| Solar Powered WiFi for the OLPC project |
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The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative started in 2005 by Nicholas Negroponte at the World Ecconomic Forum In Switzerland is an excellent proposal to provide each child in the developing world with a laptop computer for $100. It will be run using Linux and there have been many moves towards this goal.
One aspect that has been puzzling the project leaders is the ability to give these children Internet access. The solution maybe at hand now with a development by two Sun Micro System employees called the "Green WiFi Project".
The solution is in the size of a solar powered panel that powers WiFi technology. The project's modeled on MIT's Roofnet wireless mesh network project, but takes things one step further by making each node solar powered, meaning that the network could be extended virtually anywhere. They have also been able to keep the price to a reasonable level by using open source softeware and off the shelf componants. Although the project is still being finalised, a prototype will be deployed in India this year.
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New internal card reader from Japan |
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Soon we will be able to buy a card reader that works inside your laptop. This Elecom MR-PCA12 PCMCIA card reader that slides directly into your laptop and supports SDHC, SD, MMC, smart media, memory stick, memory stick pro, xD, miniSD, microSD, microSD, RS-MMC, RS-MMC 4.0, memory stick duo, and memory stick pro duo—though some need adapters. This will save the need to carry around a separate card reader.
The card is available from Japan in September for 4,200 Yen ($36) or £19.
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| Tiny compass chips for mobile phones |
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The Yamaha YAS529 three-axis Geomagnetic Sensor IC Chip is the world's smallest of its kind. Measurements of the compass chip are only 2 x 2 x 1mm. The use of this chip will allow the easier use of GPS maps and navigation with the map orientation always being in the correct direction.
The YAS529 combines a buffer amp, an A/D converter, a clock generator, and a serial interface circuit (I2c bus compatible) on a single three-axis geomagnetic sensor IC chip.
Yamaha will start to ship samples of the YAS529 in October.
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| Some cartoons |
   Source: Aha! Jokes, http://www.AhaJokes.com/
Source: http://bifsniff.com/cartoons/
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