 | | PICTURE SPEAK | |  | | Nair with the portable weather station | | Three years ago, the Met Department had predicted the day of the launch of a sophisticated remote-sensing satellite on the PSLV to be a clear-sky day. It is a different story that ISRO was forced to proceed amid heavy rain. But the event inspired ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair to think of working on automatic weather stations, a concept that is popular in developed countries like the US and UK, to help the meteorologists make more accurate forecasts. According to World Met Organisation standards, India should have at least 10,000 weather stations but it has less than 500. World Met says the observation network over tropics should be dense with one station every 100 sq km. The Indian network has about 600 surface observations, 30 upper-air observations and some radar stations. ISRO pitched in with its expertise and has now come out with a portable weather station that fits into a travel suitcase and can be deployed in an area the size of a small tennis court. The automatic weather station (AWS), an indigenously developed system, records data such as temperature, wind speed, rainfall and relative humidity. With enhanced coverage, the daily weather report and short-range forecast being generated by the Met Department may improve significantly. -By Stephen David | | | | | | |  Grid computing, which can boost the features of data analysis, will be available by the year-end through the Garuda project of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), which is networking about 50 institutions and agencies across the country. That coupled with a new generation of supercomputers can possibly help weather-monitoring centres track minute atmospheric changes and even a tsunami.
| | | | | | A new mobile phone technology will boost Internet penetration in villages | | |  The Trident Hilton hotels at Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur are offering a special package for families with children. The two-night package comes inclusive of the world famous Hilton breakfast and all taxes. An interesting element to the offer is the Kids Club at the hotels that will involve children aged between four and 12 years in fun activities throughout the day. So no more whining babies spoiling your idle break. Offer valid till September 30, 2005.
COST: Rs 4,500-6,900
E-MAIL: Guest_Assistance@hilton.com
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