Tech News Watch

=20

=20

Grid Computing =E2=80=98Mappa Mundi=E2=80=99 Unveiled In = Florida

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 15, 2006 at 4:29 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Society=20

Visitors to Supercomputing =E2=80=9806 in Tampa, Florida this week = will be the first=20 to see a new interactive map that shows nine of the world=E2=80=99s = largest computing=20 Grids. The map, developed by researchers from GridPP in the UK and the European = particle=20 physics laboratory, CERN, in Geneva, uses Google Earth to pinpoint Grid = sites on=20 six continents, showing more than 300 sites overall. Like the medieval = =E2=80=98mappa=20 mundi,=E2=80=99 which showed what was known of the world at the time, = this is one of the=20 first attempts to show the whole scientific Grid world.

Laurence Field, who works at CERN for the Enabling Grids for E-sciencE = project, has=20 been leading work on the map. He explains, =E2=80=9CToday there are a = number of=20 production Grids being used for science, several of which have a strong = regional=20 presence. Many of them are using different middleware, which can = artificially=20 limit scientific collaboration. The Grids shown on the map are all = taking part=20 in the Open Grid Forum=E2=80=99s Grid Interoperation Now (GIN) group, = which is trying to=20 bridge the differences and enable seamless interoperation between the = various=20 infrastructures.=E2=80=9D

Gidon Moont from Imperial College London, developed the interface = with Google=20 Earth. It was then adapted by the GIN group, and will be shown on = CERN=E2=80=99s stand=20 and the UK e-Science stand at Supercomputing.

Moont comments, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s very exciting that we can, for = the first time, see=20 these major Grids together on one map. Interoperation will be a key area = for the=20 future of the Grid, and the map will show how it grows.=E2=80=9D

Grid sites are displayed on Google Earth using a KML file. When this = file is=20 opened in Google Earth the locations of the Grid sites are added to the = Google=20 Earth map. Clicking on each site gives the name and location of the = site, and=20 identifies the Grid to which it belongs. The map queries a database that = includes site information from the following Grids:

Enabling Grids for E-sciencE (worldwide)=20
Open Science Grid (mainly USA)=20
Nordic Data Grid Facility (mainly Scandinavia)=20
NAREGI (Japan)=20
TeraGrid (USA)=20
PRAGMA (Pacific Rim)=20
Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing = Applications=20 (Europe)=20
National Grid Service (UK)=20
Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (Australia) =

The file to show Grid sites on Google Earth and instructions on how = to=20 install it can be=20 downloaded here.

Tags: grid=20 computing, mappa=20 mundi, google=20 earth, enabling grids for e-science project

=20

Thunderbird Linux Cluster Ranks 6th In Top500 = Supercomputing=20 Race

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 15, 2006 at 4:28 pm =C2=B7 Comments<= /SPAN>=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Technology=20

Sandia National Laboratories=E2=80=99 8960-processor=20 Thunderbird Linux cluster, developed in collaboration with Dell, = Inc. and=20 Cisco, maintained its sixth position in the Top500 Supercomputers by = achieving=20 an improved overall performance of 53.0 teraflops, an 18.5 percent = increase in=20 efficiency from last year=E2=80=99s performance.

The Top500 ranking of supercomputers is based on the Linpack = benchmark, a=20 yardstick of performance to test processor speed, scalability, and = accuracy.

=E2=80=9CThis achievement represents a long-term investment to meet = our mission to=20 transform engineering and provide greater processing capacity,=E2=80=9D = says John=20 Zepper, Computing Systems Senior Manager at Sandia.

Sandia researchers use Thunderbird to perform a broad range of = weapons=20 simulations, including atomistic scale-to-device modeling of radiation = effects=20 on semiconductor electronics, assessing weapon-response safety in = extreme=20 thermal and impact environments, and quantifying uncertainties in weapon = performance.

The level of detail being modeled in these assessments was not = practical=20 without the new level of scalable capacity that Thunderbird = provides.

With its 4,480 commodity compute servers linked with an Infiniband=20 message-passing interconnect, Thunderbird is the largest cluster of its = type in=20 the world.

Sandia is a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory.

The improvement in Thunderbird=E2=80=99s performance were propelled = by its switch to=20 OpenFabric Enterprise Distribution (OFED) and OpenMPI =E2=80=94 = together, a Linux-based=20 open-source software stack qualified by the OpenFabrics Alliance to = operate with=20 multi-vendor Infiniband hardware and implement open-source Message = Passing=20 Interface (MPI) protocol.

The achievement was a joint venture involving Sandia and Cisco. As an = active=20 developer in the OFED and OpenMPI projects, Cisco=E2=80=99s engineers = were on site at=20 Sandia to assist with monitoring, diagnosing, and fine-tuning = Thunderbird=E2=80=99s=20 performance.

The new software-stack environment allows for more memory per node to = be=20 available for parallel jobs at runtime, as well as an increase in = reliability=20 and scalability of users=E2=80=99 jobs. Sandia=E2=80=99s extensive use = of the new software=20 ironed out bugs and tweaked performance =E2=80=94 improvements that = benefit the entire=20 high-performance-computing community.

Infiniband is widely regarded as one of the most attractive commodity = interconnect technologies, because of its high bandwidth, low latency, = and low=20 cost. This is the first time Infiniband, OpenMPI, and OFED have been = used in=20 such a massive configuration as Thunderbird.

Tags: thunderbird linux cluster, top500=20 supercomputing race, sandia, cisco, openmpi, ofed

=20

Forum To Explore Thorium As Abundant Source Of Clean=20 Energy

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 15, 2006 at 4:26 pm =C2=B7 Comments= =20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Events, Energy=20

DBI, a California-based aerospace company involved in the research = and=20 development of thorium-fueled reactors, will host a forum on Thursday, = November=20 30, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the National Press Club in = Washington, DC, on=20 thorium as an abundant source of clean energy to meet the = world=E2=80=99s growing energy=20 needs.

The forum will address the role of thorium in three key areas: the=20 environmental benefits of thorium; the safety and national security = aspects of=20 thorium; and the economic benefits and commercial applications of = thorium. A=20 detailed agenda and list of speakers can be found below.

WHO:
DBI, a California-based company established = in 1965=20 and involved in the research and development of thorium-fueled reactors = joined=20 by Thorium Power, Ltd., of Virginia

WHAT:
Forum on thorium as an alternative source = of clean=20 nuclear energy

WHERE:
National Press Club
529 14th Street,=20 N.W.
Holeman Lounge (13th Floor)

WHEN:
Thursday, November 30, from 10:00 a.m. to = 3:00=20 p.m.

Members of the media who would like to attend the forum or arrange = interviews=20 with the speakers in advance of the forum may contact Robin Buckley at=20 703.533.9805. or robin@buckleykaldenbach.com for more information.

Agenda
Clean Nuclear Energy: Thorium 2006

10:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction (Moderator Dr. James Olds)

10:15 a.m. Keynote: Global Energy Overview (Dr. Sterling = Bailey)
Dr.=20 Bailey will offer a synopsis of the current global energy situation and = explore=20 the limitations and disadvantages of current energy sources. Dr. Bailey = will=20 discuss why thorium is a feasible alternative to current energy sources = due to=20 its abundance, environmental benefits, and national security = advantages.

11:00 a.m. Environmental Benefits of Thorium (Dr. Jeffery = Latkowski)
While=20 current nuclear technology does not affect the global climate, the = environmental=20 costs of the uranium oxide fuel have been a significant public concern. = This=20 session will provide an overview of the environmental benefits of = thorium=20 vis-=C3=A0-vis current nuclear technology.

11:45 a.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Thorium=E2=80=99s Role in Safety and National Security = (Dr. Andrey=20 Mushakov, Dr. Kenneth Ricci)
One of the critical advantages of = thorium over=20 uranium is the reduction in radioactive waste available for nuclear=20 proliferation. A 2000 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency = outlined=20 the benefits thorium offers in contrast to uranium. This session will = provide an=20 overview of thorium and nuclear waste, and will spotlight how two = companies are=20 addressing this issue in both the U.S. and Russia.

2:00 p.m. Economic Benefits and Commercial Applications of Thorium = (H.A.=20 D=E2=80=99Auvergne)
For decades scientists have recognized = thorium=E2=80=99s usefulness as a=20 fuel, but until recently the technology and economics to make a = transition to=20 thorium as a viable energy alternative did not exist. Today, companies = such as=20 DBI and Thorium Power Ltd. are leading the way in developing commercial=20 applications for thorium as a viable energy alternative. This session = will=20 explore these new technologies and their commercial applications.

2:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Question/Answer

Tags: thorium, clean = energy, nuclear = energy, national press=20 club, dbi

=20

Text Message Speak Allowed On New Zealand Exams

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 14, 2006 at 10:37 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Real Tech News=20

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:

Here=E2=80=99s a good one. New Zealand has just decided to allow the = use of text=20 message speak on its NCEA exams. You know, things like ROFL (Rolling on = the=20 Floor Laughing), stuff like that.

NZQA deputy chief executive of qualifications Bali Haque said = credit would=20 be given in this year=E2=80=99s NCEA exams if the answer = =E2=80=9Cclearly shows the required=20 understanding=E2=80=9D, even if text abbreviations were used. = [Source: NZ=20 Herald]

We Say: OMG! What were they thinking? IMHO, we could = eventually have young people coming up and speaking in ways like = =E2=80=9COM-Guh=E2=80=9D (I=E2=80=99m=20 trying to phonetically do OMG) instead of =E2=80=9COh my = God!=E2=80=9D

BTW, the=20 feedback to this in New Zealand has NOT been favorable (for the most = part).

About RealTechNews
Our = mission is=20 simple: We aim to bridge the gap between the informal and mostly = amateur-run=20 tech blogs and the polished but often slow and advertiser-supported tech = portals.

Tags: text=20 message, sms, new = zealand=20 exam, omg, = rofl, ncea = exam

=20

US Mailbox Locator And Mapping Service

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 14, 2006 at 10:36 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Real Tech News=20

Alice Hill of RealTechNews writes:

It makes sense when you think about it. Mailboxes are disappearing = from city=20 streets. It also makes sense that technology can help what it created by = making=20 it easier to find a nearby mailbox wherever your ZIP code may be. This = is=20 US-based only, but the integrated Google maps and directions make = finding a=20 nearby mailbox a snap.

Try the = Mailbox Locator=20 here. [Source: The=20 Payphone Project]

Tags: mailbox=20 locator, payphone project, zip code, google maps

=20

Wireless Energy Transfer Can Potentially Recharge = Laptops, Cell=20 Phones Without Cords

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 14, 2006 at 10:33 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Technology=20

Recharging your laptop computer - and also your cell phone and a = variety of=20 other gadgets - might one day be doable in the same convenient way many = people=20 now surf the Web: wirelessly. Marin Soljacic of the Massachusetts = Institute of=20 Technology will present research by himself and his colleagues = Aristeidis=20 Karalis and John Joannopoulos on the physics of electromagnetic fields, = showing=20 how wireless energy could power future gadgets. The MIT team is also = working on=20 demonstrating the technology in practice. The work will be described on = Tuesday,=20 November 14 in San Francisco, at the 2006 American=20 Institute of Physics Industrial Physics Forum (IPF), which will be=20 co-located with the Nanotechnology Topical Conference at the AVS 53rd=20 International Symposium & Exhibition at the Moscone Center West.

Like many of us, Soljacic (pronounced Soul-ya-cheech) keeps = forgetting to=20 recharge his cell phone, and when the thing is about to die it starts to = complain with an unpleasant noise. =E2=80=9CNeedless to say, this always = happens in the=20 middle of the night,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CSo, one night, at 3 = a.m., it occurred to me:=20 Wouldn=E2=80=99t it be great if this thing charged itself?=E2=80=9D The = experience got the MIT=20 scientist thinking hard to see if any of the physics principles he knew = of could=20 turn into new ways of transmitting energy.

After all, scientists and engineers have known for nearly two = centuries that=20 transferring electric power does not require wires to be in physical = contact all=20 the way. Electric motors and power transformers contain coils that = transmit=20 energy to each other by the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. A = current=20 running in an emitting coil induces another current in a receiving coil; = the two=20 coils are in close proximity, but they do not touch.

Later, scientists discovered electromagnetic radiation in the form of = radio=20 waves, and they showed that another form of it - light - is how we get = energy=20 from the sun. But turning light into electrical power is notoriously = difficult,=20 and requires a direct line-of-sight between transmitter and receiver. = Radio=20 waves, and especially microwaves, can be used to transfer energy, which = can then=20 be picked up with an antenna. But transferring energy from one point to = another=20 through ordinary electromagnetic radiation is typically very = inefficient, and=20 can even be dangerous: The waves tend to spread in all direction, so = most of the=20 energy is lost to the environment.

However, Soljacic realized that the close-range induction taking = place inside=20 a transformer - or something similar to it - could potentially transfer = energy=20 over longer distances, say, from one end of a room to the other. Instead = of=20 irradiating the environment with electromagnetic waves, a power = transmitter=20 would fill the space around it with a =E2=80=9Cnon-radiative=E2=80=9D = electromagnetic field.=20 Energy would only be picked up by gadgets specially designed to = =E2=80=9Cresonate=E2=80=9D with=20 the field. Most of the energy not picked up by a receiver would be = reabsorbed by=20 the emitter.

In his talk at the IPF=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9CFrontiers in = Physics=E2=80=9D session, Soljacic will=20 explain the physics of non-radiative energy transfer and the possible = design of=20 wireless-power systems.

While rooted in well-known laws of physics, non-radiative energy = transfer is=20 a novel application no one seems to have pursued before. And figuring = the=20 details was not easy, Soljacic said, something he and his colleagues did = through=20 theoretical calculations and computer simulations. =E2=80=9CIt certainly = was not clear=20 or obvious to us in the beginning how well it could actually work, given = the=20 constraints of available materials, extraneous environmental objects, = and so on.=20 It was even less clear to us which designs would work best.=E2=80=9D

With the proposed designs, non-radiative wireless power would have = limited=20 range, and the range would be shorter for smaller-size receivers. But = the team=20 calculates that an object the size of a laptop could be recharged within = a few=20 meters of the power source. Placing one source in each room could = provide=20 coverage throughout your home.

Soljacic is looking forward to a future when laptops and cell phones = might=20 never need any wires at all. Wireless, he said, could also power other = household=20 gadgets that are now becoming more common. =E2=80=9CAt home, I have one = of those robotic=20 vacuum cleaners that clean your floors automatically,=E2=80=9D he said, = =E2=80=9Cit does a=20 fantastic job but, after it cleans one or two rooms, the battery = dies.=E2=80=9D In=20 addition to consumer electronics, wireless energy could find industrial=20 applications, for example powering freely-roaming robots within a = factory=20 pavilion.

Tags: marin=20 soljacic, massachusetts institute of technology, aristeidis=20 karalis, john joannopoulos, wireless=20 energy transfer

=20

Scientists Use Pixels To Ease Amputees=E2=80=99 = Pain

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 14, 2006 at 10:31 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Health=20

Academics from the School of Computer Science and School of = Psychological=20 Sciences hav= e=20 developed a virtual reality system, which gives the illusion that a = person=E2=80=99s=20 amputated limb is still there.

The computer system created by Dr Stephen Pettifer and Toby Howard of = the=20 School of Computer Science, immerses patients into a life-size virtual = reality=20 world.

By putting on a headset, patients will see themselves with two limbs. = They=20 can use their remaining physical limb to control the movements of a=20 computer-generated limb, which appears in the 3D computer-generated = world in the=20 space of their amputated limb.

So for example, they can use their physical right arm to control the = movement=20 of their virtual left arm.

Patients have complex hand-eye coordination and can move their = fingers,=20 hands, arms, feet and legs. They can also use their virtual limb to play = ball=20 games.

Phantom limb pain or PLP is discomfort felt by a person in a limb = that is=20 missing due to amputation. Previous research has found that when a = person=E2=80=99s=20 brain is =E2=80=98tricked=E2=80=99 into believing they can see and move = a =E2=80=98phantom limb=E2=80=99, pain=20 can decrease.

So far, five patients living in the Manchester area - including one = who has=20 suffered from PLP for 40 years - have used the virtual reality system = over=20 several weeks in a small-scale study.

But this initial project has produced startling results, with four = out of the=20 five patients reporting improvement in their phantom limb pain. Some=20 improvements were almost immediate.

The Manchester team=E2=80=99s findings were recently presented at a = major conference=20 in Denmark on the use of virtual reality for rehabilitation.

Dr Stephen Pettifer, of the School of Computer Science said: = =E2=80=9CMost people=20 know about 3D graphics and virtual reality from their use in the = entertainment=20 industry, in computer games and special effects in films.

=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s very satisfying being able apply the same = technology to something that=20 may have a real positive impact on someone=E2=80=99s health and well = being.=E2=80=9D

Project leader, Dr Craig Murray of the School of Psychological = Sciences, said=20 =E2=80=9CMany people who undergo an amputation experience a phantom = limb. These are=20 often very painful for the person concerned. They can persist for many = years,=20 and are very difficult to treat.

=E2=80=9COne patient felt that the fingers of her amputated hand were = continually=20 clenched into her palm, which was very painful for her. However, after = just one=20 session using the virtual system she began to feel movement in her = fingers and=20 the pain began to ease.=E2=80=9D

Each participant used the system between seven and 10 times over the = course=20 of two to three months. Sessions lasted around 30 minutes and involved = putting=20 on a special virtual reality headset.

Upper-limb amputees were fitted with a special data glove and had = sensors=20 attached to the elbow and wrist joints. Sensors were fitted to the knee = and=20 ankle joints of lower-limb amputees. Head and arm movements were also=20 monitored.

The three men and two women who took part in the study were aged = between 56=20 and 65. The group included three arm amputees and two leg amputees, who = had lost=20 limbs between one and 40 years ago.

The University of Manchester research team hopes to include a larger = number=20 of patients in their future work in order to identify those most likely = to=20 benefit from the virtual reality system they have developed.

Tags: amputee, virtual = reality,=20 university of manchester, data = glove, sensor

=20

The Church Of The SubGenius

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 14, 2006 at 12:01 am =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Warped Info=20

Every so often, a site arises from the ashes of the Internet that = just defies=20 description. Today=E2=80=99s site is just such a site. At first glance I = thought is was=20 a new age religious site. Then I thought it might be about the ace of = office=20 support, Bob from Accountemps. Now I=E2=80=99m just not too sure. Take a = look and see if=20 it makes any sense to you.

The name of the site is The=20 Church of the SubGenius. There are links to stores, events, = questions, a=20 Stark Fist(?), and its radio. To get a feeling for what this site is = about, here=20 is what it puts under the heading =E2=80=9CBecome an Ordained Minister = Now=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CThe exciting new do-it-yourself virus we invented for the = SubGenius Art=20 Mines is spreading throughout our website, sometimes spilling over = even into=20 the so-called =E2=80=9Creality=E2=80=9D that we SubGenii are forced to = share with the humans.=20 The vigorous health of this virus is the result of its careful design = by an=20 ever-growing team of SubGenius coders - Slack-filled young men and = women of=20 Yeti descent who are spread, SEEMINGLY randomly, throughout the = breakthinking=20 world=E2=80=A6 but are bent on breaching all Earthly human political = and cultural=20 barriers with the searing nonhuman truth of the Word of = =E2=80=9CBob=E2=80=9D: J.R. =E2=80=9CBob=E2=80=9D=20 Dobbs, that LIVING GOD WHO WALKS THIS PLANET EARTH IN = HUCKSTER=E2=80=99S=20 SHOES.=E2=80=9D

Confused? Now you know how I felt after spending some time here. At = first I=20 thought it was the pain meds from my recent surgery. But I = haven=E2=80=99t taken any=20 today, so it has to be the site. The=20 Warp-o-Meter gives this site a 9.5 rating. This is what Warped sites = are all=20 about.

Tags: warp-o-meter, warped.info, subgenius, bob dobbs, ordained minister, slack

=20

SimCity For Real

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 13, 2006 at 7:59 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Society=20

Social policy makers and town planners will soon be able to play = =E2=80=98SimCity=E2=80=99=20 for real using grid computing and e-Science techniques to test the = consequences=20 of their policies on a real, but anonymous, model of the UK population. = Dr Mark=20 Birkin and colleagues, who are developing the model at the University of = Leeds,=20 will be demonstrating its potential at the UK e-Science stand at SC06, = the=20 world=E2=80=99s largest supercomputing conference in Florida, this = week.

They are using data recorded at the 2001 census to build a model of = the whole=20 UK population, but with personal details omitted so no individual or = household=20 can be identified. Their project, Modelling and Simulation for e-Social = Science=20 is funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council National Centre = for=20 e-Social Science. =E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re building a core model which = represents the whole of the=20 UK at the level of (synthetic) individuals and households with many = attributes=20 and behaviours,=E2=80=9D says Dr Birkin.

Data about these attributes - such as car ownership, house prices and = use of=20 health, education, transport and leisure facilities - are held by = different=20 agencies in different locations and often in different formats. = =E2=80=9CHistorically,=20 people have assembled data on a single PC or workstation. E-Science = provides=20 exciting opportunities to access multiple databases from remote, virtual = locations, making it possible to develop highly generic simulation = models which=20 are easy to update,=E2=80=9D says Dr Birkin.

The model can be projected into the future to explore the effect of = different=20 demographic trends and also to test the consequences of policy = decisions. The=20 SC06 demonstration will show how the model could help inform policy for = a major=20 UK city under a number of different scenarios. =E2=80=9CWe can profile = populations area=20 by area and forecast attributes such as health status, employment, and = car=20 ownership ten or twenty years ahead. In future, we=E2=80=99ll be able to = project the=20 effects of policy change and help policymakers evaluate the impact of = the=20 decisions they take,=E2=80=9D says Dr Birkin.

The demonstration, e-Social Science in action: a prototype = geo-simulation=20 portal, can be seen at the UK e-Science Programme stand at SC06, aisle = 2200,=20 booth 2234.

Tags: simcity, e-social=20 science, uk economic and social research council national centre for = e-social=20 science

=20

Queen=E2=80=99s Surveillance Project Benchmarks Global = Attitudes About=20 Being Watched

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 13, 2006 at 7:57 pm =C2=B7 Com= ments=20 =C2=B7 Rel= ated=20 Posts
Categorized in Society=20

Almost half of Canadians and even more Americans say they find new = laws aimed=20 at protecting national security post 9/11 intrusive.

That=E2=80=99s just one of the wide-ranging findings of a survey on = the=20 surveillance and privacy attitudes and experiences of 9,000 people = in eight=20 countries initiated by the Queen=E2=80=99s=20 University-based Surveillance Project. The multi-disciplinary group = is=20 studying the Globalization of Personal Data (GPD) and the surveillance=20 associated with that flow - by governments, employers, and via = technologies like=20 personal computers, biometrics and global-positioning systems - on = ordinary=20 people.

=E2=80=9CWe are seeing a high level of concern in many parts of the = world about the=20 intrusiveness of these post 9/11 laws. Fifty-seven per cent of Americans = and 47=20 per cent of Canadians said that these laws are intrusive,=E2=80=9D says = Elia Zureik,=20 lead researcher. He went on to say, =E2=80=9Cthese findings resonate = with the recent=20 Ontario Supreme Court ruling about the unconstitutionality of parts of = Bill=20 C-36, the anti-terrorism legislation in Canada.=E2=80=9D

This is believed to be the first cross-cultural study of its kind = that=20 explores relationships between attitudes and experiences, and how much = people=20 trust corporations and governments to handle personal information, = including the=20 sharing of such information with third parties, the researcher says.

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of = Canada, the=20 survey included nearly 50 questions on participant=E2=80=99s attitudes = about issues like=20 consumer surveillance, racial profiling at airports, national ID cards, = media=20 coverage of surveillance issues, workplace privacy, knowledge of privacy = regulations, control over personal data and public trust in = government.

The answers reveal a variety of cultural commonalities and = differences culled=20 from participants in Canada, the U.S., China, France, Spain, Hungary, = Mexico and=20 Brazil. Except for the survey in China, which was carried out by the = Deputy=20 Director of the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences, the surveys were = carried=20 out by Ipsos Reid.

Across the globe a majority of respondents:

believe surveillance laws are intrusive (U.S. 57 per cent, Canada = 48 per=20 cent, Spain 53 per cent, Mexico 46 per cent, Brazil 41 per cent, = France 40 per=20 cent).=20
worry about providing personal information on websites (China 54 = per cent,=20 Canada 66 per cent, Brazil 70 per cent, Spain 62 per cent and U.S. 60 = per=20 cent).=20
believe the use of closed circuit television deters in-store crime = (Mexico=20 88 per cent, U.S. 80 per cent, Canada 79 per cent, France 73 per = cent).=20
rejected out-right the premise that airport authorities should = give extra=20 security checks to visible minority passengers. About 60 per cent of = Chinese,=20 Hungarians, Brazilians, and Canadians but only a third of Americans = found such=20 practices unacceptable.

Culturally distinctive survey findings include:

63 per cent of Chinese respondents trust the government to protect = the=20 personal information it collects compared to just 48 per cent of = Canadians and=20 a mere 20 per cent of Brazilians say they trust their respective = governments=20 with their personal information.=20
While the majority of respondents do not believe that they have = much say=20 in what happens to their personal information - only roughly 30 per = cent of=20 Canadians, Americans, Spaniards and Hungarians felt they had complete = or a lot=20 of say - Chinese and French respondents felt otherwise, with 67 per = cent and=20 60 per cent respectively reporting they feeling in control of the use = their=20 information.=20
Eighty-two percent of Canadians and 80 percent of Americans report = themselves as being knowledgeable about the Internet compared to just = 35=20 percent of Mexicans and 33 percent of Brazilian respondents. =

=E2=80=9CWe have learned that there is an urgent need to educate the = public about the=20 complexities of the information age, to demand organizational and = governmental=20 accountability with regard to handling personal data, and to develop = appropriate=20 theory to explain and predict flows of personal data and to connect this = with=20 privacy ethics and government policy,=E2=80=9D Dr. Zureik says.

A team of international surveillance experts will meet at = Queen=E2=80=99s later this=20 week to further study the data collected by survey.

Tags: global=20 attitude, surveillance project, privacy, personal data

=20

Every Wanna-Be Rocker=E2=80=99s Fantasy Comes = True

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 13, 2006 at 7:42 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Weird=20

Australia=E2=80=99s scientific research agency, CS= IRO, has=20 =E2=80=98built=E2=80=99 a shirt which could fulfill the fantasy of = anyone who has, in the=20 privacy of their homes, jammed along with one of rock =E2=80=98n = roll=E2=80=99s great lead=20 guitarists.

Led by engineer Dr Richard Helmer a team of researchers at CSIRO = Textiles and=20 Fibre Technology in Geelong has created a =E2=80=98wearable instrument = shirt=E2=80=99 (WIS)=20 which enables users to play an =E2=80=98air guitar=E2=80=99 simply by = moving one arm to pick=20 chords and the other to strum the imaginary instrument=E2=80=99s = strings.

=E2=80=9CFreedom of movement is a great feature of these = textile-based interfaces,=E2=80=9D=20 Dr Helmer says.

=E2=80=9COur air guitar consists of a wearable sensor interface = embedded in a=20 conventional =E2=80=99shirt=E2=80=99 which uses custom software to map = gestures with audio=20 samples.

=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s an easy-to-use, virtual instrument that allows = real-time music making -=20 even by players without significant musical or computing skills. It = allows you=20 to jump around and the sound generated is just like an original = mp3.=E2=80=9D

The WIS works by recognising and interpreting arm movements and = relaying this=20 wirelessly to a computer for audio generation. There are no trailing = cables to=20 get in the way or trip over.

Textile motion sensors embedded in the shirt sleeves detect motion = when the=20 arm bends - in most cases the left arm chooses a note and the right arm = plays=20 it.

By customising the software, the team has also tailored the = technology to=20 make an air tambourine and an air guiro (percussion instrument).

Dr Helmer says the development of the WIS required intensive = collaboration by=20 researchers with high-level skills in computing, chemistry, electronics, = music=20 composition and textile manufacture.

=E2=80=9CThe technology - which is adaptable to almost any kind of = apparel - takes=20 clothing beyond its traditional role of protection and fashion into the = realms=20 of entertainment and a wide range of other applications including the=20 development of clothes which will be able to monitor physiological = changes,=E2=80=9D he=20 says.

Tags: csiro, wis, wearable=20 instrument shirt, richard helmer

=20

Global Environmental Change Scientists Seek To Improve = Links With=20 Policy And Development Agendas

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 13, 2006 at 7:39 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Events=20

Global environmental change research plays a vital role in providing = the=20 scientific basis for policy and development agendas concerned with = sustainable=20 development. Yet, a major report by the UK government on the economic = effects of=20 climate change challenges the global science community to better inform=20 governments on actions to take.

Sustainability is a central theme of the ESSP=E2=80=99s Open Science = Conference, and will be the=20 focus of a plenary session on linking global environmental change = research to=20 policy and development agendas, where key sustainability issues from = regional=20 and global perspectives will be addressed.

Speeches include:

GEC Science in Relation to International Environmental Assessments = and=20 Conventions by Kevin Trenberth. head of the Climate Analysis Section at = the US=20 National Center for Atmospheric Research. He has been lead author of = chapters of=20 the IPCC Scientific Assessment of Climate Change, and serves on the = Joint=20 Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme.

Global Environmental Change Science and the Power Sector in Africa by = Steve=20 Lennon of Eskom Holdings Limited, South Africa, widely recognized for = his=20 leadership in technology development, global energy sector trends and = policy,=20 and climate change policy for South Africa.

On the Brink of Accelerated Changes: Asia=E2=80=99s Challenges and = Opportunities in=20 Sustainable Development by Daniel Murdiyarso, a professor at the = Department of=20 Geophysics and Meteorology at the Bogor Agricultural University, = Indonesia. He=20 has been a Convening Lead Author of IPCC Assessment Reports on Land-Use = Change=20 and Forestry, and in 2000 he served the government of Indonesia as = Deputy=20 Minister of the Environment for two years.

Global Environmental Change Science in Relation to Development = Agencies by=20 Meryl Williams, who chairs the Board of Management and the Policy = Advisory=20 Council of the Australian Center for International Agricultural = Research. From=20 1994 to 2004, Dr. Williams was Director General of the WorldFish Center. = She is=20 also a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Census of = Marine Life=20 and chairs the FAO Advisory Committee on Fisheries Research.

Thomas Rosswall will moderate this session. He is Executive Director = of the=20 International Council for Science (ICSU), and formerly has been Director = of the=20 International Foundation for Science (IFS), President of the Swedish = University=20 of Agricultural Sciences, Director of the international START = Secretariat, and=20 Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme = (IGBP).=20

Tags: essp, open science=20 conference, global=20 environmental change, earth system science partnership

=20

The International Center For Bathroom Etiquette

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 13, 2006 at 12:01 am =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Warped Info=20

Okay, which way is it: Seat up or seat down? Which way does the paper = hang?=20 Wax on or wax off? These questions have plagued mankind for years, and = there=20 don=E2=80=99t seem to be any solid answers. Or at least there = weren=E2=80=99t until today =E2=80=99s=20 Warped site was discovered.

The name of the site is The=20 International Center for Bathroom Etiquette. Why, you may ask is = there a=20 need for any kind of behavior in the men=E2=80=99s room? Why not? = We=E2=80=99re not all animals.=20 Well, most of us aren=E2=80=99t, anyway. But have you ever wondered = about when it is=20 appropriate to talk in there? What do you do with stalls without walls? = HOW do=20 you hang the toilet paper? And most important, what do you do WHEN YOU = REALLY=20 GOTTA GO? Have no fear, it is all explained here, and in understandable = language=20 and even some pictures.

Yes, here the answer of when to leave the seat up (and why), and how = to=20 educate complainers. There is workplace etiquette, home etiquette, and = truckstop=20 etiquette (VERY important). The Warped = site=20 rating for this site is 9.5, which shows how important we think it = really=20 is.

Tags: warp-o-meter, warped.info, bathroom=20 etiquette, seat=20 up, seat = down,=20 toilet paper=20 hang

=20

Cloudy Day Won=E2=80=99t Rain On Laser = Communications

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 10, 2006 at 4:26 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Technology=20

Just as clouds block the sun, they interfere with laser = communications=20 systems, but Penn State researchers = are using=20 a combination of computational methods to find the silver lining and = punch=20 through the clouds.

=E2=80=9CRadio frequency communications are generally reliable and = well understood,=20 but cannot support emerging data rate needs unless they use a large = portion of=20 the radio spectrum,=E2=80=9D says Mohsen Kavehrad, the W. L. Weiss = professor of=20 electrical engineering and director, Penn State Center for Information = and=20 Communications Technology Research. =E2=80=9CFree space optical = communications offer=20 enormous data rates but operate much more at the mercy of the = environment.=E2=80=9D

Laser light used in communications systems can carry large amounts of = information, but, the dust, dirt, water vapor and gases in a fluffy = cumulus=20 cloud, scatter the light and create echoes. The loss of some light to = scattering=20 is less important than those parts of the beam that are deflected and = yet reach=20 their target, because then, various parts of the beam reach the endpoint = at=20 different times.

=E2=80=9CAll of the laser beam photons travel at the speed of light, = but different=20 paths make them arrive at different times,=E2=80=9D says Kavehrad. = =E2=80=9CThe Air Force, which=20 is funding this project through the Defense Advanced Research Projects = Agency,=20 would like us to deliver close to 3 gigabytes per second of data over a = distance=20 of 6 to 8 miles through the atmosphere.=E2=80=9D

That 6 to 8 miles is sufficient to cause an overlap of arriving data = of=20 hundreds of symbols, which causes echoes. The information arrives, but = then it=20 arrives again because the signal is distributed throughout the laser = beam. In=20 essence, the message is continuously being stepped on.

Kavehrad and Sangwoo Lee, graduate student in electrical engineering, = presented their solutions to the echo problem at the recent IEEE = Military=20 Communications Conference in Wash., D.C.

=E2=80=9CIn the past, laser communications systems have been designed = to depend on=20 optical signal processing and optical apparatus,=E2=80=9D says Kavehrad. = =E2=80=9CWe coupled=20 state-of-the-art digital signal processing methods to a wireless laser=20 communications system to obtain a reliable, high capacity optical link = through=20 the clouds.=E2=80=9D

The researchers developed an approach called free-space optical=20 communications that not only can improve air-to-air communications, but = also=20 ground-to-air links. Because their approach provides fiber optic quality = signals, it is also a solution for extending fiber optic systems to = rural areas=20 without laying cable and may eventually expand the Internet in a third = dimension=20 allowing airplane passengers a clear, continuous signal.

Using a computer simulation called the atmospheric channel model = developed by=20 Penn State=E2=80=99s CICTR, the researchers first process the signal to = shorten the=20 overlapping data and reduce the number of overlaps. Then the system = processes=20 the remaining signal, picking out parts of the signal to make a whole = and=20 eliminate the remaining echoes. This process must be continuous with = overlap=20 shortening and then filtering so that a high-quality, fiber optic = caliber=20 message arrives at the destination. All this, while one or both of the = sender=20 and receiver are moving.

=E2=80=9CWe modeled the system using cumulus clouds, the dense fluffy = ones, because=20 they cause the most scattering and the largest echo,=E2=80=9D says = Kavehrad. =E2=80=9COur model=20 is also being used by Army contractors to investigate communications = through=20 smoke and gases and it does a very good job with those as = well.=E2=80=9D

The computer modeled about a half-mile traverse of a cumulus cloud. = While the=20 researchers admit that they could simply process the signal to remove = all=20 echoes, the trade-offs would degrade the system in other ways, such as = distance=20 and time. Using a two-step process provides the most reliable, = high-quality data=20 transfer.

The system also uses commercially available off-the-shelf equipment = and=20 proven digital signal processing techniques.

Tags: penn=20 state, defense advanced research projects agency, darpa, mohsen = kavehrad,=20 laser=20 communication

=20

=E2=80=98Nanorust=E2=80=99 Cleans Arsenic From Drinking = Water

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 10, 2006 at 4:25 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Environment=20

The discovery of unexpected magnetic interactions between ultrasmall = specks=20 of rust is leading scientists at Rice = University=E2=80=99s Center for Biological and Environmental = Nanotechnology (CBEN)=20 to develop a revolutionary, low-cost technology for cleaning arsenic = from=20 drinking water. The technology holds promise for millions of people in = India,=20 Bangladesh and other developing countries where thousands of cases of = arsenic=20 poisoning each year are linked to poisoned wells.

The new technique is described in the Nov. 10 issue of Science = magazine.

=E2=80=9CArsenic contamination in drinking water is a global problem, = and while there=20 are ways to remove arsenic, they require extensive hardware and = high-pressure=20 pumps that run on electricity,=E2=80=9D said center director and lead = author Vicki=20 Colvin. =E2=80=9COur approach is simple and requires no electricity. = While the=20 nanoparticles used in the publication are expensive, we are working on = new=20 approaches to their production that use rust and olive oil, and require = no more=20 facilities than a kitchen with a gas cooktop.=E2=80=9D

CBEN=E2=80=99s technology is based on a newly discovered magnetic = interaction that=20 takes place between particles of rust that are smaller than viruses.

=E2=80=9CMagnetic particles this small were thought to only interact = with a strong=20 magnetic field,=E2=80=9D Colvin said. =E2=80=9CBecause we had just = figured out how to make these=20 particles in different sizes, we decided to study just how big of = magnetic field=20 we needed to pull the particles out of suspension. We were surprised to = find=20 that we didn=E2=80=99t need large electromagnets to move our = nanoparticles, and that in=20 some cases hand-held magnets could do the trick.=E2=80=9D

The experiments involved suspending pure samples of uniform-sized = iron oxide=20 particles in water. A magnetic field was used to pull the particles to = out of=20 solution, leaving only the purified water. Colvin=E2=80=99s team = measured the tiny=20 particles after they were removed from the water and ruled out the most = obvious=20 explanation: the particles were not clumping together after being = tractored by=20 the magnetic field.

Colvin, professor of chemistry, said the experimental evidence = instead points=20 to a magnetic interaction between the nanoparticles themselves.

Co-author Doug Natelson explains, =E2=80=9CAs particle size is = reduced the force on=20 the particles does drop rapidly, and the old models were correct in = predicting=20 that very big magnetic fields would be needed to move these = particles.

=E2=80=9CIn this case, it turns out that the nanoparticles actually = exert forces on=20 each other,=E2=80=9D said Natelson, associate professor of physics and = astronomy and in=20 electrical and computer engineering. =E2=80=9CSo, once the hand-held = magnets start=20 gently pulling on a few nanoparticles and get things going, the = nanoparticles=20 effectively work together to pull themselves out of the = water.=E2=80=9D

Colvin said, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s yet another example of the unique = sorts of interactions we=20 see at the nanoscale.=E2=80=9D

Because iron is well known for its ability to bind arsenic, = Colvin=E2=80=99s group=20 repeated the experiments in arsenic-contaminated water and found that = the=20 particles would reduce the amount of arsenic in contaminated water to = levels=20 well below the EPA=E2=80=99s threshold for U.S. drinking water.

Colvin=E2=80=99s group has been collaborating with researchers from = Rice Professor=20 Mason Tomson=E2=80=99s group in civil and environmental engineering to = further develop=20 the technology for arsenic remediation. Colvin said Tomson=E2=80=99s = preliminary=20 calculations indicate the method could be practical for settings where=20 traditional water treatment technologies are not possible. Because the = starting=20 materials for generating the nanorust are inexpensive, she said the cost = of the=20 materials could be quite low if manufacturing methods are scaled up. In=20 addition, Colvin=E2=80=99s graduate student, Cafer Yavuz, has been = working for several=20 months to refine a method that villagers in the developing world could = use to=20 prepare the iron oxide nanoparticles. The primary raw materials are rust = and=20 fatty acids, which can be obtained from olive oil or coconut oil, Colvin = said.

Tags: nanorust, arsenic, drinking = water, potable, center for biological and environmental nanotechnology, cben

=20

Holiday Shoppers Will Be =E2=80=9CWOWed=E2=80=9D This = Season by New, SRS-Tuned=20 Sharper Image Audio Products

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 10, 2006 at 10:28 am =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Entertainment=20

SRS Labs Inc., a leading provider of surround sound, audio and voice=20 technologies, and Sharper Image Corporation (NASDAQ: SHRP), a specialty = retailer=20 known as a leading source of new, innovative, high-quality products, = today=20 announced a strategic relationship to develop and market a new line of=20 SRS-enabled Sharper Image audio products featuring SRS Labs=E2=80=99 = award-winning audio=20 enhancement technology, SRS WOW.

As part of the strategic relationship, SRS Labs and Sharper Image = consulted=20 together on the audio design, implementation and integration of the SRS = WOW=20 technology to optimize and tune the audio performance for each product. = In=20 addition, SRS Labs and Sharper Image Corporation have entered into a = strategic=20 marketing agreement to promote the new line of audio products with the = SRS WOW=20 technology. =E2=80=9CWe are known for our innovative products,=E2=80=9D = said Jerry W. Levin,=20 Chairman of Sharper Image. =E2=80=9COur partnership with SRS Labs allows = us to use their=20 expert audio knowledge to incorporate the latest patented technologies = in=20 Sharper Image-designed products, so our customers receive top-notch = products=20 with superior audio performance.=E2=80=9D

SRS WOW improves the dynamic audio performance of stereo and mono = content by=20 restoring the spatial cues and ambient sounds that are lost during the=20 compression processes of many audio formats, such as AAC and MP3, to = create a=20 natural listening experience which resembles the original recording. WOW = also=20 brings the soundstage to life with immersive 3D audio as it widens and = raises=20 the sound field and creates a deeper, more natural bass response. SRS = WOW is=20 well suited for iPod and MP3 accessories where the speakers are set = close=20 together, as well as for headphone applications. SRS WOW=E2=80=99s = ability to widen the=20 audio field puts big sound in easy reach of small speakers.

=E2=80=9CSharper Image is widely recognized as a high-quality brand = with=20 top-of-the-line products,=E2=80=9D said Tom Yuen, chairman and CEO, SRS = Labs.=20 =E2=80=9CCurrently, the iPod and MP3 player market is booming and the = new audio products=20 SRS Labs and The Sharper Image are delivering to the market bring = together=20 innovative designs with superior sound technology to squarely meet the = needs of=20 digital music enthusiasts.=E2=80=9D

The Sharper Image and SRS Labs have planned to promote the new SRS=20 WOW-enabled products to Sharper Image customers through newly designed=20 packaging, in-store demonstrations, various marketing efforts and = special call=20 outs in the Sharper Image monthly catalog and on the website.

The new products are becoming available now and will all be available = for the=20 holiday season in 190 Sharper Image specialty stores across the United = States,=20 the Sharper Image website and catalogs. These products include:

iPulse Jukebox=20
Quiet Place Noise-Cancellation Headphones=20
Digital Hybrid Wireless Headphones=20
iSphere=20
iPulse=20
Beetle with AM/FM Digital Tuner & Alarm Clock=20
Solo Stereo=20
iTower=20
iBeam

Tags: srs = wow, jerry w. = levin,=20 sharper = image,=20 ipulse = jukebox,=20 ibeam, itower, solo = stereo, isphere

=20

Name That Candybar

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 10, 2006 at 12:01 am =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Warped Info=20

It=E2=80=99s the start of a long weekend, so let=E2=80=99s have a = warped site that is just=20 for fun. Everyone likes a good candy bar, I=E2=80=99m sure. At my local = Fry=E2=80=99s Store, the=20 checkout line has them all over the place, for that last minute = shopping.=20 Everyone can identify their favorite bars by just looking for the = wrapper (with=20 me, it=E2=80=99s the red wrapper of the Rocky Road). But what would = happen if suddenly=20 there were no wrappers? Take a look at today=E2=80=99s site, and = you=E2=80=99ll see what I=20 mean.

The name of the site is Name = That=20 Candybar. Here you are given a selection of bars without wrappers, = and a=20 cross sectional view (just like you took a bite out of one). Can you = identify=20 them? Can you find your favorite? It=E2=80=99s not that difficult if you = really think=20 about it. But then who thinks about candybars when you=E2=80=99re eating = them?

The Warp-o-Meter gives this site = an 8.5 but=20 it=E2=80=99s still hunting for that Rocky Road. If you see it, drop us a = line. We seem=20 to have misplaced it.

Tags: name=20 that candybar, rocy=20 road, warp-o-meter, warped.info

=20

=E2=80=98Air Shower=E2=80=99 Set To Cut Water Use By 30 = Percent

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 9, 2006 at 7:34 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 (2) =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Environment=20

3D"The Scientists have developed a simple =E2=80=98air = shower=E2=80=99 device which, when=20 fitted into existing showerheads, fills the water droplets with a tiny = bubble of=20 air. The result is the shower feels just as wet and just as strong as = before,=20 but now uses much less water.

The researchers, from CSIRO = Manufacturing=20 Materials Technology in Melbourne, say the device increases the = volume of=20 the shower stream while reducing the amount of water used by about 30 = per=20 cent.

Given the average Australian household uses about 200,000 litres of = water a=20 year, and showers account for nearly a third of this, the =E2=80=98air = shower=E2=80=99 could=20 help the average household save about 15,000-20,000 litres a year. If = you extend=20 this across the population, that is an annual saving of more than 45,000 = Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Aerated Showerhead creates the sensation of having a full and = steady=20 stream of water even though the water is now more like a wet shell = around a=20 bubble of air.

While the general concept of using an aerated showerhead to save = water is not=20 new, the technology behind the CSIRO=E2=80=99s device is novel.

Developed by a team led by Dr Jie Wu, the aeration device is a small = nozzle=20 that fits inside a standard showerhead. The nozzle uses a small Venturi = tube - a=20 tube for which the diameter varies, creating a difference in pressure = and fluid=20 speed. Air is sucked into the Venturi tube as a result of the partial = vacuum=20 created, causing air and water to mix, forming tiny bubbles within the = water=20 stream.

=E2=80=9CThe nozzle creates a vacuum that sucks in air and forces it = into the water=20 stream,=E2=80=9D Dr Wu says.

=E2=80=9CWe make the water droplets in the stream hollow and the = bubbles expand the=20 volume of the shower stream.=E2=80=9D

Small-scale experiments using the aeration device found that people = detected=20 no difference in water pressure, sensation, or overall perception of=20 showering.

After almost two years of research and development, CSIRO is ready to = take=20 the aerated shower head technology to the commercialisation stage.

=E2=80=9CWe have very promising results on the aerated = showerhead=E2=80=99s water-saving=20 potential. Now we are looking for commercialisation partners who will be = involved in the development needed to turn the technology into a = marketable=20 device,=E2=80=9D Dr Wu says.

He expects the nozzle would cost less than $20 and could be installed = by=20 householders.

Tags: aerated showerhead, csiro, water conservation, australian=20 conservation

=20

Portable, Solar-Powered Tag Readers Could Improve Traffic = Management

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 9, 2006 at 7:33 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Energy=20

As part of their ongoing effort to improve traffic management in New = York=20 state and across the country, a team of transportation researchers will = be=20 testing an array of wireless, solar-powered readers to monitor traffic = flow. In=20 the coming months, the units will be deployed to collect traffic data = during the=20 morning commute on busy Capital Region roads.

The portable units, which are based on the same technology as E-ZPass = tag=20 readers, could eventually be used to provide valuable data for a variety = of=20 applications, from decreasing congestion in work zones to assisting = emergency=20 evacuations.

The research is funded through a $3.9 million grant from the Federal = Highway=20 Administration to the Center for Infrastructure and Transportation = Studies=20 (CITS) at Rensselaer = Polytechnic=20 Institute. The project also includes collaborators from the New York = State=20 Department of Transportation, the New York State Thruway Authority, Mark = IV=20 Industries Inc., Annese & Associates, and North Carolina State=20 University.

=E2=80=9CWe hope to use this technology to enable better management = of our traffic=20 system,=E2=80=9D said William =E2=80=9CAl=E2=80=9D Wallace, CITS = director and professor of decision=20 sciences and engineering systems at Rensselaer. In collaboration with = Mark IV=20 Industries, he and Jeffrey Wojtowicz, a research engineer in civil and=20 environmental engineering at Rensselaer, have developed a prototype = reader that=20 is powered by solar panels, collects data on a laptop computer, and then = sends=20 the information wirelessly back to a server. The portable device sits on = a=20 trailer that can be transported by a vehicle with a normal-duty = hitch.

Beginning in mid-November, the team plans to deploy one test device = to begin=20 the initial collection of data. Then in early spring, the researchers = will=20 deploy six units across the Capital District Testbed area - a busy = stretch of=20 road along Route 4 in Rensselaer County. Federal funding for the Testbed = was=20 secured with the help of Congressman Michael R. McNulty.

=E2=80=9CThis is the first field experiment of its kind,=E2=80=9D = Wallace said. =E2=80=9CThe goal=20 here is to collect data, analyze it, and find out if this really = works.=E2=80=9D

Traffic monitoring using E-ZPass tags began in 1994 when the Thruway=20 Authority and TRANSCOM developed and deployed 15 permanent reader sites=20 downstate. These sites were integrated into a system called = =E2=80=9CTRANSMIT=E2=80=9D that=20 provides traffic information to transportation agencies.

TRANSMIT and the Rensselaer-led pilot project are separate systems = from the=20 E-ZPass toll collection system. Similar to the TRANSMIT system, this new = project=20 requires that any identifiable information from tags be automatically=20 encrypted.

The TRANSMIT system has been expanded to include 26 newly installed = readers=20 at strategic locations around the Capital Region. But there are no = functioning=20 portable, wireless, and solar-powered units in use today, according to=20 Wallace.

The portable units could be particularly useful for decreasing = congestion and=20 providing travel time estimates in work zones, at special events, and = during=20 emergency evacuations. And planners could potentially deploy a network = of=20 readers to monitor driving route choices, helping them decide where to = place new=20 roads or other construction projects, such as malls and housing=20 developments.

This Capital District Testbed is the same area where the researchers = recently=20 tested their Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS), a dynamic = routing=20 system that collects real-time traffic data and uses it to alert drivers = about=20 congested roadways, offering alternative routes to avoid problem areas. = ATIS=20 consists of a personal digital assistant (PDA) device with a global = positioning=20 system (GPS) that is part of a wireless computer network. The network = collects=20 and processes traffic data from the device and feeds the results back to = the=20 driver through an electronic voice mechanism.

About 30 participants in the original ATIS project have volunteered = to use=20 the systems to collect data during the new experiment, which will help = calibrate=20 the solar-powered readers, Wojtowicz said.

Tags: solar=20 power, tag=20 reader, traffic management, transportation

=20

Memories: It=E2=80=99s All In The Packaging, Scientists = Say

by Locker= gnome=20 on November 9, 2006 at 7:30 pm =C2=B7 Comments=20 =C2=B7 Related=20 Posts
Categorized in Health=20

Details must be integrated when event occurs to be remembered=20 later.

Researchers at UC Irvine = have found=20 that how much detail one remembers of an event depends on whether a = certain=20 portion of the brain is activated to =E2=80=9Cpackage=E2=80=9D the = memory.

The research may help to explain why sometimes people only recall = parts of an=20 experience such as a car accident, and yet vividly recall all of the = details of=20 a similar experience.

In experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), = the=20 scientists were able to view what happened in the brains of subjects = when they=20 experienced an event made up of multiple contextual details. They found = that=20 participants who later remembered all aspects of the experience, = including the=20 details, used a particular part of the brain that bound the different = details=20 together as a package at the time the event occurred. When this brain = region=20 wasn=E2=80=99t activated to bind together the details, only some aspects = of an event=20 were recalled. The findings appear in the current issue of Neuron.

=E2=80=9CThis study provides a neurological basis for what = psychologists have been=20 telling us for years,=E2=80=9D said Michael Rugg, director of = UCI=E2=80=99s Center for the=20 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and senior author of the paper. = =E2=80=9CYou can=E2=80=99t=20 get out of memory what you didn=E2=80=99t put into it. It is not = possible to remember=20 things later if you didn=E2=80=99t pay attention to them in the first = place.=E2=80=9D

The scientists presented 23 research subjects with a list of words = while they=20 underwent an fMRI scan. The words were in different colors and would = appear in=20 one of four quadrants on a screen. The subjects had to decide whether = the words=20 represented an animate or inanimate object. Later, the participants were = presented the words again, interspersed with words they had not seen = before, and=20 asked if they remembered seeing those words before. They were also asked = if they=20 remembered in what color the word had originally been and in which of = the four=20 quadrants it had originally appeared.

If the participant could later remember the color of the word, a = particular=20 area of the brain associated with color processing was especially active = during=20 learning. If the subject later remembered the location of the word, = activity was=20 seen in an area associated with spatial processing. But if the subject=20 remembered the word, the color and the location, then another critical = brain=20 region became involved. The researchers observed enhanced activity in = the=20 intra-parietal sulcus, a part of the parietal cortex. It appears that = this=20 region is responsible for binding together all the features of a = particular=20 memory so that contextual details, as well as more central aspects of = the event=20 such as the identity of the word, can later be recalled.

=E2=80=9CWe know that if the intra-parietal sulcus is damaged, then = someone cannot=20 attend to multiple aspects of the same object, such as its size and = color,=E2=80=9D said=20 Melina Uncapher, a graduate student researcher and lead author of the = study.=20 =E2=80=9CThis study provides empirical evidence for how critical this = region is for=20 bringing the constituents of a memory together in the brain.

=E2=80=9CMemory is more than a sum of its parts. A complete memory of = an event=20 requires that the features of the event be brought together and = processed by the=20 brain as a common perceptual representation, before being = stored.=E2=80=9D

Leun Otten of University College London collaborated on the study. = The=20 research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the = Wellcome=20 Trust.

Tags: memory, memory = research,=20 leun = otten, uc irvine, = michael = rugg, fmri = scan

=C2=A9 1996-2006, Lockergnome LLC. ISSN: 1095-3965. All = Rights Reserved.=20 Please read our Privacy = Policy=20 and Terms = of=20 Service. Email newsletters powered by WhatCounts. Domain registered at = GnomeDOMAINS. T-shirts and Screen Printing = at CustomInk.=20 Computer service from Comtec.=20