Techno-News Blog

September 23, 2012

Another Way to Think about Learning

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by Nicholas Negroponte, Technology Review

I believe that we get into trouble when knowing becomes a surrogate for learning. We know that a vast recall of facts about something is in no way a measure of understanding them. At best, it is necessary but not sufficient. And yet we subject our kids to memorizing. We seem to believe that rote learning is akin to physical exercise, good for their minds. And, quite conveniently, we can test whether the facts stuck, like spaghetti to a wall. In some cases knowledge is so drilled in that you know and hate a subject at the same time. The closest I have ever come to thinking about thinking is writing computer programs. This involves teasing apart a process into constituent parts, step-by-step functions, and conditional statements. What is so important about computer programs is that they (almost) never work the first time. Since they do something (versus nothing), just not what you wanted, you can look at the (mis)behavior to debug and change your code. This iterative process, so common in computer programming, is similar to learning.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429206/emtech-preview-another-way-to-think-about/

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A Brain Implant that Thinks

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by Susan Young, Technology Review

Researchers have used a neural implant to recapture a lost decision-making process in monkeys—demonstrating that a neural prosthetic can recover cognitive function in a primate brain. The results suggest that neural implants could one day be used to recover specific brain functions in patients with brain injuries or localized brain disease. While the results of today’s study may take many years to translate into humans, they suggest that even cognitive processes, such as deciding whether or not to grab a cup of coffee or remembering where you left your keys, could one day be augmented by brain chips.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429204/a-brain-implant-that-thinks/

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What Technologies Will Crowdfunding Create?

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by Anthony Regalado, Technology Review

In the U.S., Internet funding occurs on Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and similar websites that permit people to donate money to projects, including films and journalism. Often they’re promised something in return, like a T-shirt or movie ticket. Silver and his partner, Eric Rosenbaum, promised MaKey MaKey kits to anyone who gave them $35; they ended up getting donations from 11,124 people. Crowdfunding is supporting inventions which might otherwise have limited economic prospects, including gadgets appealing to narrow markets, hobby kits, and a 4,000-pound spider robot that can seat two (see “10 Emerging Technologies: Crowdfunding”). Perhaps most of all, it has become a fertile outlet for self-described “makers” such as Silver, who says his goal is to create “a more democratic world where everyone modifies their own space.”

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428986/what-technologies-will-crowdfunding-create/

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September 22, 2012

How do you take a photograph of big data?

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By Liau Yun Qing, ZDNet

Rick Smolan who is working on “The Human Face of Big Data” project said, in an interview with ZDNet on Friday: “I really think that [big data] is going to change everything about every way that we behave.” The American journalist who is noted for his “Day in the Life” photography series will be putting a “human face” to big data in a photobook set to launch in November. “[Visualizing big date] is much more difficult because it’s not people sitting in front of computers. It’s got to be something that brings the story to life in a very compelling way,” he said. “Everyone I talked to had a different definition of big data,” said Smolan. He added that people said it was “more data sitting on a computer”, while someone else said, “no, it’s not about the size of data but data collected by different organizations for different reasons and overlapping them to extract meaning”.

http://www.zdnet.com/how-do-you-take-a-photograph-of-big-data-7000004352/?s_cid=e539

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Five reasons NOT to get an iPhone 5

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by Dave Gewirtz

Look, I could do one of those big long lists, with 20 or so different reasons why you should sit tight with the phone you have, but you and I both know that if you’re reading this, you’re already a little hooked. So, let’s consider this an intervention and let’s save you from iPhone 5 phone-ageddon. Here are five quick reasons not to buy an iPhone 5 (at least, for now):

http://www.zdnet.com/five-reasons-not-to-get-an-iphone-5-7000004319/?s_cid=e539

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You could be charging your laptop via USB cables soon, thanks to new USB PD technology

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by Sean Portnoy, ZDNet

You’ve long been able to recharge your smartphone via USB, and you can even juice up your tablet using that method. But a new flavor of USB is designed to pump out much more power, gving you the ability to charge up your laptop via a USB adapter. The new standard, USB Power Delivery (or PD), was showcased at Intel’s IDF 2012 event last week, and our sister site CNET provides details from the presentation that two Intel engineers gave on the new technology. While you can currently get up to 7.5 watts of power from a specialized battery charging version of USB (USB 3.0 ordinarily provides 4.5 watts), USB PD could offer up to 100 watts of juice — more than enough to cover nearly any portable device.

http://www.zdnet.com/you-could-be-charging-your-laptop-via-usb-cables-soon-thanks-to-new-usb-pd-technology-7000004346/?s_cid=e539

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September 21, 2012

Gina Bianchini’s Mightybell Evolves Into A Collaborative Online Space For Creative Projects

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by LEENA RAO, TechCrunch

When Ning co-founder and former CEO Gina Bianchini launched Mightybell a year ago, a startup aimed at helping you accomplish things in small, incremental steps and show others how to do the same, it essentially allowed you to create step-by-step private guides for anything. But the startup is shifting its focus slightly away from the private, step-by-step product into a more collaborative, open public platform for people to share their ideas in groups. Now Mightybell is focused on offering sleek, design-focused collaborative online spaces for creative projects. The step-by-step product is still available, but is located here under the product name “Steps.”

http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/16/gina-bianchinis-mightybell-evolves-into-a-collaborative-online-space-for-creative-projects/

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Microsoft Tries To Patent the Holodeck! (Well, Almost)

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by MARK HACHMAN, ReadWriteWeb

Microsoft took a step toward creating – and owning – the Star Trek holodeck this week via a patent application that introduces the concept of a “peripheral display” that can project game scenes onto the walls, ceiling and floors of a room. The idea, according to patent application number 20120223885, is to improve the realism of the display, so that the player is immerse more thoroughly in the game world.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/microsoft-patents-the-holodeck-well-almost.php

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Signs of High Demand for the iPhone 5

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By NICK WINGFIELD, NY Times

In the wee hours of Friday, Apple started letting people order the iPhone 5 from its online store. It took only an hour for Apple’s site to change its shipping estimates for the product to two weeks. By Friday evening, the Apple store had changed the shipping estimate to two to three weeks. People who managed to submit their orders early were told they would receive their phones today on Sept. 21, the day the iPhone 5 is officially available.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/signs-of-high-demand-for-iphone-5/

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September 20, 2012

Robots and humans could ‘talk’ via new software

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by the BBC

Increasingly robots are being employed on assembly lines and elsewhere Software that will allow robots to “talk” with people is being developed at the University of Aberdeen. One of the main intentions of the project is to increase understanding between humans and automated systems “We want to allow humans to be more trusting of robots by opening up a communication channel where the machine can explain to the human why they did what they did,” said Dr Vasconcelos. No shouting. “At the moment they just do their thing and humans hope and pray that they do the right thing but there is no room for robots to explain.” The system will combine what are called formal argumentation techniques with Natural Language Generation (NLG), which essentially converts complex information and data into text summaries. “This is not about shouting at each other but offering reasons for an argument,” explained Dr Vasconcelos. It could ultimately led to human/robot business meetings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19586066#

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Malware inserted on PC production lines, says study

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:21 am

by the BBC

Microsoft discovered four factory fresh PCs that were pre-infected with malware. Cybercriminals have opened a new front in their battle to infect computers with malware – PC production lines. Several new computers have been found carrying malware installed in the factory, suggests a Microsoft study. One virus called Nitol found by Microsoft steals personal details to help criminals plunder online bank accounts. Microsoft won permission from a US court to tackle the network of hijacked PCs made from Nitol-infected computers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19585433#

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Europe hits old internet address limits

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By Mark Ward, BBC News

Europe’s stock of old-style net addresses has effectively run dry. Strict rationing of these addresses – called IPv4 – has been started by the body that hands them out in Europe. From now on, companies can only make one more application for IPv4 addresses and, if successful, will only get 1,024 of them. In addition, any application for more old addresses must demonstrate how an organisation is using the new, replacement, addressing scheme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19600718#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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September 19, 2012

Apple Tops J.D. Power Tablet Study, Followed by Amazon

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By: Michelle Maisto, eWeek

Samsung took third place in J.D. Power’s first tablet satisfaction study. Apple took top honors, followed by Amazon, while Samsung scored below the industry average.  The Apple iPad received top honors in J.D. Power and Associates’ first study on tablet satisfaction in the United States. While Samsung has emerged as Apple’s primary adversary, it was instead the Amazon Kindle that took second place, while Samsung was rated third with a score below the industry average. The nearly 2,000 tablet owners in the survey gave Apple a score of 848 out of 1,000 points, for a five-circle rating the firm translates to mean “among the best.”

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-Tops-JD-Power-Tablet-Study-Followed-by-Amazon-183989/?kc=rss

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IBM Scientists Distinguish Individual Molecular Bonds

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By: Darryl K. Taft, eWeek

IBM announced that its researchers have found a way to differentiate chemical bonds in individual molecules, a discovery that could lead to further nanotechnology breakthroughs. IBM announced that its scientists have been able to differentiate the chemical bonds in individual molecules for the first time using a technique known as noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM). According to Big Blue, the results push the exploration of using molecules and atoms at the smallest scale and could be important for studying graphene devices, which are currently being explored by both industry and academia for applications including high-bandwidth wireless communication and electronic displays. “We found two different contrast mechanisms to distinguish bonds,” said IBM scientist Leo Gross, in a statement. “The first one is based on small differences in the force measured above the bonds. We expected this kind of contrast, but it was a challenge to resolve. The second contrast mechanism really came as a surprise: Bonds appeared with different lengths in AFM measurements.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/IBM-Scientists-Distinguish-Individual-Molecular-Bonds-238269/?kc=rss

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iPhone 5 Is Here: What to Do With Your Old iPhone, Other Smartphones

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By: Michelle Maistok, eWeek

iPhone 4 resales were up nearly 883 percent in the month leading up to the iPhone 5’s introduction. While buyers take all models, iPhones are what people trade in most. Apple is expected to sell quite a few iPhone 5 handsets this year. Investment firm Jefferies has calculated that 170 million global smartphone subscribers will come out of their contracts in the second half of 2012, and 450 million more will do so in 2013. Contracts aside, Topeka Capital analyst Brian White expects the iPhone 5 to drive the “biggest upgrade in consumer electronics history,” while Jefferies analyst Peter Misek has told investors to expect the “biggest handset launch in history.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/iPhone-Is-Here-What-to-Do-With-Your-Old-iPhone-Other-Smartphones-181789/?kc=rss

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September 18, 2012

Forgoing College to Pursue Dreams

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by Caitlin Kelly, NY Times

You won’t be shocked to learn that it is harder to get a Thiel Fellowship than it is to get into Princeton. Mr. Thiel (Stanford ’89, Stanford Law ’92) has grabbed headlines with his outlandish offer. Less has been said about the handful of plucky people who have actually managed to snag one of his fellowships in hopes of becoming the next Gates or Jobs. The first Thiel fellows are now in their second year of the program. Twenty new ones were selected this summer. Applications for 2013 are not yet being accepted; the due date will be posted this fall at ThielFellowship.org. Candidates must be under 20 when they apply. The final step is straight out of Silicon Valley: applicants get two and a half minutes to pitch their ideas to would-be mentors, most of them successful entrepreneurs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/business/the-thiel-fellows-forgoing-college-to-pursue-dreams.html

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Google plays privacy catch-up, adds Do Not Track option to Chrome

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By Sarah Silbert, Engadget

Google’s had one foot in the web privacy door for a while, offering Chrome users the Keep My Opt-Outs extension in its browser’s Web Store since 2011. Still, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari already offer a Do Not Track option directly in their browser settings. Mountain View is now working to close that gap by bringing that same privacy configuration to Chrome. Do Not Track will let users opt out of tracking cookies and targeted advertising (from ad networks that comply with the standard, that is), and is currently live on Chrome’s developer channel.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/google-brings-do-not-track-to-chrome/

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Wounded Eagle Gets New 3D Printed Beak

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by Anita Li, Mashable

After being shot in the face by a poacher seven years ago, Beauty the bald eagle lost most of her beak. Without it, she couldn’t feed herself, and likely would have died in the wild. But now, Beauty’s getting a second chance at survival in the form of a 3D printed beak. A team of researchers, engineers and dentists created the world’s first prosthetic beak, which was modeled with CAD software and 3D-printed from nylon polymers.

http://mashable.com/2012/09/15/eagle-3d-printed/

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September 17, 2012

The Patent Clues to the Apple iPhone Beyond ’5’

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By STEVE LOHR, NY Times

Bigger screen, longer battery life, clever new features. It’s another version of the iPhone, waiting in the wings to be announced on Wednesday, as everyone expects. But for a look at Apple’s longer-term ambitions for the iPhone, take a stroll through its patent portfolio. That is what the Thomson Reuters intellectual property group did for a report released on Tuesday, “Inside the iPhone Patent Portfolio.” For example, Apple filed a patent application in 2010 for a miniature fuel-cell power supply that could power an iPhone or iPad for days or weeks without recharging.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/the-patent-clues-to-the-apple-iphone-beyond-5/

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The shape of the internet has changed: It now lives life on the edge

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BY Stacey Higginbotham, Gigaom

A decade ago the internet had about 1.4 terabits per second of global capacity while today it has 77 Tbps. But as the internet gets bigger, the way traffic moves back and forth across the “series of tubes” that make up the internet is changing. As a result of the growth in internet exchange points around the world and more people in more countries getting online, the internet is becoming truly global. Instead of massive streams of data moving back and forth across entire networks each time people request a web page, a video or a digital download, data is getting sent to a content delivery network and kept at the edge of the network. Thus, when it’s called up by a user, it doesn’t have as far to go. But there are two significant things that are changing how the internet is “shaped,” for lack of a better term.

http://gigaom.com/2012/09/13/the-shape-of-the-internet-has-changed-it-now-lives-life-on-the-edge/

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New Changes To Twitter’s Embedded Tweets

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by ADAM POPESCU, ReadWriteWeb

It seems there are more changes at Twitter than to the molecules of a frozen burrito in a microwave. On the heels of last month’s API change (and scare), Twitter is tweaking content delivery. Twitter product manager Brian Ellin wrote in a blog post last week that the firm is “launching a new tool that makes it easy to embed interactive timelines of tweets on any website.” This change allows people and companies to feature interactive tweets directly on their sites. That means that third-party sites, like ESPN (which is embedding U.S. Open info), can expand tweets to display photos and media. People on the third-party sites can start a conversation, follow, reply and retweet directly from the tweet box.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/new-changes-to-twitters-embedded-tweets.php

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