Monthly Archives: March 2014

View astronomy's stars from space camp

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High-profile international astronomers are among the speakers planned for an astronomy camp at Raincliff in September.

They will be connected to the audience via an interactive internet hook-up and a large screen, and will be able to answer questions from the floor.

Joe Liske, of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany, is involved with development of the European Extremely Large Telescope being built on a mountaintop in Chile.

He has a following through the popular video podcasts, Hubblecast and Esocast.

Pamela Gay is a well-known American astronomer and science educator, and Warren Keller of the United States is a world-renowned astro photographer.

The camp, aimed at reaching a wider audience, is suitable for beginners and anyone interested in astronomy said Robert McTague, founder of the South Canterbury Astronomers Group, which is organising the weekend.

He will be one of four New Zealand speakers.

Organisers are aiming for 100 people to attend the weekend, which will include an open day on Saturday, September 20.

People can register for the event at spacecampnz.scastro.org.nz. It will be held at Raincliff Youth Camp from Friday, September 19, till Sunday, September 21.

The camp is on the same weekend as the elections, the date having been chosen before election dates.

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View astronomy's stars from space camp

AI will play a vital role in our future, just don't expect robot butlers

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ROBOTS have created quite a bit of noise in the technology industry this past week, from a Lego autobot that aims to solve a Rubik's Cube in record time, to computer powered ping pong playing machines and even "soft" robotic fish that replicate the movements of real sea life.

Come to think of it, the technology industry has been teeming with robot-related announcements over the past year or so, all of which have promoted the growth and development of the idea of artificial intelligence (AI), thus leading to the question: Is artificial intelligence an intrinsic part of our future, or is it just a gimmick?

The latter part of that question can be highlighted by reviewing the themes of most of the announcements in AI over the last year or so, with many developments carrying a more "fun" and perhaps less vital undertone, like Rapiro's programmable Raspberry Pi-powered humanoid robot that was unveiled at CES. It claimed to be able to perform everyday tasks such as tidying your desk, but still - with its 10-20 minute operating time - it is hardly going to change the world.

Perhaps one of the most notable announcements over the past year, however, came in September, when chipmaker Intel told a crowd at its Intel Developer Forum (IDF) that 3D printed open source robots were on their way to "bridge the gap between technology and humanity".

The announcement was part of the firm's Twenty-first Century Robot initiative to "bring science fact to science fiction". It might have sounded like a sci-fi film gone terrifyingly wrong, but Intel futurist Brian David Johnson told the audience that by using 3D printing and open source hardware and software, Intel's somewhat crazy-sounding project would let anyone create robots and alter them and share them in online communities, enabling them to be 3D printed with varying designs in order to be "a smartphone equivalent of a robot".

Intel hasn't said what these robots will be used for or why it thinks we all need them in our lives, but it does suggest that the firm sees such technology, and AI, as intrinsic to the future.

In January, it was reported that another huge technology company, Google, spent $400m to buy a London based AI company called Deepmind.

Deepmind said the partnership would allow it to turbo-charge its mission to harness the power of machine learning tools to "tackle some of society's toughest problems" and "help make our everyday lives more productive and enjoyable".

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AI will play a vital role in our future, just don't expect robot butlers

Will robots play a vital role in our future?

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ROBOTS have created quite a bit of noise in the technology industry this past week, from a Lego autobot that aims to solve a Rubik's Cube in record time, to computer powered ping pong playing machines and even "soft" robotic fish that replicate the movements of real sea life.

Come to think of it, the technology industry has been teeming with robot-related announcements over the past year or so, all of which have promoted the growth and development of the idea of artificial intelligence (AI), thus leading to the question: Is artificial intelligence an intrinsic part of our future, or is it just a gimmick?

The latter part of that question can be highlighted by reviewing the themes of most of the announcements in AI over the last year or so, with many developments carrying a more "fun" and perhaps less vital undertone, like Rapiro's programmable Raspberry Pi-powered humanoid robot that was unveiled at CES. It claimed to be able to perform everyday tasks such as tidying your desk, but still - with its 10-20 minute operating time - it is hardly going to change the world.

Perhaps one of the most notable announcements over the past year, however, came in September, when chipmaker Intel told a crowd at its Intel Developer Forum (IDF) that 3D printed open source robots were on their way to "bridge the gap between technology and humanity".

The announcement was part of the firm's Twenty-first Century Robot initiative to "bring science fact to science fiction". It might have sounded like a sci-fi film gone terrifyingly wrong, but Intel futurist Brian David Johnson told the audience that by using 3D printing and open source hardware and software, Intel's somewhat crazy-sounding project would let anyone create robots and alter them and share them in online communities, enabling them to be 3D printed with varying designs in order to be "a smartphone equivalent of a robot".

Intel hasn't said what these robots will be used for or why it thinks we all need them in our lives, but it does suggest that the firm sees such technology, and AI, as intrinsic to the future.

In January, it was reported that another huge technology company, Google, spent $400m to buy a London based AI company called Deepmind.

Deepmind said the partnership would allow it to turbo-charge its mission to harness the power of machine learning tools to "tackle some of society's toughest problems" and "help make our everyday lives more productive and enjoyable".

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Will robots play a vital role in our future?

Ukraine vs Russia – updated – An assessment – Konrad Muzyka, Armed Forces Analyst, IHS Aerospace, De – Video

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Ukraine vs Russia - updated - An assessment - Konrad Muzyka, Armed Forces Analyst, IHS Aerospace, De
Ukraine vs Russia - updated - An assessment - Konrad Muzyka, Armed Forces Analyst, IHS Aerospace, Defence Security.

By: IHS Maritime

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Ukraine vs Russia - updated - An assessment - Konrad Muzyka, Armed Forces Analyst, IHS Aerospace, De - Video

Cost-Effective AEA2014 Sponsor: Sandia Aerospace

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Located in the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico, SANDIA Aerospace was founded in 1997 by a group of avionics professionals to provide high quality avionics products to General, Corporate and Regional airline markets.

Major product offerings include the company's STX 165 Transponder with Built-in Encoder, SAE 5-35 Altitude Encoder, SAC 7-35 Airdata Computer, Avionics Cooling Fans, and MARC 70 interface modules. SANDIA products are offered worldwide by both avionics modification centers and aircraft manufacturers.

Safety Never Looked So Good! The SAI 340 Quatro is Four-In-One standby instrument that gives you precision Airspeed, Attitude, Altitude and Slip indications, all in an easy to read EFIS presentation. The Quatro can serve as a cost effective replacement for steam-gauge standby instruments in retrofit EFIS equipped aircraft, providing for a more consistent user interface during emergency operations. It can also be an excellent safety enhancing addition to your traditional six pack panel.

With its built-in battery, the SAI 340 Quatro provides up to 2 hours of stand alone operation, ensuring an unprecedented level of redundancy. Yet it weighs in at a scant 1/2 pounds - less than a typical airspeed indicator.

The fully TSOd display fits directly into a standard round 3 instrument hole with no panel modification, making it a near drop-in installation. Stunning air-transport quality graphics provide amazingly smooth, fluid motion, making the SAI 340 an investment to be proud of - and at a price that wont break the bank.

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Cost-Effective AEA2014 Sponsor: Sandia Aerospace