How graphene's electrical properties can be tuned

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2011) — An accidental discovery in a physicist's laboratory at the University of California, Riverside provides a unique route for tuning the electrical properties of graphene, nature's thinnest elastic material. This route holds great promise for replacing silicon with graphene in the microchip industry.

The researchers found that stacking up three layers of graphene, like pancakes, significantly modifies the material's electrical properties. When they fabricated trilayer graphene in the lab and measured its conductance, they found, to their surprise, that depending on how the layers were stacked some of the trilayer graphene devices were conducting while others were insulating.

"What we stumbled upon is a simple and convenient 'knob' for tuning graphene sheets' electrical properties," said Jeanie Lau, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, whose lab made the serendipitous finding.

Study results appeared online Sept. 25 in Nature Physics.

Graphene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings. Bearing excellent material properties, such as high current-carrying capacity and thermal conductivity, this "wonder material" is ideally suited for creating components for semiconductor circuits and computers.

Because of the planar and chicken wire-like structure of graphene, its sheets lend themselves well to stacking in what is called 'Bernal stacking,' the stacking fashion of graphene sheets.

In a Bernal-stacked bilayer, one corner of the hexagons of the second sheet is located above the center of the hexagons of the bottom sheet. In Bernal-stacked trilayer (ABA), the top (third) sheet is exactly on top of the lowest sheet. In rhombohedral-stacked (ABC) trilayer, the top sheet is shifted by the distance of an atom, so that the top (third) sheet and the lowest sheet form a Bernal stacking as well.

"The most stable form of trilayer graphene is ABA, which behaves like a metal," Lau explained. "Amazingly, if we simply shift the entire topmost layer by the distance of a single atom, the trilayer -- now with ABC or rhombohedral stacking -- becomes insulating. Why this happens is not clear as yet. It could be induced by electronic interactions. We eagerly await an explanation from theorists!"

Her lab used Raman spectroscopy to examine the graphene devices' stacking orders. Next the lab plans to investigate the nature of the insulating state in ABC-stacked graphene. In this kind of stacked graphene, they also plan to study the band gap -- a range in energy, critical for digital applications, in which no electrons can exist.

"The presence of the gap in ABC-stacked graphene that arises, we believe, from enhanced electronic interactions is interesting since it is not expected from theoretical calculations," Lau said. "Understanding this gap is particularly important for the major challenge of band gap engineering in graphene electronics."

Besides graphene, Lau studies nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Her research has helped physicists gain fundamental understanding of how atoms and electrons behave when they are ruled by quantum mechanics. Her lab studies novel electrical properties that arise from the quantum confinement of atoms and charges to nanoscale systems. Her research team has shown that graphene can act as an atomic-scale billiard table, with electric charges acting as billiard balls.

Her other research interests include superconductivity, thermal management and electronic transport in nanostructures, and engineering new classes of nanoscale devices.

An educational component of Lau's research effort is the active involvement of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, especially minority and women, in her cutting-edge research, taking advantage of the ethnic diversity of UCR's student population and local communities. She is a founding faculty member of the UCR Undergraduate Research Journal. She also organized a "Women in Physics" lunch group that provides a friendly platform for female students, postdocs and faculty members to interact.

After receiving her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Chicago in 1994, Lau proceeded to Harvard University from where she received her master's and doctoral degrees in physics in 1997 and 2001, respectively. She joined UCR in 2004, after an appointment as a research associate in the Hewlett-Packard Laboratory.

Lau's awards and honors include a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 2009; a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2008; the Richter Fellowship for Undergraduate Research, 1992; a David W. Grainger Senior Scholarship, 1993; and a Robert T. Poe Faculty Development Grant from the Chinese-American Faculty Association of Southern California, 2007. She has published more than 60 research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Lau, a member of UCR's Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, was joined in the research by W. Bao (the first author of the research paper), L. Jing, J. Velasco Jr., Y. Lee, G. Liu, D. Tran and M. Bockrath at UCR; B. Stanley at Caltech; M. Aykol and S. B. Cronin at the University of Southern California; D. Smirnov at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Fla.; M. Koshino at Tohoku University, Japan; and E. McCann at Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

The research was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, and the Focus Center for Functional Engineered Nano Architectonics.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of California - Riverside.

Journal Reference:

W. Bao, L. Jing, J. Velasco, Y. Lee, G. Liu, D. Tran, B. Standley, M. Aykol, S. B. Cronin, D. Smirnov, M. Koshino, E. McCann, M. Bockrath, C. N. Lau. Stacking-dependent band gap and quantum transport in trilayer graphene. Nature Physics, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nphys2103

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Nano bundles pack a powerful punch: Solid-state energy storage takes a leap forward

ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2011) — Rice University researchers have created a solid-state, nanotube-based supercapacitor that promises to combine the best qualities of high-energy batteries and fast-charging capacitors in a device suitable for extreme environments.

A paper from the Rice lab of chemist Robert Hauge, to be published in the journal Carbon, reported the creation of robust, versatile energy storage that can be deeply integrated into the manufacture of devices. Potential uses span on-chip nanocircuitry to entire power plants.

Standard capacitors that regulate flow or supply quick bursts of power can be discharged and recharged hundreds of thousands of times. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), generally known as supercapacitors, are hybrids that hold hundreds of times more energy than a standard capacitor, like a battery, while retaining their fast charge/discharge capabilities.

But traditional EDLCs rely on liquid or gel-like electrolytes that can break down in very hot or cold conditions. In Rice's supercapacitor, a solid, nanoscale coat of oxide dielectric material replaces electrolytes entirely.

The researchers also took advantage of scale. The key to high capacitance is giving electrons more surface area to inhabit, and nothing on Earth has more potential for packing a lot of surface area into a small space than carbon nanotubes.

When grown, nanotubes self-assemble into dense, aligned structures that resemble microscopic shag carpets. Even after they're turned into self-contained supercapacitors, each bundle of nanotubes is 500 times longer than it is wide. A tiny chip may contain hundreds of thousands of bundles.

For the new device, the Rice team grew an array of 15-20 nanometer bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes up to 50 microns long. Hauge, a distinguished faculty fellow in chemistry, led the effort with former Rice graduate students Cary Pint, first author of the paper and now a researcher at Intel, and Nolan Nicholas, now a researcher at Matric.

The array was then transferred to a copper electrode with thin layers of gold and titanium to aid adhesion and electrical stability. The nanotube bundles (the primary electrodes) were doped with sulfuric acid to enhance their conductive properties; then they were covered with thin coats of aluminum oxide (the dielectric layer) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (the counterelectrode) through a process called atomic layer deposition (ALD). A top electrode of silver paint completed the circuit.

"Essentially, you get this metal/insulator/metal structure," said Pint. "No one's ever done this with such a high-aspect-ratio material and utilizing a process like ALD."

Hauge said the new supercapacitor is stable and scaleable. "All solid-state solutions to energy storage will be intimately integrated into many future devices, including flexible displays, bio-implants, many types of sensors and all electronic applications that benefit from fast charge and discharge rates," he said.

Pint said the supercapacitor holds a charge under high-frequency cycling and can be naturally integrated into materials. He envisioned an electric car body that is a battery, or a microrobot with an onboard, nontoxic power supply that can be injected for therapeutic purposes into a patient's bloodstream.

Pint said it would be ideal for use under the kind of extreme conditions experienced by desert-based solar cells or in satellites, where weight is also a critical factor. "The challenge for the future of energy systems is to integrate things more efficiently. This solid-state architecture is at the cutting edge," he said.

Co-authors of the paper include graduate student Zhengzong Sun; James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, and Howard Schmidt, adjunct assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, all of Rice; Sheng Xu, a former graduate student at Harvard; and Roy Gordon, the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, who developed ALD.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Rice University.

Journal Reference:

Cary L. Pint, Nolan W. Nicholas, Sheng Xu, Zhengzong Sun, James M. Tour, Howard K. Schmidt, Roy G. Gordon, Robert H. Hauge. Three dimensional solid-state supercapacitors from aligned single-walled carbon nanotube array templates. Carbon, 2011; 49 (14): 4890 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2011.07.011

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Catching killer saltwater crocodile 'like a feast'

Villagers and hunters in a remote southern Philippine region are so enthralled with nabbing a one-tonne crocodile that could be one of the biggest caught alive in the world that the hunt is on for an even larger beast that may be lurking in the creeks.

The 6.1-metre saltwater crocodile, nicknamed Lolong, is about to become the star attraction of a planned ecotourism park -- unless it is upstaged by an even larger reptile that may be still be on the loose.

Lolong was trapped over the weekend after a three-week hunt in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province, where terrified villagers have reported at least one deadly attack by the huge reptiles.

The crocodile — weighing 1,075 kilograms and estimated to be at least 50 years old — is the biggest caught alive in the Philippines in recent years. Wildlife officials were trying to confirm whether it was the largest such catch in the world, said Theresa Mundita Lim of the government's Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau.

'The villagers were saying 10 per cent of their fear was gone because of the first capture. But there is still the other 90 per cent to take care of.'—Ronnie Sumiller, wildlife official

Guinness World Records lists a saltwater crocodile caught in Australia as the largest crocodile in captivity, measuring 5.48 metres. Saltwater crocodiles can live for more than 100 years and grow to seven metres. Relieved villagers in Bunawan threw a fiesta to celebrate the capture of the crocodile, which had to be pulled by rope by about 100 people from the creek to a clearing, where a crane lifted it onto a truck.

"It was like a feast, so many villagers turned up," Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said.

Wildlife official Ronnie Sumiller, who has hunted "nuisance crocodiles" for 20 years and led the team behind the capture in Bunawan, said a search was underway for a possibly larger crocodile he and villagers have seen roaming in the farming town's marshy outskirts.

"There is a bigger one and it could be the one creating problems," Sumiller told The Associated Press by telephone from Bunawan, about 830 kilometres southeast of Manila.

"The villagers were saying 10 per cent of their fear was gone because of the first capture," Sumiller said. "But there is still the other 90 per cent to take care of."

Backed by five village hunters he has trained, Sumiller has set 20 steel cable traps with an animal carcass as bait along the creek where the first crocodile was caught and in a nearby vast marshland.

Sumiller said he found no human remains when he induced the captured crocodile to vomit.

He said he was also summoned by Bunawan officials two years ago after a huge crocodile attacked and ate a child from a capsized boat in the marshland. The crocodile was not found at the time.

Elorde said he plans to make the captured crocodile "the biggest star" in an ecotourism park to be built to increase awareness of villagers and potential tourists of the vital role the dreaded reptiles play in the ecosystem.

Philippine laws strictly prohibit civilians from killing endangered crocodiles, with violators facing up to 12 years in prison and a fine of $24,000 US.

The world's most endangered freshwater variety, Crocodylus mindorensis, is found only in the Philippines, where only about 250 are known to be in the wild.

About 1,000 of the larger saltwater type, or Crocodylus porosus, like the one captured in Bunawan, are scattered mostly in the country's southern swamplands, wildlife official Glen Rebong said.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the enormous crocodile was captured because it was a threat to the community but added that the reptiles are a reminder that the country's remaining rich habitats need to be constantly protected.

Crocodiles have been hunted in the country by poachers hoping to cash in on the high demand in wealthy Asian countries for their skin, which is coveted for vanity products ranging from bags to cellphone cases.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Understanding next-generation electronic devices: Smallest atomic displacements ever

ScienceDaily (Sep. 3, 2011) — An international team of scientists has developed a novel X-ray technique for imaging atomic displacements in materials with unprecedented accuracy. They have applied their technique to determine how a recently discovered class of exotic materials -- multiferroics -- can be simultaneously both magnetically and electrically ordered. Multiferroics are also candidate materials for new classes of electronic devices.

The discovery, a major breakthrough in understanding multiferroics, is published in Science dated 2 September 2011.

The authors comprise scientists from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble (France), the University of Oxford and the University College London (both UK). Helen Walker from the ESRF is the main author of the publication.

Everybody is familiar with the idea that magnets are polarized with a north and a south pole, which is understood to arise from the alignment of magnet moments carried by atoms in magnetic materials. Certain other materials, known as ferroelectrics, exhibit a similar effect for electrical polarisation. The exotic "multiferroic" materials combine both magnetic and ferroelectric polarizations, and can exhibit a strong coupling between the two phenomena.

This leads to the strange effect that a magnetic field can electrically polarise the material, and an electric field magnetise it. A class of strong multiferroics was discovered ten years ago and has since led to a new, rapidly growing field of research, also motivated by the promise of their exotic properties for new electronic devices. One example is a new type of electronic memory, in which an electric field writes data into the memory and a magnetic detector is used to read it. This process is faster, and uses less energy than today's hard disk drives.

However, the origin of the electric polarisation in multiferroics remained mostly elusive to date. The team's work unambiguously shows that the polarization in the multiferroic studied proceeds from the relative displacement of charges of different signs, rather than the transfer of charge from one atom to another.

As the displacement involves a high number of electrons, even small distances can lead to significant polarisation. The actual distance of the displacement still came as a surprise: about 20 femtometres, or about 1/100,000th of the distance between the atoms in the material. Measuring such small displacements was actually believed to be impossible.

"I think that everyone involved was surprised, if not staggered, by the result that we can now image the position of atoms with such accuracy. The work is testament to the fantastic facilities available in Grenoble to the UK science community," says Prof. Des McMorrow, Deputy Director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology, leader of the UCL part of the project.

Walker and her colleagues developed a smart new experimental technique exploiting the interference between two competing processes: charge and magnetic scattering of a powerful, polarized X-ray beam. They studied a single crystal of TbMnO3 which shows a strong multiferroic coupling at temperatures below 30K, and were able to measure the displacements of specific atoms within it with an accuracy approaching one femtometre (10-15m). The atoms themselves are spaced apart 100,000 times this distance.

The new interference scattering technique has set a world record for accuracy in absolute measurements of atomic displacements. (It is also the first measurement of magnetostriction in antiferromagnets.) Most significantly the identification of the origin of ferroelectricty in a multiferroic material is a major step forward in the design of multiferroics for practical applications.

"By revealing the driving mechanism behind multiferroics, which offer so many potential applications, it underlines how experiments designed to understand the fundamental physics of materials can have an impact on the wider world," concludes Dr. Helen Walker who led the work at the ESRF.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

H. C. Walker, F. Fabrizi, L. Paolasini, F. De Bergevin, J. Herrero-Martin, A. T. Boothroyd, D. Prabhakaran, D. F. Mcmorrow. Femtoscale Magnetically Induced Lattice Distortions in Multiferroic TbMnO3. Science, 2 September 2011: Vol. 333 no. 6047 pp. 1273-1276 DOI: 10.1126/science.1208085

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Wireless Internet Comparison

There are several options today for going online with your laptop or cell phone while on the go. These mobile Internet access options range from using free wi-fi at a hotspot to having a mobile broadband (e.g., 3G) network device on your laptop or a mobile hotspot device for "anywhere, anytime" Internet access over a cellular network.

Although wi-fi and 3G can be considered complementary technologies, sometimes you have to choose one over the other for either budget reasons (mobile Internet data plans, especially for multiple devices, can be costly) or technological limitations (when the Apple iPad first came out, for example, users had to choose between getting a wi-fi-only model or wait for the version that offered 3G as well as wi-fi).

Here's a look at the pros and cons of different ways to stay connected while traveling or just on the run. (They're ordered below by least to most expensive options, but each has benefits and disadvantages.)

These are public locations (airports, hotels, coffeeshops) where you can connect your smartphone or laptop wirelessly to the establishment's Internet service. Pros: many hotspots are free, you can find them fairly easily in urban and suburban areas, and food and drinks are often available for purchaseCons: Can be costly even if it's free (you should buy the establishment's coffee/food/etc. That's rule #3 in The Starbuckian Handbook). Wi-Fi hotspots are also usually unsecured (no WPA encryption), and to use the hotspot you have to locate it first, then physically be within range of the hotspot's access point.Best for: using as an occasional virtual office or while traveling

More: What is a Wi-Fi Hotspot? | Directory of Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Internet cafes rent out computer workstations and sometimes also provide wi-fi Internet access.

Pros: You don't need to tote a laptop with you, the cafe may have printers/scanners available, and you can often also buy food or drinksCons: Fewer locations than wi-fi hotspots, can get expensive if you need to work on them for long periods of time, may be prone to viruses/other security issuesBest for: travelers (especially international travel), quick/emergency Internet needs

More: What is an Internet Cafe? | Internet Cafe Directories

On some cellular networks you can use your cell phone as a modem for your laptop to go online.

Pros: Go online anywhere you have a cellular signal, more secure web surfing than sending data over a public open wireless hotspot, depending on your cell phone provider you may not have to pay any extra fees (besides the cell phone's data plan)Cons: Reception can be spotty in some areas or conditions, slowest speed of these options, not allowed by some carriers and/or you may be charged extra for tetheringBest for: Internet access when there's no wi-fi available

More: What Is Tethering? | How to Tether | Bluetooth Tethering

Using a built-in mobile broadband card or a USB modem on your laptop or portable mobile hotspot device, you can get high speed wireless Internet on your laptop wherever you go.

Pros: Go online anywhere you have a cellular signal, speeds comparable to residential DSLCons: Reception can be spotty in some areas or conditions, usually metered or capped at 5GB per month of dataBest for: Occasional to regular Internet use in locations when there's no wi-fi available

More: What is Mobile Broadband? | Mobile Broadband Plans and Services | How To Get 4G or 3G on Your Laptop

Must be at the hotspot or cybercafe. Around 300,000 wi-fi hotspots around the worldOnly ~5,000 Internet cafes listed in cybercafe directoriesVirtually Everywhere: Connect wherever you can get a cellular signal. 3G/4G speeds not available in all marketsGenerally DSL or cable speeds from 768 kbps to 50 mbps. Wi-fi also is limited to the location's wi-fi protocol speed: 11 mbps to 54 mbpsNot as fast as wi-fi; <1 mbps (tethering) to over 10 mbps (for 4G). Tethering is slowest3G ranges from 1 to 1.5 mbps4G promises 10X the speed of 3GFree to ~$10/per hour Many hotspots are free. Frequent travelers may want a dedicated wi-fi Internet service plan for connecting to hotspots across the US and internationally with one account.Cybercafe rates typically reflect the country's cost of living. Many US cybercafes charge $10/hour, while cybercafes in Ecuador are about $1/hour.Mobile broadband is usually $60/month. Tethering usually costs the same but is in addition to the cell phone data plan.

View the original article here

Laptop Standby Mode

When using Standby mode it is important to remember that you must save your work before using Standby. Standby mode does not save work to the hard drive.

There are three options to use for setting Standby on your laptop. Your decision on which method to use will be based on how often you plan to use Standby. Closing the Lid and Using the Power Button are both methods that stay until you change the settings again. Selecting Standby from the ShutDown menu is a when you need it option.

Start ] Control PanelDobule-click Power OptionsSelect the Advanced Tab in the Power Options PropertiesSelect Standby in the When I close the lid of my portable computer.Click OK or Apply and then close the lid of your laptop.
Start ] Control PanelDouble-click Power OptionsSelect the Advanced tabSelect Standby in the When I press the power button on my computer.Click OK or Apply and then press the Power button.Note: Clicking OK will save new settings and closes the dialog box. Clicking Apply will save new settings but not close the dialog box.
Start ] ShutdownFrom the Shutdown window select StandbyClick OK

In order to disable Standby, just repeate the first steps and then select the new power option you want to use.

View the original article here

Revived EcoEnergy program to advise on energy use

The federal government is reviving an energy efficiency program meant to encourage consumers and companies to cut their energy use.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is putting $78 million over two years into collecting and spreading information about buying more efficient vehicles, houses, buildings and appliances.

He says the program will assess existing technology and encourage higher energy standards, leading to an anticipated reduction in emissions of four megatonnes by 2016.

The goal is to push provinces to strengthen their building codes, and to provide consumers with detailed information that will allow them to compare energy-efficient products to more conventional products.

The money will also help beef up energy efficiency measurements for appliances, and encourage better energy labelling and training for workers.

"These initiatives will help Canadians and Canadian businesses save money while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions," Oliver told reporters.

The funding only lasts two years because the government is facing budget constraints, Oliver said.

"We have to balance the environmental objectives with the fiscal situation."

Environmentalists welcomed the announcement, but said it was only a small fraction of what is needed to get Canadians to embrace a more energy-efficient lifestyle.

Tim Weis with the Pembina Institute said the government money will fund solid and useful information and set some higher standards, but it's a far cry from a co-ordinated national strategy with concrete targets to improve energy use.

"It's a foundation to build on," he said.

The program launched Wednesday is the latest version of the EcoEnergy efficiency initiative, a multibillion-dollar program that began in 2007 but expired last March.

In the last budget, the wildly popular home-retrofit side of the EcoEnergy program was extended for one year, with $400 million. At the same time, the government set aside an additional $86 million over two years to promote energy efficiency, but did not release details on how the money would be spent.

Wednesday's announcement explains the renewal of the smaller and less-known efficiency initiatives. Officials did not immediately respond to requests to explain why the amount of money had dropped to $78 million from $86 million.

Oliver stressed that the $78 million investment will create jobs, but added that he did not have a number for new positions.

Rather, officials explained that department would spend the money on research, analysis and gathering information which would encourage industry to invest in energy-efficient options for consumers -- indirectly creating green jobs.

"This is about job creation and a clean energy future for Canadians," Oliver said.

Ottawa has committed to a 2020 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels, mainly by regulating industrial production in lock-step with the United States.

Environment Canada has attributed much of the rise in emissions over the past decade to an increase in oil-and-gas production and a surge in vans, SUVs and trucks on the road.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

UMPCs and MIDs

With a 7" display, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the largest of this roundup. This slate tablet won't really fit into your pocket, but can be held comfortably in one hand and is very portable, and slightly smaller than the iPad. The Galaxy Tab runs Android, provides over 7 hours of movie playback, offers front and rear facing cameras, supports multiple HD video formats, and has 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. Slated for release with all major US wireless carriers in the fall of 2010 at an expected price under $300.

View the original article here

WEP Definition

Definition:

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is a security protocol for wireless networks. It was introduced as part of the original 802.11 wireless protocol in 1997 and intended to match the security level of wired networks.

We know today that WEP is not a very secure protocol, easily cracked by software within minutes. It has since been replaced by stronger wireless encryption protocols, WPA and WPA2. Unfortunately, WEP is still being used on some wireless networks, likely creating a false sense of security.

View the original article here

Hotspot Definition

Definition:

Wireless (or wi-fi) hotspots are essentially wireless access points providing network and/or Internet access to mobile devices like your laptop or smartphone, typically in public locations. To put it more simply, they're places where you can take your laptop or other mobile device and wirelessly connect to the Internet; some devices and smartphones also act as mobile wi-fi hotspots.

Typical wi-fi hotspot venues include cafes, libraries, airports, and hotels. Though many are free, some hotspots require a subscription or service with a particular mobile provider (e.g., Starbucks has exclusive deals with T-Mobile and AT&T customers).

Connecting to a hotspot and using its Internet connection basically works the same as other home or business wireless connection set up steps: Your wireless-equipped laptop or other device, such as an iPod or smartphone, will typically notify you when it is in range of available wireless networks. (If you don't get the "wireless networks are available" information prompt, you can go into your network settings to find available wireless networks.) You then just accept or initiate the connection to the hotspot's wireless network, which is usually identified in the network name (SSID). Some network cards will even automatically connect to the hotspot once it is in range, but this is generally a bad idea; for security's sake, follow our friend Bradley Mitchell's instructions for turning off automatic connections to unsecured access points.

More: Step by Step Wi-Fi Connection Tutorial

One more connection note: if the wi-fi hotspot network is encrypted or hidden, you would need to get the security key and/or SSID information from the hotspot service provider to be able to locate and properly establish the network connection. Also, before allowing you to use their Internet connection, most hotspots will require you to accept their terms and conditions (which will generally require you to be a decent, law-abiding Internet citizen).

View the original article here

VPN Troubleshooting

For a remote worker or telecommuter, having no VPN connection to the office can be almost as bad as having no Internet connection at all. If you're having trouble setting up or connecting to your company's VPN, here are a few things you can try on your own before enlisting your company's IT Department for their help. (Also, VPN issues tend to be on the client's side rather than the company network, though that's not unheard of either.) Be sure to only try the settings/changes you are comfortable with, and rely on your company's IT support for any other troubleshooting.

Your employer's IT Department will have provided you with instructions and login information for the VPN, and possibly a software client to install. Make sure the configuration settings are entered exactly as specified; re-enter the login information just in case.

Fire up your browser and try visiting a few different sites to make sure your Internet access is really working. If you're on a wireless network and have Internet connection or signal strength problems, you'll need to first solve wireless connection problems before you can use VPN.

SSL VPNs and some remote access solutions work over just a browser (rather than requiring a software client), but often they only work with certain browsers (usually, Internet Explorer). Make sure you're using a browser supported by your type of VPN, check for browser updates, and watch out for any notifications in the browser window that may require your attention before allowing you to connect (e.g., Active X controls).

If you're using a laptop, visit a free wi-fi hotspot and try the VPN from there. If you're able to use VPN over the hotspot's network, the problem lies somewhere with your home network. The next couple of tips can help troubleshoot possible home network settings that can cause VPN problems.

VPN won't work if your home computer appears to be locally connected to the remote office -- i.e., if your IP address is in the same grouping range of IP address numbers (IP subnet) that your company's network uses. An example of this is if your computer's IP address is 192.168.1.[1-255] and the company's network also uses the 192.168.1.[1-255] addressing scheme.

If you don't know your company's IP subnet, you'll have to contact your IT Department to find out. To find your computer's IP address in Windows, go to Start > Run... and type in cmd to launch a command window. In that window, type in ipconfig /all and hit Enter. Look for your network adapter and check the "IP Address" field.

To fix a situation where your home network IP subnet is the same as the company's subnet, you'll need to make some changes in your home router's settings. Go to your router's configuration page (check the manual for the administration URL) and change the router's IP address so that the first three blocks of numbers in the IP address are different from the company network's IP subnet, e.g., 192.168.2.1. Also find the the DHCP Server settings, and change it so the router gives out IP addresses to clients in the 192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.255 address range.

Some routers don't support VPN passthrough (a feature on the router that allows traffic to go freely through to the Internet) and/or protocols that are necessary for certain types of VPNs to work. When purchasing a new router, be sure to check if it is labeled as supporting VPN.

If you're having problems connecting to VPN with your current router, do a web search on your router's specific brand and model plus the word "VPN" to see if there are reports of it not working with VPN -- and if there are any fixes. Your router's manufacturer may offer a firmware upgrade that may enable VPN support. If not, you may need to get a new home router, but contact your company's tech support first for more advice.

On your home network, check your router and personal firewall configuration settings for these options:

VPN Passthrough: There may be an option, usually in the security settings, to enable IPSec or PPTP (the two most common types of VPN) Passthrough. Your IT Dept. may tell you what kind of VPN your company is using, but, if not, you can enable both. Note: not all routers have this setting, and it doesn't necessarily mean VPN won't work for you if it's missing. It is reassuring to have, though, and lets you know your router is VPN-friendly.Port Forwarding & Protocols: Your firewall (within the router and separately in any installed firewall programs) may need to have specific ports forwarded and protocols opened. IPSec VPNs need to have UDP port 500 (IKE) forwarded, and protocols 50 (ESP) and 51 (AH) opened. For PPTP, Microsoft's VPN tunneling protocol, you'll need TCP port 1723 forwarded and IP protocol 47 (GRE) enabled.

Don't worry if this sounds very complex. First, check your router's manual or website documentation for anything that says "VPN" and you should find the information (with illustrations) you need for your specific device. Also, Tom's Guide to Getting VPN to work through NAT firewalls offers screenshots of these settings using a Linksys router.

If all else fails, at least you can tell your IT guys you tried! Let them know the workarounds you tried, the kind of set up you have (type of router, Internet connection, operating system, etc.), and any error messages you received.

Feel free to also discuss VPN or other mobile office topics in our forum.

View the original article here

Mosaid board rejects Wi-LAN's takeover bid

Wi-LAN's patents include V-Chip, which gives parents control over inappropriate content on television. The chip is held by inventor Tom Collings. Wi-LAN

Mosaid Technologies Inc.'s board is formally rejecting the unsolicited $480-million takeover offer from Wi-LAN Inc. (TSX:WIN), another patent licensing firm based in Ottawa.

The board says the offer of $38 cash per share (TSX:MSD) is too low and doesn't reflect the value of Mosaid's future prospects.

The board's rejection had been widely anticipated. In announcing the offer on Aug. 17, Wi-LAN said it was going directly to Mosaid shareholders because the company's board had rebuffed overtures several times over the years.

Mosaid also bolstered its defensive position last week by announcing it will acquire control over about 2,000 patents and patent applications originally filed by mobile giant Nokia.

Under the deal, Mosaid is buying Luxembourg-based Core Wireless Licensing, which has a portfolio of 400 Nokia patent families.

Mosaid will pay for the acquisition through royalties from future licensing and enforcement revenues.

"Even before Mosaid acquired the Core Wireless patents, Wi-LAN's offer was clearly inadequate and highly opportunistic — it is only more so now," said Carl Schlachte, chairman of the Mosaid board, said in a statement Wednesday.

Wi-LAN and Mosaid generate most of their revenue by licensing technology rights to large telecom and computer chip makers, which have recently demonstrated that they're willing to pay hundreds of millions or even billions for patents.

The value of patents has been highlighted by the auction of 6,000 patents from now-bankrupt Nortel Networks Inc.. A group including BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (TSX:RIM), and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) paid US$4.5 billion in June for the portfolio after a competitive auction.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Police help Apple hunt for lost iPhone prototype

Apple tracked the smartphone to a San Francisco home using GPS technology, but the gadget wasn't found there, said Lt. Troy Dangerfield. CBC

San Francisco police officers helped Apple Inc. investigators look for a missing iPhone prototype that was left in a city restaurant in July, the police chief said, the second time in two years the company has lost an unreleased smartphone.

Police Chief Greg Suhr told the San Francisco Chronicle that four plainclothes officers accompanied two Apple investigators who searched a San Francisco home for the iPhone prototype.

Apple employees who contacted the department asking for help finding a lost item conducted the house search after asking the resident's permission, and the officers did not enter the home, according to police.

Apple tracked the smartphone to the home using GPS technology, but the gadget wasn't found there, said Lt. Troy Dangerfield.

Apple officials have declined to comment on the case.

The Cupertino, California-based company is reportedly planning to release a new version of its popular iPhone this fall.

The SF Weekly newspaper reported that Sergio Calderon, who lives in the home, said he believed all six people were police officers and would not have let the two investigators inside if he knew they worked for Apple.

Suhr said he didn't know how the Apple employees presented themselves to Calderon.

"The reason we do civil standby is to make sure there isn't a problem," Suhr told the Chronicle. "Whatever conversations the employees had with the resident, I can't say."

Suhr said it's not uncommon for San Francisco police officers to help private investigators.

There was no record of the officers' involvement in the search because Apple did not want a lost property report created, which was within the company's right, Suhr said.

Last week, two men were charged with misdemeanours for selling a lost Apple iPhone 4 they found in March 2010 in a Redwood City, California, bar. That phone was sold to the gadget blog Gizmodo.com for $5,000, prosecutors said.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Strip/Basic Layout

This is the most simple and basic layout. When space is at a premium, the strip/basic layout is probably the best to start with. It is the most economical and provides you with the workspace you need to begin working.

It is quite easy to add-on or build upon this layout to create others that you have seen or wish to design later. A strip/basic layout can be used in a variety of spaces especially when sharing living space is required.

View the original article here

King crabs invade Antarctic waters

Antarctic shelf waters have been too cold for king crabs for the last 14 million years or so, said researcher Craig Smith. Katrien Heirman, Ghent University

Giant king crabs are invading the waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, which are warming with climate change, say researchers.

Craig Smith, a professor of oceanography at the University of Hawaii, and colleagues, reported their findings on king crabs (Neolithodes yaldwyni) Wednesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"For the last 14 million years or so, these kinds of crabs have been excluded from the Antarctic shelf waters because it's too cold for them," said Smith. "But on the Antarctic Peninsula, the water is warming very rapidly."

Smith and colleagues stumbled across the large population of king crabs while studying the sea floor off the West Antarctic Peninsula for the effects of climate change.

"As soon as we saw them, we realized how significant they might be so we did a careful survey," said Smith.

The researchers used a remotely-operated robotic vehicle, connected to a fibre optic cable, to observe the crabs in an underwater basin off the Antarctic Peninsula called the Palmer Deep.

The researchers found 42 crabs, including a female carrying eggs, lurking on the sea floor between 1400 metres and 850 metres deep at temperatures above 1.4C.

They estimate there is a population of more than one million crabs in the Palmer Deep.

In Antarctica, the surface waters are cooler than water lower down, and this has so far excluded the king crabs from rising above a certain depth.

The researchers measured the temperature of the water at different depths and looked at past records to work out the rate at which the water there is warming.

Based on this they calculated that the crabs probably colonized the Palmer Deep 30 to 40 years ago and will invade the rest of the shelf in the next two decades.

"It looks like within the next 20 years or so the water up on the shelf at 500 metres will be warm enough for them," said Smith.

King crabs have 12-centimetre wide bodies and extend 40 centimetres from tip to tip of their legs.

"They can crush clams and other kinds of animals with hard shells so they are very voracious predators," said Smith.

"They also forage very actively in the sediments. They dig through sediments and capture animals for feeding."

For several millions of years, the native fauna of Antarctica have evolved in the absence of such predators, and are therefore very vulnerable to the crabs, said Smith.

He and colleagues surveyed for echinoderms, such as sea urchins, sea lilies and starfish, which are known prey of king crabs.

"We saw none of those in the 'crab zone', but when we went 100 metres above we saw lots of them," said Smith.

They also found the overall number of different species in the crab zone was much lower than above it.

"It looks like the crabs are causing local extinctions of a variety of species that have evolved in the Antarctic," said Smith.

The researchers also observed the crabs feeding and digging for animals in the sediment, and making traces in the sediment as they moved around.

Smith says the crabs are not only reducing biodiversity but also changing the geochemistry of the sediment through eating the animals in it.

"As these crabs invade the Antarctic they are changing the natural ecosystem there," he says. "We call them ecosystem engineers"

Smith says the next step is to find out more about where the crabs are coming from.

They are many thousands of kilometres away from the Ross Sea, south of New Zealand, where single individual king crabs have previously been found.

Because the Antarctic Pensinsula is warming faster than anywhere else in Antarctica, this is where king crab invasions are expected to occur fast, says Smith.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Disable Ad Hoc

In the window that is now visible - check to see whether you Any available network (access point preferred), Access point (infrastructure) networks only or Computer-to-computer (ad hoc)networks only has been checked.

If either Any available network (access point preferred) or Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only have been checked then you want to change that selection to Access point (infrastructure) network only.

View the original article here

Laptop History

A visitor has written in asking about the history of laptops, who designed the first one and why laptops were created.Answer: I'll answer this with the last question first. Laptops were designed and created so that workers could have a more portable way to work and work in different locations.
The early laptops did not resemble the laptop we know today in any way shape or form. They were very heavy, had very small displays, and lacked hard drives; everything ran from the RAM or floppy disks. Early laptops were very bulky and not sleek at all.

In 1981 the Osborne Computer Company released the Osborne 1, which when closed up, looked similar to a sewing machine case. It was powered by an electrical connection with an optional battery backup, used two 5 ¼" floppy drives (mounted to the right and left of the display), and included a modem port. The display was only 5-inches wide and could show only 52 characters per line. I think you could consider the Osborne to be the first rugged laptop.

Gavilan introduced the Gavilan Mobile Computer in 1983. It featured the clamshell design where the screen folded over the keyboard when closed, weighed in at 9 pounds, and could run on nickel-cadmium batteries for close to 9 hours.

Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Model 100 (also in 1983)and the TRS – 80 Model 200 in 1986. This later model was more compact, had a larger display and better battery power, and included built-in software. I remember using the TRS-80 (Trash 80) for creating simple documents and thinking this was pretty high tech at that time. It was certainly more fun than using a typewriter.

IBM released its version of a laptop computer - the 5155 Portable Personal Computer in 1984. It had two double-sided 5 ¼" drives and 640K RAM. Like all laptops to this point, the 5155 didn't support graphics and was used for text-based information processing only.

Compaq broke the graphics barrier in 1988 when it introduced the SLT/286 Laptop. It weighed in at a hefty 14 pounds , and had a 1.44 floppy drive and 286 processor. NEC joined the party with the NEC UltraLite, which weighed just 4.4 pounds and had overall dimensions of 11.75" (W) X 1.4" (H) X 8.3" (D).

Macintosh came onto the laptop scene in 1989 with the Macintosh Portable. It weighed between 16 and 17 pounds (yikes!) and had a 9.8-inch 640 x 400 active matrix screen. Its best feature was an operation time of close to 10 hours on a lead-acid battery. These early laptops evolved into the PowerBook line and now the MacBook line.

The 1990s saw the release of faster, sleeker machines with more storage, more ports and connectors, improved displays, and a concentration on keeping the weight down. The Apple Macintosh PowerBook line and the IBM ThinkPads became major contenders of the times.

Companies now create new laptops with faster processors and more features packed in smaller packages and they are very different from the original portable computing solutions.

View the original article here

Cloud Computing Overview

Answer:

The terms "cloud computing" and "working in the cloud" refer to performing computer tasks using services delivered entirely over the Internet. Cloud computing is a movement away from applications needing to be installed on an individual's computer towards the applications being hosted online. (The "cloud" refers to the Internet and was inspired by technical flow charts and diagrams, which tend to use a cloud symbol to represent the Internet.)

Web-based email services like Gmail and Hotmail deliver a cloud computing service: users can access their email "in the cloud" from any computer with a browser and Internet connection, regardless of what kind of hardware is on that particular computer. The emails are hosted on Google's and Microsoft's servers, rather than being stored locally on the client computer.

Over the last few years we've seen tremendous growth in cloud computing, as witnessed by the many popular Web apps used today, including: VoIP (e.g., Skype, Google Voice), social applications (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), media services (e.g., Picassa, YouTube, Flickr), content distribution (e.g., BitTorrent), financial apps (e.g., Mint), and many more. Even traditional desktop software, such as Microsoft Office, has moved in part to the Web, starting with its Office 2010 Web Apps.

The applications mentioned above refer to software solutions provided over the Internet, or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Other cloud computing services include virtual server storage (Infrastructure-as-a-Service or IaaS), such as Amazon Web Services, and software and product development tools (Platform-as-a-Service or PaaS), such as Google Apps.

Cloud services free businesses and consumers from having to invest in hardware or install software on their devices. They reduce maintenance and hardware upgrading needs; because the solutions are all Web-based, even older computers can be used to access cloud services.

For mobile workers especially, cloud computing provides incredible flexibility: professionals can work from any computing device anywhere as long as they have access to the Web. It also makes collaboration easier, since distributed teams (or a combination of mobile workers and in-office staff) can work on shared information stored centrally in the cloud via, for example, online groupware applications.

There are also some issues or obstacles to cloud computing. An Internet connection is obviously necessary to take full advantage of a cloud service. When you're offline--or if there are any disruptions with the cloud service itself--the data may not be accessible at all. (Some cloud apps, like Gmail, have offline capability; others, like Mint, require an Internet connection. The notetaking application, Evernote, offers a good in-between or hybrid solution, with both desktop/phone software and an online service that syncs your notes to the cloud.)

Another issue with cloud computing besides availability is security. Individuals and companies may not be comfortable storing information--especially proprietary or sensitive data--on someone else's server on the Internet.

The issues of trust and reliability will be critical for cloud services to resolve before everyone truly moves to the cloud. Assurances of encryption technologies, privacy protection, and solutions for offline accessibility should go far towards that end. For now, cloud computing's greatest beneficiaries may be remote workers, as Web-based apps empower us to be truly mobile and still accomplish our work.

View the original article here

Definition of Remote Access

Definition:

In broad terms, remote access refers to workers being able to access data or resources from a remote location. Traditional remote access solutions used dial-up technologies to allow employees to connect to an office network via telephone networks connecting to remote access servers.

Virtual Private Networking (VPN) has replaced this traditional physical connection between the remote client and the server by creating a secure tunnel over a public network (e.g., the Internet).

The term "remote access," however, still refers to remote users being able to access internal company resources. So, while VPN is the technology for securely connecting two private networks (and can also mean secure connections between two large private networks), remote access VPNs generally refer to individual employees or "clients" connecting to the "host" corporate network.

Beyond just connecting to remote resources, however, remote access solutions may also enable users to control the host computer over the Internet from any location. With "remote desktop" software, you can operate a remote computer as if you were seated in front of it.

Often used interchangeably with: VPN

Examples

Popular remote access software solutions that let you remotely access and control your computer include GoToMyPC, RealVNC, and LogMeIn.

Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection client, which allows you to remotely control another computer, is built into Windows XP and later versions of Windows and also available for Mac users. Apple also offers Apple Remote Desktop software for network administrators to manage Mac computers on a network.

View the original article here

Slate Tablets Comparison

Tablets Comparison: iPad vs. Galaxy Tab vs. HP Slate 500 side-by-side comparison of the Apple iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the HP Slate 500 - See full-size table

Melanie Pinola

Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and HP's Slate 500 are often mentioned as competing in the same slate tablets space. As you see in the comparison chart, these three tablet computers are pretty similar in terms of screen resolution, touch input, and wi-fi connectivity.

Which one is best for you will ultimately depend on things like your operating system and software preference (Apple apps or Android? or full-fledged Win7?), need for camera for video conferencing/calling, and 3G/4G availability. Here's some info to help you make your decsion:

Apple iPad: the ground-breaking "magical and revolutionary device" which has set the initial bar for popular slate tablets. Among the iPad's advantages: hundreds of thousands of apps, the broadest support from third-party developers and product manufacturers, and a large and beautiful screen.
Samsung Galaxy Tab: This Android tablet has a slightly smaller form factor, dual cameras, is nearly 1/2 the iPad's weight, and is carried on all four major US wireless providers. Depending on your configuration, it could also be less expensive than the iPad.
HP Slate 500: is targeted towards business users. Besides offering the robust Windows 7 operating system, the Slate 500 is also the only one of these tablets to be optimized for inking (use of digital pen or stylus input) -- excellent for note-takers and artists alike.

See the next page for an additional comparison that includes RIM Playbook and Cisco Cius, both more enterprise/business-friendly devices...

View the original article here

Vancouver firm settles sex-images lawsuit

A Vancouver-based software company has settled a lawsuit by an Ohio woman who claimed her privacy was violated when the firm took naked images of her from a stolen computer.

Susan Clements-Jeffrey, a teacher in Springfield, alleged that Absolute Software Inc. improperly lifted the webcam images along with instant messages and gave them to police as part of the company's attempt to retrieve the laptop, which she didn’t know was stolen.

The lawsuit, which was scheduled to go to trial Sept. 12, was settled Tuesday with lawyers saying they couldn't comment.

A federal judge ruled late last month that because Clements-Jeffrey did not realize the laptop she bought for $60 was stolen, she could argue that she had an expectation of privacy.

Clements-Jeffrey had also sued Springfield police, alleging they illegally disclosed the images and arrested her without a proper warrant.

Springfield city officials and Absolute Software denied the claims.

The case dates to 2008 when someone stole a laptop belonging to a vocational student at the Clark County School District, according to court records.

A ninth-grade student at a different school bought the laptop at a bus station for $40, suspecting it was stolen, and sold it for $60 to Clements-Jeffrey, a teacher at his school, court records show.

Clements-Jeffrey, 52, used the laptop to trade messages and images with her out-of-state boyfriend, not realizing that software on the computer used to trace stolen laptops had been activated and was tracking the machine's location.

'A reasonable jury could also find that such conduct would cause of person of ordinary sensibilities to suffer shame and humiliation.'—U.S. District Court Judge Walter Rice

She was arrested on June 25, 2008 by Springfield police, who showed her copies of the sexually explicit images. But charges of receiving stolen property were quickly dropped.

Clements-Jeffrey and her boyfriend sued in March 2009.

U.S. District Court Judge Walter Rice refused to dismiss the lawsuit last month and sided with Clements-Jeffrey's arguments about why the case should continue.

Although the company "may have had a noble purpose, to assist the school district in recovering its stolen laptop, a reasonable jury could find that they crossed an impermissible boundary when they intercepted (the) plaintiffs' instant messages and webcam communications," the judge wrote.

"A reasonable jury could also find that such conduct would cause of person of ordinary sensibilities to suffer shame and humiliation," he wrote.

Because computer tracking software can't prove who was working on a stolen computer, it's common for companies to seize webcam images to prove who the culprit was, said Fred Cate, a professor of information law at Indiana University.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Virgin Mobile Ovation USB Modem Review

November 7, 2010 - Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go USB Modem, the Ovation MC760 manufactured by Novatel Wireless, is a handy little tool for getting online with your laptop or netbook on the go. With Virgin Mobile's new service plans offering unlimited data access for $40 a month with no contract, the $79.99 USB modem can be a great deal -- if you can get decent coverage from the Sprint 3G network, that is.

Unfortunately, although Virgin Mobile offers excellent service value and the device has a neat 2-in-1 feature my experience with the Ovation MC760 running on the Sprint network (Virgin Mobile is a Sprint subsidiary) was less than optimal. Though I had excellent signal strength and the coverage maps show I'm in an area (NYC suburbs) with good 3G coverage, Web pages took really long to load and often timed out. True, I'm used to 25MB speeds at home from Verizon FiOS, but it wasn't just a case of having to adjust for lower speed levels. The Virgin Mobile site says average downlink speeds on the service are 600 to 1400 Kbps (or 0.6 to 1.4 Mbps), but testing the modem speed at speedtest.net showed only a 0.11 Mbps download speed and 0.28 Mbps upload. Meanwhile, the speedtest on my Android device (T-Mobile network) showed 1.7 Mbps download and 0.53 Mbps upload results.

I also tested the Ovation USB modem on two other laptops, just in case, as well as in three different locations beyond my home, all with the same results.

View the original article here

Bluetooth Definition

Definition: Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows devices to communicate, or transmit data or voice, wirelessly over a short distance. Although the Bluetooth SIG doesn't offer a concise definition of Bluetooth, they describe it as "a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security."

"Bluetooth" technology, first developed in 1994, got its name from a 10th century Danish king named Harald Bluetooth, who was said to unite disparate, warring regional factions -- much like Bluetooth is intended to provide a common communication medium for technologies in different industries (e.g., computers, mobile phones, and automotive devices).

Operating in the same 2.4GHz spectrum as other wireless technologies, like some wi-fi 802.11 protocols, Bluetooth was intended as a wireless replacement for cables. With Bluetooth, you can send a page to print, for example, to a printer downstairs instead of having to connect your computer and printer with an unsightly USB cable. Bluetooth creates a 10-meter (33-foot) radius wireless network, called a Personal Area Network (PAN) or piconet, which can network between 2 and 8 devices.

Bluetooth range and transmission speeds are typically less than Wi-Fi (a.k.a., wireless LAN) capabilities. Bluetooth v3.0 + HS -- "Bluetooth high speed technology" -- devices can deliver up to 24 Mbps of data (faster than wireless-b, though slower than wireless-a or wireless-g). Despite these drawbacks, Bluetooth uses less power and costs less to implement than Wi-Fi and is generally considered a more secure wireless technology that's less prone to interference.

The Bluetooth 4.0 specification was officially adopted on July 6, 2010. Bluetooth version 4.0 features include: low energy consumption, low cost, multi-vendor interoperability, and enhanced range. The hallmark feature enhancement to the Bluetooth 4.0 spec is its low power requirements -- devices using Bluetooth v4.0 are optimized for low battery operation and can run off of small coin-cell batteries, opening up new opportunities for wireless technology. (Instead of fearing that leaving Bluetooth on will drain your cell phone's battery, for example, you can leave a Bluetooth v4.0 mobile phone connected all the time to your other Bluetooth accessories. In fact, you may be able to go years without charging your mobile device.)

Bluetooth, because it can simultaneously transmit both voice and data, has been widely adopted as the technology of choice for devices like hands-free headsets and auto in-dash GPS systems, which can communicate with a cell phone for hands-free calling and downloading real-time mapping data.

View the original article here

Wireless Q & A

Wireless technologies and mobile work tend to go hand in hand. Here's a quick overview of what you need to know about wireless protocols, security, and network connections for remote work.

What is 802.11? Should I invest in 802.11n (Wireless-N) devices? You'll often see wireless networks or network devices labeled as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n. These are wireless technology standards that differ in terms of device compatibility, how fast information can be sent and received over the network, and how far devices can reliably be from the wireless signal source. If you're deciding on whether to buy the newest 802.11n (or Wireless-N) network device versus the more common 802.11g (Wireless-G) hardware, consider your specific usage circumstances: can you upgrade all wireless devices connecting over the network to the same protocol? Will you be connecting to wireless hotspots that only support 802.11g? Which protocols are supported by your company office? In general, 802.11g offers the greatest compatibility, but the future is in 802.11n.

What is WEP/WPA? Which is best? WEP and WPA are encryption protocols for wireless networks, designed to protect information that travels over the network. To connect to a WEP- or WPA-secured wireless network, you'll need to input the security key or passphrase for the network. WPA2 is the most recent--and strongest--encryption protocol for wireless networks today (WEP, by contrast, is not very secure).

What is a hotspot? In a nutshell, a hotspot is a public place where you can connect to a wireless network for Internet access. As long as you have a wireless-enabled device and have paid any required usage/subscription fees (if applicable), you can connect to a hotspot's wireless network and go online using their Internet service.

Where can I find free hotspots? Many retailers and dining places, such as Panera Bread and Barnes & Noble, offer free wireless Web access; some others, such as Starbucks, are free for subscribers of certain cellular providers. You may also find free wi-fi at airports, libraries, and other places where lots of people gather.

How do I connect to a hotspot/wireless access point? The process of connecting to a wireless access point (AP) or router at a hotspot is essentially the same as connecting to any other wireless AP (at home, for example, or at the office). Your wireless adapter software or your operating system will most likely let you know when you are in range of a wireless network, and then you can choose to join the wireless network (entering in the security key if necessary) after accepting the hotspot's terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Change Date and Time

Changing the date and time on your laptop is an easy process and for most mobile workers, it's an important step to take while traveling. Knowing what the correct date and time is for where you are working will ensure that you don't miss meetings and stay organized.

Right click on the clock in the bottom right of your display.

**Most new laptops are not set to the proper date and time, so remember to check this when setting up your new laptop.

View the original article here

Hair chemistry could help solve cold cases

Patterns of certain chemical elements get into people’s hair from the food they eat and the water they drink. CBCCanadian researchers have just finished collecting samples for a database that may help police solve cold cases based on chemical information found in people’s hair.

“Hair gives a chronological indicator of your daily habits — your dietary habits and your movements,” said Michelle Chartrand, one of the two University of Ottawa researchers involved in the project.

That’s because patterns of certain chemical elements get into people’s hair from their food and the water they drink, and the record of their past habits and locations is retained as their hair grows out.

“Carbon and nitrogen indicate what you eat,” Chartrand said. “Hydrogen is an indicator of where you are.”

Chartrand and her colleague Gilles St-Jean have spent every summer since 2008 collecting hair and water samples from across Canada, and finally finished the job this summer, with sampling in B.C. and Alberta.

Once the data is analyzed and compiled into a database linking specific patterns to locations across Canada, they hope it will help generate new leads in cold cases.

'If someone drinks a glass of wine every night from Australia, for example, does that make a difference in their hair?'— Michelle Chartrand, University of Ottawa

They’ve already begun work on several cases, including the famous case of Madame Victoria, the body of a woman in her 50s found near the Royal Victoria Hospital in 2001, which was featured on CBC’s Fifth Estate in March.

“Her hair was about 43 centimetres long, so that gives us roughly 43 months of information,” Chartrand said, noting that hair grows at a rate of about a centimetre per month.

“Based on what our analyses showed us, we believe that she lived in seven distinct locations over those past 43 months.”

The researchers were able to say with confidence that she was not from western Canada

All her time was spent east of southern Manitoba or northwestern Ontario. It appeared that she started off in northern Ontario or Quebec, then moved toward the south, never returning to any of her previous locations. The analysis also showed that she had either been ill or made a major change to her diet in the four months before her death.

That was a rich amount of information, but it wasn’t enough to uncover the identity of Madame Victoria.

Still, the researchers say they’re always willing to apply their developing technique to case work. One issue at the moment is that the cost per case can be thousands of dollars, but that is expected to go down over time.

“As it becomes more mainstream or better known,” St-Jean said, “what I suspect will probably happen is forensic labs probably will start buying this type of equipment and hiring specialists that will help them do cases.”

Hair analysis relies on the fact that hydrogen — an element found in water — comes in slightly different chemical forms called isotopes. Some isotopes are heavier than others, and their proportions vary with latitude and the distance people live from either coast. That’s because heavier isotopes have a greater tendency to fall as rain.

The body of Madame Victoria was found in Montreal in 2001 and her face was reconstructed from her skull. Analysis of her hair showed she had moved seven times in 34 months, starting from northern Quebec or Ontario and moving south. CBCOver time, as clouds drift north and away from the coasts, they gain a higher proportion of lighter isotopes, which is reflected in the water sources – and the tap water – in those regions, St-Jean said. The ratios make their way into people’s hair when they drink the local water, and can be measured using a machine called an isotope ratio mass spectrometer.

Archeologists were the first to link isotope ratios in hair to geographic locations, developing the technique about 25 years ago. One of the questions they wanted to answer was whether the people buried in mass graves at ancient Mayan temples were local or captured from other regions, St-Jean said. Analysis of their hair showed they were not locals.

Applying the technique in Canada is a little trickier, the researchers acknowledge, because of the extra sources of water and other elements that enter our bodies.

“We can get food from any part of the world, any time of the year,” Chartrand said. “That’s what makes [it] much more difficult to track modern humans.”

As part of the sample collection, the researchers gave people who offered hair samples a questionnaire about their daily habits – asking what kinds of fluids they drink, including how much bottled water, how much they travel, and so on – to try and account for that.

“If someone drinks a glass of wine every night from Australia, for example, does that make a difference in their hair?” Chartrand wonders. “These are big unknowns that we are trying to compensate for.”

So far, it appears that the local water accounts for only around 27 per cent of the hydrogen isotope signal in people’s hair, she said. But that’s enough to distinguish an Albertan from a Manitoban or a person from Toronto from a person from Thunder Bay.

The technique does have limitations. For example, everyone along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River from southwestern Ontario to Montreal shows a similar signal due to their common water source.

“This is not an exact science,” Chartrand said. “It’s not designed to pinpoint an exact location.”

Nor is there a standard, internationally recognized method of hair analysis that will stand up in court.

But it is on its way to becoming one more technique that can be used with other forensic evidence, the researchers said.

St-Jean added, “It is a tool that helps the investigators to point their investigation in maybe a different direction than they would have thought of.”

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Rogers admits it may be throttling games

Rogers said games are not affected if they run below 80 kilobits per second. However, gamers say that limits how users can play. Ina Fassbender/Reuters

Rogers has acknowledged that World of Warcraft is not the only online game or application that may be inadvertently targeted and slowed down by its network.

However, the slowdown or throttling would only happen under specific circumstances, Rogers said in a written response submitted last Friday to questions posed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Rogers admitted in March, following complaints from gamers, that equipment used to slow down some kinds of internet traffic and prioritize others could negatively affect World of Warcraft. The company has since fixed the problem.

However, the Canadian Gamers Organization, a group representing Canadians who play online games, told the CRTC that the game Call of Duty: Black Ops also seemed to be slowed down on a Rogers connection. That prompted the CRTC to ask Rogers whether other games or applications might be affected, whether it has tested those games and applications, and whether it had informed users about the World of Warcraft problem and how it was fixed.

Ken Thompson, the company’s director and counsel for copyright and broadband law, wrote back that other games and applications could be affected if:

Other peer-to-peer applications are running at the same time;The game or application was misclassified by network traffic management systems, as in the case of World of Warcraft; andAll the applications classified as peer-to-peer traffic have a combined bandwidth of 80 kilobits per second or more – the threshold that trips the network traffic management system.

Thompson said World of Warcraft and other games run “well below 80 kbps.” He did not say how likely it was for games to be misclassified as peer-to-peer traffic when other peer-to-peer applications are running. Nor did he offer any possible solutions to the problem.

However, he noted that the internet traffic management policy on Rogers’s website informs customers they may experience problems if they run peer-to-peer applications as the same time as other applications, including games.

He added that internet slow-downs can also be unrelated to the internet traffic management system and said Rogers would be pleased if Jason Koblovsky, the co-founder of the Canadian Gamers Organization, “would allow our technicians to help him find solutions."

Koblovsky, however, was not impressed by that suggestion.

"Rather than fixing the issue and actively whitelisting gaming systems to ensure they are not affected... Rogers is continuing to rely on consumer input and complaints rather than put forth the active testing needed to ensure compliance with CRTC policy," he said in an email. "We believe this approach is inappropriate under these circumstances."

Thompson said the network traffic management systems are provided by Cisco, which tests them with 800 of the most popular internet applications and protocols to ensure traffic is classified properly.

It is also tested by Rogers. In particular, Thompson said, “Rogers conducts specific tests on those games and applications that are the subject of customer complaints."

He added that the company monitors online forums for problems and any issues are "thoroughly investigated."

In general, Koblovsky was not satisfied with Rogers's response.

“Most games nowadays require much more speed than 80 kilobits per second to run smoothly,” he said in an email.

Teresa Murphy, the group’s other co-founder, told CBC News Tuesday that many games can run at lower speeds, but that limits what users can do — for example, they may not be able to play with as many other people at the same time.

Users can get around that by not running peer-to-peer applications at the same time. But Koblovsky doesn’t think it should have to come to that.

“It is Rogers responsibility to become compatible with their customers’ needs,” he said. “Their customers should not be tailoring to Rogers.”

Murphy acknowledged that users who aren’t satisfied with the rule can go to other internet providers.

However, she thinks Rogers will soon be forcing independent cable ISPs to use the same traffic management system as Rogers itself, resulting in the same problems for customers of those ISPs. She added that she personally doesn’t want to use a non-cable internet provider such as Bell, because the DSL technology Bell uses means a customer’s internet speed can be relatively slow if she doesn’t live close enough to the internet provider’s equipment.

"We want to be able to play our games," she said. "It’s just becoming difficult."

Murphy said her group is currently filing an application to the CRTC asking for a new law requiring companies such as Rogers to have a formal way for customers to report complaints. The system would also require ISPs to update customers on the status of the problem they reported.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Nobel winners urge Keystone rejection

Some of the world's best-known Nobel Peace Prize winners are urging U.S. President Barack Obama to reject a proposal to extend the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Dalai Lama, South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Iran's Shirin Ebadi are among nine Nobel laureates who signed a letter to Obama saying the oil that would flow through the pipeline is dirty, toxic and corrosive.

The TransCanada pipeline would carry oil from Alberta's oilsands through six states. The State Department is now looking at whether the extension would be in America's national interest and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to make a decision on the extension by the end of the year.

The laureates say they fear a pipeline leak would contaminate the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world's largest fresh water aquifers, arguing the existing pipeline, which has been operating for one year, has leaked 14 times.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Wednesday that Keystone's environmental risks are less than those of other domestic pipelines and the National Energy Board was "positive" about its economic impact. Oliver also pointed to a comment last week by U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu that the pipeline was likely to be approved.

"So we are increasingly optimistic about the likelihood of a presidential permit, which will be based on [Chu's] analysis of the national interest," Oliver said.

"I'm not taking anything for granted. We respect of course the decision-making process in the United States. It's up to the secretary of state to look at this project."

The letter follows two weeks of protests in Washington, D.C.

Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams of Ireland, who shared the prize in 1976, Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina, who won in 1980, Rigoberta Menchu Tum of Guatemala, 1992 winner, Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor, who took the prize in 1996, and Jody Williams of the United States, who won in 1997, also signed the letter.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Mobile Hotspot Definition

Definition:

Mobile hotspots are portable devices or features on smartphones that provide wireless Internet access on many devices (your laptop, smartphone, MP3 player, tablet, portable gaming device, etc.).

Like USB modems from wireless carriers, mobile hotspots typically use mobile broadband service from cellular providers for 3G or 4G Internet access. Unlike those mobile USB sticks, though, mobile hotspots allow multiple devices to connect at the same time.

One of the earliest mobile hotspots was the MiFi (Compare Prices), a small credit-card sized device made by Novatel and offered first by Verizon. It broadcasts the 3G cellular signal that can be shared wirelessly by up to 4 devices. (The MiFi was positively reviewed by About's VoIP Guide and chosen here as a top travel accessory). Besides the MiFi, which is also carried on AT&T and Virgin Mobile, there are other similar mobile hotspots, such as Clear's iSpot for Apple iOS devices and 3G/4G Clear Spot.

Besides portable mobile wi-fi hotspots, some smartphones can act as mobile hotspots, sharing their wireless data connection with several devices. The Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus had this feature built-in and Verizon offered the hotspot service for free (normally hotspot access garners an additional $10-$20 charge, similar to wireless providers' tethering add-on charges). Verizon introduced a unique 3G mobile hotspot feature with its launch of the iPhone 4.

If you have multiple devices that you use on the go, a mobile wi-fi hotspot can be a critical accessory. Rather than using your cell phone as a modem and connecting it to your laptop with a USB wire or via bluetooth for tethering, you can connect to a mobile hotspot (device or your smartphone) for Internet access anywhere you have a cellular signal. The major downside is that you often need to pay an extra fee for mobile broadband service.

View the original article here

LoJack for Laptops

You have a 1 in 10 chance of having your laptop stolen this year, according to Gartner Group, which also reports that one laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the U.S. Even more disconcerting is an FBI statement that 97% of stolen computers are never recovered. Most of those computers, however, probably didn't have tracking and recovery software installed on them before they were stolen. Though uncommon, retrieving a lost or stolen laptop is possible, with a little luck and the foresight to enable or install an application to help you locate your missing device.

Laptop anti-theft applications are designed to trace your laptop's location so that local law enforcement can go retrieve it (the police are often motivated to do so because these substantial leads help them capture serial criminals). For laptop tracking to work, you have to install or enable the application before the laptop gets stolen; the software stealthily runs in the background unbeknownst to the thief. Also, the laptop would have to connect to the Internet (i.e., thief would have to go online) before its location could be updated.

Although some tracking and recovery applications can be circumvented if the hard drive is reformatted, laptops are typically stolen not for the hardware, but for the data that resides on them, so thieves are less likely to reformat the computer for resale than to try to get the valuable information off of it first (One study found that the value of the data on an average laptop hard drive is $250,000). Other laptop recovery applications are embedded in the computer's BIOS (firmware), which makes them difficult, if not impossible, for a thief to remove.

The most popular laptop retrieval software may be Absolute Software's Computrace LoJack for Laptops (leasing the LoJack brand name no doubt helps), which not only tracks your laptop via GPS/Wi-Fi but also allows you to remotely delete your data from the hard drive if your computer goes missing. Through partnerships with major OEMs like Dell, HP, and Sony, LoJack comes pre-installed on some new laptops and the first year of service may be free. Retail price of the PC- and Mac-compatible software is $40 per year or $60 with advanced tracking and a service guarantee of $1,000 if your stolen laptop is not recovered within 60 days of theft.

Another theft recovery application is GadgetTrack, which offers wi-fi positioning, location notification from a Web control panel, and webcam support to snap a photo of the thief. One year Mac or PC license is $34.95.

For Apple users specifically, Oribicule's Undercover offers protection for Mac OS X ($49 for single user license) and iPhone and iPad devices ($4.99). Orbicule states that they were able to recover 96% of stolen Macs with Undercover that were connected to the Internet, using the built-in iSight camera and screenshots from the stolen Mac. Only the individual users have the password that can initiate laptop/device monitoring -- a reassuring, additional privacy measure.

There are other location-based tracking services, like LocateMyLaptop.com and Loki.com, both free, but as these (and some of the above solutions) continuously announce your whereabouts to a central server, you may be concerned about privacy implications. Here's where Prey comes in -- it's a free, open source application that works globally on most operating systems. Since Prey is open source and location-tracking is only triggered by the user when needed, there may be fewer privacy concerns. As with other tracking software, Prey provides location reports, sits silently in the background gathering information like network/wi-fi details, and uses a laptop's webcam to photograph the thief. Besides protecting your privacy and working pretty well, it's free, so using Prey is pretty much a no-brainer for laptop users.

If your laptop is stolen before you install one of the recovery applications above, all may not be lost if you use remote access software, such as "Back to My Mac," which one tech-savvy Mac owner used to catch her laptop thief, or another remote desktop control program like pcAnywhere, GoToMyPc, LogmeIn, or SharedView. Tbe idea is you would remote into your stolen computer and use the webcam or other clues like information in open applications or IP address found in the network settings to find out where and who the thief is (most business laptop thefts are insider jobs).

Tracking and recovery software increases your chances of getting your laptop back if it gets stolen or lost, but it should be used in tandem with other important security measures. These applications, for example, don't actually prevent theft, the way using cable locks and alarms can deter physical theft, and they don't secure the data on the device or prevent sensitive information from being accessed -- for that you need to encrypt your data with programs like TrueCrypt and adhere to best of practice security policies so you don't have sensitive information stored on your portable device unless absolutely necessary.

Regular backups are also part of that essential maintenance; frequent traveler Casey Wohl, "the Getaway Girl," lost her laptop when it was stolen from under the seat in front of her on a flight to Puerto Rico. "Going through something like this," Casey says, "makes you realize how miuch of your life is stored on a computer and how important it is to back it up." ... And encrypt your data and install tracking software to hopefully recover your computer.

Sources: Institute for Cyber Security, Dell

View the original article here

Yahoo looking for a buyer

Yahoo Inc. may consider selling itself, in the wake of firing its CEO Carol Bartz, if the right suitor came along, reports suggested Wednesday.

Bartz was fired on Tuesday for failing to turn around the fortunes of the former high-flying online search giant after 2.5 years at the helm.

Carol Bartz's three-year tenure at media and search-engine company Yahoo! has ended. (Mark Lennihan/Associated Press)

The stock gained more than 6 per cent to more than $13 in after-hours trading on Tuesday, after news of Bartz's firing spread.

But that's still well off the $43 level it sat at in late 2005.

The move came after the board of directors examined the company's assets and concluded Bartz hadn't done enough to maximize their value. Citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal said the company is open to selling itself to the right bidder.

A sale could consist of merging with another company outright, or splitting up the company and selling assets in several chunks.

At least one analyst thinks a sale is the most likely result.

"Given the succession of three CEOs in less than four years, it’ll be challenging for the board to find an A player who’d be willing to take on the daunting task, and for investors to wait for yet again another turnaround to happen," Jefferies & Co. analyst Youssef Squali said in a note, according to financial publication Barron's.

“We believe that Yahoo! sells itself before a permanent CEO is announced," he was quoted as saying.

Accessibility Links

View the original article here

Free Wi-Fi Directory

To find a wi-fi hotspot near you or your destination, you can search JiWire's Wi-Fi Finder, which contains around 300,000 free and pay wi-fi hotspots in over 140 countries around the world.

If you're looking for a place to eat/drink or shop while you surf the Web for free, you can also just go directly to the wi-fi locators of the many major retail and restaurant chains that have free wi-fi. (In exchange for their free Internet access, they're getting a better chance to sell you more food, coffee, and other stuff. Fair trade, I think.) Here's a list of retailers that offer free wi-fi by category (click on the link to find a location near you):

Barnes & Noble: complimentary wi-fi, courtesy of AT&T, at over 700 B&N bookstores in the USBorders Books: free wi-fi, powered by Verizon. Not available at Waldenbooks or Borders Express, howeverBiggy Coffee: Over 100 franchises in the US offering free wireless connectionsCaribou Coffee: You gotta love the description of their fast free wireless: "Faster than a speeding barista. More powerful than a double-shot of espresso." Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Free 802.11g wi-fi at all neighborhood locationsStarbucks: In the US and Canada, Starbucks customers can now get free unlimited wi-fi Internet access (no Starbucks card required or username/password needed, and no 2-hour time limit as was the case prior to July 2010). In addition, Starbucks offers wi-fi users free exclusive content from its Starbucks Digital Network.Big Boy: wireless locations in several states (CA, FL, MI, OH)Bob Evans: free wireless Internet in all Bob Evans locationsChick-fil-A: select the wireless checkbox to search locations with free Internet accessMcDonald's: over 15,000 wireless-enabled restaurants around the globe; most free but some may require fees/subscriptionsPanera Bread: over a thousand free wi-fi and meeting room locations across the US. One of my favorite free wi-fi spots; the food is just so good!

Other major chains offer free wi-fi in select locations, such as: Burger King, Cosi, Denny's, Hooters, Subway, and Whole Foods Market. See individual locations for details.

If you're a frequent traveler or a serious road warrior, you may also consider getting a paid wi-fi service plan: These services allow you to access thousands of hotspots around the world with one account.

View the original article here

Plans for crewless space station underway

NASA astronauts Ron Garan (left) and Mike Fossum held a news conference from the space station Tuesday. NASA TV

Ground crews are making plans to possibly operate the International Space Station without crew for awhile, but preparations are not yet underway in space.

"The teams in Houston are in the preliminary stages of deciding everything from what ventilation we’re going to leave running, what lights we’re going to leave on, what condition of each particular experiment will be on, every tank, every valve, every hatch – there’s a lot to do," said NASA astronaut Mike Fossum at a news conference from the International Space Station with fellow NASA astronaut Ron Garan Tuesday.

The details will be shared with astronauts in the weeks ahead, he added, and they will have plenty of time to implement them.

In the meantime, the only preparations that the astronauts have been making so far is to document some of their space station work using video, in order to hand it over to the first crew to repopulate the space station. Up until now, all such handovers have been done face-to-face.

On Aug. 29, NASA had disclosed that following the crash of the Russian Progress unmanned cargo space ship on Aug. 24, some astronaut trips to and from the space station will be delayed.

The delays will give the Russian space agency time to investigate the accident and make sure the problem that caused it has been resolved. Following the retirement of NASA's shuttle fleet, astronauts are currently transported to the station aboard Soyuz spacecraft, which use the same rockets that failed during the Progress launch. U.S. and Russian space agency officials do not plan to make any manned launches until there have been at least one or two successful unmanned spacecraft launches with the rockets.

By the time that happens, all astronauts currently aboard the station may have already returned, leaving the space station crewless for the first time in more than 10 years.

Garan and two other astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 15, a week after their original planned return date of Sept. 8.

Fossum and the other two remaining astronauts on the space station are scheduled to return in mid-November.

Currently, the next Soyuz flight to the space station is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 2, before the return of Fossum's expedition.

But Fossum said the possibility that it will be delayed remains, as "there’s a lot of things that need to stack up to make that [flight] happen."

He noted that troubleshooting a rocket isn't easy and could take a long time if the problem doesn't involve obvious recent hardware, software or process changes.

If the space station does need to go crewless, the risk to the space station is low provided it remains crewless for a short time, Fossum said. The types of problems that are most likely to pose an issue without crew are things like the failure of a pump last year that knocked out half the station's cooling capability, which are not that serious in the short term but do reduce the station's ability to tolerate other failures.

"As that short gap turns into many months... it leads toward a greater possibility that we would have a problem up here that became very significant with nobody to take action."

Accessibility Links

View the original article here