Wave your hand, turn any surface into touchscreen

PTI | Apr 27, 2013, 04.31 AM IST

READ MORE touchscreen|scientists|new technology|Hand
WASHINGTON: Scientists have developed a new technology that can enable you to turn almost any surface into a touchscreen with just a wave of your hand!

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have demonstrated that touch-based interfaces can be created anywhere almost at will.

Scientists previously have shown that a depth camera system, such as Kinect, can be combined with a projector to turn almost any surface into a touchscreen.

The WorldKit system enables someone to rub the arm of a sofa to "paint" a remote control for TV or swipe a hand across an office door to post calendar from which subsequent users can "pull down" an extended version. These ad hoc interfaces can be moved, modified or deleted with similar gestures, making them highly personalised.

Researchers at the university's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) used a ceiling-mounted camera and projector to record room geometries, sense hand gestures and project images on desired surfaces.

However, Robert Xiao, an HCII doctoral student, said WorldKit does not require such an elaborate installation. "Depth sensors are getting better and projectors just keep getting smaller," he said.

"We envision an interactive 'light bulb' — a miniaturized device that could be screwed into an ordinary light fixture and pointed or moved to wherever an interface is needed," he said. The system does not require prior calibration, automatically adjusting its sensing and image projection to the orientation of the chosen surface.

Users can summon switches, message boards, indicator lights and a variety of other interface designs from a menu. Ultimately, the WorldKit team anticipates that users will be able to custom design interfaces with gestures.

The findings will be presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in Paris. Though WorldKit now focuses on interacting with surfaces, the researchers anticipate future work may enable users to interact with the system in free space.
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New therapy to end insulin jabs for diabetics

, TNN | Apr 27, 2013, 04.34 AM IST
READ MORE diabetes|autoimmune disease|scientists|diabetics|Daily insulin shots
LONDON: Daily insulin shots for diabetics may soon be passe. Scientists have found a solution to control blood sugar and in fact cure diabetes from within the human body. Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) scientists have discovered a hormone, betatrophin, that increases production of insulin-secreting pancreatic cells 30 times the normal rate.

This has raised hopes that the hormone, secreted by liver and fat cells, will not only drastically improve control of blood sugar levels but actually cure patients suffering from diabetes.

Experts say they have never seen any treatment that causes such an enormous leap in beta cell replication. Publishing their findings in medical journal Cell, scientists said the new beta cells only produce insulin when called for by the body.

This offers the potential for the natural regulation of insulin and a great reduction in the complications associated with diabetes, the leading medical cause of amputations and non-genetic loss of vision.

Lead HSCI researcher Doug Melton carried out the study in mice but said the gene exists in humans too.

"Our idea here is relatively simple. We would provide this hormone, the type 2 diabetic will make more of their own insulin-producing cells, and this will slow down, if not stop, the progression of their diabetes," said Melton

Melton sees betatrophin primarily as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, but believes it might play a role in the treatment of type 1 diabetes as well, perhaps boosting the number of beta cells and slowing the progression of that autoimmune disease when it's first diagnosed.

"We've done the work in mice," Melton said. "But of course we're not interested in curing mice of diabetes, and we now know the gene is a human gene. We've cloned the human gene and, moreover, we know that the hormone exists in human plasma; betatrophin definitely exists in humans."

The team of researchers, which also includes postdoctoral fellow Peng Yi, cautioned that much work remains to be done before it could be used as a treatment in humans.

Diabetes is one of India's biggest health challenges. By 2030, India's diabetes burden is expected to cross the 100 million mark, against 87 million estimated earlier.
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A 'switch' that can help burn fat identified

PTI | Apr 25, 2013, 05.21 AM IST
READ MORE Obesity
Researchers have decoded a "toggle switch" in mice which can significantly stimulate fat burning and may help combat obesity. Scientists at the University of Bonn working with Alexander Pfeifer have spent years using animal models to explore how the undesirable white fat can be converted into sought-after brown fat. "In this way, excess pounds may be able to simply be melted away and obesity combated," said Pfeifer. The researchers have now decoded a "microRNA switch" in mice which is important for brown fat cells. Micro-RNAs are located in the genome of cells and very quickly and efficiently regulate gene activity.
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Functional Classification of Cardiac Disability

New York Heart Association Functional Classification of Cardiac Disability:
Class I: Patients with cardiac disease but without resulting limitations of physical activity.  Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea, or anginal pain.
Class II: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity.  They are comfortable at rest.  Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea, or anginal pain.
Class III: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity.  They are comfortable at rest.  Less than ordinary physical activity causes fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea, or anginal pain.
Class IV: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort.  Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency or of the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest.  If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort is increased.
Source: Adapted from Goldman et al (1981).
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Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi dead

TNN | Apr 22, 2013, 12.51 AM IST
READ MORE Shakuntala Devi|Human computer|Bangalore hospital|orthodox|Madhavan
Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi dead
Credited with solving some frightfully complicated arithmetic problems with apparent ease and astonishing speed, Devi’s calculating skills stunned the world throughout the 1970s and 80s.
BANGALORE: Shakuntala Devi, known for her mathematical prowess and the ability to compute complex equations mentally, died at Bangalore Hospital at 8:15am on Sunday, age 73. She was admitted to the hospital with respiratory difficulty, following which she acquired heart problems and endured a heart attack on Saturday evening. She was then on ventilator support but suffered another cardiac arrest early on Sunday, which proved fatal.

Credited with solving some frightfully complicated arithmetic problems with apparent ease and astonishing speed, Devi's calculating skills stunned the world throughout the 1970s and 80s. Her sharpness often made sophisticated digital devices seem inadequate.

The computing prodigy was born on November 4, 1939, in Bangalore, to an orthodox priestly Brahmin family. She may have had rebellious genes, for, her father, refusing to conform and become a priest, chose to play a circus performer, excellent in trapeze, tightrope and cannonball shows. When she was only three, Devi began showing great affinity with numbers. By the time she was five, she became an expert in solving complex mental arithmetic.

Fame became hers when she beat one of the world's fastest computers by 10 seconds in a complicated mathematics calculation. Multiplying two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Devi had no access to proper schooling and food in her early years. In an interview with TOI, Bangalore, some years ago, she said, "I have not gone to a school. At 10, I was admitted to Class 1 of St Theresa's Convent in Chamarajpet. But my parents could not afford the monthly fee of Rs 2, so in three months, I was thrown out. I grew up in a semi-slum area in Gavipuram, Guttahalli.

"It's my dream to open a mathematics university and R&D centre, which will educate a cross-section of people, using modern techniques, short-cuts and smart methods. I cannot transfer my abilities to anyone, but I can think of quicker ways with which to help people develop numerical aptitude. There are a large number of people whose logic is unexplored."

It 2010, she had filed a police complaint accusing her domestic help of cheating. She was threatened by a gang for lodging the complaint and had confessed to being scared of stepping out of her house.

"She was a vibrant lady who was sharp-minded and energetic. A witty person, she was fiercely independent as well," said DC Shivdev Deshmudre, trustee, Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust.

"Devi used very distinctive but offbeat techniques, which were not always based on theorem, but her methods were correct and gave results. Her capability to perform sophisticated computation, which could beat computers, gave her a stature of a computational wizard. Her death is a great loss to us all," said Professor Y Narahari, chairman, computer science, Indian Institute of Science

"Shakuntala Devi used a high degree of mnemonic devices in their brain and had tremendous retention power, unlike most normal human beings. She was able to hold on to large number of digits (both input and output) in her memory. She, however, can't be termed as a mathematical genius but a computational genius," said Prof CE Veni Madhavan, computer science and automation department, IISc.

Devi is survived by a daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters.

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Patients beware: Stem cells won't cure it all

By: Priyanka Vora Date:  2011-02-28 Place: Mumbai







Indian Council of Medical Research warns patients of trials marketed as therapies, says research is still in experimental stage and urges volunteers to exhibit caution
The 'magical remedy' promised in the name of unproven stem cell therapies has now drawn the attention of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). 



The Boston-based body is irked by the profusion of commercialised stem cell treatments advertised on the world wide web, and the way these trials are being marketed as 'therapies' to patients desperate for a cure.

The ISSCR has published a report 'Patients Beware: Commercialised Stem Cell Treatments on the Web' warning patients to be cautious before undergoing any such treatment.

And, following its cue, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has come down heavily on the marketing of such unsubstantiated therapies in vogue these days.

The ICMR's Assistant Director General (stem cell research), Dr Geeta Jotwani, said, "Our guidelines clearly state that other than bone marrow transplantation, all other stem cell-induced treatments are in their clinical trial phase and cannot be considered as proven treatment.

Patients should understand that the treatment itself is in the experimental phase. If any clinician is offering an unproven treatment, he is indulging in an unethical practice." But, ICMR, a nodal body under the Union Health Ministry, is not a regulatory body and thus cannot take any action.

Cost free

Nevertheless, the civic-run Sion Hospital the only public hospital in the country offering stem cell therapy for neurological problems like multiple dystrophy recently stopped the research after ICMR stated that it does not have an approval for the clinical trials. 

The ICMR had also objected to the fees the hospital charges from patients for treatments that are still in an experimental stage (see box).

Following the rebuke, the facility had stopped stem cell treatment for a brief period. But it is scheduled to restart it in two weeks. 

Dr Alok Sharma, head of the neurosurgery department, Sion hospital, tells us why.

"The ICMR guidelines state that the institute doing stem cell research should register with the ICMR's National Apex Committee. But, at present it does not exist. 

Thus the rules are difficult to implement," he said. 

He justified the costs, saying, "Being a civic hospital, we are already working to give the therapy completely free as part of the research project. Earlier as well, the patients were required to spend only on tests and chemicals which were not available at the hospital."

However Dr Jotwani said that the apex body has been constituted, it is functional, and all clinicians offering stem cell therapies must register themselves with it. She added that the research has potential but offering it to the masses as treatment at this nascent stage could be disastrous.

Cord blood bank

One of the ramifications of the growing popularity of stem cell-induced clinical therapies has been a boost to cord blood blanking. Such banks store umbilical cord blood for future use, so that families may retrieve stem cells from them later to treat diseases of the blood and immune systems. 

Industry experts say that the country's cord blood banking industry has seen a phenomenal growth by nearly 50 per cent in the last one year.

But Dr Jotwani cautions against private banking of cord blood, "It is not compulsory that stem cells retrieved from cord blood will be useful for the treatment being promised. Instead, we would endorse public cord blood banking.

The female should donate cord blood and the stem cells can be retrieved for any patient who needs it, that is if it matches with the patient." Much like how blood banks work

However, Rajesh Sharma, managing director of Bangalore-based Cryo-Save India, a multinational stem cell bank, said that increasing awareness and affordability are driving couples to opt for cod blood banking.

"We always inform the couple that stem cell therapies are relatively new. Still, around 3,000 clinical trials are in progress which indicates that there is hope." Cryo-Save has about 1,50,000 stem cell samples from across the globe. Two to three per cent of these have been contributed by India.

In the city

Meanwhile, Mumbai-based Reelabs, involved in both cord blood banking and stem cell therapy, receives at least 100-150 samples of cord blood a month. 

Its director, Dr Abhijit Bopardikar, said, "We started banking only after establishing the efficacy of stem cell therapy. We know that the treatments are in the experimental stage and we inform the same to the patients. All treatments we provide have received a nod from the ethics committee."

30,000
No of Indians that opt for cord blood banking every year. Currently, five major banks are operational in India

Celebrities too
According to Rajesh Sharma of cord blood bank Cryo-Save India, popularity and affordability of cord blood banking are inducing couples to go for it. 

The cost of cord blood banking for 21 years is around Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh, which is affordable to the middle class, he said. 

Other than that, celebrity couples opting for stem cell banking have made cord blood banking even more popular among others. 

What to ask

If a patient wants to undergo a stem cell therapy, they should first ask the clinician whether the stem cell therapy being offered is a clinical trial which means it is experimental in nature and whether it is registered with ICMR's National Apex Committee. 

According to the ICMR guidelines, the patient does not have to pay a single penny for undergoing such a clinical trial as they are volunteering for an unproven therapy.
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Life did exist before Earth, claim scientists

Last Updated: Sunday, April 21, 2013, 15:08   A- A A+
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Life did exist before Earth, claim scientists Washington: Life existed long before Earth came into being, and may have originated outside our solar system, scientists claim.

Researchers say life first appeared about 10 billion years ago - long before Earth, which is believed to be 4.5 billion years old.

Geneticists have applied Moore's Law - observation that computers increase exponentially in complexity, at a rate of about double the transistors per integrated circuit every two years - to the rate at which life on Earth grows in complexity.

Alexei Sharov of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, and Richard Gordon of the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Florida, replaced the transistors with nucleotides - the building blocks of DNA and RNA - and the circuits with genetic material.

Their findings suggest life first appeared about 10 billion years ago, far older than the Earth's projected age of 4.5 billion years.

Like in the 2012 sci-fi movie Prometheus, as our solar system was forming, pre-existing bacteria-like organisms, or even simple nucleotides from an older part of the galaxy, could have reached Earth by hitching an interstellar ride on comets, asteroids or other inorganic space debris.

However, the calculations are not a scientific proof that life predates Earth - there's no way of knowing for sure that organic complexity increased at a steady rate at any point in the universe's history.

"There are lots of hypothetical elements to (our argument) ... But to make a wider view, you need some hypothetical elements," Sharov said.

Sharov said that if he had to bet on it, he'd say "it's 99 per cent true that life started before Earth - but we should leave one per cent for some wild chance that we haven't accounted for."

The theory of "life before Earth," if found true, debunks the long-held science-fiction trope of the scientifically advanced alien species.

Moreover, if genetic complexity progresses at a steady rate, then the social and scientific development of any other alien life form in the Milky Way galaxy would be roughly equivalent to those of humans, the report said.

"Contamination with bacterial spores from space appears the most plausible hypothesis that explains the early appearance of life on Earth," researchers said.
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"touch to be transferred over the Internet." It is ostensibly aimed at couples =KURZWAIL'S FORCAST OF INTERNET SEX COMING TRUE


Durex debuts 'Fundawear:' Vibrating undies for long-distance lovers

6 hrs ago
Durex says they have invented the "future of foreplay." "Fundawear" is underwear that allows "touch to be transferred over the Internet." It is ostensibly aimed at couples in a long-distance relationship — allowing them to "tease, tickle and tantalize even when apart" — but it could also be for technology buffs who really despise physical contact. Fundawear works by using the same technology used to make your phone vibrate. Actuators wired into the garments are remotely stimulated by an app. Ben Moir, technical director of the project, said, "After the laughter had stopped, we knew it was going to be an awesome project. People will want this." [Source]



Friday 19 April 2013

Durex unveil 'Fundawear' internet touch experiment for long-distance lovers

Durex Australia have released footage of a couple trialling their experimental 'Fundawear', which, in what they bill as a world first, will allow for touch to be transmitted over the internet.

4:04PM BST 18 Apr 2013
Comments12 Comments
Boldly stating that their new product is the "future of foreplay", Durex Australia claim that 'Fundawear' allows for "touch to be transferred over the internet."
Deploying technology normally used to make a mobile phone vibrate, actuators wired into the under garments are remotely stimulated via a smartphone app, according to videos uploaded to Durex Australia's YouTube channel.
Apparently part of the condom manafacturers drive to improve what they describe as "the ultimate pleasure", the hi-tech underwear is claimed to be the latest offering from the company's 'durexperiment' team.
Aimed at allowing those in long distance relationships to "tease, tickle and tantalise even when apart", Durex's Australian branch posted footage of young couple Nick and Dani trialling the sensorious smalls on YouTube.
According to the dedicated Fundawear Facebook page, other similarly unabashed couples can still sign up to get involved in the testing stage.
Speaking about the innovative underwear, Ben Moir, technical director of the project, said: "After the laughter had stopped, we knew it was going to be an awesome project."
"People will want this," he added.
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