research

Losing a Smartphone Can Cost You More Than You Bargain For

March 13, 2012 by noemi

Losing your smartphone sucks at best. There is always the issue of maybe having paid an arm and a leg for it. Then there are your phone numbers, messages, photos, videos, and whatever else may be stored on the phone. If you think about it, this data can be even more valuable than the actual price of the phone.

If Symantec‘s recent study is anything to go by, we all ought to be more worried about that hidden cost of losing a smartphone. [Read more…] about Losing a Smartphone Can Cost You More Than You Bargain For

Employers Prefer Facebook to IQ Tests

March 8, 2012 by noemi

Facebook vs IQ Test

So you think your Facebook is locked down to the point that your employer (current and prospective) will not have access to your life. This issue has long been raised and discussed, with people making sure that “incriminating” photos are not accessible to those who are not supposed to see them. Of course, there will always be loopholes. And it really is not all about photos anymore.

With the way things are going, it seems that employers now prefer Facebook to IQ tests in evaluating employees! [Read more…] about Employers Prefer Facebook to IQ Tests

Entorhinal Cortex: Remember That If You Want to Strengthen Your Memory

February 9, 2012 by noemi

Strengthen Memory — Alzheimers Stimulation

I have been called forgetful so many times that I do not remember how often it has happened. I have to admit that I do have my Dory ((Finding Nemo)) moments. I am sure you have yours, too. How many times have you forgotten where you have put your keys? I bet you have forgotten where you have parked your car as well. These things do happen to ordinary people, and there is nothing we can do about it. Or is there? [Read more…]

Real Life RoboCop Coming Soon to a Traffic Light Near You

December 5, 2011 by noemi

Some of you may be too young to be amazed at RoboCop, but those of my generation will feel a slight thrill of excitement every time RoboCop is mentioned. And if you are totally clueless as to who/what RoboCop is, check it on IMDB. It’s a sci-fi movie which was released in 1987, with the main character being a policeman who gets killed. After his death, he gets the full sci-fi treatment and returns as a cyborg.

What we just might see in the future is not a murdered policeman turned cyborg, though, but technology that will enable people working in the law enforcement and security sector to have capabilities similar to what RoboCop had. The technology is basically augmented reality software and is being developed by Appear and Ryerson University’s Flybits. Appear is a mobile application platform provider in Sweden and Flybits is an R&D group based in Canada. [Read more…] about Real Life RoboCop Coming Soon to a Traffic Light Near You

Israelis Convert Road Traffic to Electric Power

July 20, 2011 by noemi

When was the last time you got stuck in traffic as thick as molasses? If you live in a city like Manila (Philippines), and you are on the road everyday, then you have probably experienced some of the most irritating, road rage-inducing traffic jams. Truth be told, many major cities in the world are known for their awful traffic flow. That’s just part of urban living. You either bear it or move to the boondocks.

But what if something good can be harnessed from heavy traffic? Something like electricity, which is always a welcome thing. Scientists from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel might be on to something. ((Source)) The basic idea is so simple that it is brilliant: create a road that will generate electrical power when vehicles pass over it.

The underlying science is not new, and you’ve probably encountered it before – piezo electricity. It is the same principle on which products such as self-charging touchscreen gadgets are based. This time, though, the project is on a much larger scale and arguably a more practical application.

The electricity-producing road has no name yet, but what the scientists have done is to place the piezo electric pads under a layer of tarmac – the surface which comes into contact with the tires of the vehicles. With the pressure of the vehicles and their movement as well, the pads are triggered and collect the energy that is produced. This energy is converted to electricity, which can be used to power practically anything.

The issue now is how many pads are need to supply power needs. So far, the tests show that many pads have to be placed over a span of hundreds of meters. More so, more power is generated when vehicles pass over the pads at fast speeds. That blows the idea of traffic jams being useful, doesn’t it?

While the tests show that street lamps can be powered by this set up, it is not inconceivable to generate more power in the future. Israeli scientists are continuing to study and test the setup to develop it for more applications. If this succeeds, then our dependence on fossil fuels might come to an end. A pretty, pretty thought!