Technology

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have created a robot prototype that is able to accurately respond to human directions by identifying and reacting to simple motion commands. In a recent demonstration, a ... scientist pushed a toy car and tossed a ball in the direction of the prototype. Confused, the robot flashed a question mark on an attached screen. Without saying a word, the scientist made a throwing motion with his hand and the prototype responded by tossing the ball back to him and ignoring the car. Core System Mirrors Human Brain Activity The ... (view more)

Microsoft is set to plug a coding loophole that allows users of the new Windows Phone 7 system to run unauthorized software on it, an action known as jailbreaking . But it's agreed to meet the developers of the tool that took advantage of that ... loophole. The jailbreaking tool in question, called Chevron , helps users get around one of the key restrictions Microsoft put on the phones: that it's only possible to run applications that have been approved by, and downloaded from, Microsoft's own "Marketplace" store. Chevron to be Disabled in Upcoming Release Chevron worked by unlocking a special ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced "Avatar Kinect," a new add-on for the Xbox 360 Kinect motion-sensitive video game peripheral. It would allow voice and motion commands to take the place of the traditional remote control, in addition to several other changes ... that would re-define the ways in which we watch television. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer expressed his company's ambition to make television a more social experience. Among the most significant changes would see television viewers conversing with one another as avatars in different virtual ... (view more)

IBM has revealed their annual "Five in Five" list, which highlights five innovations that the company predicts will change the lives of everyday people over the next five years. Among the predictions turning heads is the belief that IBM researchers ... are five years away from enabling mobile phones to produce 3D hologram images of people talking and moving in real time. Image Princess Leigha's hologram inside R2D2 from the mega-smash hit movie Star Wars, and the experience may be similar. 3D Visual Images to be Displayed on Virtually Any Surface Paul Bloom, IBM's CTO for telecommunications ... (view more)

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data. SSDs are distinguished from traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read ... / write heads. SSDs, in contrast, use microchips which retain data in non-volatile memory chips and contain no moving parts. Solid State Drive (SSD) Compared to a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Today's solid state hard drives are considerably faster than a standard (spinning) hard drive. For example: read / write speeds on a standard HDD are roughly 40-60 ... (view more)

In Australia, more than 1,850 people succumb to skin cancer each year -- more than the number of those killed in road accidents. Researchers believe that close to two-thirds of all Australian youths will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of ... 70. (Source: canoe.ca ) Now, in an effort to reach out to this generation and save a few lives in the process, a new iPhone application has been released, providing current weather forecasts and the maximum ultraviolet levels expected for the day. Temperature and UV Rays Difficult to Discern In a recent report, Sue Heward, SunSmart Manager at Cancer ... (view more)

Microsoft's new mobile phone system, Windows Phone 7, has only been available on handsets for a couple of weeks, but "enthusiasts" have already discovered how to jailbreak it. The process allows users to run any application on the handset, including ... those that haven't gone through a Microsoft vetting process. Jailbreaking Dissimilar to Unlocking Cells It's important to note that jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking. The latter is the process of removing the protection manufacturers put on a phone so that it only works on a particular network, usually in cases where the handset was sold ... (view more)

The FCC is working on ways to modernize 911 call centers across North America. If current plans come to fruition, it would enable emergency response teams to accept text messages, picture messages, streaming video and other emergent technologies. ... The update, called Next Gen 911, marks the first change made to the 911 system in close to a decade. The most recent revamping occurred back in 2001, when the FCC required cellular carriers to offer the emergency service along with the GPS data of the caller (within 50 to 300 meters in proximity). (Source: computerworld.com ) Phone Calls Are Not ... (view more)

Intel is working on new technology designed to increase the response time in diagnosing and treating NFL-related injuries. By embedding a small Intel Atom microprocessor inside a football helmet, impact measurement data can help quickly determine ... the severity of an injury for medical personnel on the sidelines. Intel, renowned for being the largest computer chip maker in the world, has worked with football helmet maker Riddell on computer simulations to improve future designs and reduce the number of injuries in the contact sport. Joining the tandem are a number of select universities, ... (view more)