General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - December 2018

Dec 2018

Jul 22, 2021

Russia is Launching a New Module for the International Space Station

Russia is launching a new module for the International Space Station (ISS), after more than a decade of delays. The Nauka module is set to lift off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on top of a Proton-M rocket, along with a new robotic arm for the station created by the European Space Agency.
The ISS is composed of modules and equipment from different space agencies including Europe, Japan and Canada, but the bulk of the station is composed of two main sections, a Russian segment and a US segment. At 13 metres long and weighing more than 20 tonnes, Nauka, also called the Multipurpose Laboratory Module, will be among the largest in Russia's half.

Jul 21, 2021

IIT-Ropar Develops First-of-its-kind Oxygen Rationing Device

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar have developed a first-of-its-kind device that can regulate the flow of medical oxygen from cylinder during inhalation and exhalation by a patient, thereby reducing wastage. The device supplies a required volume of oxygen to a patient during inhalation and trips when the patient exhales, thereby saving the flow of oxygen at that time.
AMLEX is a system developed specifically for oxygen cylinders. It synchronises the flow of oxygen with inhalation and exhalation of a patient. This conserves a large amount of oxygen in the reservoir.
The device can operate on both portable power supply (battery) as well as line supply 220V-50Hz.
The device can be easily connected between the oxygen supply line and the mask worn by a patient. It uses a sensor which senses and successfully detects inhalation and exhalation of the user in any environmental condition.

Maharashtra to Issue Certificates Using Blockchain TechnologyMaharashtra to Issue Certificates Us...

Maharashtra will be the first state in the country to issue educational documents using blockchain technology. Forgery of documents is a serious concern for various educational and other institutions. Many steps are being taken to avoid forgery along with verification of documents. Maharashtra State Board of Skill Development has decided to issue blockchain-based certificates to students.
Around 10 lakh digital certificates will be issued to diploma holders of eight educational years. Mr. Malik said that Singapore, Malta and Bahrain are the only countries using this technology. Maharashtra will be the 1st Indian state and the world's largest user of Blockchain for educational certificates.
Each student will receive a "certficate_LegitDoc.zip" digital file containing the original PDF diploma certificate and its corresponding blockchain proof file. It can be verified within 10 seconds from anywhere around the world and does not require human intervention.

Fujitsu Forays into India's Consumer PC Market

Japanese PC maker Fujitsu announced its return to the India's consumer PC market with the launch of the Fujitsu UH-X and Fujitsu UH-X 2-in-1 convertible laptops. Both the laptops will be available on Amazon India during Prime Day sale, which is starting from July 26. According to Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (FCCL), the laptops with come with two years' warranty on parts, and one year on the battery. The company has partnered with Flex for after sales services -- carry in and pick up and drop service coverage across India, toll-free call, and email support.
Priced Rs. 86,990 onwards, the UH-X 2-in-1 is a convertible laptop with 360-degree rotating screen. The laptop boasts a lightweight build of 997g, making it the lightest convertible laptop in the 13.3-inch consumer notebook space. The laptop is powered by 11th Gen Intel Core processors, up to Core i7.
Priced Rs. 80,990 onwards, the UH-X is a thin-and-light notebook (878g). It sports a 13.3-inch FHD anti-glare IGZO panel display of 100 per cent sRGB coverage and up to 400nits of peak brightness. The laptop boasts webcam camera shutter, fingerprint sensor, noise-canceling microphone, and box speakers with Dirac Panorama Sound.

Jul 20, 2021

Indian Federal Bank Releases Feddy Virtual Assistant

The Federal Bank in India officially launched a virtual assistant accessible by voice through both Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
The AI, known as Feddy, is part of a growing trend of banking-focused virtual assistants, a trend that accelerated in the wake of COVID-19 and the limitations put on in-person banking.
Feddy serves to answer questions for banking customers who want to know the basics like the nearest branch for the bank, how to open accounts, or how to receive statements at any time, regardless of whether the bank is open. What makes the virtual assistant stand out is that it's not limited to a website text interface. Alexa and Google Assistant can both be used as intermediaries, answering the questions when the right voice app is installed.

AI Tool Developed to Study Cancer-causing Mutations

Researchers at IIT Madras have developed an AI tool called NBDriver (neighbourhood driver) for use in analysing cancer-causing mutations in cells. By looking at the neighbourhood, or context, of a mutation in the genome, it can look at harmful "driver" mutations and distinguish them from neutral "passenger" mutations.
This technique of looking at the genomic neighbourhood to make out the nature of the mutation is a novel and largely unexplored one. In a paper published in the journal Cancers, the researchers explain that the nature of the mutation depends on the neighbourhood, and how this tool may be used to draw the line between driver and passenger mutations.

Jul 19, 2021

'India Among Nations that Hacked Phones': Global Media Investigation

India is among the countries that used Israeli company NSO Group's Pegasus phone hacking software to potentially target politicians, journalists and activists, an international collaborative investigation involving 17 media organisations including The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Die Zeit said. India's news website The Wire was one of the 17.
The first part of the multi-part investigation, released, said that 38 Indian journalists (according to The Guardian), including those from mainstream publications (three current Hindustan Times journalists are named, as is one from sister publication Mint), and websites, apart from freelancers were targeted.
The 38 are among 180 journalists the report said were targeted worldwide, including the editor of the Financial Times Roula Khalaf, and journalists from the Wall Street Journal, CNN, New York Times, and Le Monte.

India's First Pod Taxi to Operate Between Noida Airport and Film City

Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) has prepared a Detailed Project Report or DPR for the pod taxi service between Noida Airport at Jewar and Film City.
There are plans to run a driverless taxi between the two destinations. This will cost about Rs 862 crore, according to the detailed project report (DPR) submitted to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida). This is a 14 km stretch.
This will be India's first pod taxi service.

Japan Sets Internet Speed Record by Transferring 319 Tb/s over 3,001 km

Researchers in Japan have demonstrated an internet speed of 319 terabits per second, setting a world record.
A team of researchers at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) used advanced fiber optic technology with a 4-core optical fibre of standard outer diameter of 0.125 mm to perform the speed test, breaking the previous record of 178 Tb/s set by engineers in Japan and Britain a year ago.
To achieve the record speed, the researchers constructed a recirculating transmission loop experimental set-up by combining two kinds of rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers.
The combination of erbium and thulium doped-fiber amplifiers and distributed Raman amplification enabled a long-distance transmission over 3,001 km.

Jul 17, 2021

2 Million Indian Accounts Banned during May-June: WhatsApp

WhatsApp banned 2 million Indian accounts to prevent harmful behaviour and spam on its platform between May 15 and June 15, according to the company's first monthly transparency report released.
The company identifies an Indian account via +91 phone number.
Stating that more than 95% of such bans are due to the unauthorised use of automated or bulk messaging, the company added that these numbers have increased significantly since 2019 because its systems have increased in sophistication, and hence are detecting more accounts even as it believes there are more attempts to send bulk or automated messages.

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