PC Tech World: approves

Showing posts with label approves. Show all posts

Saturday, April 20, 2013

FAA approves Boeing 787 battery fix, gives the green light for repairs

It's been a few weeks since the Boeing 787 successfully completed testing, but the FAA has finally weighed in on the proposed tweaks to the plane's faulty lithium-ion batteries. Today the organization approved Boeing's battery fix, which means the aircraft maker could soon end the three-month grounding of all Dreamliners. The real action will come next week, when the FAA will issue instructions for making changes to the 787s and -- according to an official statement -- "publish in the Federal Register the final directive that will allow the 787 to return to service." Airlines operating the Dreamliner, including United and ANA, will be required to install containment and venting systems in addition to replacing the batteries with the new, modified components. This is certainly some good news for Boeing; these past few months haven't exactly been easy on the company's pocketbook (or reputation), but it still has plenty of work ahead in retrofitting its 50-strong fleet.

Via: Reuters

Source: FAA

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

FAA approves 787 Dreamliner certification plan for testing Boeing's battery fix

The last we heard in the saga of the grounded 787 Dreamliner came last month, when Boeing announced that it had developed a "permanent" fix to the airliner's battery fire issues. Today, the FAA issued its approval of the company's certification plan, allowing Boeing to begin testing its proposed battery improvements. Boeing's fix includes redesigned internal batteries, better insulation and new venting system, and the FAA has given the go-ahead for testing prototype versions of the setup on two aircraft. The agency originally cleared Boeing for limited testing and ferrying of 787s last month, but completing the FAA certification program is key for the company returning to commercial service. Don't get set on a first-class ticket to Japan just yet, though; these things take time.

Via: The Verge

Monday, January 28, 2013

ITU approves the H.265 video format, takes us closer to high-quality mobile video

Any smartphone owner who's ever watched a streaming HD video buffer... and buffer... and buffer on even LTE connections will appreciate the ITU's speediness today. Just months after MPEG proposed the extra-miserly H.265 video codec, the ITU has approved it as an official standard. As it's greenlit so far, the format (also known as High Efficiency Video Coding) includes 8-bit, 10-bit and photo-oriented profiles that should cover most 2D capture and playback. Pros are promised 12-bit and chroma profiles in the future, while there's work on 3D for all of us. We'll have to wait for both software support and hardware acceleration to reap the rewards, but there should be many: the halved bandwidth requirements have obvious benefits for cellular devices as well as 4K media delivery for that rash of giant TVs about to hit the market. Let's hope that camera and mobile device makers are just as impatient as we are.

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

FDA approves iRobot RP-VITA telepresence robot for use in hospitals

FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals

RP-VITA™, by iRobot and InTouch Health, enables doctors to provide patient care from anywhere in the world via a telemedicine solution

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic solutions, announced that the RP-VITA Remote Presence Robot has received 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hospitals. RP-VITA is the first autonomous navigation remote presence robot to receive FDA clearance.

"There are very few environments as difficult to maneuver as that of a busy ICU or emergency department. Having crossed this technology threshold, the potential for self-navigating robots in other markets, and for new applications, is virtually limitless."
RP-VITA is a joint effort between two industry leaders, iRobot and InTouch Health. The robot combines the latest in autonomous navigation and mobility technologies developed by iRobot with state-of-the-art telemedicine and electronic health record integration developed by InTouch Health. RP-VITA allows remote doctor-to-patient consults, ensuring that the physician is in the right place at the right time and has access to the necessary clinical information to take immediate action. The robot has unprecedented ease of use. It maps its own environment and uses an array of sophisticated sensors to autonomously move about a busy space without interfering with people or other objects. Using an intuitive iPad® interface, a doctor can visit a patient, and communicate with hospital staff and patients with a single click, regardless of their location.

The FDA clearance specifies that RP-VITA can be used for active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical care assessments and examinations.

RP-VITA is being sold into the healthcare market by InTouch Health as its new flagship remote presence device. iRobot will continue to explore adjacent market opportunities for robots like RP-VITA and the iRobot Ava™ mobile robotics platform.

"FDA clearance of a robot that can move safely and independently through a fast-paced, chaotic and demanding hospital environment is a significant technological milestone for the robotics and healthcare industries," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. "There are very few environments as difficult to maneuver as that of a busy ICU or emergency department. Having crossed this technology threshold, the potential for self-navigating robots in other markets, and for new applications, is virtually limitless."

"Remote presence solutions have proven their worth in the medical arena for quite some time," said Yulun Wang, chairman and CEO of InTouch Health. "RP-VITA has undergone stringent testing, and we are confident that the robot's ease of use and unique set of capabilities will enable new clinical applications and uses."

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By: Dilusha On 11:51 AM

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Senate approves 5 more years of warrantless wiretapping

Obama is expected to approve the extension of warrant-free surveillance

On Friday, the Unites States Senate voted 73 to 23 in favor of approving an extension to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act of 2008.

Created under the Bush administration, the FISA Amendment allowed the government to use surveillance techniques such as wiretaps without warrants in the name of counter-terrorism.

Friday's vote re-upped the policy for another five years under what is known as the FAA Sunsets Extension Act of 2012.

After passing through the House earlier in 2012, and now having made its way through the Senate, the extension will now be passed along to President Obama, who is expected to sign off with his full approval.

The FISA Amendment has had its share of detractors over the years, and even before being approved by the Senate, there were groups advocating for some amendments to the existing policies.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation attempted to get the word out about several of these amendments, but it appears as if the group's efforts were of no avail, as each was denied on the Senate floor.

Other rights advocate groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, are continuing to fight the constitutionality of the FISA Amendment in the Supreme Court. However, at this point, the National Security Agency has proven uncooperative in handing over pertinent information.

The most disappointing factor, outside of the extension being passed at all, is that by allowing this to continue unabated for the next five years, more in-depth conversations about the government's surveillance methods can't be held until 2017 at the earliest.

Via The Verge