Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

Getting to the Bottom of it: Can you Snore and Dream at the Same Time?

The fact that you cannot snore and dream is a well circulated fact about sleeping on the internet. However, there are also a large amount of skeptics that are die hard believers that you can snore and dream at the same time. They provide some extremely valid points, too. However, both sides are at a disadvantage. There is no official source that states whether you can or cannot snore and dream at the same time.

If there is a source, it is buried deep in some dusty medical journal in some library somewhere. The study has probably been done at some point, but the conclusive results have never made it to the internet. Modern scientists and researchers ignore the subject, most likely because they have better things to do. I mean, what is answering one random non-life threatening question versus finding a cure for things like sleep apnea or waking paralysis?

So, while I cannot give you a definitive answer, I will at least give you two very valid trains of thought on the subject so you can pick your side in this age old debate.

Skeptics Theory
The skeptics believe that snoring and dreaming are two separate entities.

Snoring happens when the muscles of the mouth and throat relax. This relaxation causes the soft palate of throat to sag in relaxation. Since we still intake air, the air passing through the airway causes the narrowed airway to vibrate. This is how the sound of snoring is made.[2] The narrower your airway, the louder your snoring is. This can be a sign of sleep apnea, however. So if you are disturbing others when you sleep because of your snoring, you may want to consult a doctor.

Dreaming is a response from the brain. There is no one part of the brain that contributes to dreams, it is a team effort on that front. While you can dream all through the night, the sleep stage where most dreams occur is in REM sleep. This sleep stage is courtesy of the electrochemical pulses of the caused by the brain stem. Surprisingly, up until 2004, scientists did not know what part of the brain was responsible for the imagery and scenery in dreams.  In 2004, when a stroke victims lost her dreams due to brain damage, two Swiss doctors theorized that the imagery comes from a dense area of gray matter in the back of the brain.[1]

This is essentially why skeptics believe dreams and snoring to be unrelated. One is a reaction to the bodies relaxation and need to breath, the other is some random electrochemical waves firing around in the brain.

Why We Cannot Snore and Dream at the Same Time
The theory for why we cannot snore and dream at the same time has a lot to do with the bodies reaction to REM sleep. In the first stages of sleep, the body relaxes, breathing slows, and heart rate slows. The relaxation of the body, as mentioned previously, leads to snoring. However, when you enter REM sleep you heart rate increases, but you breathing becomes even shallower. [3]Snoring is a result of air passing through the airway and causing vibration and sound. The more air you try to intake, the more intense the vibrations become, thus the louder snoring becomes. So in theory, with your breathing becoming more shallow, the less air your body is taking it. So as a result, it should not cause snoring.

This, I believe, is the basis for why people believe you cannot snore and dream at the same time. This theory suggests that you are less likely to snore while dreaming and not that you cannot snore while dreaming.

However, as I mentioned earlier, there is still no conclusive results on the subject. I have read extensively on both the topics of snoring and dreaming to no avail. Though if you readers out there know of a scientific study that proves it, I would love to hear about it!

So now that you have heard both sides of the story, which do you believe?

7 Strange Robots the Pentagon is Developing


With a budget in excess of $600 billion, the pentagon is hard at work researching technology that is sometimes bizarre and out of this world. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA is busy bringing in robotic creations to the pentagon that are craziest at the least. Here is a list of some of the strange robots the pentagon has in mind.

No 7. BigDog

BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped robot created by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was made in 2005 and can haul, climb, and carry its way over rough terrain. Capable of traversing difficult terrains, running at 4 miles per hour, carrying 340 pounds, and climbing a 35 degree incline, BigDog is intended to one day be able to serve as a robotic pack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles.
This strange-looking robot is powered by a two-stroke, one-cylinder and 15-HP go-kart engine operating at over 9,000 RPM.
 
No 6. Nano Hummingbird Drone

Developed by AeroVironmen, the Nano hummingbird drone is built to look like a bird for potential use in spy missions. It is capable of flying at speeds of up to 11 miles per hour, hovering and flying sideways, backward and forward, as well as going clockwise and counterclockwise, by remote control for about eight minutes of sustained flight.
Evidently, the technology needs a lot of polishing before being put to some actual use.
 

No 5. LittleDog

A quadruped robot designed for research on learning locomotion, the LittleDog’s four legs are each powered by three electric motors and are strong enough for climbing and “dynamic locomotion gaits.”
 

No 4. RiSE Climbing Robot

RiSE is a robot capable of climbing vertical terrain such as walls, trees and fences. It has “feet with micro-claws” to climb on textured surfaces. It weighs at 4.4 punds and is able to travel at 0.68 miles per hour.
It has six legs, an on-board computer that manages the coordination of these legs and a variety of sensors.
 

No 3. PetMan

This is a bipedal device constructed for testing chemical protection suits. The technology is basically derived from BigDog with advanced features such as sweating; simulating both human movement mechanics and human physiology to a much realistic extent.
PetMan is capable of walking on a treadmill i.e. walking, doing squats and pumping out push-ups. It also has a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.
And as Boston Dynamics President Marc Raibert said:
“Places like the Fukushima reactors could be accessed by Petman-like robots (or AlphaDogs), without requiring any human exposure to hazardous materials. Perhaps firefighting inside of buildings or facilities designed for human access, like on board ships designed for human crews.”
 

Do you know how a Bladeless Fan Work?

Ever heard of a bladeless fan? Who would have thought that electric fans will go bladeless?  Technology never sits still... even in the world of simple household items like electric fans.  Bladeless fans works like conventional electric fans but with a few more benefits.
How does it produce a breeze when it doesn’t have blades?
How Do Bladeless Fans Work?
A bladeless electric fan has two major components: the base and the circular tube.  The base sucks in the air and releases it via the circular tube.  It is as simple as that.  The base has a vent which is the entry point of the air.  Inside the base is the motor which sucks the air and releases it in the circular tube.  The air flows around the tube and exits to create a steady stream of air.
Bladeless Fans Are Very Safe
Because, it doesn’t have blades and works like ordinary electric fans, bladeless fans are very safe.  There’s no need to worry about your kid poking his fingers in the hole.  Traditional fans are much more dangerous especially if you have little ones around. 

 
Bladeless Fans Are Very Easy To Clean
Since it doesn’t have blades, no screws to loosen, no parts to removed, cleaning is very easy.  Just wipe a cloth around the unit to clean it.  You can use damp cloth to remove sticky dirt and wipe it with a clean dry cloth.  You time because you do not need to dismantle fan and put it back together everytime you clean it which is super convenient.
Bladeless Electric Fans Have A Consistent Airflow
The problem with older electric fan models is that they don’t offer consistent airflow even if the fan is pointed directly at you.  Because the blade is slanted and a little bit twisted, the air it provides tends to be inconsistent. With bladeless fans, air is consistent and contstant.  Moreover, some manufacturers are claiming that bladeless electric fans give 15 times better air circulation than traditional models. 
Bladeless Fans Are Very Dependable
You can throw away your old electric fan and replace it with bladeless fan since it has the same features and functions but with fewer disadvantages as mentioned earlier. Bladeless fans can also oscilate; meaning the circular tube moves at an angle of 90 degrees from left to right and vice-versa. You can also tilt it upwards or downwards.     
What About the Price of a Bladeless Fan?
Bladeless fans are more expensive than its older predecessor.  However, the benefits that you gain, especially in regards to safety and convenience of cleaning outweigh the extra cost.  It is more expensive to become hospitalized due to fingers being caught by the blades than the price of this item. 
So go ahead, replace your old household fans with one of these current models which are safer, easier to clean, more functional, and more dependable. 

 Solar Powered Socket

The Window Solar Socket offers a neat way to harness solar energy and use it as a plug socket.Simple in design, the plug just attaches to any window and does its job intuitively.  You can use it anywhere;to charge with solar energy,such as on indoor window in a place,a car,and outdoor e.t.c. The solar energy supplied charging is converted into electrical energy.












Top Three Cloud Services Currently Available for Personal Usage

Don't Get Inspired By This. Just Kidding! :)

#1Google drive

Specifically for Google fans, Google Drive is for you. Google Drive is a great tool with Google Products like Gmail and Google Docs. It also has the feature to create,edit, sync and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations. A group of people can work together at the same time on the same doc, and see changes as they appear. It offer 5GB of free storage and 1GB for Picasa. And the best of all it is available on almost all Operating Systems and can be also viewed from the web.


#2 iCloud

iCloud is the Cloud service which I use the most. It is built right into all Apple Devices. You can also use it via iCloud.com from a PC. iCloud works on a very simple yet powerful concept that is ,'iCloud stores your data, and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices.' iCloud works with contacts, calendar, mail, iWork apps, photos, Reminder and tons of apps from Apple's App Store. So if you make changes any file or buy an App or Music on any of your Apple device then it will automatically get synced to all other devices. iCloud works best on Apple device so for people using other device I would recommend to use other cloud service. iCloud Backup is free for 5GB but all other iCloud features are free.


#3 Box, Dropbox and others

The concept of these apps is that you store your data on the web and download them from anywhere when you need them. It offers 5GB for free data storage and further will be paid if you wish to extent the data storage .

Cloud Computing is a convenient and easy-to-use storage solution. The Best Cloud Service for me is iCloud.


Android Antivirus for Better Usage of Your Phone

Are you an addicted Android phone user?

Do you love to download the best apps and use them for various purposes?

Does the thought of an antivirus corrupting your phone scare you?

If so, you’re welcomed to the group of a number of Android phone users who love their Android but are really worried about the phone being corrupted with a virus or Trojan that might come with your normal downloads. It's time you looked into using an Android antivirus for your phone. With an antivirus you can be relieved of the worries of losing important data due to the virus or Trojans crashing the applications on your phone and deleting stuff from your phone memory.

In case you are looking for good Android antivirus options, you can find quite a few available. Some of the best known Android antivirus options are mentioned below:

AVG Antivirus
Yes, its AVG again! While it is one of the most popular antivirus options for your PC, you can also get a version of AVG for your Android phone. Some of the important features of the AVG antivirus for android include a virus scanner, phone locator, data backup option and a lot more. It is also quite user friendly and is known to be one of the best real time antivirus options available.



ESET Mobile Security
Once again, another PC security provider, ESET has come up with its version of Android antivirus software. This particular option is  quite popular due to the fact that ESET is known to be a provider that excels in  security software development. The antivirus software also offers anti spam and anti theft features which can be very helpful for an Android phone user. Its real time security features helps you ensure that your Android phone is well defended, and this without the processing performance of the phone being affected. It is definitely the kind of antivirus that you would want to use on your Android phone if you're also concerned about performance.

NetQin Security & AntiVirus
Apart from the above mentioned two PC security giants, you can also find options from the comparatively unknown company NetQin. The software is quite comprehensive and its known to provide an all round solution for Android phone security and performance. This Android antivirus offers great security against virus, spyware, Trojans and malware. You can rely on it to give you the right kind of alerts and protect your Android phone against almost any kind of damage that viral threats can cause to your phone.

Your Android phone can be an asset that helps you complete a lot of complex tasks while you are on the move. If you fear your phone being attacked by virus while you download  various applications, a lot of your phone’s usability will be restricted. In order to maximize the usage of your Android phone, you have to ensure that you have the best Android antivirus installed. You can choose from the above give options or a lot of other antivirus software available.

Getting to the Bottom of it: Can you Snore and Dream at the Same Time?

The fact that you cannot snore and dream is a well circulated fact about sleeping on the internet. However, there are also a large amount of skeptics that are die hard believers that you can snore and dream at the same time. They provide some extremely valid points, too. However, both sides are at a disadvantage. There is no official source that states whether you can or cannot snore and dream at the same time.

If there is a source, it is buried deep in some dusty medical journal in some library somewhere. The study has probably been done at some point, but the conclusive results have never made it to the internet. Modern scientists and researchers ignore the subject, most likely because they have better things to do. I mean, what is answering one random non-life threatening question versus finding a cure for things like sleep apnea or waking paralysis?

So, while I cannot give you a definitive answer, I will at least give you two very valid trains of thought on the subject so you can pick your side in this age old debate.

Skeptics Theory
The skeptics believe that snoring and dreaming are two separate entities.

Snoring happens when the muscles of the mouth and throat relax. This relaxation causes the soft palate of throat to sag in relaxation. Since we still intake air, the air passing through the airway causes the narrowed airway to vibrate. This is how the sound of snoring is made.[2] The narrower your airway, the louder your snoring is. This can be a sign of sleep apnea, however. So if you are disturbing others when you sleep because of your snoring, you may want to consult a doctor.

Dreaming is a response from the brain. There is no one part of the brain that contributes to dreams, it is a team effort on that front. While you can dream all through the night, the sleep stage where most dreams occur is in REM sleep. This sleep stage is courtesy of the electrochemical pulses of the caused by the brain stem. Surprisingly, up until 2004, scientists did not know what part of the brain was responsible for the imagery and scenery in dreams.  In 2004, when a stroke victims lost her dreams due to brain damage, two Swiss doctors theorized that the imagery comes from a dense area of gray matter in the back of the brain.[1]

This is essentially why skeptics believe dreams and snoring to be unrelated. One is a reaction to the bodies relaxation and need to breath, the other is some random electrochemical waves firing around in the brain.

Why We Cannot Snore and Dream at the Same Time
The theory for why we cannot snore and dream at the same time has a lot to do with the bodies reaction to REM sleep. In the first stages of sleep, the body relaxes, breathing slows, and heart rate slows. The relaxation of the body, as mentioned previously, leads to snoring. However, when you enter REM sleep you heart rate increases, but you breathing becomes even shallower. [3]Snoring is a result of air passing through the airway and causing vibration and sound. The more air you try to intake, the more intense the vibrations become, thus the louder snoring becomes. So in theory, with your breathing becoming more shallow, the less air your body is taking it. So as a result, it should not cause snoring.

This, I believe, is the basis for why people believe you cannot snore and dream at the same time. This theory suggests that you are less likely to snore while dreaming and not that you cannot snore while dreaming.

However, as I mentioned earlier, there is still no conclusive results on the subject. I have read extensively on both the topics of snoring and dreaming to no avail. Though if you readers out there know of a scientific study that proves it, I would love to hear about it!

So now that you have heard both sides of the story, which do you believe?

Wifi Security - How to Secure Your Router



What is WiFi?

WiFi is a technology that is widely in use today, It uses high frequency signals to send data between computers and allow wireless internet access. Most people use WiFi everyday without thinking about the security implications of sending sensitive information over radio waves.

Tip: Anything that's being transmitted can be intercepted!

Types of wireless security:

First I will start with NO security, There are still a lot of people out there who use whats called an Open network. This means there is absolutely no encryption and anyone can connect to the network. This is very dangerous!

The next type that is most common is WEP. There are a lot of problems with this standard and it's incredibly easy to crack the encryption and connect. If you use WEP, You should think about switching to the next type of security im going to talk about!

WPA/WPA2

This is by far the best method of securing your network. Crackers will need a vast collection of word lists to get the pre shared key. While it is the most secure method you can use today, You should try to use a complex password that's not found in the dictionary. I recommend a password of at least 20 alphanumeric characters.

So what are the dangers of using weak encryption?

If you are using an open connection the dangers are immense! All a Cracker would need to do is connect to your network and start sniffing the data. This means all of your passwords for Facebook, Your bank and everything else can be compromised without any effort whatsoever!

As for WEP, This can be easily broken with tools downloaded from the internet. Specifically Backtrack Linux, It has everything anyone could ever need. The Cracker could fire up a tool such as Gerix and in a matter of seconds have your wireless password. The rest is already detailed above.

WPA/WPA2 is your best bet, If you have a good password it will be very hard to get into the network from a wireless connection. I recommend AES encryption for use with WPA.

Tip: Make sure WPS is disabled in your router settings. If this feature is enabled, It doesn't really matter what type of security measures you use. A tool like Reaver or Cowpatty can exploit this feature and get the password.

Please educate all of your friends who use WiFi about these risks and help them to secure their network.

Stay Secure!

smallest drivable electric car



How do you allay your parking woes? You could walk or bike to your destination but sometimes, owning acar is just plain necessary. But the lack of parking space can be a huge hassle especially when you need to make multiple stops. Romano Artioli, ex-owner of the Lotus and Bugatti brands, has developed a tiny single-seater eco-friendly car that’s small enough to fit into an office elevator. Measuring just 1 meter in width and 1.5 meters in height, the Volpe weighs only 350 kg and can squeeze itself into the smallest of spaces.

So tiny is the Volpe that it can zip about your workplace and even fit in your office to be charged from your desk. The small car is meant for city commuters and though it doesn’t touch high speeds – just 30 mph max – it’s perfect for congested areas. There’s also not a lot of space for baggage but unless you plan to cram in plenty of goods, the Volpe makes the ideal small city car.
Volpe, world's smallest electric car fits in an elevator and can be parked and charged at your work desk.
Artioli worked with coachbuilder Zagato which is responsible for styling limited edition models of Aston Martins. The idea was to design a car that could help ease traffic congestion which is becoming a daily nightmare for commuters.
To further limit its size, Volpe sports scissor doors and a miniature motor that’s street legal as a quadricycle. This means that anyone who’s as young as 16 and has a motorcycle license can drive it. The eco friendly car will sell for about 5,600 pounds and is set to hit European markets by 2013.
The unique car has generated quite a buzz in online forums with many praising it for its aesthetics and functionality. As small as it is, however, it still doesn’t beat the record of the Peel P50 microcar which measures just 54 inches in length and 41 inches in width.

A robot that washes your hair and massages your head


The Japanese are now know for their passion to mechanise every thing. This time they have decided to make a robot that can be put in a hair salon and offer its automatic services to the customers. This robot which has been built by Panasonic is having a trial run in a hair salon.


Worlds smallest one-man helicopter

It has has two rotors turning in opposite directions to maintain stability, and four engines that enables a 30-minute flight with a top speed of about 56 miles (100 km) per hour.Controlling the GEN H-4 is not difficult at all.
For going forward, you pull the control bar toward you; to go to the right, you the control to the left and vice versa.
If you push the throttle lever, it goes up, you let go of it and the helicopter goes down.


Project Glass

Scrapbook photo 5

Project Glass: One day...
We believe technology should work for you — to be there when you need ...




SOURCE: G.CO/PROJECTGLASS