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These Amazing Twitter Metadata Visualizations Will Blow Your Mind

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Metadata in Twitter posts lets readers in on your geographic location, the language you speak, the phone you use, and more. They're also a mapmaker's best friend.

Source: FastCompany - Discipline: Internet

How One Day Everything Could Be Recycled

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Mix 3-D printers and biomimicry and what do you get? Products that are as strong, resilient, versatile--and biodegradable--as most things in nature.

Source: Smithsonian - Discipline: Technology

Virtual reality display lets fire crews see in a blaze

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Wearable infrared sensors will give firefighters vital information about temperature and layout when they enter a burning, smoke-filled building

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Technology

Google's Project Loon to float the internet on balloons

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Google admits its new balloon-based connectivity project is a "moonshot" to bring the last two-thirds of the global population online. How realistic is the audacious plan?

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Internet

Mobile Call Logs Can Reveal a Lot to the NSA

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Research shows how much the NSA could glean from call records, and why efforts to downplay the significance of such metadata are misleading.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Google Says Secret Intelligence Court Restricts Its Right to Free Speech

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

Google is demanding that a secret intelligence court allow it to share some details about surveillance requests for user data.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

GPS and paper maps vie for driving domination

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

The prevalence of GPS in cars and smartphones makes it a popular option for getting where you're going. But according to a survey by Michelin, it still leads drivers astray occasionally, and many still rely on plain old paper in one form or another.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

Last telegraph shuts down in July but some say "Don't. Stop."

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

The Indian government will shut down the country's 160-year old telegraph service in mid-July. The decision risks leaving lawyers, soldiers and government officials without a trusty communication tool.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

3-D printing set to be this generation's 'Moon Shot' moment

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

An industry secret for years, 3-D printing is spreading quickly to the masses. Amazon has unveiled a dedicated section for 3-D printing, including desktop models from Brooklyn, N.Y.-based start-up MakerBot. And anyone can buy a 3-D printer from Staples.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

China's Supercomputer Regains No. 1 Ranking

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:58:32 -0500

New machine is part of continued push to lead the world into era of exascale computing

Source: Science - Discipline: Computer Science

X-rays and Operas: A Collaborative Restoration

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

Scientists have restored a 200-year-old opera using special x-ray technologies, leading to questions about other possible uses.

Source: National Geographic News - Discipline: Technology

Gaming the System

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

Economists have long used game theory to make sense of the world. Now engineers and computer scientists are using it to rethink their work.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Computer Science

Flying Robots

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

Compact unmanned aerial vehicles will perform many valuable jobs if aviation regulations allow them to operate commercially.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Robotics

Google's new plan to combat Internet child pornography

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

While tech companies individually take action against child pornography, Google's plan is to help all relevant organizations streamline their efforts work by allowing all of them to contribute to the same database and build on one another's work rather than repeating it.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Internet

B for busted: Students changed grades by tampering with professors' keyboards

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

After four years of altering grades using credentials gained with keylogger equipment installed on professors' keyboards, three Purdue University students were finally busted when one of those professors complained that one of his passwords mysteriously changed.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

Police chief takes criminals to task on Facebook

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

If you're up to no good in this pocket of northeast Ohio, especially in a witless way, you're risking not only jail time or a fine but a swifter repercussion with a much larger audience: You're in for a social media scolding from police Chief David Oliver and some of his small department's 49,000 Facebook fans. And Oliver does not mince words.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Internet

3-D Printer Brings Dexterity To Children With No Fingers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

An enterprising carpenter and a creative puppeteer teamed up on a do-it-yourself project to build a mechanical hand for a little boy. They created an inexpensive prosthetic and published their designs on the Internet. So far, over 100 children have been outfitted.

Source: NPR - Discipline: Technology

How to Turn Your Cell Phone Into a Dolphin

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

New algorithm allows scientists to determine the shape of a room from the sounds of echoes

Source: Science - Discipline: Technology

Video: Cat Robot Stands and Runs, On Its Own Four Legs

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:59:48 -0500

Feline machine navigates steps without a brain

Source: Science - Discipline: Robotics

A Popular Ad Blocker Also Helps the Ad Industry

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:12:37 -0500

Millions of people use the tool Ghostery to block online tracking technology—few realize that it feeds data to the ad industry.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Internet

Obama declares war on the patent trolls

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:25:15 -0500

Barack Obama has declared that it is time to get tough on "patent trolling", but how do we decide who counts as one?

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Technology

The NSA Data: Where Does It Go?

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:56:28 -0500

Massive data centers can store the equivalent of 250 billion DVDs. What might that look like?

Source: National Geographic News - Discipline: Computer Science

Just Don’t Call it Big Data

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:14:55 -0500

Why Google fears the totalitarian connotations of the buzzword big data.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

How Technology Is Destroying Jobs

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:14:55 -0500

Automation and advanced digital technologies are eliminating the need for people in a growing number of jobs.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Activists fight against gov't surveillance with StopWatching.Us

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:14:55 -0500

A group of 86 organizations and Internet companies is backing a movement to fight against government surveillance

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Google, Facebook, Microsoft push US for public disclosure of security requests

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:14:55 -0500

Three of the largest Internet companies called on the U.S. government to provide greater transparency on national security requests on Tuesday, as they sought to distance themselves from reports that portrayed the companies as willing partners in supplying mass data to security agencies.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Internet

Augmented reality brings dinosaurs and planets to life

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:03:52 -0500

A series of smartphone-compatible, augmented reality books brings the solar system to life or conjures up roaring dinosaurs on the table in front of you

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Computer Science

Laws of Physics Say Quantum Cryptography Is Unhackable. It’s Not

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:43:16 -0500

A technique called quantum cryptography can, in principle, allow you to encrypt a message in such a way that it would never be read by anyone whose eyes it isn’t for.

Source: Wired - Discipline: Computer Science

5 Surprising Drone Uses (Besides Pizza Delivery)

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:43:16 -0500

Drones have proved their worth in military and intelligence operations but they may make far greater contributions in civilian life. Even if they can't deliver Domino's pizza.

Source: National Geographic News - Discipline: Technology

A Password So Secret, You Don’t Consciously Know It

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:43:16 -0500

Researchers work to develop passwords so secret that only your unconscious mind knows them.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Internet Cos. Deny Giving Govt. Access to Data

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:43:16 -0500

ABC News’ Abby Phillip and Joanna Stern report: The National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been tapping into the servers of major Internet companies to collect audio, video, photographs, e-mails and other documents, according to a Washington Post report on a...

Source: ABC News - Discipline: Technology

DHS: Hunch is enough for searching your laptop

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:43:16 -0500

U.S. border agents should continue to be allowed to search a traveler's laptop, cellphone or other electronic device and keep copies of any data on them based on no more than a hunch, according to an internal Homeland Security Department study.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

Thinking of Running an Open Innovation Contest? Think Again.

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:52:31 -0500

Open competitions can help find an optimal solution to a well-understood problem, but they are a poor way to innovate.Open innovation contests are gaining popularity with companies. The thinking is that since not all the smart people work for your company, and technology is developing so rapidly, why not hold a contest to get the best minds competing to innovate for you?

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Even with Cord-Cutting and the Web, the TV Audience is Massive

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:52:31 -0500

Although we have more ways to entertain ourselves than ever, it’s proving hard to unseat television as the most popular mass medium.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Calling out China on hacking may be working, experts say

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:52:31 -0500

After years of diplomacy only led to angry denials from China over cyber espionage, a new tone is heard out of Beijing

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Robotic cameras capture 'Matrix'-like 'bullet time' action in live sports

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:52:31 -0500

Remember the first time you saw "The Matrix," and were mesmerized by that roof scene where time appeared to freeze, and the camera rotated around Neo as bullets inched by? It was cool, but the technology involved was complicated and required a carefully rigged-up set.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

After digital defeat, GOP puts its faith in Facebook engineer

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:52:31 -0500

When Americans voted to keep President Barack Obama in the White House for a second term, his super team of tech nerds was largely credited with his success, profiling constituents and crunching their personal info in a manner not unfamiliar at, say, Facebook. The Republicans, apparently, took note.

Source: NBCnews - Discipline: Technology

Steered by thoughts, drone flies through hoops

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:02:43 -0500

Look, no hands... A pilot has used thoughts alone to guide a remote-controlled drone around an aerial obstacle course

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Robotics

Autonomy in Cars Progresses, But Regulators Struggle to Keep Up

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:02:43 -0500

The federal government is scrambling to deal with the rapid pace of IT-driven innovation in cars.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s first policy statement on the safety aspects of automation in cars reflects the fact that technology advances in vehicles are outpacing the usual regulatory process.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

As Data Floods In, Massive Open Online Courses Evolve

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:02:43 -0500

As online education companies track students’ behavior and experiment with different delivery methods, assumptions about effectiveness are being challenged.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Internet

ITC: Older iPhones, iPads infringe on Samsung wireless patent

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:02:43 -0500

Samsung's nabbed a victory in Washington with an ITC decision that threatens to ban several older Apple devices from sale in the U.S.

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Technology

Mind-controlled exoskeleton lets paralysed people walk

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:56:30 -0500

A powered strap-on skeleton controlled by EEG signals is helping people who can't use their legs to walk – using thought alone

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Technology

Judge: Google must give user info to FBI

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:56:30 -0500

The search giant must hand over data on certain customers as part of a national security investigation

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Autonomous rovers to compete for $1.5 million NASA prize

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:56:30 -0500

11 teams are competing to create the best robotic rover for the space agency's 2013 Sample Return Robot Challenge

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Robotics

Microsoft and IBM Researchers Develop a Lie Detector for the Cloud

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:16:59 -0500

A way to check whether calculations have been tampered with could make cloud computing more reliable, and boost privacy.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Computer Science

Bell Labs Invents Lensless Camera

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:16:59 -0500

A new class of imaging device with no lens and just a single light sensitive sensor could revolutionise optical, infrared and millimetre wave imaging

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Feds don't plan to take down Bitcoin or other currencies

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 09:05:34 -0500

The head of the U.S. Department of Treasury's law enforcement branch says the government doesn't intend to go after all digital currencies

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Technology

Gizmo Uses Lung Cells To Sniff Out Health Hazards In Urban Air

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 09:05:34 -0500

Scientists are trying to figure out how chemicals in the air interact with each other to make people sick. So they're building an instrument — a "lung in a box" — that goes way beyond the usual chemical monitors.

Source: NPR - Discipline: Technology

The Dictatorship of Data

Fri, 31 May 2013 07:45:23 -0500

Robert McNamara epitomizes the hyper-rational executive led astray by numbers.Big data is poised to transform society, from how we diagnose illness to how we educate children, even making it possible for a car to drive itself. Information is emerging as a new economic input, a vital resource. Companies, governments, and even individuals will be measuring and optimizing everything possible.

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

Hate Keys? There's an App for That

Fri, 31 May 2013 07:45:23 -0500

August hopes to unlock doors with your phone.

Source: ABC News - Discipline: Technology

Stop producing "killer robots," U.N. expert warns

Fri, 31 May 2013 07:45:23 -0500

Programming machines to kill without humans making decisions could encourage more wars, human rights expert warns

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Robotics

Tweets may show way to saddest city in the U.S.

Fri, 31 May 2013 07:45:23 -0500

Team of researchers monitored over 10 million tweets to decide happiest, saddest American cities

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Latest Kinect sensors allow games to feed off your fear

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

Microsoft's depth-sensing camera will gain unprecedented information about us while we play, allowing games to adjust their difficulty in response

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Technology

Smart map tracks people through camera networks

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

A system that uses security cameras to map people's locations in real time could find intruders or guide people around malls

Source: New Scientist - Discipline: Technology

Gigapixel Holographic Microscope Made From A4 Paper Scanner

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

The A4 digital scanner gathering dust under your desk could find new life as a gigapixel holographic microscope, say Japanese engineers who have constructed one at minimal cost

Source: Technology Review - Discipline: Technology

How Chinese hackers steal U.S. secrets

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

Hackers don't necessarily need to get into classified systems to steal designs for sensitive weapons systems

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Twitter too complicated for newcomers, says CEO

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

Dick Costolo says that users of the information network have created their own "remarkable language" that's difficult for outsiders to understand

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Companies pull Facebook ads over violent content

Thu, 30 May 2013 07:37:56 -0500

Facebook has lost more than a dozen advertisers after a campaign drew attention to pages that promoted violence against women

Source: CBSNews - Discipline: Internet

Video: Principles of locomotion in confined spaces could help robot teams work underground

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:03 -0500

Future teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much-despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are all-too-familiar to people living in the southern United States.

Source: Georgia Institute of Technology - Discipline: Robotics

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:30:01 -0500

U of T Engineering researchers, working with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

Source: University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering - Discipline: Technology