Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Graphene Atmospheric Electricity Collectors
May 29th, 2014There’s not a lot of continuous current available from this, but I still found it interesting. Maybe when they move that thing higher up… Via: Laser Saber / YouTube:
Microsoft Working on Real-Time Audio Translations for Skype Conversations
May 28th, 2014Via: Microsoft: Skype Translator results from decades of work by the industry, years of work by our researchers, and now is being developed jointly by the Skype and Microsoft Translator teams. The demo showed near real-time audio translation from English to German and vice versa, combining Skype voice and IM technologies with Microsoft Translator, and […]
Google Web/Search History Disable Does Absolutely Nothing
May 28th, 2014Classic: For Exercise in New York Futility, Push Button: Millions of dutiful city residents and tourists have pushed them over the years, thinking it would help speed them in their journeys. Many trusting souls might have believed they actually worked. Others, more cynical, might have suspected they were broken but pushed anyway, out of habit, […]
Autonomous Mode Only: Google Unveils Self Driving Car Prototype without Steering Wheel or Pedals
May 28th, 2014Via: Google: Ever since we started the Google self-driving car project, we’ve been working toward the goal of vehicles that can shoulder the entire burden of driving. Just imagine: You can take a trip downtown at lunchtime without a 20-minute buffer to find parking. Seniors can keep their freedom even if they can’t keep their […]
Military Plans to Test Brain Implants to Fight Mental Disorders
May 28th, 2014Via: NPR: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is launching a $70 million program to help military personnel with psychiatric disorders using electronic devices implanted in the brain. The goal of the five-year program is to develop new ways of treating problems including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which are […]
‘Mind Pilots’ Steer Plane Simulator with Thoughts Alone
May 28th, 2014I like the one from a decade ago about the chunk of rat brain that flew the F22 simulator: Scientists have grown a living “brain” that sits inside a petri dish and can fly a simulated F-22 fighter aircraft. The brainchild of Thomas DeMarse, a biomedical engineer at the University of Florida in Gainesville, the […]
Brokers Use ‘Billions’ of Data Points to Profile Americans
May 27th, 2014Via: Washington Post: Data brokers that quietly gather billions of pieces of data on Americans should be required to operate more openly, so that those categorized as “financially challenged” or possibly suffering from serious medical conditions have the ability to check and challenge those characterizations, a federal report said Tuesday. The data broker industry, which […]
Teaching Union in Northern Ireland: Computers Can Have Negative Impact on Children’s Ability to Learn
May 23rd, 2014When I make my weekly trip to town, it is becoming increasingly common to see very young children using smartphones and cheap Android tablets. As parents buy soda, frozen pizzas and other toxic waste at the supermarket, the children waddle behind like zombies, swiping away at the screens. Loud game noise or crap music blares […]
Lifeguard Drones
May 23rd, 2014Via: Motherboard:
Facebook Wants to ‘Listen’ to Your Music and TV
May 22nd, 2014Via: BBC: Facebook is to release a new feature on its mobile app that “listens” to your music and TV shows. If the song or show is recognised by the app, users can publish the information on their profile or to selected friends. The service hopes to take advantage of the “second screen” trend, which […]
