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Feles wants to build all-in-one bio labs for the intensely curious
Generally, CES is where you go if you want to see uncanny valleys made of gorgeous screens or to try a salad prepared by a robot. Eureka Park, though, is home to oddball projects that often grab you in ways you don't always see coming. That was my experience with Feles, a startup based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts: This small team is hard at work on its first product, an all-in-one home laboratory that gives people the opportunity to get acquainted with biological lab work.
3D zebrafish can replace real animals in the lab
A few years ago, zebrafish became the new lab rat because of their genetic similarity to humans. So, when a team of researchers from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering decided to develop a virtual alternative for lab animals, they chose the tropical freshwater minnows. The team used real-life data to develop a platform that simulates zebrafish swimming in three dimensions, which is accurate enough to replace the animals in experiments.
CDC labs sanctioned for mishandling potential bioweapons
You'd think an agency like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be extremely careful in handling potential bioweapons. But according to a report by USA Today, at least one CDC lab's permit was secretly suspended in recent years for "serious safety violations while working with bioterror pathogens." In addition, the agency has admitted to the publication that its labs had been sanctioned six times since 2003 for the same reason. Take note that the CDC helps run the Federal Select Agent Program, which oversees any work on anthrax, Ebola and other bioterror pathogens.
Theranos CEO faces ban from operating a blood-testing lab
As more details surface about blood-testing startup Theranos, federal regulators are looking to ban the company's founder. The Wall Street Journal reports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is looking to not only revoke Theranos' federal license, but it also wants to keep its founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes and president Sunny Balwani from owning or running another lab for a minimum of two years. Theranos currently has testing facilities in California and Arizona, so the ban would impact both locations.
Inside Apple's Mac accessory testing lab
Design seems to be at the heart of every new Apple product. In the company's eyes, a new laptop or tablet shouldn't just perform well -- it has to look, feel and sound right too. But just how far does the company go to maintain this vision? Ridiculously far, it turns out. To coincide with the latest iMacs, Backchannel was given an exclusive look at the Input Design Lab where Apple tests new keyboard, trackpad and mouse prototypes. The methods used are numerous, extensive and eye-opening; in one, Apple attaches sensors to testers to measure muscle fatigue and memory, acoustics and accuracy. In another, robots type repeatedly on keys and move mice around to measure their general performance, endurance, and adaptability on different surfaces. Some of these tests can reportedly require up to five million key taps. It's rare for Apple to give this much insight into its R&D facilities, so hit up Backchannel's article for all of the photos and intriguing tidbits.
Hitch a ride to Engadget Expand aboard Gogo's private jet
The team at Gogo is flying high lately both in the sky and on the ground thanks to its new hybrid GTO technology, which brings in-air download speeds up to 60 Mbps. To test the future of in-flight WiFi, Gogo uses the "Gogo One," a flying laboratory that comes outfitted with some pretty intense equipment.
Lab-grown burger tasted at event in London, said to require ketchup
A couple of tasters, who claim they're unpaid and impartial, are currently chomping their way through some very expensive artificial flesh at a publicity event in London. According to the BBC's science correspondent Pallab Ghosh, who is also at the gathering, the main feedback so far is that the meat -- which is presented as a burger -- isn't as juicy or tasty as the real thing, mainly because it's totally lean. The substance was grown by a team at the University of Maastricht, with a spot of funding from none other than Google visionary Sergey Brin, who believes the technology is on the "cusp of viability" as a solution to animal welfare issues. Lead researcher Prof. Mark Post doesn't seem too disheartened by the tasters' comments, but says he's working to improve flavor. At a current cost of $325,000 per patty, people are going to expect something special regardless of the ethical or ecological arguments -- and some cajun spices probably won't cut it.
Uncharted 3's latest lab is 5-on-5 SMGs, riot shields, and grenades
Naughty Dog has issued an update to Uncharted 3 with a brand new experimental Lab playlist to play around in. The playlist is going back to a 5v5 format, this time giving players a combination of riot shields, uzis, and grenades to carry out to the battlefield. Kickback and boosters are disabled, too, so it sounds like your best strategy is to be vicious: Shoot everything until you get close enough to stab them in the back.With this update, Naughty Dog also fixed an issue with DLC maps not showing up properly in the rotation, and there's a full rundown of what you'll see when on the company blog. The developer also promises a full schedule for upcoming labs and events soon, as well as more news about a new character coming to the game (from a Sony contest) and other updates in the next patch, 1.13.
EyeRing finger-mounted connected cam captures signs and dollar bills, identifies them with OCR (hands-on)
Ready to swap that diamond for a finger-mounted camera with a built-in trigger and Bluetooth connectivity? If it could help identify otherwise indistinguishable objects, you might just consider it. The MIT Media Lab's EyeRing project was designed with an assistive focus in mind, helping visually disabled persons read signs or identify currency, for example, while also serving to assist children during the tedious process of learning to read. Instead of hunting for a grownup to translate text into speech, a young student could direct EyeRing at words on a page, hit the shutter release, and receive a verbal response from a Bluetooth-connected device, such as a smartphone or tablet. EyeRing could be useful for other individuals as well, serving as an ever-ready imaging device that enables you to capture pictures or documents with ease, transmitting them automatically to a smartphone, then on to a media sharing site or a server. We peeked at EyeRing during our visit to the MIT Media Lab this week, and while the device is buggy at best in its current state, we can definitely see how it could fit into the lives of people unable to read posted signs, text on a page or the monetary value of a currency note. We had an opportunity to see several iterations of the device, which has come quite a long way in recent months, as you'll notice in the gallery below. The demo, which like many at the Lab includes a Samsung Epic 4G, transmits images from the ring to the smartphone, where text is highlighted and read aloud using a custom app. Snapping the text "ring," it took a dozen or so attempts before the rig correctly read the word aloud, but considering that we've seen much more accurate OCR implementations, it's reasonable to expect a more advanced version of the software to make its way out once the hardware is a bit more polished -- at this stage, EyeRing is more about the device itself, which had some issues of its own maintaining a link to the phone. You can get a feel for how the whole package works in the video after the break, which required quite a few takes before we were able to capture an accurate reading.
Perifoveal Display tracks head positioning, highlights changing data on secondary LCDs (hands-on)
If there's a large display as part of your workstation, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of your windows simultaneously, without missing a single update. Now imagine surrounding yourself with three, or four, or five jumbo LCDs, each littered with dozens of windows tracking realtime data -- be it RSS feeds, an inbox or chat. Financial analysts, security guards and transit dispatchers are but a few of the professionals tasked with monitoring such arrays, constantly scanning each monitor to keep abreast of updates. One project from the MIT Media Lab offers a solution, pairing Microsoft Kinect cameras with detection software, then highlighting changes with a new graphical user interface. Perifoveal Display presents data at normal brightness on the monitor that you're facing directly. Then, as you move your head to a different LCD, that panel becomes brighter, while changes on any of the displays that you're not facing directly (but still remain within your peripheral vision) -- a rising stock price, or motion on a security camera -- are highlighted with a white square, which slowly fades once you turn to face the new information. During our hands-on demo, everything worked as described, albeit without the instant response times you may expect from such a platform. As with most Media Lab projects, there's no release date in sight, but you can gawk at the prototype in our video just after the break.
DIY Cellphone has the footprint of an ice cream sandwich, definitely doesn't run ICS (hands-on)
Building your own wireless communications device isn't for the faint of heart, or the law-abiding -- the FCC tends to prefer placing its own stamp of approval on devices that utilize US airwaves, making a homegrown mobile phone an unlikely proposition. That didn't stop a team at the MIT Media Lab from creating such a DIY kit, however. Meet the Do-It-Yourself Cellphone. This wood-based mobile rig, while it's currently in the prototype phase (where it may indefinitely remain), would eventually ship with a circuit board, control pad, a fairly beefy antenna and a monochrome LCD. Sounds like it'd be right at home at some kid's garage workshop in the early '80s, not showcased at an MIT open house. The argument here is that people spend more time with their phone than with any other device, so naturally they'd want to build one to their liking. Nowadays, folks expect their pocketable handset to enable them to not only place and receive phone calls, but also store phone numbers, offer a rechargeable battery, and, well, in some cases even send and receive email, and surf the web -- none of which are available with such a kit. The prototype we saw was fully functional. It could place calls. It could receive calls. There was even Caller ID! The phone does indeed feel homemade, with its laser-cut plywood case and a design that lacks some of the most basic gadget essentials, like a rechargeable battery (or at very least some provisions for replacing the 9-volt inside without unscrewing the case). Audio quality sounded fine, and calls went out and came in without a hitch -- there's a SIM card slot inside, letting you bring the nondescript phone to the carrier of your choice. Does it work? Yes. Is it worth dropping $100-150 in parts to build a jumbo-sized phone with a microscopic feature set? No, there's definitely nothing smart about the DIY Cellphone. If you want to throw together your own handset, however, and not risk anyone questioning the legitimacy of your homemade claim, you might want to keep an eye out for this to come to market. The rest of you will find everything you need in the video just past the break. We're just happy to have walked away without any splinters.
OLED Display Blocks pack six 128 x 128 panels, we go hands-on at MIT (video)
How do you develop an OLED display that gives a 360-degree perspective? Toss six 1.25-inch panels into a plastic cube, then turn it as you see fit. That's an overly simplistic explanation for the six-sided display on hand at the MIT Media Lab today, which is quite limited in its current form, but could eventually serve an enormous variety of applications. Fluid Interfaces Group Research Assistant Pol Pla i Conesa presented several such scenarios for his Display Blocks, which consist of 128 x 128-pixel OLED panels. Take, for example, the 2004 film Crash, which tells interweaving stories that could be presented simultaneously with such a display -- simply rotate the cube until you land on a narrative you'd like to follow, and the soundtrack will adjust to match. It could also go a long way when it comes to visualizing data, especially when in groups -- instead of virtually constructing profiles of individuals who applied for a slot at MIT, for example, or segments of a business that need to be organized based on different parameters, you could have each assigned to a cube, which can be tossed into an accepted or rejected pile, and repositioned as necessary. Imagine having a group of display cubes when it comes time to plan the seating chart for a reception -- each cube could represent one individual, with a color-coded background and a name or photo up top, with different descriptive elements on each side. The same could apply to products at monstrous companies like Samsung or Sony, where executives need to make planning decisions based on product performance, and could benefit greatly from having all of the necessary information for a single gadget listed around each cube. On a larger scale, the cubes could be used to replace walls and floors in a building -- want to change the color of your wallpaper? Just push a new image to the display, and dedicate a portion of the wall for watching television, or displaying artwork. You could accomplish this with networked single-sided panels as well, but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun. The Media Lab had a working prototype on display today, which demonstrated the size and basic functionality, but didn't have an adjustable picture. Still, it's easy to imagine the potential of such a device, if, of course, it ever becomes a reality. As always, you'll find our hands-on demo just past the break.
Google X lab is full of smart people with crazy dreams and frozen yogurt machines, probably
A Google lab so secret that even some of the company's own employees don't know of its existence? That's Google X -- or it was, before The New York Times ran a profile on the lab's super secret goings-on at an undisclosed location somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. Naturally, the paper doesn't have a ton of information about the lab, which some claim is "run like the CIA," though it paints a picture populated by robots who are are learning menial work tasks and how to take photos for Google Maps. There are around 100 concepts in all from the lab that helped give rise to those driverless cars, including social networking dinner plates and internet-connected refrigerators. No word on the lab's production of an adamantium-laced super soldier for the Canadian government, but we're sure it's around there somewhere.
KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert
Japanese carrier KDDI's never been shy about showing off its latest and greatest from its lab, and here at CEATEC 2011 we got to lay our fingers on a couple of its in-development smartphone sensory enhancements, along with a free-viewpoint concert concept that's being researched on. The first demo we saw was actually the same haptic smartphone prototype that was unveiled back in May, but we thought it'd be nice to give it a go with our very own hands -- read on to find out how well it performed. %Gallery-135629%
Wireless Power Consortium launches Qi certification lab, cuts power cords for approved devices
The power of Qi has grown and grown since the wireless charging standard was finalized. With cord cutting becoming more desirable -- and dare we say, de rigeur, for many mobile devices -- the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has launched an independent lab to certify gadgets wanting on its induction charging bandwagon. TÜV Rheinland's providing the speedy certification services at its Taiwanese testing facility, so we should see the legion of Qi-powered devices continue to grow at an ever-increasing rate. Guess Power Matt made the right move joining the WPC superfriends. Qi's up, cords down, playa.
Visualized: this gel-filled Sprint head is testing all sorts of futurephones
Chamber testing is most certainly nothing new for your average carrier -- every one of the big boys here in the States already does something similar to this -- but it's not often that we're given an inside look at what exactly happens within those elusive doors. During a recent Sprint campus walkthrough, we peeked into the carrier's network development lab for a glimpse at what it takes to certify a phone for use on its network. Granted, the vast majority of Sprint's testing is done elsewhere across the industry, and we were informed that the yellow dome shown above is actually a minty fresh model that includes "gel" within its borders, seemingly to produce a more realistic testing ground. You know -- because human brains are clearly shrinking, while craniums are being increasingly filled with nondescript fluids. All jesting aside, we were told that this is the place where Sprint ensures Antennagate never comes to its side of town, and every Now Network phone (present and future) has to roll through here before being allowed out. The reason? Sprint needs to be absolutely certain that there's no stray radio emissions bleeding into frequencies that it doesn't support, and of course, to ask the Verizon guy if he can hear him now. %Gallery-128959%
Microsoft shutters Pioneer Studios, we pour one out for J Allard
It's been about a year since he left Microsoft, but the J Allard era came to a more definitive close yesterday, with the shuttering of his brainchild, Pioneer Studios. Microsoft opened the incubation lab more than three years ago as an entrepreneurial space where designers could toy around with new consumer technologies. The tragically shelved Courier tablet was first developed within Pioneer's exposed brick walls, where Allard and his Alchemy Ventures team also worked on the Xbox, Zune and Windows Phone 7. Now, however, a Microsoft spokeswoman has confirmed that the downtown Seattle office is no longer occupied, telling CNET that many of the lab's employees have either left, or moved on to different positions within the company. Pioneer co-founder Georg Petschnigg left Microsoft in April to pursue an "undisclosed new venture," while fellow godfather Jonathan Harris is still at Redmond, where he serves as "principle experience director," according to their respective LinkedIn profiles. The spokeswoman didn't offer a specific reason for the decision, but in a now-ominous video posted to Microsoft's developer site back in October, Petschnigg acknowledged that the unit's innovative spirit would frequently lead to dead ends. "Often times our work just doesn't go anywhere," he explained, adding that Pioneer would only pursue projects expected to bring in more than $100 million a year. "That's one of the perils of being an entrepreneur." See the full video after the break.
Fight through five new dungeons in 2029 Online
IGG is pretty excited to show off five new dungeons for 2029 Online, each with its own unique layout, strategies, and (of course) groovy rewards. The company boasts that players will need to utilize a variety of skills, such as decryption and treasure hunting, just to make it out alive. The following dungeons will challenge a wide range of 2029 Online players: Clone Factory (level 10): An once-per-day instance where monsters spawn in increasingly tougher waves. Virtual Training Center (level 20): A sink-or-swim scenario that will have you facing off against mutants who've infested a special training center for adventurers. Lab (level 35): Head into the Rebel Army laboratory to destroy nefarious experiments. Biochemistry Research Institute (level 35): Take on the Rebel Army once again in the middle of its mountain fortress. This time you'll be facing off against gruesome experiments designed to make the perfect soldier. Fox Ruins (level 55): Take the battle to the Rebel Army by attacking its energy storage facility, guarded by the toughest enemies it can throw at you. You can get a peek at of some of these instances in the gallery below!%Gallery-122291%
Seven free iOS apps to help you out in the lab
There are apps for converting between weights, volumes and areas, for converting currency and even to calculate your split of the tip at a bar; but what about apps for scientists? An iOS device, like an iPhone, is almost constantly on your person, so why not get some apps for helping you out in the lab? Here are some of the best free apps for your perusal.
First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission
Mark this day, folks, because the brainiacs have finally made a breakthrough in quantum teleportation: a team of scientists from Australia and Japan have successfully transferred a complex set of quantum data in light form. You see, previously researchers had struggled with slow performance or loss of information, but with full transmission integrity achieved -- as in blocks of qubits being destroyed in one place but instantaneously resurrected in another, without affecting their superpositions -- we're now one huge step closer to secure, high-speed quantum communication. Needless to say, this will also be a big boost for the development of powerful quantum computing, and combine that with a more bedroom friendly version of the above teleporter, we'll eventually have ourselves the best LAN party ever.
