Android tablets have eroded 20 pct of iPad share

For most of the last year, the mobile industry has been forecasting an “iPad-killer”—a media tablet that would be able to confront and defeat Apple’s now-iconic iPad tablet in the marketplace on the basis of features and/or price. According to a new report from ABI Research, Android-based media tablets managed to capture some 20 percent of the iPad’s dominant market share in the last 12 months…but the iPad-killer is nowhere to be found, with no single device or vendor mounting a significant challenge.

“Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple,” said ABI Research mobile devices group director Jeff Orr, in a statement. “In fact, most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads.”

ABI cites fragmentation as one of the main factors hindering the development of an Android media tablet industry. Three different iterations of the Android platform are deployed on media tablets at the moment (there’s a fourth on the way), making it difficult for developers and device makers to choose a target platform. ABI also notes the benefits of a supposedly-open software platform have yet to give Android a significant edge in tablets.

“De-featured, low-cost media tablets are being introduced by more than fifty vendors in 2011,” Orr noted. “This will certainly help bolster year-over-year growth for the category, but it also creates a negative perception in the minds of the mass consumer audience about the readiness of media tablets to be fully functional within the next several years.”

Contact lost with hypersonic glider after launch

An unmanned hypersonic glider developed for U.S. defense research into super-fast global strike capability was launched atop a rocket early Thursday but contact was lost after the experimental craft began flying on its own, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said.

The problem occurred during the critical point of transition to aerodynamic flight, DARPA said in a statement that described the mission as an attempt to fly the fastest aircraft ever built.

"More than nine minutes of data was collected before an anomaly caused loss of signal," it said. "Initial indications are that the aircraft impacted the Pacific Ocean along the planned flight path."

The 7:45 a.m. launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 130 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, was the second of two planned flights of a Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2. Contact was also lost during the first mission.

Shaped like the tip of a spear, the small craft is part of a U.S. military initiative to develop technology to respond to threats at 20 times the speed of sound or greater, reaching any part of the globe in an hour.

The HTV-2 is designed to be launched to the edge of space, separate from its booster and maneuver through the atmosphere at 13,000 mph (21,000 kph) before intentionally crashing into the ocean.

Defense analyst John Pike of Globalsecurity.org wasn't surprised with the latest failure because the hypersonic test flight program is still in its infancy.

"At this early stage of the game, if they did not experience failures, it's because they're not trying very hard," he said.

Pike said it's possible for engineers to still glean useful information about what worked and what didn't, despite the flight ending prematurely. The key is to analyze what happened in the final five seconds before contact was lost.

DARPA used Twitter to announce the launch and status of the flight.

The agency said the launch of the Minotaur 4 rocket was successful and separation was confirmed via a camera. Communication was then lost.

DARPA's statement quoted Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, the HTV-2 program manager, on the challenge of flight in "virtually uncharted territory."

"We know how to boost the aircraft to near space," he said. "We know how to insert the aircraft into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It's vexing; I'm confident there is a solution. We have to find it."

A team of experts will examine information gathered by more than 20 air, land, sea and space data collection systems, DARPA said.

The HTV-2 is intended to put theory, simulations and wind tunnel experience to the test in real flight conditions at speeds producing temperatures in the thousands of degrees and requiring extremely fast control systems, according to DARPA.

The first HTV-2 was launched on April 22, 2010. It returned nine minutes of data, including 139 seconds of aerodynamic data at speeds between 17 and 22 times the speed of sound, DARPA said.

That craft detected an anomaly, aborted its flight and plunged into the ocean, the agency said.

The military and NASA have also been working on powered aircraft capable of flying at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5.

In 2004, NASA's unmanned X-43A reached Mach 9.6 on a flight off California. Powered for 10 seconds by a supersonic combustion ramjet, or scramjet, that set a speed record for jet-powered flight.

The X-43A also set the previous record of Mach 6.8 earlier that year.

The unmanned X-51A Waverider, a demonstrator, developed by the Air Force, DARPA, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Boeing, has been tested twice.

Powered by a scramjet, the first X-51A reached about Mach 5 for 140 seconds after being dropped from the wing of a B-52 in May 2010, according to Boeing. Last June, a second craft had problems in a flight off the California coast and the test was terminated. Two more flights are planned for the X-51A program.

The HTV-2 was launched atop a Minotaur 4 rocket built by Orbital Sciences Corp. from decommissioned Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Minotaur 4 made its debut last year carrying the first HTV-2.

"From what we can tell based on preliminary data, it looked like the rocket did its job," said Orbital spokesman Barry Beneski.

Minotaur 4 is part of the Minotaur rocket family. There have been 22 Minotaur launches since 2000 — a 100 percent success rate. The price of a single flight ranges from $15 million to $30 million depending on the rocket style, according to the company.

Divorce Rate in America

"American husbands are the best in the world; no other husbands are so generous to their wives, or can be so easily divorced." ~ Elinor Glyn



I guess Elinor Glyn must have done a lot of research before saying this quote because she is so right! Did you know as per a survey, The United States of America tops the list of the countries with most divorces!!! The studies on divorce rate in America say that approximately 40% to 50% marriages end up getting divorced! This means that out of every 2 marriages, 1 would break up. To add to it, if the same trend continues, there is no way that America would fail to be at the top in the coming years as well! Have a look at some of the shocking divorce statistics in America, and find out why America tops the list, as fasr as divorce statistics are concerned.



Divorce Statistics in America



Divorce is a common phenomena in America. Do Americans fail to understand the seriousness and commitment that comes with marriage? Is freedom more important than adjusting? Do they understand the causes and effects of divorce? If you think that 'No' is the answer to these questions, look at the statistics above and think again.

• As per the Enrichment Journal on the divorce rates in America, 41% of all first marriages in America, end up in divorce! The number rises to 60% when it comes to second marriages, and 73% when it comes to third marriages!!!
• The highest number of divorces occur in men and women aged between 20-25 years!
• A study by Barna Research group reveals that 25% of all the adults have been divorced at least once in their life!
• Did you know that as per a report by The State of Our Unions for the year 2005, only 63% of children n America get a chance to grow up with both their biological parents!
• At least 66% of all the divorced couples in America are childless. This is also one of the main reasons of getting divorced according to experts. Statistics also reveal that couples with children have lower chances of getting divorced than a couple who is childless.
• As per the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 25% of marriage within younger couples is 'predicted' to end within 10 years, and the rates increase to 43% in 15 years. However, these are predictions based on the study. I believe that you are the one to decide what happens in your life!
• Another study of NCHS, reveals that between the years 1975-1998, 75% of divorce cases were filed by women with kids!! That means women took the initiation for divorce.
• Having said that, another research as per the American Law and Economics Review, the current scenario is that women now file more than 70% divorce cases in some states in America.

Difference Between Hotel and Motel

Are you planning to take a vacation to the country side? You are wondering about your accommodation when you are traveling. After a lot of research you have come across the names of some hotels and some motels, but you are now confused and want to know the difference between hotel and motel, so that you can decide where should you make the bookings and be put up?



What is the Difference Between Hotel and Motel



Before we get into the hotel vs motel debate, we will first understand, what is a hotel and what is a motel. This will make the difference between motel and hotel a bit more clear.



Hotel

A hotel is an establishment, which provides for paid lodging for a short duration of time. Traditionally people where provided with a bed, cupboard, a small table and a washstand in a hotel room, but with changing times they also come with modern facilities like en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, etc. These days telephone connection, television, Internet access are also provided to the guests. If it is a large hotel the guests will also have the swimming pools, restaurant facility, etc. Therefore, normally hotel reviews are checked, before one makes bookings there.



The meaning and the facilities offered in a hotel, however, can change from one country to another. Like in the United Kingdom, the law demands that food be served to guests within stipulated hours, yet there are private hotels, where the rule may not apply. In countries like United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia and in some parts of the United States, a hotel can also represent a pub or a bar and may not offer accommodation. In India, Bangladesh and certain parts of the Asian sub-continent, the word hotel refers to a restaurant.



Motel

The word motel made its way into the dictionaries after the World War II. It is actually a hotel, that is designed for motorists to take a halt at night and usually have ample parking area for the motorists to park their motor vehicles. ‘Motel’ is a combination of the words ‘motorist’ and ‘hotel’. In the initial days, a motel consisted of a single building with connected rooms, whose doors faced a parking lot and in some cases a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. The concept of motels started to grow, when the highways system started developing and there came a need for inexpensive hotels, which where easily accessible overnight accommodation close to the main roads.



Difference between Hotels and Motels

The first difference between hotel and motel is in its architecture. They differ in their layout and construction. Hotels normally have a number of rooms on different floors of the structure and have staircases, elevators and internal corridors, which lead to the rooms. However, motels on the other hand have one or two floors, where the guests can access their rooms directly from their parking lot. Hotels offer different luxuries, while motels are more utilitarian.



There is a difference in the number and types of employees employed by hotels and motels. Hotels normally tend to have a large retinue of people, like receptionists, concierges, housekeepers, parking valets, etc. Motels on the other hand employ very few people like receptionists and housekeepers. If the motels are really small, the receptionists may also perform the duties of housekeeper as well. It is natural that the services offered by hotels are much more than motels. Hotel may offer services like restaurant, recreation options, gym, swimming pools, etc. However, motels are traditionally known to offer limited services, but you may come across a few motels, who also have swimming pools, complimentary light breakfast, etc. There are also some extended stay hotels or resorts, where one can stay for more than one or two days.



The most important difference between hotels and motels is in pricing. Normally, hotels are costlier than motels, but if you go to rural areas, then the cost of a cheap hotel, and a motel in a urban area, may be the same. At the same time, one can spend more time in hotels, as they are designed for longer stays. There is a difference between the location of a hotel and a motel. Hotels are normally located in cities, while motels are located in remote areas or on the outskirts.



To sum up the difference between hotel and motel in a single line, we can say motels are hotels located around the highways, where one can spend a night, when one is traveling long distance. On the other hand, one can have an extended stay in hotels.