"With alien seeds, Antarctica 'no longer most pristine environment'"

APA view of the landscape in Antarctica. 

Invasive plant species introduced by visitors and scientists

Antarctica is no longer the “most pristine environment on earth.” Visitors are introducing invasive plant species alien to Antarctica at a much higher level, says a study published today (March 6) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It is based on a continent-wide risk assessment undertaken there.

Of all the regions in Antarctica, it is in the Antarctic Peninsula, the Ross Sea region and several landing places in East Antarctica where alien plant seed introduction has been the

"Microsoft launches Windows 8 consumer preview"

APThe new Windows 8 consumer preview is displayed during a presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.

Microsoft has launched a beta version of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) for consumers to install and try out.

The OS has generated considerable buzz in technology forum as it is seen as the technology giant's foray into creating a unified OS experience across platforms — desktop, tablets and

"‘TwoFlower' blooms in Version 2.0"

VLC is slicker, faster, cross-platform, operating system-independent and, of course, free.

In 2011, India emerged as top downloader of VLC player - slicker, faster, format-and operating system-independent and, of course, free.

It's the newest kid on the block, and it's code-named ‘TwoFlower.' In its freshest avatar, the popular media player, VLC, offers you a slice of the VideoLan way of life — slicker, faster, cross-platform, operating system-independent and, of course, free.

In a world where format incompatibilities, caught in proprietary tangles, have made user experiences tiresome, this third-party standalone software has been a testament to miracles

"Low-cost mini-PC Raspberry Pi gets heavily booked"

UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation has fabricated a Linux-based PC that costs just $ 35. The mini-PC features on a circuit board as small as a credit card and is being hailed as device that could re-kindle interest among school students in basic computer coding. Photo courtesy: Eben Upton/ Raspberry Pi Foundation

UK-based charity Raspberry Pi Foundation plans a wide-spread launch targeting school-education later this year

Raspberry Pi, a low-cost mini-PC that costs lesser than a digital music player — at approximately the equivalent of Rs. 1,700 — that went on sale in the United Kingdom on Wednesday (February 29) has been heavily booked.

The device has already been touted by technology blogs and twitterati as one with the

" Bangalore City Railway Station: offers BluFi!"

NEWS » NATIONAL

Bangalore City Station boasts of BluFi:

A passenger checks train timings on his mobile at Bangalore Railway station on Friday.

It will provide passengers with a wealth of information

The Bangalore City Railway Station on Friday became the first in the railway network to offer BluFi, a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that will provide passengers with a wealth

"Black Cat Creations will help you keep track of your children"

NEWS » STATES  

The start-up has come out with a Student Tracker System

Do you spend hours worrying about what your child does in college?

Here is a simple tool that will lower your stress levels.

Developed by three young engineering graduates, the Student Tracker System allows colleges to keep parents informed about their child's scores in exams and internals, participation in extracurricular activities and most importantly, their attendance.

Over a dozen colleges, including the BMS College of Engineering and Kempe Gowda Institute

"Cloud Computing will generate over two million jobs in India"

S & T » TECHNOLOGY

Clouds can rain jobs in India

A Microsoft commissioned study, conducted by IDC, predicts that cloud computing will generate over two million jobs in India by 2015. The findings predict that cloud will generate nearly 14 million new jobs worldwide in the same time.

More than 50 per cent of these jobs will be generated in the small and medium businesses. Further, more than two million jobs each will be generated in the ‘communications and media’ and manufacturing sectors, followed by banking at over 1.4 million.

Pointing to the strong linkage between cloud, innovation and entrepreneurship, the study estimates that revenues from cloud innovation could reach $1.1 trillion per year by 2015. Combined with cloud efficiencies, this will drive significant organisational reinvestment and

"Tech world holds breath for iPad 3 launch"

S & T » GADGETS »  SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2012

A customer uses an Apple iPad at an Apple store in San Francisco. Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPad on Wednesday. File photo

Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPad on Wednesday at a San Francisco media event that should drive the craze for all things Apple to even greater levels of intensity.

Apple is keeping characteristically quiet ahead of the rollout, but few tech pundits doubt that the time has come for the world’s most valuable company to rejuvenate one of its fattest

"Hackers had 'full control' of hijacked Nasa network"

Hackers broke into Nasa computer systems 13 times last year and gained "full functional control" of systems in breaches that could have compromised US national security, the space agency has admitted.

Gary McKinnon, 45, was accused in 2002 of using his home computer to hack into 97 American military and Nasa computers

Nasa spends only $58m of its $1.5bn annual IT budget on cyber security, Paul Martin, the agency's inspector general, told a Congressional panel on NASA security.

"Some Nasa systems house sensitive information which, if lost or stolen, could result in significant

"Apple App Store passes 25bn downloads"

Apple users have downloaded 25 billion apps from the iTunes App Store, the company announced at the weekend.

Apple users have downloaded 25 billion apps since the App Store opened in 2008.

To celebrate the landmark Apple gave a $10,000 iTunes gift card to the user who downloaded the app, Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China. The app he downloaded was Where's My Water? Free.

Apple began the countdown to its 25-billionth app download last week and the milestone

"Google prepares 'Key Lime Pie' Android update"

Apple users have downloaded 25 billion apps from the iTunes App Store, the company announced at the weekend.

Ice Cream Sandwich was introduced alongside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 

Key Lime Pie could be available to consumers next year, the technology news website The Verge said.

The most recently released version, 4.0, is code named "Ice Cream Sandwich". It was released in October alongside the Samsug Galaxy Nexus, the latest in Google's own flagship

Apple event: a guide to the rumours

Apple is holding an event on Wednesday at which it is expected to unveil the next iPad. Here is a round-up of the rumours about the new device.

New Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new iPhone

Apple has not confirmed what it will be announcing at 6pm (UK time) this Wednesday but the string of leaks have given us a few pointers about what we might expect. These, in order of likelihood, are the top five:

The display
The new iPad will almost certainly have a much-improved display compared with its predecessor. It is

"Budget Tablet: How to buy a good tablet that costs less than Rs 15,000"

ET Wealth: Technology: How to buy a budget tablet

A year is a long time in technology. At around this time last year, a tablet was considered an extravagance, with prices hovering in the vicinity of Rs 25,000. Today, things are markedly different. You can walk into a store and pick a good quality tablet for less than half this amount. But, how do you zero in on a 'quality' tablet? The sub-Rs 15,000 tablet market contains some very good devices but is also populated with rather ordinary ones. So, here are a few points to keep in mind before you take the plunge.

Operating system 
Barring the BlackBerry Playbook, whose 16 GB version is skimming below the Rs 15,000 mark and which runs on the BlackBerry Tablet OS, the only tablets that you are likely to get for less than this price are the ones running on Android, Google's operating system forsmartphones and tablets and the most popular

"Rs 52 lakh: This is what a 30 yr old stands to lose due to tobacco use over 30 years"

ET Wealth: Savings: Quit smoking or else see Rs 52 lakh go up in smoke?

This is what a 30 year old stands to lose due totobacco use over 30 years. 

You might have come across articles about simple money saving tips. Cut down on power usage with energy efficient lamps and save Rs 300 a month. End the subscription to costly TV channels and save Rs 120. Give up on small luxuries like a cappuccino or a dinner date and see your savings zoom. Though all these penny-pinching measures are worth considering, you can save a much bigger amount every year if you just take good care of your family's health.

ET Wealth estimates that the cost of smoking can add up to a gargantuan Rs 52.15 lakh over three decades (see graphic). Good health will not only bring down your medical bill but also prune your insurance premium. And this is when we have not even calculated the cost of treating serious illnesses such as cancer and heart ailments.

One cannot completely avoid falling ill. If there was such a formula, the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry would go bust. But you can reduce the chances of falling sick by leading a healthy lifestyle that fortifies your

"Kapil votes for Ganguly to coach India - kapil takes on Dhoni"

Ganguly has the traits to be a good coach: Kapil

Kapil feels the calendar should be planned keeping in mind the requirements of the players and the game.

Former India captain Kapil Dev, who feels Sourav Ganguly can be a good coach, has lashed out at current skipper MS Dhoni as well as the selection process in place for the Indian team.

Kapil said though Ganguly may want to become a coach, the Indian players won't be too keen to have him in charge. "The Indian players would never want him, or any Indian coach,

"Quake in North INDIA" -EarthQuake shakes Delhi

Quake shakes New Delhi, other parts of north India

Earth Quake in North INDIA

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake felt across north India rocked buildings and sent office workers running into the streets in New Delhi at lunchtime on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was about 30 miles (48 km) west of New Delhi. The 5.2

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