Intel Shows Off Mind-Reading Software

NEW YORK-- Mind reading may no longer be the domain of psychics and fortune tellers -- now some computers can do it, too.

Software that uses brain scans to determine what items people are thinking about was among the technological innovations showcased Wednesday by Intel Corp., which drew back the curtain on a number of projects that are still under development.

The software analyzes functional MRI scans to determine what parts of a person's brain is being activated as he or she thinks. In tests, it guessed with 90 percent accuracy which of two words a person was thinking about, said Intel Labs researcher Dean Pomerleau.

Eventually, the technology could help the severely physically disabled to communicate. And Pomerleau sees it as an early step toward one day being able to control technology with our minds.

"The vision is being able to interface to information, to your devices and to other people without having an intermediary device," he said.

For now, the project's accomplishments are far more modest -- it can only be used with prohibitively expensive and bulky fMRI equipment and hasn't yet been adapted to analyze abstract thoughts.

The system works best when a person is first scanned while thinking of dozens of different concrete nouns -- words like "bear" or "hammer." When test subjects are then asked to pick one of two new terms and think about it, the software uses the earlier results as a baseline to determine what the person is thinking.

The software works by analyzing the shared attributes of different words. For example, a person who is thinking of a bear uses the same parts of the brain that light up when he or she thinks of a puppy or something else furry. A person thinking of a bear also shows activity in the amygdala -- home of the fight-or-flight response.

While Intel primarily makes computer processors and other hardware, it often works to develop and demonstrate new technologies in an effort to stimulate the market and advance its reputation. Other innovations on display at Wednesday's Intel event in Manhattan included:

--Cell phone technology that would use motion, GPS and audio data gathered through users' cell phones to track what they're doing and who they're with. The technology can distinguish activities such as walking, giving a business presentation and driving. It also compares audio readings from different cell phones to determine who is in the same room.

This would allow users to share their activity information with their close friends and watch avatar versions of their friends throughout the day. It would also let users track and analyze data about how they spend their time.

--"Dispute Finder" technology that monitors users' conversations and Internet browsing to warn them when they encounter contested or inaccurate information. The software mines the Internet to find instances in which writers have claimed something is untrue. It then uses speech recognition technology to monitor conversations.

--A transparent holographic shopping display that could be used in department stores to point consumers to featured items. Shoppers could also use the giant screen to search the store's inventory, call up maps, and send item information to their cell phones.

--A TV set-top box that connects wirelessly to your laptop and monitors your Internet search history, as well as your TV viewing, to offer relevant video.

Lost in Space

When America's space shuttle program ends in September, the U.S. will be completely dependent on Russian rockets for launching men and women into space -- and bringing them back. But what will happen to America's astronauts if relations between the U.S. and Russia sour?

Until American companies come to market with commercial rockets and launch vehicles to replace the shuttle, the only nation ever to put a man on the Moon won't even be able to put a man into orbit. And that, experts tell "tecknow12.blogspot.com", has the potential to be a "tragic mistake," one that could hold America's astronauts in orbit hostage to the whims of the Kremlin.

"The U.S. has surrendered its advantage in space, conceding the high ground to others who are probably our enemies," said Jane Orient, a science policy expert and professor at the University of Arizona. "We are apparently leaving seven astronauts in space as hostages. Their loss would be a tragedy, but only a small part of the total disaster. It would symbolize the lack of respect that America has for its pioneers."

Former rocket scientist Shannah B. Godfrey is equally outspoken in her criticism and concerns, noting the need for constant training and condition to remain prepared for a crisis in space.

"Remember a few years ago when china 'accidentally' hit a satellite in space?" she asked, adding that "they were subtly sending us a message that they could cripple us instantly by taking out our satellites."

" Think of the intelligence data that would be lost: GPS capabilities, cell phones, many other communications, etc. We may need to send people up in a hurry to replace, repair, and man satellites and other stations, too. I can’t fathom why we would put ourselves in such a vulnerable position."

NASA scoffs at concerns that Russia could strand American astronauts in space.

"There are always Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station, providing enough crew seats for a return to Earth," said NASA spokesman John Yembrick.

And some scientists agree that these fears are misplaced. Dr. Howard C. Hayden, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Connecticut, believes there will be "no problem" in serving the International Space Station. "I can't imagine that the Russians would avoid a rescue mission simply because relations had soured," Hayden told "tecknow12.blogspot.com". "That would bring very loud international condemnation. They'd go out of their way to establish their moral high ground."

But others are less confident; they worry about problems that may result from relying too much upon others.

"The looming, multi-year gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability is a major embarrassment that represents a failure of U.S. leadership," John Lindner, a professor of physics and astronomy at The College of Wooster in Ohio, told "tecknow12.blogspot.com".

The Obama administration's decision to end the space shuttle program is causing great concern among politicians on both side of the aisle as well. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., has said that reliance on the Russians could last even longer than NASA anticipates, since replacements for the aging spacecraft are far from ready. It's a situation he finds "unacceptable."

"The administration's ill-conceived proposal to rely on commercial rockets that are unproven and untested for human transport to space ensures that our astronauts will likely be hitching a ride with the Russians for the indefinite future," Shelby said. "That outcome is unacceptable when we already have a sound plan in progress with Constellation."

And Florida lawmakers including democrats Bill Nelson and Rep. Suzanne Kosmas have raised their concerns as well.

"The President made a mistake" in canceling the shuttle program, Nelson said recently.

In his 2011 budget request, President Obama announced that NASA would cancel its Constellation shuttle replacement program and encourage private companies -- including SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp., and others -- to develop spacecraft to carry astronauts to low-Earth orbit.

That would free NASA to focus on other missions, such as monitoring climate change.

"The re-tasking of NASA as a climate monitoring agency in the stimulus bill, with a vast increase in its budget but a diminution in its role in the exploration of space, is a strategic error of heroic proportions," Lord Christopher Monckton, a former special adviser for science to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, told "tecknow12.blogspot.com". Monckton is well known as an skeptic of global warming.

Realizing the shift in space power, Russia's space agency this week convinced NASA to sign a fresh contract for taxi service to space: $55.8 million per astronaut to fly into space on Soyuz capsules in 2013 and 2014. NASA currently pays less than half as much -- $26.3 million per astronaut -- when it hitches a ride aboard Russian spacecraft.

"The contract modification covers crew return and rescue capabilities aboard the Soyuz spacecraft," Yembrick said.

Since no American firm currently has a vehicle capable of regular access to space, NASA does not really know when it will be master of its destiny again -- and that doesn't sit well with some members of Congress, who have made it illegal to end the Constellation program without congressional approval.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and others have proposed extending the shuttle's life beyond the last three flights scheduled this year. Hutchison wants the shuttle extended two years while NASA develops a new heavy-lift rocket replacement.

Other experts worry that the administration's plan will not actually encourage U.S. commercial space development, as a transition period is required for it to succeed.

"The problem with the new administration's plan comes into focus with this very issue," says Michael Carroll, author of the book, "The Seventh Landing: Going Back to the Moon, This Time to Stay."

"Without shuttles, we have absolutely no access to the ISS without Russia. It is fine to encourage private sector involvement in space transportation, and I believe that is the way to go in the future. But there must be a transition."

Lord Monckton believes the Obama plan will be harmful to U.S. defense interests as well, since the U.S. launch capability is now quite limited. "The administration's change of policy in space was calculated to do maximal damage to the defense interests of the U.S., and without even yielding a financial saving," Monckton told "tecknow12.blogspot.com".

Apple Releases iPhone OS 4.0

Did you hear that? That was the sound of millions of iPhone owners shouting, "It's about time!"

Apple Wednesday rolled out over 100 new features and over 1,500 new developer tools in the latest version of the iPhone software, version 4.0 set to ship this summer. It includes the highly anticipated multitasking feature, something users have been clamoring for since the first iPhone launched in 2007. With multitasking users can run applications

in the background while grinding out other tasks, like listening to Pandora Internet radio while typing out an e-mail.

What took so long? Well it was all about the battery life, apparently. I've used multitasking on my Google Nexus One phone with tragic results. The battery drains right before my eyes. Apple claims to have solved this problem; it appears the company is allowing key functions of an application to continue running while closing non-essential functions. For example, running Pandora doesn't mean I have to see the album art in the background. All I care about is the music blaring through my headphones, right?

This means (you guessed it) it's time to upgrade your iPhone. If you have a first generation model, however, Apple basically just made your device obsolete today. Many of the newly announced features like multitasking wont run on older devices.

"The hardware just can't do it," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

All of the features in OS 4.0 will run on the iPhone 3GS, but the second generation iPod Touch and iPhone 3G will be handicapped. But rest assured we can expect a new fourth generation iPhone this summer to go along with the 4.0 software.

Another big feature of the new OS is folders for organizing your applications. Often I find myself paging through six or seven pages of apps just to find the one I want. With folders you'll be able to organize apps into smaller sections. It works simply by dragging and dropping one application on top of another. Viola! A folder is born.

Also, get ready for a new 'unified' e-mail in-box. I don't know about you but I have four e-mail accounts active on my iPhone, and trying to navigate between them is a royal pain. The single, unified in-box will solve that problem. It even has conversation threading to keep track of certain conversations, just like in Gmail.

Not to be outdone, games get a boost too with the all new Game Center. Think of it as a community center where friends can share high scores, track achievements and invite others to jump in and play a game together over the network.

One glaring omission from the new OS is native turn-by-turn directions. With every other major platform including an application that offers directions, from Microsoft's Windows 7 Phone to Google's Android, it's surprising Apple wouldn't offer up it up for the iPhone. Instead we're left shelling out nearly a 100 dollars for third-party applications.

It's not shocking, but Apple also announced that it is bringing iBooks to the iPhone. The app looks just like the iPad version and puts the company in direct competition with Amazon -- not that there was any doubt about that occurring. Basically, if you own an iPad and an iPhone you'll have access to the same book across both devices.

This is not a revolutionary but rather an evolutionary upgrade to the iPhone's software. But iBooks, Game Center, multitasking, and a unified in-box will nonetheless make for a nice summer treat for iPhone owners.

Einstein equations indicate possibility of black hole formation at the LHC

(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the concerns that has been voiced about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is that it could result in the formation of black holes that could destroy the world. While most scientists dismiss claims that anything produced in the LHC would destroy the planet, there are some that think that black formation could be seen with LHC collisions of sufficiently high energy. This idea has gotten a further boost from recent efforts by Matthew Choptuik at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and Frans Pretorius, at Princeton University in New Jersey.

“What we did was a calculation,” Choptuik tells PhysOrg.com. “We solved some of the Einstein field equations describing head on soliton collisions at certain energies.” Choptuik and Pretorius present their work, and their conclusions, in Physical Review Letters: “Ultrarelativistic Particle Collisions.”

“Our calculation produced results that most were expecting, but no one had done the calculation before. People were just sort of assuming that it would work out,” Choptuik says. “Now that these simulations have been done, some scientists will have a better idea of what to look for in terms of trying to see if black holes are formed in LHC collisions.”

Choptuik points out that there has been an effort for more than 50 years to marry particle physics with the idea of gravity. “At the level of classical physics we think we understand gravity pretty well,” he explains. “However, at the quantum mechanical level, gravity is not at all well understood. Scientists have been looking for a way to understand quantum gravity in the same way as we understand how the smallest particles work on a quantum level. While solving these equations doesn’t answer all the questions, it does substantiate what we have already assumed.”

One of the keys to the principles behind these field calculations is string theory. String theory suggests that there are several dimensions beyond the three spatial dimensions (plus time) that we see in classical physics. “If extra dimensions do exist, they could be as large as 10s to 100s of a micrometer. And if those extra dimensions are big enough, then there is a chance that the particle collisions at the LHC might be able to form black holes,” Choptuik says.

Of course, these black holes would be quite tiny, and difficult to detect. On top of that, they would evaporate almost instantly, making it even more difficult to detect whether they had even existed. “In collision like this, you would have to look at the debris,” Choptuik explains. “You’d look at the decay pattern in space. In a normal collision, you would get jets of debris. If a black hole was created and evaporated, the pattern would look more spherical than jet-like.”

However, the fact that the solution of these Einstein field equations suggests that black hole formation could be possible at the LHC is a far cry from actually detecting it. “Some are already taking this very seriously,” Choptuik says. “However, I don’t think that we are likely to actually see any black holes at the LHC, even if it is possible.”

Freaky Physics Proves Parallel Universes Exist

Look past the details of a wonky discovery by a group of California scientists -- that a quantum state is now observable with the human eye -- and consider its implications: Time travel may be feasible. Doc Brown would be proud.


The strange discovery by quantum physicists at the University of California Santa Barbara means that an object you can see in front of you may exist simultaneously in a parallel universe -- a multi-state condition that has scientists theorizing that traveling through time may be much more than just the plaything of science fiction writers. 

And it's all because of a tiny bit of metal -- a "paddle" about the width of a human hair, an item that is incredibly small but still something you can see with the naked eye. 
UC Santa Barbara's Andrew Cleland cooled that paddle in a refrigerator, dimmed the lights and, under a special bell jar, sucked out all the air to eliminate vibrations. He then plucked it like a tuning fork and noted that it moved and stood still at the same time.
That sounds contradictory, and it's nearly impossible to understand if your last name isn't Einstein. But it actually happened. It's a freaky fact that's at the heart of quantum mechanics.

How Is That Possible? 
To even try to understand it, you have to think really, really small. Smaller than an atom. Electrons, which circle the nucleus of an atom, are swirling around in multiple states at the same time -- they're hard to pin down. It's only when we measure the position of an electron that we force it to have a specific location. Cleland's breakthrough lies in taking that hard-to-grasp yet true fact about the atomic particle and applying it to something visible with the naked eye.

What does it all mean? Let's say you're in Oklahoma visiting your aunt. But in another universe, where your atomic particles just can't keep up, you're actually at home watching "The Simpsons." That may sound far-fetched, but it's based on real science.

"When you observe something in one state, one theory is it split the universe into two parts," Cleland told FoxNews.com, trying to explain how there can be multiple universes and we can see only one of them. 

The multi-verse theory says the entire universe "freezes" during observation, and we see only one reality. You see a soccer ball flying through the air, but maybe in a second universe the ball has dropped already. Or you were looking the other way. Or they don't even play soccer over there.

Sean Carroll, a physicist at the California Institute of Technology and a popular author, accepts the scientific basis for the multi-verse -- even if it cannot be proven. 

"Unless you can imagine some super-advanced alien civilization that has figured this out, we aren't affected by the possible existence of other universes," Carroll said. But he does think "someone could devise a machine that lets one universe communicate with another."

It all comes down to how we understand time.

Carroll suggests that we don't exactly feel time -- we perceive its passing. For example, time moves fast on a rollercoaster and very slowly during a dull college lecture. It races when you're late for work . . . but the last few minutes before quitting time seem like hours.

Back to the Future 

"Time seems to be a one-way street that runs from the past to the present," says Fred Alan Wolf, a.k.a. Dr. Quantum, a physicist and author. "But take into consideration theories that look at the level of quantum fields ... particles that travel both forward and backward in time. If we leave out the forward-and-backwards-in-time part, we miss out on some of the physics."

Wolf says that time -- at least in quantum mechanics -- doesn't move straight like an arrow. It zig-zags, and he thinks it may be possible to build a machine that lets you bend time. 

Consider Sergei Krikalev, the Russian astronaut who flew six space missions. Richard Gott, a physicist at Princeton University, says Krikalev aged 1/48th of a second less than the rest of us because he orbited at very high speeds. And to age less than someone means you've jumped into the future -- you did not experience the same present. In a sense, he says, Krikalev time-traveled to the future -- and back again!

"Newton said all time is universal and all clocks tick the same way," Gott says. "Now with Einstein's theory of Special Relativity we know that travel into the future is possible. With Einstein's theory of gravity, the laws of physics as we understand them today suggest that even time travel to the past is possible in principle. But to see whether time travel to the past can actually be realized we may have to learn new laws of physics that step in at the quantum level."

And for that, you start with a very tiny paddle in a bell jar.

Cleland has proved that quantum mechanics scale to slightly larger sizes. The next challenge is to learn how to control quantum mechanics and use it for even larger objects. Do so -- and we might be able to warp to parallel universes just by manipulating a few electrons.

"Our concepts of cause and effect will fly out the window," says Ben Bova, the science fiction author. "People will -- for various reasons -- try to fix the past or escape into the future. But we may never notice these effects, if the universe actually diverges. Maybe somebody already has invented a time machine and our history is being constantly altered, but we don’t notice the kinks in our path through time."

New 3D Screens Ditch Clunky Glasses

TOKYO -- Sharp's latest 3D displays deliver bright, clear imagery without the cumbersome glasses usually required for such technology. Now the bad news: They only work on a 3-inch screen held one foot from the viewer's face.

Sharp Corp. demonstrated liquid crystal screens Friday for mobile devices that showed 3D animation, touch-panel screens that switched from one 3D photo to another and a display connected to a 3D video camera.

Movies and TVs in 3D are no longer surprising. Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. of Japan, as well as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics, already sell or are planning 3D TVs.

The drawback until now has been the need for special glasses, which show different images to the right eye and the left eye. Sharp's 3D technology doesn't require them because the displays are designed to shoot different images to each eye.

The technology may be applied to TVs in the future, said Executive Managing Officer Yoshisuke Hasegawa. But he acknowledged it now works better when the distance between the viewer and the screen is fixed.

The smaller displays, shown Friday, are intended for mobile devices such as cell phones, game machines and digital cameras.

The 3D animation on the handheld screen looked like a miniature version of the 3D animation we are used to seeing on larger TV screens, though images were less convincing than those seen in a darkened cinema.

Photos on the touch screen were less clear and even a bit blurry from certain angles, though Sharp said its latest technology does away with such "ghosting" effects. 
Still, the system promises gaming and technology fans the potential for pop-up e-mail messages and taking 3D photos of friends.

The technology is likely to show up in the next DSi portable game machine, which Nintendo Co. says will be 3D. Sharp refused to confirm the names of companies it was supplying. 
Sharp expects 3D to replace two-dimensional displays the same way color replaced black-and-white in movies and television.

"The arrival of mobile 3D is just around the corner," Hasegawa told reporters.

Sharp tried to sell 3D products in the past but failed, largely because of poor image quality. This time, the Osaka-based company has made breakthroughs for displays that are twice as bright and clear as existing 3D displays.

The displays can continue to show 3D images when they are turned to the side, a key feature for smartphones, according to Sharp. Mass production of the 3D LCDs is set to start in the first half of fiscal 2010, which began April 1, it said.

Apple iPad hits shops in America

Apple's latest product, the iPad tablet computer, has gone on sale in America.

The first generation model has wi-fi but not 3G connectivity, and unlike other tablet devices, it is not yet available outside the US.

The New York Apple store in Manhattan opened its doors to a 500-strong crowd at 0900 EST (1400 BST).

Queues for the new iPad were considerably smaller than the crowds which gathered for the launch of the iPhone in 2007, according to reports.

However people had travelled to the US from around the world to purchase a device.

'Huge hit for some'


Apple took pre-orders online but some early adopters began queuing outside stores the day before its release.

The company's co-founder Steve Wozniak joined a queue outside an Apple store in California on Friday evening.

He said he had pre-ordered the device, which is retailing in the US at $499 - $829 (£328 - £545). European prices have not yet been announced.

"It's going to be a huge hit among a very small section of the public - Mac lovers and early adopters," said the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.

"The bigger question is whether there is that big a market between the smartphone and the laptop for it to fill," he said.

"Newspapers and magazines are certainly hoping so but the jury's still out."

In Palo Alto, California, tech expert and former Microsoft "technology evangelist" Robert Scoble, who spent the night outside a store with Chatroulette creator Andrey Ternovskiy, said there were only around 30 in the queue.

Greg Packer and Cheline Lundin are reported to have been the first in line in New York and Chicago respectively. Mr Packer began his wait outside Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Apple store on 30 March.

The device appealed to him because it is "like a mini laptop," he said in a YouTube clip.
AFP reported 15 people waiting outside the Apple store in New York on Friday afternoon, including a mother, daughter and grandmother.

Mother Jeanney Mullen said she was planning to buy one for herself and her 11 -year-old daughter Giovanna.
Her own mother had come along to buy a third for Ms Mullen's boss, as store customers were limited to two devices each.

Mixed reviews

However not everybody shares their enthusiasm.

Journalist and sci-fi author Cory Doctorow has attacked the iPad for being too locked-down.

"Buying an iPad for your kids isn't a means of jump-starting the realisation that the world is yours to take apart and reassemble; it's a way of telling your offspring that even changing the batteries is something you have to leave to the professionals," he wrote on website Boing Boing.

While Apple has pitched the iPad as a "third" device between a phone and a PC, the tablet does not synchronise easily with the two according to Ian Fogg, an expert analyst at Forrester.

"Apple has left too much in the hands of consumers to transfer and manage manually," he wrote in a blog post.

"Tethered sync is a 20th Century product feature."

Facebook claimants vow to continue legal action

The two Americans who were awarded millions of dollars after claiming they had come up with the idea for Facebook say their legal battle isn't over.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss studied at Harvard University alongside Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, where they started a site called ConnectU.

In 2008 a protracted legal battle between the two sides ended with the payment of an undisclosed sum.

Facebook said that that it now considers "the matter concluded".

The Winklevoss twins spoke to the BBC on the eve of the Boat Race, in which they will both row for Oxford.

Cameron Winklevoss refused to confirm the extent of the 2008 settlement - thought to be $65m - but said: "I think it is safe to say the chapter is not closed on the matter."

Social network shock

His brother Tyler said: "It's our duty to stand for principles. We're willing to wait around and make sure that's what right has been made right."

The two brothers started work on ConnectU in 2003. They thought that computer science student Mark Zuckerberg was working with them, until he launched a similar site called thefacebook.com.

Mr Zuckerberg's site became hugely popular on the Harvard campus and then, under the name Facebook, turned into a global success.

"It was really just a sense of shock," said Tyler Winklevoss. "It turned into how can we right this wrong."

The settlement of the battle between Facebook and ConnectU involved the award of Facebook shares to the Winklevoss twins.

The continuing dispute appears to centre on the value of those shares in a company which has not been publicly floated.

In a statement about the dispute Facebook told the BBC:

"The settlement has been enforced by the courts and attempts to delay that decision have been denied twice.

"We hope that discussion of spurious and false allegations and other matters that were concluded years ago are not distracting anyone from their preparations for the race. We consider the matter concluded."

The brothers also revealed that after years of avoiding the social network they themselves have joined Facebook.

"We weren't on it for a long period of time," said Cameron Winklevoss. "But it's a utility and we're deserving to take part in that. It's a great way to keep in touch with people back home." 

Thanks To: http://www.bbc.co.uk/