HIV ancestors plagued first mammals

Ancestors of the present-day Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have been battling it out with mammal immune systems since mammals first evolved

around 100 million years ago – about 85 million years earlier than previously thought, scientists now believe.
The remains of an ancient HIV-like virus have been discovered in the genome of the two-toed sloth by a team led by Oxford University scientists, Science Daily reported.

“Finding the fossilised remains of such a virus in this sloth is an amazing stroke of luck”, said researcher Aris Katzourakis. “Because this sloth is so genetically isolated its genome gives us a window into the ancient past of mammals, their immune systems, and the types of viruses they had to contend with.”

The researchers found evidence of “foamy viruses”, a kind of retrovirus that resembles the lentiviruses, such as HIV and simian retroviruses (SIVs) —as opposed to simple retroviruses found throughout the genomic fossil record.
“This study suggests the ancestors of complex retroviruses, such as HIV, may have been with us from the very beginnings of mammal evolution”, said Katzourakis.

Understanding this conflict can help experts decide which viruses that cross species are likely to cause pandemics — such as swine flu — and which, like bird flu cross this species barrier but never cause pandemics in mammals.

CO2 can fool trees to prolong their growing season

WASHINGTON: In a new research, scientists have determined that the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere can be blamed for

prolonging the growing season of trees.

"Carbon dioxide fools the trees," said Wendy Jones, a research associate at Michigan Technological University who conducts research at the Aspen FACE site in northern Wisconsin.

"They think they should still be growing when they ought to be going through autumnal senescence - changing their colours and settling down for a long winter's nap," she explained.

The phenomenon was initially documented at the Aspen FACE (Free Air Carbon dioxide Experiment) site in Rhinelander.

Plots of trees are exposed to varying levels of carbon dioxide and ozone to gauge how increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases will affect northern forests.

Delaying the colour change may actually be good news for forest products industries, since it suggests that trees will become a bit more productive due to the extra carbon being taken up in the autumn, along with the increased photosynthesis throughout the growing season.

Jones cautions that other variables also affect tree growth and senescence, however.

In other words, even with higher levels of carbon dioxide, the annual autumn spectacle could still come early.

"It's been a dry year here," Jones said, which generally means that trees lose their leaves earlier.

Welcome to Solar System 2.0

There's a lot happening above our heads. The discovery of water on the moon is the latest in a series of dramatic explorations in the last two

decades that have changed the way we humans view our small corner of the universe. It's as if we are living in a zoo of bizarre objects with complex personal lives. Some live beyond the known boundaries of the solar system while others are much closer, prowling around well-known planets.

Earlier, the solar system — loosely defined as the chunk of space under the sun's gravitational pull — was thought of as nine planets with an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Mike Brown, astronomer at Caltech, recalls that when he was in school, kids were given a handy mnemonic to remember the planetary order: Martha Visits Every Monday And Just Stays Until Noon Period. Then there were a dozen or so satellites orbiting the planets, including our moon. Sometimes comets would appear, behave like streakers in a cricket match, and disappear.

But all this started changing in 1992. The combined might of powerful telescopes and super computers led to the discovery of one of the most bizarre regions in the solar system — the Kuiper Belt (pronounced kwiper), named after a Dutch astronomer. Beyond Neptune, some 3 billion miles from the sun, millions of rocks were found floating in a gigantic two-billion-mile-wide belt which goes right around the sun. Current estimates say that at least 70,000 of these rocks are spread over 100 miles across and the total number may run into billions. The biggest of them, Eris, is even larger than Pluto. In fact, it is now thought that Pluto might be just one of the Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). This
contributed to its demotion from planethood in 2006.

The Kuiper Belt is deathly cold, with an average temperature of about minus 225 degrees Celsius. The objects in this belt come in diverse colours — grey, black, red. Many have a bluish tinge, probably because their rocky core is overlaid with frozen methane or ammonia. There is one KBO, discovered in 2000, which is named Varuna, the Hindu god of oceans.

Once in a while, a gravity jolt from passing Neptune may bump one of the rocks out of this backwater and hurl it towards the sun. As it warms up, the ice evaporates and trails behind it, giving it a glow and a tail — eventually becoming a comet.

How did all this debris collect here? It is thought that the Kuiper Belt is leftover material from 4.6 billion years ago when a giant molecular cloud clumped together to form the Solar System. Firsthand information from this weird region will become available after 2015 when Nasa's New Horizons spaceship reaches the Kuiper Belt. Launched in 2006, it did a flyby of Jupiter last year and got a speed shake-up for its long journey to Pluto and beyond.

The Kuiper Belt ends abruptly at about 7.5 billion kilometres from the sun. Scientists are still puzzling over this boundary, called the Kuiper Cliff. One theory is that there is a massive object —an unknown planet — out there that has swept away the debris. But there is no proof of this as yet.

The solar system, though, continues beyond the Kuiper Cliff. Scientists predict that beyond this lies the Oort Cloud (pronounced Ort), a gigantic bubble of dust and tiny pieces of debris extending some 9 trillion kilometres further and completely surrounding the solar system. It is thought that this debris once lay between the planets and got pushed out by gravity about a billion years ago, making the Oort Cloud a relatively young structure. In the coming years, as robotic spaceships come closer to this eerie region, more details will emerge.

Between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud lies the boundary of the heliosphere, a giant bubble blown out by charged particles streaming out of the sun at over a million kilometres per hour. The speeding particles suddenly slow down after colliding with particles from the interstellar medium — mostly hydrogen and helium which permeate the space between the stars. This is known as the Termination Shock, experienced only by two man-made spaceships — Voyager 1 and 2. Further on is the heliosheath, the outer limits of the heliosphere.

In the near future, as space missions like New Horizons reveal more mysteries of space, some may miss the simplicity of the past. But these discoveries not only reveal a new grandeur of the cosmos, they also reaffirm the beauty of science, which has made it possible for us to observe and explore.

Five Bizarre Objects

Haumea: The Spinning Potato

Named after the Hawaiian mother goddess, this dwarf planet from the Kuiper Belt is like an oblong potato — 2,000 km long but only about 1,000 km in width. This happened due to its jaw-dropping spin, probably as a result of a collision in the past. The potato goes around the sun in 283 earth years, dragging along two tiny moons, Hi'iaka and Namaka

Antipholus & Antipholus: the separated twins

These two identical bodies circle each other in the Kuiper Belt. Each is about 108 km wide. What makes them unique is that they are 125,000 km apart. They are named after the twins who are accidentally separated at birth in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors

Mercury: not so hot

If you were to land on this planet be prepared for mind-boggling confusion. One day on Mercury is two Mercury-years long. It spins so slowly that by the time it completes one full spin, the planet has travelled twice around the sun. Strangely, though this planet is closest to the sun, it is not the hottest. The average surface temperature is 169 degrees C, while Venus sizzles at 460. This is because there is no atmosphere on Mercury while the soupy atmosphere on Venus traps heat to create a greenhouse effect

Sedna: The Red Hermit

This red object was once considered a part of the Oort Cloud but is now classified as a detached object (not fitting into any region). This is so because in its 12,000-earth-year journey around the sun, it drifts an unimaginable 15 billion km away from it. It is named after the Inuit sea goddess, the mother of all sea creatures

Janus & Epimethus: The Flipping Moons

These two small Saturn moons had scientists stumped for years until the mystery was solved. Given that their paths around Saturn are barely 50 km apart, less than their width, it was logical that they should collide. But in an arrangement unknown anywhere in the universe, what happens is that as they draw close, one rises, slows down and takes position behind the other. This flip happens every four years. The moons have unflattering names — Janus is the two-faced Roman god; Epimethus the Greek titan who lacked foresight.

New moons on the horizon

Some of the most spectacular new discoveries have been moons or natural satellites — objects that orbit around planets or other bodies, not the sun.

Till a decade ago only a few dozen moons were known, mostly orbiting the four gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Today, the number of moons has shot up to a stunning 330. Of these, 166 go around planets, while dwarf planets like Pluto account for another 6. Then there are 104 moons associated with asteroids and 58 with various objects beyond Neptune, mostly in the Kuiper Belt. Since 2000, 47 new moons of Jupiter and 43 of Saturn have been discovered. This large clan of moons is a menagerie of quirks. Some like Triton, one of Neptune's moons, spin opposite to the direction of their primary planet.

Others look as if they have been knocked sideways, and lie tilted. Some were created from the same matter as their primary — the object that they orbit. It is likely that others like our own moon, and Pluto's huge moon Charon, arose from a ‘Big Whack', a giant collision of bodies. Some have atmosphere, others are just rocks.

Recently, moonlets — small pieces of rock up to 100 metres in width — have been discovered. The Cassini spaceship discovered many such moonlets following Pan and Daphnis, two moons which are in one of Saturn's rings. Scientists believe that there may be millions of such moonlets bridging the gap between dust and actual moons.

The latest buzz is that some of these moons could have conditions that support life. Candidates being explored include Enceladus, Saturn's tiny moon famous for its stripes (cracks in water ice and plumes of liquid water) and Jupiter's moon Europa that has a five-km-thick ice layer on its surface. The Hubble telescope, with a new installed camera, will doubtless bring in many more details in the days to come.

Facebook gets vocal

Facebook users can now voice chat. Coming soon, the application will enable the social network’s 300-plus million users to make high-quality voice conversations with anyone on their friends’ list. The technology is being offered by Vivox, a Boston-based company co-founded by American-born Indian Monty Sharma. Says Sharma, “Each user will have to download a Vivox plug-in, which will help in everything from one-to-one chat to large group discussions.” The new technology will facilitate voice component for games and utilities too.

Netizens in Delhi have given a thumbs up to the news. “Wow! We can actually hear voices and talk? It would be great chatting while playing Scrabble or Solitaire,” said ad-man Arnab Chatterjee.

For most of the girls, it’s a great tool to filter their blind dates. “Hearing a guy’s voice before going on a blind-date would be a great help,” said Sheena, a college-goer.

However, some are of the opinion that it will further encroach upon people’s privacy. Says Ronit Bose, “Soon, we will have irritating voice ads popping up every now and then.”

Build a better bulb for $10 million prize

The ubiquitous but highly inefficient 60-watt light bulb badly needs a makeover. And it could be worth millions in government prize money — and more in government contracts — to the first company that figures out how to do it. Right now, that company could be Philips, the Dutch electronics giant. The company announced on Thursday that it had submitted the first entry for the L Prize, an Energy Department contest that will award up to $10 million to the first person or group to create a new energy-sipping version of the most popular type of light bulb used in America.

As the first entrant, Philips will win the prize if its claims hold up. Testing of the Philips lamp will take close to a year to complete as the department evaluates the firm’s claims. “Philips is confident that the product submitted meets or exceeds all of the criteria for the L Prize,” Rudy Provoost, chief of Philips Lighting, said.

The $10 million is almost beside the point. More important, the winner will receive consideration for potentially lucrative federal purchasing agreements, not to mention a head start at cracking a vast consumer marketplace. The L Prize has garnered significant attention in the lighting industry because 60-watt incandescent lamps represent 50% of all the lighting in the United States, with 425 million sold each year. The US energy department says that if all those lamps were LED equivalents, enough power would be saved to light 17.4 million American households and cut carbon emissions by 5.6 million metric tons annually.

For decades, incandescent light bulbs continued to bear a strong resemblance to Thomas Edison’s creations, but new energy standards that go into effect in 2012 — and would effectively outlaw today’s bulb — have brought about a period of fertile innovation in the lighting industry.

One of the first attempts at greater efficiency was the now-maligned compact fluorescent bulb, but there have also been efforts to modify incandescent technology to conform to the new standard. LED bulbs are now available in stores, but those models have limited output and high prices.

Philips has delivered 2,000 prototypes of its bulb to the energy department for testing. The firm says the bulbs meet all the criteria of the contest, which specifies a bulb that reproduces the same amount and color of light made by a 60-watt incandescent bulb, but uses only 10 watts of power. It must also last for more than 25,000 hours — about 25 times longer than a standard light bulb.

Now, maths to explain rogue waves in world's oceans

WASHINGTON: The mystery of why there are "rogue waves" in the world's oceans may soon be solved, thanks to scientists who claim to be using mathematics to explain the phenomenon.

Until recently, rogue waves were regarded as fanciful sea tales where ships were engulfed by one-off waves with a massive wall of water. Recent studies from the European Union showed that they do exist.

Now, an international team, led by Prof Nail Akhmediev of Australian National University, has been using mathematical equations, used in the field of non-linear optic, to shed some light on rogue waves.

"Waves on the ocean and light beams may seem like totally different things, but the underlying mathematics is almost exactly the same.

"There's no reason why models based on mathematical concepts like the nonlinear Schrodinger equation can't work as well for water as they do for light and quantum wave functions," Prof Akhmediev said.

India has taken a principled stand on CTBT: Krishna

UNITED NATIONS: Foreign minister SM Krishna has said that the country has taken a "principled" stand on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
and there is no scope for change in its position unless a number of other "developments" take place to address the concerns.

This comes after a high-level conference on disarmament here yesterday, addressed by UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon, asked India and eight other countries to ratify the agreement so that it comes into force.

"India has taken a position and we don't see any reason for changing our stand, Krishna told journalists.

"We have taken a principled stand and and so the question of India revisiting it stand depends on a number of other developments that would address our concerns," he added.

Earlier, Moon said that "the CTBT is a fundamental building block for a free world of nuclear weapons".

"By establishing a global norm against testing, the CTBT has made a significant contribution to the world community's efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to promote nuclear disarmament," he added.

But Krishna responded by saying, "India's stand remains unchanged. We have spelt out why we our unable to sign the pact as it is".

During the occasion, the Moroccan Foreign Minister and chair of the conference Taib Fassi-Fihri said, "We will continue to work with very hard to convince others to join us".

Without directly referring to India and Pakistan, he noted, "I am sure that some countries living in some specific areas with some political problems will join us and we will ask them to join us because it is important for peace and security."

In a meeting chaired by US President Barack Obama, the Security Council has unanimously passed a nuclear non proliferation resolution.

It also calls upon all states to "refrain from conducting a nuclear test explosion and to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to bring it into force early."

Russia and the United States have also committed to a new agreement to reduce nuclear war heads and launchers.

Know Infosys’ success secret

BANGALORE: The three aspects of ensuring success for any entrepreneur was innovation, ability to use innovation to create service and products t

hat add value to customers and the ability to communicate the value to customers, Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy said.

"Think of innovation and marketing as two most important instruments for creating a wonderful organisation and tremendous brand equity," Murthy advised entrepreneurs at the launch of a new marketing book, "No Marketing Money" authored by Jessie Paul, a former global brand manager at Infosys.

Using Innovative platform that does not cost too much money could help entrepreneurs to create brand equity, he said sharing his own experience of building Infosys from a little known brand to a globally recognised brand.

He said during a survey conducted in 1992 with prospective employees on the company they would like to join, zero per cent opted for Infosys. This dismal picture drove him to take a vow to change it. "We will be number one in India in five years," he had told his colleagues then.

His confidence was met with some scepticism by colleagues who wondered how a small company with less resources could hope to compete with richer and bigger companies, he recalled.

"We will do new unusual things," he had told his colleagues. "We will do what other companies did not do," he said reminiscing over the transformation of a company to a leading global software firm.

"Think of new ideas and think of platforms that do not cost too much and that will get people to talk about you, magazines to write about you," he said, adding communicating unusual ideas would attract people.

Paul said the book was a guide for companies especially startups to establish themselves and grow rapidly on a relatively limited budget. It provides actionable insights and advice on how to steer as well as manage brands.

Girish Paranjpe, Joint CEO, IT Business and Member of the Board, Wipro, said "Clear Positioning and Innovative marketing are required if more Indian firms are to play a role on the global stage."

Global warming might lead to deadly tsunamis hitting Britain

LONDON: Some of the world's top geologists have warned that if global temperatures continue to rise, Britain might see deadly tsunamis - like those that have hit Asia - head towards it in the future.

According to a report by Sky News, geologists have warned of tsunamis in Britain to huge avalanches in the Alps and volcanic eruptions in Germany, if global warming continues to rise.

They say that evidence from the past reveals that times of dramatic climatic change are characterized by heightened geological activity.

For example, 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age, melting ice and rising sea levels triggered a significant rise in volcanic activity.

Professor Bill McGuire, Director of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at UCL, warned earth's future could be explosive.

"Climate change is very doom and gloom I'm afraid and it's one of those problems that the closer we look at it the worst it seems to get," he told Sky News Online.

"If you want some faint glint of good news from this I suppose that if we see a big volcanic response, the gases pumped into the atmosphere will cool things down at least temporarily, but that's not recommended," he said.

Other experts warn that disintegrating glaciers could cause earthquakes, triggering tsunamis off Chile, New Zealand and Canada, perhaps even sending one across the Atlantic capable of reaching British shores.

"If the temperatures warm and the oceans warm then the hydrates at the sea bed will melt," said Professor David Tappin of the British Geological Survey.

"They will melt catastrophically and in doing so, they'll be forced into the atmosphere but also, they will create submarine landslides which could trigger a tsunami," he added.

Specialized 'tiger force' to protect big cats in Corbett Reserve

DEHRADUN: With growing concern over dwindling population of big cats in the country, a specialized tiger protection force is being set up in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, considered one of the best parks for the endangered species.

The Corbett Tiger Protection Force would assist the existing staff of the national park, nestled in the Kumaon region, in keeping a close watch on poachers, Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forest R B S Rawat said.

The raising of a separate and specialised force is in line with Union Environment and Forest Ministry's efforts to save the tigers, whose population has dwindled over the years due to growing incidents of poaching, shrinking habitat and falling prey bases.

Since there is a healthy population of more than 160 tigers in the Corbett Park, as per the census carried out by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), it has been selected for initiation of the force on a pilot project basis, said Rawat.

Eating durian with alcohol can actually kill you

The age-old Asian folklore that eating durian, known as the ‘king of fruits’, along with alcohol can kill you, holds some truth, say researchers.

John Maninang and Hiroshi Gemma from the University of Tsukuba, Japan believe that the lethal side effects might be due to stinky fruit’s high sulphur content which impairs alcohol breakdown.

The experiments have shown that durian extract turned off the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase by up to 70 per cent, reports New Scientist.

This enzyme plays a vital role in clearing toxic breakdown products.

Easy ways to work out at home

You don’t need an expensive membership to a fitness club or a personal trainer to be healthy and fit. Some easy workouts can be done from the

Easy ways to work out at home (Getty Images)

comfort of your own living room.

Not only does it give you privacy, but also a certain level of convenience and a relaxed ambience. You could exercise alone or call a friend over but always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Here are a few simple things you could do.

STAIR CLIMBING
If you have a staircase at home, you can get a great workout by simply climbing the stairs. To start, step up onto the first stair, and then back down. Repeat this move on the first stair ten times. Then walk up the first two stairs, and then back down. Repeat this ten times. You will definitely feel the burn by the end of this step routine. If you feel winded or dizzy, start slow. Stick with the first three stairs, and gradually build up your endurance over the weeks and months to come.

LAUNDRY LIFTS
A laundry basket full of clothes can be more than a household chore .It can also serve as an arm exercise apparatus. Hold the basket above your head, and lift upwards and back down. Do this at least three times. If it is too heavy for you, all you have to do is take out some clothes. This exercise will work your shoulders, upper arms and upper back muscles. Vary this workout by lying flat on your back, and lifting the basket up and down from your chest.

COMMERCIAL BREAK EXERCISE
If you are a couch potato, then commercial break exercise bursts are right for you. When a commercial comes on, get up for a burst of intense exercise. Do some sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, or crunches. Get your heart rate up. When the show comes back, you can go back to it. Continue the cycle throughout your shows.

ROLLING CHAIR PRESSES
If you have an office chair with wheels then you can do some arm workouts right at your desk. Just hold onto the edge of your desk while you are seated in the chair, and use your arm muscles to pull yourself close to the desk, and then push yourself back away. This will work your biceps.

MARCHING DISHES
Life is busy, so try to multi-task if you don’t have time to fit in a proper workout. When you are stuck in front of the sink doing dishes, march in place. You should try to incorporate exercise into your daily tasks whenever possible.
Follow these simple steps and you will feel fit.

Oil prices fall amid strong supplies

Oil prices fell on Friday as traders banked profits following a week in which crude futures have won support from increased signs of economic recovery.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for October delivery, dropped 12 cents to 71.64 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for October delivery dipped eight cents to 69.78 dollars a barrel in London trade.

With prices falling on Friday, one analyst predicted further losses ahead.

"We continue to believe that the downside risk is higher than the upside risk from the current price levels for the coming months" amid strong supplies, Torbjorn Kjus, oil analyst for DnB NOR Markets, said in a report.

On Thursday, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to maintain its production levels as it deemed the market to be "oversupplied".

The global economic downturn has sapped demand for energy, dragging crude prices from record highs of above 147 dollars in July 2008 to 32.40 dollars in December. They have since recovered to hover around 70 dollars.

Oil prices had edged up on Thursday amid a weakening dollar and falling crude inventories in the United States, the world's largest oil-consuming nation. Market sentiment was also boosted by International Energy Agency forecasts of higher global oil demand.

A weekly government report showing easing crude inventories and higher gasoline and other stockpiles in the United States lifted market sentiment, analysts said. Crude inventories fell by 5.9 million barrels last week, nearly four times more than expected, data from the US Energy Information Administration said.

But gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly rose 2.1 million barrels -- analysts had forecast a drop of 1.3 million barrels -- and distillate stocks, including diesel and heating oil, rose two million barrels, more than the expected 600,000 barrels.

The International Energy Agency meanwhile raised its forecasts for global oil demand in 2009 and 2010 largely because of stronger-than-expected economic data from China and the United States.

The forecasts went up nearly 0.5 million barrels per day for both 2009 and 2010 to 84.4 mbpd and 85.7 mbpd, respectively, the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly oil market report. But it warned that the economic recovery would be slow.

Two BSF jawans injured in cross-border firing

Two BSF jawans were injured tonight when their observation post came under fire from Pakistani side across the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector, after which the border guards retaliated using small arms.

The firing from Pakistani side at around 1845 hours was directed at the observation post along the fenced frontier at Nikkowal area of the sector, BSF sources said adding two jawans received bullet injuries.

The BSF hit back by firing from small arms.

Pakistan had reportedly administered a similar offensive last week near the Wagah border. On September 11, Pakistani forces fired two rockets towards Indian territory which fell in agriculture fields in two adjacent villages, drawing retaliation from BSF using machine guns.

Evidence of firings, like fragments of bullet shells and craters formed due to rocket firings, were recovered by the BSF jawans the following morning.

India then lodged protests against the rocket attacks with Pakistan, which outrightly denied the reports on firings.

Automakers try to energize electric-car business

FRANKFURT: The race is on among the world's auto companies to make electric cars go farther on a single charge, bring the price down to compete

with gas-powered vehicles, and give drivers more places to recharge them than just the family garage.

Electric is the big buzz at the 63rd Frankfurt Auto Show this week, and nearly every major automaker has at least one on display. Renault introduced no fewer than four electric models, while Tesla, the only company producing and selling purely electric cars, handed over the keys to its 700th all-electric vehicle, a blue Roadster Sport, to a German buyer at the show.

If the models unveiled Tuesday are any indication, the notion of electric cars as small, stunted boxes with little range is about to be junked.

``People have realized that ... electric vehicles don't have to be golf carts,'' said Diarmuid O'Connell, vice president of business development for Tesla Motors Inc. ``They don't have to be anemic little putt-putts.''

The company's sleek, two-seat Roadster _ which in the U.S. sells for $101,500 (euro69,500) _ has a range of 244 miles (393 kilometers) on one charge. Its planned Model S, which will seat seven and has a 300-mile (483-kilometer) range, will go for $49,900.

Others automakers, including BMW, General Motors and Daimler, are also developing electric-powered vehicles, including hybrid cars that boast a small gas or diesel engine backed up with an electrical motor, and say the prices will drop as bulky batteries become smaller, faster to charge and easier to replace.

Oil prices fall amid strong supplies

Oil prices fell on Friday as traders banked profits following a week in which crude futures have won support from increased signs of economic recovery.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for October delivery, dropped 12 cents to 71.64 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for October delivery dipped eight cents to 69.78 dollars a barrel in London trade.

With prices falling on Friday, one analyst predicted further losses ahead.

"We continue to believe that the downside risk is higher than the upside risk from the current price levels for the coming months" amid strong supplies, Torbjorn Kjus, oil analyst for DnB NOR Markets, said in a report.

On Thursday, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to maintain its production levels as it deemed the market to be "oversupplied".

The global economic downturn has sapped demand for energy, dragging crude prices from record highs of above 147 dollars in July 2008 to 32.40 dollars in December. They have since recovered to hover around 70 dollars.

Oil prices had edged up on Thursday amid a weakening dollar and falling crude inventories in the United States, the world's largest oil-consuming nation. Market sentiment was also boosted by International Energy Agency forecasts of higher global oil demand.

A weekly government report showing easing crude inventories and higher gasoline and other stockpiles in the United States lifted market sentiment, analysts said. Crude inventories fell by 5.9 million barrels last week, nearly four times more than expected, data from the US Energy Information Administration said.

But gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly rose 2.1 million barrels -- analysts had forecast a drop of 1.3 million barrels -- and distillate stocks, including diesel and heating oil, rose two million barrels, more than the expected 600,000 barrels.

The International Energy Agency meanwhile raised its forecasts for global oil demand in 2009 and 2010 largely because of stronger-than-expected economic data from China and the United States.

The forecasts went up nearly 0.5 million barrels per day for both 2009 and 2010 to 84.4 mbpd and 85.7 mbpd, respectively, the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly oil market report. But it warned that the economic recovery would be slow.

Google updates Chrome Web browser, plans to gain share

SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc has rolled out a new version of its Chrome Web browser and a version of the Mac browser for mainstream users will be

available within months, as the company moves to double Chrome's market share.

Almost exactly one year into Google's high-profile entry into the browser market dominated by Microsoft Corp, the Internet search giant is a distant No. 4, with a market share of roughly 2.8 percent.

For Google, Chrome is more than simply a browser, but part of a grand strategy to create a new Web-based operating system that could one day challenge Microsoft's control of the computer software market.

The Internet search company is readying a battery of updates, along with efforts to forge new distribution partnerships it hopes will soon make Chrome a much more significant player.

"If at the two-year birthday we're not at least 5 percent (market share), I will be exceptionally disappointed. And if at the three year birthday we're not at 10 percent, I will be exceptionally disappointed," Chrome Engineering Director Linus Upson said.

He noted the internal goals are even more aggressive than doubling share every year.

A much-anticipated Mac version of Chrome, currently only available for testing, will be released by the year's end, Google Product Management Vice President Sundar Pichai said recently during the same interview with Reuters at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Version 3.0 of Chrome for PCs, released on Tuesday, brings improvements to the browser's interface, including faster performance and "themes" that allow users to customize how the browser looks.

Analysts say Chrome's focus on performance has won it fans among the technologically savvy, but say the company needs to do more as it strives to broaden the product's appeal beyond the 30 million users Google currently claims.

"For people that care about it (speed), they've already made that switch," said Forrester Research analyst Sheri McLeish. "By and large, it's a high hurdle to get people to pick-up and change technology they've been using for a while."

According to market research firm Net Applications, Internet Explorer had roughly 67 percent of the worldwide browser market in August, while the Mozilla foundation's Firefox had 23 percent and Apple Inc's Safari browser had 4 percent.

The fact that Microsoft's Internet Explorer comes pre- installed on Windows PCs is another key obstacle facing Chrome, said Gartner analyst Ray Valdes.

Google recently signed a deal with Sony Corp to pre-install Chrome on certain Sony PCs, allowing it to reach a potentially new pool of users. Pichai said Google is talking with all the major PC manufacturers about similar deals, although he declined to provide any details.

While the Chrome browser does not contribute any revenue to Google -- which generated nearly $22 billion in revenue last year -- the product plays an important strategic role at the company.

In addition to Google's oft-cited credo that anything that improves the online experience will ultimately benefit its Internet advertising business, Google also sees Chrome as an important plank in developing online software such as email and word processing, which it refers to as "Apps," or applications. The software is free to consumers, but Google sells enterprise- grade versions to corporations.