China builds world’s fastest computer

Scientists in China have built the world’s fastest computer. The Tianhe-1A can perform over 2.5 thousand trillion operations a second. With this new computer China has overtaken America in this section of technology. The Chinese supercomputer is 30% faster than the fastest American computer.

The Tianhe-1A has over 7,000 graphic processors and 14,000 Intel chips. The processors weigh over 150 tons. The computer canstore information equal to about a hundred million books.

The new computer will be used for biomedical research, processing satellite data, weather forecasts, development of new materials and theoretical calculations in science.

The Chinese have even more plans in computing technology. In the future American Intel chips are to be replaced by Chinese home-made ones.

The race for the world’s fastest computer is a prestigious one. Before America got the title Japan had the world’s fastest computer. Seven of the world’s top computers are in the USA, two are in China and one is in Germany.

China's New Supercomputer

Words

• biomedical = science that deals with health
• development = to make something new
• forecast = predict, foretell
• graphic processor = the part of a computer that carry out graphic commands
• Intel = American company that produces computer chip
• operation = job, task
• overtake = to be better than
• perform = do, carry out
• prestigious = important; with a high-status
• process = to work out information
• replace = to use instead of
• research = if you study a subject in order to find out new facts
• scientist = a person who is trained in science or works in a laboratory
• store = save
• weigh = how heavy something is

How to protect your privacy on the Internet

http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/technology/how-to-protect-your-privacy-on-the-internet.htm

We spend more and more time online and need to be careful about the personal data that we submit. But how can that be done? Here are some things to watch out for when you surf the internet.

· Create a second email account for your private life. If you only use your company’s email address youremployer may obtain personal data from you.

· Clear your Internet cache and your browsing history regularly. The information that is stored in there can easily be attained by certainprograms.

· Be careful when you visit a website and give information about yourself.

· Be especially careful with online banking or money transfer systems.

· Cookies are small bits of information stored on your computer. Sometimes they are useful to store passwords or account names. But cookies can be used to collect a lot of information about your browsinghabits. Every browser has options for cookie management. So you might want to activate them.

· Keep important data and sensitive files on your private computer and by no means on computers you share with others.

· Sometimes websites offer prizes or gifts in exchange for your email address and other information.

· Be aware of spyware and adware – software that is often installed without the knowledge of a user. It collects pieces of information from your computer. Use an antispyware or antimalware tool. Many of them are free.

· Make sure that your online forms are secure. They should be encryptedso that they can only be read by those who the information is really for.

· Anonymizers are servers that hide your real internet address, so that nobody knows who you are.

· Be careful about what kind of information you disclose on Facebook and other social networks.

· Never reply to spammers.

Words

· activate = turn on

· attain = get

· by no means = never

· cache = special part of a computer’s memory that allows it to work faster by storing information for a short time

· certain = special

· data = information

· disclose = release, show

· employer = the person who you work for

· encrypted= to put in a special code

· especially = above all

· form = a document with spaces that you can fill out

· habit = things that you do regularly

· hide = not show

· in exchange = to give someone something and get something else in return

· knowledge = the information you have about something

· management = how you deal with or organize something

· obtain = get

· option = choice

· regularly = very often

· reply = answer

· secure = safe

· sensitive = important

· share = use together with

· store = save

· submit = send

The new robot revolution

Robots entered everyday lives a long time ago. They are already used in many industries like car production, packaging and especiallyin jobs, in which humans would be in danger. Robots that can do chores like cleaning the floor or mowing lawns are already availablein stores. In medicine, robots are used to replace limbs and other parts of the body.

Researchers claim that a new generation of robots will be able to do things that were unthinkable in the past. This new generation of machines will do household chores, educate children and even look after elderly people. Some say that the new robot revolution will be similar to the invention of the PC in the 1970s and 80s.

A new generation of robots designed to help the elderly is currently being developed in Japan. Japanese scientists are programming robots to work with people who have suffered a stroke; others will serve as personal gymnastic trainers. New robots can help out people who normally care for others and prevent them from burnouts.