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Humanoid Robot Swarm Synchronised Using Quorum Sensing

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:14:00 GMT

Proof-of-principle experiment shows how humanoid robots can co-operate on a large scale by copying the behaviour of social insects and bacterial colonies

In recent years, various companies and labs have developed impressive humanoid robots that walk, shuffle and even run. Some even dance in groups of up to 20, performing sophisticated choreographed routines.

Virtual World Takes on Childhood Obesity

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A startup blends activity tracking with online incentives in hopes of getting kids into shape.

Malica Astin, 11, never paid much attention to how much physical activity she got. But one day she played basketball while wearing a small activity tracker called a Zamzee on her waist. Later, she plugged it into a computer's USB port and uploaded the data captured by the device's accelerometers. Unlike a FitBit, a popular pedometer geared to adults, Malica's Zamzee didn't tell her how many steps she took or calories she burned. Instead, it gave her points for the movements she made.

A Smartphone that Can Sniff out Sickness?

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:21:00 GMT

We’ve seen medical uses of the iPhone, and we’ve seen electronic noses (and tongues). Now, how about combining the two?

iPhone 5 Rumor Roundup

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:15:00 GMT

Digital scuttlebutt about the next iPhone.

Like any good tech blog, Hello World likes to indulge itself in a bit of rumor mongering now and then. The past few weeks have led to a flurry of speculation about the next-gen iPhone, and who am I to ignore it?

A123 Systems Reports More Bad News

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:33:00 GMT

The company is losing money fast. It hoped to raise money to stay afloat.

Based on this morning's quarterly earnings call, the financial numbers are pointing in the wrong direction for lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems, a company founded 10 years ago based on technology developed at an MIT lab. A123 posted a net loss of $125 million, $40 million more than it lost in the previous quarter. It only brought in $11 million in revenue, down from $40 million in the previous quarter and $18 million a year ago. Meanwhile, its cash is dwindling, down from $187 million at the end of last year to $113 million at the end of the first quarter of this year.

First Simulation Of Quantum Tunnelling On A Quantum Computer

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Quantum tunnelling had always been thought too complex to simulate on today's simple quantum computers. Now a new approach to quantum computing has changed that and opens the door to more complex simulations

The exploitation of quantum weirdness for computing is one of the great goals of modern physics. It's promise is dramatic for a wide range of number-crunching tasks.

Wearing a Computer Is Good for You

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Fitness trends and health-care problems are creating demand for tiny computers we won't even notice we're carrying.

The last time your doctor asked how much you exercise, did you tell the truth? Do you even really know the truth—not just how many visits to the gym you've made this month, but how many hours you sit or how many calories you burn in a day?

5 Transformative Uses for Disney's Touch-Sensitive Technology

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:52:00 GMT

Wearable computing, the end of keyboards, enhanced security and sex could all benefit from Touché.

Disney has a new technology, called Touche, that can turn any object, including the human body, into a touch-sensitive surface that recognizes not only when contact has been made, but what kind of contact it is. Plenty of places have covered the details of how this technology works -- which are fascinating. But I have to admit that what should have been the most exciting part of Disney's presentation on Touché -- the use cases -- left me flat. (It starts at 2:50 in the video above.)

Antimatter Propulsion Engine Redesigned Using CERN's Particle Physics Simulation Toolkit

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:15:00 GMT

Latest simulation shows that the magnetic nozzles required for antimatter propulsion could be vastly more efficient than previously thought--and built with today's technologies

Smash a lump of matter into antimatter and it will release a thousand times more energy than the same mass of fuel in a nuclear fission reactor and some 2 billion times more than burning the equivalent in hydrocarbons.

A Computer Interface that Takes a Load Off Your Mind

Mon, 14 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A wearable brain scanner could give computers insight into how hard you're thinking.

Conversations between people include a lot more than just words. All sorts of visual and aural cues indicate each party's state of mind and make for a productive interaction.

A Retinal Prosthetic Powered by Light

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

A new type of eye implant requires less hardware and could restore more vision than existing devices.

Retinal implants powered by light could reverse some vision loss with simple surgery.

Should iEat? Testing Food Ripeness with a Smart Phone

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:32:00 GMT

It could be a reality, with novel mini-spectrometer technology.

“Everyone’s a critic,” sighs the artist. But with new smartphone technology, average folks like you and me could take our criticism to new mediums and industries entirely. “Everyone’s a quality tester,” the industrial food producer may soon be sighing.

Chinese Physicists Smash Distance Record For Teleportation

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:06:00 GMT

The ability to teleport photons through 100 kilometres of free space opens the way for satellite-based quantum communications, say researchers

Teleportation is the extraordinary ability to transfer objects from one location to another without travelling through the intervening space.

New Cement-Making Method Could Slash Carbon Emissions

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The proof-of-concept device concentrates sunlight to break apart limestone.

Researchers at George Washington University have bolted together an ungainly contraption that they say efficiently uses the energy in sunlight to power a novel chemical process to make lime, the key ingredient in cement, without emitting carbon dioxide. The device puts to work about half of the energy in sunlight (solar panels, in comparison, convert just 15 percent of the energy in sunlight into electricity).

Betting Everything on Mobile

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

For some Silicon Valley investors, mobile computing is the only thing worth betting on.

Though the purchase price is an anomaly, the message behind Facebook's $1 billion agreement to buy photo-sharing application Instagram is not: apps are where the money is.

Can Kinect Help Detect Autism?

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:20:00 GMT

And if so, is there anything it can't do?

At the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development in Minneapolis, Microsoft's Kinect is being put to a novel use: detecting autism. New Scientist reports that researchers have equipped a nursery with five Kinect cameras, which, together with computer vision algorithms that can detect unusual behavior, may be able to speed the diagnosis of autism.

Path Dependence and the Stupidity of LED Light Bulbs

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:17:00 GMT

Why are we cramming 21st century technology into a socket designed by Edison?

LED lights, mass produced as tiny individual diodes, can be configured into any shape you can imagine. In the future, they and their successors could cover large flat (or curved, or whatever) surfaces, mimicking the light that comes through windows and skylights. They can be used to create diffuse or concentrated illumination, in a radiant or beam configuration. Yet for all their flexibility, the way they're most likely to show up in your life is in this form:

With New Look, Bing Gets More Organized, Social

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Microsoft is revamping its search engine and exploiting the growth of social networking online.

In an effort to make searching on the Web simpler, faster, and more social—and further differentiate itself from market leader Google—Microsoft's Bing search engine is getting a new look.

A Nose in Your Clothes

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:20:00 GMT

Peratech thinks printable electronic sensors of volatile compounds could find their way into textiles.

A U.K. company says its highly pressure-sensitive material could be used to integrate an "electronic nose" into paper or clothing.

How Much Is a Facebook Fan Really Worth?

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:36:00 GMT

Facebook still has plenty to prove to its biggest customers after it goes public next week.

Facebook yesterday amended its IPO documents to underscore to investors the business risks of its rapidly rising use on mobile devices, where it brings in no meaningful advertising dollars.