The video codec H.264 under free license for life

The MPEG-LA Consortium, which manages the rights of H.264, cease to pay royalties to free sites that use its format.

Backing for the MPEG-LA Consortium. The organization that manages the rights of the H.264 video compression format had to pay royalties this year to sites using this codec. In early 2010, she gave a breath of fresh air to developers free of extending this format until December 31, 2015. But in a statement dated 26 August it was finally announced that the licenses issued to video services free to end users would be free beyond the deadline. Exit royalties.

Google messes up the rules
The websites have opted for this format supported by HTML 5 feared having to pay prohibitive charges. But in the meantime Google has opened all its own codec.

Webm, which brings VP8 compression formats for video and Vorbis for audio, is released under free license. Offering benefits nearly identical to H.264, the codec open source Google would soon attract a large number of Web services. Especially since he has the support of Mozilla, unlike H.264.

Attention free licenses only for the free distribution of videos. The boxes, Blu-ray, games consoles, cameras, etc.. that integrate this compression format will continue to incur charges for using the patented codec. Like ... What browsers leave open the debate Webm cons H264.

Canon PowerShot S95

Canon PowerShot S95, the compact expert who knows how to be discreet

The S95 combines the strengths of G11 (sensitive, good optics, manual modes) in a slim and discreet.

Barely a year after the release of the PowerShot S90, Canon maintains its compact S95 and introduced the expert. A device that does not free but revolution will offset some of the flaws of its predecessor.

Like the S90, the S95 is a compact with a 10 megapixel sensor and a bright light (F2) at the wide-angle (28mm). The design has changed little - a very discreet black metal box - and it still has manual modes as well as the RAW image format (the digital negative).

New optical image stabilization and HD video

In addition to ergonomic improvements like a wheel selection more flexible back, major advances are the advent of a new optical image stabilization, called "hybrid", which provides sharper images even in low speeds and the advent of home video angle - finally! - 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). Still no zoom in video it says ...

There is also the implementation of creative ways such as how "miniature", which simulates the effects of optical tilt / shift, or the fisheye effect, which simulates the optical very large angle (called fisheye) deforming excessively. Finally, the ring optics is now programmable it can be selected as the ISO, aperture, exposure time, exposure compensation, etc..

Lotus Evora 414: money, money, money ...

Develop, not develop? Produce, produce it? An early industrial future for the Lotus Evora 414, proposed hybrid discovered in March at the Geneva Motor Show, is for the time in brackets. The Hethel firm is seeking funds to accelerate development of its model. The money, the sinews of war do not they say ... but also nerve for further work in research and development.

The development and production of two new hybrid prototypes are hung on the goodwill of the Technology Strategy Board. Lotus them submitted a funding request still under consideration.The British government, which oversees the department, must provide an answer in the coming weeks.

Issue? A loan of 23 million pounds is approximately 28 million euros. When refusing an embodiment of the Lotus Evora 414 would not be illusory. But strongly questioned. To follow the response of the Technology Strategy Board.

New Ford Mondeo, the full picture

Ford delivers new pictures of his Ford Mondeo restyled.

Yesterday we told you about the engine range of the new Ford Mondeo, presented this week at Moscow auto show see our news: New Ford Mondeo engines! -

The sedan is unveiled today via a photo gallery, find below. The estate version and pictures of the interior are also present.

Externally, it retains the particular trapezoidal grille in the spirit "Kinetic" and LED daytime running lights. New plastic and colors boarded ... Anyway, the big news is good under the hood with the arrival of the new 2.0-liter turbo EcoBoost blocks of 240 horsepower and 2.2 liter TDCi 200 hp.

The smell of avian influenza in mice by intranasal

After intensive training, laboratory mice to distinguish the smell of droppings from birds infected by the avian influenza virus from those of healthy birds. This skill could be transposed to the dogs and maybe the machines to detect early places where the disease occurs.

Imagine that instead of a bad blood test, a friendly dog is able, you sniff, whether you are suffering from a disease .... During the 240th Congress semi-annual American Chemical Society, scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center have displayed their results, new and very promising, which might make this absurd idea potentially feasible.

The dogs were indeed a smell from 10,000 to 20,000 times more sensitive than ours. They can follow and track animals, detect drugs hidden in a car or find a corpse buried underground. This performance has led researchers to recognize imagine doing the best friend of human odors specific diseases.

They were first tested with mammals more easily manipulated but whose flair is excellent laboratory mice. The rodents were placed in a Y-shaped maze with in every branch, samples of droppings from birds infected by the virus of avian flu or bird droppings healthy. When mice infected droppings spotted in reward, water was given them to quench their thirst. Otherwise, no award was not given them.

A force of hundreds of tests, the mice learned to go straight to infected droppings (90% efficiency). To check the validity of the experiment, it was repeated with new samples, and double-blind, where even the experimenter did not know which sample was infected. In these conditions, the efficacy is convincing, with 77% success.

Mice trained recognize droppings from birds infected by the virus of avian flu. © Maryanne Opiekun / Monell Chemical Senses Center

A mixture of odorous compounds

If rodents can do it, dogs should also be able to benefit, not least, be easier to leash the mouse ... A driving force, they could be used as a tool to determine, sniffing bird feces, soil or the environment, the presence of avian influenza virus. This would monitor the progress of the epidemic in the early stages where human cases have not yet declared and protect the population accordingly.

These biosensors are certainly effective hair but they are not robots and they are not infallible.The researchers are currently working towards identifying molecules that mice perceive during experiments. If they come to be identified, they could then be detected this time by machines that they, if they are not infallible, are not far away.

But for now the identification of the molecule or mixture of molecules has not been successful and seems very complicated to achieve. It appears that the rodent's nose does not detect the virus itself but rather the molecules synthesized upon activation of the immune system. Anyway, it is likely that a smell can detect the notified component present in very small quantities, so that automated systems including the detection threshold is usually quite high, can not get there.

These data indicate that the disease can be diagnosed by other means than conventional analysis. Doctors also use their senses to detect such ketoacidosis (complication of diabetes, causing a smell of acetone). Thus, certain diseases cause the appearance of natural molecules that can be fragrant. It is not impossible if man and machine are not able to use the term smell of dogs to detect the presence of many other diseases in patients.

After drug search, the dogs will perhaps engage in disease detection. Credits DR

The drug hypersensitivity is due to viruses

The drug hypersensitivity syndrome, DRESS is not due to an allergy but the reactivation of virus in a latent state in patients. These data could improve the treatment offered to victims of the syndrome.

DRESS syndrome (Drug Rash with Eosinophilla and systemic symptoms) has been described for the first time in the late 1950s but his name has been given in 1997 by French researchers from the Department of Dermatology, Henri Mondor Hospital in Paris . This drug hypersensitivity observed in the weeks after taking a drug type current antibiotic or anti-epileptic. This syndrome affects approximately one in 8000 and led to the death of 10% of them. The symptoms are similar to those of infection (fever, swollen lymph nodes) and can become serious when the inflammation spreads to the liver, kidney, lung or heart.

The doctors assumed that it was an allergic reaction against the drug in question since the symptoms were related to excessive production of blood cells eosinophils, cells of the immune system may be involved in the phenomena of hypersensitivity. This is again a team of French researchers, this time based in Rouen Inserm (Unit 905, Pathophysiology and biotherapy of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases) and conducted by Philippe Musette, who had advance knowledge of the syndrome DRESS proposing a new theory, presented in the journal Science, Translational Medicine.

To do this, the researchers analyzed the cases of 40 patients with this syndrome after taking one of three drugs, including carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole and allopurinol. In 76% of them, the multiplication of a virus in the blood, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), responsible for mononulcéose, or herpes virus (HHV-6 or HHV-7), been highlighted.

Towards a more appropriate treatment

These viruses, herpetic both are present in approximately 90% of the population but in a dormant state. They are entered in the organism, often asymptomatic, and have never been eliminated. It comes as the virus can reactivate, even after many years, which seems to be the case in these patients.

Coinciding with this viral reactivation, the immune system is on the alert: cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8 +) are activated and ready to destroy the infected cells. Whether in the blood, skin, liver or lungs, CD8 + lymphocyte populations detected have mostly the same receptor, which specifically recognizes a portion of the shell of the virus. In addition, large amounts of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) and interferon-γ are secreted. The production of these two cytokines involved in inflammatory reactions, is particularly high among patients with more severe symptoms at the visceral level.

These results demonstrate that the immune response is not directed against the drug but against viruses reactivated. Thus, the drugs would be able to cause reactivation of latent virus in less certain, a fact which is not explained but will certainly be the subject of further research. Treatment of DRESS syndrome may therefore also evolve: corticosteroids and antiviral drugs may be administered to control inflammation and cons respectively against the herpes virus.

The Epstein-Barr virus, two viral particles are visible in this image taken with an electron microscope, is involved in the DRESS syndrome. © Wikimedia Commons

Small iPad, new iPod and TV soon be presented by Apple

On Wednesday, Apple will present its new re-entry at a press conference. As always, specialized websites and business press speculated on the ads that will be made in San Francisco. There should be no question of new iPods and rental of television programs.

The conference re-entry of Apple is generally dedicated to personal media players and iTunes download service and music videos. The year 2010 (Wednesday, September 1, at 19 am in Paris time) should not depart from the rule ...

Is expected because an update of iPods including the iPod Touch with touchscreen and Wi-Fi latter could be equipped with a camera and a better screen, the same that of the iPhone 4.

Television shows for sale on iTunes

According to Bloomberg, the Apple brand should also announced the launch of a rental of television programs on iTunes. This offer would rent an episode of a series for only $ 0.99 24 hours after its release and for a period of 48 hours.

These programs are accessible from an iPhone, iPad Touch or iPod. Apple is also in negotiations with CBS, Disney and NBC to ensure a well-stocked catalog content.

Also mentioned by the rumor, the presentation of a new Apple TV box, wireless device connecting a computer and a TV. According to the Apple Insider, the device could incorporate the operating system that powers the iOS iPhone and iPad.

Finally, Apple could introduce a iPad smaller and less expensive than the current version. The site iLounge.com revealed early August that the Cupertino company was working on a iPad the size of a paperback book. It would have a 7 inch screen (cons nearly 10 inches for the current model) and would benefit from the same features as its big brother.

Apple revises its line of small terminals and promises television.© Apple

ASUS NX90JQ 18.4-inch Bang

Look out of the ordinary and signed by a gender specialist, this impressive Asus is a real curiosity.

The flagship of the range returned from Asus, the NX90 is a 18.4-inch from a luxury unprecedented rapprochement between Asus and Bang & Olufsen - no less! - Represented by its chief designer David Lewis. A machine that surprises at first sight by its look you.

When closed, the NX90 is like a tray of polished aluminum, shiny and smooth as a mirror, with steep lines typical of Bang & Olufsen. Very susceptible to fingerprints, the craft, a bit cold, is very elegant despite the impressive measurements: approximately 53 cm long ... and 4.4 kg on the scale!

Mini-PC from AOpen elegant and versatile

Brand Taiwan AOpen will launch the marketing of a new mini-PC , the XC mini-GP7A HD.

In dimension 18 x 16.6 x 6.1 inches and weighs 2 kg, this mini PC features a dual processor Intel Core 2 Duo heart T3100 1.9GHz coupled with 2GB of DDR3 memory (up to 4GB).

It also includes an nVidia GeForce 9300 graphics circuit feeding an HDMI port and a VGA port, an audio high definition 5.1, part wired Gigabit Ethernet module for any infrared remote control, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD burner 8x-eat format discs and a multiformat memory card reader

Note finally the presence of six USB 2.0 ports, two front and four rear, one eSATA port and a serial port.

The AOpen XC mini-HD GP7A happen very soon and will be sold at 630 $.

Source: CowcotLand

Facebook coward IE6 to improve its software chat

In the realignment of its chat software, social network will cease to support some browsers, including Internet Explorer 6. The measure will come into force on 15 September, Facebook announced. On that date, users of IE6 can no longer chat with their friends.

The community site promises major changes in his Instant Messenger in the coming weeks, including more stability during the chat sessions. Support for Microsoft's browser, 9 years old, was a hindrance to these improvements, says Facebook.

This is not the only one to think. For months, the world of Internet campaigning to eradicate the use of IE6, accused of slowing the development of the Web. Google did not hesitate to take drastic action, announcing the beginning of 2010 as updates to its flagship services, Google Docs and YouTube, to pass Microsoft's browser.

Ford and Mazda are investing in Thailand for the production of pick-ups

Although Mazda again become independent of Ford, this does not mean the cessation of cooperation. Both brands operate a joint major plant in Thailand, just to announce new investments in order to produce the next generation of compact pickups Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50.

If the Ranger American is preparing to bow out, by causing the closure of the plant in St Paul, Minnesota, the model for the rest of the world, including Europe, should be replaced next year. A model that is already assembled, just like his cousin Mazda BT-50, Thailand. Auto Alliance plant in Rayong, opened in 1995, is the only organization in the world to produce this model, it exports in about 130 countries.

The year 2011 will be the replacement for these two models, who will continue to be assembled in Rayong, from the middle of the year. To prepare the arrival of this newest generation, the two partners will invest 350 million dollars (275 million euros) in this site which is a key to the American group in Asia, excluding China.

Source: Ford and Mazda

The protein of breast cancer, BRCA2, was finally purified

The protein associated with breast cancer, BRCA2, has finally been purified through the work done by three different teams. The results of 15 years of research relaunch the fight against the most common cancer among women.

Fifteen years ago the scientific community stalking and three independent laboratories are reaching the end simultaneously: the BRCA2 protein (Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein), which many mutations lead to breast cancer, is now purified. This protein is known since 1995 and its role is more or less well defined: it is a tumor suppressor, to repair DNA damage in the event.

The purification of a protein allows to study it from every angle. She can put the protein into contact with other protein partners or to determine the precise nucleic its biological role. The protein can also be crystallized to determine the structure and thus open up avenues for discovering molecules that can interact with it or inhibit its function.

But the purification of a protein is fraught with pitfalls. Each step can quickly become a problem: cloning the gene, the protein expression in cells (specially modified to secrete large quantities of the inserted gene product), the separation of protein from all other components of the cell , its solubilization ...

The success of the purification of BRCA2 was not a foregone conclusion, especially as its large size (3418 amino acids) is not an asset. It would even the first ever purified protein as long. However, it has now been done, although it took at one of the researchers four years to the only optimization of purification.

While the structure of the BRCA2 protein is pending, that of its partner protein RAD51 (the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is already known. Protein Data Base ©

Role confirmed or BRCA2 in the repair of DNA

One of three teams (University of California, Davis) has extracted the protein from human kidney epithelial cells. Researchers at UC Davis Cancer Center have, meanwhile, purified protein from yeast cells. The third team, based at Cancer Research UK in London, preferred use of epithelial cells cancerous. The three teams that have each published their results in Nature and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, added "tags", that is to say, peptides fused end to improve protein solubility and folding of BRCA2 and thereby promoting stability.

Subsequent studies performed on the purified protein have confirmed some of its features already assumed, unsurprisingly. Thus, BRCA2 promote the action of the RAD51 recombinase named. It would increase the specificity of interaction of RAD51 with single-stranded DNA and stimulate its ability to exchange a fragment of DNA-damaged DNA correctly. Researchers have also shown that there is monomeric and dimeric forms of the BRCA2 protein, according to observations by electron microscopy.

Subsequent experiments should provide further responses, including changing the sequence of the protein profile of mutations observed in patients and then observing the effect on the properties of BRCA2 (this time by purifying the mutant protein). Furthermore, the crystallization of the protein to obtain its structure is in progress, but again the optimization can be time consuming.

Breast cancer is stimulated by mutations in the BRCA2 protein. The purification of this protein, expected for 15 years, will certainly accelerate the fight against this scourge. Credits DR

A sensor - experimental - 120 megapixels, Canon

Canon has just shown a sensor CMOS APS-H 120 million pixels. What make obsolete all the cameras on the market. For now the Japanese manufacturer does not talk about marketing. And for good reason: it would take everything else follows: optics, processing and storage ...

While the best SLR exceed 24 x 36 bit 20 megapixel Canon has just introduced a CMOS sensor on the 120 megapixels, with a size of 29.2 x 20.2 mm. This proportion corresponds to the APS-H (usually around 29 by 19 millimeters). In this small area are crowded around 13,200 pixels on the width and height of approximately 9,100. Each of the pixels (photosites specifically) has the form of a square of about 2.2 microns side.

This definition of 120 million pixels is a record that far exceeds the values displayed by commercial devices. With Canon's APS-H has the best of just over 16 million pixels. The amount is greater on the DSLR sensor which measures 24 by 36 mm, but those of the Canon range capped at 21 megapixels. Hasselblad is much better in medium format (33.1 x 44.2 mm) and offers 60 million pixels on its H4D-60, in exchange, still, of 29,000 euros.

A prototype sensor that will remain for some time

In fact, the feat is not so new as Canon in 2007 showed a prototype CMos 50 million pixels, 19 x 28 mm. If the definition of sensor devices sold in the trade increases less rapidly than in the laboratory creations, is that race is not all pixels. By increasing the resolution sensor surface equal, it reduces the surface of each photosensitive cell, which receives less light, which does not improve quality.

Also, behind such firepower, stewardship must follow. A sensor 120 million gross pixels produces images of about 360 MB, that must be addressed, compress and store quickly enough. In this area, Canon announces still an impressive result, claiming to recover 9.5 images per second at full resolution. The performance bodes real improvements in a future generation of cameras.

Upstream, the objective must be to live up too. Such a definition would be useless if the quality of the image reaching the sensor is not excellent. Otherwise, extension, resolution of the photograph will mainly reveals the defects of the lens. This sensor will remain a special moment, a laboratory prototype.

The size of the CMOS sensor from Canon is consistent (29.2 x 20.2 mm) but not exceptional. However, the definition of 120 million pixels is unique. It remains to construct the camera that could take full advantage. © Canon