Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 163

Animation of Curiosity’s 1st “Touch and Go” Maneuver

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving in the US, Curiosity performed her “touch and do” maneuver. This was the process whereby the rover drove up to and inspected an interesting looking rock using the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) on its arm, then moved onto the next point of interest on the same day.

This latest maneuver now puts Curiosity inside the ‘Glenelg’ geologic formation. The NASA science team selected this as the first major science destination because it lies at the intersection of three diverse types of geological areas that will help unlock the secrets of Mars’ ancient watery history and evolution to modern times.

 

In honor of this event, NASA scientists created a animation of the maneuver using the same software they do to plan the rover’s movements. Beginning with the examination it made using its arm sensor, the animation then shows (with painful accuracy) the rover making the 25.3 meter (83 foot) transit to its next location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using finger as mouse pointer - future of computing

Reblogged from Tech Conference - Living In Future:

Tired of using physical mouse? Then this device is for you.

Read more… 175 more words

How did I miss this? Thanks Tech Con!

The Future is Here: The Health Monitoring Patch

In recent years, there have been quite a few exciting developments in the field of medicine, which have included such things as medical implants which can deliver drugs, and even tiny medimachines which can navigate the human bloodstream. But as it turns out, flexible skin-mounted electronic patches might also be the way of the future.

Much like a temporary tattoo, these devices will be slapped on a patient’s skin and be able to monitor their vitals and attend to their medical needs remotely, sending information to either a portable computer, server, or even their doctor’s office. Combined with a specialized implant that delivers drugs, we could be looking at a future where truly hands-free medical technology is available.

Such a concept was unveiled a little over a year ago at the University of Illinois, where researchers were working to develop what they called the “smart skin” patch. Paper thin, flexible, and virtually transparent, the device platform includes electronic components, medical diagnostics, communications, and human-machine interfacing on a patch so thin and durable it can be mounted to skin much like a temporary tattoo.

According to John A. Rogers, an engineering professor at Illinois University, his team “threw everything in our bag of tricks onto that platform”, including LEDs, transistors, wireless antennas, sensors, and conductive coils and solar cells, just to demonstrate that it could work. The current design features such as EEG and EMG sensors that track nerves and muscles, something that tends to be limited to a lab given the number of electrodes and wires involved. And the patch itself, mounted on a thin sheet of water-soluble plastic before being laminated to skin with water, can be applied not only like a temporary tattoo, but even on top of a temporary tattoo to help conceal it.

But the real accomplishment here, according to engineering professor Yonghang Huang, whose group was charged with mechanics and materials questions, is the blurring of electronics and biology. “All established forms of electronics are hard, rigid,” he said. “Biology is soft, elastic. It’s two different worlds. This is a way to truly integrate them.” The next step for Rogers and his team is commercialization, which they are already trying to do through his own device company, mc10. The researchers hope to soon add Wi-Fi capability in subsequent models, giving it the ability to communicate with remote servers and computers.

Naturally, the issue of privacy is a concern. If a patient’s medical information is being broadcast by a remote device, will it therefore be obtainable by hackers or third parties who might be interested? And if your medical information is being broadcast directly to a doctor’s office, might this be a potential basis for “Big Brother” bio-monitoring. But like with all medical technology, these devices won’t be available to patients without prior consent, in an attempt to ensure patient rights.

And for people who are suffering from life-threatening or degenerative conditions, it could mean the difference between life and death. Just think of it, terminally-ill patients, seniors or individuals with severe allergies are given this patch. The moment they begin to have a reaction, heart attack, or some other brush with death, EMT’s are notified without the need for calling 911.

But of course, the technology is still in it’s infancy and we can expect any such issues to be debated as it nears completion. In the meantime, it is exciting news just to see how far and fast the field of biotechnology has come in recent years!

Game of Thrones Season 3 Teaser Trailer

HBO has just released its first teaser trailer for the upcoming season of GOT Season 3. And I do mean a teaser, seeing as how the video is only fifteen lousy seconds of voice over and not a single shot of footage! Damn cable networks, always messing with our heads. And while we’re on the subject, why do they take so long to produce new seasons of our favorite shows? One would think they had to deal with more constrictive budgets, bigger and tougher production schedules, and more complex story lines. Oh wait… they do. Never mind!

Anyway, according to the video, Season 3 will be premiering in March 31st of 2013. And though there is not a great deal of footage from the new season forthcoming, there have been plenty of news releases regarding casting, filming locations, and other production details. For example, filming wrapped up just four days ago in Iceland, one of the prime locations for season 3 since much of the story takes place in the North, in and around “The Wall”. Other shoots were located in Northern Ireland, setting for the North, Croatia, which provided the scenery for Kings Landing, and Morocco, which acts as the setting for the East and the great cities of Slaver’s Bay.

The following new cast members have also been announced:

Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling raider
Thomas Sangster as Jojen Reed and Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, two young Crannogman siblings, children of Howland Reed, a Stark bannerman
Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother
Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, the “Blackfish”, Catelyn’s uncle
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse (Florent) Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon’s wife (the character, played by an unnamed extra, briefly appeared in the second season’s episode “The North Remembers”)
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon, their daughter
Diana Rigg as Olenna (Redwyne) Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns”, Margaery and Loras Tyrell’s grandmother
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the “Brotherhood Without Banners” (the character, played by David Michael Scott, briefly appeared in the first season’s episode “A Golden Crown”)
Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr, a red priest with the Brotherhood
Philip McGinley as Anguy, an archer with the Brotherhood
Mackenzie Crook as Orell Skinchanger, a Wildling
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, a Naathi servant of Daenerys Targaryen
Anton Lesser as Qyburn, a former maester of the Citadel
Iwan Rheon as “Boy”
Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”. Dominic West was offered the part of Mance Rayder, but turned it down.
Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, a Tyroshi mercenary captain
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, a eunuch soldier, captain of the ‘Unsullied’
Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Naklaz, a wealthy slaver of the Ghiscari city of Astapor.
Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl ze Ghezn, a captain of a notorious company of sellswords known as the ‘Stormcrows’

Other new characters will include Vargo Hoat, the leader of the mercenary group “Bloody Mummers”. The musicians Will Champion of Coldplay and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol will make cameo appearances.

And of course, there were plenty of picture leaked, released, and phoned in from the sets. A simple Google search will turn up thousands, I’m sure. In the meantime, watch the trailer and be prepared for more to follow as we near the launch date of GOT Season 3!

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 11

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

-William Faulkner

A terrible taste was on his lips when he came to. His face was drenched and cold, and the moisture ran down the length of his chest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to dispel the lingering image in his mind. He couldn’t quite remember what it was, but the faint impression left behind was horrid. Something made entirely out of black, grey, and dead whites. Always the pale, terrible, milky whites…

When he opened his eyes again he saw where he was, and quietly cursed. Back in a hospital bed in the VA building. Back in the room where it had all begun to go terribly wrong. His stump lay on his left side while his right arm was cuffed at the wrist. He moaned as he pulled against it, knowing that it had been attached “for his own safety”.

Dezba began to sob as the terrible truth of his situation struck him. Like most men who passed through the hospital on a regular basis, he now knew that there were no injuries that ran so deep that one couldn’t add insult to them and make them seem even worse. He knew what he wanted, what he need to make the images and the bad taste go away. But they were all beyond his reach.

Another terrible realization his him, not so much of the existential variety as just a simple observation. He was terribly hung over, his head hurting so much that it felt like it might split in two. His urge to grab a hold of some fresh whiskey quickly diminished, replaced by the burning desire for some painkillers. Oxy, Vicodin, codeine… hell, he’d take two large aspirin and a glass of water right now. Anything to stop the terrible throbbing in his forehead.

He amended his earlier conclusion. There were no injuries that ran so deep that one couldn’t add a hangover on top of it and make it seem that much worse.

A tap at the door brought him back to the present. Slowly, he looked up to see Doc Walker standing in the doorway, a gentle smile of his face.

“Hello, Sergeant. Are you feeling alright?”

Dezba groaned and put his head back down. He had been awake less than five minutes, and already it didn’t seem like his day could possibly get any worse. He dared not say that aloud, as he was sure the universe would find a way…

“You gave us all quite a fright last night. EMT’s said you were screaming. They thought you might be in severe pain.”

Dezba turned his head away and continued to breath deep. The pain in his head seem to get worse with every exhalation, not better.

“However, they brought you by when they realized who you were. Good thing too, no telling what might have happened if they had brought you to the regular hospital.“

Dezba turned his head the other way to face the doc. “Why is that?”

“Because they might have assumed you were suffering from phantom limb and dosed you with morphine. I doubt you were cognizant enough to explain your allergies.”

Dezba rolled that one over in his mind and realized the doc was right. He could scarcely remember what had happened the night before. He remembered being at the bar, talking to Grizzly. Things had gotten a little heated, if he remembered right. Then blackness…

“Shit…” he said, the terrible possibilities hitting him. Why had he been dragged from the bar, blacked out and screaming? What had he done? Taking another deep breath, he asked shamefully. “What did I do?”

“Do?” Walker said, surprised. “You didn’t do anything, except collapse in a men’s room. However, I suspect something far more harmful was happening inside your mind.” He looked deep into Dezba’s eyes, peering over the edge of his glasses.

Slowly, some other things began to trickle back. He remembered getting up from the bar, stumbling into the men’s room. Something about the way the light hit him seemed horribly harsh and unpleasant. And the smell, the terrible smell…

“Oh God…” he cried. The doc reached beside the bed and pulled up the bucket that lay there in a hurry. Just in time to catch Dezba as he leaned his head over the side and began shooting a stream of vomit. The first wave was small, but soon, the spasms in his stomach and the spinning in his head took over. Total body convulsions set in and his entire being was dedicated to ejecting all the poisons it had accumulated inside. By the third volley, the Doc undid his arm restrain so he could lean over the bedframe unhindered.

A pause set in after the fifth body spasm. He had nothing left within him, but it still seemed to want to get something out.

“Oh God…” he moaned. His breathing was quick and frantic. His head throbbed horribly now, his entire body shaking and cold. His eyes slid shut again and everything around him proceeding in through a series of sharp, deafening sounds.

The bucket landed on the floor. The doc ran frantically around the bed. Then his skin registered a warm, soothing touch as a wool blanket was draped over his shoulders. Then the doc was before him again, moving his hand around in a circle on his back.

“It’s okay, Sergeant. It’s going to be okay…”

Maybe it was just because he was so drained, so helplessly dependent right now. But for some reason, he believed him. Whatever else could be said about his predicament and his surroundings, at the moment, he felt safe and warm there. It was about the only time he had felt that way, lying in this place of grey memories and grey faces.

Slowly, he rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. The lime green paint stared back at him and felt just the oddest bit… colorful. It was the first time he had noticed that about it.

“Can you drink some water?”

He moaned in response. The doc patted him on the shoulder.

“Alright. I’ll get an IV. You just stay put and push your button if you feel the need to throw up again.”

He moaned again, this time more pleasantly. The ceiling began to spin above him, but he still felt remarkably more calm now. The panic that was gripping him before had receded. A strange sensation, and his mind refused to retrace it. But he knew where it had come from. The memory itself was as powerful and visceral as a bullet wound…

He closed his eyes. The darkness began to take him again, but this time it wasn’t so foul. It would return, he knew. It always did. But for the moment, he was safe and warm, and had company he was thankful for…

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 10

“Being in the army is like being in the Boy Scouts, except that the Boy Scouts have adult supervision.”

-Blake Clark

It was undeniable. Despite the arrival of fresh barbeque, fires, and a generous helping of beer, the mood was still a little cool. Braun couldn’t help but think that their hosts were visiting every courtesy on them, but it seemed a little obligatory. Few people from town had chosen to walk amongst them and join in the festivities, and most seemed to be supervised.

Luckily, a few beers managed to drown most of that sentiment. And the bbq’d wings, thighs and ribs were a lovely accompaniment, rubbed down with some kind of spice paste that gave it a real kick, and then served up in tinfoil. The townspeople were kind enough to throw in some half-corn on the cobs and a little dressing just to be especially nice.

Settled in the compound where they had parked their vehicles, there was scarcely a grunt around who wasn’t enjoying themselves. But the few Taos residents who had shown up to distribute the food didn’t seem too happy to be here. She almost like the woman who served her was looking at her with contempt when she came to their vehicle earlier.

If they knew about the deal the Mayor and the LT had struck this morning, would they treat us any different, she wondered.

She looked across the compound and spotted second squad’s Humvee, where one of his riflemen was showing his rifle to one of the townspeople’s kids. The clip was removed, but that didn’t rule out one in the chamber. Like everyone else, the Private in question had had a couple beers. What’s more, she didn’t see the kids parent anywhere, no one standing nearby raising a fuss or watching with a burning look of anxiety in their eyes.

She jumped off the hood of her Humvee and sets her boots into the cobbled ground, heading over to talk some sense into the man. She was quick to seize the weapon as soon as she was within range, and ripped it from the child’s grip.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Relax, ma’am, it’s unloaded,” he said, too casually.

She checked the chamber, and out came a .556, clattering to the ground with a tiny, deafening ping. The Private closed his eyes and took a deep breath, knowing he was right fucked. The child began to cry as well, possibly due to the fact that Saunders had whipped the gun from his hands so suddenly. She ignored the child as best she could and focused on the grunt.

“What the hell’s your name, Private?”

“Baker…” he muttered. He looked to the child, who was growing louder and winced.

“Well, Baker, where’s your NCO?”

“Uh…” he had to raise his voice over the sound of the child screaming now. Saunders plugged her one ear and tried to separate the low sound of voice from the background screeching that had become the child’s wailing.

“Sergeant Tate, ma’am… think he was over getting seconds…”

She raised her finger to him. “One sec. Where is this goddamned child’s mother!”

“Liam!” a voice yelled from their side. A woman ran up to the crate Baker had been sitting on, the boy next to him, and snatched him away. She began running her fingers through the boy’s blonde hair, then turned her baleful eyes on Saunders. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing, ma’am, your son was just looking at this man’s rifle. I was trying to make sure it was -”

“How can you people let a child touch your weapons? Are you that careless?”

Saunders felt her cheeks go warm. Perhaps it was the beer, but she felt a sudden spike of anger that prompted her to respond.

“Ma’am, he’s your child. Why are you letting him wander around unsupervised?”

That made the woman become ever more baleful. “I was asked to make sure you and your lot here were served, I didn’t ask to be here. I also didn’t ask to lose my husband and my older son in the fields last year. It’s because of that I can’t leave Liam here at home. Where were you people then, hmm? Aren’t you supposed to be protecting us?”

Saunders felt a sudden pang of regret, not to mention an overwhelming desire to end the conversation. She raised a hand and began to plead for silence.

“Ma’am, please… please…” But it was not to be. Holding her child close to her breast, she began looking around the compound, tilting her sharp nose at everything and everyone.

“You act like you’re here keeping us safe and we have to open our homes to you for it, but where were you when those monsters were taking our families from us? Why should we be welcoming you when all we do is fend for ourselves?”

She felt boots come up from behind. She turned quickly and was surprised to see Braun standing there, startling and flustering her a little.

“Sergeant, is there a problem over here?”

She quietly cleared her throat and dredged up the righteous mad she’d been working with before his sudden arrival. She only needed to speak the words to get it smouldering again, and when she was finished, it was back to a good solid burn.

“I was in the course of disciplining the private here over inproper weapon safety, sir. This boy’s mother heard me talking to him and came to retrieve him…” She wasn’t sure how to explain the rest. “Then… we had a bit of a misunderstanding.”

“I see…” he replied with a nod. Clearly, he grasped the subtext of the situation. And like a good officer, he stepped in to deal with it. “Ma’am, is your boy alright?”

The lady scoffed and turned her sharp nose to him. “Yes, no thanks to your people, here!”

“Ma’am, I can assure you, the Sergeant had the best intentions. And the Private here, he’s just had a few and might have been temporarily negligent. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”

“You’re right!” she said with a huff. “Because I’m going home. You’re men can serve themselves. And you can expect the Town Council will be hearing of this.”

She quickly stormed out of the compound. She was followed closed behind by several of the other people who had come by to distribute their meal. They did not appear to walking off in solidarity as much as following her to find out what was wrong. She doubted they would be coming back though. As for those who had stayed, she doubted they would be around much longer. If she thought it seemed chilly before, it would be downright glacial now.

Speaking of which, Braun turned to her and looked less than pleased. He took one look at Baker, who still looked like a man who knew he was about to be shit on.

“So… now that that’s taken care of, could someone explain to me what happened… from the beginning?”

“Sir, I-” Baker started. Braun quickly cut him off.

“Zip it, Private! You’ll get your turn.”

Baker promptly shut up. Braun looked at Saunders again, his eyes cool and hard. Saunders began again, and was sure to include all the salient points.

“Sir, the Private was showing the child his weapon. He had removed the mag, but I suspect he forgot to check the chamber. I confiscated his rifle and checked for myself.”

Braun looked that ground. She suspected he already saw the round at her feet, sitting there between the cracks of two stones. Still, he asked.

“Was there a round in it?”

Saunders considered lying for a second. He already knew, but for the sake of Baker… was there anything to be gained in humiliating him further?

“I’m not sure, sir. The lady interrupted us before I could complete the inspection.”

“I see,” he said. He looked to the rifle, lying up against the Humvee and took it in hand. A quick click-clack determined that the chamber was empty, and he handed it to Saunders.

“Where is the Private’s squad leader?”

“Also undetermined, sir.”

Braun bristled. The cool look in his eyes gave way to flames. Turning his head slightly, he addressed the Private without looking.

“Private Baker, you are restricting to your bunk for the remainder of the evening. You ever do anything as dumb as let a child handle your weapon, loaded or not, I will personally fuck you in the eye!”

Baker stood and came to attention. “Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed!”

Baker held his rigid poise, desperately trying to overcompensate for the way his body wanted to sag. Plodding away, he made his way out of the compound and into the hostel, where he would stay for the night, forced to listen as his squad mates partied and enjoyed hot food and cold drink. For a moment, Saunders and Braun just stood there, not a word passing between them. She worried he was waiting to direct the balance of his ire at her. But until he dismissed her, she couldn’t leave.

“Sir, I -”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” he said. “I might have need of you later, but for now, you are dismissed.”

He was very cool in how he said, but she knew what he meant and suppressed a smile. Good to know he wasn’t terribly pissed at her at any rate.

“Yes, sir.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to find a certain Sergeant Tate and tear his head off.”

“Yes, sir,” she said again. They snapped out salutes and she turned to leave, making her way back to 1st squad’s Humvee and her foil wrap of half-eaten chicken and beef.

As she approached, she caught sight of Mill sitting on the roof. Majorca and Whitman sat below and waved to her when they saw her approaching.

“Eh, boss lady!” said Whitman, raising his beer. “Where’d you get off to there?”

“Yeah, looked like there was some kind of drama that way. We in the shitter with the LT?”

She looked at Mill and shook her head. “Minor misunderstanding with one of the townsfolk. One of 2nd squad’s goons fucked up.”

“Oh, the retard squad!” Whitman yelled, loud enough to be heard. He caught sight of a finger from across the courtyard and waved back to them.

“Nothing the LT won’t fix,” she went on. “But we might be getting a chillier reception when we walk the wall tomorrow.”

“Fucking people,” said Whitman. “What the hell do they want from us anyway? Did you see the way they looked at us when we came rolling in? It’s like that look people give cops. You know what I mean? It’s like, ‘you’re never here when we need you, but when you do show up, we do nothing but bitch and complain at you’.”

Majorca laughed. “Since when did you have any love for cops?”

“Shut up! I was a law abiding teen, I didn’t do no B and E’s like my bros. Besides, I got a newfound respect for them, seeing things from the other side like this.”

Mill jumped in again. “Same old civy talk, man. They say they don’t want us and don’t need us one second. Next second, they act like we should have been here in the first place and didn’t need permission.”

“Goddamned mixed messages! Like dealing with a damn woman!” Whitman looked at Saunders with a sudden look of fear. “Uh, no offense ma’am!”

“None taken, dickhead.” She looked around again and noticed the absence of Tomlin. “Where’s the FNG?”

The others looked back and forth at each other. One by one, they began to reconstruct his whereabouts from what they remembered.

“Uh, didn’t he wander off, say he was going to make a move at the lovely young girl who came walking by?”

“Yeah, when was that? An hour ago?”

“Shit, you don’t think he got an invite back to her place, do you?”

“Who knows? Fucking eh if he did!”

“People here hate us, but that fucking white bread shit gets some anyhow? What the fuck is up with that?”

Saunders rolled her eyes. Months spent in the same barracks, the same mess halls, the same vehicle… and she was still the token girl in the boy’s clubhouse. Eventually, they looked back up to her to announce their findings.

“Sorry, ma’am. I think he snuck off.”

“Well, as long as he’s back for curfew and doesn’t do anything stupid, this night can’t get worse.”

Whitman laughed and raised his beer. “Oh, we can do plenty that’s stupid right here!”

His bottle held high, Whitman ran to the middle of the compound where the fires burned in some old oil drums. A second later, she noticed his pants falling to the ground, his belt apparently having been left unbuckled. Some men from other squads formed around him and began administering spanks and pretending to grind on him. Whitman continued to hoot and holler, shouting some carefully crafted obscenities involving gay porn and a good old fashion “field fuck”.

Saunders laughed. What else could she do?

The End of HIV?

Since it was first observed clinically in 1981, HIV and AIDS have come to be viewed as one of the most deadly and infectious diseases in history, exceeded only by the Bubonic Plague and Smallpox. As of 2010, it was estimated that roughly 34 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, an increase of close to three million from the previous year. And although accurate statistics are sometimes difficult to come by, due to the fact that motrality rates are especially high in underdeveloped regions of sub-Saharan Africa, it is widely believed that anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million people die every year as a result of the disease.

However, researchers at Caltech have been working on a potential solution which may eventually lead to the development of an HIV vaccine. In recent years, biologists have identified a strain of antibodies that are capable of neutralizing most strains of HIV. Led by Nobel Laureate David Baltimore, the Caltech research team is experimenting with introducing these antibodies into test subjects (lab mice) to see if it would act as an effective barrier to infection.

The approach, known as Vectored ImmunoProphylaxis (VIP), is essentially an inversion of the traditional vaccination method. Previously, researchers would focus on designing substances that activate the immune system so as to block infection via antibodies or attack infected cells via T cells. The VIP approach differs in that it provides protective antibodies from the start, thereby ensuring that the HIV virus is killed before it can develop into AIDS, and providing a respite for the immune system which is usually called on to do the work.

And so far, the results have been encouraging. After introducing the antibodies into a series of lab mice, the researchers found that the mice were then able to generate a high concentration of the antibodies throughout their circulatory systems. When they then proceeded to introduce the HIV virus intravenously to the mice, the antibodies protected them from infection.

Naturally, there were concerns going in that human bodies might not react in the same way as the mices’, either in terms of their production of the antibodies or their resistance to infection. However, Baltimore and his team were sure to use mice which have been known to be more susceptible to the HIV virus than others, and administered doses of the virus that were well in excess of what would be needed to lead to infection. In the end, they introduced the mice to 125 nanograms of the virus, 100 times what would be required to cause infection, and yet still the mice were protected.

For those living with HIV, this is exciting news! Though it does not represent a cure for those already carrying the infection, it does mean that future generations can live without fear of the contracting the terrible disease. What’s more, those who have it will no longer have to fear passing it on, either through sexual intercourse to their partner, or through pregnancy to their children. Yes, with continued testing and some eventual human trials, HIV may very well come to share the same fate as Polio, Tetanus amd Typhoid, diseases which were once considered terribly infectious, fatal, and untreatable.

Source: news.cnet.com

“A Day Made of Glass”: The Future of Touchscreens

Earlier this week, I came across some interesting news regarding the creation of flexible, paper-thin displays. Known as AMOLED technology, companies like Samsung, Sony, Nokia, and other communication giants were all working towards the development of digital devices that would be controlled through manipulation and not touch. In addition, they would thinner and lighter than any and all previous digital devices, and virtually immune to destruction.

Well it seems that touch screens are not to be outdone yet. In the midst of all the fanfare about the future of communications and information technology, a company by the name of Corning had its own vision of things to come. In their world, display screens can and will be built into panes of what they call “Gorilla Glass”. These panes could be the screen on your next smartphone, or the window in your bathroom, the panels in your car, on a wall in the street, or the basis of portable computing.

Just imagine, information kiosks on the street made out of large panels of illuminated glass, tablets that are less than a centimeter thick and completely transparent, and a handheld mirror that can also receive text messages, email and incoming calls. Much like flexible displays, this sounds like something out of a truly awesome science fiction novel, or a somewhat awesome Hollywood approximation thereof.

For some time, speculative writers have predicted that the future of computing will lie in “smart surfaces” and “smart materials” that are composed of computers and displays so tiny, that any flat surface can be made into a dynamic display device or interface. Once again, it seems that reality is catching up to fiction, and not a moment too soon either! I don’t know about you, but it’s nice to learn about technological innovation that doesn’t evoke feelings of dystopia or apocalypticism.

Check out the video below to see what Corning has in mind and how they will likely effect future generations and how they interact with their everyday environment:

China’s First Aircraft Carrier Landing

China has been featured quite a bit in the news lately due to the rapid pace of its industrial, urban and technological development. However, one area which has not ceased to garner attention has been the parallel growth in its military industries. Whether it is the development of digital soldiers, stealth fighters, or naval vessels, any movement in these areas is bound to make analysts and defense planners in the West nervous.

For example, last year China finished the aircraft carrier which it had purchased fourteen years ago from the Ukraine, an aged Soviet-era vessel that they renamed the Liaoning. However, as Wired magazine columnist David Axe reported, the carrier was “a piece of junk”, and therefore not worth stressing over. Thought its engines were running and it was outfitted with the latest in anti-aircraft artillery, it was still an old model that was not up to the latest western standards.

But just two days ago, China managed to make its first aircraft carrier-based landing, a move which demonstrates that not only is the carrier sea worthy, but capable of deploying combat-ready planes into the Pacific. After deploying from its naval base in Northern China, the Liaoning began conducting take-off and landing drills using a J-15 fighter, a Chinese variant on the Russian SU-33 Flanker D. After performing a successful takeoff from the carrier, the fighter managed to circle back and perform a perfect landing. This was part of a series of exercises designed to test the aircraft carrier’s capabilities as part of China’s ongoing efforts to enhance their navy and “protect national sovereignty” at sea.

Naturally, the news has some people worried, as this development comes at a time when China is engaged in some territorial disputes with Japan over control of several islands in the East China Sea. What’s more, the Liaoning’s deployment took place amidst rumors that China is in the process of building its own carriers, which are expected to be ready by 2015. However, given the fact that the US still boasts a technological and numerical edge, and China is still several years away from deploying a fully combat-effective aircraft carrier the Pacific, few people are genuinely frightened.

In the end, all sides agree that this is a largely symbolic achievement on China’s part, and an indication that it is joining the ranks of global powerhouses in more ways than one.

Source: Huffington Post

ROSA: A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Short

Just came across this on Wired.com, a sci-fi short about a futuristic cyborg assassin that is tasked with restoring the world’s ecosystems. That’s the basic premise of ROSA, the brain child of resident Jesús Orellana, an amateur director based in Barcelona who released this movie to the world last year. After premiering at the Seattle International Film Festival, the shortplayed at Screamfest, Toronto After Dark, Anima Mund and Sitges International Film Festival.

The story follows the exploits of Rosa, a beautiful cyborg whose appearance calls to mind such archetypes as Trinity, Cortana and a little Halle Berry thrown in for good measure. After waking from her cryochamber, she finds a world that is stark and lifeless, and sets out to accomplish her mission. As part of the “Kernel Project”, she was designed to help restore the Earth’s to its former glory. But soon, she discovers that she is not the only one awakened to the horror of the modern world…

Needless to say, the video is both eye-popping and downright impressive, especially when you consider one mind created it from the comfort of his basement. In addition to the kick-ass fight scenes, detailed environments and rich subtext, the video has some great production value going on! After making the rounds in 2011, the video came to the attention of the Raymond Brothers and Scott Glassgold, three Los Angeles based producers who are now developing it into a full-length live-action movie. No word yet on when it will be out, but if the source material is any indication, it ought to be great!