Hydroelectric Cell produces electricity from water without using chemicals

Countries around the world are continuously pursuing green and hygienic technology to generate power from available limited resources of nature. Power generation from renewable energy sources has reached equality with that from conventional forms. But the portability of energy derived from cleaner sources has always been a challenge.

Conventional batteries use elements such as lithium-ion and lead-acid, which are toxic, have a serious risk of explosion, are expensive and harmful to the environment.

Scientists at Delhi’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have found a novel way of producing electricity from water at room temperature without using any power or chemicals. They invented a device called Hydroelectric Cell that can generate power using only a few drops of water. The device is able to generate about a quarter ampere current at less than 1V, which is sufficient to power a small plastic fan.[Readmore]

Google's security tools can shield you from cyber-attacks: Details here

Google has long been asking users to enable its security tools for shielding all its services - from Gmail to Google Photos - from hacking attempts.

The search giant has been pretty vocal about the importance of these features, but now, instead of urging users, it has released hard stats revealing how useful these capabilities can really be. [Readmore]

Reforms initiated by the United Front government have not got their due

As we move to the real possibility of some kind of strategic planning in June, the effectiveness of coalition regimes becomes an interesting question. The late T S R Subramanian, cabinet secretary in the Deve Gowda/ I K Gujral United Front ministry, wrote an interesting book setting out the contours of reform during his tenure in the ministry. It is an impressive chronicle by any standard.

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Planning in a strategic sense was revived and agriculture was accorded priority after the thoughtless WTO agreements signed by the Narasimha Rao government. A special programme was designed to revive water deliveries and public sector investment in agriculture was revived, inducing private on farm revival. [Readmore]

Separate ministry for water if NDA voted to power: PM Modi

This was announced by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi after realising the problem faced by womenfolk in rural areas due to the shortage of water.

PATNA: If all goes as per plan, India which is facing sharp depletion in underground water resources, will soon have a separate full-fledged ministry of water, if the NDA continues for a second consecutive term ar the Centre.

This was announced by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi after realising the problem faced by womenfolk in rural areas due to the shortage of water. [Readmore]

Polavaram project delay to cause Rs 28,000 crore burden to Andhra: Congress MP

 

The delay in execution of the Polavaram irrigation project being constructed on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh is set to cause a burden of over Rs 28,000 crore on the state government exchequer, senior Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao said on Thursday.

The construction of main dam of the project which began in 2012 picked up pace only after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014 and was expected to be completed by December 2018. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed before the elections that the project would be completed to a large extent by June 2019 and parts of the project ayacut would get water from the canals through gravity.

However, during the visit to project site on May 6 to review the progress of works, Naidu expressed helplessness in supplying water by gravity this year and revised the deadline for project completion to June 2020. [Readmore]

Google Lens can now read translated text to you and highlight top meals at restaurants

Today Google introduced new features for Lens, its visual search and computer vision tool that can recognize plants, animals, text, celebrities, and over a billion shopping items.

Google Lens will soon be able to highlight top meals at a restaurant simply by pointing your camera at the menu. Dish ratings and reviews will also be available from online reviews.

Also coming soon:

• Split a bill or calculate a tip after a meal by pointing your camera at your receipt
• Read signs and other text for people who can’t read or don’t understand the printed language. Visual readings and translations are available in more than 100 languages.
• Video visible in the physical world usingLens, starting with the deYoung Museum in San Francisco next month and the next issue of Bon Appetitmagazine.

Google Assistant has gradually been integrated not just into Google Home speakers and the Android operating system but also a number of Google native apps like Maps and Android Auto. [Readmore]

Against the odds, Centre forging ahead with ambitious river-interlinking project

Will the interlinking of rivers mitigate drought and the effects of floods? Yes, says the Centre. Notwithstanding the debates on the merits and demerits of the plan, the Ministry of Water Resources wants to take forward the interlinking of rivers.

“Interlinking of rivers can play a major role in water management in the country,” the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation told the Rajya Sabha in February. “The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for transferring water from water-surplus basins to water-deficit basins was prepared in August 1980.”

The Ministry added that the link projects under the NPP are designed to minimise water going to sea unutilised, and to mitigate the “effects of floods and droughts to some extent”. [Readmore]

Water crisis has not become a matter of concern in the society: Secretary, Water Resources

Published On: 05/05/2019 - 12:22 AM By INDIAN AWAAZ

“Despite reports of water crisis in many parts of the country, water related issues have not become part of concern of our society as whole. New developments in the field of tele-communication and automobile sector easily get our attention and find space in centre stage but water which is the source of all life forms and essential for many of our needs is still not a subject of our concern in society as a whole”, said U P Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Addressing the inaugural session of ‘Restoring Water, Restoring Nature-II’ organized by Water Digest in New Delhi on Friday he said that the quality of water is worsening due to industrial pollutants and new technologies have to be devised to maintain the quality of water to fulfil all our needs. [Readmore]

72% of People Have Used Voice Search Through a Digital Assistant in 2019

A study from Microsoft on consumer adoption of voice technology in 2019 shows that most people are using voice search.

Microsoft’s 2019 Voice report analyzes the adoption and usage of voice-enabled technology, such as smart speakers and digital assistants.

According to the report, 75% of households will have at least one smart speaker by 2020.

Here’s a summary of key findings from the report which are specifically related to voice search.
Conducting a search is the most popular voice command

Searching for something is by far the most people thing to do with voice-enabled technology:

• 72% of people use voice search through a personal digital assistant
• 35% of people have used voice search through a smart home speaker

Here’s what people are searching for with smart speakers and digital assistants:

• 68% of people say they search for quick facts
• 65% of people say they look up directions
• 52% of people say they search for a product or service
• 44% of people say they conduct additional research for products and services
• 31% of people say they use voice search to compare products and services

So, 2 out of 3 of the top types of searches are shopping-related. Voice search is shaping up to be a big business driver for retailers. [Readmore]

Microsoft Offers Alternative to Google Scholar: Windows Live Academic Search

by Barbara Quint 

A new workforce has just signed on to help in the enormous job of rounding up scholarly content on the Web. Microsoft has launched a test version of Windows Live Academic Search on its Live.com Web site (http://academic.live.com). The new search tool will search proprietary content from scholarly publishers, as well as the open Web. The initial beta test offers content from 10 publishers; two more are on the way. Phase one of the beta concentrates on three subject areas: computer science, electrical engineering, and physics. A handsome interface offers users a polished approach to searching built around structured metadata supplied by publishers plus retrieval drawing on full-text spidering. Ironically, in the course of extensive interviewing, the two people who spoke most enthusiastically about the arrival of Microsoft into the academic/scientific "search space" were Anurag Acharya, the man behind Google Scholar, and Sharon Mombru, the woman running Scirus, Elsevier's free sci-tech search engine. Although Microsoft representatives have been quoted as denying any "monetization" plans for the new service, I notice that the Web listings—in contrast with published sources—carry "Sponsored Links" advertising. [Readmore]