Again, not exactly a bombshell here, but a day after the 4G version of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was "confirmed" over a hearty breakfast at BlackBerry World, the company's CEO let it be known that the tablet is, in fact, on the way. According to Thorsten Heins at a press event this morning, the 4G PlayBook is due out before year's end. While he didn't specifically mention LTE, the executive prefaced that statement by saying that his company admittedly has a glaring lack of LTE devices. Should we put two and two together? Interpret it how you will.
Microsoft and Motorola continue to duke it out in courts across the world, and it looks like the Google-owned manufacturer has just chalked up a victory in Europe. Based on a pair of patents involved the H.264 video codec, the Mannheim regional court ruled on four lawsuits between the two companies, granting an injunction against the continued distribution of Windows 7, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and the Xbox 360 in Germany. Microsoft has already upped sticks from the country to reduce the effect of its current legal predicament. FOSS Patents reports that Motorola won't be able to immediately enforce the ruling. The company is still being investigated by the EU over possible antitrust violations related to licensing its patents -- something that could further complicate today's ruling.
Update: Microsoft's just got in touch to comment on the recent ruling -- it doesn't look like it's over just yet:
"This is one step in a long process, and we are confident that Motorola will eventually be held to its promise to make its standard essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms for the benefit of consumers who enjoy video on the web. Motorola is prohibited from acting on today's decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola's broken promise. "
Martine Venne
mvenne@casacom.ca
514-286-2145 x228
Bioscience Education Canada
9 regional winners compete at National Research Council, Ottawa, in final competition of Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada
After months of preparation, research and collaboration with top university mentors, an elite group of 13 high school whiz kids from across the country will be in Ottawa May 7-8 competing for Canada's ultimate student biotech science prizes in the 2012 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC).
The National SBCC Awards ceremony will be held Tuesday May 8, 1 pm EDT, at the National Research Council Headquarters, Ottawa, with The Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources Skills Development Canada as keynote speaker.
In total, judges chose nine cutting-edge biotechnology research projects from 192 projects presented by almost 250 high school and CEGEP students across Canada. Now in its 19th year, the SBCC gives young scientists access to university labs and academic mentors, encouraging the pursuit of future studies and careers in the country's fast-growing biotechnology sector.
"Each year, we are impressed by the students' innovative approaches to a wide variety of biotechnology challenges in health care, agriculture, food production and the environment," said Rick Levick, Executive Director, Bioscience Education Canada, "The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada offers them the opportunity to advance their ideas with the support of mentors, a unique feature of this program. It's our aspiration that this collaboration between industry, government and education will stimulate commercialisation in the biotechnology industry."
This year's regional finalists:
British Columbia: Miranda Wang, 18, and Jeanny Yao, 17, both Grade 12, Magee Secondary School, Vancouver, identified soil bacteria from the Fraser River estuary that naturally break down phthalates, a fossil fuel-based additive found in some plastics. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Jdt1vY
Alberta: Nikola Viktorov and Andy Le, 16, Grade 11, from Old Scona Academic High School, Edmonton, lit a potential path to the development of drugs that more effectively target diseased cells, creating a tool to help monitor the death of cells in lymphoma cancer.View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Ife01i
Saskatchewan: Rui (REE) Song, 17s, Grade 11, from Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon, developed new scientific insights into the potential creation of a more nutritious lentil. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IrvD9I
Manitoba: Ella Thomson, 16, Grade 11, Balmoral Hall School, Winnipeg, genetically modified a common soil bacteria to produce 36% more volume of the bio-ingredient used to make eco-friendly plastic. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IAd0Vn
South Western Ontario: Janelle Tam, 16, Grade 12, from Waterloo Collegiate Institute discovered that a versatile nano-particle in trees is a powerful anti-aging, health-promoting antioxidant -- better in some respects than vitamin C or E. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Jw8mrq
Greater Toronto: Alexander Tigert and Zelun (Daniel) Zhang, both 17, Grade 12, Northern Secondary School, used genetically-modified Baker's yeast to create a novel environment for testing the effects drug treatments for depression and anxiety. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IjfNoa
Eastern Ontario: Romina Hassanzadeh, 17, Grade 12, All Saints Catholic High School, Kanata, puzzled out a new insight into the workings of a cancer-fighting drug, a discovery that could one day impact medical approaches to cancer treatment. View the regional project profile here: http://bit.ly/ICpjzR
Quebec: Nivatha Balendra, 16, Grade 11, from Royal West Academy, Montreal, found Isopropanol to be the better alcohol to use in hand sanitizers because it kills more bacteria and fewer skin cells than ethanol, the more common ingredient in such products. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/JqbZiG
Atlantic Region: Jared Trask, 17 and Kaitlyn Stockley, 16, Grade 11 students at Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay West, NF, used a centrifuge, chemicals and high frequency sound waves to extract a bio-fuel oil from local-obtained cold environment algae. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/KsVbsM
The project finalists will be judged Monday May 7 at the Ottawa headquarters of the National Research Council by a panel of pre-eminent Canadian scientists:
Dr. Luis Barreto (Chief Judge), Senior Advisor Vaccine Program, Human Health and Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, and ex-Vice President, Immunization and Science Policy, Sanofi Pasteur Limited;
Dr. Jim Richards, Director General, Vaccine Program, Human Health and Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada;
Dr. Alain Beaudet, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research;
Dr. Ron Pearlman, Associate Scientific Director, The Gairdner Foundation; and
Dr. Alison Symington, Vice President, Outreach, Ontario Genomics Institute.
The judge's panel also includes Toronto's Marshall Zhang, 18, the 2011 national SBCC first prize winner, now a Grade 12 student at Richmond Hill Collegiate. Last year he used a Canadian supercomputer to discover a potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis. He continues part-time research at Toronto Sick Kid's hospital and begins studies at Harvard this fall.
In addition to their regional competition winnings, Canada's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place national winners will receive $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively, with $500 prizes for honorable mention. A special $1,000 prize is awarded to the project deemed by the judges to have the greatest commercial value. The top two single person projects advance to the Sanofi-sponsored International BioGENEius Challenge to be held in Boston June 18 in conjunction with the BIO Annual International Convention.
"Sanofi founded the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada because we believe that advancing the potential of our youth to develop the next big breakthrough in science will not only benefit the life sciences industry but Canada as a whole. We have a great pool of talent in this country and it is with initiatives like these that we inspire young students to pursue careers in science and biotechnology," said Mark Lievonen, President, Sanofi Pasteur Limited.
###
About the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)
The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) is a national, biotechnology research competition that encourages high school and CEGEP students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. Coordinated by Bioscience Education Canada since its beginning in 1994, the initiative is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Sanofi Canada, Genome Canada, the National Research Council Canada/ Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC-CNRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Instituts de recherche en sant du Canada (CIHR-IRSC) and the Government of Canada's Youth Awareness Program. Canada's respected Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada has inspired counterpart competitions in the USA and Australia.
For more information, please visit sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca, follow us on Facebook or Twitter @BioscienceEdCan #SBCC2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Martine Venne
mvenne@casacom.ca
514-286-2145 x228
Bioscience Education Canada
9 regional winners compete at National Research Council, Ottawa, in final competition of Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada
After months of preparation, research and collaboration with top university mentors, an elite group of 13 high school whiz kids from across the country will be in Ottawa May 7-8 competing for Canada's ultimate student biotech science prizes in the 2012 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC).
The National SBCC Awards ceremony will be held Tuesday May 8, 1 pm EDT, at the National Research Council Headquarters, Ottawa, with The Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources Skills Development Canada as keynote speaker.
In total, judges chose nine cutting-edge biotechnology research projects from 192 projects presented by almost 250 high school and CEGEP students across Canada. Now in its 19th year, the SBCC gives young scientists access to university labs and academic mentors, encouraging the pursuit of future studies and careers in the country's fast-growing biotechnology sector.
"Each year, we are impressed by the students' innovative approaches to a wide variety of biotechnology challenges in health care, agriculture, food production and the environment," said Rick Levick, Executive Director, Bioscience Education Canada, "The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada offers them the opportunity to advance their ideas with the support of mentors, a unique feature of this program. It's our aspiration that this collaboration between industry, government and education will stimulate commercialisation in the biotechnology industry."
This year's regional finalists:
British Columbia: Miranda Wang, 18, and Jeanny Yao, 17, both Grade 12, Magee Secondary School, Vancouver, identified soil bacteria from the Fraser River estuary that naturally break down phthalates, a fossil fuel-based additive found in some plastics. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Jdt1vY
Alberta: Nikola Viktorov and Andy Le, 16, Grade 11, from Old Scona Academic High School, Edmonton, lit a potential path to the development of drugs that more effectively target diseased cells, creating a tool to help monitor the death of cells in lymphoma cancer.View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Ife01i
Saskatchewan: Rui (REE) Song, 17s, Grade 11, from Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon, developed new scientific insights into the potential creation of a more nutritious lentil. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IrvD9I
Manitoba: Ella Thomson, 16, Grade 11, Balmoral Hall School, Winnipeg, genetically modified a common soil bacteria to produce 36% more volume of the bio-ingredient used to make eco-friendly plastic. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IAd0Vn
South Western Ontario: Janelle Tam, 16, Grade 12, from Waterloo Collegiate Institute discovered that a versatile nano-particle in trees is a powerful anti-aging, health-promoting antioxidant -- better in some respects than vitamin C or E. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/Jw8mrq
Greater Toronto: Alexander Tigert and Zelun (Daniel) Zhang, both 17, Grade 12, Northern Secondary School, used genetically-modified Baker's yeast to create a novel environment for testing the effects drug treatments for depression and anxiety. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/IjfNoa
Eastern Ontario: Romina Hassanzadeh, 17, Grade 12, All Saints Catholic High School, Kanata, puzzled out a new insight into the workings of a cancer-fighting drug, a discovery that could one day impact medical approaches to cancer treatment. View the regional project profile here: http://bit.ly/ICpjzR
Quebec: Nivatha Balendra, 16, Grade 11, from Royal West Academy, Montreal, found Isopropanol to be the better alcohol to use in hand sanitizers because it kills more bacteria and fewer skin cells than ethanol, the more common ingredient in such products. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/JqbZiG
Atlantic Region: Jared Trask, 17 and Kaitlyn Stockley, 16, Grade 11 students at Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay West, NF, used a centrifuge, chemicals and high frequency sound waves to extract a bio-fuel oil from local-obtained cold environment algae. View the project profile here: http://bit.ly/KsVbsM
The project finalists will be judged Monday May 7 at the Ottawa headquarters of the National Research Council by a panel of pre-eminent Canadian scientists:
Dr. Luis Barreto (Chief Judge), Senior Advisor Vaccine Program, Human Health and Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, and ex-Vice President, Immunization and Science Policy, Sanofi Pasteur Limited;
Dr. Jim Richards, Director General, Vaccine Program, Human Health and Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada;
Dr. Alain Beaudet, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research;
Dr. Ron Pearlman, Associate Scientific Director, The Gairdner Foundation; and
Dr. Alison Symington, Vice President, Outreach, Ontario Genomics Institute.
The judge's panel also includes Toronto's Marshall Zhang, 18, the 2011 national SBCC first prize winner, now a Grade 12 student at Richmond Hill Collegiate. Last year he used a Canadian supercomputer to discover a potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis. He continues part-time research at Toronto Sick Kid's hospital and begins studies at Harvard this fall.
In addition to their regional competition winnings, Canada's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place national winners will receive $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively, with $500 prizes for honorable mention. A special $1,000 prize is awarded to the project deemed by the judges to have the greatest commercial value. The top two single person projects advance to the Sanofi-sponsored International BioGENEius Challenge to be held in Boston June 18 in conjunction with the BIO Annual International Convention.
"Sanofi founded the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada because we believe that advancing the potential of our youth to develop the next big breakthrough in science will not only benefit the life sciences industry but Canada as a whole. We have a great pool of talent in this country and it is with initiatives like these that we inspire young students to pursue careers in science and biotechnology," said Mark Lievonen, President, Sanofi Pasteur Limited.
###
About the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)
The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) is a national, biotechnology research competition that encourages high school and CEGEP students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. Coordinated by Bioscience Education Canada since its beginning in 1994, the initiative is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Sanofi Canada, Genome Canada, the National Research Council Canada/ Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC-CNRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Instituts de recherche en sant du Canada (CIHR-IRSC) and the Government of Canada's Youth Awareness Program. Canada's respected Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada has inspired counterpart competitions in the USA and Australia.
For more information, please visit sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca, follow us on Facebook or Twitter @BioscienceEdCan #SBCC2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Wing segments form chorus that helps shape insect?s sounds
Web edition : Monday, April 30th, 2012
Unique wings allow one type of male tree cricket to hum a different sort of tune ? one that encompasses a wide range of pitches. The discovery could mean that these males are saying a lot more than previously thought, and that potential mates might be listening for these notes.
?The frequencies might be carrying some information about the condition of the male.? An insect that is able to sing faster, and hence at a higher frequency, might actually be quite well fed, or he?s in a nice warm place you might want to be in,? says Natasha Mhatre of the University of Bristol in England. ?You now have to ask: ?What kind of information is that frequency carrying???
Crickets produce sound by rubbing their wings together. For most crickets ? including field and bush crickets ? males can produce only one musical note. Generally, the pitch of the male?s song is directly related to his size. Researchers believe that when females scout for a potential mate, they tend to be drawn to songs of deeper frequency or pitch, which are produced by larger crickets.
But certain tree crickets were known to vary their tune. Scientists had observed, for instance, that a species from southern India called Oecanthus henryi produces high-pitch sounds at warmer temperatures. Until now, it wasn?t fully understood how these critters could do this.
In the new work, scientists found that five individual segments making up a large part of this tree cricket?s wing vibrate to produce sound. That differs from most other crickets, in which only one small section of the wing is involved.
The tree cricket?s particularly long wings accommodate different types of bending ? which is associated with different frequencies. These insects can make sounds than range between 2.3 and 3.7 kHz. Using computer simulations, researchers found that smaller wings could not produce such different pitches.
Also, at higher temperatures, these crickets tended to move their wings faster to produce higher-frequency sounds, Mhatre and her colleagues report online April 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Because the pitch of the male?s song is not tied to body size in this species, the findings raise questions about exactly what information females are gleaning when they hear these songs, says Rex Cocroft, an entomologist at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
?It?s going to change the dynamics of mate choice,? Cocroft says.
Ann Hedrick, a behavioral ecologist at the University of California, Davis, wonders what these multiple notes could mean for the Oecanthus females.
?With these tree crickets changing their frequency all over the place, it means that their females must be able to hear and respond to a broad series of frequencies,? says Hedrick. ?Also, if there are further evolutionary steps in the male song, the question is: Will the females go along with them??
One of the things BlackBerry has never really had going for it, is a deep games catalog. Now, that isn't about to change in one fell swoop, but things are about to get a lot better at BlackBerry World 2012. RIM's head of gaming, Anders Jeppsson, took to twitter to let the world know about the impressive pile of titles heading to the PlayBook and BlackBerry 10. The biggest names are certainly Jetpack Joyride, from Halfbrick (the studio behind Fruit Ninja), and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Other games in the pipeline include Galaxy on Fire 2 and Star Marine, while Tomb Raider fans can get down with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light starting today. Keep an ear out for more to hit during this week's BBW.
Ever feel like your phone is taking an awfully long time to register that swipe to unlock? Well, scientists from Imperial College London and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology are developing a solution that could mean faster response times. By combining polymer semiconductors and small molecules into a composite material to make organic thin-film transistors -- a process known as composite collaboration -- they found a way to increase the speed of the electrical charge moving through a device's components. The end result could someday be a smartphone that reacts to your touch much more quickly than your current handset. If you're so inclined, jump below the break to the presser for a more in-depth explanation.
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Public release date: 1-May-2012
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