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Wolfram Alpha is called a computation knowledge engine rather than a search engine and wants to change the way people use online data.

It aims to give people direct answers to queries rather than send them to other sites where they may find what they are seeking.

The system is the brainchild of British-born physicist Stephen Wolfram.

Wolfram Alpha was unveiled in late April and since then has been publicly demonstrated and some people have had a chance to run queries through it.

Typically the results it returns are annotated pages of data rather than a simple list of other sites that might help resolve a user’s query.

For example, if asked about the weather in Manchester it would present a graph of average temperatures, rainfall and other salient data.

The computational horsepower behind the main site works out answers to question as they are put by grabbing data from databases and consulting feeds of relevant information.

Wolfram Alpha can be asked known facts, such as the height of mountains, or be asked to generate new information such as up to date figures for a nation’s GDP.

It can also handle complicated mathematical queries, plot statistics and produce charts of natural events.

The data it consults is chosen and managed by staff at Wolfram Research who ensure it can be displayed by the system. Behind the scenes Wolfram Alpha has about 10,000 CPUs spread across five data centres that it draws on when generating answers.

During a demonstration at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Dr Wolfram said: “Our goal is to make expert knowledge accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

Dr Wolfram played down talk that the system would be a Google killer and instead presents it as a way for people to get more out of the information on the web.

The final tuning and testing of the system was webcast live during the weekend before the official launch.

Prior to the start of the webcast and final testing, Theo Grey, co-founder of Wolfram Research, said: “If we do melt down when we go live it will not be for lack of effort, or any sort of naive idea of how many queries we might get. It will be because of overwhelming response.”

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Tags: demonstration, expert knowledge, google, knowledge engine, launch, physicist Stephen Wolfram, queries, stephen wolfram, Wolfram Alpha

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that Craigslist is getting rid of its “erotic services” ads and will create a new adult category that Web site employees will review.

Madigan’s office said Wednesday that such existing ads on Craigslist will expire in seven days.

Madigan and the attorneys general for Connecticut and Missouri met with Craigslist officials last week seeking an end to ads they contend are advertisements for illegal sexual activities.

An e-mail sent to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

Craigslist came under renewed pressure to remove the ads after a medical student in Boston was charged with the April killing of a masseuse he met on the site.

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Tags: adult category, advertisements, Craigslist, erotic services, masseuse, sexual activities

The new airline Pet Airways recently announced the debut of the first pet-only transportation fights. This unique animal-centered business is designed to ease the stress of pets and pet lovers when traveling. On Pet Airways, all pets travel in the main cabin instead of the cargo hold.
Pets Only, Please

Humans are not permitted to accompany pets on Pet Airways. This will disappoint many, but pet parents are assured that their beloved pets will be “in the good hands of people who love and know how to take care of pets. From the moment a pet is dropped off at a Pet Lounge, the pet is always under the care of trained Pet Attendants” (Pet Airways). This will be a relief to animal lovers who have not cared for shipping larger animals as cargo in the past.
First Pet Flights Travel to 5 Major U.S. Cities

Travel reservations are currently being taken. Beginning July 14, 2009, Pet Airways will serve the five cities of New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles. Future plans for the animal airline include expanding nationwide. The website offers a form to sign up for announcements of new city updates and discounts.

Unique Animal-Friendly Features of Pet Airways

According to Pet Airways, “The Pet Airways goal is to make the pet travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable for both ‘pawsengers’ and their human families.”

Some of the ways they intend to accomplish this are as follows:
* The airline offers easily accessible pet check-in lounges.
* Pets fly in fully-lit, climate-controlled planes with good air circulation.
* “Pawsengers” will be boarded and de-boarded from planes as quickly as possible.
* Pets will never be left in the cold or heat.
* Depending on transit time, animals will be offered toilet facilities, food and water as necessary during stops.
* Pet owners can make reservations and can track their pet’s progress online.

How Pet Travel Works on New Airline

* Reservations are made in advance. Prices are based on carrier size. There is a $149 introductory special being offered online as of May 2009.
* The pet(s) are dropped off at the Pet Airways Pet Lounge, located at the airport. Pets are to be checked in no later than 2 hours before take off. Animals may be checked in up to 72 hours before the flight and will be boarded at the Pet Airways PAWS Lodge until the flight.
* Pets board the plane and company Pet Attendants check for comfort and make sure pet carriers are secure.
* All pawsengers are checked every 15 minutes during the flight.
* After landing, pets are disembarked, given a potty break, and taken to the Pet Lounge for pick-up (or boarded, as instructed).

The Pet Airways Promise “is that your pet will never be left alone.”

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Tags: air circulation, airline reservations, animal lovers, beloved pets, chicago denver, city updates, dc chicago, future plans, good hands, how to take care of pets, human families, pet lounge, pet lovers, pet owners, pet parents, pet travel, toilet facilities, transit time, travel reservations, travel works

Toyota is looking to a greener future — literally — with dreams of an ultralight, superefficient plug-in hybrid with a bioplastic body made of seaweed that could be in showrooms within 15 years.

The kelp car would build upon the already hypergreen 1/X plug-in hybrid concept, which weighs 926 pounds, by replacing its carbon-fiber body with plastic derived from seaweed. As wild as it might sound, bioplastics are becoming increasingly common and Toyota thinks it’s only a matter of time before automakers use them to build cars.

“We used lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced plastic throughout the body and frame for its superior collision safety,” project manager Tetsuya Kaida said of the 1/X, which is pronounced “one-xth.” “But that material is made from oil. In the future, I’m sure we will have access to new and better materials, such as those made from plants, something natural, maybe something like paper. In fact, I want to create such a vehicle from seaweed because Japan is surrounded by the sea.”

A kelp car is not as far-fetched as it might sound. Bioplastics are being used for everything from gift cards to cellphone cases. Demand for the stuff is expected to hit 50 billion pounds annually within five years, a figure that would account for 10 percent of the world market for plastic, according to USA Today. A company called NatureWorks claims the production of its bioplastic Inego produces 60 percent less carbon dioxide than petroleum-based plastic and requires 30 percent less energy. And Oakridge National Laboratory has explored the possibility of producing carbon fiber from wood pulp.

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Tags: 1/X, 1/X concept, automakers, carbon fiber body, kelp, lightweight carbon fiber, matter of time, national laboratory, natureworks, plants, plug in hybrid, safety project, seaweed, seaweed car, showrooms, toyota, toyota car seaweed, wood pulp, world market