early adopter, using one in 1831. By 1860 lawn mowers were being manufactured in eight roller sizes, up to 36 inches (900 cm), and in 1859 Thomas Green produced the first chain-driven mower. Grass boxes were added during the 1860s. A steam-powered mower fueled by petrol or kerosene was patented in 1893 by James Sumner, who co-founded the Lancashire Steam Motor Company (later the Leyland Motor Company) in 1896 to produce steam-powered more...

"We ride nonpolluting bicycles to save mankind, but we lock them because we can't trust mankind." Unknown In 1206 an Arab scholar, AI-Jazari, published a book called Kitab fi ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya (Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices). The little- known academic described numerous devices that had not yet been invented, including the waterwheel, the crankshaft, and the combination lock. In 1550 an eccentric Italian mathematician expanded on AI-Jazari's early ideas and produced what is now recognized as the first combination lock. Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576), notoriously short of money, kept himself financially afloat through successful gambling and chess playing. But he was also a notable inventor and produced a practical product to help keep possessions secure. Cardano's design used a number of rotating discs with notches cut into them. The lock could be secured by a pin with several teeth that hooked into the rotating discs. When the notches more...

Outline: Progress of man through science and technology; life made secure and comfortable by them; more and more dependence on them basic knowledge of them very necessary even for a common man; their importance infighting back superstition and blind faith: the two providing  solution to our ever-increasing problem; proper application of both for  the welfare of mankind. Man has progressed through science and technology. Hitherto he has been backward. Now with scientific knowledge and technical know-how he has done what was impossible. He has reached the moon. He is on the road to conquer other planets. What was difficult and impossible is now easy and possible. Science and technology have made our life quite secure, safe and extremely comfortable. The word 'luxury' is now meaningful in the real  sense. You can enjoy all the blessings of the world. Now the life is worth living. Today we entirely depend on science. more...

Wheat is one of the most important food grains in the world. But in India, it is next to rice in importance. The people in Hindi-speaking states of India use wheat as their staple food. Wheat is grown in almost all countries of the world. The USA, Canada, Argentina and India are major wheat- producing countries. In our country, wheat is grown in bulk quantities in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and in small quantities in West Bengal and Bihar. Sometimes India has to import wheat from foreign countries in order to meet the needs of its growing population. Wheat is a Rabi or spring crop. It is sown in mid- October or mid-November and harvested in March- April. Wheat grows better in those areas where rainfall occurs in winter. Moderate rainfall is necessary for the cultivation of wheat. Some amount of irrigation is also needed. Wheat grows best in well-drained more...

"Today, we are in a state where a car can drive 100 miles... before human assistance is necessary." Dr. Sebastian Thrun, Stanford University As professor at the Universitat der Bundeswehr Munchen, Ernst Dieter Dickmanns (b. 1936) and his team designed a fully automated, driverless vehicle. They equipped a van with a series of cameras and sensors that processed images of the changing scenery and relayed the information to a mechanism that controlled the steering, accelerator, and brakes. This was not the first autonomous vehicle to drive unmanned. Nearly a decade earlier, the Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Lab in Japan created an automobile that could travel around a specially designed and clearly marked course at speeds of up to 18 miles (30 km) per hour. But in 1986 Dickmanns's van did a lot better, navigating its way around ordinary (albeit empty) roads, attaining a top speed of about 60 miles (100 km) more...

The age-old caste system is one of the main causes for social inequality in our country. It has contributed in keeping a large portion of the country's population backward.  The caste-system has its origins in the early Vedic times. Then it was in existence in the form of Varna system which divided the society in four divisions. The head of this caste system was the Brahmins who had knowledge at scriptures and were priests as well as teachers. Second in rank were the kshatriyas or the warriors. The rulers also belonged to this caste. The Vaishyas comprised of those engaged in trade and commerce. The fourth was the Shudras who were considered to be the lowest caste and were the craftsmen, artisans and the cultivators who served the other three. Outside these four, there was a fifth .group of untouchables who were treated with contempt and were looked down upon. more...

A monkey is found all over the world. It lives in forests, temples and also in localities with big trees. A monkey is small and short in size. It has two legs, two small eyes and two hands. It has sharp claws in both hands and legs. Its teeth are very sharp, due to which the people are very afraid of it. The face of a monkey is black or red, and very odd-looking. Its body is covered with fur. It has a long tail. A monkey can jump from one roof or tree to another steadily and fearlessly. It roams in groups from one place to another in search of food. In cities and temples, monkeys prove to be a nuisance as they snatch foods and other things from people. They often tear apart clothes and steal away other things.      

An owl is considered to be a holy bird by the Hindus in India. It was very sacred to the ancient Romans too. It is small in size. It is an odd looking bird. It has a round large head. Its eyes are very big and the bill is curved. An owl is of different colours and kinds. It lives in the holes of trees or in dark old towers. It eats rice, mice, insects and small birds. An owl is a night bird. It sleeps by day and hunts at night. Like a cat or a dog, an owl can clearly see in darkness. At night, it  comes out of its hiding place and  some of us try to imitate it. The call of the owl is considered very ominous and it fills the silence of the silent An owl keeps a keen watch for its prey and pounces more...

Telephone is one of the most remarkable inventions of modern science. It was invented in 1875. It was invented by an English scientist, named Alexander Graham Bell. With the help of telephone a person can talk to another person. Telephone has added to the comfort of the modern man. It is, in fact, a thing more of necessity than luxury these days. In our hour of need, telephone helps us like a true friend: It can be used to talk to any person in the world provided there are telephones available at both ends. A telephone is connected by an electric wire. Each telephone is allotted a number. When a person wants to speak to another, he dials the number, and the exchange connects the two telephones. The emergence of mobile phone has made it really very popular, as we can find it with all persons walking in the street more...