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Google offers badges to its news readers!

"On Google News, the average reader of political news has read 20 articles on politics in the last six months. Where do you stand?" asks the official Google blog.

Users can now see how voracious news reader they are by earning Google News badges.

The more one reads, the higher-level badge he receives. The badges starting with bronze, then move up the ladder to silver, gold, platinum and finally, ultimate. Google has more than 500 badges available.

The badges are private by default, but if one wants, one can share them with friends.

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Solar panels also provide cooling

The solar panels on your roof aren't just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, or your workplace, too, according to a team of researchers led by Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

In a study in an upcoming issue of the journal Solar Energy, Kleissl and his team published what they believe are the first peer-reviewed measurements of cooling benefits provided by solar photovoltaic panels.

Using thermal imaging, researchers determined during the day, a building's ceiling was five degrees Fahrenheit cooler under solar panels than under an exposed roof.

At night, the panels help hold the heat in, reducing heating costs in the winter, according to a release.

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Rugged mobile phone launched for industries

While consumers buy smartphones that not only make calls but also shoot and scan pictures with their in-built cameras, industries need rugged handhelds with barcode scanners.

The Honeywell (scanning and mobility) division believed there was a gap to be filled between the two with a device that was rugged, act as a phone, have an in-built scanner for barcodes and compete with high-end consumer smartphones.

In addition to basic mobile phone functions, the new model, Dolphin 6000, offers various features, including field service, field sales, and retail and logistics operations.

An integrated scanner provides fast and accurate barcode scanning, simplifying data entry tasks, while Honeywell's 'Remote MasterMind for Mobility' device management software allows users to manage, update and remotely diagnose all Dolphin 6000 devices within a network from one centralised location.

This reduces development and maintenance costs. The operating system used is Windows Mobile 6.5. More rugged than a smartphone, the IP-rated Dolphin 6000 is resistant to moisture and particle intrusion, making it suitable for use in adverse conditions such as those encountered by a field service or logistics worker.

The device is equipped with a battery that lasts eight-10 hours, allowing for uninterrupted productivity throughout an entire shift.

The average price of the device is around Rs. 35,000.