Friday, 31 October 2014

UAE playing a key role in anti-piracy drive: UAE daily

UAE playing a key role in anti-piracy drive: UAE daily

ABU DHABI, 1st November, 2014 (WAM)--In the past week, Dubai has played host to some 600 delegates from around the world, gathering to debate and strategise on the scourge of international piracy at sea. The history and geography of the UAE, at the focal point of trading routes between North and South, East and West, has long been familiar to the maritime criminals who commandeer ships and hold crew and cargo to ransom.
"It is, therefore, no surprise that the government of the UAE is taking a leading role in combating this scourge at sea," commented UAE local daily, Gulf News, in its editorial on Saturday.
It added that the naval and logistical support of the UAE is being harnessed to provide a vanguard against the cut-throats and criminals who seize ships and their crews on the high seas. Together with the international community, the UAE is taking the fight to those who profiteer in their illegal and disdainful pursuit of piracy.
"The coastal territory and ports of part of the failed state of Somalia remain the pirates’ lair from where shipping in the waters off the Horn of Africa is terrorised. But international efforts, better shipping coordination, increased security on vessels and on-board anti-piracy methods are thwarting the gangs who would seek quick money from holding vessels," the paper said.
Now, if Somali pirates are intent on taking a vessel, they will be intercepted by the armada of international naval vessels policing these dangerous shipping routes. But while European nations may offer a softer hand in international waters to pirates, there should be no quarters given to these thugs the strongest measures are necessary to send a strong message back to the Somali pirate masters that their days and those of their underlings are indeed numbered.
The paper concluded that removing the root cause of piracy is a long and arduous process one that requires building anew the administrative and governmental structures of Somalia. That is worthy in the long term. In the short term, sharp action against pirates at sea and against their wharves and jetties in lawless coastal communities will deter and curtail piracy and the sooner that happens the better.

Emirati inventor presents his latest innovations at International Trade Fair Ideas, Inventions and New Products in Germany

Nuremberg, 31st October, 2014 (WAM) - Emirati inventor Ahmad Abdullah Majan is showcasing his latest creations on solar power and environment conservation at the 66th edition of the International Trade Fair Ideas, Inventions and New Products (IENA2014), in Nuremberg, Germany, which opened on Thursday with the participation of more than 700 exhibitors from 30 countries.The fair will continue until November 2.
IENA, the most important international specialized trade show for "ideas - inventions - new products; is the professional marketplace for ideas and inventions and the leading trade fair of contacts and excellent opportunities for inventors and representatives of trade and industry.
Inventions from throughout the world will be presented to the public for the very first time; the inventions will be celebrating their world premiere at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. It is an important forum for enabling free inventors to get in contact with licensees and exploiters from all over the world.
Heiko Konicke, founder of IENA, in his opening address welcomed the UAE's participation at the event, hailing Majan's creative innovations, which he said, aim to serve humanity and protect the environment.
He also commended the support provided by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, to Majan's participation at IENA, a move which underlines the UAE leadership's encouragement of smart minds to harness technology and science to advance renaissance and development as well as to make life challenges more easier.
Majan presented yesterday his new inventions to an international and professional audience within his participation in the "4th World Competition of Green Inventions".
He entered the competition with his latest innovation; a smart, scalable remote control animal trap.
His entries also feature other five award-winning inventions including a dog-training devices which won a gold medal at the 13th annual British Invention Show for Design, Innovation & Technology in London.
The Emirati inventor said that his innovative products seek to keep the environment healthy and harness solar power.
Majan's device for tracking animal, which was developed by a German company, will make its debut as the first Emirati ready-to use, integrated invention.

Google seeks way to search bodies for disease

Google is exploring a way to search inside people's bodies for early signs of deadly illnesses such as cancer or heart disease.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-10-google-bodies-disease.html#jCp

Google is exploring a way to search inside people's bodies for early signs of deadly illnesses such as cancer or heart disease.

A Life Sciences team at the special projects Google X Lab are experimenting with having "nanoparticles" hunt for signs of medical trouble in bloodstreams and then essentially report findings to sensors people could wear.

"This is still early-stage research, but we've done a number of promising experiments, so we're going to keep going," Google said in a description of the project made public Tuesday.
Imagined applications include a test for enzymes given off by arterial plaques that are about to rupture and cause a heart attack or stroke, or a way to watch for cancer cells after surgery or chemo treatments.
Early detection is known to dramatically increase chances of successfully treating a number of life-threatening diseases.
Batches of specially crafted nanoparticles, each microscopic in size, could be swallowed in pills and then absorbed into bloodstreams where they would stick to targeted cells such as cancer.
Magnetic qualities designed into nanoparticles allow them to be drawn to worn devices and counted using non-invasive detection methods such as light or radio waves, according to Google.
If successful, the technology could "help physicians detect a disease that's starting to develop in the body," the California-based technology titan said.
Google said that it would license the technology to companies interested in using it for medically approved diagnostics.
Google Life Sciences team innovations include contact lenses that measure glucose levels in tears to allow people with diabetes to track blood sugar, and eating utensils that cancel out trembling hands caused by diseases such as Parkinsons.
Google also last year formed a company called Calico with a mission to address problems of health and aging by harnessing advanced technologies.

Future air passengers may get unique, windowless view

http://cdn.phys.org/newman/gfx/news/hires/2014/futureairpas.jpg

Future air passengers may get unique, windowless view

A windowless airplane sounds like a claustrophobic nightmare. A windowless airplane with OLED displays, aura-enhanced with subtle cabin lighting from gently glowing walls could be quite something else. Using OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology, thin, bendable, lightweight display screens would blend with the fuselage and surfaces, such as seatbacks. Use of this concept would optimize space and reduce the weight of the aircraft.

The Center for Process Innovation (CPI) dares to consider this as a sign of the future in air travel. Weight reduction is a constant challenge, said CPI. OLED displays replacing windows could bring significant benefits. "Imagine a cabin where the windows are display screens, relaying a choice of views from around the aircraft. If you're not sitting in a window seat, your large seat-back display becomes your window on the world as well as a source of entertainment." As such, the CPI vision is that of display technologies that could line the interior walls of cabins and display live footage from external cameras. Open your eyes more than ever, said a CPI video, to reduced cost, lighter and stronger fuselage, wider seating, lower fuel consumption. The screens are thin, light and flexible enough to be integrated with the fuselage or seatbacks, removing the need for heavy housings.
Over 80 percent of the fully laden weight of a commercial airliner is the aircraft itself and its fuel. For every 1 percent reduction in weight, the approximate fuel saving is 0.75 percent. If you save weight, you save fuel, said CPI. And less fuel means less CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and lower operational cost.

Wouldn't such a system and its lighting be confusing, though, over long-distance flights where the passenger would want to know the difference between night and day? CPI has a plan for that too. The lighting panels would allow the color changes associated with sunrise and sunset, helping long-haul passengers adjust to different time zones.

Future air passengers may get unique, windowless view

According to CPI, "Using roll to roll manufacturing techniques that are currently in development at CPI, these screens could be produced at a cost that is unlikely to be any more than current displays."
In August, CPI's Dr. Simon Ogier, research and development manager, said: "Our role is to turn innovative technology concepts such as OLED displays into manufactured products. Work has so far focused on the back layer and the flexibility and performance of Organic Thin Film Transistor arrays (OTFTs), which operate a screen's individual pixels to form the picture." He also said "Now we know we can tightly bend these parts and maintain function, the challenge is to combine this with an equally flexible front layer for a fully flexible, high performance display."

The Center for Process Innovation is a UK-based technology innovation center. Design Week reported Monday that CPI is looking to work with designers and the aerospace industry to realize the windowless planes. "CPI is looking to make flexible screens featuring flexible OLEDs and is looking for design partners to take the idea forward."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-10-future-air-passengers-unique-windowless.html#jCp

CPI is doing more than working up visions; they said they are working with companies to develop flexible OLED technologies for the aerospace industry. Lightweight printed wiring looms can provide multiple conductors for security. Their concept involves individual display panels "seamlessly" arranged along the cabin walls. A multi-screen approach means panels can be used either as displays or for lighting, depending upon the cabin seating layout and seat pitches.
"Internal tracking cameras could be used to project the image onto the screen from the point of view of the passenger- moving the image in accordance with the movements of the passenger's head." Users in any seat can select views from any side of the aircraft. It would not be necessary to reflect the actual view seen from a particular seat; the cameras could be mounted in the most aerodynamically efficient positions on the aircraft.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-10-future-air-passengers-unique-windowless.html

Police vs cartels in the high-tech battle to stop cybercrime

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Law enforcement goes high-tech to keep up with criminals
More international co-operation needed to tackle borderless crime
Cybercrime costs the global economy an estimated $400 billion a year

CNN's coverage of Web Summit, in Dublin, looks at how technology is changing the world.

(CNN) -- Cybercrime costs the global economy an estimated $400 billion a year, and as it grows in scale and sophistication, law enforcement is having to do the same.

The U.S. secret service helped prevent over $1 billion in fraud losses from cybercrime last year, but it is up against skilled and organized international crime networks.

Ed Lowery, a special agent at the U.S. Secret Service Investigative Division, has witnessed the criminals becoming increasingly sophisticated. "What we've seen develop over the last 10 to 15 years has been cartel behavior from individuals who ... have developed a very, very intricate criminal conspiracy or criminal consortium to commit crimes against assets of the United States, ex-filtrate data and then monetize that data around the world," he says.

With hackers driven by a desire to make a fast buck, or by political motives, cybercrime and geopolitical tension often go hand in hand. Whether it is China or Russia, this is a major challenge for law enforcement.

We need to up our game in terms of developing our digital forensics skills.
Rob Wainwright, director Europol

"We've developed our expertise dealing with the East European, Russian-language speaking cyber criminals," says Lowery. "Over the course of the last decade it's become very apparent that those individuals are the highest caliber, the most prolific and probably the most damaging cyber criminals that are out there.

"They are operating from many places where the U.S. and international law enforcement does not have the same level of cooperation."

Watch: The world of "Hackonomics"

Rob Wainwright, the director of European law enforcement agency Europol, agrees. "It's fine for the U.S. and Europe to work together, but where a lot of cybercriminals work, according to the community themselves, is in other parts of the world where relations are much more tense with the West," he says.

From its base in the Netherlands, Europol is spearheading Europe's cyber policing. Its Cybercrime Center, which opened in January 2013, aims to be a focal point for gathering data and developing tools to detect and prosecute cybercrime. But much more needs to be done to tackle what has become a truly global problem, according to Wainwright.

The world of 'hackonomics'

"We need to up our game in terms of developing our digital forensics skills, and certainly in terms of our international coordination," he says. "Here at Europol we've succeeded in bringing together some of the major agencies across the globe, including those in the United States, to help us fight the biggest syndicates here, but we need much greater international cooperation."

He adds: "It's not the first time, of course, that certain geopolitical circumstances can impede the way in which we can operate against criminal terrorist groups. That's a fact of life and it's something we rely on our political leaders to deal with, and it's important we establish effective police-to-police channels of cooperation."

One way that policing can stay ahead is through consistency -- one set of laws for everyone who uses the Internet.

This is obviously a unique skillset and it takes years to develop that skillset.
Ed Lowery, U.S. Secret Service Investigative Division

"There's one other thing that's very important here and that's making sure that we have an up-to-date and modern legislative framework that can allow us to fight criminals online in the same way that police fight criminals in the real world," says Wainwright.

"At the moment the legislation which allows us, for example, to detect the criminals online and allows us to decrypt the way in which they're working, is pretty deficient, actually, and certainly not aligned across different jurisdictions."

The challenge for policing isn't just at the macro level of international co-operation and legal frameworks; a shortage of law enforcement officers with the right expertise in specialized cyber skills is still a problem.

"This is obviously a unique skillset and it takes years to develop that skillset," says Lowery.

But even in this world of high-tech criminality matched by high-tech policing, old-fashioned investigative skills still have their part to play.

"You need a very highly skilled cadre, you still need to be able to develop evidence that will stand up in a court of law," says Lowery. "We have to be sure that the individual that we are going to charge with that crime is absolutely the individual that committed the crime. To do that takes a lot of old-school detective work."

Where are they now??

KEEPING UP WITH THE CHILD STARS

Have you ever wondered what happened to you favorite child stars? Some of them seem to have all but disappeared from the big screen. L.A. LIVE has put together a list of child actors who are MIA. Whether they have retired all together, switched careers, or are coming to a screen near you, here is what these child stars have been up to.

HALEY JOEL OSMENT

After starring in a string of advertisements during the early 1990s, Haley Joel Osment rose to fame with his role in “The Sixth Sense”. He has starred in some films since then, but took time off to pursue a degree at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He is currently filming for “Entourage”, the highly anticipated film follow up to the HBO show.

LIESEL PRITZKER SIMMONS (LIESEL MATTHEWS)

Liesel is best known for the title role in the film “A Little Princess”, but she gave up acting in 2000 at the age of 16. Thanks to a massive fortune from her family’s Hyatt Hotels empire, Liesel is financially set for life! She puts her money towards philanthropic causes such as Young Ambassadors Opportunity and Opportunity International, which focuses on microfinancing.

MACAULAY CULKIN

Pretty much every kid out of the 1990s knows Macaulay Culkin’s shocked “Home Alone” face. Before he hit it big with “Home Alone” Macaulay starred in a series of roles on stage as well as in film and television. Culkin’s star was on the rise during the 1990s, but his post “Home Alone” films failed to live up to his initial success. He retired from film for a period of time before returning in 2000. His subsequent roles were in smaller films that were much grittier and grown up. Currently, he is trying his hand with music and DJ gigs.

MARA WILSON

In the early 1990s, Mara Wilson was the quintessential child star. Wilson was featured in movies such as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Miracle on 34th Street” before landing the star role in “Matilda”. Today, Wilson is retired from film acting because it didn’t allow her the creative freedoms she desired. Currently, she is working on publishing young adult novels and she recently wrote her first off-Broadway play.

THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER

This adorable child star is probably best known for his role as a love struck child in “Love Actually”. Today, Thomas is still in the spotlight. He made the move from the silver screen to small screen with a role in HBO’s wildly popular show “Game of Thrones”. Thomas is involved in animated work, as he lends his voice to the character Ferb on Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb”.

Celebrities Look Much Different In Real Life Than In The Magazines (24 Photos)

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Scarlett Johannson

Misha Barton

Lauren Conrad

Kim Kardashian

Ke$ha

Kate Moss

Alicia Keyes

Cameron Diaz

Tamara

21 AMAZING STREET MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

to catch your attention. Here are some great street marketing campaigns that caught our attention by doing everything in their power to make people stop, watch the ad, and usually continue their walk wearing a smile.

The Art of Street Marketing

In advertisement you must always be creative. This rule is multiplied when it comes to street marketing due to the fact that while roaming the streets, people are usually focused on getting from point A to point B. The advertisers make huge efforts to be creative enough so that they’ll catch some public attention, and these efforts usually provide us with the most entertaining ads. The following street marketing campaigns from around the world are the ones which made a huge impact, providing the brand they advertise with a huge boost on their sales and image.