HackingTheUniverse

You are browsing the archives of 2009 August.

Neurosecurity is a new nexus where neural engineering and computer security meet. Medical devices now often include neural implants that contain computing circuits and can be hacked. Augmented reality and augmented cognition devices could also offer interesting new attack vectors for hackers intent on controlling behavior or redirecting purpose. The Next Hacking Frontier: Your Brain? [...]

Japan robotics experts unveil sci-fi wheelchair – [physorg.com] Users ride astride the four-wheeled Rodem — rather than sitting in it, as in a conventional wheelchair — steer it with a joystick and hold onto motorbike-style handles while the knees and chest rest on cushions. The design allows users to slide more easily on and off [...]

Reading emotional and other states in human beings may become commonplace for automated devices. Interacting with a system that seems to “understand” your mood may make it easier to communicate well with the system, just as having a friend who shows some empathy can be helpful. It could make it possible for virtual reality systems [...]

Socrates was born in Greece around -0469 and was a famous philosopher who greatly influenced Greek thinkers after him, such as Plato and Aristotle. His method of logical reasoning by asking probing questions about an issue until the answer was revealed became known as the “Socratic method” and is considered to be a forerunner of [...]

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has provided Federal Agencies with all the tools they need to get cyber-security done right. But obviously, it’s not being done right yet at most agencies. Why not? Failure to understand the threat level – this was certainly once the top problem… maybe not so much anymore with [...]

Telepresence started out pretty much as video conferencing, but has already expanded far beyond that and is now beginning to use robots as surrogates for telepresence operations. The combination of robotic movement and sensors with ever advancing telecom ability holds great promise for tele-commuting jobs and remote operations and interactions in many forms. As robotic [...]

We know about the location of many large and medium sized asteroids, but we also know that we have not yet located all of the smaller rocks that may pose threats to life on Earth. Finding them is problematic and getting funding for the search is only the first step. The Tunguska explosion in Siberia [...]

The robots are here! From robo-rug-sweeper to autopilot to dishwasher to cruise control to car wash to bank teller and now to robo-chef. Automated devices are constantly making our lives easier by taking over menial chores. How well can an automated device perform at cooking? Will we soon be eating meals every day prepared by [...]

Shen Kua was born in 1031 in Zhejiang province in China. He was a mathematician, astronomer, inventor and excelled in many other fields of science. While the chinese may have had compasses as early as 200, it was Shen Kua who first documented the magnetic compass needle, the concept of true north and the use [...]

Pico projectors are small devices that can project images on nearby surface, replacing the conventional idea of a monitor. They are likely to start being built into many small mobil electronic objects and will make information more available regardless of the environment. Analyst predicts rapid growth for pico projectors – [eetimes.com] The capability of picoprojectors [...]