E-mail tricks for greater productivity

For most of us, attending to e-mail is not just an optional part of our daily routine. It’s a requirement — and sometimes not a pleasant one. That’s why it makes sense to work smarter and more efficiently with e-mail. Adopt some of the tricks below, and you’ll be well on your way.

Leave mail on server

Almost no one today retrieves their e-mail in just one way.

Smartphones, web-based mail, and traditional e-mail programs all can look for mail from the same source.

So how do you make sure you have the mail you need on your main mail program if you’ve already downloaded and read it on another device? Set up your primary mail program to download your mail, and set up the other mail retrieval devices to download the mail but leave a copy on the server. That way you can read your e-mail on your smartphone, for example, but still retrieve the same messages on your main computer later on. Look in your mail settings for an option to “leave a copy of messages on server.”

Synchronise mail

There will be times when you just have to synchronise you mail on two different computers. How you do that will depend in part on the type of e-mail you use. For web based e-mail like Gmail, synchronisation is generally not a problem.

For mail that you download into programs like Outlook or Thunderbird, however, synchronisation is a bit more difficult. For Outlook, programs like Outback Plus (http://ajsystems.com) and OsaSync (http://www.vaita.com) make the chore easier. For Thunderbird, the procedure is a bit more involved, but you can read about the options at Mozilla’s Synchronising Mail page (http://bit.ly/PaJ1C).

Use signatures creatively

Most people think of an e-mail signature as a bit of boilerplate text containing the sender’s name and contact information. But signatures can be much more. In fact, they can be used to compose an entire e-mail message.

Almost all e-mail programs allow you to define multiple “signatures” and to select the appropriate one as you’re composing a message. Think of defining signatures that contain most of the text needed for stock responses that you often provide to certain types of messages. Then just select the appropriate signature and fire off your responses.

Send e-mail later

Remember that you don’t have to send an e-mail message immediately after it’s been composed. Instead, with most e-mail programs, you can schedule the mail to be sent at a specific time. There are plenty of reasons for wanting to do so. You might want to queue up a message to be sent on someone’s birthday. You might have time to write a message now but not later, when it should be sent. Or you may wish to have a note delivered when you know someone will be in the office.

Typically, if your e-mail program will allow you to schedule messages, you will do so from the message composition window. In Outlook, for instance, you start an e-mail message, open the View menu, click Options, and then select the “Do not deliver before” check box, specifying a date and time. Just be sure your mail program remains running so that it can send your message when you want it to.

Use BCC

The “CC” (carbon copy) line gets a lot of use in e-mail messages.

But people tend to forget about the “BCC” (blind carbon copy) line.

That could be because it’s hidden by default in some e-mail programs.

In Outlook, for instance, you have to activate it from a message composition window by pulling down the View menu and selecting “Bcc field.” BCC allows you to designate e-mail recipients that no one else on your recipient list can see. For instance, if you don’t want anyone on your recipient list to be able to see the e-mail addresses of other recipients, put your own e-mail address in the To field and all of the other recipients in the BCC field. Ever get an e-mail addressed to “newsletter” and wonder how you ended up receiving it? It’s probably because your e-mail address was entered into the BCC box.

Send huge attachments

The common advice for sending large attachments by e-mail is this: don’t. That’s because some recipients will simply be unable to download the attachments because of size limitations imposed by the e-mail provider.

If you have to get a large file to someone by e-mail, however, there are options. First, try splitting the file into smaller parts.

You can do that by using a standard Zip program such as the open-source 7-Zip (http://www.7—zip.org). Your recipient can then assemble the parts using the same program. Or you could upload the large file to a free transfer service such as YouSendIt (https://www.yousendit.com), which will send your recipient a link that, when clicked, will download the file.

Apple to show-off iPad 2

Apple Inc is hosting a media event next week to show off the next-generation of the iPad, as it prepares to take on new rivals in the fast-growing tablet market.

Apple, which sent an invitation to reporters on Wednesday via email, will host the March 2 gathering at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the same venue where Apple unveiled the original iPad in January 2010.

The characteristically succinct invitation featured an image of a calendar page with a giant "2" emblazoned in the center, peeled back just slightly to reveal the familiar form of an iPad. The invite teased, "Come see what 2011 will be the year of."

Given the sheer crush of competing tablets coming on the market, Apple will face a bigger challenge to wow consumers with the new iPad, which is expected to go on sale in April.

The iPad has completely dominated the nascent tablet computer market, but literally dozens of new devices are set to launch this year, so Apple will have to prove it can stay one step ahead of its pursuers.

Apple's rivals include Motorola Mobility, Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co, all of which are aggressively promoting their tablets.

Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads last year, when it had the market largely to itself. Analysts expect the company to at least double that figure this year, as the overall market explodes to more than 50 million units.

Industry watchers expect Apple to show off a thinner, lighter and faster version of the 10-inch touchscreen tablet, and also add a front-facing camera to enable video chatting using the company's FaceTime application.

Many analysts believe Apple may also add a chip that allows the iPad to run on CDMA networks like that of Verizon Wireless.

There is also the question of who will lead the event, with Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs out on indefinite medical leave. As Apple's master showman, Jobs typically presides over major product launches.

If not Jobs on stage, other potential emcees include Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook and marketing chief Phil Schiller.

With the original iPad priced starting at $499, investors will also be watching to see if Apple plans to creep farther down the price chain to broaden the iPad's appeal.

Apple's rivals has so far been unable to match the iPad on price. But Apple has pinched its own gross margins by pricing the tablet lower than its serious competitors

Scientists Steer Car With the Power of Thought

 You need to keep your thoughts from wandering, if you drive using the new technology from the AutoNOMOS innovation labs of Freie Universität Berlin. The computer scientists have developed a system making it possible to steer a car with your thoughts. Using new commercially available sensors to measure brain waves -- sensors for recording electroencephalograms (EEG) -- the scientists were able to distinguish the bioelectrical wave patterns for control commands such as "left," "right," "accelerate" or "brake" in a test subject.They then succeeded in developing an interface to connect the sensors to their otherwise purely computer-controlled vehicle, so that it can now be "controlled" via thoughts. Driving by thought control was tested on the site of the former Tempelhof Airport.

The scientists from Freie Universität first used the sensors for measuring brain waves in such a way that a person can move a virtual cube in different directions with the power of his or her thoughts. The test subject thinks of four situations that are associated with driving, for example, "turn left" or "accelerate." In this way the person trained the computer to interpret bioelectrical wave patterns emitted from his or her brain and to link them to a command that could later be used to control the car. The computer scientists connected the measuring device with the steering, accelerator, and brakes of a computer-controlled vehicle, which made it possible for the subject to influence the movement of the car just using his or her thoughts.

"In our test runs, a driver equipped with EEG sensors was able to control the car with no problem -- there was only a slight delay between the envisaged commands and the response of the car," said Prof. Raúl Rojas, who heads the AutoNOMOS project at Freie Universität Berlin. In a second test version, the car drove largely automatically, but via the EEG sensors the driver was able to determine the direction at intersections.

The AutoNOMOS Project at Freie Universität Berlin is studying the technology for the autonomous vehicles of the future. With the EEG experiments they investigate hybrid control approaches, i.e., those in which people work with machines.

3-D Movies on Your Cell Phone

Researchers at Fraunhofer have combined the new mobile radio standard LTE-Advanced with a video coding technique. The technology promises to put 3-D movies on your cell phone.Researchers at Fraunhofer have combined the new mobile radio standard LTE-Advanced with a video coding techniqThe experts will be presenting their solution from February 14-17 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Halting page loading and postage stamp sized-videos jiggling all over the screen -- those days are gone for good thanks to Smartphones, flat rates and fast data links. Last year, 100 million videos were seen on YouTube with cell phones all over the world.

A survey of the high-tech association BITKOM found that 10 million people surf the Internet with their cell phones in Germany. And there's another hype that is unbroken: 3-D movies. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI in Berlin, Germany, have been able to put both of them together so you can experience mobile Internet in three dimensions.

The researchers have come up with a special compression technique for movies in especially good high-resolution HD quality. It computes the movies down to low data rates while maintaining quality: H.264/AVC. What the H.246/AVC video format is to high-definition movies, the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) is to 3-D movies. Thomas Schierl is a scientist at the HHI, and he explained that "MVC is used to pack together the two images needed for the stereoscopic 3-D effect to measurably reduce the film's bit rate," and this technique can be used to reduce the size of 3-D movies as much as 40 percent.

That means that you can quickly receive excellent quality 3-D movies in connection with the new 3G-LTE mobile radio standard. Key is the radio resource management integrated into the LTE system that allows flexible data transmission while including various quality of service classes. Thomas Wirth, another scientist at the HHI, explains further: "The 2-D and 3-D bit streams divided up by MVC can be prioritized for each user at the air interface to support different services, thus opening up a completely new field for business models." Premium services for instance, where only the paying user can watch the 3-D version of the movie. Also a 3-D quality guarantee, even in unfavorable reception conditions like in a driving car, is possible. That means that kids can still watch Ice Age in 3-D without interruption in the back seat of the car.ue. The technology promises to put 3-D movies on your cell phone.

‘Mystery of How Fleas Jump Resolved After 44 Years'

  New research from the University of Cambridge sheds light on how fleas jump, reaching speeds as fast as 1.9 meters per second.In 1967, a scientist by the name of Henry Bennet-Clark discovered th  New research from the University of Cambridge sheds light on how fleas jump, reaching speeds as fast as 1.9 meters per second.In 1967, a scientist by the name of Henry Bennet-Clark discovered that fleas store the energy needed to catapult themselves into the air in a pad made of the unique 'elastic' protein resilin. However, in the intervening years, debate raged about exactly how fleas harness this explosive energy. Scientists came up with competing hypotheses, but it wasn't until recently that the technology necessary to record and analyse the data became available.

Using high-speed recording equipment and sophisticated mathematical models, Professor Malcolm Burrows and Dr Gregory Sutton from the University's Department of Zoology, were able to prove that fleas use their toes to push off and propel themselves into the air, resolving the 44 year old mystery. Their findings are published February 10, in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

"We were concerned about how difficult it would be to make the movies because we are used to filming locusts, which are much bigger than fleas," admits Sutton.

But he and Burrows realised that the fleas stayed perfectly still in the dark and only jumped when the lights went on. Focusing the camera on the stationary insects in low light, the duo successfully filmed 51 jumps from 10 animals. This was when they got their first clue as to how the insects jump.

In the majority of the jumps, two parts of the flea's complicated leg - the tarsus (toe) and trochanter (knee) - were in contact with the ground for the push off, but in 10% of the jumps, only the tarsus (toe) touched the ground. If 10% of the jumps didn't use the trochanter (knee), was it really necessary, or were the fleas using two mechanisms to get airborne?

Analysing the movies, the scientists could see that the insects continued accelerating during take-off, even when the trochanter (knee) was no longer pushing down. And the insects that jumped without using the trochanter (knee) accelerated in exactly the same way as the insects that jumped using the trochanter (knee) and tarsus (toe). Also, when Burrows and Sutton looked at the flea's leg with scanning electron microscopy, the tibia (shin) and tarsus (toe) were equipped with gripping claws, but the trochanter (knee) was completely smooth, preventing it from getting a good grip to push off.at fleas store the energy needed to catapult themselves into the air in a pad made of the unique 'elastic' protein resilin. However, in the intervening years, debate raged about exactly how fleas harness this explosive energy. Scientists came up with competing hypotheses, but it wasn't until recently that the technology necessary to record and analyse the data became available.

Using high-speed recording equipment and sophisticated mathematical models, Professor Malcolm Burrows and Dr Gregory Sutton from the University's Department of Zoology, were able to prove that fleas use their toes to push off and propel themselves into the air, resolving the 44 year old mystery. Their findings are published February 10, in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

"We were concerned about how difficult it would be to make the movies because we are used to filming locusts, which are much bigger than fleas," admits Sutton.

But he and Burrows realised that the fleas stayed perfectly still in the dark and only jumped when the lights went on. Focusing the camera on the stationary insects in low light, the duo successfully filmed 51 jumps from 10 animals. This was when they got their first clue as to how the insects jump.

In the majority of the jumps, two parts of the flea's complicated leg - the tarsus (toe) and trochanter (knee) - were in contact with the ground for the push off, but in 10% of the jumps, only the tarsus (toe) touched the ground. If 10% of the jumps didn't use the trochanter (knee), was it really necessary, or were the fleas using two mechanisms to get airborne?

Analysing the movies, the scientists could see that the insects continued accelerating during take-off, even when the trochanter (knee) was no longer pushing down. And the insects that jumped without using the trochanter (knee) accelerated in exactly the same way as the insects that jumped using the trochanter (knee) and tarsus (toe). Also, when Burrows and Sutton looked at the flea's leg with scanning electron microscopy, the tibia (shin) and tarsus (toe) were equipped with gripping claws, but the trochanter (knee) was completely smooth, preventing it from getting a good grip to push off.

AMD introduces Fusion platform

It is designed to handle multi-core processors and high-end graphics

Computer processor manufacturer AMD announced on Tuesday the launch of its new generation of processors, the Fusion platform.

The new family of chipsets, using the accelerated processing unit (APU), are designed to handle multi-core processors as well as high-end graphics using a single die. Ravi Swaminathan, Managing Director and Regional Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, AMD India, said the new chipset design promise to herald a “fundamental transformation, in the computer landscape.” “The new family of processors represent the biggest shift in PC technology in 40 years,” Mr. Swaminathan said.

Claiming that AMD was the only chip-maker to have established capabilities in designing and manufacturing central processing units as well as graphics processing units, Mr. Swaminathan said, “The APU will set the new industry standard.” He said the capabilities of the new range of processors make them ideal for use in a range of products — from mobile phones to desktop computers. While the E-series and the C-series of APUs would be available in India soon, the higher-end A-series APU would be available by May, Mr. Swaminathan said.

Leading computer manufacturers such as Sony, Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, MSI and Toshiba would be launching APU-based systems soon, he added.

Michael Goddard, Corporate Vice-President, Chief Engineer, Low-Power Clients, Products Group, said the AMD's Indian technology development team, based in Hyderabad and Bangalore, had played “a critical role” in the development of the processor. One of the key features of the new chipset is its “AllDay Power” capability, which enables usage of computers for more than 10 hours on a single charge. “Our team in Hyderabad played a major role in achieving this,” he said. AMD's two centres in Hyderabad and Bangalore employ about 1,100 persons.

Manju Hegde, Corporate Vice-President, Fusion Experience Programme, said, “In a situation in which visual perception has become the key, especially among the youth, the processor's limitation can prevent consumers from enjoying high-end graphics.” “The new design now offers to ordinary people the computing capability that was earlier associated with supercomputers,” Mr. Hegde said.

Speaking at the launch, Bollywood actor Gul Panag said the new processor's power-saving feature would be a boon for users who were increasingly seeking richer graphic content on the Intern

LHC study brings scientists a step closer to dark matter discovery

Physicists have carried out the first full run of experiments that smash protons together at almost the speed of light, bringing them a step closer towards the discovery of dark matter.

Dark matter is an invisible substance that we cannot detect directly but whose presence is inferred from the rotation of galaxies.

Researchers said the experiment would help them either confirm or rule out one of the primary theories that could solve many of the outstanding questions of particle physics, known as Supersymmetry (SUSY).

“We have made an important step forward in the hunt for dark matter, although no discovery has yet been made,” said Professor Geoff Hall from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, who works on the CMS experiment.

"These results have come faster than we expected because the LHC and CMS ran better last year than we dared hope and we are now very optimistic about the prospects of pinning down Supersymmetry in the next few years.” The lightest sparticle is a natural candidate for dark matter as it is stable and CMS would only ‘see’ these objects through an absence of their signal in the detector, leading to an imbalance of energy and momentum.

In order to search for sparticles, CMS looks for collisions that produce two or more high-energy ‘jets’ (bunches of particles travelling in approximately the same direction) and significant missing energy.



“We need a good understanding of the ordinary collisions so that we can recognise the unusual ones when they happen. Such collisions are rare but can be produced by known physics,” said “We need a good understanding of the ordinary collisions so that we can recognise the unusual ones when they happen. Such collisions are rare but can be produced by known physics.”

"We examined some 3 trillion proton-proton collisions and found 13 ‘SUSY-like’ ones, around the number that we expected. Although no evidence for sparticles was found, this measurement narrows down the area for the search for dark matter significantly.” The next step is the 2011 run of the LHC and CMS, which is expected to bring in data that could confirm Supersymmetry as an explanation for dark matter.