Google enters travel market with flight data purchase

Search engine giant Google has entered the travel market after acquiring flight information firm ITA Software.

ITA provides software that organises fares, flight and journey times that are used by airlines, travel agents and flight comparison sites such as Orbitz.

Google said it may well expand the scope, enabling users to search directly for flight destinations.

Google paid $700m in cash for the US-based company, founded in 1996 by a team of MIT computer scientists.

"What we're going to do is build new flight search tools that focus on end users," said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

However, he said that the firm would not be selling airline tickets to consumers and that it would honour "all existing agreements that ITA has with its partners".

Those partners include some of Google's direct competitors - such as Microsoft's own flight comparison website, Bing Travel.

Other firms which had been bidding for ITA included Travelport, Expedia and Kayak, many of which are also dependent on ITA for their flight data.

A spokesman for Kayak told that, for now, they were not concerned.

"In the short term, it's not an issue, because Google said it's honouring existing agreements," he said.

However, there are fears within the travel industry that Google could have an excessive influence. Google says the acquisition is "pro-competitive" and "pro-consumer" but said regulators were likely to examine the deal.

"I would expect that it would be a significant review," said Mr Schmidt.

The Independent's travel editor, Simon Calder, told the biggest loser may be the old legacy booking systems, should Google expand ITA's remit.

"If anything, the airline industry used a system that you could describe as the forerunner to the internet," said Mr Calder.

"The aviation industry used GDS - the Global Distribution System - for decades, because there were computers in travel agents, airports and airlines across the globe.

"Now it consolidates around Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and World Span and these still have legacy aspects. For example, if you book a flight from London to Mexico City via Dallas, you will still have to pay $3 for each segment.

"If Google can do something to rival that, it would be very interesting and exciting.

"But, as with all things to do with Google, the issue of market domination comes up," he added.

Collision course

Google confirmed it was also working on a project that would enable users to search for hotels, with the results displayed on Google Maps. That could put put it on a collision course with firms like Expedia, Travelocity and Opodo.

Mr Calder said that while he could see merit in Google running a flight information firm, he was not convinced that it should launch a travel comparison website of its own.

"While there is great competition when it comes to transatlantic flights, from smaller airports, the choice for a passenger is more limited," he said.

"There are plenty of price comparison sites already and for someone booking flights, the system is almost perfect, so I don't see how Google is going to get a slice of that."

All About New Quantum Object

Scientists have created the largest "quantum state" object so far.  The object is a quantum computer that breaks the conventional law of larger physics that one thing cannot occupy two different spaces at the same time.  The machine is being hailed as the first principle component for what could become the first feasible quantum computer.  While not a feasible computer in itself, the "quantum resonator," could replace ones and zeros with far faster computing capabilities that could result in a new generation of incredibly small, energy efficient computers with far more processing power than anything we currently have.

Previously quantum computers were considered too small to be feasible in the quantum realm, due to the fact that scientists naturally assumed it had to happen on the quantum level.  Thanks to a worldwide collaboration of scientists working for years, this new form of computing proves once again that the world

What they've shown here is a mechanical oscillator as a completely new quantum system," Markus Aspelmeyer from the University of Vienna told reporters, "and I personally think it's a really important one"  In addition to the quantum resonator being incredibly fast, it will be able to give a higher output of memory with less energy put into it.  And considerably less at that.

As the system is frozen to one thousandth of one degree above absolute zero, researchers shocked the system with one quantum of electrical energy (known as a quanta) and found that the device oscillated, turning the electrical energy into an equal amount of kinetic vibration energy.  As the device oscillated it contained both one and zero quanta of energy.  Originally, size was the biggest problem with quantum computers, since the quantum effects were never seen larger than a device composed of sixty atoms.  Thanks to this new system, scientists have been able to increase the size of a potential resonator up to around one trillion atoms.

The next technological revolution will come when the superpositions are able to be read using the same circuit that created them, and a sort of memory will be created for quantum based storage systems.  The previous largest device ever created was the "buckyball," but it wasn't pursued as a means of computing due to its incredibly small size and volatile state, and the inability for such a device to record memory.

The new field of computers based on quantum physics will be known as quantum information science.  Eventually, Professor Andrew Cleland said that different systems would be more effective if they used photons rather than vibrations.  While it's difficult to fathom now, a photon based system could in theory even be reversed to make incredibly sensitive detection methods that were previously thought impossible.  Imagine a world where a history of shadows is played out on a single wall based on the tiny photons left behind by residual light effects.  Essentially everything in the universe could be played back visually using such a detection method.

The Next Superbug Coming ??

In recent years our planet has seen a number of close calls with diseases that could have potentially seen a great number of casualties. But while media outlets give a lot of attention to these very specific outbreaks of disease, there are many epidemics that receive very little attention. But the reality of the most devastating diseases throughout history contends that these diseases will likely appear just as mysteriously as they ever did. But where are some places it could it start?

In 2002 the SARS virus first appeared in China when a farmer contracted it and subsequently died. It went unchecked for three months before authorities caught on and reported that a new disease was making the rounds. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome was contained due to intervention of world governments and soon the world relaxed. Shortly after this Avian Influenza appeared and gave people a scare as birds began dropping from the sky. One thing rarely mentioned was that the disease could only be contracted from direct contact with birds. Then came the Swine Flu H1N1 which was transmissible between humans, but was largely survivable with a fatality rate of around one out of every one thousand. These diseases were all viral in nature. Some of the most damaging diseases in history, including the bubonic plague which claimed some 200 million lives were bacterial diseases and not the product of viruses. Is it only a matter of time before these types of diseases make a comeback?


With the creation of antibiotics, many bacterial diseases were easy enough to fight off. Penicillin, discovered first in 1928 by Alexander Fleming would allow humans a chance at eradicating many diseases that had previously crippled entire civilizations and claimed millions of lives. But as it became used more and more, the diseases got stronger through natural selection. The weaker strains were killed off and only those able to survive contact with weaker antibiotics were able to survive. As a result stronger antibiotics were constantly being created. And yet the diseases were not only interacting inside the body with the ill, but also mingling in the waters as the flushed antibiotics entered the streams. The bacteria survived and entered plants which were surviving in Lakes and rivers will eventually find itself in the stomachs of sharks, according to National Geographic which if they are eaten can mean the bacteria has license to enter our bodies as we are the top of the food chain.


Is it possible the next big disease could happen as a result of these increasingly resistant diseases ultimately finding their way into our population by the very virtue of eating the most dangerous creature in the sea? The horrifying scenario pits man against his own ingenuity, attempting to find away to shield the antibiotic resistant bacteria from evolving fast enough to wipe him out. And after the quelling of SARS and the Plague, surely humankind could resist this as well, but only with the same level of perseverance. And tragically there would be a period before a new antibiotic was made where the bacteria would be able to wreak havoc.

"Power Armor"

In the fictional battlefields of sci-fi future specially trained soldiers are often depicted as using "power armor" to help them jump incredibly high, lift vehicles over their heads, and carry incredibly heavy equipment without being weighed down by its encumbrance.  So called Power Armor was once thought as a fantasy, but developers in Japan have embraced the idea and developed powered exoskeletons for law enforcement.

 

The suits have jointed motors that take the strength of the user and amplify it.  If a user lifts up a 100 lb dumbbell, but can only lift 70 lbs the suit can pick up the slack.  Sensors indicate the weight of the object, and cut the difference making a 100 lb dumbbell feel as though it weighed a far easier 50 lbs.  The suit itself braces the back and arms lifting as much as it can and distributing the rest to the user's muscles.  There is also a voice recognition system that takes commands the user gives.  For example, there is a considerably different muscle response from jumping over a vehicle to lifting a heavy crate.  Though the suits are not yet designed to be able to jump like this, it serves as an example of future dexterous endeavors that may be undertaken by the developers.

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology's Professor Shigeki Toyama is leading a team working to develop the power-suits.  Toyama is planning on developing a corporation to start production and sales of the power suits before December of this year.  Soon the product could be sold to law enforcement and military contracts, but also could be useful in warehouses and on farms where strength is key.

What will the cost be?  If you're planning on reenacting your favorite scene from Aliens using one of these suits you may have to pay one million yen (equivalent to $12,500 US) unless you want to wait until mass production halves the cost of the suit, which the makers estimate will likely happen shortly assuming demand for the suits is high enough.  Unfortunately, these suits are not being currently considered for sales overseas.  Of course this is natural at the moment, since the development stage is testing the market for a new product like this that has never been seen before.  It is likely that there will soon after be limited access in the US and then eventually a sister company will be set up that will produce the suits for military and industrial contracts shortly afterward.

Potential developments from this product would also be incredibly useful for astronauts should they ever find themselves on a planet surface such as Mars.  If the motor functions can amplify strength, they could also be calibrated to assist Mars explorers in gathering materials without worrying about their muscles becoming too used to the light surface of Mars.

Will the future of technology be implementing suits to enhance the strength of its users?  It's no secret that mobility is of the greatest importance to the military.  And if technological strength can be translated into physical strength, then it seems there will be far more physical powerhouses in the battlefield of tomorrow.

Nokia N900 Hacked To Run Android Froyo

Nokia's Maemo-based N900 smartphone has been hacked to run Google's latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system.

Tech blog Engadget has posted a video of an N900 device running the Android 2.2 OS, codenamed Froyo.

The Nokia N900, launched in 2009, was the first Nokia device to run the MeeGo OS developed by Nokia and US-based chip maker Intel.

The device, which comes with a 3.5 inch screen and 600Mhz ARM Cortex A8 processor can be seen running Android smoothly, with a fast internet connection and apparently full support for the phone's hardware.

Nokia recently announced that it will be replacing the Symbian OS with its MeeGo operating system on all future Nokia N-series smartphones. The company said that Symbian will still be used in all of its cheaper smartphones.

Jackson glove sells for $190,000

A crystal-studded glove belonging to the late pop star Michael Jackson has sold at a US auction for $190,000 (£126,000).

The glove, worn during the Jacksons' 1984 Victory tour, was among over 200 items on offer, which sold for just under $1m (£664,055) in total.

The sale took place at Julien's Auctions at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas at the weekend.

Some items fetched more than 10 times their estimated value.

"It just shows you Michael Jackson is the most sought after and most collectible celebrity of all time. It was just phenomenal," Darren Julien, who ran the auction, told the Las Vegas Review Journal.

"People flew in from Asia, Russia, all over. Now that he's gone, we now realise the true legend we lost," he added.

The value of Jackson memorabilia appears to be rising. The first of his gloves to go on auction after his death went for $49,000 (£29,900), back in September 2009.

Elvis's hair

A pair of Jackson's loafers, which he wore on stage, were expected to fetch between $2,000 (£1,328) and $3,000 (£1,990) but went for $90,000 (£59,764).

One of his jackets fetched $120,000 (£79,686), even though its estimate was between $6,000 (£3,984) and $8,000 (£5,312).

A white fedora hat sold for $56,250 (£37,353).

Other memorabilia from the likes of Elvis Presley, Prince, Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix was also up for grabs.

A lock of Presley's hair was sold for $20,000 (£13,281), while Prince's handwritten lyrics for Purple Rain fetched $67,650 (£44,900).

A Jimi Hendrix Fender guitar was sold for $180,000 (£119,500).

Fans across the globe paid tribute to Jackson on the first anniversary of his death on Friday.

Jackson's father has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the doctor charged with giving his son a lethal overdose one year ago.

Cheap Bulletproof Clothing

Today's body armor is stiff, encumbering, and expensive.  All but the most advanced body armor is incredibly ineffective unless layered thickly and backed up with ceramic plates.  Of course there is a present community of armored clothing outfitters, but these require stiff plating for all but the most basic protection.  But a new development at the University of South Carolina may one day soon make everyday clothing bulletproof by adding a simple common element to the materials.

 

Police and law enforcement may have bulletproof fibers interlaced into their uniforms, protecting them from attacks just as effectively as current body armor, but allowing them the protection without requiring a 40 or 50 lb bulletproof vest.  The lightweight shirts are woven with boron carbide, which is listed just under wurtzite boron nitride and lonsdaleite as the third hardest material on Earth.  Boron Carbide is the same material used in the armor plating of heavy infantry vehicles such as tanks.  The lightweight shirts would be almost as flexible as the material the cotton used in it, but would provide ballistic protection.

The University of South Carolina's Dr. Xiadong Li is one of the Engineers working on the project and recently co-authored an article on the subject.  Dr. Li called the research the University of South Carolina had been conducting a "true breakthrough" and declared that USC was "playing a lead role in this area."  He went on to say that the super-strong and ultra-light materials were opening up unprecedented opportunities.  And of course the materials need not be limited to protection of law enforcement and soldiers.  In addition to creating a cheaper and more efficient body armor for civilians, it could be used in scientific research and the space program as well to help protect materials that must remain flexible and to allow for research materials to be able to undergo considerably more strain.  And to get back to the civilian market for a moment, it seems only logical that everyone would feel safer in certain occupations if they had bulletproof materials at hand.  Every year there are numerous convenience store deaths caused by violent criminals.  Cab drivers often suffer similar fates at the hands of armed gunmen.

And the flexibility of the boron carbide material offers to create more efficient vehicles and aircraft as well.  Parachutes and other materials like them previously would have run a much greater risk of tearing.  And rope as well would be much more reliable if the material were less likely to tear or break under strain which would be good news to climbers.

Though this material may start with ballistics protection, if successful it will end by influencing a number of aspects of everyday life.  Stronger materials have always been one of the most integral parts of progressive technology.  One must only look to history going back to the first discovery of bronze to understand the importance of lightweight and tough materials.  Perhaps this technology will make the world a safer and more sustainable place in the long term.