Hybrid systems may lead to wider use of renewable energy sources

A drawback in the use of alternative energy systems has been that they are too variable. If the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine, a completely different energy system has to be available to pick up the slack.

This problem may be addressed with enhanced energy storage technology or by developing "hybrid" systems in which one form of renewable energy is ramping up even while the other is declining.

"The key to greater use of these and other technologies is to match them in smart-grid, connected systems. This is already being done successfully in a number of countries and the approach could be expanded," said Anna Kelly, research scholar at the School of Public Policy in Oregon State University, US.

By making more sophisticated use of that basic concept in a connected grid, and pairing it with more advanced forms of energy storage, the door could be opened for a much wider use of renewable energy systems.

This will also take care of the price issue."By helping to address the price issue, renewable energy is being produced in hybrid systems by real, private companies that are making real money," Kelly explained.

The long-term goal is to identify technologies that can work in a hybrid system that offers consistency, dependability and does not rely on fossil fuels.

"With development, the cost of these hybrid systems will decrease and become increasingly competitive, hopefully playing a larger role in power generation in the future," concluded the researchers. The study appeared in The Electricity Journal.

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Emotional feelings linked with fearful incidents remain longer in brain: Study

In the context of fear, our brain differently encodes contextual memory of a negative event, such as the place, what we saw and the emotional response associated, the results found.

"The study helps explain how the processing of fearful memories can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder," said project coordinator LluAs Fuentemilla from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) in Spain.

For the study, the researchers tracked the traces of implicit and explicit memories of fear in humans. They measured electro-dermal activity of 86 individuals when a fear inducing situation was generated in the laboratory and in a neutral context in which they had to learn a list of words.

"In both contexts, the forgetting curve was normal. Over time they forgot all the words, the explicit trace," said Pau Packard, author of the study.

“But in the context of fear, the electro-dermal activity in the emotional implicit response was exactly the same and much higher than in the neutral context,"  Packard added.

"Over time there is a portion of memory that is erased or we do not have access to, we forget the details but still maintain the emotional reaction. The imprint is divided into two separate paths", Packard said.

The study was published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

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Micromax to launch CyanogenMod phones in India

CyanogenMod has been known for bringing out custom ROMs of varied Android flavors and runs on devices like OnePlus One out-of-the-box.

The company also launched a Themes Design Challenge, through which it is inviting artists and content creators to submit original theme packs for the Cyanogen operating system.

Cyanogen is one of the most advanced mobile operating systems around the globe. It is an aftermarket firmware for a number of cell phones based on the open-source Android operating system. It offers features not found in the official Android based firmwares of vendors of these cell phones.

According to the official statement, only Micromax will be authorised to sell phones running CyanogenMod operating system, which is based on Android.

"Micromax has announced a new Internet brand YU, which is slated to announce its first device on Cyanogen OS. Cyanogen's exclusive deal also means that Cyanogen OS will not support any other devices shipping in India with future updates including Lollipop," the company spokesperson said.

Micromax will launch first YU devices in December.

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Indian cyber security violations similar to global trends: Minister

"The government has taken a slew of measures to tackle cyber security violations and cyber crimes in the country," Prasad said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

"A total number of 23, 254, 552, 1,237, 2,565, 8,266, 10,315, 13,301, 22,060, 71,780 and 96,383 security incidents including phishing, scanning, spam, malicious code, website intrusions etc. were reported to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) during the years 2004 to 2014 (till September), respectively," he said.

"During the years 2009 to 2014 (till September) a total no. of 11,831, 20,701, 21,699, 27,605, 28,481 and 14,151 Indian websites were also hacked by various hacker groups spread across worldwide," he said.

"The government has also initiated Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project with the aim to develop human resource in the area of Information Security at various levels. Phase-I of the programme has been completed," Prasad informed the house.

He mentioned that all major websites are being monitored regularly to detect malicious activities.

"All central government ministries or departments and state or Union Territory governments have been advised to conduct security auditing of entire Information Technology infrastructure. All the new government websites and applications are to be audited with respect to cyber security prior to their hosting," the Minister said.

CERT-In has empanelled a total number of 45 security auditors to carry out security audit of the IT infrastructure of government, public and private sector organisations.

Mentioning that close watch is kept to scan malicious activities on the important networks in the government, public and service providers, the Minister said: "All the ministries/departments of central government and state governments have been asked to implement the crisis management plan to counter cyber attacks and cyber terrorism."

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Sony to cut TV, smartphone lineup; sees growth in PlayStation, image sensors

Having lost ground to nimbler rivals like Apple Inc  and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in consumer electronics, Sony said on Tuesday its goal for TV and smartphones is to turn a profit, even if sales slide as much as 30 percent.
             
"We're not aiming for size or market share but better profits," Hiroki Totoki, Sony's newly appointed chief of its mobile division told an investors' conference. A poor showing by its Xperia smartphones has weighed heavily on recent earnings and Sony said more detail on plans for the unit will be unveiled before end-March.
             
With cost cuts on the way in some divisions, Sony is also not planning to renew its FIFA soccer sponsorship contract next year, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
             
Under its new three-year electronics business plan, Sony said it was aiming to boost sales for its videogame division by a quarter to as much as 1.6 trillion yen ($13.6 billion). It said that will be helped by personalised TV, video and music distribution services that should lift revenue per paying user.

At its devices division, which houses its image sensor business, Sony said sales could increase 70 percent to as much as 1.5 trillion yen. Sony's sensor sales are already robust, with Apple using them in its iPhones while Chinese handset manufacturers are increasingly adopting them.
             
In a similar event last week for its entertainment units, the conglomerate said it was aiming to lift its movie and TV programming revenues by a third over the next three years.
             
Shares in Sony finished 6 percent higher on hopes that the new measures show a greater sense of restructuring urgency, while the Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent.
             
"There's a lot of expectation for Sony now, but nothing is sure until there are results," said Ichiyoshi Asset Management chief fund manager Akino Mitsushige. "Getting out of the mobile market is an option, but they can't do that now, so they will need to make some fundamental changes."

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60 percent of smartphone users vulnerable to hacking: Study

The study also found that 60 per cent of smartphone users and almost half of tablet users are vulnerable to hacking as these devices have no protection against malicious software.
  
These can be anything from phishing emails, which could result in a fraudster taking over an online account, to 'session hijacking' attacks where a user's web browsing is interrupted, monitored or even hijacked, Yorkshire Post reported.
  
Many smartphone and tablet devices users have no protection against 'malware', software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system.
  
This is despite nearly half using mobile phones for internet banking and one in three for online shopping.
  
"This year has proved a tipping point for smartphones and tablets," said Ori Eisen of Experian, a global information services company, which published the study.
  
"The rapid rise in demand for online banking and retail combined with very little security on devices has created a massive opportunity for cyber criminals leaving many people and businesses extremely vulnerable," said Eisen.

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