Astrophysicist offers 'Astronomy for Everyone' at Sterling Public Library

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Kevin Manning, retired astrophysicist, will present "Astronomy for Everyone" Sunday at Sterling Public Library. (Courtesy photo)

Kevin Manning will present "Astronomy for Everyone" at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at Sterling Public Library.

During the program, Manning will transport us into a fascinating world beyond our own as he guides the audience on an entertaining and educational exploration of the universe. The program will have something for all ages. Following his presentation participants will go outside to view sunspots using the same telescope NASA uses.

Manning is a retired astrophysicist, having worked as a consultant with NASA, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory launched on the space shuttle with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and other ground-based observatories. He won national and international awards in his field, and

Guests at the "Astronomy for Everyone" Sunday can expect to see fascinating images from outer space like this one of the Orion nebula. (Courtesy photo)

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Astrophysicist offers 'Astronomy for Everyone' at Sterling Public Library

Could This New Artificial Intelligence Revolutionize Health Care?

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To most investors, Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) is best known as the creator of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) virtual assistant, Siri.

However, Nuance's voice recognition products also have a major presence in the artificial intelligence and health care fields -- two major areas of growth benefiting from the rising demand for more cloud-based products and services.

Bringing Wintermute to lifeMost of Nuance's products aren't as easily recognizable as those from Apple or Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) , but they are equally ambitious, if not more so.

Nuance's Project Wintermute (sarcastically named after the insane AI of William Gibson's Neuromancer) is aiming to become the first cross-platform synchronized cloud assistant that can cross all boundaries between devices, brands, and operating systems. This means that if users were to pause a song or video on their Android phones, it could be resumed from the same spot on a different device, such as a tablet or a PC.

Wintermute originated from Nuance's Dragon TV voice control system, which was designed for set-top boxes, cable boxes, and smart TVs. The voice recognition system is a major improvement over Siri in that it understands complex, casual commands, such as "keep playing the song I was listening to" or "throw on the game." Like Siri, Wintermute is also programmed to interact with more natural and possibly humorous responses.

Building the perfect, seamless cloudAlthough Wintermute is still in the early stages of development, it will be a step up from current cloud services. For example, Google's cloud-based ecosystem -- which includes Maps, YouTube, Chrome and other services -- can save favorites, preferences and settings over the Internet so they can be accessed from other devices. However, with the exception of Google Docs, these settings and changes are not saved in real time. For example, a YouTube video can be saved, but not resumed, from another device.

More importantly, Wintermute saves a user's queries and learns from themin a similar way to Google's collection of stored Internet data, to predict future behavior and needs.

However, both Google and Apple are working on their own projects. Google is following up on AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton's research, known as "deep learning" technology, and Apple is working on a "Nuance-free" version of Siri that could cut the company out of the loop.

Applications in health careThat desire to create a perfect cross-platform cloud solution opens the door to fascinating opportunities in the health care industry, where real-time results are a necessity in medical situations.

Nuance's health care business is already booming. Last quarter, the company's health care unit reported a 29.1% year-on-year gain in revenue -- a stark contrast to its slumping mobile and consumer business, which reported a 16.2% decline. Nuance's main health care products includeClintegrity 360, Dragon Medical 360 and PowerScribe 360 -- all of which use voice capture, recognition, and documentation to aid physicians in the improvement of their daily workflow.

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Could This New Artificial Intelligence Revolutionize Health Care?

Update Ron Rhea Chairman of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade aerospace Committee – Video

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Update Ron Rhea Chairman of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade aerospace Committee
http://servicedisabledveteranowedsmallbusiness.com Donald Rhea, 2013-14 Chairman of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade aerospace Committee (aeroComm), arrive...

By: Clancy Jg

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Update Ron Rhea Chairman of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade aerospace Committee - Video

AirBerlin by WDL Aviation British Aerospace BAe 146-200 Abflug am Salzburg Airport – Video

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AirBerlin by WDL Aviation British Aerospace BAe 146-200 Abflug am Salzburg Airport
Am Montag,dem 26.August 2013 um 14:15 Uhr startete eine BAe 146-200 der AirBerlin(WDL Aviation). HOMEPAGE:http://bit.ly/1593KiQ FACEBOOK:http://on.fb.me/18YFiDZ.

By: PlaneSpotting Salzburg

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AirBerlin by WDL Aviation British Aerospace BAe 146-200 Abflug am Salzburg Airport - Video

UTC Aerospace Systems Selected by Aeroflot to Provide Wheels and Carbon Brakes on 737NG Fleet

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --UTC Aerospace Systems has been selected by Aeroflot, Russia's flagship airline, to supply the wheels and carbon brakes for its new fleet of 50 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTX), will provide the equipment through its Wheels & Brakes business in Troy, Ohio. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in September, 2013.

The 737 Next Generation carbon brakes use proprietary DURACARB carbon heat sink material. The DURACARB carbon provides exceptional brake performance and a 35 percent brake life advantage over competitive products. The wheels and carbon brakes provide a weight savings of approximately 700 pounds (318kg) per aircraft compared to high capacity steel brakes.

"This latest contract with Aeroflot is a nice addition to the previously announced B777ER selection," said Cory May, vice president of commercial programs, Wheels & Brakes. "We are pleased to provide Aeroflot with a lower total cost of ownership for their 737 Next Generation fleet."

"We enjoy excellent product performance, reliability and customer support on our current fleets equipped from UTC Aerospace Systems," stated Igor Parakhin, technical director for Aeroflot Russian Airlines. "We look forward to realizing the benefits associated with their brake life advantage on our new 737-800 Next Generation fleet."

Aeroflot Russian Airlines is the largest airline of the Russian Federation. Aeroflot operates domestic and international passenger services covering a network of 122 cities in 52 countries. As the leading Russian airline, Aeroflot is focused on ecological balance in all its operational areas. Aeroflot is also committed to social initiatives including supporting the Olympic Movement as the General Partner for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high-technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

http://www.utcaerospacesystems.com

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UTC Aerospace Systems Selected by Aeroflot to Provide Wheels and Carbon Brakes on 737NG Fleet

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: Facts and Information

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by Elizabeth Howell, SPACE.com Contributor | September 05, 2013 09:14pm ET

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was formed in 2003 after the merger of three government space organizations into one. JAXA is responsible for all civilian space activities in Japan, with activities ranging from basic space research to ongoing space missions.

Japan's human exploration program long predates the beginning of JAXA, including numerous contributions to the International Space Station. Its work on station includes the Kibo research module (including a robotic arm) and regular cargo flights to ISS using the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV).

The country is also noted for several robotic exploration missions Hayabusa's sample return mission from asteroid 25143 Itokawa and the lunar mission SELENE are examples and its new self-checking rocket, Epsilon.

Prior to JAXA, Japan pursued space through three different agencies. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) were both created in 1955, while the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) was formed in 1969.

ISAS focused on robotic space missions, including the PENCIL suborbital rocket launch in 1955 and the first satellite, OHSUMI, which launched in 1970. (The entity was previously known by other names, but was called ISAS after a research agreement was forged between Japanese universities in 1981.)

NAL (first called the National Aeronautical Laboratory) worked on rockets, aircraft, aerospace transportation and related technology. NASDA also performed work in satellites and launch vehicles, and was the hub for Japan's early astronaut program.

Japanese authorities elected to merge the three groups into one in 2003. The goal was to form "one independent administrative institution to be able to perform all their activities in the aerospace field as one organization, from basic research and development to utilization," JAXA stated.

It's important to note that much of the work carried out by JAXA today originates from research performed at these three agencies. One example is work on the ISS.

Japan's first astronaut selection took place in 1985 under NASDA, with three candidates selected: Mamoru Mohri, Chiaki Mukai and Takao Doi. Mohri was the first one to fly into space, riding aboard STS-47 in 1992. The mission on space shuttle Endeavour included Spacelab-J, a scientific module that included numerous Japanese experiments.

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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: Facts and Information

Aerospace firms expand supply, services networks in Poland

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Published: Sept. 5, 2013 at 1:26 PM

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Italy's Alenia Aermacchi and AgustaWestland subsidiary PZL-widnik SA are expanding their Polish business networks as they pursue Polish military contracts.

Alenia Aermacchi, seeking a Polish Ministry of Defense contract to supply jet trainers, has signed a series of agreements with the Polish aerospace companies for joint development of technologies, production of advanced materials, logistic support, production of equipment and servicing and maintenance activities.

PZL-widnik SA, meanwhile, has signed Memorandums of Understanding with 19 other Polish companies for systems and services for a locally manufactured and Polish configured AW149 military helicopters.

"We have signed MoU's with 19 leading Polish players, including companies and research centers," said Mieczysaw Majewski, president of the Management Board of PZL-widnik SA. "Negotiations are under way with further potential partners.

"The AW149 Polish Industrial Team provides clear evidence of our commitment to offering the Polish armed forces the most advanced Polish-made solution to meet their future requirements."

Poland's military is seeking to procure 70 multi-role helicopters.

The AgustaWestland AW149 that PZL-widnik is offering to Poland is a medium-lift aircraft with a cruise speed of 173 miles per hour. It can carry 12 fully equipped combat troops or nearly 6,000 pounds of cargo.

PZL-Swidnik collaborated with AgustaWestland in the aircraft's development.

For Poland's new fleet of jet trainers, Alenia Aermacchi is offering its twin-seat M-346 advanced jet trainer, which is based on the Yak-130 subsonic trainer/light attack jet developed with Russia's Yakovlev as a joint venture. It has a top speed of 652 mph. It is also able to replicate the characteristics of several fourth-generation fighters.

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Aerospace firms expand supply, services networks in Poland

Siemens recalls microbiology testing panels: FDA

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Siemens recalls microbiology testing panels: FDA