July 4, 2012

Good Morning,

Hate traffic? So does Ford apparently. They are working on a system that aims to take over driving while you are stuck in a jam. Check out the first article for all the details on the development of this new system.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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System could aid drivers in traffic jams

DETROIT - Ford says it's working on a system that will practically automate driving in traffic jams and allow drivers to relax when stuck in stop-and-go situations. The Traffic Jam Assist system, still in the experimental stage, uses sonar sensors and cameras to determine the speed of cars in front of the driver and to monitor lane stripes on the road. The sensors will tell the car how fast to go to match the speed of the driver in front while the cameras will warn drivers if they start drifting out of their lanes, Ford engineers said. "Drivers spend more than 30 percent of their time in heavy traffic," engineer Joseph Urhahne said in a statement. "Traffic Jam Assist could help make traveling through congestion a more relaxing experience and, by keeping pace with the flow of traffic, potentially help relieve road congestion." One study suggested if a quarter of cars on the road had follow-the-leader systems like Traffic Jam Assist, congestion could be cut by more than a third in major cities, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported. Ford hasn't announced if or when it would put such as system in future cars, the newspaper said.


Life seen to survive in space conditions

PARIS - Research on the International Space Station is giving credibility to theories that life came from outer space, the European Space Agency says. In 2008, a suitcase-sized experiment dubbed Expose-E subjected organic compounds and living organisms such as lichen, seeds and algae to the hostile environment of outer space. The result? You can freeze it, thaw it, vacuum-dry it and expose it to radiation, but life survives, scientists said. Life on Earth is protected by our atmosphere from harmful ultraviolet rays, but the space samples endured the full power of the sun's rays. The samples were returned to Earth in 2009 and the results of the study have been published in the journal Astrobiology. Lichen have proven to be especially tough, researchers said, and, some species have continued to grow normally since their return to Earth. "We are exploring the limits of life," ESA's Rene Demets said in a release from the agency's Paris headquarters. Living organisms persevering in open space supports the idea of "panspermia" -- that life can spread from one planet to another or even between solar systems, researchers said.



U.S. judge bans Samsung tablet

LOS ANGELES - A California judge has issued an injunction banning sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablet at the request of Apple Inc., which says Samsung violated it patents. The preliminary injunction bars Samsung from making or selling their Tab 10.1 tablet, which Apple claims violates its design patent for the front, back and sides of the iPad, in the United States. The ruling is the latest action in an ongoing legal battle between Apple and the South Korean technology giant, which has grown to 30 legal cases between the companies over design and technology patents in 10 different countries. The ruling is unlikely to significantly impact Samsung's earnings, analysts said. "Tablets are not Samsung's key product anyway so the latest ruling won't likely have any significant impact on Samsung's earnings," Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities, told the Los Angeles Times. Apple has been granted similar injunctions in other countries, including Australia and Germany, forcing Samsung to redesign its device for those markets. Samsung expressed disappointment at the injunction. "We will continue to take all available measures, including legal action, to ensure continued consumer access to our innovative products," the company said in a statement.


Google shows off glasses with skydiving

SAN FRANCISCO - Google interrupted its I/O developer conference in San Francisco so four skydivers with wingsuits and parachutes could show off the "Project Glass" eyewear. The "augmented reality" eyewear, which was announced last winter, took center stage when Google co-founder Sergey Brin interrupted Vice President Vic Gundotra's Google+ social network demonstration Wednesday at the Moscone West conference center to announce an event was taking place that "could go wrong in about 500 different ways," Discovery News reported Thursday. Brin said the stunt was designed to show off the capabilities of the "Project Glass" eyewear, which can capture and stream photos and videos. The Google+ video cut to live footage of a zeppelin in the sky and quickly moved on to footage straight from the glasses of the skydivers as they made their way from the aircraft to the roof of the convention center. A company representative said the stunt was planned about six weeks ago and required the cooperation of the Federal Aviation Administration, the mayor's office, police, the Fire Department and NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif.

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