Engadget

Outspoken Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain to head FCC's open internet advisory panel

Anthony Verrecchio — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:21:00 EST

The FCC has created a new forum for corporations, experts and activists to scrap over web laws: The Net Neutrality Advisory Committee. Members have been tasked with "tracking and evaluating the effects of the FCC's Open Internet rules," as well as making policy recommendations. The new group is to be led by Harvard professor and long-time defender of an open internet, Jonathan Zittrain, whose appointment echoes that of Tim Wu -- another expert in a senior advisory position over at the FTC. Harvard University is no stranger to what can go wrong when open access is stifled, so perhaps the good professor can shake things up a bit.

Outspoken Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain to head FCC's open internet advisory panel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video)

Steve Dent — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:32:00 EST

Researchers at the Braingate2 consortium have made a breakthrough that allows people with spinal cord or stroke injuries to control robotic limbs with their minds. The original project allowed subjects with motor cortex-implanted chips to move cursors on a screen with their minds, but they can now command DEKA and DLR mechanical arms to grasp foam balls and sip coffee. Researchers noted that dropped objects and missed drinks were frequent, but improved brain sensors and more practice by subjects should help. To see the power of the mind move perhaps not mountains, but good ol' java, jump to the video below.

Continue reading Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video)

Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MIT and Harvard announce edX web education platform, make online learning cheap and easy

Michael Gorman — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:39:00 EST

We'll forgive you if you failed to take MIT up on its offer take its courses for free when it rolled out its MITx online learning platform last year. However, Harvard took notice of its efforts, and has joined MIT online to form the edX platform and offer courses and content for free on the web. There's no word on the available subjects just yet, but video lessons, quizzes and online labs will all be a part of the curriculum, and those who comprehend the coursework can get a certificate of mastery upon completion. edX won't just benefit those who log on, either, as it'll be used to research how students learn and how technology can be used to improve teaching in both virtual and brick and mortar classrooms. The cost for this altruistic educational venture? 60 million dollars, with each party ponying up half. The first courses will be announced this summer, and classes are slated to start this fall. Want to know more? Check out the future of higher education more fully in the PR and video after the break.

Continue reading MIT and Harvard announce edX web education platform, make online learning cheap and easy

MIT and Harvard announce edX web education platform, make online learning cheap and easy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard tired of overpaying for research, tells faculty to open up

Steve Dent — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:53:00 EST

The grand dame of Ivy League schools is taking action against one of higher learning's pet peeves: the exorbitant price of research journals. Even though the e-reader revolution may have already touched other schoolbooks, so far academic subscription prices -- with some journals as high as $40,000 -- are becoming unsustainable, according to Harvard. To that end, it's taking the lead and pushing its own faculty toward open access publishing, and encouraging them to quit boards of journals that aren't. That could in turn prod other schools to take the same steps, and allow Harvard to focus on more, ahem, interesting pursuits.

Harvard tired of overpaying for research, tells faculty to open up originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aluminum oxide 'egg-carton' could improve quantum dot efficiency

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:22:00 EST

Quantum dots have been deemed the future of everything from light bulbs, to displays and solar panels. Yet, one thing has been keeping them down -- a lack of efficiency. Current has a tendency to leak in between the dots, instead of passing straight through all the time. But, researchers at Harvard have found a possible solution. By surrounding the dots with an insulating layer of aluminum oxide, which hugs them like an egg carton, they were able to direct the current, greatly increasing the light-emission yield and reducing wasted electricity. Of course, this only applies to light-producing quantum dots at the moment, but it's possible it could eventually be applied to solar panels and increase the amount of energy harvested from the sun's rays. If you're scientifically inclined, check out the latest issue of Advanced Materials for the complete research paper.

Aluminum oxide 'egg-carton' could improve quantum dot efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard-designed 'soft robot' shows you how low it can go (video)

Brian Heater — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:24:00 EST

It's the stuff of slow-moving robopocalyptic nightmares: a 'soft robot' designed by a team of Harvard scientists that draws inspiration from invertebrates like worms and starfish. The wired 'bot is made from a flexible elastomer material that allows it to squeeze into spaces that are inaccessible for more traditional robots. Inside are chambers that inflate and deflate, allowing the thing to undulate forward. Definitely check out the robot in action after the break.

Continue reading Harvard-designed 'soft robot' shows you how low it can go (video)

Harvard-designed 'soft robot' shows you how low it can go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

IBM's Watson takes Harvard, MIT business students to school, drops the mic

Amar Toor — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:48:00 EST

There was a massacre in Boston the other night, and Watson had blood all over his hands. The IBM supercomputer and undisputed Jeopardy champ made a virtual appearance in Beantown this week, ostensibly as part of a symposium on the ways in which advanced analytics could reshape business. In reality, though, he only showed up to remind everyone that he's really smart. During the event, Watson squared off in a Jeopardy scrimmage against two groups of students from some of the most prestigious business schools in the world -- Harvard Business School, and MIT's Sloan School of Management. The brainiac b-schoolers (including two former Jeopardy contestants) did remarkably well for the first two rounds; Harvard managed to get within $1,800 of the machine going into Final Jeopardy, and even held the lead at one point, following a gutsy Daily Double (MIT didn't fare so well, but hey, we're all human, right?). The wheels came off, however, once the battle entered Act III, when Watson pulled away for the win. Both the computer and Team Harvard answered the final question correctly, but Watson wisely bet just enough to keep the Ivy Leaguers at bay. When the smoke cleared, Watson was left standing with $53,601, Harvard finished with $42,399 and MIT came in a distant third, with $100.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Watson wasn't even in the same building as his muggle competitors -- nor, for that matter, was he in the same state. IBM kept all of the machine's processors and memory chips at its Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. Watson had already come up with answers to the questions prior to this week's showdown, but placed wages, chose categories and buzzed in responses in real-time. According to IBM, Watson's presence wouldn't have changed the outcome of the game, which was followed by a discussion on the effects that similar technologies could have on the financial world. The most immediate impact? Bruised egos. Re-live the event at IBM's liveblog below, or find more information in the PR after the break.

Continue reading IBM's Watson takes Harvard, MIT business students to school, drops the mic

IBM's Watson takes Harvard, MIT business students to school, drops the mic originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Robot dragon teaches kids language skills, battles impulse to terrorize city

Brian Heater — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:55:00 EST

Did you have trouble learning language skills at a young age? It's probably because you didn't have the right teacher. And by "the right teacher," we mean the right robotic dragon, naturally. This cuddly little mythical beast is the joint creation of researchers at Northeastern University, MIT and Harvard -- some of whom were behind the decidedly creepier Nexi bot. It's part of a National Science Foundation-funded program to help young children learn language skills, suggesting that forming a bond with a teacher plays an important role in the educational process. The dragon will be brought to preschool classes to help test out this hypothesis. Hopefully a robotic knight will also be on-hand, just in case.

Robot dragon teaches kids language skills, battles impulse to terrorize city originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard's Kilobot project does swarm robots on the cheap (video)

Donald Melanson — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:13:00 EST

We've certainly seen plenty of swarm robots before, but few of those are cheap enough to let you easily build something that can truly be called a "swarm." These so-called Kilobots developed by Harvard's Self-organizing Systems Research Group, however, can apparently built for just $14 apiece, and can each be assembled in just five minutes to boot. Despite that low cost, the bots are still capable of plenty of swarm-like behaviors, including the ability to follow the leader, disperse in an environment, put on a synchronized LED light show. Head on past the break for a pair of videos.

Continue reading Harvard's Kilobot project does swarm robots on the cheap (video)

Harvard's Kilobot project does swarm robots on the cheap (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG

Darren Murph — Sat, 28 May 2011 08:03:00 EST

Thousands upon thousands of galaxies. Ten years to complete. A glance at the most complete map of the local universe anywhere in existence. Something tells us Richard Branson's getting a print for his Virgin Galactic headquarters...

Continue reading Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG

Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Metal detectors and smartphones make beautiful, mine-sniffing music together

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:01:00 EST

Harvard researchers have married a smartphone to a metal detector to create PETALS, a low cost way to improve mine detection in third-world countries. Traditionally, locating land mines has required a carefully trained ear to distinguish deadly explosives from, say, a can. This new system removes some of the guesswork by mapping the beeps on a cell phone screen, creating a silhouette of whatever is beneath the surface. Similar results have been accomplished using acoustic sensors, but so far they've been relegated to research projects and would likely be too expensive for use where they're needed most. Not only should the simplicity of PETALS (which stands for Pattern Enhancement Tool for Assisting Land mine Sensing) make it cheap and easy to deploy but, in tests novice de-miners were able to improve their performance by 80 percent -- that's a least a few less brave humanitarians going "boom" in the field.

Metal detectors and smartphones make beautiful, mine-sniffing music together originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Carbon nanotubes used to more easily detect cancer cells, HIV

Sam Sheffer — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:31:00 EST

Cancer's not slowing its march to ruining as many lives as it possibly can, so it's always pleasing to hear of any new developments that act as hurdles. The latest in the world of disease-prevention comes from Harvard University, where researches have created a dime-sized carbon nanotube forest (read: lots of nanotubes, like those shown above) that can be used to trap cancer cells when blood passes through. A few years back, Mehmet Toner, a biomedical engineering professor at Harvard, created a device similar to the nano-forest that was less effective because silicon was used instead of carbon tubes. Today, Toner has teamed up with Brian Wardle, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, who together have redesigned the original microfluid device to work eight times more efficiently than its predecessor. The carbon nanotubes make diagnosis a fair bit simpler, largely because of the antibodies attached to them that help trap cancer cells as they pass through -- something that's being tailored to work with HIV as well. Things are starting to look moderately promising for cancer-stricken individuals, as hospitals have already began using the original device to detect malignant cells and ultimately prevent them from spreading -- here's hoping it's qualified for mass adoption sooner rather than later.

Carbon nanotubes used to more easily detect cancer cells, HIV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard physicist puts fires out with electrified wand, hopes to share on HarvardConnection

Darren Murph — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EST

Okay, so maybe Ludovico Cademartiri will be forced to share the good news on Facebook (or ConnectU, if he's into playing the role of rebel), but at least he's bound to see over a couple of hundred hits. According to The Harvard Crimson, the aforesaid physicist and a smattering of other researchers have stumbled upon a novel way to extinguish flames: electricity. The idea is eventually enable firefighters to squash fires without having to douse a home or object with water and foam -- if hit with a beam of juice, there's at least a sliver of a chance that something can be salvaged. While the specifics of the project are obviously far above our heads, the gist of it is fairly simple -- flames contain soot particles, which become "electrically charged during combustion." Given that those very particles react to electrical fields, a strong enough beam can twist things until it's extinguished completely. Quite honestly, it's a hands-on experience we're desperately trying to arrange, but till then, it looks like another round of Harry Potter will have to do.

Harvard physicist puts fires out with electrified wand, hopes to share on HarvardConnection originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Computer learning and computational neuroscience icon Dr. Leslie Valiant wins Turing Award

Tim Stevens — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:49:00 EST

We've seen recently that computers are more than capable of kicking humanoids to the curb when it comes to winning fame and fortune, but it's still we humans who dole out the prizes, and one very brainy humanoid just won the best prize in computer science. That person is Leslie Valiant, and the prize is the fabled A.M. Turing Award. Dr. Valiant currently teaches at Harvard and over the years developed numerous algorithms and models for parsing and computer learning, including work to understand computational neuroscience. His achievements have helped make those machines smarter and better at thinking like we humans, but he's as of yet been unsuccessful in teaching them the most important thing: how to love.

Computer learning and computational neuroscience icon Dr. Leslie Valiant wins Turing Award originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Multi-core voltage regulator uses fast voltage scaling to curb your processor's wasteful habits

Tim Stevens — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:44:00 EST

Your processor may be able to react to your every, fickle demand when it comes to churning out the numbers that make the magic happen, but when it comes to managing its own power it's a bit more lazy. Chips can throttle an individual core's consumption back, but do so slowly, a problem that Harvard grad student Wonyoung Kim appears to have solved. He's created an on-chip multi-core voltage regulator that uses what's called fast-voltage scaling, a technique of rapidly cutting power that could drastically extend battery life on mobile devices -- or, you know, make it so that your gaming rig doesn't dim the lights quite so badly when you crank it up to the gigahertz. No word on when this regulator will start making an appearance in consumer electronics, but Mr. Kim has achieved a patent for his work, so you can be sure he'll be making bank whenever it does.

Multi-core voltage regulator uses fast voltage scaling to curb your processor's wasteful habits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

$200 'Mini' NMR detects cancer faster and cheaper than full biopsies

Tim Stevens — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:34:00 EST

Detecting cancer could be on the verge of getting a whole lot cheaper -- and better. Researchers at Harvard and MIT have come up with a device that, using a needle to get a tissue sample, has achieve 96 percent accuracy despite having a cost to produce of just $200. It's called a mini NMR (for nuclear magnet resonance) and also gives results in under an hour, giving the good or bad news on a smartphone display. The cost, simplicity, and portability could make it much easier for cancer to be caught and diagnosed early, but naturally it still has a good bit of testing left before it'll be ready for prime time.

$200 'Mini' NMR detects cancer faster and cheaper than full biopsies originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Researchers from Harvard and MITRE announce world's first programmable nanoprocessor

Donald Melanson — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:09:00 EST

We've seen plenty of breakthroughs involving nanowires over the years, but none of those have involved an actual programmable processor -- until now, that is. That particular "world's first" was just announced by a team of researchers from Harvard University and the MITRE Corporation this week, and it's being described as nothing short of a "quantum jump forward in the complexity and function of circuits built from the bottom up." As for the processor itself, it consists of an array of nearly 500 germanium nanowires that have been criss-crossed with metal wires on a chip that's just 960 micrometers (or less than 1 millimeter) square. That becomes an actual processor when the researchers run a high voltage through the metal wires and switch the individual intersections off and on at will -- we're simplyfing things a bit, but you get the idea. What's more, the researchers note that the architecture is fully scalable, and promises to allow for the assembly of "much larger and ever more functional nanoprocessors." Head on past the break for the official press release.

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading Researchers from Harvard and MITRE announce world's first programmable nanoprocessor

Researchers from Harvard and MITRE announce world's first programmable nanoprocessor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video)

Sam Sheffer — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:47:00 EST

Researchers at Harvard University's Center For Brain Science have successful manipulated nematode C. elegans worms by genetically modifying a select few of their 302 neurons. Not to be confused with magnetically controlled invertebrate, these creepy-crawlies are controlled by the CoLBeRT system (a nod to the comedian but no other relation), controlling locomotion and behavior in real time. The scientists can manipulate movement of the worms, induce paralysis, and even cause them to lay eggs all by shining a laser that turns on and off the modified cells at will. The laser hits the worm and causes it to react as if it were being touched. According to the researchers, the reaction is similar to when light is shined in a human eye -- the protein found in the worm and eyes are sensitive to different variations of rays and will respond based on the color shined. Peep past the break for some squiggly mind- er, light-controlled action.

Continue reading Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video)

Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Human Connectome Project maps brain's circuitry, produces super trippy graphics

Christopher Trout — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:29:00 EST

A team of researchers at the Human Connectome Project (HCP) have been carving up mice brains like Christmas hams to find out how we store memories, personality traits, and skills -- the slices they're making, though, are 29.4 nanometers thick. The end goal is to run these tiny slices under a microscope, create detailed images of the brain, and then stitch them back together, eventually creating a complete map of the mind, or connectome. The team, comprised of scientists at Harvard, UCLA, University of Minnesota, and Washington University, is still a long way from cutting up a human brain, partially due to storage limitations -- a picture of a one-millimeter cube of mouse brain uses about a petabyte of memory. A human brain would require millions of petabytes, and an indefinite number of years, causing speculation that the payoff isn't worth the effort -- although, we're convinced the HCP wallpaper possibilities are totally worth it.

Human Connectome Project maps brain's circuitry, produces super trippy graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Inhabitat's Week in Green: pencil-tip generators, the Nissan Leaf, and the world's largest wind turbine

Inhabitat — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:46:00 EST

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week we saw renewable energy take the world by storm as Spain announced plans to construct the world's largest wind turbine and a team of engineers made waves with plans for an underwater turbine modeled after whale flippers. We also saw Boeing shine light on plans to produce a new breed of ultra-efficient solar panels that are suited for space, while researchers in Japan developed a potent new kinetic generator that's as tiny as a pencil tip.

Innovative eco transportation also picked up the pace as China rolled out plans to produce the first fuel cell powered light rail train and the world's largest solar-powered boat made its successful maiden voyage across the Atlantic. We also applauded the Nissan Leaf as it took first place as the European Car of the Year and we were wowed by Mercedes' next-generation concept car, which may one day be grown in a lab.

We also showcased several new ways that technology stands to wire our lives -- starting with an electronic smart wallet that curbs spending by clamping shut like a clam. We also looked at Harvard's plans for a laptop computer powered by biogas and we were impressed by Nike's next-gen design tools for producing environmentally efficient clothes. Finally, we wrapped up the week with two exciting advances in tablet tech - India is testing a solar-powered I-Slate tablet geared at children in need and Substrata rolled out a gorgeous wooden iPad case that goes light on the earth.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: pencil-tip generators, the Nissan Leaf, and the world's largest wind turbine originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard scientists reverse aging in mice, laugh maniacally at human possibilities

Vlad Savov — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:37:00 EST

The reversal of aging has been one of the great dreams of humanity, but it seems like our rodent overlords have beat us to it. The Harvard Medical School has demonstrated "a dramatic reversal" in the aging process when reintroducing the enzyme telomerase into old and feeble mice. What happened was that their naturally worn out organs started to regenerate, instead of degenerating further, bringing them back to a youthful state of health. Sadly, while the results of this study are hugely important, there are a couple of caveats to make: firstly, the mice in question were genetically modified to suffer from a lack of telomerase, which might have inflated the results of the tests relative to regular mice, but more importantly, an increase in telomerase in humans is "a hallmark of most human cancers." So, if you want a shot of Benjamin Button brew, you'll have to be very patient indeed. For now, let's just be happy that Algernon and his buddies have found their fountain of youth.

[Thanks, Vygantas]

Harvard scientists reverse aging in mice, laugh maniacally at human possibilities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gurus track inhaled nanoparticles as they experience Mach 5 lung travel

Darren Murph — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:14:00 EST

Ever wondered what kind of objects you inhale on a daily basis, leaving your lungs to sort out whatever it is that you snort in? Scientists at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health have, and they're tired of simply imagining. A crew of wizards at the institution have started to test a so-called FLARE system (fluorescence-assisted resection and exploration), which enables them to see and monitor nanoparticles as they enter and travel through the lungs. The goal here is to "determine the characteristics and parameters of inhaled nanoparticles that mediate their uptake into the body -- from the external environment, across the alveolar lung surface and into the lymphatic system and blood stream and eventually to other organs." In short, this here study may offer a better understanding of the health effects surrounding air pollution... or restart the mask-wearing craze that SARS initiated. But probably both.

Gurus track inhaled nanoparticles as they experience Mach 5 lung travel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PARITy differential keeps your MAV flying level even if you clip its wings

Tim Stevens — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:32:00 EST

Ever wonder how the single driveshaft in your car manages to power two (or more) wheels simultaneously? The answer is the differential, a device capable of splitting torque dynamically. There are a variety of different types of diffs, from fully unlocked to more pricey limited-slip models, but none are quite like the one created by Harvard graduate student Pratheev S. Sreetharan and professor Robert J. Wood. Dubbed the PARITy (Passive Aeromechanical Regulation of Imbalanced Torques), it's only five millimeters long and, while such a tiny thing would evaporate if mounted between the rear wheels on a Mustang GT, it's destined for rather smaller applications: tiny, winged micro air vehicles. The scientists proved its effectiveness by clipping one wing on a PARITy-equipped drone and, despite the imbalance in lift surface, the robo-bee maintained level flight -- differential automatically flapping the tinier wing more quickly to compensate. You know what that means: keeping our robot overlord's spies grounded just got a little bit harder.

Gallery: PARITy differential

PARITy differential keeps your MAV flying level even if you clip its wings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Metamaterials used to focus Terahertz lasers, make them useful

Vlad Savov — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:39:00 EST

Forget old and busted X-rays, T-rays are the future, man! It was only recently that we were discussing Terahertz lasers and their potential to see through paper, clothes, plastic, flesh, and other materials, but that discourse had to end on the sad note that nobody had managed to make them usable in a practical and economically feasible way. The major hurdle to overcome was the diffusion of Terahertz radiation -- which results in weak, unfocused lasers -- but now researchers from the universities of Harvard and Leeds seem to believe they've managed to do it. Using metamaterials to collimate T-rays into a "tightly bound, high powered beam" will, they claim, permit semiconductor lasers (i.e. the affordable kind) to perform the duties currently set aside for sophisticated machinery costing upwards of $160,000. Harvard has already filed a patent application for this innovation, and if things pan out, we might be seeing body scanners (both for medical and security purposes), manufacturing quality checks, and a bunch of other things using the extra special THz stuff to do their work.

Metamaterials used to focus Terahertz lasers, make them useful originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The moodiness of the US, as told by Twitter

Ross Miller — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:13:00 EST

Twitter, of course, isn't the be all and end all for tracking the mood of a population (not yet, at least). Still, it's worth studying, and if nothing else, it produces interesting observations. A team of researchers from both Northeastern University and Harvard collaborated to analyze some 300 million tweets from September 2006 to August 2009. Using geographical data and past work in word / emotion association, the group has produced preliminary results and (arguably just as important) pretty graphs. The findings are presented by cartogram evolving over time -- weekends and weekdays are currently lumped together but will be separated later. Unsurprisingly, west coast moods follow the same pattern as the east coast, only three hours behind, but it is interesting to note that they also don't hit the same lows. Consider it some food for thought, and if you take offense, maybe you should spend more time looking at the bright side of life and gloating about it online. Hit up the source for more data and after the break for video.

Continue reading The moodiness of the US, as told by Twitter

The moodiness of the US, as told by Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rat lungs successfully grown in bioreactor: groundbreaking, yet also kind of gross

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:07:00 EST

Bioartifical organs differ from, well, plain ol' artificial organs because they consist of biomaterials and cells. And while bioartificial livers are becoming increasingly commonplace, it's only recently that working lungs have been grown in a lab. Working at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, researchers removed the left lungs from rats and stripped them of cells with a process that left the blood vessels, airways, and connective tissues intact. Using all that as a sort of scaffolding, lung cells were regrown on the scaffolding in a bioreactor. The cultivation of the lungs took less than a week, and once they'd been run through their paces in culture, they were transplanted into rats. At this point, the lungs did their job for about six hours, after which "they failed through accumulation of fluid inside the lung and resultant capillary leakage," according to PhysOrg. According to the man in charge, Mass General's Harald C. Ott, if work continues at the current pace we might begin to see regenerated organs for human patients within the next ten years. To see the thing in action, hit up that source link.

Rat lungs successfully grown in bioreactor: groundbreaking, yet also kind of gross originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zuckerman: the Internet encourages cultural myopia, that 'double rainbow' guy

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:24:00 EST

At a recent TED talk, entrepreneur and Harvard scholar Ethan Zuckerman (above, in the most embarrassing pic we could find of him), highlighted the ways that our Internet use might be counter-productive. While potentially a great source of information, perspective, and communication, he points out that "[w]hen we look at what's actually happening, our world-view might actually be narrowing" because we tend to stay within a certain small group of websites -- and perspectives. In the UK, for instance, more than 95% of news consumers send their traffic to domestic news sites, while social networks encourage you to limit communication to the small group of people who share your world view. "The wider world is a click away, but whether we mean to or not, we're usually filtering it out." he said. Lest you think this topic is all gloom and doom, Ethan & Co. are actively looking for ways to correct this and bring the Internet closer to the Utopian vision we all have of it. "We have to figure out how to rewire the systems we have. We have to fix our media, we have to fix the Internet, we have to fix education."

Zuckerman: the Internet encourages cultural myopia, that 'double rainbow' guy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Self-assembling nanodevices could advance medicine one tiny leap at a time

Vlad Savov — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:40:00 EST

Seems like Harvard wasn't content with making robotic bees, and has taken its quest for miniaturization right down to the nanoscale level. One nanometer-wide, single-stranded DNA molecules are the topic of the university's latest research, which sets out a way they can be used to create "3D prestressed tensegrity structures." Should these theoretical scribblings ever pan out in the real world, we could see the resulting self-assembled nanodevices facilitating drug delivery targeted directly at the diseased cells, and even the reprogramming of human stem cells. Infusing a nanodevice with the relevant DNA data passes instructions on to your stem cells, which consequently turn into, for example, new bone tissue or neurons to augment your fleshy CPU. Yes, we're kinda freaked out, but what's cooler than being able to say you're going to the doctor for a shot of nanotransformers?

Self-assembling nanodevices could advance medicine one tiny leap at a time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard and MIT researchers working to simulate the visual cortex to give computers true sight

Paul Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST

It sounds like a daunting task, but some researchers at Harvard and MIT have banded together to basically "reverse engineer" the human brain's ability to process visual data into usable information. However, instead of testing one processing model at a time, they're using a screening technique borrowed from molecular biology to test a range of thousands of models up against particular object recognition tasks. To get the computational juice to accomplish this feat, they've been relying heavily on GPUs, saying the off-the-shelf parallel computing setup they've got gives them hundred-fold speed improvements over conventional methods. So far they claim their results are besting "state-of-the-art computer vision systems" (which, if iPhoto's skills are any indication, wouldn't take much), and they hope to not only improve tasks such as face recognition, object recognition and gesture tracking, but also to apply their knowledge back into a better understanding of the brain's mysterious machinations. A delicious cycle! There's a video overview of their approach after the break.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Harvard and MIT researchers working to simulate the visual cortex to give computers true sight

Harvard and MIT researchers working to simulate the visual cortex to give computers true sight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NSF awards Harvard $10 million for robot bees (video)

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:14:00 EST

When we heard that the National Science Foundation awarded $10 million to Harvard to make a swarm of robot bees, our first thought was: "We could do it for half the price." Then we remembered that the university has been down this path before, including its robot fly program (whatever happened to that thing?) and might be the better choice after all. What does the NSF and Harvard hope to get for all that time and money? Aside from insight into such areas as distributed intelligence, robotic flight, and energy storage, a swarm of these bad boys could be tasked to do anything from battlefield spying to pollination (which might be necessary, with the way that real bees are vanishing at such an alarming rate). The RoboBee project is slated to run for the next five years. Video after the break.

[Via Switched]

Continue reading NSF awards Harvard $10 million for robot bees (video)

Filed under: Robots

NSF awards Harvard $10 million for robot bees (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Conceptual interface brings gesture-based data transfers to medical realm

Darren Murph — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:43:00 EST

It's pretty clear by watching the demonstration video (which is lurking in the read link, just so you know) that this stuff is still pretty preliminary, but we could definitely see it going places with the right people behind it. The Interface Database Concept was dreamed up by Alan Sien Wei Hshieh, and by utilizing a relatively simple set of Javascripts, he was able to overcome traditional platform incompatibilities that can so often hamstring medical hardware / software in day-to-day usage. The creation aims to enable "seamless and intuitive data transfer" and to "define a set of gesture and multitouch commands that will override controls and input devices that may be difficult to use on medical devices." The aforementioned vid shows off gesture-based transfers and even an accelerometer-based cross-platform transfer, both of which make you forget that we're just talking about X-rays and blood tests.

[Thanks, Kara]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Conceptual interface brings gesture-based data transfers to medical realm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Researchers creating flexible fin to make AUVs more agile

Darren Murph — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 02:54:00 EST

If a wave of déjà vu just hit you like a ton of bricks, fret not, as this most certainly isn't the first (or second) time we've heard of researchers looking to the seas to create more intelligent / nimble submersibles. Apparently, a few more folks have gotten involved, as gurus from Drexel, MIT, Harvard and George Washington are now collaborating to develop a "fish-like fin to make autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) more agile." Apparently, the current iteration has improved on prior versions by eliminating drag during part of the "cut and sweep" motion. The general idea is to combine several of the fins in order to "allow robotic submarines to hover and turn on a dime as natural swimmers can," but it'll still be quite some time before devices such as this one can overcome ocean currents and ill-willed sea creatures.

Filed under: Transportation

Researchers creating flexible fin to make AUVs more agile originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 02:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Researchers clear up TV watching for visually impaired

Darren Murph — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:02:00 EST

Yeah, we've got HMDs for the visually impaired, but seriously, who's for sporting one of those things just to catch an afternoon soap? Thankfully, Dr. Eli Peli (and colleagues) from Harvard Medical School is lookin' out for said sect, and has developed a method for "enhancing the contrast of images of people and objects of interest on their digital televisions," which, during trials, was found to enhance legibility and overall enjoyment when watching. Furthermore, the technology is said to be the first to play nice with digital TV images, which seems fairly important considering that analog signals have but a few months to live here in America. Purportedly, the all-important modification that made the adjustments possible could be applied to HDTVs and digital STBs in the future, and sure enough, Peli has already sparked up conversation with Analog Devices in order to create a prototype chip for use in forthcoming sets. Now, if only clearing up those Get Smart reruns were this simple...

[Via InventorSpot, image courtesy of Harvard (PDF)]

Filed under: Displays

Researchers clear up TV watching for visually impaired originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Silicon nanowire could convert light into electrical energy

Darren Murph — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:49:00 EST

Nanoelectonic devices have to have juice too, and thanks to a team at Harvard University, extraordinarily minuscule gizmos of the future could be powered via a "silicon nanowire that can convert light into electrical energy." The device itself is said to look much like a typical coaxial cable, but it's around 100,000 times smaller and shuns metal in favor of "silicon with three different types of conductivity arranged as layered shells." Reportedly, a single strand can output "up to 200-picowatts," which won't move much, but it could be just enough to run ultralow power electronics that could be worn on, or even inside, the body. Hopefully they'll have this all ironed out by the time we need a pacemaker.

[Image courtesy of Harvard]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Silicon nanowire could convert light into electrical energy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard University's robotic fly takes flight

Darren Murph — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:56:00 EST

In a move sure to enkindle flying robotic creatures everywhere, a new species is finally ready to join the gang, as a "life-size, robotic fly has taken flight at Harvard University." The diminutive creation weighs just 60-milligrams, sports a three-centimeter wingspan, and has been developed to boast movements "modeled on those of a real fly." Notably, this isn't the first time we've seen researchers rely on the works of nature in order to craft their own mechanical beings, and given the fly's innate ability to be an excellent spy or chemical detection agent, it's no shock to hear that DARPA is reportedly sponsoring the endeavor. As expected, taking flight was simply the first step in a long line of improvements to come, as the man behind the machine is now looking to integrate an onboard battery and create a flight controller so that the robot can move in different directions.

Filed under: Robots

Harvard University's robotic fly takes flight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bill Gates gets Harvard degree, not at all smug about it

Paul Miller — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:53:00 EST

Little Bill is all growed up now, and has finally made his father proud. "I've been waiting for more than 30 years to say this: Dad, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree," said Gates, who received a law degree on Thursday from Harvard after giving a commencement address to the students, the school he dropped out of to focus on Microsoft. "We recognize the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard," said Harvard University Provost Steven Hymen, who didn't seem too humbled to present the honorary degree. "It seems high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma." Bill Gates seemed more concerned with padding his resume, however, considering the fact that he's calling it quits at Microsoft soon. "I'll be changing my job next year, and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume." Oh, we're sure he'll get by alright.

[Image via Seattle PI]

Bill Gates gets Harvard degree, not at all smug about it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Harvard, Princeton researchers developing implantable "biocomputers"

Donald Melanson — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:11:00 EST

Researchers at Harvard and Princeton have announced that they've made a "crucial step" in the development of so-called "biocomputers," which could one day be implanted in patients to directly attack diseased cells or tissues Fantastic Voyage-style. According to Physorg, the computers are actually constructed entirely out of DNA, RNA, and proteins, and are able to translate complex cellular signatures like the activities of multiple genes into a form that can be more readily observed. Currently, the researchers have demonstrated that the biocomputers can work in human kidney cells in culture, although they seem confident that they'll eventually find a wind range of uses, including working in conjunction with biosensors or medicine delivery systems to target, for instance, only cancerous or diseased cells, without causing any harm to the patient's healthy cells.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Harvard, Princeton researchers developing implantable "biocomputers" originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2007 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bill Gates the dropout to receive honorary Harvard degree, will finally be able to do something with his life

Paul Miller — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:36:00 EST

Bill Gates, a true inspiration to college dropouts the world over, is about to crown his academic career with the ultimate irony by receiving an honorary degree from Harvard, the very school he ditched his Junior year to get Microsoft going. Harvard is handing him the degree to thank him for doing this year's upcoming commencement speaker gig at the school, as they do for all commencement speakers, and won't announce what the degree is for until then. (Hint: probably not Phys Ed). We haven't the foggiest what Bill Gates will have to say to the youngsters, other than to make fun of them for working hard these past four years while he's been busy earning billions of dollars, getting knighted and even being interviewed on the hallowed pages of Engadget.

[Thanks, Motoi]

Bill Gates the dropout to receive honorary Harvard degree, will finally be able to do something with his life originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments