"It feels like time runs faster and faster every day. And as life accelerates, the need to save time gets more acute. So let’s take a look at ten 3D-printed items to make life easier." Continue reading →
"Demonstrating what is probably the perfect solution for energy conscious winos out there, an Intel Labs researcher talked through the project on stage alongside Bell, showing off a low-power processor and an accelerometer that were powered by a glass of wine. The researcher - we didn't catch his full name - boasted that the computing solutions being worked on in Intel Labs are so low in power that in the future we'll be able to 'power them by the heat of our skin, or the ambilight in the room', or 'something a little more entertaining', he added, pointing at the wine glass hooked up to the accelerometer." Continue reading →
"Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is now on its way to becoming the second commercial cargo vehicle to service the International Space Station. The Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft lifted off on schedule at 10:58 am EDT (1458 GMT) Wednesday and placed the Cygnus spacecraft into earth orbit. The spacecraft is carrying 700 kilograms of supplies, more than any previous commercial cargo mission to the station, Orbital’s Frank Culbertson said at a post-launch press conference (a subtle dig at SpaceX’s three Dragon flights to the station.)" Continue reading →
"Virgin officials and investors hailed the flight as bringing the company another step closer to commercial operations. 'We couldn’t be more delighted to have another major supersonic milestone under our belts as we move toward a 2014 start of commercial service,' said Sir Richard Branson. 'The successful completion of all major aspects of the flight mission demonstrates that we are very close to achieving one of Galactic’s key goals: commercializing access to space for the broader public,' said H.E. Khadem Al Qubaisi, chairman of Aabar Investments, a major investor in Virgin Galactic." Continue reading →
"Phages are an excellent way to combat antibacterial resistance because they adapt to morphing bacteria, whereas antibiotics don’t. Phage therapy has been used successfully to treat acne, and even MRSA. If phages can be controlled, they may become the ultimate antibacterial weapons against the latest deadly superbugs, such as CRE.The Journal of Infection reported impressive success rates with phage therapy in humans, in the range of 80 to 95 percent. The good news is, you already have this wonderful army living in your body, right where nature put it—it’s built-in!" Continue reading →
"Graphene! Graphene! Miracle of miracles! Savior of technology! At least, that’s been the chatter for the last nine or so years, ever since scientists isolated the single-atom-thick carbon derivative. According to a post today in MIT Technology Review, a group of really smart people appear to have solved a major problem with using graphene in transistors by making it act like a switch. There used to be a lot of hand-wringing that we were running up against the upper limits of Moore’s Law when it came to processing power. If we’re talking about silicon, that may be true. But if this graphene stuff is legit, tomorrow’s processors will make today’s look as they were made by Fisher-Price." Continue reading →
"Tibbits is working more than a tad bit with a Boston company called Geosyntec to develop a new paradigm in water infrastructure. Rather than use fixed-capacity water pipes, they’re experimenting with nanoscale adaptive materials built from the environment. 4-D printing with adaptive pipes to correct our water piping reminds me a lot of how human veins expand and contract to accommodate blood flow. The 4-D printing solution is similar. 'Imagine if water pipes could expand or contract to change capacity or change flow rate,' Tibbits said in a recent TED talk. 'Or maybe [they] undulate like peristaltics to move the water themselves,' he said." Continue reading →
"Richard Van As, a South African carpenter, lost four of his fingers to a circular saw, reports The Associated Press. An artificial limb — one that could detect the muscles’ electrical impulses and move — would have cost him tens of thousands of dollars. Sadly, he was unable to afford that. Soon after, Van As teamed with an Ivan Owen from Seattle. 10,000 miles separated Van As in Johannesburg from Owen. But with the help of two 3-D printers donated by MakerBot, the two created their own “Robohand” prosthetic. They were able to cut the prototyping time from a week to just 20 minutes. And the cost? Just $500… more than a 95% discount." Continue reading →
"That Larry Summers is one sly dog. With his 'surprise' move to continue QE3, Big Ben just bought himself some time to safely exit the scene, following the pattern of the last two Fed handovers." Continue reading →
"Soon American companies will have to disclose how their chief executive's paycheck compares with that of their average worker under a proposal unveiled by the SEC, reports The Guardian. If I am the CEO of a publicly traded company, I am going to do every thing I can to keep the ratio, between what I earn and my workers, as close as possible. This may mean shutting down operations that include many low wage workers. It may also mean automating jobs now performed by low wage workers. Low wage workers will become pariahs to be avoided at all costs by publicly traded companies. With less demand for low wage workers, their wages will decline." Continue reading →