ZDNet Must Read:
Google's Chrome OS: Will you give up desktop apps?
Google revealed a bevy of noteworthy developments for its Chrome OS. However, the success or failure of the Chrome OS will ride on whether users will give up desktop applications.... Continued »
Category: Innovation
November 19th, 2009
The future of...remote controls
How often do you lose the TV remote? ZDNet correspondent Sumi Das explains why the days of digging under couch cushions may be numbered thanks to sensors and chips that can “see” and “understand” hand gestures.
November 18th, 2009
IBM makes progress toward 'thinking' computing system
IBM said Wednesday that it is making progress toward cooking up a computer system that emulates the human brain and simulates abilities for sensation, perception, interaction and cognition. The end goal: Create a computing system that thinks like the human brain.
In addition, IBM announced that this “large-scale cortical simulation” and the algorithm behind it rivals the brain’s power, energy consumption and size.
A new algorithm, dubbed Blue Matter, was developed with Stanford University and maps and measures all the connections in a brain. Blue Matter rides on IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputing architecture. There’s still some work to do though: IBM’s system thus far can emulate the brain of a cat, but that’s progress over previous efforts.
November 17th, 2009
IBM researchers speed up medical diagnostic testing via chip
IBM researchers have cooked up a quick medical diagnostic testing system based on a silicon chip that can get by on small sample and test for multiple diseases.
The breakthrough to be announced Tuesday means that physicians can test a patient immediately following a heart attack to improve survival rates. The test checks for disease markers, proteins that can be detected in blood using “capillary action force.” In a nutshell, capillary forces refer to the tendency of a liquid to rise in narrow tubes or be drawn into a small opening. The IBM Research-Zurich findings will be detailed in the December issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry (see reprint PDF).
Big Blue’s chip measures 1 x 5 centimeters and contains sets of micrometer wide channels where a test sample would flow for 15 seconds. The filling speed of the fluid being tested can be adjusted if the chip needs extra time to read a disease marker. Here’s how the chip works in stages:
- First, a one microliter sample, 50 times smaller than a tear drop, is pipetted onto the chip, where the capillary forces begin to take effect…
- Then these forces push the sample through an intricate series of mesh structures…
- The sample then passes in a region where microscopically small amounts of the detection antibody have been deposited. These antibodies have a fluorescent tag and are attached within the sample…
- In the reaction chamber, which is about the diameter of a human hair, captures the previously tagged marker. Under a red beam of light, the disease markers can be viewed using a portable sensor device that contains a chip similar to those used by digital cameras. Medical professionals can visually confirm the strength of the disease marker.
The linchpin to this process is the capillary pump, a series of microstructures about 180 micrometers deep. The pump pushes through enough of the sample to create a regular flow rate and make the test accurate.
IBM added that the chip is designed for multiple form factors.
November 13th, 2009
Smart Planet: Interactive TV builds literacy skills among low-income kids
Carlin Llorente, a researcher at SRI International discusses recent findings that shows low-income pre-school kids benefiting from a curriculum that includes public media content inside the classroom. The study confirms that kids are better able to learn letters and sounds when watching educational videos and actively participating with their teachers. SRI International partnered with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and the Education Development Center on the study.
November 12th, 2009
Can Google make the Web SPDYer? Maybe, with your help
A team of software engineers at Google who are working on a project known as SPDY - and pronounced Speedy - are reaching out for some input from engineering types. The early-stage research project, which has only been tested in labs so far, is working to speed up the Web.
This project is way deeper into the weeds of technology than I am, so I leave it to the engineering types to explain it. From the blog post:
SPDY is at its core an application-layer protocol for transporting content over the web. It is designed specifically for minimizing latency through features such as multiplexed streams, request prioritization and HTTP header compression. We started working on SPDY while exploring ways to optimize the way browsers and servers communicate. Today, web clients and servers speak HTTP. HTTP is an elegantly simple protocol that emerged as a web standard in 1996 after a series of experiments. HTTP has served the web incredibly well. We want to continue building on the web’s tradition of experimentation and optimization, to further support the evolution of websites and browsers.
The team says the initial results are encouraging as they’ve seen a “significant improvement in performance,” with web pages loading 55 percent faster over a simulated home network connection. Still, the team acknowledges that it still has a lot of work to do to evaluate SPDY in real-world conditions.
The company says it’s at a point where it can benefit from feedback and assistance from the Web community. Those interested are encouraged to review the early stage documentation, look at the current code and offer your two cents through the Chromium Google Group.
October 30th, 2009
Smart Planet: HopeLabs' playful approach to overcoming childhood obesity
As childhood obesity reaches epidemic proportions in the U.S., Nicole Guthrie, a nutritionist at HopeLab aims to make a difference with gDitty, a device that unlike most gadgets for adolescents, inspires them to be more active. Find out why the technology has captured the attention of even the White House.
October 21st, 2009
Web 2.0 Summit video: GE shows off mini ultrasound device
At the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, GE Chief Executive Jeff Immelt introduces a handheld ultrasound gadget called Vscan. Immelt believes that the new device will be make it easier for clinicians to monitor the human body in a variety of settings, including countries where medical professionals cannot afford larger imaging systems. Immelt also reveals new electronic medical-records software on which the company is working.
October 20th, 2009
Gartner: Cloud computing, analytics top 2010 strategic tech list
Gartner unveiled its top 10 strategic technology list for 2010. Unified communications, servers and specialized systems are out. Client computing, data center do-overs, flash memory and mobile applications are in.
The list, presented Tuesday at the Gartner Symposium in Orlando, by analysts David Cearley and Carl Claunch looks like this:
The items that were bumped from the top 10 list (statement) aren’t necessarily less important, but are moving slowly. Unified communications is strategic, but not critical. Specialized systems and servers are notable for converged systems, but they aren’t as important as new data center technologies that can consolidate data centers (think flash memory).
October 20th, 2009
Graphic of the day: Cloud computing, e-book readers at peak of hype cycle
Cloud computing and e-book readers are at the peak of their hype and there are a few new entrants to Gartner’s 2009 hype cycle chart.
At least social software and microblogging are on the way down.
Among some of the new entrants at the Gartner IT Symposium:
- Human augmentation;
- 3-D flat panel displays;
- Internet TV;
- Home health monitoring;
- Quantum computing.
October 14th, 2009
Ellison's keynote: Linux, Exadata, the Governator and more
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison took the stage for the final keynote at Oracle OpenWorld 2009 today - an afternoon session that followed lunch and got off to a rough start when Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan (who was scheduled to speak after Ellison) came on stage first and spent 45 minutes delivering a somewhat dry presentation.
It probably didn’t help that attendees were reminded that there’s a big party tonight. The Who’s Roger Daltrey, who will be performing tonight, made a cameo appearance at the beginning of the session to say he was looking forward to seeing everyone later in the evening.
And so, as the show comes down the home stretch and people are anxious to let their hair down a bit tonight, Ellison walked on to the stage and pretty much got right down to business by announcing that he had four things to talk about: a Linux update, information on Exadata 2, a demo of a product support system and a preview of next generation app called Fusion.
First, Linux. Oracle has been in the Linux business for a while now but Ellison said the company was surprised by the interest in Linux. He noted that the Oracle’s virtual machine will run any OS, such as Windows or Solaris and, of course, Oracle Enterprise Linux. What was surprising, he said, were the results of an HP survey which asked customers running Linux under an Oracle database which Linux they were using. About 65 percent said they were using Oracle Enterprise Linux.
Then, we moved on to Exadata 2, Ellison’s love child that brings together the combination of technology from Oracle and Sun and allows him to take jabs at rival IBM. This is one powerful machine, he notes, that runs 16 times faster than IBM. (Jab No. 1) But wait, he said. IBM has challenged that response, saying that it doesn’t run 16 times faster but only SIX times faster.
Long pause. Cheesy grin from Ellison. Laughter and applause from audience.
“They may be right,” Ellison said with a smirk on his face. Maybe Oracle is only 6 times faster. (Jab No. 2)
October 14th, 2009
Google Wave can improve communications, reduce e-mail clutter
I think I’ve been on communications overload for some time now but just didn’t realize how severe my suffering was until my Google Wave invitation arrived this week
I must admit that I initially thought of Wave as yet another communications service that requires my daily attention - joining the likes of my corporate e-mail inbox, my personal Gmail inbox, my Facebook inbox (and IM chats), Twitter DMs, IM chats, Google Voice voicemails, work voicemails and finally cell phone voicemails.
And people say I’m a hard guy to track down. Ha!
It didn’t take long for me to recognize the value in Wave, though. Consider a common scenario that occurred this morning: A colleague sent an e-mail to a group of us to discuss plans for some similar posts that are in the works. I replied. So did the others. But some of our replies overlapped, so we replied again - and again. As of now, I have about a dozen e-mails in my inbox with the same subject line. I could delete the ones that I’ve already read but I may need to reference them later - so I won’t delete them. Eventually, of course, they’ll get pushed further and further down in the inbox and, once they’re out of sight, they’ll never get deleted. They’ll just live in the inbox forever and ever.
October 14th, 2009
Wi-Fi Direct connections coming soon; Like Bluetooth, but better
The Wi-Fi Alliance this morning announced that it is nearing completion of a new specification that will allow WiFi devices to connect to each other - devices such as mobile phones, cameras, printers, as well as devices such as keyboards and headphones - and that certification is expected to begin mid-next year.
I know. It sounds an awful lot like Bluetooth. But I suspect that this will be better.
The key here is that these devices will operate on a peer-to-peer basis, instead of linking to each other via the WiFi network. In a statement, WI-FI Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa said:
Wi-Fi Direct represents a leap forward for our industry. Â Wi-Fi users worldwide will benefit from a single-technology solution to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily among devices, even when a Wi-Fi access point isn’t available. The impact is that Wi-Fi will become even more pervasive and useful for consumers and across the enterprise.
The new technology will support typical WiFi ranges, which are much greater than Bluetooth, and will be able to tackle bandwidth-hungry tasks, as well. My experiences with Bluetooth have been hit-or-miss - mostly using a mobile phone earpiece, connecting a wireless mouse and transferring files between my Blackberry and laptop.
Funny story: at a tech event recently, I shot a picture on my phone and wanted to upload it to my laptop so I could put it in a blog post. But when I asked my phone (and laptop) to find the other Bluetooth device, I came up with a list of more than a dozen devices within range. Having no idea which of those were mine, I scrapped the file-transfer and just did the photo upload later.
Seeing how WiFi has a broader range and this new specification would allow multiple devices to connect directly with a single device (like an office printer), I imagine the airwaves will become a bit cluttered by devices trying to find each other.
I guess it’s time to start thinking of some cool names for my devices so I can spot them when they’re lined up next to hundreds of others in a crowded office or conference setting.
October 13th, 2009
Smart Planet video: Robotic cells to fight cancer tumors
In the not too distant future, robotic cells may be able to target tumors, and maybe, even kill them. At UCSF, cellular engineer, Wendell Lim has discovered a way to get cells to act as robots. He reprograms them by changing their DNA, and the reprogrammed cells can be ‘trained’ and to act as mules, carrying agents to precise locations.
October 13th, 2009
HP's Touchsmart: A PC, maybe, but cooler as a TV
I think HP may be on to something with its TouchSmart PC. The new TouchSmarts, which are being unveiled today, are technically computers, complete with mouse and keyboard. (For the specs, check out Andrew Nusca’s post.)
But the heart of the device is the screen, specifically a touch screen display that’s populated with apps that include Netflix and Hulu - and that makes it feel a little less like a computer and more like a TV set. 
Stream a Netflix movie or a Hulu sitcom over this screen and suddenly it’s easy to see how close we are to a new age of television, a Web-powered age of television. For years, the PC industry has been talking about bringing the computer into the living room but has never really been able to pull it off.
I’m not saying the TouchSmart is a winner for replacing 50-inch plasma in the living room. But I can see that, through the use of apps, widgets or whatever else we call them, there’s a new experience on the horizon.
The company also highlights the PC as a “digital sign,” the type of screen that could find a home as an interactive touchscreen display - maybe something at the airport that offers travelers information on hotels, car rentals or restaurants or an interactive directory at the shopping mall that not only gives users a route to to the store inside the mall but also an opportunity to learn more about what the store is selling.
In the meantime, I can see this sort of device finding a home in dorm rooms, kitchens and home offices. At $899 and $1,049 for the 20-inch and 23-inch models, respectively, you get both a TV and a PC - which makes it more of a value add.
In the video below, HP’s Mindy Fournier offers a demo of some of the features for the TouchSmarts.
Also see: 3D football, anyone? Intel offers peek at 21st Century television
October 8th, 2009
NASA aiming to shoot the moon
On Friday morning October 9 at 4:31:19 a.m. PDT, NASA plans to have two spacecraft crash into the lunar surface to dig up some moon dust and search for water.
As it races toward the moon, the Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will launch the still-attached upper stage of the Atlas V Centaur rocket to strike the moon first and create a plume of debris that LCROSS will analyze for about four minutes before it gets cratered and creates its own plume. The greatest hope is that scientists will discover water as they search the debris from both impacts.
The crash is not expected to be seen from Earth by the naked eye or binoculars, but is expected to be visible with Earth- and space-based telescopes 10-to-12 inches and larger.
Here’s a look at some of the key images via ZDNet’s NASA ready to shoot the moon gallery:
October 6th, 2009
Can IBM's DNA transistor someday take genetic sequencing mainstream?
IBM Research on Tuesday unveiled plans to create a “DNA transistor” that would result in personalized genetic testing for about $100 to $1,000. If successful, IBM could take genetic testing mainstream.
In other words, your future Best Buy shopping list may look like this: PC, digital camera, video game and DNA testing machine.
For now, IBM is drilling nano-sized holes in computer-like chips and slurping DNA strands through them to read the genetic code. This DNA transistor would slow the DNA long enough to decode it. The main objective: Create personalized genome analysis to better diagnose and treat health ailments.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 6th, 2009
Two bars at home; three at work. Wireless coverage data is going granular
Say goodbye to those no-help coverage maps that the wireless carriers use to show you how great their coverage is from one coast to the other. So hello to granular maps, those that measure the true signal as well as the actual data coverage down to the Google Maps street level.
CNET today is launching Root Coverage, a service with partner Root Wireless to offer an up-close look at actual coverage in eight key U.S. markets: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC and Orange County, Calif.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 1st, 2009
Smart Planet: Electric vehicle charging stations, the new gas pump?
President Obama predicts there will be 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. But what will the infrastructure look like to run these vehicles? Coulomb Technologies CEO Richard Lowenthal is building new network charging stations for electric vehicles and demonstrates how users will be able to one day plug-in their EVs, swipe a debit card, and pay for electricity on-demand.
September 29th, 2009
The new Dell: innovation, not just standards, to attract business customers
Dell is unveiling a new Latitude business notebook computer today but it’s a bit different from what Dell - at least the old Dell - used to represent. When Dell first hit the scene, it made a name for itself by focusing on standardized technology and the business model that allowed customers to pick and choose the extras for their own computer. Innovation wasn’t a word often seen in Dell press releases. Companies like HP and Sony were selling innovation back then; Dell was selling affordable PCs to the masses.
That’s why it’s interesting to see this new Latitude Z, a thin and light notebook that comes with so many cool bells and whistles that the nerdy business types will likely put this one on the top of the must-check-out lists when Windows 7 launches later this month - even with a $2,000 price tag.
I’ll spare you the details on what’s cool and appealing about this particular notebook. My colleague Andrew Nusca gave it a pretty thorough once-over in a post on the ToyBox blog. And galleries can be found here and here.
What I will make note of is that Dell seems to be serious about reinventing itself, especially for business customers.
Dell seems to have recognized that today’s customers are willing to pay a premium for features that increase the efficiency of employees and offer the tools that they need to make their lives and jobs easier. They recognize the value in useful features. Consider this excerpt from Andrew’s post:
… you’ll notice a fingerprint reader and a contactless RFID card scanner (yes, that’s right: security via your company ID) where your palms rest. The 16-inch HD (1600×900) LCD WLED backlit display is topped off with an optional 2-megapixel autofocus webcam and microphone for videoconferencing. In a nod to business types, the Latitude Z comes with Dell Capture Business Card Reader and Document Scanner software, which allows you to hold up a business card or document to the built-in webcam and it will literally pull the information off the photographed document and put it in usable text form, no extra equipment needed… The built-in webcam also works with Dell FaceAware, which locks out others when you step away from the system.
Like Andrew, I like this machine, largely because of the tools mentioned above. And I’m eager to give it a test run - yes, this Mac guy just wrote that - but only if its running Windows 7.
Image Gallery: Dell Latitude Z
Image Gallery: Hands-on with Dell Latitude Z
That brings me to the one thing about today’s launch that confused me.
Why would Dell release this notebook today instead of next month with the release of Windows 7? It ships today with Windows XP or Windows Vista. It will run Windows 7 when Microsoft’s new OS is released. Around the same time, two of the most appealing peripherals - a dock that wirelessly charges the laptop and a wireless device that allows the PC to wirelessly connect to external speakers and displays - will also be released.
I don’t understand why Dell would even bother to offer XP or Vista on this notebook. Is there going to be a market for high-end business notebooks running XP for the next three weeks? I can’t think of any scenario where a business customer will be willing to drop $2,000 for a laptop that’s running an old OS. Let’s put XP and Vista in the history books already. We’ve waited this long for Windows 7. It certainly wouldn’t have killed us to wait a few more weeks for the Latitude Z, running Win7.
Dell should have known that.
September 25th, 2009
Smart People: Virus hunter aims to predict & prevent pandemics
What if we could forecast outbreaks the same way we do hurricanes? Epidemiologist Nathan Wolfe ventures to the far-flung reaches of Africa, China and Asia to track how devastating diseases take hold in human populations and how they might be stopped before becoming widespread. Dr. Wolfe’s most recent win? Helping to solve one of the long-standing medical mysteries surrounding malaria.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.
Subscribe to Between the Lines via Email alerts or RSS.
SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Reducing Server Total Cost of Ownership with VMware Virtualization Software VMware VMware virtualization enables customers to reduce their server TCO and ... Download Now
- Key Strategies for Federal Agencies - Safe and Cost Effective Migration for Legacy Hardware GovConnection The federal government has mandated that federal agencies reduce energy ... Download Now
- Virtualization: Architectural Considerations And Other Evaluation Criteria VMware Of the many approaches to x86 systems virtualization available in the ... Download Now
Recent Entries
- Who’s afraid of the big bad cloud?
- EU extends deadline for review of Oracle-Sun deal
- Mozilla: Still too dependent on Google for revenue; Can it diversify?
- Michael Dell sticks to Windows 7 big bang theory
- Research paints ugly IT employment picture: Almost 2 million jobs gone in 14 years
Blogs From Our Sponsors
Most Popular Posts
- My scareware night and how McAfee lost a customer
- Intel to pay AMD $1.25 billion as companies end litigation war; Is it a new chip era?
- New York AG files antitrust charges against Intel; alleges bribery, coercion
- AT&T sues Verizon Wireless, calls map ad "misleading" but doesn't dispute accuracy
- Android army keeps growing as Dell enlists; Will the mobile OS war follow PC history?
- Oracle: EC has 'profound misunderstanding' of database market; DOJ seems to agree
Top Rated
- Verizon to AT&T: "Our ads are true and the truth hurts"+45 votes
- Yes, Ubuntu can absolutely be the default Windows alternative+42 votes
- L.A. votes to "Go Google"; pressure shifts to Google and the cloud+31 votes
- Intel to pay AMD $1.25 billion as companies end litigation war; Is it a new chip era?+27 votes
- My scareware night and how McAfee lost a customer+25 votes
- New York AG files antitrust charges against Intel; alleges bribery, coercion+24 votes
- Netbooks dead? Not when sales are up 264 percent+21 votes
- AT&T launches Verizon counter-punch ad, keeps digging that hole+14 votes
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- Reduce risk. Reduce complexity. Increase reliability.
-
A simplified IT environment isn't just less complex. It's also more reliable. Standardize on a single Linux platform with SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, and get the world's most interoperable Linux
- Learn more >>
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- New Online Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems.
- Learn more >>
Archives
Favorite Links
Favorite Sites
- Ars Technica
- Deal Journal
- Engadget
- Enterprise Irregulars
- GigaOm
- Google Blogoscoped
- Horses for Sources
- Mac Rumors
- Mashable
- Official Google Blog
- Read/WriteWeb
- Scobleizer
- Seeking Alpha
- TechCrunch
- Techdirt
- Techmeme
- The Ponderings of Woodrow
- The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
- Valleywag
- ZDNet: Latest blogs and news
ZDNet Blogs
- All About Microsoft
- The Apple Core
- Between the Lines
- BriefingsDirect
- Collaboration 2.0
- Dev Connection
- Digital Cameras & Camcorders
- Ed Bott's Microsoft Report
- Emerging Tech
- Enterprise Web 2.0
- Forrester Research
- Googling Google
- GreenTech Pastures
- Hardware 2.0
- Home Theater
- iGeneration
- Irregular Enterprise
- IT Project Failures
- Laptops & Desktops
- Lawgarithms
- Linux and Open Source
- Managing L'unix
- The Mobile Gadgeteer
- On Sustainability
- Rational Rants
- The Semantic Web
- Service Oriented
- Smartphones and Cell Phones
- Social Business
- Social CRM: The Conversation
- Software & Services Safari
- Software as Services
- Storage Bits
- Team Think
- Tech Broiler
- Technology and the Global Supply Chain
- Tom Foremski: IMHO
- The ToyBox
- Virtually Speaking
- The Web Life
- ZDNet Education
- ZDNet Government
- ZDNet Healthcare
- Zero Day
White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Why Isn't Server Virtualization Saving Us More? A Few Small Changes May Dramatically Increase Your Efficiency VMware Companies have rapidly adopted server virtualization over the past few ... Download Now
- Email Security and Archiving - Clearer in the Cloud Google The time is NOW for businesses and organizations of all sizes to implement ... Download Now
- Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Iinfrastructure VMware VMware virtualization software has been adopted by over 120,000 enterprise ... Download Now
SmartPlanet
- Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
- More from IBM
-
- Can your business work smarter? Learn more about Lotus Symphony
- Learn how to work smarter and optimize cost using the IBM Smart SOA approach Download the eBook
- Smarter ways to make smarter products Read the brief from IBM
