| Field geologists (finally) going digital Nov 5th 2012, 15:09 Not very long ago a professional geologist's field kit consisted of a Brunton compass, rock hammer, magnifying glass, and field notebook. No longer. In the field and in the labs and classrooms, studying Earth has undergone an explosive change in recent years, fueled by technological leaps in handheld digital devices, especially tablet computers and cameras. |  | Happy children less at risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying Oct 31st 2012, 15:07 The latest research on the impact of cynerbullying on children has just been collected in a special double issue of the journal Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, published by Routledge. From the complex relationships between cyberbullies and their victims, to a greater moral disengagement in cyberbullies compared to traditional bullies. | | Robots in the home: Will older adults roll out the welcome mat? Oct 25th 2012, 20:15 Robots have the potential to help older adults with daily activities that can become more challenging with age. But are people willing to use and accept the new technology? A new study indicates the answer is yes, unless the tasks involve personal care or social activities. | | Bringing power of prevention, diagnosis to the people Oct 22nd 2012, 20:23 "A Mercedes Benz isn't designed to function in the Sahara Desert," notes Dr. Eliah Aronoff-Spencer of the University of California, San Diego. "So why are we designing medical equipment for developing countries the same way we do for developed ones?" It's a question researchers at the new Distributed Health Laboratory in the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at UC San Diego aim to address, and eventually, to render moot. In collaboration with the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo, Mozambique, Calit2's DH Lab is designing low-cost medical devices such as microscopes and wireless sensing devices that can be used by virtually anyone anywhere in the world to prevent and even diagnose illness. | | Developing the next generation of microsensors: Microscale optical accelerometer created Oct 17th 2012, 17:20 Setting the stage for a new class of motional sensors, researchers have developed a new ultrasensitive, microchip-scale accelerometer that uses laser light to measure displacement. Beyond consumer electronics, such sensors could help with oil and gas exploration deep within Earth, could improve the stabilization systems of fighter jets, and could even be used in some biomedical applications where more traditional sensors cannot operate. | | 'Internet of Things' will transform our everyday life, experts say Oct 17th 2012, 13:17 The next ICT revolution will have a profound impact on our lives and the economy. Ubiquitous computing and the Internet of Things are experiencing remarkable growth. The effects are becoming more and more apparent wherever you look: in housing, transport, health care, and retail, as well as the security and energy industries. | | Using cell phone data to curb the spread of malaria Oct 11th 2012, 18:14 New research that combines cell phone data from 15 million people in Kenya with detailed information on the regional incidence of malaria has revealed how human travel patterns contribute to the disease's spread. | | NASA's Curiosity rover checks in on Mars using Foursquare Oct 4th 2012, 16:17 NASA's Curiosity Mars rover checked in on Mars Wednesday using the mobile application Foursquare. This marks the first check-in on another planet. Users on Foursquare can keep up with Curiosity as the rover checks in at key locations and posts photos and tips, all while exploring the Red Planet. | | Browser plugin helps people balance their political news reading habits Sep 27th 2012, 19:21 As the U.S. presidential election approaches, many voters become voracious consumers of online political news. A new tool tracks whether all those articles really provide a balanced view of the debate -- and, if not, suggests some sites that offer opinions from the other side of the political spectrum. | | Optical waveguide connects semiconductor chips: Photonic wire bond transmits data in the terabit range Sep 20th 2012, 12:25 A team of researchers has succeeded in developing a novel optical connection between semiconductor chips. "Photonic wire bonding" reaches data transmission rates in the range of several terabits per second and is suited perfectly for production on the industrial scale. In the future, this technology may be used in high-performance emitter-receiver systems for optical data transmission and, thus, contribute to reducing energy consumption of the internet. | | Revolutionary ultrathin, flat lens: Smartphones as thin as a credit card? Sep 19th 2012, 16:56 Scientists are reporting development of a revolutionary new lens -- flat, distortion-free, so small that more than 1,500 would fit across the width of a human hair -- capable in the future of replacing lenses in applications ranging from cell phones to cameras to fiber-optic communication systems. The advance could lead to smart phones as thin as a credit card. | | App lets you monitor lung health using only a smartphone Sep 18th 2012, 15:13 Feeling wheezy? You could call the doctor. Or soon you could use your smartphone to diagnose your lung health, with a new app that uses the frequencies in the breath to determine how much and how fast you can exhale. | |
