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Photo: AFP\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA tiny personal computer that is worn on the ear and can be controlled with the blink of an eye or the click of a tongue is being tested in Japan.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 17-gram (0.59-ounce) wireless device has bluetooth capability and is equipped with a GPS, compass, gyro-sensor, battery, barometer, speaker and microphone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWearable computing is thought by many commentators to be the next big thing in technology, with products such as Google Glass at the forefront.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe device, known at the moment as the \"Earclip-type Wearable PC\" has a microchip and data storage, enabling users to load software, said engineer Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Hiroshima City University.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIts designs are based on traditional \"ikebana\" flower arrangements.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We have made this with the basic idea that people will wear it in the same way they wear earrings,\" Taniguchi told AFP in a recent interview as he showcased a black prototype.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe system, which developers are hoping to have ready for Christmas 2015, can be connected to an iPod or other gadget and would allow the user to navigate through software programmes using facial expressions, such as a raised eyebrow, a stuck-out tongue, a wiggle of the nose or by clenching teeth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe device uses infrared sensors that monitor tiny movements inside the ear, which differ depending on how the eyes and mouth move.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SBPxL39lg0Q\/UxRc347k4vI\/AAAAAAAAFjs\/WGIMZvGkczA\/s1600\/Earclip-type+Wearable+PC%27+equip.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"tiny ear computer\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-SBPxL39lg0Q\/UxRc347k4vI\/AAAAAAAAFjs\/WGIMZvGkczA\/s1600\/Earclip-type+Wearable+PC'+equip.jpg\" title=\"tiny ear pc\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EAn engineer of Japanese machinery maker NS West shows the 'Earclip-type Wearable PC', equipped with vital sensors, such as pulse meter, thermometer and bluetooth wireless communication device, in Tokyo, on February 20, 2014\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBecause the user does not have to move either hand, its developers say it can serve as \"a third hand\" for everyone from caregivers to rock-climbers, motorbike riders to astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Supposing I climb a mountain, look at the sky at night and see a bright star up there, it could tell me what it is,\" Taniguchi said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"As it knows what altitude I'm at, which direction I'm looking and at what angle, it could tell me, 'The bright star you are seeing now is Sirius'.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUsing a smartphone to connect to the Internet would mean you could be automatically put in touch with people in faraway places who are doing the same thing as you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"This could connect you with a person who is looking at the same star at a remote place at the same time,\" enabling the people to swap impressions, Taniguchi said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA second version of the device might be pressed into use to help relatives keep an eye on elderly family in greying Japan.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe earpiece, which could also function as a hearing aid, could monitor the wearer's health, including their pulse and body temperature, while logging how often they eat and sneeze, offering early warning of the onset of illness.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn onboard accelerometer could tell when the user falls and instruct the smartphone to pass information to relatives, or call an ambulance based on GPS data.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETests are being carried out in Hiroshima, with the aim of commercialising the device from April 2016.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EAFP\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/7551674497786311335\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/japan-researchers-testing-tiny-ear-computer.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/7551674497786311335"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/7551674497786311335"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/japan-researchers-testing-tiny-ear-computer.html","title":"Japan researchers testing tiny ear computer"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-9qpWmq84FB0\/UxRc3AhKN-I\/AAAAAAAAFjk\/7w5pZLRvza8\/s72-c\/Earclip-type+Wearable+PC.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-8152766532127718864"},"published":{"$t":"2014-03-02T21:17:00.002+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-03-02T21:22:33.682+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Project \"Outernet\" to provide free Internet to entire world"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oh_1UV2d4-I\/UxNRxYPG4pI\/AAAAAAAAFjE\/oJTV1GUKgjs\/s1600\/Outernet+free+wifi+internet+access.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Outernet free access internet to entire world\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oh_1UV2d4-I\/UxNRxYPG4pI\/AAAAAAAAFjE\/oJTV1GUKgjs\/s1600\/Outernet+free+wifi+internet+access.png\" height=\"474\" title=\"Outernet\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EA small team of workers at a New York based non-profit organization called Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) has announced its intention to build an \"Outernet\" a global network of cube satellites broadcasting Internet data to virtually any person on the planet for free. The idea, the MDIF website says, is to offer free Internet access to all people, regardless of location, bypassing filtering or other means of censorship.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the Internet has grown in size and importance, human rights organizations, or those (such as MDIF) promoting freedom of expression, have begun to propose that access to the information that the Internet can provide, is a basic human right. Conversely, they suggest that restricting access to the Internet is a violation of human rights. MDIF seeks to circumvent those that might wish to violate such human rights by bypassing their ability to restrict access they are proposing that hundreds of cube satellites be built and launched to create a constellation of sorts in the sky, allowing anyone with a phone or computer to access Internet data sent to the satellites by several hundred ground stations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-PUG5uXryVm0\/UxNR3J6d2hI\/AAAAAAAAFjM\/5P9YL2SFIaQ\/s1600\/Outernet+logo.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Outernet free internet project\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-PUG5uXryVm0\/UxNR3J6d2hI\/AAAAAAAAFjM\/5P9YL2SFIaQ\/s1600\/Outernet+logo.png\" height=\"200\" title=\"Outernet logo\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EMDIF claims that 40 percent of the people in the world today are still not able to connect to the Internet and it's not just because of restrictive governments such as North Korea it's also due to the high cost of bringing service to remote areas. An Outernet would allow people from Siberia to parts of the western United States to remote islands or villages in Africa to receive the same news as those in New York, Tokyo, Moscow or Islamabad. That they say, would guarantee all people the same Internet rights as everyone else.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Outernet, as envisioned, would be one-way data would flow from feeders to the satellites which would broadcast to all below. MDIF plans to add the ability to transmit from anywhere as well as soon as funds become available. At this time, it's not clear how much MDIF has been able to collect for the project, but acknowledge that building such a network would not be cheap. Such satellites typically run $100,000 to $300,000 to build and launch. Still, the timeline for the project calls for deploying the initial cubesats as early as next summer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs conceived, at least in its initial stages, the constellation of satellites would broadcast data received in a continuous loop until new fresh data arrives. Broadcasting will be done using already accepted international standards such as UDP-based WiFi multicasting, DVB, and Digital Radio Mondiale.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003Ewww.outernet.is\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003Ephys\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/8152766532127718864\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/project-outernet-to-provide-free-internet-to-entire-world.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/8152766532127718864"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/8152766532127718864"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/project-outernet-to-provide-free-internet-to-entire-world.html","title":"Project \"Outernet\" to provide free Internet to entire world"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oh_1UV2d4-I\/UxNRxYPG4pI\/AAAAAAAAFjE\/oJTV1GUKgjs\/s72-c\/Outernet+free+wifi+internet+access.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-1366003601593039881"},"published":{"$t":"2014-03-01T21:17:00.005+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-03-01T21:17:43.086+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mobile"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sammy: A Screaming Motion Sensor Alarm Controlled by Your Phone"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-yaucY-Ox9d8\/UxGdCo5ZSCI\/AAAAAAAAFgY\/uGBBghF2c-k\/s1600\/Sammy+Screaming+Motion+Sensor+Alarm+Controlled+by+Your+Phone.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Sammy Screaming Motion Sensor Alarm Controlled by Phone\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-yaucY-Ox9d8\/UxGdCo5ZSCI\/AAAAAAAAFgY\/uGBBghF2c-k\/s1600\/Sammy+Screaming+Motion+Sensor+Alarm+Controlled+by+Your+Phone.jpg\" height=\"360\" title=\"Sammy Screamer Motion Alarm\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESammy is a cute little screaming motion sensor that helps to keep an eye on your belongings. It can be attached to anything that is magnetized, and also has a loop fixing that makes it easy for hanging on just about anything. It’s controlled by your smartphone via the BleepBeeps mobile app. When the item it’s attached to gets moved, Sammy screams and sends out a notification to your smartphone. It’s a pretty slick way to keep an eye on things, don’t you think?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESammy is part of a family of “little friends” that aims to make parenting easier. These little friends are all connected devices that an help you do things like get pregnant, give birth, look after your baby and raise your child.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"480\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/bleepbleeps\/sammy-screamer-motion-alarm\/widget\/video.html\" width=\"640\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven though Sammy is aimed at parents and parents-to-be, it can be used by anyone who wants to protect a single item or wants to know when something is moved. Where would you use Sammy if you had one?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Q0FEqRxNTKQ\/UxGcdrrYtSI\/AAAAAAAAFgQ\/6N7QAjBsSo4\/s1600\/Sammy+uses.png\" imageanchor=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Sammy Screamer Motion Alarm\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Q0FEqRxNTKQ\/UxGcdrrYtSI\/AAAAAAAAFgQ\/6N7QAjBsSo4\/s1600\/Sammy+uses.png\" title=\"Sammy Screamer use\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/bleepbleeps\/sammy-screamer-motion-alarm\"\u003ESammy Screamer – Motion Alarm\u003C\/a\u003E | Kickstarter\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/1366003601593039881\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/sammy-screaming-motion-sensor-alarm-controlled-your-phone.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/1366003601593039881"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/1366003601593039881"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/sammy-screaming-motion-sensor-alarm-controlled-your-phone.html","title":"Sammy: A Screaming Motion Sensor Alarm Controlled by Your Phone"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-yaucY-Ox9d8\/UxGdCo5ZSCI\/AAAAAAAAFgY\/uGBBghF2c-k\/s72-c\/Sammy+Screaming+Motion+Sensor+Alarm+Controlled+by+Your+Phone.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-7825660114214789764"},"published":{"$t":"2014-03-01T15:01:00.002+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-03-01T15:01:11.356+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"LuMini: A Smart Bulb That Colors Your Moods"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-TspqApPV-w8\/UxGorgMZGqI\/AAAAAAAAFgo\/xjnxpkgVBpc\/s1600\/LuMini-A-Smart-Bulb-That-Colors-Your-Moods.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"LuMini Smart Bulb\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-TspqApPV-w8\/UxGorgMZGqI\/AAAAAAAAFgo\/xjnxpkgVBpc\/s1600\/LuMini-A-Smart-Bulb-That-Colors-Your-Moods.jpg\" height=\"360\" title=\"LuMini Smart Bulb\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIf you are familiar with Lumen, a smart light bulb that comes in white and color LED, then you may also be familiar with its sibling LuMini. This smart bulb, which is a smaller version of the original Lumen, is a smart mood light that is fun and cost-effective. It really takes mood lighting to another level with the companion mobile app, which lets you control the light instantly. Plus, you can enable 8 different modes such as relaxation mode, wake up mode and party mode.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the relaxation mode, the light will create the perfect ambience to help you fall asleep easier. With the wake up mode, the light will mimic the sunrise and help you to wake up more naturally. The proximity and call alert modes are also impressive. You can see LuMini’s party and music sync modes live in the below video.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"480\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/tabuproducts\/lumini-a-smart-bulb-that-fits-your-lamps-and-budge\/widget\/video.html\" width=\"640\"\u003E \u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith over 1 million different colors to choose from via the mobile app, LuMini is definitely the ultimate smart mood bulb. Plus, it’s long-lasting and environmental friendly. What more can you ask for?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kck.st\/LH9flV\"\u003ELuMini: A Smart Bulb That Fits Your Lamps and Budget\u003C\/a\u003E | Kickstarter\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/7825660114214789764\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/lumini-smart-bulb-that-colors-your-moods.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/7825660114214789764"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/7825660114214789764"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/03\/lumini-smart-bulb-that-colors-your-moods.html","title":"LuMini: A Smart Bulb That Colors Your Moods"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-TspqApPV-w8\/UxGorgMZGqI\/AAAAAAAAFgo\/xjnxpkgVBpc\/s72-c\/LuMini-A-Smart-Bulb-That-Colors-Your-Moods.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-6991348824319778224"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-27T22:01:00.001+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-02-27T22:01:06.532+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Cleverer 'cache' management could improve computer chips' performance, reduce energy consumption"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_EZvTPLkX8\/Uw9oByMN-SI\/AAAAAAAAFd0\/0omHwSIN2bk\/s1600\/smarter+cachi+Computer+chips.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"smarter cachi Computer chips\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_EZvTPLkX8\/Uw9oByMN-SI\/AAAAAAAAFd0\/0omHwSIN2bk\/s1600\/smarter+cachi+Computer+chips.jpg\" height=\"366\" title=\"smarter cachi Computer chips\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003ECredit: Christine Daniloff\/MIT\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EComputer chips keep getting faster because transistors keep getting smaller. But the chips themselves are as big as ever, so data moving around the chip, and between chips and main memory, has to travel just as far. As transistors get faster, the cost of moving data becomes, proportionally, a more severe limitation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo far, chip designers have circumvented that limitation through the use of \"caches\" small memory banks close to processors that store frequently used data. But the number of processors or \"cores\" per chip is also increasing, which makes cache management more difficult. Moreover, as cores proliferate, they have to share data more frequently, so the communication network connecting the cores becomes the site of more frequent logjams, as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a pair of recent papers, researchers at MIT and the University of Connecticut have developed a set of new caching strategies for massively multicore chips that, in simulations, significantly improved chip performance while actually reducing energy consumption.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first paper, presented at the most recent ACM\/IEEE International Symposium on Computer Architecture, reported average gains of 15 percent in execution time and energy savings of 25 percent. The second paper, which describes a complementary set of caching strategies and will be presented at the IEEE International Symposium on High Performance Computer Architecture, reports gains of 6 percent and 13 percent, respectively.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe caches on multicore chips are typically arranged in a hierarchy. Each core has its own private cache, which may itself have several levels, while all the cores share the so-called last-level cache, or LLC.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChips' caching protocols usually adhere to the simple but surprisingly effective principle of \"spatiotemporal locality.\" Temporal locality means that if a core requests a particular piece of data, it will probably request it again. Spatial locality means that if a core requests a particular piece of data, it will probably request other data stored near it in main memory.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo every requested data item gets stored, along with those immediately adjacent to it, in the private cache. If it falls idle, it will eventually be squeezed out by more recently requested data, falling down through the hierarchy from the private cache to the LLC to main memory until it's requested again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EDifferent strokes\u003C\/h4\u003EThere are cases in which the principle of spatiotemporal locality breaks down, however. \"An application works on a few, let's say, kilobytes or megabytes of data for a long period of time, and that's the working set,\" says George Kurian, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and lead author on both papers. \"One scenario where an application does not exhibit good spatiotemporal locality is where the working set exceeds the private-cache capacity.\" In that case, Kurian explains, the chip could waste a lot of time cyclically swapping the same data between different levels of the cache hierarchy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the paper presented last year, Kurian; his advisor Srini Devadas, the Edwin Sibley Webster Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT; and Omer Khan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Connecticut and a former postdoc in Devadas' lab, presented a hardware design that mitigates that problem. When an application's working set exceeds the private-cache capacity, the MIT researchers' chip would simply split it up between the private cache and the LLC. Data stored in either place would stay put, no matter how recently it's been requested, preventing a lot of fruitless swapping.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConversely, if two cores working on the same data are constantly communicating in order to keep their cached copies consistent, the chip would store the shared data at a single location in the LLC. The cores would then take turns accessing the data, rather than clogging the network with updates.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new paper examines the case where, to the contrary, two cores are working on the same data but communicating only infrequently. The LLC is usually treated as a single large memory bank: Data stored in it is stored only once. But physically, it's distributed across the chip in discrete chunks. Kurian, Devadas, and Khan have developed a second circuit that can treat these chunks, in effect, as extensions of the private cache. If two cores are working on the same data, each will receive its own copy in a nearby chunk of the LLC, enabling much faster data access.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESentry box\u003C\/h4\u003EThe systems presented in both papers require active monitoring of the chips' operation to determine, for instance, when working sets exceed some bound, or when multiple cores are accessing the same data. In each case, that monitoring requires a little extra circuitry, the equivalent of about 5 percent of the area of the LLC. But, Kurian argues, because transistors keep shrinking, and communication isn't keeping up, chip space is not as crucial a concern as minimizing data transfer. Kurian, Devadas, and Khan are also currently working to combine the two monitoring circuits, so that a single chip could deploy the cache-management strategies reported in both papers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It is a great piece of work,\" says Nikos Hardavellas, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern University. \"It definitely moves the state of the art forward.\" Existing caching schemes, Hardavellas explains, do treat different types of data differently: They might, for instance, use different caching strategies for program instructions and file data. \"But if you dig deeper into these categories, you see that the data can behave very differently. In the past, we didn't know how to efficiently monitor the usefulness of the data. The [new] hardware design allows us to do this. That's a significant part of the contribution.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMoreover, Hardavellas says, \"the two different designs seem to be working synergistically, which would indicate that the final result of combining the two would be better than the sum of the individual parts.\" As for commercialization of the technology, \"I see no fundamental reason why not to,\" he says. \"They seem implementable, they seem small enough, and they give us a significant benefit.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EMassachusetts Institute of Technology \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/6991348824319778224\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/cleverer-cache-management-could-improve-computer-chips-performance-reduce-energy-consumption.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/6991348824319778224"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/6991348824319778224"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/cleverer-cache-management-could-improve-computer-chips-performance-reduce-energy-consumption.html","title":"Cleverer 'cache' management could improve computer chips' performance, reduce energy consumption"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_EZvTPLkX8\/Uw9oByMN-SI\/AAAAAAAAFd0\/0omHwSIN2bk\/s72-c\/smarter+cachi+Computer+chips.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-461594246462697084"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-27T17:56:00.000+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-02-27T17:56:15.382+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Material technology that can increase performance of fuel cells"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Y5VYeyAKCLs\/Uw8KWg2O6vI\/AAAAAAAAFdk\/NF6Z3zsMuk0\/s1600\/multiple+energy+conversion+processes.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"multiple energy conversion processes\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Y5VYeyAKCLs\/Uw8KWg2O6vI\/AAAAAAAAFdk\/NF6Z3zsMuk0\/s1600\/multiple+energy+conversion+processes.jpg\" height=\"480\" title=\"performance of fuel cells\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EWhile conventional heat engine burns fossil fuels and generates electrical energy after multiple energy conversion processes, fuel cells convert energy stored in fuels\u0026nbsp;directly\u0026nbsp;to electrical energy with high efficiency without\u0026nbsp;generating\u0026nbsp;polluting\u0026nbsp;byproducts. Among fuel cell components, polymer membrane plays a key role in the\u0026nbsp;performance of fuel cells. Credit: Chulsung Bae, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFuel cells convert chemical energy stored in fuel into electricity without combustion. They hold great promise as a clean energy alternative to fossil fuels because they use mostly hydrogen gas, and their only byproducts are heat and water, which makes them pollution free. They also have more than two times the efficiency of traditional combustion technologies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut they still are expensive, with parts that can degrade over time, and to be widely used in ground transportation, for example likely would require an overhaul of the nation's infrastructure, among other things, in order to make the switch from gas to hydrogen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChulsung Bae is working to develop a key fuel cell component that he hopes will be more durable and efficient than what is currently available, as well as less costly, with the hope of promoting more widespread use of the technology.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist and associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at the New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, predicts that fuel cells ultimately \"will be adopted in ground transportation in automobiles, and they will probably replace batteries in such devices as laptops and cell phones.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe fuel cell was invented in 1839 by William Robert Grove, a Welsh scientist, but was not used commercially until the 1960s, according to the Department of Energy. NASA used fuel cells in Project Gemini between 1962 and 1966 to generate power for probes, satellites and space capsules, and still uses them in the space program. Astronauts, in fact, drink water generated from fuel cells, Bae says.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELike batteries, fuel cells have no internal moving parts. Unlike batteries, however, which need a long time to store energy, fuel cells produce electricity instantly and continuously as long as fuel and air are available.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen hydrogen is the fuel, \"electrons are drawn from the fuel at the negative side (called anode) of fuel cell and travel to the positive side (called cathode) through external circuit, turning chemical energy into electricity while producing only water and heat as byproducts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFuel cells have the potential to revolutionize energy if scientists can make them more affordable and durable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's a complicated technology made of many parts, with two being the most important,\" Bae says. \"These are a catalyst, which converts the fuel to proton and electron by electrochemical reaction, and the other key component of the cell is a membrane that allows the proton to move from the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell to complete the chemical reaction. The proton is known as H+, which is a positive form of the hydrogen created by removing one electron from the hydrogen atom.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBae's goal is to develop a new membrane through molecular engineering that lasts longer and is more economical than the only commercial product currently available, a material called Nafion, which has serious drawbacks in addition to its high cost, he says. These include the \"rare availability of fluorine-containing precursors,\" that is, the materials need to produce Nafion, which are difficult to make, \"and reduced proton conductivity above 100 Celsius degree,\" among others, he says. \"It is not ideal for fuel cells.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"If you want to increase the performance of fuel cells, proton conductivity is the key for determining performance,\" he adds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo that end, Bae has been studying Nafion to determine which chemical structures in it are weak so \"I can revise them in my design of new membrane chemical structures,\" he says, and has synthesized a new type of fuel cell membranes in the lab.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn testing, \"we make a membrane and, for example, say it is made of five different chemical structures a, b, c, d, e,\" he says. \"I change 'a' and measure its properties, then change 'b' and measure its properties, and so on. I would like to know what happens to the properties when changing the structure systematically, so I can have a better understanding of the relationship between the chemical structure and its performance in fuel cells.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe has a candidate membrane and is collaborating with the Los Alamos National Laboratory to test it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"In our lab we discovered key structures that can enhance proton conductivity without adding too much cost by using commercially available plastics as a membrane precursor, changing its structures and measuring its properties,\" he says.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBae is conducting his work with an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which he received in 2008. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. NSF is funding his work with about $450,000 over five years. (He received a one-year deadline extension to accommodate his transition in changing schools.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs part of the grant's educational component, Bae teaches about clean energy technology in his graduate and undergraduate courses, and has sponsored high school students for a month's internship in his lab.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I usually teach organic chemistry, a large enrollment undergraduate course with 200 or more students,\" he says. \"They mostly are juniors and sophomores who often think that chemistry is just about the periodic table, and not related to real life. They don't get the idea of how chemists can have an impact on our lives. I give them fuel cell demonstrations and talk about our membrane work in order to show how chemistry they learned in the class can change the world and chemistry is an important part of our lives.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/461594246462697084\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/material-technology-that-can-increase-performance-of-fuel-cells.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/461594246462697084"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/461594246462697084"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/material-technology-that-can-increase-performance-of-fuel-cells.html","title":"Material technology that can increase performance of fuel cells"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Y5VYeyAKCLs\/Uw8KWg2O6vI\/AAAAAAAAFdk\/NF6Z3zsMuk0\/s72-c\/multiple+energy+conversion+processes.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-4282470767401402694"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-27T15:13:00.002+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-02-27T15:13:14.448+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Medicine goes mobile with smartphone apps, devices"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vMjDGPZvDCU\/Uw8IlN4T2WI\/AAAAAAAAFdY\/soVh_4tIFnQ\/s1600\/Wahoo+health+monitors.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Wahoo health monitors\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vMjDGPZvDCU\/Uw8IlN4T2WI\/AAAAAAAAFdY\/soVh_4tIFnQ\/s1600\/Wahoo+health+monitors.jpg\" title=\"Wahoo health monitors\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EWahoo health monitors shown during the 2014 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EThanks to smartphones, email, video games and photo sharing are available at the touch of a finger. But attach a special case and that same phone can produce an electrocardiogram (EKG) from the electrical impulses in your hand and send it to a doctor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's a neat little device,\" says E.B. Fox, who uses a heart monitor and app from AliveCor to keep track of his arrhythmia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 57-year-old North Carolina resident says he has been using the device since October. If he thinks there is a problem, he can email a reading to his doctor for an evaluation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I have no doubt it's saved me one doctor's visit at least,\" said Fox.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe heart monitor is just one example of progress in the booming mobile health or mHealth industry, which is changing both the way doctors practice medicine, and the way patients handle medical decisions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Mobile apps are one of many mHealth tools that are helping to engage consumers and patients in their own health care,\" David Collins, senior director of the mobile division at the non-profit Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, told AFP.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESlashing health care costs\u003C\/h4\u003EDoctors and developers alike are hoping that these mobile apps and devices will lead to lower health care costs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHealth care businesses such as hospitals and insurance companies traditionally focus on quantity, counting the number of patients seen and procedures done.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut as the system shifts and firms try to quantify the quality of care, factors such as whether a patient returns to the hospital within 30 days of treatment come into play, and can affect insurance payouts for care.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-neWe6kHlvGE\/Uw8ISPpDHBI\/AAAAAAAAFdQ\/tHT9gyyuN2Y\/s1600\/Tink%C3%A9+connected+health+monitor.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Tinké connected health monitor \" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-neWe6kHlvGE\/Uw8ISPpDHBI\/AAAAAAAAFdQ\/tHT9gyyuN2Y\/s1600\/Tink%C3%A9+connected+health+monitor.jpg\" title=\"Zensorium\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EThe Tinké connected health monitor by Zensorium is displayed beside an Android smartphone to which it can link via Bluetooth at \"CES: Unveiled,\" the media preview for International CES, January 5, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe idea is that if patients track their own health, using mobile apps and other tools, the extra data can reduce the numbers of doctor's visits, and make each one more effective.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Scripps Translational Science Institute in California is in the middle of a study examining the relationship between medical costs and mobile medical devices, specifically in patients with chronic conditions\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParticipants receive an iPhone and either a blood pressure monitor, heart monitor, or glucose meter to track their high blood pressure, arrhythmia, or diabetes for six months.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELead researcher Cinnamon Bloss said the team will be looking to see if by monitoring their own symptoms, patients can avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor or emergency room, as Fox has.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EPatient compliance not easy\u003C\/h4\u003EA few months into the study, Bloss has already noticed one longstanding problem that persists despite the ease of using mobile apps patient compliance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We're offering a free phone and device for a disease they already have, but many people don't want to be bothered, don't want to take the time,\" Bloss said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd according to Iltifat Husain, the founder of the app review website iMedicalApps.com, a lack of adherence to treatment plans can have significant financial and health-related consequences.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Patients who are non-compliant end up costing us billions of dollars in the health care system. I see it on a daily basis,\" he said at an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I'll see it in patients who come in in essentially a diabetic coma because they weren't taking their medications appropriately.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBetter apps\u003C\/h4\u003EAs smartphones are increasingly a part of everyday life, even for older Americans, Husain says mobile health tools are improving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SrcEEak2pnQ\/Uw8Et4_jhCI\/AAAAAAAAFdE\/T1QeDkR-Up4\/s1600\/UP24+wristband.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"UP24 wristband\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SrcEEak2pnQ\/Uw8Et4_jhCI\/AAAAAAAAFdE\/T1QeDkR-Up4\/s1600\/UP24+wristband.jpg\" title=\"Jawbone tracks\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EThe UP24 wristband introduced November 13, 2013 by Jawbone tracks how active wearers are or how well they are sleeping or eating, then communicates wirelessly with Apple mobile devices to make recommendations on a healthier lifestyle\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"The quality of medical apps has grown tremendously in the last year or two, due to people having a higher medical app literacy,\" he told AFP.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's also due to the guidelines released by the US Food and Drug Administration in September last year, which Husain said were helping to ward off the release of dodgy apps that could put patients at risk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Initially you had the Wild West now you have a sheriff who's come to town,\" Husain said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut in a rapidly growing field that allows massive amounts of data to be collected, Husain offered a few words of caution.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Just because we can monitor vital signs and other things doesn't necessarily mean we should. It doesn't necessarily mean that it leads to a better outcome,\" he warned.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"As a society, we need to figure out if we're willing to change the fundamental physician-patient relationship.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003Ephys.org\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/4282470767401402694\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/medicine-goes-mobile-with-smartphone-apps-devices.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/4282470767401402694"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/4282470767401402694"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/medicine-goes-mobile-with-smartphone-apps-devices.html","title":"Medicine goes mobile with smartphone apps, devices"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vMjDGPZvDCU\/Uw8IlN4T2WI\/AAAAAAAAFdY\/soVh_4tIFnQ\/s72-c\/Wahoo+health+monitors.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-503964032024684870.post-1722108517571304189"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-26T21:37:00.001+05:30"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-02-26T21:39:06.858+05:30"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Technology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"3D Air-Touch display operates on mobile devices"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LfPiY1qeZcU\/Uw4OuhR0UPI\/AAAAAAAAFcg\/a3QadEd5Sm8\/s1600\/Air-Touch+technology.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Air-Touch technology\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LfPiY1qeZcU\/Uw4OuhR0UPI\/AAAAAAAAFcg\/a3QadEd5Sm8\/s1600\/Air-Touch+technology.jpg\" title=\"Air-Touch technology\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EConcept of playing a virtual 3D STACKO game on a 3D mobile display using Air-Touch technology. Credit: Wang, et al. ©2013 IEEE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile interactive 3D systems such as the Wii and Kinect have been popular for several years, 3D technology is yet to become part of mobile devices. Researchers are working on it, however, with one of the most recent papers demonstrating a 3D \"Air-Touch\" system that allows users to touch floating 3D images displayed by a mobile device. Optical sensors embedded in the display pixels can sense the movement of a bare finger in the 3D space above the device, leading to a number of novel applications.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe researchers, Guo-Zhen Wang, et al., from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, have published a paper on the 3D Air-Touch system in a recent issue of the IEEE's Journal of Display Technology.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"The 3D Air-Touch system in mobile devices can offer non-contact finger detection and limited viewpoint for operating on a floating image, which can be applied to 3D games, interactive digital signage and so on,\" Wang told Phys.org. \"Although current technology still has some issues, such as yield rate, sensor uniformity and so on, we predict that this technology could become available in the near future.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBecause of the small size and portable nature of mobile devices, implementing a 3D system on these devices is different from 3D systems used on TVs and other large screens. Often, large 3D systems require either additional bulky devices or cameras for motion detection. For mobile systems, these additional devices would be inconvenient and the cameras have a limited field of view for detecting objects in close proximity to the display. Some proposed 3D systems for mobile devices use sensors near the screen, but these systems require bright environmental lighting, so they don't work well in dark conditions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8gp2jIDdKJY\/Uw4PUAQ_gvI\/AAAAAAAAFco\/v4caUbfr9d8\/s1600\/Air-touch+Optical+sensors+finger+movement.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Air-touch Optical sensors finger movement\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8gp2jIDdKJY\/Uw4PUAQ_gvI\/AAAAAAAAFco\/v4caUbfr9d8\/s1600\/Air-touch+Optical+sensors+finger+movement.jpg\" height=\"550\" title=\"Air-touch Optical sensors finger movement\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EOptical sensors that are embedded in the mobile device detect finger movement. The depth range is currently 3 cm. Credit: Wang, et al. ©2013 IEEE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWorking around these restrictions, Wang, et al., designed a 3D system in a 4-inch display screen in which optical sensors are embedded directly into the display pixels, while an infrared backlight is incorporated into the device itself. The researchers also added angular scanning illuminators to the edges of the display to provide adequate lighting. Overall, these three components provide a 3D system that is compact, has a wide field of view, and is independent of ambient conditions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe researchers explain that the algorithm for calculating the 3-axis (x, y, z) position of the fingertip is less complex than that used for image processing, allowing for rapid real-time calculations. First, the infrared backlight and the optical sensors are used to determine the 2D (x, y) position of the fingertip. Then to calculate the depth of the fingertip, the angular illuminators emit infrared light at different tilt angles. An analysis of the accumulated intensity at different regions provides the scanning angle with maximum reflectance, resulting in the 3D location of the fingertip.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-F3htDpaQ15w\/Uw4QyBE7yVI\/AAAAAAAAFc0\/ORO-PWPDoMM\/s1600\/2-axis+positions+of+fingertip.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"2-axis positions of fingertip\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-F3htDpaQ15w\/Uw4QyBE7yVI\/AAAAAAAAFc0\/ORO-PWPDoMM\/s1600\/2-axis+positions+of+fingertip.jpg\" height=\"640\" title=\"2-axis positions of fingertip\" width=\"456\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003E(a) To calculate the 2-axis (x and y) positions of a fingertip, the IR backlight is reflected by the fingertip. (b) To calculate the depth (z) of the fingertip, the system uses IR scanning devices on opposite sides of the display panel. Credit: Wang, et al. ©2013 IEEE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EExperimental results showed that the prototype 3D Air-Touch system performed very well. 2D touch systems require that the maximum error in positioning be no more than 0.5 cm, and the 3D touch prototype has a maximum error of 0.45 cm at large depths, and smaller errors for smaller depths. The prototype's depth range is 3 cm, but the researchers predict that this range can be further increased by improving the sensor sensitivity and scanning resolution.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the future, the 3D touch interface might also be extended from single-touch to multi-touch functionality, which could enable more applications. However, multi-touch functionality will require overcoming the occlusion effect, which occurs when one fingertip blocks the second fingertip so that the sensors cannot distinguish between the two. The researchers also plan to work on 3D Air-gesture operation for making 3D signatures in mobile devices.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003EGuo-Zhen Wang, et al. \"Bare Finger 3D Air-Touch System Using an Embedded Optical Sensor Array for Mobile Displays.\" Journal of Display Technology, Vol. 10, No. 1, January 2014. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/JDT.2013.2277567\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EDOI: 10.1109\/JDT.2013.2277567\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #38761d;\"\u003Ephys\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/feeds\/1722108517571304189\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/3d-air-touch-display-operates-on-mobile-devices.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/1722108517571304189"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/503964032024684870\/posts\/default\/1722108517571304189"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.tracktec.in\/2014\/02\/3d-air-touch-display-operates-on-mobile-devices.html","title":"3D Air-Touch display operates on mobile devices"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Ramprasad VR"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/117707214092010086344"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-fuXLwrFIm8o\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/l-haVIhp6AI\/s512-c\/photo.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LfPiY1qeZcU\/Uw4OuhR0UPI\/AAAAAAAAFcg\/a3QadEd5Sm8\/s72-c\/Air-Touch+technology.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});