Technology

The 'Chemputer' That Could Print Out Any Drug

Fri, 2012-07-27 17:48 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Chemistry professor Lee Cronin with the 'chemputer' he has adapted from a 3D printer. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

When Lee Cronin learned about the concept of 3D printers, he had a brilliant idea: why not turn such a device into a universal chemistry set that could make its own drugs?

guardian.co.uk - by Tim Adams - July 21, 2012

Professor Lee Cronin is a likably impatient presence, a one-man catalyst. "I just want to get stuff done fast," he says. And: "I am a control freak in rehab." Cronin, 39, is the leader of a world-class team of 45 researchers at Glasgow University, primarily making complex molecules. But that is not the extent of his ambition.

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Lee Cronin - The Cronin Group - University of Glasgow, U.K.
http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/

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4 Videos: Failed States Index 2012 Launch

Sun, 2012-07-22 16:42 — Kathy Gilbeaux

fundforpeace.org

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Living in a Cashless Society

Mon, 2012-07-16 18:16 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Theresa Bernardo

techtalkafrica.com - by Niyi Aderibigbe - June 7, 2012

After decades of cash use, there has been a call from different quarters for an alternative means of transaction. With globalization advancement in technology, many models of cashless transactions have emerged. Use of debit and credit cards to pay for goods, electronic transfer of money through banks, internet banking, mobile money, etc. has become the order of the day. Contrary to the belief of some people that a cashless society might be a mirage, it has become a dream for many countries of the world which is gradually coming true.

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Glowing Pollution Sensor Equipped Kites Replace Beijing's Stars

Mon, 2012-07-09 12:24 — Maeryn Obley

submitted by Albert Gomez

good.is - Julie Ma - July 6th, 2012

Urban air quality in China has been miserable for years, but the issue really came to the foreground in June when China’s vice minister for environmental protection put foreign embassies on blast for publishing national air pollution data online. The U.S. Embassy, whose hourly Twitter updates on Beijing's air quality have helped spread awareness of the dangers of pollution among the Chinese public, was the likely target of the criticism.

With the Chinese government’s resistance to letting air quality information circulate freely, two graduate students from Carnegie Mellon and Harvard are taking things into their own hands: literally.

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AquaSel, A Non-Thermal Brine Concentrator (NTBC)

Mon, 2012-07-09 00:56 — Maeryn Obley

Image: NTBC 3D rendering

submitted by Albert Gomez

ge-energy.com

GE’s AquaSel system is breakthrough non-thermal desalination technology with extremely high water recovery. It originates from GE’s leading expertise in desalination and zero liquid discharge technologies plus significant research and development.

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Patient Outcomes and Environmental Monitoring System (POEMS)

Sun, 2012-06-17 23:15 — Kathy Gilbeaux

GHRF, and Nepal and Bhutan affiliated NGOs, along with Ministries of Health and Agriculture are partnering to utilize mobile and information technology tools to warehouse health and environmental data together to allow multi-level assessments and cross-correlation of outcomes to assess health and environmental impact.

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Improve Tsunami Warnings by Placing GPS on Commercial Ships

Tue, 2012-05-08 16:15 — Kathy Gilbeaux

While in transit from Hawaii to Guam, the research vessel Kilo Moana detected the February 2010 Chilean tsunami. Credit: University of Hawaii, SOEST

submitted by Samuel Bendett

Homeland Security News Wire - May 8, 2012

Researchers find that commercial ships travel across most of the globe and could provide better warnings for potentially deadly tsunamis; this finding came as a surprise because tsunamis have such small amplitudes in the deep water, in contrast to their size when they reach the coastline, that it seemed unlikely that the tsunami would be detected using GPS unless the ship was very close to the source and the tsunami was very big

Commercial ships travel across most of the globe and could provide better warnings for potentially deadly tsunamis, according to a study published by scientists at the University of Hawaii – Manoa (UHM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

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Researchers Use GPS Data to Speed Up Tsunami Warnings

Sun, 2012-05-06 23:25 — Kathy Gilbeaux

In this Jan. 2, 2005 file photo, a wide area of destruction is shown from an aerial view taken over Meulaboh, 250 kilometers (156 Miles) west of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Researchers in the United States are hoping to use GPS data to speed up current warnings. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

U.S. seismologists currently testing new warning system

by Andrew Pinsent - CBC News - May 5, 2012

Scientists in the United States have been testing an advanced tsunami warning system using GPS data, combined with traditional seismology networks, to attempt to detect the magnitude of an earthquake faster so warnings of potential tsunamis can get out to potentially affected areas sooner.

The prototype is called California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), and is a collaboration between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, whose focus is on environmental conservation.

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The City as Lab: 21 Metropoles Prepare to Prototype

Sat, 2012-05-05 23:15 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Living Labs Global co-founder Sascha Haselmayer addresses the crowd in Rio de Janeiro

submitted by Albert Gomez

good.is - by Zak Stone - May 4, 2012

In a megapolis like Mexico City, any planning initiative that moves citizens from cars to busses will pay off in reductions to traffic and air pollution. A major deterrent to using public transportation in the city? Comfort, according to Dr. Julio Mendoza, director of Mexico City's Institute of Science and Technology. Many would rather drive than experience that particular breed of public transportation-pegged anxiety: waiting helplessly on the street corner for a bus that feels like it won't ever arrive.

After participating in the Living Labs Global Award program, a competition designed to help cities solve planning challenges, the Mexican capital may have found a fix. In February, Mexico City and 20 other LLGA participants around the world put out an open call to companies to pitch solutions to important but fixable problems.

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iPavement Puts a World of Knowledge Beneath Your Feet

Thu, 2012-05-03 18:18 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Albert Gomez

good.is - May 3, 2012

Now that the United Nations has declared internet access a human right, any small step that helps get more people online is worth celebrating. That's why iPavement, the latest creation from Spanish tech company Via Inteligente, is so genius.

Constructed of a calcium carbonate stone, iPavement looks like your average piece of square tile. But one should never judge a tile by its cover. At iPavement's core is a 5GB microprocessor that can support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Each tile will also come with its own suite of apps, offering users features like coupons to local businesses and maps to nearby places of interest. Via Inteligente's ultimate goal is to make cities more accessible and interesting by linking iPavement squares to people's increasing number of handheld devices.

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http://www.ipavement.com/en/index_eng.html

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