ASK

TorrentFreak checked some seed and leech numbers of Mac, Windows, and Linux software to see who's got the nicer ratio. The results aren't without issues, but do suggest that Windows users/thieves are more polite. First, the caveat, and it's definitely a biggie. These numbers don't necessarily point to specifically Mac, Windows, or Linux users: Windows users may download Linux software, Mac users may download Windows software, and so forth. So this is not any kind of ironclad test. But it is a fair assumption that there is a strong correlation between platform and software downloaded, and these numbers are different enough to at least suggest that Windows users do indeed share more than either Mac or Linux users. The Pirate Bay , the web's largest tracker, was the source used for these numbers, and showed clearly that Windows software share ratio is more than twice that of Mac or Linux, at 2.55. Mac software clocked in at 1.19 and Linux at 1.39. This information ...

Dubai is one of the most famous cities in the world that is known for its magnificent buildings and structures. In the near future one more splendid structure will be added to this list - an arch bridge designed by NY architecture firm Fxfowle. This bridge having one mile in length and 670 feet in height will be the largest and tallest arch bridge in the world. In addition to that according to available illustrations it will be one of peerless beauty. Construction of this bridge starts this month and will go on till 2012. As regards the total expenditures they are estimated at about 7 million. Moreover world's first vacuum tube mass transit system will launch in Dubai shortly thereafter.Thus, the architecture that looks like it's from the XXII century contributes a lot to the sheer grandeur of this city. So, in case Dubai goes on expanding that fast, it will soon create its own universe that would be absolutely different from everything in the world.

The ongoing internet browser war welcomes its new contestant: famous internet giant Google just released beta version of its upcoming internet browser , which is called Chrome. In the year 2006, person from Google said that they have no plans for releasing their own browser. Recent events show that this was not true. As said in 33-paged presentation, made like a comic book, Google Chrome is very different from any popular browser. It use WebKit engine (same as Safari's), and it was written from scratch to work flawlessly with complex content like JavaScript and modern web applications. Features that make Chrome distinguish itself from monsters like Mozilla Firefox or Opera are simple but truly amazing. First, every tab is an independed process. This makes memory management a lot easier, eliminates the reasons for memory leakage. Each tab is on its own - if one tab crashes there will be no impact on other tabs. This is very useful feature, because if you are working with many t...

General Motors' increasingly empty coffers could consign the Cadillac Converj show car to 'concept only' status. The Detroit Auto Show coupe has been the subject of production rumors since before it rolled onto the stage in Cobo earlier last week, but now Automotive News is reporting that GM may not have enough money to make Converj a reality.AN quotes GM vice chairman Bob Lutz as saying that the Converj is far from a done deal: "Ready to go? Well, first we have to prove to ourselves that we have the money... and then that it's a high enough priority to displace something else, and that we can actually make money on the vehicle, and that there is potential customer interest and so forth. We haven't done any of that work yet."Our take? The angularly gorgeous Cadillac was designed around the same extended-range Voltec architecture as Chevrolet's forthcoming Vol t, itself a spectacularly expensive research and development effort. GM is clearly committe...

Toyota has announced that they will be selling a new pure electric vehicle in the U.S. by 2012. We're guessing that it could be a production version of the FT-EV concept that Toyota showed at the Detroit Auto Show . Based on the iQ urban runabout sold overseas, the diminutive city car could meet some of Toyota's stated goals pretty easily. Toyota's national alternative-fuel vehicle manager, Bill Reinert, said the company is "looking for a 50-mile range right now," even when features like the defroster, heater, windshield wipers and stability control are in operation.The car is expected to be powered by lithium-ion batteries. Reinert wants a charge time of about six hours using a conventional 110-volt household outlet or about two hours using a 220-volt outlet. Toyota still hasn't decided whether or not the car will be available for purchase or if it will be lease only. Where and for how much they'll be sold hasn't been ironed out yet either, but we...

They are here. With their lasers. And their clouds. And their secret tunnels that go 413 feet into the ground to extract energy. No, not the aliens. I mean the hippies with their art installations. It's the Ga Green Cloud, in Helsinki, Finland. Designed by artists Helen Evans and Heiki Hansen, it paints a green laser cloud over the smoke plume of the Salmisaari power plant's chimney. The structure raises 508 feet and its tunnels dig 413 feet deep into the Earth's crust to feed coal directly into the plant's furnaces. According to them: "“No other space, network, grid, community could better represent a city and it’s activity as a whole." Translation from Finnish: "Oh boy, this kicks ass." Waseem Khan, ASK

Windows 7 Beta, Microsoft's thank-you gift for putting up with Vista, has been out two weeks and we're covering every exciting inch of it. Here's how to catch up, or get the beta for yourself: To automatically read the most recent Windows 7 posts, hit this tag (and bookmark it). Windows 7 Beta Installation Advice(Note: The beta is free for anyone to download until Saturday, January 24, so hurry!)• How to Download and Install Windows 7 Beta • How To Install Win 7 on Macs with Boot Camp • Understanding the Windows 7 Beta Agreement Fine Print Windows 7 Feature Analysis:• Why the Windows 7 Taskbar Beats the Mac OS X Dock • Why It's Smart To Go 64-Bit With Windows 7 • Windows 7 Runs Better Than Vista On Netbooks • Why Windows 7 Will Beat Vista Overall Windows 7 Beta Tips• Device Stage Gadget Interface Is Gorgeous (When Supported!) • Libraries Replace the Antiquated Virtual Folders Feature • Now You Can Choose Which Folders to Back Up and Create System Images • Fix That MSI...

Weapons Technology - Keep up with the latest innovations in our cutting edge. 1. Autonomous weapons 2. High-energy lasers 3. Space-based weapons 4. Hypersonic aircraft (Scramjet) 5. Active Denial System 6. Nuclear missiles 7. Stun guns (Tasers) 8. High-power microwave weapons (e-bombs) 9. Layered missile defence 10. Information warfare ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Autonomous weapons These are robotic vehicles, under development, that search and destroy enemy troops and equipment on the ground or in the air, without risk to friendly troops - theoretically. How they work: Onboard computers interpret sensor data to identify and target hostile forces with built-in weapons. Robots may query human controllers at remote sites for the go-ahead to fire, and friendly forces may carry transponders that identify them as "friends". Limitations: Difficulty of quickly and reliably discriminating between hostile forces and neutral or friendly parties or objec...

Last week, one of my colleagues was in a sorry state. She was hacking, coughing, sniffling, sneezing AND apologising constantly. Exasperated, we threatened to send her off to the AIIMS out-patient departments—that ultimate punishment spot for time-crunched professionals. Mortified, she explained that an issue of one of the India Today magazines had to be put to bed. And although sick as a dog, she just felt obliged to come to office and meet the deadline. A month back, she would have been patted on the back for being so dedicated and hardworking. Don't we all know that absenteeism is the bane of India Inc? About 51 working days in a year are lost along with 14 per cent in productivity and profits. So people coming in to work even when they are under the weather should indicate that a company is in the pink of health, right? Wrong. In a recession-hit world, corporates are now singing a different tune. The feared phenomenon is presenteeism (opposite of abseenteeism). It's not abo...

Inching closer towards an Oscar, composer A.R. Rahman on Thursday got himself nominated for three Academy awards for his score in British-Indian movie Slumdog Millionaire, which was in all shortlisted for 10 categories including best film and best director. "Something good is happening and I am really happy about it," was the reaction of Rahman, who became the first Indian to win a triple Oscar nomination. 43-year-old Rahman was nominated for Best Original Score and the numbers Jai Ho and O Saya were shortlisted for the Best Original Song. Close on the heels of the dual-language film winning four Golden Globes, including one for Rahman, earlier this month, Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy were shortlisted for best director and best adapted screenplay categories. The film also won nominations in cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing and film editing. David Fincher's romantic periodical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt, topped this year's race ...