GlobalSpec - Engineering News - Technology and Research

US envoy in Cuba engages critics on and offline

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:40:08 EST

HAVANA (AP) -- The meeting on a sunny Havana square was a little bit revolutionary for Cuba''s revolution. And for U.S. diplomacy as well....

Sprint to listen to Dish offer

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:40:05 EST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) -- Wireless company Sprint Nextel Corp. says it can now let Dish Network Corp. see its books and talk with Dish to see whether its competing offer to buy Sprint is better than its current deal with Japan''s SoftBank....

Poll: Teens migrating to Twitter

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:40:03 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Twitter is booming as a social media destination for teenagers who complain about too many adults and too much drama on Facebook, according to a new study published Tuesday about online behavior. It said teens are sharing more personal information about themselves even as they try to protect their online reputations....

Senate panel approves immigration bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:40:02 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Far-reaching legislation to grant a chance at citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a solid bipartisan vote Tuesday night after supporters somberly sidestepped a controversy over the rights of gay spouses....

Microsoft touts Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:40:01 EST

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) -- Microsoft thinks it has the one....

First Look: New Xbox elegant, but much unknown

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:39:59 EST

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) -- Will gamers want One?...

Verizon, AT&T Benefit as Customers Give Up Cable-but Not TV

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:04 EST

As consumers spread their entertainment investments, smart media executives are starting to follow suit

New York Times CEO Lauds Digital Pay Model in Columbia Address

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:04 EST

Mark Thompson tells Columbia business students that bold, innovative risk-taking is the key to the future in U.S. media

Control Your Own Drone Army

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:03 EST

Startup DreamHammer envisions individuals being able to turn drones into a cheap, easily supervised workforce

Tim Cook, Taxes, and Avoiding the Right Thing

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:02 EST

By figuring out ways to creatively use our democratic decisions to keep revenue out of the Treasury, Apple is undermining them

Tax Shelters Don't Always Work. Just Ask Amazon

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:02 EST

The online retail giant suffered a $338 million loss abroad last year

Microsoft's Bid to Push the Xbox Beyond Gaming

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:01 EST

After eight years of tinkering, Microsoft launches XBox One in hopes it will play a central role in American home entertainment

The NFL Says Goodbye to the Polaroid, Hello to Microsoft's Surface Tablet

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:34:00 EST

Pro football, that hardy group of technological late-adopters, struck a deal with Microsoft to get Surface tablets on the sidelines and interactive content on Xboxes

Improvement of classification accuracy in a phase-tagged steady-state visual evoked potential-based brain computer interface using multiclass support vector machine

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:36 EST

Background: Brain computer interface (BCI) is an emerging technology for paralyzed patients to communicate with external environments. Among current BCIs, the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based BCI has drawn great attention due to its characteristics of easy preparation, high information transfer rate (ITR), high accuracy, and low cost. However, electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are electrophysiological responses reflecting the underlying neural activities which are dependent upon subject''s physiological states (e.g., emotion, attention, etc.) and usually variant among different individuals. The development of classification approaches to account for each individual''s difference in SSVEP is needed but was seldom reported. Methods: This paper presents a multiclass support vector machine (SVM)-based classification approach for gaze-target detections in a phase-tagged SSVEP-based BCI. In the training steps, the amplitude and phase features of SSVEP from off-line recordings were used to train a multiclass SVM for each subject. In the on-line application study, effective epochs which contained sufficient SSVEP information of gaze targets were first determined using Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, and the amplitude and phase features of effective epochs were subsequently inputted to the multiclass SVM to recognize user''s gaze targets. Results: The on-line performance using the proposed approach has achieved high accuracy (89.88 +/- 4.76%), fast responding time (effective epoch length = 1.13 +/- 0.02 s), and the information transfer rate (ITR) was 50.91 +/- 8.70 bits/min. Conclusions: The multiclass SVM-based classification approach has been successfully implemented to improve the classification accuracy in a phase-tagged SSVEP-based BCI. The present study has shown the multiclass SVM can be effectively adapted to each subject''s SSVEPs to discriminate SSVEP phase information from gazing at different gazed targets.

Medtronic Q4 Earnings Show Two Challenged Businesses Growing Concurrently For First Time in Years

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:10 EST

Costa Rica Bring Good Fortune for Natvar

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:10 EST

Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak Gets It. Device Industry Needs to Clone Him

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:09 EST

Xbox ONE and Medical Devices - It''s Only a Matter of Time

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:08 EST

FDA Endorses Agile: What Does that Mean?

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:07 EST

Three Stories About AliveCor's iPhone ECG Provide a Window into the Future of Healthcare

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:07 EST

Don't Let Regulation Stifle Your Creativity

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:29:06 EST

Iran Unveils a Derivative of a French/Chinese Short-Range Air defense System

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:24:55 EST

Iran unveiled yesterday a new air-defense system designated Herze 9, the mobile system comprises a shelter carrying an engagement radar of domestic design and electro-optical systems (both thermal and TV are used) providing the system relative...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesTeherans’ Drone FeverPentagon Report: Iran Could Test an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by 2015Automatic FOD Detection System Helps Increase Safety at Ben-Gurion AirportRussia Provides Syria With Advanced MissilesHow Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?

Embraer Executive Jets sells enhanced Legacy 600 in Germany

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:23:16 EST

Embraer Executive Jets has sold the first super-midsize Legacy 600, featuring new cabin interior and Honeywell Primus Elite avionics, to Germany-based business charter operator Air Hamburg.

Bombardier Aerospace unveils mid-size Challenger 350 business jet

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:23:15 EST

Bombardier Aerospace has unveiled the mid-size Challenger 350 aircraft, a new addition to its leading Challenger family of business jetliners.

All Cargo Logistics (ACLI)-Freight Forwarding, Comprehensive Logistics Solutions and Shipping

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:23:14 EST

All Cargo Logistics (ACLI) is provider of complete and cost-effective logistics solutions to the freight forwarding industry, with services customised to meet individual requirements.

Slow pokes: Acupuncture helps hypothermic turtles

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:22:17 EST

QUINCY, Mass. (AP) -- Two endangered sea turtles that are shells of their former selves after getting stranded on Cape Cod during a cold spell are getting some help easing back into the wild - from an acupuncturist....

Tunisia announces 3 cases of coronavirus, 1 death

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:22:15 EST

RABAT, Morocco (AP) -- A 66-year-old Tunisian man has died from the new coronavirus following a visit to Saudi Arabia and two of his adult children were infected with it, the Tunisian Health Ministry reported....

More tornadoes from global warming? Nobody knows

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:22:13 EST

A deadly tornado hit suburban Oklahoma City on Monday. A quick look at some basic facts:...

Power of Moore tornado dwarfs Hiroshima bomb

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:22:12 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Everything had to come together just perfectly to create the killer tornado in Moore, Okla.: wind speed, moisture in the air, temperature and timing. And when they did, the awesome energy released over that city dwarfed the power of the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima....

Interactions.org Newsdigest 21 May 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:21:02 EST

-- South Pole Lab Detects Elusive Deep-Space Neutrinos For The First Time -- Antarctic neutrino observatory detects unexplained high-energy particles -- Arctic observatory finds ''alien'' particles -- IceCube Neutrino Observatory Detects Mysterious High-Energy Particles -- CERN scientists create smallest lab-made drop of liquid -- World''s Smallest Liquid Droplets Created in Atom Smasher -- Antarctic Neutrino Observatory Detects Unexplained High-Energy Particles -- Record-breaking high-energy particles detected by telescope buried in Antarctic -- Big Bang ''Blood Spatter'' Produced by Atom-Smasher -- First Evidence for Extraterrestrial High-Energy Neutrinos -- Lab creates world''s smallest liquid droplets

The Wii Fit Gaming Console As a Medical Device

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:20 EST

FDA Designates Abbott''s Recall of FreeStyle InsuLinx Glucose Meter As Class I

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:19 EST

Two Portals Aim to Act as Matchmakers For Accredited Investors And Life Science Entrepreneurs

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:18 EST

Will EPGL''s TopSpin Serve Up the Next Generation of Medical Devices?

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:18 EST

10 "Killer Apps" for Physicians, Plus Why your App isn''t on this List

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:17 EST

The Reason Most Healthcare Apps Fail

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:16 EST

Study: Most shipwrecks a minor US pollution threat

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:37:44 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Shipwrecks lying deep off America''s coasts are more often historical artifacts than present-day threats from leaking old oil tanks, a new federal report says....

China Eastern Airlines takes delivery of first A320 equipped with Sharklets

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:36:21 EST

China Eastern Airlines has taken the delivery of its first A320 equipped with Sharklets, becoming the first airline in China to operate the fuel-saving wing-tip.

Boeing wins contract to build ViaSat-2 satellite

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:36:20 EST

Boeing has been awarded a new satellite contract to design and deliver a 702HP high-power spacecraft to ViaSat in 2016.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Flies Again

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:42 EST

Blogs report that some travelers are reluctant to fly on the composite plane so soon after it was grounded for battery problems

Seven Songs We'd Like to See Andrew Mason Cover

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:41 EST

The ousted Groupon founder says he's recorded a seven-song instructional album for young people. Here are some covers for inspiration

Yahoo! Hopes to Profit From Tumblr Without Ruining It

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:40 EST

Marissa Mayer thinks the acquisition will expand her site's audience by 50 percent

The Future of Bitcoin: Three Predictions From Experts

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:40 EST

A panel of Bitcoin authorities including investors and engineers shared their views on how the currency is evolving and who is using it

GrubHub, Seamless, and the Importance of the Purchase

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:39 EST

It's not enough to offer ratings and reviews anymore-the best review data are what people actually bought

The 25 Most Popular Tumblrs Reveal the Challenge for Yahoo!

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:38 EST

Since few of Tumblr's blogs interest mainstream audiences, Yahoo will be hard-pressed to sells ads against the sites' content

Tumblr Deal Offers New York Startups Some Rare Affirmation

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:26:38 EST

Yahoo's purchase of the hip media company is a feather in the cap of the Big Apple's tech community

Comparisons of maximum deformation and failure forces at the implant--abutment interface of titanium implants between titanium-alloy and zirconia abutments with two levels of marginal bone loss

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:21:03 EST

Background: Zirconia materials are known for their optimal aesthetics, but they are brittle, and concerns remain about whether their mechanical properties are sufficient for withstanding the forces exerted in the oral cavity. Therefore, this study compared the maximum deformation and failure forces of titanium implants between titanium-alloy and zirconia abutments under oblique compressive forces in the presence of two levels of marginal bone loss. Methods: Twenty implants were divided into Groups A and B, with simulated bone losses of 3.0 and 1.5 mm, respectively. Groups A and B were also each divided into two subgroups with five implants each: (1) titanium implants connected to titanium-alloy abutments and (2) titanium implants connected to zirconia abutments. The maximum deformation and failure forces of each sample was determined using a universal testing machine. The data were analyzed using the nonparametric Mann--Whitney test. Results: The mean maximum deformation and failure forces obtained the subgroups were as follows: A1 (simulated bone loss of 3.0 mm, titanium-alloy abutment) = 540.6 N and 656.9 N, respectively; A2 (simulated bone loss of 3.0 mm, zirconia abutment) = 531.8 N and 852.7 N; B1 (simulated bone loss of 1.5 mm, titanium-alloy abutment) = 1070.9 N and 1260.2 N; and B2 (simulated bone loss of 1.5 mm, zirconia abutment) = 907.3 N and 1182.8 N. The maximum deformation force differed significantly between Groups B1 and B2 but not between Groups A1 and A2. The failure force did not differ between Groups A1 and A2 or between Groups B1 and B2. The maximum deformation and failure forces differed significantly between Groups A1 and B1 and between Groups A2 and B2. Conclusions: Based on this experimental study, the maximum deformation and failure forces are lower for implants with a marginal bone loss of 3.0 mm than of 1.5 mm. Zirconia abutments can withstand physiological occlusal forces applied in the anterior region.

Blackstone group offers to take Pactera private

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:58 EST

Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP, along with Pactera''s CEO and other managers, have offered to take Pactera private in a deal that values the Chinese technology consulting and outsourcing firm at $680.4 million....

Seamless and GrubHub to combine, no terms revealed

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:57 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rival online takeout services Seamless North America and GrubHub on Monday announced plans to combine and create a new company covering more than 20,000 restaurants in 500 cities across the U.S....

Idaho couple and Sun Valley land in Twitter tussle

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:56 EST

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- An Internet entrepreneur and former Wall Street derivatives analyst contends central Idaho''s Sun Valley resort and the Twitter Inc. social media site heisted his handle....

Panel: Apple uses firms outside US to avoid taxes

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:55 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Apple Inc. employs a group of affiliate companies located outside the United States to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes, a Senate investigation has found....

Tumblr CEO''s mom gushes over billion-dollar baby

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:54 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- As a teenager, Tumblr CEO David Karp would canvass the streets of New York City''s Upper West Side, offering to build websites for local businesses. After his freshman year of high school, the precocious, computer-savvy kid decided to drop out altogether to devote more time to his passion for technology....

Under Mayer: Boosting mobile, buying companies

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:54 EST

Yahoo Inc. lured Marissa Mayer from Google in July to become its fifth CEO in as many years. Her task: Help the Internet pioneer regain its stature after years in a financial funk. In her 10 months leading the company, she has overseen a redesign of Yahoo services and orchestrated several acquisitions, including a deal to buy online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion....

Yahoo looks to regain its cool with Tumblr deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:53 EST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- After falling woefully out of fashion, Yahoo wants to be cool again while catering to the capitalistic demands of its shareholders. That goal led CEO Marissa Mayer to make a $1.1 billion bet on online blogging forum Tumblr in a risky acquisition that revolves around the vision and instincts of a 26-year-old entrepreneur who dropped out of high school to pursue his dream of bringing more beauty and creativity to the Internet....

Should we let wunderkinds drop out of high school?

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:19:53 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- It''s one thing to say tech geniuses don''t need degrees. After all, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg all dropped out of college....

Russia Challenges the U.S. by Equipping Syria With S-300, Yakhont Missiles

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:31:36 EST

Strategic weapon systems such as the Russian S-300 and Yakhont missiles, would put coalition ships and aircraft operating off Syrian coast at risk, this move would limit the possibility of an international intervention in support the rebels.The post...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesHow Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?Chemical Weapons Were Used in Syria – But Who’s to Blame?After the Damascus Attack: Ten Points to ConsiderHARPOON MISSILE OBLITERATES TARGET IN SUCCESSFUL HIGH SEAS FIRINGAir Attacks – Syria 2013 – An Open Hunting Season?

Automatic FOD Detection System Helps Increase Safety at Ben-Gurion Airport

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:31:36 EST

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has declared the FODetect, an automated Foreign Object Debris (FOD) detection system developed by Xsight fully operational at Ben -Gurion airport in Tel-Aviv. i-hls reports. In May 2011, following a two year...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesThe mission to detect debris on runways- help increase safety and securitySmall Boats – Big Gains!Typhoon Expanding into Multi-Role Weapon Stations

Israeli Thinking on the Future of the Assad Regime

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:31:35 EST

"The Devil We Know" Revisited: Israeli Thinking on the Future of the Assad Regime. Prof. Itamar Rabinowitz, On May 17, 2013: The Times of London quoted "Israeli intelligence sources" who argued that "an intact, but weakened, Assad regime...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesAfter the Damascus Attack: Ten Points to ConsiderRussia Provides Syria With Advanced MissilesAir Attacks – Syria 2013 – An Open Hunting Season?How Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?Self Protection for Small Boats

Mice return from a month in space

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:30:13 EST

MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian capsule carrying mice, lizards and other small animals returned to Earth on Sunday after spending a month in space for what scientists said was the longest experiment of its kind....

China's Lijian UCAV "Sharp Sword" spotted taxiing

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:28 EST

China's first jet-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Lijian or "Sharp Sword," was recently spotted undergoing taxiing tests in China.The post China’s Lijian UCAV “Sharp Sword” spotted taxiing appeared...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesFirst Unmanned Aircraft Launch from Carrier – A Moment in HistoryUnmanned air systems on U.S. aircraft carriers – the shape of wars to comeChina’s Mighty Dragon Grows TeethFact or Fiction? Russian Arm’s Sale to ChinaHow Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?

How Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:28 EST

What are the implications of Moscow delivering S-300 air-defense systems to Syria, could one weapon system decide the outcome of the Syrian power struggle, is the Russian missile system as invincible as it is described? Alexey Eremenko from the...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesIntegrating European Radars with AEGIS/SM-3 Missile DefensesHow Many Rockets Did Iron Dome Shoot Down?EAPS Miniature Missile Successful in the First Guided FlightAfter the Damascus Attack: Ten Points to ConsiderSelf Protection for Small Boats

North Korea Fires Short Range Missiles, Call Off Musudan Test

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:27 EST

North Korea on Saturday launched three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, apparently as part of a military drill, South Korea’s defense ministry said. The tests were conducted in two sessions, two missiles were fired during the morning...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesPacific Allies on High Alert for Pyongyang’s Next MoveChina’s Lijian UCAV “Sharp Sword” spotted taxiingHow Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?Israel Shipyards Introduces the SAAR 72 Mini-Corvette DesignSingapore Hosts International Navies IMDEX 2013

Weekly Top Posts: 2013-05-19

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:26 EST

Typhoon Expanding into Multi-Role Weapon Stations Massive Rocket Launched for the UAE The Ugly End to the Largest Service Contract In U.S History Self Protection for Small Boats European Air Forces Seek a Common Weaponized UAS

Russia Provides Syria With Advanced Missiles

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:26 EST

The delivery of Russian SS-N-26 coastal defense and SA-21 (S-300 PMU2) air defense missile systems to Syria is significant, since Moscow is providing the Syrian regime the capability to defend from Foreign intervention. Defense-Update reports. In...Read the whole post... » Related StoriesHow Dangerous is the S-300 Syria is About to Receive?Chemical Weapons Were Used in Syria – But Who’s to Blame?After the Damascus Attack: Ten Points to ConsiderHARPOON MISSILE OBLITERATES TARGET IN SUCCESSFUL HIGH SEAS FIRINGAir Attacks – Syria 2013 – An Open Hunting Season?

The Easiest Way to Automate Your Home With the Web

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:45 EST

If you buy certain devices, which can include light bulbs and bracelets, IFTTT and some free websites can start connecting your home

After Small Acquisitions, Yahoo Goes Big With Tumblr

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:44 EST

Tumblr is pretty much what Yahoo is not: culturally relevant, good on mobile, and popular with kids

In a Blow to BlackBerry, the Defense Department OKs Apple Devices

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:44 EST

Almost 80 percent of the U.S. military's mobile devices are BlackBerry products, but now that will probably change

If Yahoo Buys Tumblr, What Will It Do With All That Porn?

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:43 EST

Tumblr has actually shut down some popular sites as it has shifted its focus from users to advertisers

''Sonic'' video games coming to Nintendo

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:31:01 EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sonic the Hedgehog is rolling with Nintendo....

Hits and misses in Facebook''s history

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:31:00 EST

Facebook made its debut on the stock market a year ago on May 18 in one of the largest IPOs in history and the biggest for any Internet company....

Ex-Groupon CEO working 9 to 5 on business album

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:30:58 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Groupon CEO Andrew Mason is diving into several new ventures, including indulging his inner rock star with an album of "motivational business music."...

Review: Toshiba brings high-res screen to Windows

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:30:58 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Last year, Apple added a visually stunning option to its MacBooks: screens with ultra-high resolution. These "Retina" displays reveal four times as much detail as any Windows laptop screen ... until now. Toshiba just released a new laptop line with a Retina-level display....

Report: Yahoo nearing $1.1B acquisition of Tumblr

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:30:57 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Yahoo may be on the verge of closing its biggest acquisition during the 10-month reign of CEO Marissa Mayer as she tries to attract more traffic and advertisers to the Internet company''s website and mobile applications....

A year after IPO, Facebook aims to be ad colossus

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:30:56 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- It was supposed to be our IPO, the people''s public offering....

Newswire: 17 May 2013 - EPS HEPP Division announces the winners of its 2013 prizes

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:29:34 EST

The EPS High Energy Physics Division announces the winners of its 2013 prizes, which will be awarded at the Europhysics Conference on High-Energy Physics (EPS-HEP 2013), Stockholm (Sweden) 18-24 July 2013 (http://eps-hep2013.eu/):

Interactions.org Newsdigest 17 May 2013

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:29:34 EST

--Fermi scientist leading search for rare particle ''morphing'' -- Neutrinos from the cosmos hint at new era in astronomy -- The Higgs Boson and a ''New Physics'' --"Could Make the Speed of Light Possible" -- IceCube Neutrino Observatory reports first evidence for extraterrestrial sources of high-energy neutrinos -- Team uncovers fundamental property of astatine, rarest atom on Earth

Eurocopter opens Systemhaus helicopter development centre in Germany

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:23:16 EST

Eurocopter has officially opened its new Systemhaus helicopter development centre at its Donauw?rth site in Germany.

Deliveries of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft resume

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:23:15 EST

Boeing has resumed deliveries of its wide-body, twin-engine 787 Dreamliners, a development which ends nearly a four month-long grounding of the aircraft.

Jolie Mastectomy Decision Resonates With Another Woman Who Has a Message for Implant Vendors

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:21:34 EST

This Week in Devices [5/17/2013]: Dying Better, Scam Artists, and the End of Moore''s Law

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:21:33 EST

Can HIPAA Move Into the 21st Century?

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:21:32 EST

Indonesia extends forest-clearing ban for 2 years

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:35:22 EST

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Indonesia has approved a two-year extension to a landmark ban on clearing primary rainforests and peatlands, officials said Thursday. Environmentalists praised the move but said the government must do more to curb the nation''s burgeoning production of greenhouse gases....

Performance assessment in brain-computer interface-based augmentative and alternative communication

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:51 EST

A large number of incommensurable metrics are currently used to report the performance of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) used for augmentative and alterative communication (AAC). The lack of standard metrics precludes the comparison of different BCI-based AAC systems, hindering rapid growth and development of this technology. This paper presents a review of the metrics that have been used to report performance of BCIs used for AAC from January 2005 to January 2012. We distinguish between Level 1 metrics used to report performance at the output of the BCI Control Module, which translates brain signals into logical control output, and Level 2 metrics at the Selection Enhancement Module, which translates logical control to semantic control. We recommend that: (1) the commensurate metrics Mutual Information or Information Transfer Rate (ITR) be used to report Level 1 BCI performance, as these metrics represent information throughput, which is of interest in BCIs for AAC; 2) the BCI-Utility metric be used to report Level 2 BCI performance, as it is capable of handling all current methods of improving BCI performance; (3) these metrics should be supplemented by information specific to each unique BCI configuration; and (4) studies involving Selection Enhancement Modules should report performance at both Level 1 and Level 2 in the BCI system. Following these recommendations will enable efficient comparison between both BCI Control and Selection Enhancement Modules, accelerating research and development of BCI-based AAC systems.

Classification of emotional States from electrocardiogram signals: a non-linear approach based on hurst

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:50 EST

Background: Identifying the emotional state is helpful in applications involving patients with autism and other intellectual disabilities; computer-based training, human computer interaction etc. Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, being an activity of the autonomous nervous system (ANS), reflect the underlying true emotional state of a person. However, the performance of various methods developed so far lacks accuracy, and more robust methods need to be developed to identify the emotional pattern associated with ECG signals. Methods: Emotional ECG data was obtained from sixty participants by inducing the six basic emotional states (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise and neutral) using audio-visual stimuli. The non-linear feature ''Hurst'' was computed using Rescaled Range Statistics (RRS) and Finite Variance Scaling (FVS) methods. New Hurst features were proposed by combining the existing RRS and FVS methods with Higher Order Statistics (HOS). The features were then classified using four classifiers -- Bayesian Classifier, Regression Tree, K- nearest neighbor and Fuzzy K-nearest neighbor. Seventy percent of the features were used for training and thirty percent for testing the algorithm. Results: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) conveyed that Hurst and the proposed features were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Hurst computed using RRS and FVS methods showed similar classification accuracy. The features obtained by combining FVS and HOS performed better with a maximum accuracy of 92.87% and 76.45% for classifying the six emotional states using random and subject independent validation respectively. Conclusions: The results indicate that the combination of non-linear analysis and HOS tend to retain and capture the finer emotional changes that can be seen in healthy ECG data. This work can be further fine tuned to develop a real time system.

Twitter Talk Dominates TV Ad-Buying Blitz

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:32 EST

As Facebook and Zynga struggle to craft revolutionary new ad formats, Twitter is quietly skimming from one of the oldest and deepest revenue streams in the business

Google I/O Takeaway: Chrome and Android Will Share Services

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:31 EST

Chrome is now good enough that it doesn't matter if you're using the Web, a phone, or a tablet

Another Reason Carriers Want to Cap Data Plans

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:29 EST

According to some critics, data caps are a way to force content providers to pay to reach subscribers

Bloomberg View: Why 3D Printing Can Make the World a Better Place

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:28 EST

The new technology will transform modern industry. It shouldn't be feared

'Defiance': Syfy's Ultimate Transmedia Adventure

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:28 EST

The network's aliens-on-earth series is a real-time marriage of a TV show and a video game

Google Makes Android, but Samsung Makes All the Money

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:27 EST

With 95 percent of overall Android profits accruing to Samsung, the hardware manufacturer plays an outsized role in Google's mobile operating system

How Fast Does Your Phone Lose Value?

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:26 EST

What yesterday's phone is worth

The Federal Government Learns to Love Twitter

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:26 EST

Washington gets all casual with the public on social media

Innovator: Greg Raleigh's Zact, Pay-as-You-Go Custom Wireless

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:25 EST

Smartphone service customers can easily customize

Spain's Santander, the City That Runs on Sensors

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:24 EST

The Cantabrian capital's digital nervous system cuts costs

Zynga Alums Launch Game Startups to Battle Zynga

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:24 EST

Defectors build mobile games to outflank their former employer

China's Alibaba Makes Its Move Against Google's Android

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:23 EST

The mainland's e-commerce kingpin pushes into the mobile OS market

YesVideo Moves Home Movies From Old Formats to the Cloud

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:22 EST

The digital conversion company wants to become a kind of premium YouTube

Facebook Struggles to Satisfy Investors About Mobile Earnings

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:32:22 EST

One year after the IPO, questions remain about the company's ability to target mobile users

Three Critical Factors for Force and Pressure Sensors in Infusion Pumps

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:25:33 EST

Cancer Diagnostics Firm Castle Biosciences Raises $1.5 Million

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:25:32 EST