Technology

23andMe, Inc., the industry leader in personal genetics, today announced a substantial reduction in price for its Personal Genome Service(TM), democratizing personal genetics and expanding the opportunity for more people to benefit from the genetic revolution. Effective immediately, 23andMe is offering its service for US$399. 23andMe is able to offer the reduced price thanks to technological advancements made by the company that provides its DNA scanning technology, Illumina, Inc. In addition, 23andMe also unveiled today the expansion of its custom genotyping content along with new social…

Is it eavesdropping when your ISP sells your web surfing habits to advertisers? Lawyers and legislators are debating whether such practices violate the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, designed to keep phone companies for listening in on their customer's phone calls. We would all probably find it creepy if AT&T were listening in on our phone calls, but I'll venture that fewer people care about someone watching our web-surfing habits. Technology tends to produce ethical gray areas. Maybe you don't care that AT&T keeps a record of the web sites you visited, but you probably…

In HDTV, increased resolution and picture clarity brings with it an increased volume of data so the tiniest disruptions could mean a distortion in the picture or a loss in signal entirely. An extension of the H.264/AVC format called SVC (scalable video coding) claims to fix that. Protecting data packets so they are not at risk during transmission poses a serious problem for developers of video coding techniques. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI in Berlin are therefore working to improve standardized video coding techniques such as…

As if things weren’t tough enough for premature babies who have tubes down their throats and noses to survive, once the tubes are removed, they are often unable to take nourishment orally — that is, suck. But 20 tube-fed preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome treated with the NTrainer, a therapeutic device patented by the University of Kansas, rapidly learned to suck far better and transitioned to oral feeding faster than a control group of babies with the syndrome. Respiratory distress syndrome, also known as hyaline membrane disease, is a common condition of prematurity,…

Molecular imaging aims at the use of imaging probes to visualize specific cellular or sub cellular processes that occur before changes in morphology and function. This is highly relevant because impairments of such processes often are precursors or earliest stages of cardiovascular disease. They are also involved in the early response to therapy or may identify candidates most suitable for a specific therapy. Probes for multiple molecular pathways, including cardiac metabolism, cell death, neurotransmission, receptors, cell-matrix interaction and cell trafficking have been developed in early…

If you're someone who likes to buy the best component rather than enduring some average features of an all-in-one tool, driving can be a tricky prospect, manipulating GPS, cell phone, PDA and whatever else. European researchers have come to the rescue by developing a special dashboard computer to act as a single conduit for all your gear. It should mean a better, more relaxed and even safer driving experience. Dozens of research projects around Europe are working on new technologies to improve automotive safety and to develop intelligent vehicles. But all of these systems must then be added…

- Delivers Full HD in Resolutions up to 1920x1080p - Direct Connection to LED Screens from Any HD Digital Source Today Lighthouse Technologies (Lighthouse), the leading global LED display solution provider, is redefining the industry playing field with its HDMI Integrated LED Processor for True HD image reproduction, the LIP-HD. As the first LED display provider in the world to offer such a processor, Lighthouse Technologies has positioned itself to be an innovative force in the LED display market. The LIP-HD Processor simplifies connectivity and diversifies and expands the potential for…

Mosquito traps that reek like latrines are so 2007, thanks to a University of California, Davis research team led by chemical ecologist Walter Leal that have discovered a low-cost, easy-to-prepare attractant that lures blood-fed mosquitoes without making humans hold their noses. The synthetic mixture, containing compounds trimethylamine and nonanal in low doses, is just as enticing to Culex mosquitoes as the current attractants, Leal said, but this one is odorless to humans. The research could play a key role in surveillance and control programs for Culex species, which transmit such diseases…

DNA barcoding is a movement to catalog all life on earth by a simple standardized genetic tag, similar to stores labeling products with unique barcodes. The effort promises foolproof food inspection, improved border security, and better defenses against disease-causing insects, among many other applications. But the approach as currently practiced churns out some results as inaccurately as a supermarket checker scanning an apple and ringing it up as an orange, according to a new Brigham Young University study. With the International Barcode of Life project seeking $150 million to build on…

Soldiers in war live in danger danger – if their barracks is struck by a direct hit, it can be transformed into a clump of twisted metal in a matter of seconds. If they drive over a land mine, the vehicle can be blown sky high. War is never safe but it’s possible to protect soldiers from at least some of the dangers. Tank steel and armored concrete provide good protection, but structures made from steel or concrete are quite heavy, and can be difficult to move. Aluminium, on the other hand, is a light product -- in a number of different ways. One of the Norwegian University of Science and…