Technology Review RSS Feeds

Robotic Storm Tracker Gets a Big Test with Earl

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The largest-ever storm monitoring mission is now gathering scientific data that was previously impossible to get.

As Hurricane Earl barrels toward the eastern seaboard of the United States, coastal residents don't know if they should evacuate in case the storm makes landfall. They rely on forecasters analyzing computer models, but those predictions differ. A new hurricane-monitoring mission that's now underway hopes to reduce this uncertainty by gathering atmospheric and environmental storm data never before obtained.

Counting Down to Commercial Space Launches

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The next few years will see at least two new commercial spacecraft put into orbit.

A small fleet of privately developed spacecraft will head into orbit in the next few years--assuming that current levels of public and private funding can be sustained. If it happens, this will mark a new chapter in space exploration and research, as NASA comes to rely more on private companies for the technology to put manned and unmanned vehicles in space.

Transplanting Gut Microbes to Treat Disease

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scientists examine new ways to manipulate the microorganisms within us.

Earlier this summer, scientists reported the success of an unusual medical transplant; a woman with a life-threatening Clostridium difficile infection was treated, and apparently cured, with an injection of some of her healthy husband's gut bacteria. Researchers are now exploring the effects of this type of transplant in greater detail. They hope to eventually treat a wide range of ailments--from bowel diseases to obesity, diabetes to depression--by manipulating the bacteria that live in the human gut.

Blog - The New Science of Network Archaeology

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:10:00 GMT

A new way of excavating the past structure of networks reveals important information about their evolution

Tiny Needles to Fight Cancer

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers inject quantum dots into the skin using plastic microneedles, potentially providing a way to diagnose and treat diseases.

Using a novel laser-based technique, researchers at North Carolina State University have made arrays of tiny, hollow plastic needles that they used to insert fluorescent quantum-dot dyes into skin. Biomedical engineering professor Roger Narayan, who leads the research, says the microneedles and quantum dots, which have been tested on pigs, could be used to diagnose and treat skin cancer and other chronic diseases.

Blog - The Extraordinary Tale of Red Rain, Comets and Extraterrestrials

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:10:00 GMT

For years, claims have circulated that red rain which fell in India in 2001, contained cells unlike any found on Earth. Now new evidence that these cells can reproduce is about to set the debate alive

Panspermia is the idea that life exists throughout the universe in comets, asteroids and interstellar dust clouds and that life of Earth was seeded from one or more of these sources. Panspermia holds that we are all extraterrestrials.

Blog - Robots Take Out the Trash

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

"Dustcart" finished a test run in Italy, successfully making house calls to collect garbage.

In the Italian town of Peccioli the streets are too old and narrow for garbage trucks to navigate, so residents have had to manage their own trash collection. That is, until the appearance of this summer of "Dustcart," a Segway-wheeled, sensor-equipped robot that responds to house calls to collect garbage.

Blog - Apple Shows a Facebook Rival and Apple TV 2.0

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Music-focused social network is linked to iTunes, and TV shows will rent for 99 cents.

Nano Switches that Store More Data Head to Market

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Products featuring memristors could appear in 2013.

An electronic component that offers a new way to squeeze more data into computers and portable gadgets is set to go into production in just a couple of years. Hewlett-Packard announced today that it has entered an agreement with the Korean electronics manufacturer Hynix Semiconductor to make the components, called "memristors," starting in 2013. Storage devices made of memristors will allow PCs, cellphones, and servers to store more and switch on instantly.

Web iTunes? Don't Believe the Hype

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Online music streaming services are altering the way people find, buy, and share songs--when will iTunes join the fun?

Dozens of startups now offer Internet-based music streaming technology, making millions of songs instantly accessible from almost any device. But the biggest digital music platform of all--Apple's iTunes--hasn't yet moved over to the Web.

Bringing Cell-Phone Location-Sensing Indoors

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

App pinpoints people inside shops without requiring them to "check in."

Walk into the Best Buy on San Francisco's Harrison Street, and the consumer electronics giant knows a potential customer has arrived: at least if you're using the ShopKick iPhone app that launched earlier this month.

Blog - The Sinister Link Between Infectious Agents, Bacteria and Protozoa

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:10:00 GMT

A new technique for studying the relationship between bacteria and protozoans could boost our understanding of how these organisms spread disease

In 1980, Tim Rowbotham, a microbiologist at the University of Bradford, made an extraordinary discovery about a tiny single-celled protozoa called Acanthamoeba. These organisms are ubiquitous, turning up almost anywhere there is liquid water. Since the 1950s they have been known to cause a number of rare diseases, mainly in humans with impaired immune systems.

Blog - How Coders Can Help Fight Climate Change

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Climate models are built by scientists, not software engineers.

Blog - Vimeo's Roku App Shows how to Deliver Internet Video to TV

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The fusion of Web and TV is changing how we consume video on all platforms.

Blog - Energy Bill Consigned to Lame Duck Session

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Senator Reid hopes to garner votes for a limited energy bill after the elections. But cap and trade is out of the picture.

When the Senate comes back from its summer recess on September 11th, the energy bill that was dropped before vacation will still be dead in the water.

Blog - Fuel Stickers for Plug-in Hybrids Could Mislead Drivers

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The new labels will help consumers, but as designed now, they could be misleading.

Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency released a pair of proposed fuel economy labels, which could replace the miles-per-gallon stickers now required on new cars. The stickers are needed because miles per gallon isn't a useful measurement for vehicles that run on electricity part of the time or all of the time, and several such vehicles--electric cars and plug-in hybrids--are due to hit showrooms starting at the end of this year.

Video - Flying Robotic Hands

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Yale Aerial Manipulator uses a flexible robotic hand to successfully grasp a range of objects while hovering.

Video - Diving into Data

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A giant sphere at the University of California Santa Barbara visualizes science data in 3D, from brain scans to new molecules.

Video - How to Redesign Life

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

At the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, MD, researchers have developed one of the most powerful methods yet for redesigning life. By editing genomes on the computer, synthesizing them in the lab, and transplanting the genomes into cells, Venter Institute researchers can speed up the process of genetic engineering. Ultimately, they want to design and create microbes that efficiently produce clean fuels, vaccines, and other products.

Video - 35 Innovators under 35

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Jason Pontin, Technology Review's Editor in Chief and Publisher, explains how and why we choose our young leaders.

Video - Making Better Photonic Devices

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Michelle Povinelli, a member of the 2010 TR35, explains how a fuller understanding of light’s fundamental physics can lead to better designs for telecommunications devices and solar cells.

Video - Commercializing Neurotechnology

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

TR35 member Mikhail Shapiro explains why he wants to develop better interfaces for the brain.

Video - Learning the Ways of the People of the Web

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

2010 TR35 member Danah Boyd, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research, studies how people use social networks and makes recommendations about how companies can best use social technologies to serve their users. Recently, Boyd has been a vocal advocate for better privacy controls on social networks.

Video - How to Make Robotic Hands

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Aaron Dollar, a 2010 TR35 member, demonstrates in his lab at Yale University how he makes inexpensive and flexible plastic hands that robots can use to grasp a wide range of objects.

Video - Fighting Disaster with Crowdsourcing

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

David Kobia, the 2010 TR35 Humanitarian of the Year, explains how Ushahidi grew from a single blog post to a sophisticated online platform that can manage crises around the world.

Video - Connecting Games with Reality

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Kati London, named to the 2010 TR35, explains how she designs games that incorporate real-world data to educate players at Area/Code’s offices in New York.

Video - Engineering Viruses to Destroy Biofilms

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Timothy Lu, a 2010 TR35 member, demonstrates at his lab in Boston how he is using the tools of synthetic biology to wipe out the bacterial goo that can plague humans and infest industrial equipment.

Video - Creating Online Tools for Creatives

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

At his startup’s headquarters in New York, Avi Muchnick, a 2010 TR35 member, explains where the inspiration for his online multimedia editing suite, Aviary, came from, and how people can use it to share work.