Advances in Computers thread

[ScienceRocks]

The Rise of the Levitating Mouse

Russian designer Vadim Kibardin has designed a levitating mouse for the computer. This may either sound like magic or science fiction, but Kibardin’s design is based on principals of basic ergonomics.

The repetitious movements of mouse work at the computer, if you’re a graphic designer or gamer, eventually lead to impaired movement and flexibility of your hand and wrist. If left untreated, the median nerve that manipulates most of your hand can pinch and become trapped, limiting mobility altogether.

Kibardin observed that Carpal tunnel syndrome, the effect of consistent stress on the median nerve, is a modern problem, especially for people who use computers for most of the day. His levitating mouse uses a system of magnets to float the object in a fluid space that doesn’t create as much resistance.

The levitating mouse frees the wrist from a stationary position to a flexible position, releasing the median nerve from extra tension.

FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

Magnetic technology has improved movement in a variety of contexts. Maglev trains move close to 400 miles per hour now. Computer hard drives have used magnets since their inception. Instead of designing tools that require stationary movement, the use of magnets can manufacture tools that work more fluidly with a mutual resistance that feels more flexible. It will be very exciting to see technology like the kind Kibardin used in more fields.

http://www.seriouswonder.com/rise-of-the-levitating-mouse

 

[ScienceRocks]

Corning reveals antimicrobial version of Gorilla Glass

Last July, Corning announced that germ-killing glass for mobile device screens could be less than two years away. Well, things are apparently progressing quickly. Yesterday, the company unveiled its Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass – although you can't buy a phone that features it quite yet.

"Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass inhibits the growth of algae, mold, mildew, fungi, and bacteria because of its built-in antimicrobial property, which is intrinsic to the glass and effective for the lifetime of a device," says Corning Specialty Materials general manager James R. Steiner.

The material consists of Gorilla Glass 3 containing embedded ionic silver, which is known for its ability to continuously kill microbes over an indefinite time period. That extra ingredient reportedly has no significant effect on the mechanical, optical, or dielectric properties of the glass.

Corning reveals antimicrobial version of Gorilla Glass

 

[Jose1]

oooh, lots of new stuff I'd sure like to have my hands on ...

 

[ScienceRocks]

Meta-hologram produces dual images and multiple colors (w/ Video)

7 hours ago by Lisa Zyga feature

(Phys.org) —Holograms have attracted wide attention for their ability to produce a realistic 3D image of an object by recording the object's light field and later reconstructing the light field on a 2D surface. Now researchers have fabricated a hologram using metamaterials that can produce dual holographic images of different colors on a single surface. The two images are generated by two orthogonal polarizations, while the colors are produced by the hologram's wide operation wave length range.

The researchers, Wei Ting Chen, et al., from institutions in Taiwan, the US, China, and Singapore, have published a paper on the meta-hologram in a recent issue of Nano Letters.

Meta-hologram produces dual images and multiple colors (w/ Video)

 

[ScienceRocks]

The First Look at the New Oculus VR Prototype

Every time virtual-reality company Oculus brings a prototype of its Rift headset to a show, it takes another big step forward. And the prototype at this year’s CES may be the biggest leap yet.

Last January, Oculus arrived at its first CES with a degree of uncertainty. It hadn’t yet released the developer-only Rift headset it Kickstarted in the previous fall. In fact, few outside the company had even seen it. Programmer John Carmack had brought an early prototype to videogame show E3 that summer, but since then there’d been radio silence as Oculus’ bare-bones staff worked heads-down on the developer unit. Last year’s CES was in many ways Oculus’ coming-out party. As it turned out, plenty of people attended: the Rift snagged “Best of CES” awards from everyone and their mother (including WIRED, though our mothers weren’t involved in the voting).

The First Look at the New Oculus VR Prototype | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

 

[ScienceRocks]

Researchers create ultra-flexible electronic membranes



The researchers authenticated the theoretical bending radius of 50 micrometers during experiments.

According to a January 7 news release from ETH Zurich, researchers are developing electronic components that are slimmer and more flexible than before. Amazingly, these new electronic components can even be swathed around a single hair without injuring the electronics.

“These new thin-film transistors adhere to a wide range of surfaces and adapt perfectly,” said Niko Münzenrieder, a post-doctoral researcher who helped to develop the electronic components in the lab of Professor Gerhard Tröster.

In Professor Gerhard Tröster’s Electronics Lab, scientists have been studying flexible electronic components for quite some time. The objective is to interlace these types of components into textiles or apply them to human skin to develop inconspicuous, comfortable sensors that can monitor various bodily functions.

In the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications, the researchers describe their discovery of this new breed of thin-film technology.

Researchers create ultra-flexible electronic membranes | Science Recorder

 

[ScienceRocks]

Coming Soon: Smart Glasses That Look Like Regular Spectacles

Sunglasses made with nanoscale optical technology hint at a near future of inconspicuous head-mounted displays.
By Mike Orcutt on January 9, 2014

Smart Glasses, Without the Bulky Lenses | MIT Technology Review

For all the hype around smart glasses, none of them actually look like normal glasses. But Vuzix, which develops wearable display technology for military and industrial applications, plans to change that this summer by releasing a pair of sleek wraparound shades that will let users see colorful images projected over objects in the real world.

Fin gesture control ring makes your hand a Bluetooth controller

http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-9/fin-gesture-control-ring-makes-your-hand-bluetooth-controller

A small band of creative types have crafted what looks like your average fashion accessory. It's a ring with a little pinstripe down its center that evokes the look of a classic surfboard. but this ring isn't just for looks. It's actually a Bluetooth 4.0 gesture control device.

By precisely detecting its location across your palm and fingers, Fin can be used to send a number of differing commands to up to three separate connected devices. Control your smart TV, smartphone, car audio or even your gaming console with simple gestures. Current versions of the Fin can handle up to five different gestures per device, but those are developer units. The final version will hopefully be capable of much more. They're even being tinkered with to work as controllers for Oculus Rift, Google Glass and other headsets.

Fuck, I'd make it to control your house. Imagine you're sitting at home and want to turn on the t.v or the lights? Point in that direction and flip your finger up or down.


Archos unleashes bargain-priced smartwatches starting at $50

Archos has made a bit of a name for itself as a maker of discount electronics, but its newest creation is priced so far below the bar that its raising eyebrows at this year's CES 2014. The item in question: a smartwatch that will retail at only $50.

The bargain-basement smartwatch is actually one of three new smartwatches coming out from Archos this year, all of which are priced to sell. With Pebble and other smartwatch makers trending toward pricier, high-end wearables, its nice to see somebody looking out for the little guy. The $50 smartwatch features a 1.55-inch black and white LCD screen and a battery life of up to two weeks.

http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-9/archos-unleashes-bargain-priced-smartwatches-starting-50

 

[ScienceRocks]

Iris scanner makes all of those pesky passwords obsolete


Iris scanner makes all of those pesky passwords obsolete | DVICE

Remembering passwords for all of your tech devices and accounts is a real pain. You can get a nifty fingerprint scanner built in to everything from your laptop to your iPhone, but those aren't usually considered secure enough to replace an old-fashioned typed password or PIN. Iris recognition is far more secure, but until now the technology has been too expensive for use outside of large corporations and governments, or on the fictional set of NCIS.

With the Myris eye scanner being launched at CES this week, you set up a profile containing all of your stored passwords, then teach the dongle to recognize your eyeball in a process that takes just a few seconds. From that point forward, you can use the Myris to unlock everything from your bank accounts and social networking sites to your tech devices themselves. The key is that because you no longer have to memorize a string of letters and numbers, you can change all of your passwords from something dumb but easy to recall like "letmein," to ones that are a little tougher to crack like "B(%$38SD59#?}GoAway," which is definitely not the DVICE admin login so don't try it.

 

[ScienceRocks]

The hottest gadgets of CES: 3-D printers to 4K TVs

The biggest gadget trade show in the Americas wrapped up on Friday in Las Vegas after swamping the city with 150,000 attendees. This year, "wearable" computing was big, along with various 3-D technologies, especially 3-D printing.

Wearable devices in the shape of smartwatches and head-mounted displays have been a staple of the show for a long time, but manufacturers were excited this year because the field is finally gaining traction with consumers. Fitness bands were a breakout hit last year. The 3-D printing section bustled with activity, and it was clear that even though most people won't be buying a printer any time soon, they may be enjoying 3-D printed products, such as jewelry, wedding cakes and dental braces, in the near future. Meanwhile, TV makers were heartened by the support they received for their new ultra-high-definition TV sets.

Here are some of the most notable products and services revealed at the show:

DRIVERLESS CARS—The state of the art in car electronics is in systems that eliminate or ease the task of driving. French company Induct demonstrated its Navia driverless shuttle, which putts along at 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) per hour on a pre-programmed route. It's intended for university campuses, airports and other locales with enclosed roads.

The hottest gadgets of CES: 3-D printers to 4K TVs

 

[ScienceRocks]

Haloband brings smartphone functions to the wrist

From lifestyle monitors to UV detectors, recently we have seen an array of connected wristbands emerge to serve a variety of purposes. In a similar vein, the Haloband is designed to put the convenience of technology within arms reach, but does so by extending the functionality of a smartphone to your wrist.

Haloband brings smartphone functions to the wrist

 

[ScienceRocks]

FLIR turns the heat up on smartphone thermal imaging

FLIR Systems, Inc. announced two new products at CES designed to put thermal imaging into the hands of consumers. The first is a new, consumer-level infrared thermal camera sensor, while the second is a slide-on attachment for Apple iPhone 5 or 5s smartphones that makes use of said sensor. Both could be used to locate lost pets in the dark, look for energy leaking from your house, or to watch for wildlife.

FLIR turns the heat up on smartphone thermal imaging

 

[ScienceRocks]

With 3D Chips, Samsung Leaves Moore's Law Behind
With 3D Chips, Samsung Leaves Moore's Law Behind - Forbes

Samsung Electronics earlier this month began to commercially produce three-dimensional V-NAND flash memory chips capable of holding 128 gigabits of memory. And today the company showed off the first solid-state drives made with the chips see photo) at the Flash Memory Summit taking place in Santa Clara this week.

 

[PainefulTruth]

For the latest advances in computers, hard drives, ram, ect.

TDK sets new hard drive density record, paves the way for 6TB HDDs

TDK sets new hard drive density record, paves the way for 6TB HDDs - TechSpot News

Solid state drives are continuing to build momentum as a speedy and rugged replacement for traditional spinning drive. TDK’s ongoing research into mechanical hard drives, however, suggests that we shouldn’t give up on the legacy technology just yet. The company recently announced a new milestone that will increase recording density in future drives by 50 percent.

The team at TDK have managed to achieve densities of 1.5TB per square inch by improving the magnetic head and hard disk medium with help from Showa Denko K.K. In layman’s terms, this new advancement will allow a single platter in a 3.5-inch desktop hard drive to achieve 2TB of storage. Add more platters to the mix and you’re now looking at hard drives reach 4TB and even 6TB in capacity.

Perhaps even more interesting is the impact it will have on 2.5-inch notebook drives. TDK says these smaller form factor HDDs will be able to achieve capacities of 1TB. This will allow users that aren’t yet sold on cloud storage to have a larger amount of data on hand at all times without having to lug around an external storage drive.

TDK will be showcasing the new technology at CEATEC this week although volume production isn’t expected to begin until sometime in 2014. At that point, one has to wonder just how far solid state drive technology will have come in terms of price versus capacity. This ratio has been the Achilles heel for SSDs thus far even as drives continue to be more affordable.

For real advances in computer science, quantum computers are the machines of tomorrow. They'll make digital look like an abacus.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Silver nanowires form basis of new wearable, multifunctional sensor

Silver nanowires form basis of new wearable, multifunctional sensor

In 2012, Dr. Yong Zhu and a team at North Carolina State University created highly conductive and elastic conductors made from silver nanowires. At the time, Dr. Zhu said the conductors could be used to create stretchable electronics with applications in wearable, multifunctional sensors. Two years later, the NC State researchers have developed just such a sensor.

By sandwiching an insulating material between two of the silver nanowire-based conductors, the researchers were able to create a device with capacitance, or the ability to store an electrical charge. When the stretchable conductors are pushed, pulled or touched, the capacitance is changed. Measuring this change is what provides the device's sensing capabilities.

 

[ScienceRocks]

HP Seeks Patent on Lip Reading Speech Recognition

Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, the Hewlett-Packard Company is an American multinational corporation focused on developing products and software-based services for the information technology industry. Today marks the first time we have taken a look at HP patents and pending applications, having just added them to Companies We Follow.

The computer hardware manufacturer has been slightly beleaguered in recent years, and it was recently announced that it lost the title of world’s top personal computer manufacturer to Lenovo. Industry experts are optimistic that HP’s plans to renominate its entire board of directors for shareholder approval may help bring some much-needed corporate stability after a year in which HP saw one-quarter of its board change. The company may also make a grand re-entrance into the PC market with its unveiling of an Android-powered desktop to directly challenge Microsoft machines powered by Windows.

In today’s Companies We Follow column, we travel over to the West Coast to see what this Silicon Valley stalwart has been busy producing in its research and development programs. We’ve gone through the recent publications coming out of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to find the most intriguing HP innovations found in their patent applications and issued patents. In a world where the PC market has dwindled in recent years, Hewlett-Packard seems to be making strides to shore up its legal holdings for other technologies as well, especially imaging and printing tech, but the featured patent application today suggests HP has come up with software that can essentially read lips.

HP Seeks Patent on Lip Reading Speech Recognition - IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law

 

[ScienceRocks]

South Korea plans 2017 5G service launch, will download an 800MB file in 1 second

In the US and across Europe more of us are beginning to enjoy a 4G connection to our smartphones and tablets. But the 4G market is still relatively young and it’s going to be a while yet before we class it as the norm. In South Korea, however, which has been running 4G as a commercial service since 2010, the focus is now firmly on 5G.

The aim is to roll out a 5G service by 2017, and have it available to everyone no later than 2020. In terms of speed, the difference between 4G and 5G is massive. An 800MB file typically takes 40 seconds to download over a 4G connection. On 5G that will be cut to just 1 second.

Such speed comes at a massive cost, though. A $1.5 billion investment is required to get the project off the ground, and the South Korean government is attempting to secure some of the investment from local companies with a vested interest in seeing 5G succeed. SK Telecom and Korea Telecom have been named as potential partners, but it is thought LG and Samsung may also help with the funding. After all, Samsung has already experimented with 5G and achieved a 1Gbps data transfer.

South Korea plans 2017 5G service launch, will download an 800MB file in 1 second | Mobile | Geek.com

 

[ScienceRocks]

'Fastest ever' broadband passes speed test

The "fastest ever" broadband speeds have been achieved in a test in London, raising hopes of more efficient data transfer via existing infrastructure.

Alcatel-Lucent and BT said speeds of 1.4 terabits per second were achieved during their joint test - enough to send 44 uncompressed HD films a second.

The test was conducted on a 410km (255-mile) link between the BT Tower in central London and Ipswich.

However, it may be many years before consumers notice any effect.

BBC News - 'Fastest ever' broadband passes speed test

 

[ScienceRocks]

Google integrates ‘OK Google’ hands-free voice search into Chromium, prepares to add the feature to Chrome

google has integrated its “OK Google” hands-free voice search into Chromium. The new feature was added just two months after it first arrived as a beta extension for Chrome.

The addition was first noted by developer and Google open-source Chromium evangelist François Beaufort. He points to a Chromium code review with the following short description:


[Hotword] Putting preferences under search for hotword service. Putting behind a flag. In order to test/see the new settings run chrome with “–force-fieldtrials=VoiceTrigger/abc/

Chromium Gets 'OK Google' Hands-Free Voice Search, Chrome Next

 

[Politico]

Cause knowing how to spell is just too much work.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Fin thumb ring gets gesture control in hand

From smart watches to smart rings, the endless wave of wearable gadgets continues to wash ashore some pretty intriguing ideas. Fin, a thumb ring designed to enable hand gesture control of smart devices, aims to not only offer improved connectivity, but to alter the way we interact with our favorite gadgets.

Fin wraps around your thumb and packs built-in sensors that allow it to track its movement in relation to your palm. In addition, it can also distinguish between each segment of your fingers and convert your palm into a numerical keypad. Gestures are then translated into commands for various devices that are transmitted via Bluetooth 4.0.

The potential applications of the device are many and varied. Examples provided by the company include adjusting the volume or changing channels on a Smart TV by swiping your thumb in a particular direction, acting as a game controller, or controlling your smartphone while driving.

With iOS, Android and Windows phone compatibility, the company is releasing an SDK (Software Development Kit) in the hopes of providing a foundation for developers to explore their own ideas for how Fin could be used.

The ring sports an LED indicator and runs on a lithium-iron battery that can be recharged through a Micro-USB port, with each charge providing a month of use, according to the company. It also claims the ring is dust proof and waterproof, with a rating of IP67.

Fin thumb ring gets gesture control in hand