Tech snippets E-magazine-July17

techsnippets | July 2017 | Pg 1
techsnippets
THE INDIAN NEWS
PUBLICATION
ISSUE 02 JULY 2017
3D & IMAX
SCIENCE BEHIND
THE SCREEN
PHYSICS OF
FIDGET
SPINNERS
FREE ANTIVIRUS
SOFTWARE
INTRODUCTING
DISPLAY PHONE
DUAL
Record breaking data storage
T H E T E C H N O P E D I A
40th AGM meet of RIL
JIO Revolution
Innovative Magnet Tape Storage Tech
inside

“The advance of
technology is based on
making it fit in so that
you don’t really even
notice it, so it’s part of
everyday life.” - Bill Gates
Technology is moving very fast. Do you want to
know how fast it is? When I delayed publishing
our TechSnippets magazine the inside content
would out of date.
In this issue, we shared about few latest industry
news & trending stories among youth.
I wish to talk about the latest trendsetting app.
July last week an anonymous messaging app
named “Sarahah” rocketed to the top of the
charts, became the most popular android and ios
app.
The app was created by a Saudi programmer,
Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq, who said the site had
garnered more than 270 million views and 20
million users in just a few weeks, according to
bbc.com. Tawfiq said that though he “did not at
all” expect the website to become so popular so
quickly, he was happy with how things turned
out.
The app needs to fix basic bugs. Let them finish
the program to enjoy all feature.
The Sarahah app is available in Arabic and
English.
We invite your suggestions, opinions and articles
on latest happenings in the technology space.
Feel free to send us your honest feedback.
Happy Reading!
G RAMASUBRAMANIAN
(a) SRIKANTH
FOUNDER
srikanthrksg1
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
F R O M T H E

for
every Indian
Google Netherlands to
control the weather?
science behind
Imax & 3D
why youngsters
getting mad?
the fascinating
engineering
solid-state
battery car
all about
latest smartphones
record breaking
magnet tape storage
IndustryNews TechInnovation
TechAuto TechLatest
TechReview What’sTrending
TechInnovation TechStories
5 17
188
10 20
15 26
THE INDIAN NEWS PUBLICATION
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THEINDIANNEWS
thenouvellesind@gmail.com
inside
explore
inside
techsnippets
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & EDITOR
RAMASUBRAMANIAN (A) SRIKANTH
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ANIRUDH ANAND
COVER PAGE
LAYOUT
GRAPHIC DESIGN
SRIKANTHRKSG DESIGN INC
www.facebook.com/srikanthrksg1

At the 40th AGM meet of RIL,
Mukesh Ambani took the stage
to announce the much awaited 4G
feature phone from Reliance Jio,
touted as JioPhone. As per the
reports, the phone will be available
for ‘free’, where buyers will have
to deposit Rs 1500 which will be
refunded to the customers after 3
years.
Along with the JioPhone, the
company has also developed a
cable that allows users to watch
content from JioTV and JioCinema
apps directly on big screens. Apart
from this feature, the JioPhone
comes loaded with all the Jio
applications like Jio Music, Jio
Cinema, Jio Mags, and more.
JioPhone recharge plans
The JioPhone buyers can recharge
with Rs 153 to avail free voice, SMS
and unlimited data for a month.
There are two more Jio sachet
plans at Rs 24 with two day validity,
and Rs 54 with seven day validity.
JioPhone users can go for Rs 309
plan, which allows them to watch
video content from the Jio Apps on
a bigger screen.
JioPhone features
Mukesh Ambani said that voice
calling will always be free for Jio
customers. He also added that Jio
services will be integrated with all
e-commerce players across the
country.
The phone comes with an alpha
numeric keypad, 2.4-inch QVGA
display, headphone jack, SD card
slot, torch light, four way navigation
system, FM radio and all the
basic feature phone functions.
It is expected to feature a digital
voice assistant, a panic button and
support for 22 Indian languages.
However, we’ll have to wait for
further details about the phone
until it’s physically available.
JioPhone availability
The JioPhone will be out for beta
testing from August 15 onwards
and pre-booking starts from August
24; while the availability is expected
by September 2017.
FOR
EVERY
INDIAN
Screenshot from AGM
industrynews

Kaspersky Labs rolls out
free Antivirus Software
PROTECTION
In honor to celebrate the
company’s 20th anniversary,
Kaspersky has released a free
version of its antivirus software.
Kaspersky Free ships as a stripped
down version of the premium
Kaspersky AV software. Unlike the
paid version, there are no parental
controls, payment protection
options, or an included VPN.
Therefore, Kaspersky believes that
the free version will not compete
with their premium offerings which
include all of the aforementioned
features.
Basic protection against infected
files and malicious websites is
standard. Removable devices,
instant messages and email are
scanned before opening incoming
files to help prevent phishing and
foreign executables from being
used as an entry point.
This new sales model follows the
likes of successful mobile apps.
A full product is free to use, but
data collection is where the real
value is Kaspersky is seeking to
gain a larger user base, so that
they can improve machine learning
capabilities for detecting malicious
industrynews

software by collecting threat
information from end users.
The free antivirus software is
available to everyone today, but
language specific versions will not
be ready until later this year. See
the above map for the projected
timeline.
Kaspersky Free is available to
download directly fromKaspersky
Labs website where they offer a
handful of other free tools.
Here the link : http://free.kaspersky.
com/
This is the right time to secure your
device.
New USB standard promises to
double data transfer speeds
And you won’t even have to replace
your current cables
There may still be a sheen
on USB-C, but already a new
specification for all our gadgets,
connectors and cables is on the
way.
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, an
industry cohort with members
including Apple, HP, Intel and
Microsoft, today announced the
pending release of USB 3.2, a new
USB-C specification.
The big deal here is that USB 3.2
allows for multi-lane operation,
doubling the data throughput.
This means more data flowing at
faster speeds between hosts and
devices, specifically up to two lanes
of 5 Gbps or two lanes of 10 Gbps,
according to the group.
DID YOU KNOW?
industrynews

Toyota’s
Electric
Car ?
Toyota is developing a long-
range, fast-charging electric
car that’ll use solid-state batteries
Toyota is reportedly developing an
electric car that’ll be powered by a
new type of solid-state battery that
sounds leaps and bounds ahead of
those used in today’s EVs.
A report from the Chunichi
Shimbun daily (a Japanese
newspaper), says the car will be
built on an all-new platform with
a target sale date of 2022. The
solid-state batteries would offer
significantly improved driving range
and could be recharged in just a
few minutes.
A Tesla connected to one of the
company’s Supercharging stations,
for comparison, can take upwards
of 80 minutes to provide a full
charge.
A spokesperson for Toyota
declined to comment specifically
on this story but told the paper that
it aims to commercialize solid-state
batteries by the early 2020s.
Solid-state batteries, as the name
suggests, use solid electrolytes
rather than liquid versions like
those found in current lithium-ion
batteries. Among other benefits,
solid electrolytes are safer to
operate.
What is solid-state battery?
In solid state ionics, a solid-state
battery is a battery that has
both solid electrodes and solid
electrolytes. As a group, these
materials are very good conductors
of ions, which is necessary for
good electrolyte and electrode
performance, and are essentially
insulating toward electrons, which
is desirable in electrolytes but
undesirable in electrodes. The
high ionic conductivity minimizes
the internal resistance of the
battery, thus permitting high power
densities, while the high electronic
resistance minimizes its self-
discharge rate, thus enhancing its
charge retention.
techauto

TECH
REVIEW
t e c h s n i p p e t s
techreview

Its Official!
Motorola unveils flagship Moto Z2
Force, launches August 10
Motorola at a press event in New
York City today announced a
brand new flagship in the Moto Z2
Force.
Unlike earlier models, it won’t be a
Verizon exclusive.
The phone features a 5.5-inch
Quad HD AMOLED display with
ShatterShield technology and
like virtually every flagship this
year, it’s powered by Qualcomm’s
Snapdragon 835 octa-core
processor alongside Adreno 540
graphics. Also on tap is 4GB of
system memory and 64GB of local
flash storage that’s expandable up
to 2TB via microSD card
Moto Z2
Motorola
unveils
flagship
Moto Z2
Force
Other notable changes for the
Z Force line include a new dual-
camera setup on the rear. Both
12-megapixel sensors are of
the Sony IMX 386 variety – one
is for color and the other is for
monochrome, much like we saw
on the Huawei P10 .
Both feature f/2.0
aperture lenses
and utilize phase
detection auto
focus. The front-
facing 5-megapixel
camera, meanwhile
features an f/2.2
aperture, wide-angle
(85 degrees) lens.
Motorola’s latest is quite
thin at just 6.1mm and
tips the scales at 143
grams. Unfortunately, that means
the phone’s battery had to be
slimmed down to accommodate –
from a spacious 3500mAh down to
just 2730mAh. The potential saving
grace, however, is that Motorola’s
TurboPower charging system
works great and can provide hours
of battery life within minutes.
O V E R V I E W
techreview

Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus with
dual-displays launched
Meizu has launched two new
flagship smartphones - Meizu Pro 7
and Meizu Pro 7 Plus - in its home
country of China.
The biggest highlight of the two
smartphones is that they come
with a secondary Super AMOLED
display at the back, which can
show notifications for calls,
messages and more. It also comes
in handy while clicking selfies with
the rear camera(s), as it can be
used to compose shots.
Both Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus sport
dual rear cameras with two 12MP
Sony IMX386 sensors, along with
a 16MP front-facing shooter. The
smartphones run on Android 7.0
Nougat-based Flyme 6 and offer
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS,
3.5mm headphone jack, USB
Type-C as connectivity options.
Both smartphones are available in
Black, Red, Gold, and Silver colour
options.
Meizu Pro 7 features a 5.5-inch
Full HD Super AMOLED display. It
comes with 4GB of RAM and offers
two options in terms of processor -
MediaTek Helio P25 and MediaTek
Helio X30. The former comes with
64GB of internal storage, while
the latter has 128GB of internal
storage. The smartphone includes
3,000mAh battery with mCharge
3.0 fast-charging support.
On the other hand, Meizu Pro 7
Plus has a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super
AMOLED display and is powered by
a MediaTek Helio X30 processor,
paired with 6GB of RAM. It is
backed by a 3,500mAh battery,
and is also available in 64GB and
The Dual
Display is
here!
128GB internal storage variants.
As for the price, the 64GB variant
of Meizu Pro 7 costs CNY 2,880
(around Rs 27,400), while the
128GB variant costs CNY 3,380
(approximately Rs 32,200). Meizu
Pro 7 Plus’ pricing starts at CNY
3,580 (approximately Rs 34,100)
for the 64GB variant, and goes up
to CNY 4,080 (approximately Rs
38,800) for the 128GB variant.
Let’s have a First look :
https://twitter.com/ArdCB/
status/890185310042300416/
video/1
techreview

BlackBerry KEYone India launch
scheduled for August 1
BlackBerry is gearing up to launch
its latest smartphone, the KEYone,
in India. The company has started
sending out invites for the launch
event to media. A teaser was also
posted on social media, hinting that
the phone to be launched is the
KEYone.
The BlackBerry KEYone has
launched earlier this year at the
Mobile World Congress 2017
event in Barcelona. The KEYone
retains BlackBerry’s two key unique
selling points – security and a full
QWERTY physical keyboard. Apart
from that, the phone also brings a
productivity suite to help you work
on-the-go.
The BlackBerry KEYone comes
with a 4.5-inch display of 1620 x
1080 pixel resolution, resulting in
a 3:2 aspect ratio. The display is
protected by a scratch-resistant
glass.
The KEYone runs on Android 7.1
Nougat out of the box, along with
the full security and productivity
suite from BlackBerry. The phone
features a textured back with
an aluminum frame. The 4-row
QWERTY keyboard is backlit and
comes with gesture support.
The spacebar comes with a
fingerprint sensor embedded into it,
something that was missing in the
Priv.
Other specs of the KEYone include
Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB RAM,
32GB internal storage and a 3505
mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0
support. The phone comes with a
12MP rear camera with PDAF and
4K video recording support, along
with an 8MP front camera.
Connectivity options on the phone
include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac with
dual band support, Bluetooth 4.2,
GPS, NFC and a USB 3.1 Type C
port.
KEYone
techreview

THE
INNOVATION
t e c h s n i p p e t s
techInnovation

Google testing auto-play videos
in search results
Google will reportedly present auto-
playing videos on the right sidebar
in desktop search results. Google
auto-play videos will play without
audio and will not play in loop.
They have been used by Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and almost
every content website and soon
they will accompany every Google
search result on your desktop.
Auto-play videos are being tested
by the search giant and the same
were first spotted by The SEM Post.
Google Auto-play videos will pop
up on the right sidebar in a search
auto-play
videos
Now its fetching!
result. For instance, if you search
for an upcoming movie, you will see
its trailer playing on the right side
of the search result as shown in the
image below.
It is not yet clear how Google
plans to count views on these
auto-play videos, or how it plans
to prioritise the auto-play YouTube
videos that show up in search
results. SEM observed that in the
US, the searches showed trailers
from a YouTube account named
Googlemovietrailers (which may,
may not belong to Google). In
Canada and UK, trailers uploaded
by Movieclip Trailers showed
up in search results. This opens
up a whole new playing field for
creators, with a chance to rank on
Google’s auto-play search results.
It is not yet clear how Google plans
to count views on these auto-play
videos, or how it plans to prioritise
the auto-play YouTube videos
that show up in search results.
SEM observed that in the US, the
searches showed trailers from a
YouTube account named Google
movie trailers (which may, may not
belong to Google). In Canada and
UK, trailers uploaded by Movieclip
Trailers showed up in search
results. This opens up a whole new
playing field for creators, with a
chance to rank on Google’s auto-
play search results.
Google Auto-play
videos will pop
up on the right
sidebar in a search
result
techInnovation

This Tiny Magnetic Tape Can
Store Record-Breaking 330TB of
Uncompressed Data
IBM researchers and Sony
have successfully developed
a sputtered magnetic tape
prototype technology that can
potentially store 330 terabytes
of uncompressed data into a
small cartridge package. This
record-breaking storage capacity
technology is foreseen to continue
reducing its size in the generations
to come.
Innovating the magnetic tape
storage technology
IBM researchers, in collaboration
with Sony Storage Media Solutions,
have developed a prototype
sputtered magnetic tape storage
technology that can store 201
gigabits per square inch of data.
This allowed the IBM researchers
to pack 330 terabytes of
uncompressed data into a cartridge
that can fit into the palm of your
hands. The storage capacity
breakthrough is considerably
notable compared to conventional
technology which can only pack 15
TB per data cartridge.
The record aerial density of
201 gigabits per square inch
was achieved using Sony’s new
magnetic tape technology that
uses lubricant. IBM played a
role in creating the prototype by
incorporating their newly developed
write and read heads, advanced
servo control technologies, and
innovative signal-processing
algorithms.
IBM’s first tape drive, the IBM 726
tape unit created in 1952, was
capable of storing data at 6.1 kB/
sat an aerial density of 1,400 bit per
square inch. And after more than
60 years of innovating this field,
IBM continues to push the research
and development boundaries of
their tape storage technology. This
new world record in tape storage is
IBM’s fifth record title since 2006.
According to Evangelos Eleftheriou,
an IBM Fellow at the Zurich
laboratory in Switzerland, the
development of the sputtered
magnetic tape technology will lead
to a more practical cloud storage
solution in the future.
“Tape has traditionally been used
for video archives, backup files,
replicas for disaster recovery
Record-Breaking
Data Storage
techInnovation

and retention of information
on premise, but the industry is
also expanding to off-premise
applications in the cloud. While
sputtered tape is expected to
cost a little more to manufacture
than current commercial tape, the
potential for very high capacity will
make the cost per terabyte very
attractive, making this technology
practical for cold storage in the
cloud”.
How exactly does it work?
“Sputtered tape uses several
layers of thin metal films that are
coated onto the tape using vacuum
sputter technology”, explained
Dr. Mark Lantz, the IBM research
scientist working on the magnetic
tape technology. “That’s similar
technology used for manufacturing
integrated circuits”, he added.
To be able to achieve the high-
density recording feature of the
tape storage media, the spacing
or gap between the magnetic
tape and magnetic head must
be closed. However, reducing
the space between the materials
results into increasing friction at
contact points between the surface
of the tape and the magnetic head.
This friction had to be lessened
and ensure that the tape surface
smoothly runs along the magnetic
head to allow for high-capacity
writing and reading at a relatively
fast speed.
In order to lessen the layer friction,
Sony developed a
lubricant that was
applied between the
tape surface and
magnetic head.
Sony developed a lubricant that
was applied between the tape
surface and magnetic head. Not
only did the lubricant reduces the
layer friction, it also creates a highly
durable bond between the lubricant
and the magnetic layer of the tape.
Lantz expressed that this recent
development in the sputtered
magnetic technology can continue
to be record-breaking in the
generations to come.
“This really demonstrates the
potential to continue scaling tape
technology basically at historical
rates of doubling the cartridge
capacity every two years for at
least the next 10 years. That’s really
good news for our customers that
could rely on tape technology. It’s
kind of an integral part of their
storage infrastructure to really
preserve their data in a cost-
effective manner”.
techInnovation

Google Netherlands to control the
weather? Unbelievable!
Sun in Holland
I don’t know how I missed this big
topic? Even I came to knew this
after watched a little video clip
which I received in my WhatsApp.
After that I came out with some
facts about this project.
Google has made umpteen other
things possible for us — all in
our smartphones. Surprisingly,
now it has taken one step ahead
by claiming to do something
unbelievable!
While weather predictions can help
us prepare ourselves to brace a
storm or massive blizzards, a new
project has set its eyes to go one
notch higher. Announcing its latest
project ‘Google Wind’, the company
claims to be able to change the
direction of winds and control the
weather in the Netherlands using
Holland’s famous windmills. Can
you believe it?
Known for its tulips and windmills,
PROJECT TO
CONTROL
THE
WEATHER
the country has a moist climate
and there aren’t many sunny days
to wake up to. The multinational
technology company stepped in
to help the Dutch witness bright
sunny days! They shared a video
on YouTube to show a sneak peek
into their project. “Using them
[windmills] not to capture wind,
but to generate them,” the video
caption reads. The bold project
even vouches to control the rainfall!
Well, one shouldn’t get too excited
about the wind project as the video
was released on March 31.
Every year Google brings out a
wacky idea that later turns out to
be the greatest prank of the year.
Remember last year when they
launched Google Cardboard Plastic
VR glasses? Or the time when
they released Gmail motion? Yes,
they all were great April Fools’ Day
pranks, and this might just be one
of those.
techInnovation

Science
behind the
Tech
3D &
IMAX
The current era of entertainment
has moved into a very new
dimension with a series of 3D
movies released every year.
Nowadays, almost every action or
sci-fi movie produced in Hollywood
is created using 3D technology (in
most recent times, shot in IMAX
cameras). Although, it seems like
techLatest
WORDS : ANIRUDH ANAND

slightly different view of the world.
Your left eye sees a bit more of
the left side of the object, and
your right eye sees a bit more of
its right side. Your brain fuses the
two images together allowing you
to see in three dimensions. This is
known as stereoscopic vision.
To create a similar effect, 3D films
are captured using two lenses
placed side by side, just like your
eyes (or by producing computer
generated images to replicate the
same effect).
In old fashioned 3D films, footage
for the left eye would be filmed
using a red lens filter, producing a
red image, and footage for the right
eye would be shot using a blue
filter, resulting in a blue image. Two
projectors then superimposed the
images on the cinema screen.
3D glasses with blue and red filters
ensured viewers’ left and right eyes
saw the correct image: the red filter
would only let red light through
to your left eye, and the blue filter
would only let blue light through
to your right eye. Your brain would
then combine these two slightly
different images to create the
illusion of 3D. Unfortunately, this
meant that old fashioned 3D films
couldn’t make full use of colour.
To get around this problem,
modern 3D films use polarised light
instead of red and blue light.
A polarising filter has tiny parallel
lines etched into it, a bit like the
slats on a set of venetian blinds.
This means it will only let light
vibrating on a particular plane
that 3D movies are garnering many
accolades since the last decade, it
will be surprising to many of you to
know the fact that the 3D process
has been around for more than
100 years now (Yeah you read that
right). In 1890s, William Friese-
Greene patented this technology,
which then required two films
to be projected on the screen at
the same time and a viewer was
supposed to enjoy the 3D effect
using a stereoscope.
Eventually, the 3D culture
experienced a boost with the entry
of IMAX 3D. However, its list of
success was limited to short films
centered around animals, water
exploration or space adventures.
Although IMAX 3D tried to revive
the dying trend, the real resurgence
of 3D movies was seen after the
success of James Cameron’s
visual marvel ‘Avatar’ released in
2009, which set new standards for
3D cinema.
Next generation cinema
3D films trick your brain, bringing
images projected onto a flat
cinema screen to life in full three
dimensional glory.
If you look at an object near you
and close your left and right eyes
in turn, you’ll see that each has a
Your brain would
then combine these
two slightly different
images to create the
illusion of 3D
What is polarised light?
A polarised light wave
vibrates on only one plane.
The light produced by the
sun is unpolarised, meaning
it is made up of light waves
vibrating on many different
planes. It can however be
transformed into polarised
light using a polarising filter.
techLatest
What states do not allow self service gas?
New Jersey and Oregon are the only U.S. states that currently ban
self-service gas stations. The purpose of these laws was to protect
consumers and gas station owners from costly, and possibly
deadly, accidents.
did you know?

through.
As with old fashioned 3D, the film
is recorded using two camera
lenses sat side by side. But in the
cinema, the two reels of film are
projected through different
polarised filters. So images
destined for viewers’ left eyes
are polarised on a horizontal
plane, whereas images
destined for their right eyes
are polarised on a vertical
plane.
Cinema goers’ glasses use
the same polarising filters to
separate out the two images
again, giving each eye sees a
slightly different perspective and
fooling the brain into ‘seeing’
Avatar’s planet Pandora
Most of us who’ve caught a 3D
movie at the cinemas recently
probably experienced the more
common Real3D technology, while
Imax Digital (as well as its analog
counterpart) is a format presented
at Imax auditoriums. But is there
any difference between RealD 3D
and Imax Digital 3D?

Feel The Difference
RealD 3D and Imax Digital 3D both
utilize passive 3D technology,
which makes use of relatively
lightweight eyewear. These passive
3D glasses use polarizing filters
to allow each eye to see a slightly
different image. This is why the
glasses can sometimes seem
techLatest
darker in
one eye than the other–
it’s meant to block out certain
spectrums of light. The glasses
at Imax theaters are larger, to
compensate for the larger field-of-
view at those auditoriums.
Both these technologies are also
digital, which means that you’ll
get a clean image and none of the
image noise or “cigarette burns”
that are visible from regular film
projectors.
Imax Digital 3D
This is a competing format that’s
been around for a little longer. Imax
cinema auditoriums are well known
for their massive, curved screens
What is the narrow strip of land that connects North and South
America?
Isthmus of Panama. Isthmus of Panama, Spanish Istmo de Panamá,
land link extending east-west about 400 miles (640 km) from the
border of Costa Rica to the border of Colombia. It connects North and
South America and separates the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) from
the Gulf of Panama (Pacific Ocean).
did you know?
which fill a larger portion of your
field-of-vision (FOV), or how much
your eyes can see at any one time.
Imax Digital 3D is an evolutionary
improvement of the analog
Imax 3D theaters that have
been around since 1986. Its
long history is evident even
in the much newer Imax
Digital 3D theaters since
they still utilize the linear
polarizing technology of
its analog predecessors.
Unlike RealD, Imax 3D
movies are less tolerant of
head movements. Viewers
have to avoid tilting their heads,
though some turning–probably
unavoidable due to the massive
Imax screen format–is possible.
Also, Imax screens are curved to
fill an audience member’s FOV,
which enhances immersion while
giving those sitting at the sides
a better view of the action. Imax
Digital auditoriums also use two
2K projectors for 3D shows, which
leads to a visibly brighter image
through the glasses.
While many Imax theaters these
days are digital, there are still
auditoriums with the analog Imax
3D format in the US and some
other countries. These auditoriums
typically have a larger screen and
correspondingly large projection
equipment and tend to be used for
documentaries instead of feature
films.

>FIDGETTHE TRENDING GADGET
what’strending

an axis used to provide stability
to a body through the resistance
of motion due to rotational
momentum. You can understand
this principle when spinning a
fidget spinner. If you try to rotate
the spinner in a way that is not
parallel to it’s rotational axis, you
feel resistance from the spinner
itself. Another crazy thing happens
when you play with a fidget spinner,
it doesn’t always move in the way
that you would expect.
Examining this in more detail,
we are left with the principle of
gyroscopic precession. You can
see this at work if you take a fidget
spinner and try to tilt it forward.
Instead of the spinner tilting
forward as you would like, it sort
of tilts at a diagonal, relative to the
direction the spinner is going. This
diagonal rotation is a direct result
of gyroscopic precession.
Gyroscopic precession is defined
when a force is applied to a
rotating body, a force appears 90
degrees after the point of impact in
the direction of rotation. This is the
exact principle at play when using
a fidget spinner. So, now you can
teach other people a little physics
while you fidget away.
Exponential decay
Some people play with fidget
spinners in order to improve their
spin time. For many, spinning a
fidget spinner is a lot less about
fidgeting and a little more of a
competition. If you have ever spent
any time doing this, then you likely
understand that it’s really hard to
drastically improve the spin time
of your fidget spinner. It may make
sense from a general perspective
that spinning a spinner twice as
hard or twice as fast would result
in double the spin time, but that
isn’t even close to what actually
happens. This is due to the
principle of exponential decay.
What is fidget spinner? why
youngsters getting mad on
it? Here you can understand the
Physics of Fidget Spinners. yes, its
not just the toy!
Whether you consider fidget
spinners fun toys or incredibly
annoying gadgets, there’s actually
a pretty significant amount of
physics that goes into making
them work. Fidget spinners are
essentially little gyroscopes,
bringing in these physical
principles, but we can understand
other concepts through playing
with the spinning toys as well. By
examining and studying fidget
spinners, we can understand
exponential decay, gyroscopic
motion, friction, inertia, and much
much more. Let’s take a look at the
physics behind fidget spinners.
Fidget spinners are essentially
pocket gyroscopes. Gyroscopes
are spinning devices mounted on
what’strending

Angular Velocity
Fidget spinners can be used
as demonstration models for
calculating angular velocity.
By using a simple app on your
smartphone that measures
frequency, you can get your fidget
spinner moving as fast as you
can go and determine the highest
frequency that it was spinning
at. Now, depending on how many
nodes your spinner has, typically
3 or 2, you have to divide that
frequency by your respective
amount. This is due to the fact that
the sound measured frequency
is how many times each node
passes the microphone on your
smartphone. Since you are trying
to calculate the entire speed of the
fidget spinner and there is more
than one node, you have to divide
by the respective number.
You should be left with a number
of Hz that your fidget spinner
was rotating. By measuring the
radius of your fidget spinner
and multiplying it by 2pi and the
number of Hz you calculated you
are left with a speed in the units
you measured your radius in by
seconds– probably inches/s or
centimeters/s. By then converting
these units into something like
KPH or MPH, you can figure out
the exact speed that your fidget
spinner was spinning.
This is a great and fairly achievable
way to teach your kids some
physics and math all the while
having fun with a new toy.
I know undoubtfully you were just
amazed with the tech aspects of
this “trending toy”.
The Fascinating
Engineering
BEHIND
SUBMARINES
techstories

The Fascinating Engineering
Behind Submarines
As far as recent records indicate,
humans have only been exploring
deep below the surface in the
last few hundred years. Although
it is heavily disputed as to
when the first submarine was
made, many owe the title out to
Cornelis Drebbel, a Dutch inventor
acclaimed to have invented the
world’s first navigable submarine
in 1620. Since, submarines have
improved in mobility, strength,
and stealth – some of which are
capable of remaining submerged
for up to three months underwater.
Here is the technology of some
of the world’s most advanced
submarines.
The Interesting Engineering of
Submarines
Only a select few have descended
into the deepest part of the world’s
oceans called the Mariana Trench.
In fact, more people have explored
the moon compared to those
who have conquered the absolute
deepest spot on Earth deemed the
Challenger Deep. The first people to
ever descend to the bottom of the
Challenger Deep are hydronauts
Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard.
The team sunk their submersible,
the Bathyscaphe Trieste, to the
bottom of the ocean in 1960.
The Bathyscaphe Trieste
The bathyscaphe vessel dives
below the surface and is supported
by a surface float, instead of a
crew. Previously, propelled deep sea
submersibles were supported by
a float that remains at the surface
of the water. Its cabin is narrow
and small with just enough room
for a two person crew. The rest of
the hull is taken up by scientific
equipment used to investigate one
of the world’s most hostile regions
on the planet, the bottom of the
ocean.
Since the two hydronauts explored
the bottom of the trench in 1960,
only a handful of humans have
gone back.
The Challenger Deep speaks for
one of the most difficult challenges
engineers face – pressure and life
support.
High pressures threaten to
crumple the hull of any vessel.
For every 10 meters of water
descended the pressure goes up
by an entire atmosphere. That
is the same amount of pressure
experienced on the surface of an
object from the entire weight of the
atmosphere from sea level, all the
way up until the reaches of space.
At the bottom of the Challenger
Deep, the pressure exceeds 1000
atmospheres (over 1500 PSI).
Only small spherical vessels can
withstand the intense pressures at
the bottom of the ocean.
Manned submarines tend not to
sink farther than one kilometer
bellow the surface of the water.
Modern submarines can operate
independently and support a
crew for weeks on end. The most
advance nuclear submarines can
operate independently and supply
the crew with life-support systems
for months on end.
There are many types of
submarines, some of which are
electric, diesel, or nuclear powered.
There is a large misconception that
diesel engines directly power the
propellers of a sub. Many people
question how a diesel engine could
possibly run underwater with
enough oxygen for it and the crew,
while somehow hiding the exhaust
as well. Solving the problem is a
much more trivial solution, not
using the engine underwater at all.
How Crews and Engines Breath
Underwater
The solution to keeping a diesel
supplied with enough oxygen is
simple. Diesel powered submarines
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submarinelayout
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consider.
The Stealth Technologies of
Submarines
Submarines make a ton of noise
through their engines, propellers,
and general operation. The noise
causes vibrations which easily
carry through the water for
kilometers on end. Every part on
a military submarine is built with
the consideration of stealth. Every
vibrating part is held in place
with rubber mounts that actively
dampen most of the vibrations.
The technique works well on the
outside, although it is not the only
source of noise on the vessel.
Nearly all submarines are propeller
driven. As the propellers cut
through the water, they produce
noise for a couple of reasons. One,
the blades send out vibrations
as they slice through the air, and
two, the blades create cavitation
bubbles which collapse, sending
more vibrations throughout the
water – as well as damaging the
blade itself.
Cavitation bubbles form on the
suction side of a propeller when the
pressure of the water drops below
the vapor pressure of water. As
quick as the bubbles are produced,
they almost just as quickly
disappear. The bubble collapses on
the propeller blade, causing them
to wear down and release noise.
are typically hybrids. The diesel
engine typically powers a generator
which powers a battery pack. But
the engine is only used while the
submarine is surfaced. When the
batteries run low, the submarine
resurfaces and runs its engines to
power its battery.
Carrying oxygen on board is the
simple solution. Massive canisters
are pumped full of air every time
the submarine resurfaces. The
system is fine for missions no
longer than a month. However,
governments are always pushing
the bounds of naval capabilities.
Most of the time, stealth is the
number one consideration.
While submerged in water, the
vehicle is hidden, on the surface of
the water, however, a submarine
becomes a sitting duck.
Of course, the problem remains –
surfacing submarines and making
them vulnerable.
BrainStuff explains the process
of how engines breath in diesel
submarines.
For electric and diesel powered
subs, the problem of oxygen still
persists.
The solution does exist –
electrolysis – the process of
splitting water into hydrogen
and oxygen using electricity.
Unfortunately for fully electric and
diesel subs, splitting water is too
power intensive for their reserved
power supply. Electric and diesel
powered subs simply do not carry
enough energy on board to provide
enough oxygen for the crew for
extended periods of time. The
process drains the batteries that
drive the motor, forcing the vessel
to surface, defeating the purpose
entirely.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is typically reserved
for the largest and most advanced
subs – nuclear submarines. The
process works by passing an
electric current through water.
The electricity provides the energy
necessary to split the bonds of
water, or H2O.
In a typical day, one person will
consume about a kilogram of
oxygen, along with a concoction of
mostly inert gasses. Commercial
electrolysis systems typically
require approximately 50 kilowatt-
hours of power to produce 1 kg
of H2 and 8 kg of O2 from 9 kg
of water. Instead of constantly
draining batteries, nuclear
submarines provide a constant
source of power – enough to power
a small city.
The system supplies more than
enough oxygen, incidentally,
hydrogen is made in the process.
In normal operation, nuclear subs
disperse the hydrogen directly into
the water. However, during covert
operations, secret methods are
used to scrub the hydrogen from
the exhaust.
Since some navies can detect
the hydrogen releases in water,
most scrubbing methods are kept
secretive. Although, it is likely the
subs use catalytic converters
to add hydrogen to another
compound. However, it is not
the only stealth consideration
submarine engineers must
Submarine engineers
modify the shape
of the propeller to
reduce turbulence
and reduce the overall
noise of the blades as
they slice through the
water.
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The noise is easily detected,
therefore, it is imperative for
submarine engineers to design
sound suppressive blades that
reduce cavitation.
Submarine engineers modify the
shape of the propeller to reduce
turbulence and reduce the overall
noise of the blades as they slice
through the water. Often times,
there are four or more blades which
force more water out of the way
while spinning at slower speeds.
The result is a propeller that does
not need to spin as fast to produce
the same speeds as propellers with
fewer blades. Since the blades spin
slower, there is less turbulence
and less formation of cavitation
bubbles. Sometimes, special
groves are carved into the blades
which further guide the water
along with as little disturbance as
possible, once again reducing the
formation of cavitations.
The submarine is also streamlined
to direct water through the blades,
reducing as much turbulence
as possible. If the design is not
sufficient enough, a ring or cage
is sometimes installed around the
propeller which guides the water
through more linearly.
Other Sound Suppression
Technologies
Suppressing the noise from the
submarine itself is one challenge.
But developing a sub capable of
evading enemy sonar presents a
different predicament.
Sonar is a device used to detect
objects underwater. Sound
pulses are emitted and a detector
records any pulses that return.
By determining the time it takes
for a pulse to return, the distance
between the detector and the
object can easily be determined.
The massive hull of large
submarines is hardly stealthy. As
a metallic shell, the surface of a
submarine readily reflects sounds,
making it highly visible to enemy
radar. The solution for hiding from
radar comes from an unlikely
source: bubbles.
Under water, air bubbles easily
absorb noise. As sound waves
propagate through water they
slowly disperse over time.
Introducing bubbles disturbs the
sound, forcing it to travel through
one medium to another, absorbing
a little energy with each bubble.
Incoming sound vibrations collide
with the bubbles, forcing the bubble
to vibrate or contract and expand.
The fluctuations cause the air
inside to compress, creating heat.
Essentially, the sound energy is
converted from noise into heat.
Counter-intuitively, producing
bubbles could actually disguise the
sound signature of a sub. Although,
it is nearly impossible to absorb all
of the sound, hence why anechoic
tiles were introduced.
Sound Suppressing Tiles
Lining the outskirts of modern
submarines are layers of
anechoic tile, a rubber material
with thousand of tiny voids. The
material continues the effect of
bubbles in water, without the need
to dispense bubbles and reveal a
position.
The material actively absorbs
sonar while speakers may play
predictable opposite tones to
cancel some noise. Together, the
two along with other technologies
keep submarines hidden at all
times, plotting on the floors of the
ocean.
The extreme capabilities of
modern engineers are the result of
hundreds, if not thousands of years
of trial and error. The interesting
engineering of submarines keeps
the crews alive, and well hidden in
the most challenging of conditions.
Space may be difficult, but it would
seem the bottom of the ocean
possesses the greatest challenge.
techstories

Tech snippets E-magazine-July17

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