Sunday 22 September 2013

Was leedsichthys problematicus the largest sea animal ever found?

A joint Scottish-Canadian team has verified the prehistoric sea animal leedsichthys problematicus is the largest boned fish ever to roam the seas of our world.

Growing to lengths of 16.5 metres over a projected development phase of 40 years, the Jurassic-era fish would have outgrown even today’s immense whale sharks. Despite its magnificent dimension, yet, leedsichthys is thought to have been a filter feeder, exactly like baleen whales, basking sharks and whale sharks are today.

Discovered from the late 19th century and formally named (after English farmer and fossil collector Alfred Leeds) in 1889, relics of leedsichthys have been unearthed all through Europe, and also in South America.

The ‘problematicus’ portion of its technical brand stems from the fact that leedsichthys fossils are notoriously hard to identify. This is due to a incontrovertible fact that leedsichthys’ skeleton #was not# made entirely of bone. Large portions #of the# animal’s internal structure were actually #made from# cartilage, just #as a# shark’s bone structure is. Cartilage #does not# mineralize as eagerly as bone and, as the result, fossil cartilage is a little bit rare.

Out of perspective, the fossilized bones can characterize a challenge to palaeontologists. Through the years, remains of leedsichthys have even been posited as belonging to bone-plated fossil stegosaurus!

Because leedsichthys vertebrae was cartilaginous, it may be very hard to see how long the fish may have been, with some unproven estimates suggesting that it’s as long as 30 metres.

Still, whenever a new, more absolute, fossil was found near Peterborough, UK, scientists were at last in a position to take an accurate measurement. Professor Jeff Liston, of the National Museum of Scotland, said, “We sat down and looked at a wide series of specimens, not just at the bones, but their inner development structures also – just like the growth rings in plants – to get some ideas with the ages of these animals, as well as their estimated dimensions,”

The team eventually determined that a little adult leedsichthys would grow to 8 or 9 metres after some 20 years and, in an additional twenty years; it could reach roughly 16.5 m in length. This is larger than the whale shark, the largest bony fish active now, despite persistent and credible reports of whale sharks developing as long as 14 m in length.

This information is exciting to scientists and natural history fanatics because it delivers a helpful insight into the adjustments in ocean life that occurred up to and through the Jurassic era.

Scientists now think that filter-feeding sea animals began as quite little animals, before increasing to the huge sizes we all know nowadays. The unbelievable size of leedishthys problematicus thus implies that there was a huge surge in the plankton populace of the Mesozoic oceans.

The invention also demands a major change to the records.



SOURCES:


Friday 20 September 2013

Connect on Skype with other members of the family using your Smart TV

Once the exclusive domain of Star Trek, video calls are now a very genuine part of modern life. Rewind back to that ‘Friends’ episode when Monica was courting guest star Jon Favreau’s character ‘Pete the millionaire’ and also you’ll remember the one where Monica and co had sneaked into Pete’s house, only to get interrupted by a surprise video call. So unprepared for the millionaire’s-only technology were the friends, that Pete needed to point out they all “sucked at hiding” as he discovered them one by one. Nowadays, if you have a computer, or a portable device, you can make a video phone call. It’s that easy.

In reality, Skype (the program most often used to make such phone calls) is free, remarkably easy to install and saves you a large amount of money on the phone bill. It will even make International calls, just like that! (I just clicked my fingers, but you can’t see it).

Whilst at Uni, I recall being woken up early almost each morning by the Taiwanese girl in the living room next to me as she received phone calls from her Mum and proceeded to have her sound system on full blast at the same time as they conversed in Mandarin (once my knowledge of fundamental Mandarin improved, though, they kept it down for concern that I’d snoop). I in fact spoke to a different friend of mine who was staying in America and was in a position to ‘meet’ her boyfriend’s family (oddly, where my use of Mandarin Chinese language would once again come in useful) without having to get dressed and go to the airport.

I even once had employment interview over Skype. That is the amount everyone is using video calls as of late.

Well, as you can no doubt surmise, Skype (and other video call apps) are now downloadable via your Smart TV. This means you and your friends or family can meet round and converse with other family and friends who could be as far as half a world away. It is the perfect strategy to keep in touch, conduct business and engage in long conversations without continuously fretting about your telephone bill.

Skype is a type of Innovation, much like the cell phone (and shortly maybe the Smart TV) that it’s hard to recollect a period without — and I am only 26. I do not think I even got Skype until approximately 2008 or so.

Downloading Skype to your big screen Television will allow you to talk to the friends whilst sat about the couch, it will be just like they are visiting you apart from you don’t have to make then tea and so they will not scoff all of the Hob Nobs.

Of all of the obtainable apps available on Smart TV, this is probably probably the most universal in its charm and, I think, one of the most welcome. Over the course of this succession, we have seen the Smart TV be a device where what you want to watch is always on, a gaming system so that you’re by no means bored, a computer, a network that connects you to your friends and family and now it could even take place of a home telephone.

Skype is a quick, fun and interactive way to keep in touch with people and, when connected with your Smart TV, does not even involve getting up to visit the next room. We can’t say fairer than that. Additionally, you are able to always telephone your mates and tell them that they’re in the telly. You’ll receive kick from it, even if they do not quite get what you’re on about and why you laugh when they ask ‘what channel?’



Friday 13 September 2013

The Winning Formula: Two way radios in Motorsports

Once we speak about motorsports, we are in fact pertaining to multiple varieties of event. We might be referring to Rallying, F1, Kart Racing, Boat Racing, and even Hovercraft Racing. Fundamentally, if it includes a motor vehicle in some way, it is a motorsport. Yes, that includes snowmobiles.

These races, wherever they might be held and anything they may involve, tend to be huge-scale events. Events like these need a major amount of planning and method to pull off. There is smaller races, obviously, but even these rely on the devotion and a focus to detail of a fully commited few.

Issues for example health and safety (featuring that of the drivers, technical staff and spectators) or comms between drivers and pit crew (where applicable) are all of vital importance. Moreover, other concerns such as the invention of a safe watching area for spectators or a gradual stream of information finding its way into the announcer’s box, are all extremely important to general presentation of the event alone.

When televised, things turn out to be more challenging. Broadcasters need access to relevant information, often updated on a second-by-second basis. Cameramen need to be directed to anything of interest to that home viewer and the production must be a part of that race without getting in the way.

A racetrack is often a sizable portion of road, water or terrain. Saving this area clear and secure for racing presents many challenges, in order to meet these challenges, communication needs to be instant, trustworthy and clear. 2 way radios, although being around in some type or another since late 1930’s, continue to be the best method to complete this.

Durable and solidly built, these 2 way radios are just right for the assorted mixture of environments that motorsports might be held in (remember the snowmobile). These gadgets aren’t delicate like mobile phones or tablet PCs, they’re sturdy, durable and tough.

When it relates to motorsports, 2 way radios are an important tool. The fact is that it might be very tricky for anybody to hold any sort of race without them. From the Forumla 1 drivers contacting the pit crews, to the on-hand paramedics ready to rush into action at any second, to those race organizers keeping things protected and secure, 2 way radios are a significant part of modern motorsports.

It’s impractical to misjudge the need for instant communications when you’re dealing with the degree of speed that these showcases can reach. Clear indicators, easily transmitted over lengthy distances, are the livelihood of any racing event.


Tuesday 10 September 2013

Find out why you ought to be purchasing Grand theft auto V on release day

That is right folks, folkettes and folking mother folkers, ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ is arriving soon!

Developed to become Rockstar’s largest ‘open world’ title up to now, we could expect this roguish misadventure to become HUGE. Even if you got the expansive simulated worlds of Grand theft auto 4, Grand theft auto: San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption and slapped them all as one, end to end, you could fit them all inside the boundaries of Grand theft auto 5’s painstakingly built virtual stage and also you’d very much have space to spare. That is not only us talking either, that’s an official announcement. Get this, even the sea floor can be fully mapped and explored.

There are 3 protagonists and you’ll be able to swap between them freely in order to discover different aspects in the story from changeable angles. When you decide which player to ‘be’ next, the camera zooms out, (Google Earth style) and deposits you in the current location of the chosen avatar. Amazing.

Do not worry however, there is much more than pretty, destroyable surroundings and numerous narratives to maintain the more murderous characters at bay. The world of Grand theft auto V is chock filled with autos, weapons and options to inflict misery upon unsuspecting civilians, if that occurs as your bag, anyhow. If you are not #in the# mood for chainsawing blameless citizens to death (and if not, why not?) it is possible to basically ‘flip them off’ and check out a number of different pre-programmed responses which are player (and district) dependent.

Apart from that, the gameplay system has had an entire refit and Grand theft auto V “evolves virtually every mechanic” according to ‘Game Informer’s Matt Bertz. The combat system has been re-jigged and the aiming and shooting controls are entirely re-made.

Generally though, the overall feel and the tone of the game won’t be experiencing any important changes. You will not be driving around delivering flowers or going to church on Sunday. You will be stealing automobiles and killing citizens.

Lots of people. Probably in a very number of vicious ways.

If you followed the series so far, then believe us, you will choose to be here for the next episode.

On this respect, GTA 5 is about what Grand theft auto has continuously been about, absolute and utter carnage. It is a gangster film that stars you; addictive, stunning plus much more advanced than ever before…

Get Grand theft auto V on the 19th of september now