Thursday 6 June 2019

Everything will connect to the internet someday, and this biobattery could help

In the future, small paper and plastic devices will be able to connect to the internet for a short duration, providing information on everything from healthcare to consumer products, before they are thrown away. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed a micro biobattery that could power these disposable sensors.

* This article was originally published here

'Sell By' or what? US pushes for clarity on expiration dates

If milk is a few days past its "Sell By" date, is it safe to drink?

* This article was originally published here

Investigating the implications of social robots in religious contexts

Researchers at Siegen University and Würzberg University, in Germany, have recently carried out a study investigating the user experience and acceptability associated with the use of social robots in religious contexts. Their paper, published in Springer's International Journal of Social Robotics, offers interesting insight into how people perceive blessing robots compared to other robots for more conventional purposes.

* This article was originally published here

Do medical-alert bracelets benefit patients with chronic kidney disease?

In a pilot study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), wearing a medical-alert bracelet or necklace was associated with a lower risk of developing kidney failure compared with usual care. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of CJASN, call for a randomized trial to fully evaluate the promise of medical-alert accessories for individuals with kidney dysfunction.

* This article was originally published here

Organic electronics: A new semiconductor in the carbon-nitride family

Teams from Humboldt-Universität and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have explored a new material in the carbon-nitride family. Triazine-based graphitic carbon nitride (TGCN) is a semiconductor that should be highly suitable for applications in optoelectronics. Its structure is two-dimensional and reminiscent of graphene. Unlike graphene, however, the conductivity in the direction perpendicular to its 2-D planes is 65 times higher than along the planes themselves.

* This article was originally published here

A 3-D printer powered by machine vision and artificial intelligence

Objects made with 3-D printing can be lighter, stronger, and more complex than those produced through traditional manufacturing methods. But several technical challenges must be overcome before 3-D printing transforms the production of most devices.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers find ways to hackproof smart meters

Smart electricity meters are useful because they allow energy utilities to efficiently track energy use and allocate energy production. But because they're connected to a grid, they can also serve as back doors for malicious hackers.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists edge closer to root causes of multiple sclerosis

An international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia has made a scientific advance they hope will lead to the development of preventative treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS).

* This article was originally published here

Flying-V plane concept marks spectacular new look in air travel

Seating airline passengers in the wings? Think about it. A V-shaped plane designed to carry passengers, cargo, and fuel tanks in its wings is being seeded as a good idea for the future.

* This article was originally published here

Talking to each other—how forest conservation can succeed

Forest conservation can be a source of tension between competing priorities and interests from forestry, science, administration and nature conservation organisations. The different stakeholders can create the public impression of disagreement with regard to the objectives and measures in forest conservation. Scientists from the University of Göttingen, the HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen and the Northwest German Forest Research Institute have developed a framework of conservation objectives whereby targets for nature conservation can be compared and analysed. The study was published in Nature Conservation.

* This article was originally published here

New research shakes up the sloth family tree

New studies by two research teams published today in the journals Nature Ecology and Evolution and Current Biology challenge decades of accepted scientific opinion concerning the evolutionary relationships of tree sloths and their extinct kin. The research teams used different molecular tools—the protein collagen in one case and the mitochondrial genome in the other—but they reached nearly the same results. The concurrent findings are significant because they provide molecular evidence that appears to overturn a longstanding consensus, based on the study of anatomical features, regarding how the major groups of sloths are related to one another.

* This article was originally published here

New computer attack mimics user's keystroke characteristics and evades detection

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) cyber security researchers have developed a new attack called Malboard. Malboard evades several detection products that are intended to continuously verify the user's identity based on personalized keystroke characteristics.

* This article was originally published here

Bringing reality into the world of VR

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be inside your favourite video game, movie or even a historical location?

* This article was originally published here

Fiat Chrysler withdraws offer of merger with Renault

Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler withdrew Thursday its proposal to merge with Renault, blaming "political conditions" in France.

* This article was originally published here

For dying patients, early plans can improve quality of life

Careful documentation of a hospice patient's end-of-life wishes—and prominently noting that information in health records early—could prevent unwanted hospitalizations and medical interventions, a new study suggests.

* This article was originally published here

Is 'Big Tech' too big? A look at growing antitrust scrutiny

Is Big Tech headed for a big breakup?

* This article was originally published here

Using sensors to improve the interaction between humans and robots walking together

Researchers at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant"Anna, Co-Robotics srl and Sheffield Hallam University have recently proposed a new approach to improve interactions between humans and robots as they are walking together. Their paper, published in MDPI's Robotics journal, proposes the use of wearable sensors as a means to improve the collaboration between a human and a robot that are moving around in a shared environment.

* This article was originally published here

WWDC 2019: Meet Apple's youngest app developer, Ayush

Ayush Kumar is only allowed 30 minutes of screen time a week.

* This article was originally published here

To see how invading predators change an ecosystem, watch the prey, say researchers

Invading predators can devastate an ecosystem. In fact, a leading cause of extinction is the introduction of predators into an isolated system like an island or a lake. The destruction is usually blamed on the predator's eating choices, but sometimes the key lies in the prey animals' responses, according to an international team of researchers led by Princeton's Robert Pringle.

* This article was originally published here