Technology

An interesting security imaging technology that can 'see' explosives, liquids, narcotics, weapons, plastics and ceramics hidden under clothing from 25 meters away is due to be unveiled at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) Exhibition next week. Called the T5000 passive terahertz imaging system, it lays claim to being the only commercially available camera of its kind; it can image both metallic and non-metallic threat objects hidden under clothing on still or moving subjects without revealing any body detail. The passive imaging technology stems from a collaborative…

Tests on a ‘virtual physiological human’ (VPH) have simulated how well an HIV drug blocks a key protein in the lethal virus, say scientists in the UK. The method could pave the way to personalized drug treatments, such as for HIV patients developing resistance to their current regimes. The human body is too complex to replicate using a single computer or even several computers strapped together. To fully simulate our inner workings, the VPH has to link networks of computers nation- and worldwide. With all this power assembled, scientists can then carry out studies of "supercomputing"…

GENEVA, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Pininfarina unveiled its innovative concept car, the Sintesi, featuring Nuvera's Quadrivium(TM) drive, at the Geneva Motor Show today in Geneva, Switzerland. The Sintesi is powered by Nuvera's Quadrivium drive, which incorporates world-leading hydrogen generation technology with state-of-the-art fuel cells in four distributed wheel power modules. This diversion from traditional drive trains gave Pininfarina the freedom to design the car with the passenger in mind rather than the engine, resulting in a highly stylized car of the future. "It has been a great…

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Robotic Systems an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a total potential value of $40 million for production of the robotic Mobile Detection and Assessment and Response System (MDARS). General Dynamics Robotic Systems will manufacture the semi-autonomous security vehicles and provide spare parts, training and technical services for a five-year period. The work will be done at its Westminster, Md., production facility. Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada will receive the first four robotic security vehicles produced under this program.…

Old media news groups that have put up news websites have had inconsistent success due to factors like the costs of moderation and the inconsistent quality of their user-generated content (UGC). As a result, readers are not all that excited about it. You know what that means, right? Yes, we eat their lunch. In a New Media & Society article(1), Neil Thurman of City University London states that despite a full-court press by old media to embrace Web 2.0 concepts, their own restrictions have caused readers to participate less than they would like. So some of them are considering it a…

Because we are basically clueless about what's happening in the blogosphere, I only learned about this flare up because a gentleman from PLoS who writes for scienceblogs mentioned us in his response. I had a small quibble with his statement Scientificblogging.com is another blogging community. They have a different model. Almost all of it is commentary on the freshest papers. This is fine, but is unlikely to draw much of an audience. Popular magazines, like Wired, are trying to do the same. but only because he used a prism that was not very accurate. Using only Techorati 'authority', which…

It may not be for all people, but I am betting 90% of the readers of this site and 100% of the writers would buy this car; active suspension, six-wheel drive with independent steering for each wheel, no doors, no windows, no seats and the only color available is gold. And no passenger seat. Pure off-roading heaven. But NASA's latest concept vehicle is meant to go way off-road, as in 240,000 miles from the nearest pavement, and drive on the moon. NASA is working to send astronauts to the moon by 2020 to set up a lunar outpost, where they will do scientific research and prepare for journeys to…

Researchers at the Department of Artificial Intelligence (DIA) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid’s School of Computing (FIUPM) have, in conjunction with Madrid’s Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, developed an algorithm that is capable of processing 30 images per second to recognize a person’s facial expressions in real time and categorize them as one of six prototype expressions: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Applying the facial expression recognition algorithm, the developed prototype is capable of processing a sequence of frontal images of moving faces and…

Large-scale digital music distribution is bringing about a profound revolution in the way we ‘consume’ music. The market is still in flux, but it is very clear that the hi-fi systems of the future will be significantly different to what we see today, say European researchers. With the advent of compressed music files (MP3) and easily accessible internet file exchange and download services, consumers are increasingly turning to personal mini-databases of music files (iPod, MP3 players) for their musical enjoyment. The CD market has already taken a hard knock and many predict its imminent…

New technology allowing a group of vehicles to exchange data automatically with each other and with traffic control centres could pave the way for a more efficient and safer European road network. The Com2React team says their technology could be useful to drivers, traffic police, emergency services and companies with a fleet of vehicles to manage. The researchers developed a system to help inform drivers of poor weather or road conditions immediately ahead, allowing them to choose alternate routes, easing congestion and cutting down on accidents, says Dr Chanan Gabay, Com2React’s (C2R)…