It seems Apple is working hard on developing a new generation input interface. The new patent pertains to something called “multi-touch input surface” and is a step forward (or a few steps forward) from the existing solutions, implemented on iPhone for example.

There’s a lot of technical details involved, but basically it comes down to improved ergonomics. The new interface will allow multiple ways for users to use it - finger touch and stylus (pen) - but without having to make all the excess hand, arm and body movement that inherently leads to fatigue injuries over time. It will “provide tactile key or hand position feedback without impeding hand resting on the surface or smooth, accurate sliding across the surface.”

See in more detail on Apple Insider.

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Google announced a new strategic inititaive for development of electricity from renewable energy sources. Electricity produced this way would be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The initiative, refered to as RE<C, is to be focused on advanced solar power, wind power, enhanced geothermal systems and other breakthrough technologies. Engineers are getting hired as well as energy experts to lead research and development work for the RE<C. In 2008 Google expects to spend tens of millions on research and development in renewable energy resources. They are also contemplating investing hundreds of millions in renewable energy projects that will generate positive returns.

Larry Page, Google co-founder, said:

There has been tremendous work already on renewable energy. Technologies have been developed that can mature into industries capable of providing electricity cheaper than coal. Solar thermal technology, for example, provides a very plausible path to providing renewable energy cheaper than coal. We are also very interested in further developing other technologies that have potential to be cost-competitive and green. We are aware of several promising technologies, and believe there are many more out there.

Read more about this on Google Press Center.

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This is different, I must admit. A self powered dynamic architecture building. The video is catchy enough by itself, but the technology explained, if indeed it comes to life, will be a breakthrough. I especially like the energy supply solution - wind turbines embedded between floors in horizontal planes. The power generators will be able to output about a minimum of 40 MW of power, enough to power several buildings. The first, in a series of buildings to be built around the world, will be erected in Dubai (refered to by some as the “city of the future”). Well, they’ve certainly got the cash to make it happen.

The dynamic architecture concept was introduced by David Fisher, a Florentine (Florence, Italy) architect.

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It has been a while since e-book readers have appeared on the market. There are several models available, such as the Sony PRS 500. What makes this one different is the fact that it’s only 3mm thin. The model is not available on the market yet, it’s more like a prototype of something that will appear in the future.

Here are some technical details: view dimensions (180×120mm), thickness (3mm), weight (57g), contrast ratio (8:1), reflectivity (43%), redrawing time (0.7s), battery (one CR1220 button cell; good for 1400 screen redraws). And here’s a picture of the new e-ink reader concept:

I like the design very much, although the edges and corners could be made a bit rounder which would add to the already pretty sophisticated look. I don’t know how the display would behave on a sunny day, but I suppose you will always find a shady spot for reading anyway, so that may prove to be less of a problem than it would seem. See more pictures of the Seiko Epson e-ink ebook reader on Engadget.

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Have you seen the movie Gattaca? People can easily check someone’s DNA information by going to a public service terminal and requesting that information. Well, it seems that kind of future is almost upon us. At the Web 2.0 Summit, Craig Venter, a biologist working on projects having to do with gene sequencing, said it won’t be long before DNA sequencing becomes part of a standard medical test. What was a biologist doing at a Web 2.0 conference? Well, he was interviewed by Tim O’Reilly on stage, in the effort to show how close biology and information science are tied together, and have been for some time. Mr. Venter supports genetic transparency and predicts a future in which someone can easily find your DNA information on search engines or “Google a date’s DNA”. People will be able to see whether someone they are thinking about getting involved with has a hereditary disease or other genetically induced health anomaly that may have a negative impact on offspring.

Is this the kind of future we are aiming for as a global society? I am not sure this is the right way to go, although movies are usually pretty good in showing things that will come to pass in the future, so this may actually become reality. On one side, it may be useful to know your potential partner is carrying DNA code that may cause health or other problems for offspring, but on the other hand there are other factors in survival, especially in the human society.

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Lakshminarayan Srinivasan
Image credit: MIT

MIT research has found a way to help brain signals be converted into actions. In other words, a persons wish to move a part of their body (replaced by prosthetics) can be converted into the actual movement through a complex system of signal conversion. Although there has been research done in this field usually by working on a particular part of the brain, this is the first time that a common framework has been introduced.

Lakshminarayan “Ram” Srinivasan (S.M., Ph.D. 2006), lead author of the paper, said “The work represents an important advance in our understanding of how to construct algorithms in neural prosthetic devices for people who cannot move to act or speak.”

Neural prosthetic devices represent an engineer’s approach to paralysis treatment and amputation. Electronics are used to monitor the neural signals which reflect the individual’s intentions for the prosthesis or computer. Algorithms form the link between neural signals that are recorded, while user’s intentions are decoded to drive the prosthetic device in the intended manner.

See in more detail here.

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And we have a first sign-up for the Google Lunar X Prize competition. It’s Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute! Red Whittaker, roboticist at the institute decided to enter the competition that is to be completed by 2012.

Planetary exploration is a dream we pursue and a technology we create…
We have spent decades building and testing robotic technologies for just this purpose.

Whittaker is assembling a Carnegie Mellon team that will work on the project for the competition. Although he advocated privately funded lunar landing for more than a decade, he views the task quite daunting.

It’s inevitable that someone will find a way to win it. Regardless of who takes home the cash, this achievement will enrich us all.

Well, good luck to them!

See in more detail in this press-release.

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Google has announced it is going to fund the X Prize competition which invites competing companies to design and successfully land a robot on the Moon. The $30 million prize dubbed the X Prize will be awarded to the company that not only lands a rover robot on the Moon but also completes several mission objectives, including roaming the lunar surface for at least 500 meters and sending video, images and data back to Earth. Wow! Sounds like a handful. You can see more about this here and here. I decided to be different and show you the video which explains it all in an invigorating fashion reminding me of my teen dream of becoming an astronaut.

In case you are wondering “why the Moon?”, John Marburger (Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President) said the key element of the new vision for space is bringing the Solar System (starting with the Moon) into the economic sphere of the Earth.

Let’s hope our economic adventures on the Moon will produce less problems than they do daily on Earth.

Here are the competition guidelines.

Sounds pretty straight forward! Where do I sign up? Well, I didn’t find such an option, but as soon as I do I am signing up.

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Energy from waves? Well, it’s quite simple really. The concept is that vertical motion of the waves is used to fill the floating hydraulic power plant with water which then interacts with a hydraulic turbine, which turns a power generator producing electric current. Finavera Renewables Inc., a company based in , has hit a significant milestone with the deployment and commissioning of the AquaBuOY 2.0 wave energy converter off the coast of Newport, Oregon. This represents a significant overall development, one that will allow for the completion of a bigger plan to introduce commercial exploitation of wave generated electricity in Oregon by 2010. Read the full press release here (PDF).

This may be a better alternative than the concept proposed by Marine Current Turbines, although their concept harnesses the energy of the underwater currents in the ocean. Aquabouy is definately environment friendlier, since it operates in the vertical direction, without the large disruption effect on the surrounding space (there are no huge blades turning in deep water without a protecting cover). Finavera plans to design generator arrays on the ocean surface, whereby a single production array could produce as much as 100 MW of power, which is quite impressive. Naturally, there should be close to no pollution at all, as the power units are quite small and simple.

It seems renewable energy has really gained momentum. The forthcoming months and years will almost certainly bring even more innovations in this field and give hope for a cleaner future.

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Data storage through spin direction change

The ability of an atom to record data due to its magnetism anisotropy (different value in different directions for the same characteristic in a substance, this time magnetism) is nothing new. IBM has already done significant research on this years back, but the new development is that IBM published two new papers in Science Weekly. These papers explain the possibilities of data storage and stable transistor behavior of molecules (something also not so new, but previous attempts didn’t preserve the functionality for long - unstable behavior).

To sum it up, if you cause the atom to spin in different directions you can store a lot of data on it (a cluster of atoms could hold as much as a 1000 trillion bits of data!), which means that millions of videos on, say YouTube, can be stored on a device the size of an iPod. On the other hand, IBM made a working experiment achieving stability with Naphthalocyanine molecules that react to change states between something we’d call “on” and “off” (0 or 1). This means the molecules would act as transistors and would enable data processing through logic gates (0 = block current, 1 = pass current).

Read in more detail at IBM Press Room.

Actual electron microscope image of Naphthalocyanine molecule in action




Computer simulation of Naphthalocyanine molecule

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