Samsung announces Smart Learning

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd announced the launch of Samsung Smart Learning, India’s first education store under its MSC (Media Solutions Center) division. Samsung Smart Learning is an innovative education solution designed to offer the best-in–class interactive study material to students.

The solutions will supplement the educational needs of over 70 million students studying in classes 1st to 12th for CBSE board and another 4.5 million students who are preparing for competitive examinations. The solutions will be augmented to include other school boards, higher education and skill building content in due course.

Tarun Malik, director, Media Solutions Center - South West Asia, Samsung Electronics, said: “Samsung Smart Learning Solutions is a first-of-its kind service innovation in India which has the potential of revolutionising the educational landscape in the country. Designed to supplement traditional classroom learning, the content is based on a problem solving and interactive approach for students, and stresses on concept understanding in students. At Samsung, we are committed to being the first in software services innovation and with Smart Learning; we are looking to establish our leadership in this space too.”

Samsung Smart Learning will be available on all Samsung tablets and will empower students to complement classroom learning. It is the only digital platform currently in the country that integrates high quality education content curated from leading education partners and academicians. Smart Learning is a part of software services leadership strategy of Samsung that aims to make best-in-class content easily accessible to all consumers in the country.

Transforming the way students learn, Samsung Smart Learning provides an in-depth subject-wise content with elaborate multimedia tutorials, interactive lesson based exercises, and practice tests. The solution is designed to ensure maximum impact based learning through proven techniques such as conceptual videos and collaborative learning methods.

BenQ to showcase futuristic technologies for pro AV segment

MUMBAI, INDIA: BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of digital lifestyle innovations and No.1 player in the Indian projector market with 25 percent market share (Source: Q2,2014 Futuresource Consulting Report), announced its participation at InfoComm India 2014.

InfoComm International is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries bringing together industry bodies and corporations from 80 countries in annual trade shows in Europe and APAC every year. The 2014 India chapter of InfoComm will take place from 17th-19th September, 2014 at Hall no 1, Bombay Exhibition Centre - Goregaon, Mumbai.

This year BenQ’s InfoComm roster will bring together innovations for applications in installation education, business, home theater, and more. With PRO AV segment being a prime focus for BenQ, BenQ will showcase a host of futuristic solutions best suited for large venue, installation and rental projection environment which needs efficient and cost saving technology.

Spotlight on tailor made multicyclic type of polymers

JAPAN: Tokyo Tech scientists synthesized multicyclic type of polymers for the first time offering insights for tailoring polymer properties as well as the mathematics of complex geometries.

Polymers come with a range of properties dictated by their chemical composition and geometrical arrangement. Yasuyuki Tezuka and his team at Tokyo Institute of Technology have now applied an approach to synthesise a new type of multicyclic polymer geometry. "This additional step will give a library of architectures to allow systematic studies of what properties derive from what structures," explains Tezuka, adding, "Mathematicians who study these complex geometries are also interested to know they can be made at the nanoscale."

Rings have very different properties to linear polymers, in particular when considering dynamic rather than static characteristics, such as diffusion. Tezuka adds that these differences are amplified when moving from single ring or linear chains to self-assembled structures such as micelles — pompom-ball-like structures of aggregated linear chains.

However the Tokyo Tech researchers were motivated more by the geometry itself than the possible applications. While mathematicians are interested because these structures have not been realized before, the geometry studies also provide insights for chemists. "You may have two complex structures that are so-called isomers, that is, they are from identical starting materials like brothers," explains Tezuka. "The geometry tells us that the two constructions are isomers."

In fact the geometry of the polymer, known as K3,3, has been a popular field of study for mathematicians in graph theory. The geometry comprises four rings (tetracyclic) fused three ways (triply fused) with an inherently non-planar structure.

The team's approach combines fixation by covalent bonding with electrostatic self-assembly, which involves negatively and positively charged molecular units coming together, as in a salt. Salts should be insoluble in organic solvents, "But in polymer synthesis the situation is different," explains Tezuka. "The polymer is a long chain, and very hydrophobic and organically soluble. So if you add a little salt it is still soluble."

While a number of multicyclic polymers have been achieved using this approach since it was developed by Tezuka and his colleagues ten years ago, it is not so easy when several charged units are involved. The team succeeded by developing special highly branched and symmetric molecular chemicals and adding ionic groups and polymer chain ends. "The result came from trial and error and then we optimised the chemistry," says Tezuka.

He emphasises the contribution of a particularly dedicated student, Takuya Suzuki, who successfully exploited the difference in size of the component molecules to separate the two final products of these reactions: the non-planar K3,3 polymer and another tetracyclic triply fused molecule with a ladder-type geometry. "I personally didn't believe they could be separated but he found the conditions to separate the two components completely," says Tezuka. "It's a very nice example of Japanese craftsmanship!"

The team are now in collaboration with simulation specialists with the aim of generalizing the approach. "This paper is the basic proof of concept," says Tezuka. "There are many other structures that are not easy to make at the nanoscale."

Siemon demos advantages of ultra high density LightStack system

WATERTOWN, USA: Siemon, a leading global fiber optic infrastructure specialist, has created a new video to illustrate the advantages of its LightStack ultra high density fiber plug and play system for high performance data centers.
As the film explains, the revolution caused by Big Data, Cloud computing and virtualization has driven the need for even higher port density in data centers and this video demonstrates how to achieve the maximum connectivity in the lowest amount of space.

Siemon’s new end-to-end fiber system, LightStack, is showcased in the video which illustrates how fiber counts of up to 144 LC, or 864 fibers via 12 fiber MTP interface, can be accommodated in a single rack unit (1U).  The complete system is outlined, including the innovative patent-pending enclosure, high performance low loss plug and play modules, pass through adapter plates, trunking cables and best in class cable management features.

While density is maximized in this demonstration, ease of use is also highlighted, with unmatched access to connectivity at the front and rear of fully installed enclosures.

According to Siemon, this video is equally relevant to end users, data center designers, consultants and installers.  It seeks to introduce the high performance, high density fiber system in a clear and straightforward style while stressing the benefits in a realistic data center application.

Accessibility and ease of use is demonstrated, with modules and adapters being easily removed and inserted in a fully stacked enclosure, both from the front and rear.  Cable management features are also highlighted, such as the swivel cable tie-down points on the rear of the LightStack enclosure, designed to maintain proper bend radius, and the enclosure’s magnetic door is demonstrated, showing how it avoids pinch points that can damage fibers.

Intracellular imaging gets interactive

JAPAN: A system of compounds has been developed that can signal the presence of certain chemical compounds critical to cellular energy metabolism, as well as activating them.

The work demonstrates an approach that the authors suggest could be used to control or investigate cells. They describe their approach as ‘bioparallel chemistry’, emphasising the contrast with widely known bioorthogonal chemical reactions that do not interfere with biological processes native to the cell.

The researchers, a collaboration of researchers at Keio University and the International Centre for Materials Nanoarchitectonics at the National Institute for Materials Science, imaged nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide derivatives – NADH and NADPH.

The phosphorylated form, NADPH, is used in photosynthesis and NADH has been identified as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The fluorescent compound developed to image NADH and NADPH was a molecule combining ubiquinone – an aromatic compound that has been shown to react NADH and NADPH in vitro – and the fluorophore rhodol.

Zebra introduces ZT400 series tabletop printers

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Zebra Technologies Corp. announced the launch of the new ZT400 series printers, Zebra’s latest mid-range printer offering that will replace all ZM series printers.

The ZT400 series was created in response to changing end-user needs, as more enterprises shift towards adopting a distributed printing model with operations stationed around the globe.

With added enhancements like its Link-OS capabilities and its easy-to-use interface, the ZT400 series greatly decreases the need for technical know-how on the end-user’s part, thus resolving multiple customer pain points in device management, lack of flexibility, operational downtime, and system integration.

“Industrial sector in India is growing rapidly and India’s manufacturing sector is expected to reach US$ 1 trillion by 2025*. This rapid growth needs to be backed with robust technology that can help businesses in operating more efficiently and provides better supervision. Thus, we are launching ZT400 in India as an ideal partner for industrial companies.” said Inderpreet Singh, head - Barcode and Supplies India and Sub-Continent, Zebra Technologies.

“In today’s increasingly competitive business environment, there is a strong need for businesses to gain real-time visibility and insights in order to maximize efficiency and efficacy. To achieve this, businesses need to gain end-to-end control and visibility over every touch point on their supply chain,” said Rod Rodericks, VP and MD at Zebra Technologies. “With the introduction of the ZT400 printers, we are expanding our suite of solutions available to help enterprises stay ahead of the competition, and in-tune with their customer’s needs, whilst helping solve many business pain points in their value chain.”