Internet
IBM’s augmented reality app designed to improve shopping
July 3, 2012 7:19 am | News | CommentsIBM Research scientists this week unveiled a first-of-a-kind augmented reality mobile shopping app that will make it possible for consumers to pan store shelves and receive personalized product information, recommendations and coupons while they browse shopping aisles.
Communication scheme makes applications 'gracefully mobile'
June 28, 2012 3:35 am | by Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office | News | CommentsThe Secure Shell, or SSH, is a popular program that lets computer users log onto remote machines. First release in 1995, SSH was designed for an Internet consisting of stationary machines, and it hasn't evolved with the mobile Internet. It also can't handle roaming. Now, a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchs have developed a new remote-login program called Mosh, for mobile shell, which solves many of SSH's problems.
Dancing robot does more than just “shimi” to the beat
June 26, 2012 12:15 pm | by Jason Maderer and Liz Klipp | News | CommentsShimi, a musical companion developed by Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology, recommends songs, dances to the beat and keeps the music pumping based on listener feedback. Powered by an Android phone, the robot is also app-based, meaning it can perform other functions, such as face recognition, based on the type of software programmed for it.
You are where you email
June 25, 2012 9:16 am | News | CommentsAlthough comparable migration data is available for almost every country of the world, until recently records were incompatible between nations. Information about gender and age was nonexistent. Researchers have now compiled the global flow of millions of e-mails and have discovered global migration trends contained in the data.
Study: Wi-Fi will soon reach its limits
June 11, 2012 6:32 am | News | CommentsWi-Fi is reaching its technical limits. Its efficiency drops significantly in busy surroundings where many different networks and numerous wireless Internet-enabled devices are operating. In some cases, it may even drop to less than 20%.
A new type of Internet search engine
June 11, 2012 5:11 am | News | CommentsComputer scientists at the University of Glasgow are participating in a new project to develop a search engine which will draw its results from sensors located in the physical world.
New Google data shows Microsoft's piracy problems
May 25, 2012 6:21 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsAccording to recent data released by Google, the search engine giant has logged more than 2.5 million requests in the last 11 months to remove links believed to be violating Microsoft’s copyrights. This exceeded the number of complaints about material produced by entertainment companies pushing for tougher online piracy laws.
Malware intelligence system enables organizations to share threat information
May 25, 2012 3:41 am | News | CommentsAs malware threats expand into new domains and increasingly focus on industrial espionage, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are launching a new weapon to help battle the threats: A malware intelligence system that will help corporate and government security officials share information about the attacks they are fighting.
Google strives to enlighten with new search tool
May 18, 2012 6:36 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe search engine giant has spent the past two years poring through online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the CIA Factbook and other sources to expand a database of 12 million items that it picked up as part of its 2010 acquisition of Metaweb. On Wednesday it used this massive database to launch a new feature that provides a summary of vital information alongside main search results.
More doctors are ditching the old prescription pad
May 18, 2012 6:33 am | by Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsThe U.S. government has been pushing doctors to e-prescribe, in part because it can be safer for patients. Now, more than a third of the nation's prescriptions now are electronic, and starting this year, holdouts will start to see cuts in their Medicare payments.
Web tool helps determine best energy storage options
May 11, 2012 4:06 am | News | CommentsSandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Department of Energy have released a new tool to help utilities, developers, and regulators identify the energy storage options that best meet their needs. Partnering with DNV KEMA, Sandia is releasing Energy Storage Select, or ES-Select, software under a public license to the company.
ICANN offers refunds to domain name applicants
May 9, 2012 6:03 am | News | CommentsThe organization behind a major expansion of Internet address suffixes is offering full refunds to companies and organizations affected by a weeks-long delay in taking proposals.
Cafe conquerors use high-tech gadgets to take over public spaces
May 9, 2012 5:59 am | News | CommentsIt’s a situation we’ve all probably encountered: a coffee shop full of laptop users and no place to sit. According to recent studies at Boston College, “plugged-in” customers are increasingly grabbing extra seats counter space and table tops by using cell phones, laptops, and cups of steaming hot coffee to shield others from seemingly public spaces
Jury deadlocks on key issue in Google-Oracle trial
May 9, 2012 5:23 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA federal jury failed to agree on a pivotal issue in Oracle's copyright-infringement case against Google, blunting the impact of its finding that Google relied on another company's technology to build its popular Android software for mobile devices. The impasse reached Monday in San Francisco hobbles Oracle Corp.'s attempt to extract hundreds of millions of dollars from Google on grounds that the Internet search leader pirated parts of Android from Oracle's Java programming system.
Internet group: Quality over speed in new domains
May 8, 2012 2:59 pm | by Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThree weeks ago, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers abruptly shut down a system for letting companies and organizations propose new suffixes, after it discovered a software glitch that exposed some private data. At the time, ICANN planned to reopen the system within four business days. But the system remains suspended.
Study: Bandwidth caps create uncertainty, risky decisions
May 7, 2012 7:26 am | News | CommentsMany U.S. Internet service providers have fallen in line with their international counterparts in capping monthly residential broadband usage. But according to a recent study conducted with the help of Microsoft Research, these pricing models offer few tools for consumers to manage their data usage, and lead to uninformed decisions.
New protocol enables wireless and secure biometric acquisition with Web services
May 4, 2012 11:06 am | News | CommentsResearchers at NIST have developed and published a new protocol for communicating with biometric sensors over wired and wireless networks—using some of the same technologies that underpin the Web.
Life-size, 3D hologram-like telepods may change videoconferencing
May 4, 2012 5:37 am | News | CommentsUsing off-the-shelf parts, a researcher in Canada has created a Star Trek-like human-scale 3D videoconferencing pod that allows people in different locations to video conference as if they are standing in front of each other. Called TeleHuman, the device projects a full body image that is viewable from 360 degrees.
Researchers use online crowd-sourcing to diagnose malaria
May 3, 2012 6:28 am | News | CommentsOnline crowd-sourcing—in which a task is presented to the public, who respond, for free, with various solutions and suggestions—has been used to evaluate potential consumer products, develop software algorithms, and solve vexing research and development challenges. But diagnosing infectious diseases?
New software matches more kidney donations, faster
May 1, 2012 6:59 am | by Miles O'Brien and Ann Kellan, Science Nation | News | CommentsUsing game theory and market dynamices, Harvard University economist Alvin Roth has helped develop a suite of computer programs that match living kidney donors with recipients. The software comprehensively addresses the common limitations of this complicated process, matching participants with compatible blood types and antibodies.
A divided Congress confronts a rising cyberthreat
April 23, 2012 8:44 am | by Donna Cassata and Richard Lardner, Associated Press | News | CommentsAs cyber attacks worsen and the tactics employed by hackers grow more nefarious, Congress is being asked to consider legislation to improve defenses for government, municipal, and corporate networks. However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups are applying pressure from the other side, saying the rules would cost money without improving risk.
Accelrys issues call to close innovation productivity gap
April 18, 2012 5:25 am | News | CommentsAs part of an all-industries challenge to speed innovation and reduce the time and effort required to commercialize new products, informatics and data management company Accelrys is introducing a scientifically aware enterprise platform that is designed to greatly improve the scientific innovation lifecycle.
Cyber security exercise puts laboratories to the test
April 13, 2012 4:40 am | News | CommentsRecently, Los Alamos National Laboratory hosted an information security exercise dubbed "Eventide" that put more than 100 participants from around the country into a maelstrom of sensitive data leaks and cracked network security. It’s hoped such trials by fire prepare the Department of Energy’s facilities to cope with eventual compromises of cyber integrity.
Google to split stock to keep power with founders
April 13, 2012 4:30 am | by Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA new stockholder plan at technology company Google will effectively splits its stock price in half. The move improves the search giant’s short-term finances even as it seeks to preserve its long-term interests. The online search leader reported a 61% increase in its net income for the first three months of the year.
Xerox unveils research projects to make healthcare less of a pain
April 12, 2012 3:42 am | News | CommentsThis week at TEDMED 2012, Xerox pulled back the curtain on some of the healthcare-related research occurring in its labs around the world. The company’s innovations include LiveKey, which captures and shares paper-based information in seconds, and predictive clinical analytics solutions enabled by mobile device technology.
