Weekly Tech Summary 3

Big news:

First maps made of functional connections between single neurons and ganglial cells in the retina
These should enable us to better understand the neural computations underlying low-level vision, make retinal implants, etc. They were made with the use of a sensor technology allowing hundreds of neurons to be recorded simultaneously, at high speed.

Researchers report:

We’ve made adult stem cells that don’t age in culture
Previous efforts to use adult stem cells for medical applications have been hindered by the inability to grow more stem cells outside your body. This should make it possible for fewer stem cells to be extracted from your body, and then effectively used to help treat numerous illnesses.

Carnegie Mellon researchers unleash Never-Ending Language Learning system on the internet
It goes through the web attempting to ‘read’ facts from hundreds of millions of web pages and tries to improve its own reading competence. I’m glad to see that large-scale AI work is still being done, but perhaps I wouldn’t do it quite this way.

Cheap webcams can measure your pulse
A student has demonstrated that you can get accurate measurements from a cheap webcam, like the one in your laptop.

Researchers have produced a mobius strip out of DNA
Using DNA origami techniques they were able to demonstrate the versatility of our current nanotech capabilities. They hope to eventually apply this technology to the development of senors, nanolithography, drug delivery methods and nanoelectronics.

Industry reports:

AudioScope can ‘zoom in’ a single conversation in a crowded sports stadium
Using a circular array of 300 microphones physicist in a new startup company can hear individual conversations in a crowded sports stadium. They’ve been working with sports teams to test the technology out and the response has been positive. Check out the link for a video of the technology at work.

New Toshiba 3D TVs work without glasses
They demonstrated two models at a conference in Japan, one 20in (1280×720) and another 12in (466×350). The displays project nine different perspectives, and achieve a 3D effect within a 40 degree viewing angle in front of the display (also requiring people to be at a specific distance from the displays).

Tech CEOs tell the Obama how to save $1 trillion over the next 10 years
The Technology CEO council has submitted its report suggesting that the government should: consolidate its IT infrastructure, streamline its supply chains, reduce its energy use and move many of its services online.

NTT DoCoMo demos small, stylish augmented reality wearable displays for use with (Japanese) cellphones
The displays can be clipped onto glasses, and they’re being pitched for use in museums and other tourist attractions to help people navigate and display information about the outside world.

On the horizon:

EUCRIO now provides cryonics services to members of the EU
It will provide cryonics transportation services to members of the EU, and will start full operations on the first of November. Note that it won’t actually be storing any patients – only Alcor, Cryonics Institute and KrioRus do that.

New ‘electrofluidic’ display technology can merge low power (Kindle) and high fidelity (iPad) markets
Should be appearing in a few years, and would enable color images and video with the same power consumption as the Kindle’s digital ink screen.

Hackers can manipulate the powergrid to make money or cause blackouts
Information relayed between substations is not secure, and could be intercepted and modified to change power prices and possibly trigger circuit breakers and cause cascading blackouts.