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Researchers will attempt to ‘reanimate’ a corpse with stem cells
Brain death may no longer be a life sentence if one Philadelphia-based biomedical startup has its way. The company, Bioquark, plans to initiate a study later this year to see if a combination of stem cell and protein blend injections, electrical nerve stimulation, and laser therapy can reverse the effects of recent brain death. They're literally trying to bring people back from the dead.
NASA finds long-lost Indian lunar orbiter
India lost contact with its first lunar orbiter, the Chandrayaan-1, back in 2009. Now, NASA has revealed that the agency discovered its location in July 2016 after testing a method that can be used by future lunar missions. Chandrayaan-1 is a relatively tiny cubic probe that measures five feet on all sides, making it the perfect target for the radar experiment conducted by a team of Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists. The team wanted to find out whether a technique used to observe small asteroids can also spot spacecraft orbiting the moon.
ICYMI: Kids abusing robots, solar powered balloon and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30596{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30596, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30596{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30596").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A piece of robot news out of Japan has us riveted, mostly because it's internationally understood that kids can be jerks. Researchers there studied how children treated a robot left to roam in a mall and basically, they just beat it up. Also out of Japan, a new heavy-duty piece of construction equipment can break down concrete debris with it's massive pinchers and also has it's own VR app for Oculus Rift. And the UK just launched the first ever solar-powered hot air balloon, which heats regular air with the sun's rays rather than Google's helium, which is found in Project Loon.
Indian Railways launches RailRadar, lets you track trains via Google Maps
Indian Railways has just made it a little easier for rail travelers with a new web app called RailRadar, which uses Google Maps to track trains on a real-time basis. This is certainly welcome on one of the largest rail networks in the world -- it operates more than 10,000 trains everyday -- though the service is only available on 6,500 trains for now. To find out where your train is, simply search for its name or number and RailRadar will spot it for you. You can also find trains by entering the name of the station. Blue highlights indicate trains that are on time while red means it's behind schedule. If you click on a train, it'll show its entire route from start to finish. The logical next step would be for this to be on smartphones like how it is in Japan, though we're not sure if that's in the cards just yet. [Thanks, dil]
Google Maps unveils new features in India, New Zealand and 150 universities worldwide
Google is bringing voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation to Android smartphone users in India. While the functionality's been available since January if you've rooted your device, the official version lands today with a localized "Indian English" voice option. At the same time, it's adding live traffic information for major roads in big cities like Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad -- with both arriving today on handsets running Gingerbread and up. At the same time, it's giving Google Map Maker and Biking Directions to users in New Zealand -- and college students at over 150 universities worldwide will now be able to find themselves thanks to Street View maps on campus. Of course, that does mean you can no longer use Google as an excuse as to why you missed Phys. Ed. 202 next semester. [Thanks, Devanshu]
Bollywood music hit Dhingana launches dynamic adaptive streaming on iOS
India's leading on-demand music service Dhungana has updated its iOS app to be the first app outside of the US that offers Apple's dynamic adaptive streaming for music playback. As we told you about last February, Apple's dynamic adaptive streaming allows mobile users to access their streaming music in a less bandwidth-intensive manner. For example, those with fast Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G connections would hear their streaming music in high-quality stereo while those with slower 2G or EDGE connections would hear their streaming audio in mono. The exciting thing here is that no matter what your mobile data speed is, you'll still be able to hear your streaming audio uninterrupted and without having to manually adjust any settings yourself. Along with dynamic adaptive streaming, the company also announced today that it has more than 2 million mobile users, of which 56% are in the US and Europe. US users alone stream more than 30 million minutes of Bollywood and Indian Pop music per month. When all countries are combined Dhungana's users stream over 60 million minutes per month. The Dhingana app is a free download and it's universal -- so it works both on iPhone and iPad. If you're bored listening to the same tunes you hear on the radio day in an day out, give Dhingana a try. It's a great way to discover new music and now with its dynamic adaptive streaming you'll never miss a beat.
India launches antitrust investigation against Google
Google remains tied up in a censorship case with the Indian government, and things aren't looking rosy for the search giant in the interim period before its May 23rd court hearing. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Competition Commission of India is launching an antitrust investigation of Google to examine the company's alleged "discriminatory and retaliatory practices relating to AdWords." The antitrust probe follows a complaint from Consim Info Pvt. Ltd., an Indian web conglomerate which apparently requested that the Competition Commission step in to ensure fair competition in online advertising. The exact reach of this investigation is unclear; the commission will initially focus on AdWords, though it's keeping the door open for examining other Google services as deemed necessary. Hear that sigh? That, friends, is the sound of Google gearing up for one long Indian summer.
Indian court drops censorship case against Microsoft, Google and Facebook still on the hook
With so many patent trolls out and about, you'd be forgiven if the Indian government's censorship case against Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other web companies slipped under your radar. Indeed, not a whole lot has happened since then, but Microsoft, at least, is making an early exit from the proceedings. Delhi High Court has dropped the outfit from the list of companies accused of failing to rid their sites of offensive material -- specifically, perceived religious attacks, or anything else that might violate local laws against inciting communal tensions. (In particular, according to a three-months-old New York Times report, technology minister Kapil Sibal, pictured above, took note of comments criticizing Sonia Gandhi, widow of the assassinated former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi). For now, this leaves Google and Facebook to defend themselves, though the two internet giants are moving to have their cases dismissed as well. The High Court will hear those petitions on May 3, with the trial set to resume on May 23.
Pocket Sitar is a virtual sitar for the iPhone
NPR posted the other day about an app that promised to simulate a sitar, the stringed instrument used mainly in Indian music. So just for you, dear readers, we downloaded it [iTunes link] and gave it a shot. The verdict? If you can already play the sitar, you'll probably find it a reasonable approximation. Just like the guitar simulators on the iPhone, there are various strings on screen that you can "strum," and the notes are labeled under the virtual strings. As for actually learning the sitar, however, you're probably out of luck. There's one instructional page, and links to eHow videos, but there's nothing solid in terms of actually learning the device. And unfortunately, the app just feels pretty cheap -- there's a large part of the screen taken up with a one-hit sitar sound, and quite a few times, we'd try striking different strings and get the same notes, as if the app had bugged out and gotten stuck on one file. Of course, I can't play the sitar (though I'm pretty respectable on the guitar), so maybe I was just doing it wrong. But even a little experimentation with the app didn't bring up an easy way to do it right. Still, NPR has a point -- you can't always carry your sitar around with you. If you want to pay 99 cents to have a Pocket Sitar around, this will app will probably strum your chikari.
Tata Nano photographed at official unveiling party
Make no mistake, that thing you see pictured above definitely looks no nicer than $2,000, but hey, at least it actually is just $2,000. Indian Autos Blog was on hand at the Tata Nano's official unveiling in Mumbai, and naturally, it fired off a number of images to share with those of us not able to hop a flight to see it in person. The car is set to take showrooms around the nation by storm starting this Wednesday, but for those of us stuck elsewhere on the planet just longing for a (new) beater car for under two large, the pics in the links will simply have to suffice.[Via AutoblogGreen]
PayByCash brings game cards to India
As real money transactions grow in popularity, the worldwide demand will inevitably increase. The obstacles that previously hindered global saturation in the less-developed countries will no longer be a problem as companies are finding more ways to allow gamers to pay for their services. A perfect example of this is the recent announcement by PayByCash about their recent availability in India.India is a country where the majority of its citizens don't have access to a credit card. This is where PayByCash hopes to help, by providing game time cards for a country whose gaming industry exceeds $212 million and is expected to reach $1 billion by 2012. It's much more than simple RMT though, as explained by Kevin Higgins, President of PayByCash: "Our expansion into India enables its millions of consumers to experience and purchase the over 300 games, virtual worlds, and premium content of our PayByCash publishers as well as providing other types of merchants with a new revenue stream."
Sony hires 13 PS2 game developers to increase sales in India
To give some perspective on the relative age of Sony's second console, think about this: if the PlayStation 2 were a human being, it would be a third-grader right about now, and would probably know more about long division than we do. While most eight-year-old consoles generally go the way of the Jaguar, Sony seems dedicated to the continued growth of their popular (though fairly aged) home console -- for example, in an attempt to extend their already impressive multinational reach, Sony recently hired 13 Indian game developers to create domestically-themed games and improve sales in India and the Middle East.Though nearly 3.3 million Indians already own PS2s, Sony is confident that creating games based on "Bollywood, mythology and culture" and featuring motion-sensing gameplay using the fairly neglected Eye Toy peripheral will further increase their dominance in the Indian market. Could these rupee-garnering efforts prolong the system's life until middle school, and the associated joys of puberty? Only time can tell.
Tata Motors' $2,500 NANO automobile gets official
While many around the globe have their eyes fixated on the events going down in Las Vegas this week, the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, India is managing to steal at least a hint of the limelight. Announced today, Tata Motors' $2,500 "1-Lakh" car will actually see production in India later this year, and it has affectionately been dubbed the NANO. For those not keen on such a title, it can also be recognized as "The People's Car," but it seems "The Person's Car" may have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, this little bundle of automotive joy will feature an all-aluminum, two-cylinder engine that can deliver around 54 US miles per gallon, and while stripped down would be a gross understatement, it does promise to "exceed current regulatory (read: safety) requirements." Hit the read link for Tata's official release along with a plethora of photos.[Image courtesy of Manan Vatsyayana/Raveendran for Getty]
Tata Motors' $2,500 1-Lakh car gets detailed
Remember that uber-cheap, almost entirely plastic car that India's Tata Motors was working up? Turns out, the still codenamed 1-Lakh automobile is expected to launch in mid-2008 and get around 15 miles-per-liter, which should give the Maruti 800 some serious competition in the budget car arena. According to R. A. Mashelkar, a nonexecutive director on Tata Motors' board, it should provide ample room in "both the front and rear" for a six-foot individual, and he also noted that a "new kind of welding" would be used instead of bolts in a variety of locations on the motorcar. Still, there's just something about the idea of riding in a brand new $2,500 vehicle that doesn't sit well with us -- probably something to do with the dearth of safety features, but who knows.
Indian mythology inspires new game
Canadian-based studio Syncere Arts is working on an action-adventure game based on the Mahabharata, an epic tale in Indian mythology. Mahabharata: The Dawn of Kaliyuga aims to let players feel as powerful as the ancient gods while still providing a good challenge. You play the role of warrior prince Arjuna (try not to think the Prince of Persia) whose destiny is, obviously, to save the world. The game will let players choose between various schools of combat, and nearly 100 weapons and Vedic powers. Syncere hopes to publish Mahabharata in April 2008 and plans to release both PC and Xbox 360 versions.Greek and Norse mythologies have long been sources for video game material in the west, so it's great to see Syncere stirring some fresh Indian-inspired content into the pot. The non-violent first person Hindu shooter project was another promising effort in the same vein, though unfortunately it never came to fruition. With gaming gaining popularity in India, this certainly won't be the last we'll see of Arjuna.[Via Good News]
Indian political party trades TVs for votes; free HDTV campaign in 2008?
Although bribery isn't exactly smiled upon here in the States, we've got a hunch that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party in India is on to something. In news likely to cause turmoil (or not) among culturally-planted Americans, the DMK promised a bevy of new electronics to folks who cast their vote for them, and apparently, it worked. After falling from power in 2001, the party has stormed back into prominence by offering poor citizens niceties (such as stoves and TVs) which most could never afford on their own. By wording the goodies as "social welfare" benefits, the sets they hand out supposedly aid the voters in receiving news critical to their life, health, and work, which in turn benefits society the DMK as a whole. While America hasn't had the best luck so far with all these e-voting implementations, and considering a good few don't even cast a passing glance at anything political, we'd bet a "Free HDTV" campaign would result in surefire admission into the Oval Office.[Via Fark]
Chess cheater's Bluetooth scheme sniffed out
It's no surprise to hear of someone using mobile / wireless technology to their advantage, and in the latest case of cleverness slapped down by the law, a scandalous Indian chess player was banned for a solid decade in order to "send a message" about how serious they took his act. Umakant Sharma had reportedly logged rating points at an alarming pace in the last 18 months of play, and even qualified for the national championship. But alas, racking up such insane numbers was bound to attract an investigation, and it was discovered that Sharma had been communicating to outside accomplices via a mobile handset and a miniscule Bluetooth earpiece stitched inside a cloth cap, which allowed an external computer to direct his each and every move. While we fully understand the wrongness of such a ploy, we can't deny the humor in envisioning seasoned chess players becoming enraged at their sudden misfortunes, but we'd highly recommend ditching the headgear (and any devious thoughts) before entering a tournament yourself.
Draenei Female Dance Leaked
If you haven't seen it yet, here you go. Shake that thing, girl, but watch the hooves! Is it just me, or does this one look... boring? Anyone have a source on where it's from yet? The male comes from that crazy Mehndi video, so I assume the female is equally Indian in origin.
