A self-organizing thousand-robot swarm (video)

Credit: Mike Rubenstein and Science/AAAS/ Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

1K (1024), centimeter size robots, each capable of following some simple programming rules, & communicating with the others by infrared, can co-operate to form complex shapes.



http://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2014/08/self-organizing-thousand-robot-swarm / thousand robot flash mob assembled Harvard University form sea star shape computer scientist command 1,024 little bots via infra-red light robots blink gradually arrange themselves five-pointed star letter K Kilobots simple robots three pin-like legs complex robot collaborate simple platform complex behaviors actions individual cells assemble intelligent organism starlings collective behaviour form a great flowing murmuration across the sky Kilobots demonstrate complexity can arise from very simple behaviors performed en masse computer scientists development of collective artificial intelligence AI two-dimensional image simple rules flock of birds wheeling across the sky individuals collective entity Radhika Nagpal self-organizing swarm Fred Kavli Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences SEAS Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University biological systems large numbers collective entity biological collectives cooperation cooperating entities cells insects animals single task magnitude beyond the scale of any individual behavior colony of army ants social amoebas microscopic scale: when food is scarce fruiting body

Tiny, reversible USB Type-C connector finalized

Credit: USB-IF/Arstechnica

USB connectors have been getting smaller & smaller. First step down was mini USB, followed, more recently, by micro USB.


Credit: Intel/Arstechnica

Can you relate to the graphic above? mini USB was was arguably an improvement, but I have difficulty reading the orientation of micro USB in poor light. Well, that problem is about to be solved. USB connectors are about to have a new iteration: USB Type-C. It will be about the same size as micro USB, but will be reversible, & compatible with USB 3.1, which will support data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second (i.e. double the data rate of USB 3.0) & up up to 100 Watts of power.

Intention is that it will replace all previous USB plug/socket standards, on all types of devices. That promises the elimination of a lot of adapter cables. My guess, though, is that the conversion process will take so long that a new connector standard will have been defined before it is complete.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/small-reversible-usb-type-c-connector-finalized/ / USB Promoter Group finalized design USB Type-C plug socket USB plug designed replace Apple Lightning cables new connector reversible any orientation polarity USB-IF Univeral Serial Bus Industry Forum press release micro USB 2.0 Type-B connectors phones tablets robust laptops tablets slim mobile phones connector cables adapters Type-C devices Type-A Type-B ports older ports USB 3.1 specification spec theoretical transfer speeds 5Gbps USB 3.0 10Gbps 100W of power USB Power Delivery spec Thunderbolt controllers bandwidth second-generation controllers 20Gbps built into chipsets SoC shipping devices USB Type-C connector designed to scale USB spec faster future cables physically compatible micro USB 3.0 Type-B connector /

Big time (video)

Credit: Time magazine

It's one metre long, just 4 mm thick & weighs less than 1.8 kilogrammes.

An ultra-energy-efficient E Ink* display means it runs for approximately one year on a single button battery.

Self leveling magnetic wall mount.

Tells the time.

And looks fabulous doing it.

The catch? $499.



http://techland.time.com/2014/01/08/like-your-e-reader-but-for-telling-time-heres-an-enormous-e-ink-clock/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fnerd_world+%28TIME%3A+Techland%29

http://www.twelve24clocks.com/
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* Spellings found with a brief search included E-Ink, e-Ink, & E ink. I settled on the one used first in this article, as it's the one used by the E Ink company on their Web page at eink.com. In the interests of confusion, their company logo looks like "Eink".

And the "E"?

Stands for "electrophoretic"./ display time clock ink timepiece time piece time keeping timekeeping set button magnet magnetic bracket self levelling /

Bubble rings

Credit: http://www.bubblerings.com

People do it


Dolphins do it


How you can do it


How it works
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_ring / vortex bubble bubble ring toroidal bubble underwater vortex ring air bubble occupies core of the vortex forming a ring shape ring of air nearby water spins poloidally travels through water spin rotate fast faster bubble ring spins stable bubble ring smoke ring vortex ring physics active study fluid dynamics devices invented generate bubble vortex rings bubblering /

Vitamin D — more important than we thought

Vitamin D — traditionally, it has been associated with the body's use of calcium. Deficiency has been associated with rickets. More recent research is showing that deficiency can increase the risk of such such a diverse range of maladies as diabetes, dementia, schizophrenia & falls in the elderly.

In some ways, the ability of the skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight provides a simple solution. Except, sunlight exposure carries with it elevated risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen provides a level of protection against sunburn & skin cancer, but also prevents production of vitamin D. Dark skin is protective against skin cancer, but also reduces vitamin D production. At high latitudes, a dark skin may make it difficult or impossible to get enough sunlight exposure.

In the light of the above, dietary sources & supplements become more attractive. Relatively few foods contain vitamin D, but fatty fish (such as salmon & tuna) & fish liver oils are among the best sources. Lesser sources are beef liver, cheese, & egg yolks.

Low vitamin D linked to diabetes
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1511-low-vitamin-d-linked-to-diabetes.html#.U-cJ1NB_W2c

Lack of vitamin D more than doubles risk of dementia
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26022-lack-of-vitamin-d-more-than-doubles-risk-of-dementia.html#.U-cLO9B_W2c

Elderly falls linked to vitamin D deficiency
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4433-elderly-falls-linked-to-vitamin-deficiency.html#.U-cL_tB_W2c

Vitamin D deficiency & increased risk of schizophrenia
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279915.php / children childhood diet lacking in vitamin D develop type 1 diabetes Finland Finnish researchers supplements disease type 1 diabetes autoimmune disease immune system cells insulin producing cells pancreas populations children Asian descent UK deficient in vitamin D childhood obesity infection enterovirus childhood obesity vitamin D elderly people increased risk dementia Alzheimer's disease study investigate links vitamin D deficiency dementia, risk dementia Alzheimer's disease David Llewellyn University of Exeter Medical School UK lowest levels vitamin D higher risk chances developing schizophrenia sunny born new research theory vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy lack of sunlight alter development child's brain womb data link schizophrenia vitamin D deficiency common epidemiological trends develop schizophrenia Europe North America born spring four times more likely to be born to Afro-Caribbean immigrants sunlight make vitamin D dark darker skin pale paler skinned people John McGrath Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research Wacol lack of vitamin D during early development schizophrenia /

Tesla trumps Toyota: Why hydrogen can’t compete with pure EVs

Miles per gallon & CO2 reduction.
Credit: Clean Technica/Business Spectator

Short version:
● tall bars are good
● short bars are bad
● bars extending below zero are worse
● among the fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), only the Toyota 2015 FCV outperforms a Toyota Prius
● all FCVs are inferior to all battery electric vehicles

Long version:
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/8/8/smart-energy/tesla-trumps-toyota-why-hydrogen-cant-compete-pure-evs?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=853446&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt= / Toyota Tesla hydrogen RAV4 partnership electric vehicle company Tesla back Prius fuel cell cars hydrogen petrol gasoline mass-market mass market vehicle electricity ubiquitous parked park green electricity far cheaper petrol gasoline hydrogen green hydrogen nonexistent expensive green hydrogen petrol gasoline hydrogen fuel cell alternative vehicle Energy Department Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy transportation fuel cell vehicle FCV boost funding FCV research key technologies climate change science technology hydrogen cars President Obama Energy Secretary Chu Hydrogen fuel cell cars dead end technological practical climate perspective problems FCV global warming greenhouse gas emissions global warming climate change hydrogen produced natural gas methane CH4 hydrogen renewable resources carbon-free electricity expensive wasteful valuable resource state-of-the-art gas steam reforming process Ford Motor company fuel cell vehicle FCVs hydrogen reformed from natural gas significant environmental well-to-wheels basis GHG emissions natural gas reformation process Julian Cox CleanTechnica well-to-wheels WTW life-cycle GHG emissions FCV EV green Californian Energy Commission hydrogen infrastructure budget Climate Progress /

Connect 2 Android devices together for file & battery sharing

Credit: Allputer/The Gadgeteer

You probably know about USB On The Go (USB OTG). It's a standard that allows a USB mobile device to act as a USB host. Practical result: you can connect a USB flash drive, digital camera, USB keyboard etc. to your phone.

But there's another twist: the cable at the top of the article can connected two OTG devices for file & battery sharing.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/08/07/connect-2-android-devices-together-for-file-sharing-and-battery-sharing/ / USB OTG On The Go Android users OTG accessories devices On The Go USB On-The-Go USB OTG specification devices digital audio players cell mobile phones host USB flash drive digital camera mouse keyboard USB OTG roles host client device cell mobile phone read removable media host device USB Mass Storage Device connect connected host computer connect mice keyboards flash drives Android smartphone tablet micro USB connector device cable Allputer cables connect two Android devices together file sharing even battery sharing /