Brain Mapping

Scientists are working on brain mapping technology with great hopes. Experts believe there is a great possibility of brain mapping simplifying the brain surgeries and also, finding some not-yet-known secrets of using brain in better way. Before we discuss on if this is just another hype in technical world or a real big, let us know what it actually is.

What is Brain Mapping?
Brain mapping is drawing the maps of the human brain. With maps, we mean the diagrammatic representation of physical features, just as the maps of cities, countries and world. Geographically, the study of map can help in understanding lots of things about past and current situation. Also, it may help in predicting some future happenings. Brain mapping is being worked upon with the same aim.

Brain is made up of wiring of a huge number of neurons and cells. Studies have indicated that different neuron locations have different operations to look after. This is like: a certain group of neuron has the task of controlling the arms; within that group, some neurons have the task of controlling the movement of elbow, palm, fingers, etc.

The studies of brain maps will aim at recording the peculiarities of different locations of brain, finding the relations of the operations that they execute, and at the same time noticing the change during ailments, etc.

Why Brain Mapping?
Brain, heart and skin are the only organs that connect to whole body. Skin and heart have been greatly studied and their complexity is very much resolved now. However, brain has not been explored much. Its delicacy and lack of options for reaching it are the reasons of  this biased behavior. Now that science has developed several ways (say CAT scan, MRI, etc.) of researching the brain, the brain mapping has evolved. Considering that brain is wired connection, it becomes very important to understand the physical connections first.

Even if we do not take the future prospects in the count, one thing is for sure that brain mapping will greatly help the neurosurgeons. Wide-ranging images of activities in brain will enhance the abilities and skills of the surgeons for a longer run.

Further advancements in this study, which will aim at realtime mapping of brain for its instant responses. Using this data, scientists can track the best ways of using brain for various task. Eventually, we can expect brain mapping to be the reason of cure for many brain related ailments.

Virtual Reality Headsets: A Step Into Real Like Virtual World

“Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! That tiger is about to grasp me and have me for his dinner, God please save me he is so near.”- With Virtual Reality headset, you can enjoy a real experience of a jungle safari right on your couch in the living room. Mark the words ‘real experience’. 3D videos are in trend from some years now, but Virtual Reality is a little similar and miles ahead. Let us know more about Virtual Reality headset, a gadget that is ready to hit the technology market and to take digital life to next amazing level.

Virtual Reality headset is a somewhat goggle and helmet combo gadget with the potential to take the wearer in virtual world that seems real-like because of computer-simulated environment. Through the computer, Virtual reality can recreate sensory experiences that include virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, etc. Some technology big-wigs are working on creating their own virtual reality headsets for users around the world. 

 

The concept of Virtual Reality headsets was started by Oculus but with time well known giants, like- Google, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung, etc. have stormed into this industry. Most of these companies have revealed their plans on respective headsets and the launch in the market for the users is not very far either.

Moreover, in first of its kind operation, US department of defense in 2010 used virtual reality headsets in Future Immersive Training Environment (FITE), a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD), as a three-year $36-million initiative to demonstrate the value of advanced small unit in immersible training systems. It demonstrated infantry applications of Virtual Reality headsets to train soldiers via giving them feeling of real-life environment of a war projected as in Afghanistan.

How Virtual environment works?

Most VE systems are powered by normal PCs and Graphics that run on high-tech Graphic cards originally designed for the video gaming community. VE systems use Head mounted displays (HMD), which are headsets that include two monitors, one for each eye. The images make up a stereoscopic effect, giving the illusion of depth. Earlier, HMDs used Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors, which were large and expensive but provided good resolution and quality. Later arrived Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors, which were much cheaper, but, incompetent against the quality of CRT displays. At present, LCD displays are much more advanced, with improved resolution and color saturation. All this makes LCD more common than CRT monitors.

With experiments taking place to improve the HMDs for better user experience, the Virtual Reality headsets arrived. They are much lighter and more comfortable to wear than HMDs. These headsets contain head tracking systems which is connected to a computer that sends signals to adjust the images seen by the wearer as they move around in virtual environment. The glasses allow the wearer to see two separate images which the brain combines into one to give the illusion of 3D depth.

What is the aim of Virtual Reality headsets?

The main aim of Virtual Reality headsets is to gift the wearer a virtual world which is realistic and behaves in a co-natural way. But any delay in response time will result in disconnection and, in some cases, user might feel motion sickness. Initially, the target users of the VR headsets will be video-gaming community, but it is expected to gradually expand itself to other sectors, like- Architecture, Movies, Health-care, etc. Microsoft’s HoloLens, which is still being worked upon, promises use of VR in communication, engineering, etc. and can really prove to be a giant leap in Virtual Reality world.

Agricultural Drones: All Set to Transform Agrarian Sector

Technology is transforming every inch of our lives. Almost every sector has witnessed technological revolution and agricultural sector is no exception. Technology has gifted agrarian sector many powers, riding on which it has been able to make close to the ever-rising demand. The latest among the powers that technology has provided to agrarian sector is - Agricultural Drone.

For a layman, utilization of the drones might be limited to just spying, surveillance and bombarding terrorists' hide-outs. However, one with slightly wider knowledge can easily state the mighty utilization of the invention of drones for agriculture sector. These will ease the work of agrarian society to a remarkable extent.

The long walk of the farmers through the farm to keep regular inspection on the crop will be shortened. Drones allow a much better inspection over crop than manual one, because:

• Drones can provide aerial view of the crop, which reveals patterns that unwrap everything from irrigation problems to soil variation, even pest and fungal infestations that can't be visible to naked eyes.
• The cameras attached with the drone can click multispectral images, capture images in the infrared as well as the normal mode, which can be combined to create a reliable data to examine the differences between healthy and distressed plants.
• A drone can be programmed to check on a crop at regular intervals like: every week, every day, or even every hour.
• Drones can be affixed with the spraying equipments to provide the fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, etc. in the crops.
• Flying drone with sound alert promises to be a better guard to scare the attacking birds.
• Also, what may attract farmers more towards agricultural drones is its price, an agricultural drone equipped with cameras will be available for less than $1,000.

Ready to Roll but with Some Rules

Earlier when the concept of agricultural drone was inching towards the launch, a roadblock disrupted its movement as FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) banned the commercial use of drones in US airspace citing breach of privacy. But recently, FAA has exempted companies who are manufacturing agricultural drones with some guidelines to follow. The guidelines for commercial drones proposed by FAA are as follows:

• Drones must not weigh more than 55 pounds
• It must fly within the sight of remote pilots
• Drones can be flown only during daylight
• It must stay below 500 feet in the air and must fly at less than 100 mph
• The minimum age limit for a person operating the drone is 17 years and pilots have to pass an aeronautics test and must be attested by the Transportation Security Administration

After proposing the rules to fly drones, the FAA has asked public to come-up with their suggestions and set 60 days deadline for final implementation, but industry experts expect the analysis of comments could take 18 months or longer before the rules are completed.

But one thing is for sure that drones are going to get clearance for agricultural use by the FAA soon.

Finally drones may end up better known as a green-tech instrument and help the agrarian sector with saving water, pesticides and harvest healthy crops.

Internet of Things: Comforting Lives Smartly

Time has surged vast changes with the assistance of internet. From a time when writing letters was the fastest mode of distant communication to the time of realtime instant messaging applications, internet has contributed enormously. This dramatic change in connectivity, and eventually, in lives is just a hint towards Internet of Things. Internet of Things is a smart connectivity between human and electronic devices.

 Now, power companies take electricity meter readings through tele-metering systems rather than visiting individual house, a doctor can supervise the condition of the patient 24x7 using devices even when the patient is at home and doctor is in hospital, vehicle-affixed terminals automatically show the closest parking space; and the sensors in smart homes turn off utilities, close windows, proctor security, and keep homeowners updated with all on the go. The scenarios that only existed in science fictions in the past are a part of reality now because of induction of the Internet of Things. With the advancement of internet and artificial intelligence technology, things are getting smarter day by day. Internet of things is powered on this concept of ‘smartness’.

Also known as M2M or Machine to Machine, Machine to Man, Man to Machine, Machine to Mobile, the Internet of Things links humans, devices, and systems. When integrated with microchips and sensors, the devices, systems or machines can think, feel, sense, and communicate with each other. Together with the infrastructure of the Internet and mobile networks, these objects get in touch with humans and enable us to admonish and control them.

Internet of Things is providing human life a greater connectivity and a supreme functionality. There is apparently no limit over what can be connected to the Internet as technology is focusing to make almost any and every device compatible with internet. Some of the examples where Internet of things is comforting lives smartly are:

• Students at Writhlington School in Somerset (UK) have used the internet of things to watch how orchids grow
• Street lights in Barcelona dim on their own to save electricity. Also, they check traffic flow and pollution levels to give feeds to central system for betterment of the city.
• Deutsche Telekom and French IT firm Medria invented a wearable collar for cows to keep them connected to the wireless internet
• Ducks in Buckingham Palace (UK) have GPS devices attached to their legs so that their location can be tracked
• Toilets at London’s Heathrow Airport report on their usage

More than just saving the human efforts, these innovations are also much better in efficiency and productivity. Internet of Things is proving itself as a boon for mankind and making their lives smarter, faster and convenient in many ways. It will be fascinating to see what else can Internet provide us in coming future.

Mobile Collaboration

Mobile collaboration is a connection on which different users are able to connect from their individual mobile devices to work on a specific activity. Mobile devices, here, are not specified to just cellphone devices, but to all the devices that are connected on a network free from wires and location fixations.

Feel this example: I need an infographic to attract customers for my latest product. I have teams of designers and content writers to do it (make it complex with freelancers). I am going to take the final call on the infographic with some advice of my marketing manager(make it complex by sending him to Lumahai beach for an official meeting). Now, it will start with to and from of emails between designers and content writers keeping me and Mr. Marketing manager in CC. Isn’t it frustrating and less productive?

Now let us take yet another example: For the same infographic, I get designers, content writers, and Mr. Marketing manager together on one app. We maybe using different devices, like: Macbook, Windows Laptop, iPhone, Android Tablet or anything. All we would need is an internet connection to collaborate together from any where using Slingshot, Zoom, or any other collaboration software, which allows instant comments, suggestions, editing and results. Isn’t it awesome and more productive? This is mobile collaboration.

Mobile collaboration is a contribution of fast-paced internet technology, because of which realtime connectivity is a very real concept. The way internet is pacing up, it will not be a shocking thing if I wake up someday and hear about an internet connection provider that offers connections faster than realtime, maybe in ideal-time. Along with internet improvement, the Moore’s law kept getting older and it allowed multiple features, such as: videos, audio, documents, communication (most importantly), etc. shrunk within a device that can fit most human palms. Smart encryption and cloud services have deployed the much needed security as well.

Why Mobile Collaboration is the Future?

I see mobile collaboration as inevitable. It has largely stolen ground of email communication, telephone calls, and even person-to-person in person meeting. Fortunately, or unfortunately, most humans are not very willing to talk in person and they see instant messaging as a better substitute for communication. Everything seems to be moving towards the mobile devices. Most of the tech enthusiasts have already adopted laptops, smartphones and tablets as their major device, and not-so-fast-with-technology are also shifting at good pace. BYOD culture is rising fast and data security with cloud (corporate and personal) getting better.

Plus, mobile collaboration is not only a corporate affair, but it is everything. Multiplayer gaming, video conferencing in classrooms, online social gathering for various causes- there is so much that mobile collaboration can deliver. New mobile devices are offering brilliant features and getting better. Honestly, mobile collaboration is helping everyone. If there is something it fails at, then I am sure a team of developers will be collaborating (possibly mobile collaborating) to get that as well done.

Business Incubators and Accelerators

Time travel a decade back and remember the starting up a business requirements. An idea shaping into a final product with a handsome amount of investment, and then taking the product to a market with its ample demand. It was never tough to get an idea, but finding investment and market was a hard nut to crack. Also, the product manufacturing time was  very high.

Welcome back to 2015, when business startup is comparatively far easier and the credit goes to specially business incubators and accelerators. These are the supporters for the businesses to shape up, perform, grow, and gain more. In other words, these are the services that help the an infant business in meeting up its needs, such as: investment, market, etc.

One can find the aim of business incubator and accelerator to be similar, and that is why these terms are, sometimes, used interchangeably. Actually there exists considerable difference in terms of their operations.

Business Incubator

Business incubators are the service provider for a business startup. They aim to create a foothold of the business in the market. Just as a new born child, business startups also require special care and friendly environment to grow into a stable business. Business incubator provides that special care and environment for a startup to flourish and learn the tactics for survival.

Business networking, management assistance, advisory, presentation skills, guidance on ways to attracting the possible finance sources, etc. are some of the services that business incubators aim to implant into the business. But generally, it does not involve a direct financial support. Business incubator, in this way, can be considered as a basic business service provider along with low cost office spaces.

The time for which a business incubator pampers a business is not certain. It is a goal oriented approach to support a business till it reaches a stager where it can look after itself. Usually, even the settled businesses, in some ways, remain associated with the business incubators to support other popping up businesses.

Business Accelerator

Business accelerators are the supporting platforms for the businesses that have passed the initial and most vulnerable stage. Business accelerator helps a business though accelerator program. Accelerator program is a financial deal in which business accelerator will directly invest an amount of money in the business and earn back from the profit. Like business incubator, there are many different ways in which a business accelerator can help a business, such as: helping in adopting better productivity methods, shaping business strategies, etc. Since, there is a direct investment of money involved, business accelerators are expected to enhance the productivity of the business. These are short term plans and are expected to last for 6 months at most. Once the accelerator program is over, the business and business accelerator will separate their paths.

Any business can require an accelerator, no matter what stage it is at. Stagnancy in productivity can arrive for any business and business accelerator is a way to overcome that. It has a simple fundamental aim- raise the growth rate. And an external investment and mind is a great way of achieving that.

Final Note

Well, if there is a straight question, which is more important, incubator or accelerator; then I would never be able to choose one. If the question arrives with a slight change as: “Which one is more important for business startup”, I would quickly pick business incubator. Similarly, for a settled business, business accelerator is the requisite.