WD TV Live supports Windows 7's Play To feature

Anyone who owns the WD TV Live HD media player from Western Digital knows that it's kind of painful to navigate among movies using the device's tiny remote control. Now, however, users can take advantage of software that's already on their Windows 7 computers.
Western Digital on Thursday said that its WD TV Live media player will be the first that supports the Play To feature of Windows 7. This features allows users to initiate and control the streaming of digital content to the WD TV Live HD media player, or any other compatible home entertainment systems, from any Windows 7-based PC on their network.
For example, if you want to play a movie that resides on a network computer or on the external hard drive that's attached to the WD TV Live, instead of having to use the remote control to browse for it, just add it to the Windows Media Player 12 playlist on the Windows 7-based computer that you're using. From within the WMP 12, right-click on the movie in the list and pick the WD TV Live as the playback device. The movie will then be "pushed" to the media player and played back on the TV to which it is connected.
To take advantage of this new feature, WD TV Live HD digital player owners need to update the device to the latest firmware (version 1.02.21), which can be downloaded here for free, or you can do the firmware upgrade from within the device's interface if it is connected to the Internet.
Once updated, the WD TV Live will be automatically recognized by Windows 7 and added to the list of devices that are compatible with Play To.

WD TV Live DH Media Player photos

Autobots vs. human World Cup champs by 2050 ?

The line has been drawn and the goal set.
The RoboCup Federation, a nonprofit organization based in Japan, aims to develop autonomous humanoid robots that are advanced enough to pit themselves against human World Cup champions by 2050.
While we're probably still some way off from the military drones in "Iron Man 2," the organizers of the yearly RoboCup competition, which will take place in Singapore between June 21 and 24, hope the event will fuel interest among students of robotics and artificial intelligence.
At the press conference Thursday morning, we learned from Jonathan Kua that the committee aims to develop more robotics solutions for the medical, logistics, and transportation industries. Kua is a member of the steering committee for RoboCup 2010 and director of new businesses at the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Tan Hang Cheong, co-chair of the steering committee for RoboCup 2010, and principal of Singapore Polytechnic, added that "a couple of millions" have been invested to put together this competition. The organizers expect about 4,000 people and more than 500 teams from more than 40 countries to participate in the event happening in Southeast Asia for the first time.
The competition comprises activity-type categories, with the soccer tournament being the main draw, as well as bots developed for rescue missions and assisted-living at home. There is also a junior segment where primary and secondary students will get to challenge their robots in soccer, rescue, and dance.
We don't have to worry, though, that autonomous robots will soon take over the human race or drones blowing up bridges and cars. "Folding clothes is [still] one of the most difficult tasks for robots," Kua said.

Researchers at the University of Missouri are developing computer graphics visualization software that enables search-and-rescue teams to improve the virtual navigation of spaces unsafe for humans.
Remote-controlled robots have already proved invaluable in search-and-rescue missions, reaching places that humans often can't--or shouldn't. (Think earthquakes, bomb threats, or the recent mine explosion in West Virginia.) But software developed in Columbia, Mo., aims to improve what we do with the data these bots collect.
"We are developing computer graphics visualization software to allow the user to interactively navigate the 3D data captured from the robot's scans," says Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science at MU's College of Engineering. "I worked with my students to develop computer software that helps the user to analyze the data and conduct virtual navigation, so they can have an idea of the structure before they enter it."
The bot at the Missouri University of Science and Technology transports a light detection and ranging unit (LIDAR) that wirelessly transmits data about spacing to emergency responders attempting to enter hazard zones. The LIDAR unit takes scans at a rate of up to 500,000 point measurements per second, and can scan through windows and doors.

The group's new software converts these data points into 3D maps, separating out individual objects, generating floor plans, and color-coding areas based on levels of stability. It takes 30 minutes to about two hours to create these maps, depending on the volume of data gathered--a speed the researchers hope to continue improving.
As for hardware, the team is already working on a proposal to make the robot smaller, lighter, and more flexible so that it could, in effect, catch up with the sophisticated software. Just named on Kiplinger's list of 8 Robots That Will Change Your Life, it weighs a whopping 200 pounds, making it admittedly heavy for many of the precarious settings it needs to navigate.
Of course, this set-up won't likely be limited to search-and-rescue missions. "This system could be used for routine structure inspections, which could help prevent tragedies such as the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007," Duan says. "It also could allow the military to perform unmanned terrain acquisition to reduce wartime casualties."

LG's DP570MH combo unit set to become first Mobile DTV released

LAS VEGAS--With mobile digital television (DTV) technology officially in the process of being rolled out, a few new Mobile TV devices are set to hit the market later this year, including LG's DP570MH, a model that combines a portable DTV with a DVD player.
Mobile DTV technology is different from the over-the-air signals you can pull in with a standard ATSC digital TV tuner and antenna. The key to Mobile TV is that you can pick up signals while you're moving in a car or even a fast train. According to LG, the new Mobile DTV standard allows broadcasters to use a portion of the existing 19.4 Megabit-per-second DTV channel capacity to transmit data with "extremely robust characteristics suitable for mobile, pedestrian and handheld applications."

The $249.99 DP570MH has a 7-inch wide-screen display (480x234-pixel resolution) and stereo speakers. The screen is designed to tilt to achieve the best viewing angle. When not in use, the screen folds down, with the total footprint of the device shrinking to about 9.5 x 6.5 inches, according to LG.

As for battery life, LG says that you can get up to 2.5 hours in TV mode or up to 4.5 hours during DVD playback. You get both AC and car power adapters and the DP570MH can also display JPEG images and play WMA music files from its USB 2.0 connection.
Since LG is a co-developer of the chip at the heart of the Mobile DTV standard it's not surprising that it's among the first to put out a Mobile DTV device. The company notes that LG began mass production of the critical component for Mobile DTV reception--the LG2160A integrated circuit chip--in June 2009. The latest version, the LG2160R single chip design, which includes both the tuner and demodulator, was released at CES. And, by March 2010, LG plans to release its next-generation mobile DTV chip, the LG2161R receiver IC. LG says the new chip is, "Even smaller, consumes less power, supports various interfaces and provides improved performance."

Naturally, the company hopes to see its Mobile DTV chips find their way into a wide variety of products, including netbooks and laptop USB accessory receivers. Also, accessories like Tivit will allow you to stream Mobile DTV video to your iPhone, BlackBerry, or notebook PC.

Mobile DTV seems poised to launch later this year, but we suspect it will only take off in 2011 as more stations and devices hit the market along with better coverage. Mobile broadcasting signals have been available in South Korea and Japan for a number of years.

Take wireless charging on the go

WildCharger's products have always left us a bit divided. Though the wireless charging pads certainly work as promised, we haven't rushed out to buy them. Sure the ability to charge several gadgets at once is convenient, and the technology certainly is novel, but we can be content with powering our handset the normal way.

WildCharge, however, is busily expanding its product line, and at CES 2010 the company (now called Pure Energy Solutions) showed the a new Portable WildCharge Pad. At 5.24 inches long by 2.7 inches wide by 0.47 inch deep, the pad can fit one cell phone comfortably. It weighs just 4.23 ounces so it slips easily into a bag or even a large pocket.

It accommodates all current handset skins, which are required to charge your phone using the company's wireless technology. The pad has an internal battery so it doesn't need to be plugged in to operate; just power it ahead of time and you're all set. You even can charge the pad from a larger WildCharge device like the one that we reviewed last year.

The Geek Squad goes electric, thanks to Mitsubishi

LAS VEGAS--Best Buy leased four iMiev electric vehicles from Mitsubishi in a test program for its Geek Squad. The cars, sporting Geek Squad livery, were on display at CES. All right-hand drive, the cars were built to Japanese specifications.

Best Buy will run the cars out of its El Segundo, Calif., store, using them to provide in-house tech support to residents in the area. Given the 80- to 100-mile range of the cars, Geek Squad members will have to reserve them for local calls.

Mitsubishi has been signing up partnerships with various organizations, including utilities and Best Buy, to get the cars into a road testing environment. Data gathered from these lease deals will let Mitsubishi further refine the electric power trains.

Based on the Mitsubishi i Kei car platform currently sold in Japan, the iMiev uses an electric motor producing 63 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. With its 330-volt lithium ion battery pack located under the floor, it emits no CO2 on the road.

Geek Squad members will have to wait 7 hours for a full charge off of a 220-volt power supply. If Best Buy installs Mitsubishi's quick charger, an 80 percent can be achieved in 30 minutes.

Decipher your car's idiot light with CarMD

LAS VEGAS--A new version of the CarMD device and service was released here at CES. Like RepairPal and DriverSide, CarMD now has a database of common repairs for most modern (post-1996) cars, including price ranges and do-it-yourself instructions for some of them.

What makes CarMD different is its hardware: There's a probe that attaches to your car's diagnostic port (it's probably under the dash). The probe reads data from your car's computer. It will display simple info on its LEDs and LCD screen, and if you connect it your computer (via USB) it can tell you a lot more.

The new hardware looks the same as the previous version of the device but is more attuned to safety and emissions than the previous model, reading in additional data about airbags, for example. It's also been updated to handle diagnostics from hybrid cars.

The site itself has been updated with new, folksy, medical-like terminology. It tells you about your car's proposed "cure" and how to keep it "healthy."
The device costs $99 and looks like a good second opinion to your local mechanic. And if you're shopping used cars, you can take the gizmo with you to see what the car's computer knows or to verify the owner's claim that the lit check-engine light is just because the gas cap wasn't screwed on tight a week ago. One thing the CarMD won't do is reset your own car's check-engine light.

Inrix finds traffic detours in Fords and on the iPhone (Record A Route)

LAS VEGAS--It may not be a household name, but Inrix offers services that will save you time and money while reducing pollution. Inrix provides traffic information and smart routing to more than 100 companies offering navigation services. At CES 2010, Inrix announced a partnership with Ford in the new MyFord Touch system, more extensive road coverage, and the Inrix Traffic Pro app for the iPhone.

MyFord traffic
Ford made a lot of news with its

MyFord Touch interface, which features a new Telenav navigation system. Ford is replacing traffic data from Sirius in its navigation systems with Inrix's data, and will include algorithms to help you decide whether it's worth taking a detour around a traffic jam.
Inrix also developed a MapQuest application for Ford, which lets Ford owners look up a location using MapQuest on a home PC, then send it to their cars at the push of a button.

Expanded coverage
Ford might have chosen Inrix for its traffic because its coverage is extending to 260,000 miles of roadway. Most traffic systems--Inrix, too--cover highways and freeways in urban areas. Inrix is switching on coverage for many major surface streets by March of this year.
The company feels it can provide accurate traffic flow data for surface streets because of its network of onroad vehicles sending back speed information. Inrix uses major delivery fleets to gather information, and will be adding information from Ford cars as its service gets deployed in those new models. Further, the company has an iPhone app that not only shows drivers their local traffic, but sends data back to Inrix so the company can get a real-time look at traffic flow on a variety of streets.

Inrix Traffic Pro
We got a look at Inrix's new iPhone traffic app, called Traffic Pro, which offers more features than the basic app. Along with its traffic map, this new app records driving routes, letting you know how long it will take to drive them with current traffic conditions. A valuable tool for commuters, the app uses its forecasting ability to show a bar graph indicating how long it will take to drive a route depending on what time you leave. It can also look at multiple routes to the same destination, indicating the shortest drive time.
Unlike Inrix's free traffic app, Traffic Pro costs $9.99 per year, or $24.99 for a lifetime subscription. The initial release will be for the iPhone, with Android and BlackBerry releases coming later.

A Samsung Windows Mobile Backup software

Do you want to make a copy backup for your windows mobile phone?Do you want to upgrade to a new phone?Do you want to reset your phone to default setting?Now I found and recommend this third party software called GodswMobile Windows Mobile Transfer Suite .

Just backup all your personal information before they are lost.Take care of your valueble information.

GodswMobile Windows Mobile Transfer Suite 1.0Requirement: Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5, Windows Mobile 6Summary: GodswMobile Windows Mobile Transfer Suite is a package which contains two hot sell software - GodswMobile SMS Transfer and GodswMobile Contacts Transfer. So with this powerful package, you are able to backup and restore text messages and contacts between windows mobile phone and computer easily.

Key Features:

* Backup and restore contacts, including sim card contacts and mobile contacts;

* Backup and restore text message for windows mobile;

* Support backup and restore SMS and Contacts to text file(*.txt);

* Transfer SMS and Contacts from mobile to computer;

* Including an application for windows pc to view,edit and print SMS and Contacts;

* Support set photo and ringtone for contacts on computer directly;

* Support unlimited SMS and Contacts backup/restore;

* Fast backup and restore speed;

* Easy to use - 3 click to finish the backup or restore job;

* Fully support Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 and 6.

* Fully support VGA and WVGA Screen. (Such as HTC Touch HD 2,Pro 2,Diamond

2) Snapshot:

Man builds Lego ATM

An American man has built a working cash machine out of Lego, tapping the toy firm's NXT programmable robotics kit.

The ATM - made entirely from Lego and a HiTechnic IRLink and Codatex RFID sensor - can be used for cash withdrawals and to make change, dispensing notes and coins.It includes a fully functional numeric keypad, a banknote scanner that can be calibrated to accept any currency and a note separator. The 22 pound machine took Ron McRae four months to build and program, incorporating around 8000 pieces and 1800 lines of NXC code.

Scientists Recreate Bing Bang Successfully

Physicists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) broke a record with their atom smasher Large Hadron Collider when they managed to collide protons at 3 times the energy previously achieved.

Earlier in the day, scientists stepped up efforts to detect the elusive ‘God Particle’ by triggering collision of two proton beams in the world’s largest atom smasher located on the Franco-Swiss border on the outskirts of Geneva.

The two proton beams, set in motion in opposite directions of two 27-km long pipes of the LHC in November last year, were previously moving at 3.5 trillion electron volts (TeV) with each beam of the protons going around the device 11,000 times every second.

Physicists achieved the feat while attempting to collide the two beams at 7 TeV, creating conditions similar at the time of the Big Bang — that is believed to have created the universe.

The success triggered rounds of applause and cheers from the

scientists and journalists gathered in the circular control room, while allaying concerns that the experiment would create a black hole and destroy the universe.

The breakthrough heralds the beginning of a new era in efforts to try to understand profound scientific questions, including whether the sub-atomic particles – quarks – inside the protons and neutrons can be freed; and why these latter particles weigh some 100 times more than the quarks of which they are composed.

The protons in the LHC, which requires 100 megawatts of power to operate, collided at more than 7 tera – or trillion – electronvolts (TeV), a measure of energy given to an electron as it accelerates through a potential of one volt. This was more than triple the levels of previous experiments.

Silent Sound Technology: An End To Noisy Communications

You are in a movie theater or noicy restaurent or a bus etc where there is lot of noice around is big issue while talking on a mobile phone. But in the future this problem is eliminated with ”silent sounds”, a new technology unveiled at the CeBIT fair on Tuesday that transforms lip movements into a computer-generated voice for the listener at the other end of the phone.

The device, developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), uses electromyography, monitoring tiny muscular movements that occur when we speak and converting them into electrical pulses that can then be turned into speech, without a sound uttered.

‘Silent Sound’ technology aims to notice every movements of the lips and transform them into sounds, which could help people who lose voices to speak, and allow people to make silent calls without bothering others. Rather than making any sounds, your handset would decipher the movements your mouth makes by measuring muscle activity, then convert this into speech that the person on the other end of the call can hear. So, basically, it reads your lips.
“We currently use electrodes which are glued to the skin. In the future, such electrodes might for example by incorporated into cellphones,” said Michael Wand, from the KIT.

The technology opens up a host of applications, from helping people who have lost their voice due to illness or accident to telling a trusted friend your PIN number over the phone without anyone eavesdropping — assuming no lip-readers are around.

The technology can also turn you into an instant polyglot. Because the electrical pulses are universal, they can be immediately transformed into the language of the user’s choice.
“Native speakers can silently utter a sentence in their language, and the receivers hear the translated sentence in their language. It appears as if the native speaker produced speech in a foreign language,” said Wand.

The translation technology works for languages like English, French and Gernan, but for languages like Chinese, where different tones can hold many different meanings, poses a problem, he added.

Noisy people in your office? Not any more. “We are also working on technology to be used in an office environment,” the KIT scientist told AFP.

The engineers have got the device working to 99 percent efficiency, so the mechanical voice at the other end of the phone gets one word in 100 wrong, explained Wand.

“But we’re working to overcome the remaining technical difficulties. In five, maybe ten years, this will be useable, everyday technology,” he said.

Computer Technology

At a $350 billion a year industry, the computer and semiconductor industry is not only among the largest manufacturing industries in the world, but also, arguably, the most important. Semiconductor technology has enabled the computing and communications revolution, the internet, the cell phone and more. PCs and cell phones continue to sell in growing numbers with even more powerful and more featured-packed devices on the drawing table, all of which will consume more and more powerful semiconductors. Devices that combine entertainment, mobile communications and computing are exploding onto the scene all of which are semiconductor-dependant. Along with that has come WiFi, WiMax and all the other communications that are convenient to use for communications through our cellular devices and computers.

The Basics

Semiconductor is a material that has a resistivity value between that of a conductor and an insulator. The conductivity of a semiconductor material can be varied under an external electrical field. Devices made from semiconductor materials are the foundation of modern electronics, including radio, computers, telephones, and many other devices. Semiconductor devices include the transistor, many kinds of diodes including the light-emitting diode, the silicon controlled rectifier, and digital and analog integrated circuits. Solar photovoltaic panels are large semiconductor devices that directly convert light energy into electrical energy. In a metallic conductor, current is carried by the flow of electrons. In semiconductors,current can be carried either by the flow of electrons or by the flow of positively-charged "holes" in the electron structure of the material.

Silicon is used to create most semiconductors commercially. Dozens of other materials are used, including germanium, gallium arsenide, and silicon carbide. A pure semiconductor is often called an “intrinsic” semiconductor. The conductivity, or ability to conduct, of semiconductor material can be drastically changed by adding other elements, called “impurities” to the melted intrinsic material and then allowing the melt to solidify into a new and different crystal.

The Future

When physicists sandwiched together different types of semiconductor to create the first transistor in 1947, they made bulky vacuum valves obsolete and so revolutionised the electronics industry. Since then researchers have been pushing the boundaries of semiconductor technology hoping for another revolution. Progress towards ultra-high density magnetic recording, and a new branch of nanotechnology are some of the cutting-edge semiconductor research being conducted.

Nanotechnology is the science of making new materials - and structures like minute electronic devices less than one millionth of a metre big - atom by atom. Nanocrystals Technology in the USA have developed a structure known as a Quantum Confined Atom (QCA) believe they will become the building block for a range of new semiconductor devices.

A quantum confined atom is an atom or an ion (atom with an electric charge) trapped within a nanocrystal cage (a tiny cage made from the atoms of a semiconductor). In conventional semiconductor technology, most electronic devices are made from layers of different types of semiconductor. The semiconductor materials used are "doped" with atoms of different elements, which alter their properties so that each layer will have the particular electrical characteristics
needed for that type of device to work. QCA technology however is the direct opposite of this. Instead of the trapped atom altering the properties of its semiconductor host, the semiconductor atoms of the cage modify the properties of the atom they are confining.

Nanocrystals researchers are trapping atoms in spaces between 2 and 10 billionths of a meter in size. At present they are concentrating on trapping phosphorescent ions (ions that emit visible light of a certain colour when light of a different colour or invisible ultraviolet (UV) light is shone at them). By reducing the size of these cages from 10 down to between 2 and 5 billionths of a meter, the researchers found the ions could generate 20 times more light. This meant they were emitting as much light as conventional phosphor particles 1000 times larger. This dramatic enhancement of luminescence efficiency is expected to have an impact all optical devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, displays and fluorescent lamps and should be available commercially within five years. In fact, his nanophosphors could find their first application as early as next year, replacing existing phosphors that convert the X-rays used in medical imaging into light so a picture can be recorded. Because they are so small and efficient, the new nanophosphors can improve the resolution of X-ray images, and allow a smaller dose of X-rays to be used while still obtaining a clear picture. Today there is research being conducted to modulate and enhance other properties such as magnetic properties of the nanocrystals. This would mean QCAs could act as storage materials for data in ultra-high-density magnetic recording systems - all of which will soon be required by our computing devices such as, MP3 players, cell phones and laptops.

Higher Current EMI Filters from Crane Aerospace & Electronics

REDMOND, Wash. – March 25, 2010 - Solutions of Crane Aerospace & Electronics, a business unit of Crane Co. (NYSE: CR), has announced the release of EMI Filters, FMCE-0328, FMCE-0528, FMCE-0828 and FMCE-1528. The new FMCE filters are designed to work with Crane’s Interpoint brand 28 volt input, 1.5 to 120 watt DC/DC converters and are backward compatible and fully interoperable with Interpoint brand FMH, FMC, FMD and FME filters. They have been designed to provide exceptional attenuation performance with a minimal loss of power in the filter as well as to make sure that heat generated in the filter is efficiently dissipated by the device to minimize stress on components, ensuring optimal product life. “We developed these products to improve the attenuation of the filter and to increase the current capability of the product. The improved performance will allow us to meet and exceed requirements of MIL-STD-461 C through F (CE03, CS01, CE102, CS101),” states Michael Osborne, Product Manager with Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Electronics Group. The new filters will be manufactured at Crane’s MIL-PRF-38534 Class H Certified facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and are scheduled to begin production in March 2010. They will be available to customers in May 2010. For more information visit www.interpoint.com/015. Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Power Solutions, offers Interpoint brand DC/DC converters and EMI filters with proven performance in the extreme environments of space and defense as well as the high reliability requirements for commercial air and industrial applications.

Advanced Technologies Incorporated

Unmanned Air Vehicles & Rotorcraft Development: ATI designs, fabricates, tests, and documents prototype flight vehicles and hardware for commercial and military customers in the US and other countries. Our experienced team has produced rotary and fixed wing aircraft in manned and unmanned configurations. We also implement limited production capabilities including tooling, suppliers, and production line set-up.

Atlas Tip Jet Helicopters: One & Two-man helicopters developed for European customer. Featured simple tip-jet rotor system with mono-cyclic controls. Detail designed, fabricated, and ground-tested at ATI, flight tested in Switzerland.

Ultrasport Helicopters: One and Two-man helicopters developed for Taiwanese customer. All composite airframe and rotor blades make for simple construction and good performance. Three models were developed as amateur-built kits including an FAA ultra-light category version requiring no license to operate. Over 150 kits have been sold to customers around the world.

Vigilante VTOL UAV: 1000 lb gross weight unmanned helicopter based on the Ultrasport drivetrain and featuring an autonomous flight control system developed by SAIC. Developed by ATI and SAIC for sale to US military and international customers. ATI / SAIC continues to produce and support Vigilante systems for several DOD customers.

MALE UAV: This Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV was developed by SAIC for a US DOD customer in response to the September 11 attack on America. ATI served as the airframer, designing, fabricating and assembling the airframe, propulsion and electrical systems. ATI also supported the wind tunnel, ground, and flight testing of this system. Rapid prototyping techniques allowed this vehicle to progress from conception to 1st flight in 60 days.

Skydisk VTOL Aircraft: This aircraft was developed by a Swiss company to provide 6-8 passengers the ability to takeoff and land without a runway and cruise at 250 knots. ATI executed the preliminary design of the vehicle, built and tested powered wind tunnel models, built and tested sub-scale free flight models, fabricated full-scale airframe tooling and tool-proof test articles, and built a full scale marketing mockup with a finely detailed interior.

Americans Need to Know More About Technology

from "The National Academy of Engineering" Most Americans know little about the world of technology, yet from day to day they must make critical decisions that are technologically based, such as whether to buy genetically engineered foods or transmit personal data over the Internet. Moreover, the use of technology as a learning tool in the classroom is often confused with the broader concept of being technologically literate -- knowing something of the nature and history of technology, as well as having a certain level of skill in using technologies and thinking critically about them.

Neither the educational system nor the policy-making apparatus in the United States has recognized the importance of this more comprehensive view of technological literacy, says a new report from the National Academies' National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council. It calls for a broad-based effort to increase the technological literacy of all Americans, a goal that will have many benefits including more informed decision-making by citizens and business and government leaders about the development and use of technology, and a more erudite population that will be better prepared for the demands of today's high-tech work environment.

Learning about technology should begin in kindergarten, and the connection between all subjects and technology should be emphasized throughout a student's education, the report says. Technology content should be infused into curricula, teaching materials, and student assessments. At the federal level, the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Education should provide incentives for publishers to include technology content in new science, history, social studies, and language arts textbooks. Likewise, technologically focused agencies such as NASA and the National Institutes of Health should support the development of curricula for teachers of all subjects and grades, especially to help make clear the connections between technology, science, and other school subjects.

All educators should be better prepared to teach about technology, the report says. Schools need to move beyond the perception of technology as a separate subject to be taught in "shop class." Science teachers in particular need a solid education in technology and engineering, and even history and social studies teachers should be required to know how technology relates to their subjects. Schools should ensure that teachers specializing in technology follow standards issued by the International Technology Education Association.

One exception to the general neglect of technology education is the area of computers and information technology. But too often the emphasis is on how information technology, most notably computers and the Internet, can improve the learning process, rather than on the need for students to learn about technology itself, the report says. Furthermore, many schools believe that because they offer computer classes, they are already teaching about technology -- an attitude that can impede the drive toward more general technological studies.

To spur improvements in the education system, the National Science Foundation, in partnership with industry, should fund an award that recognizes innovative, effective approaches for improving the technological literacy of students or the public. In addition, government and industry leaders should receive training on a regular basis about key technological issues through intensive courses, and engineering societies should institute fellowship programs to create a cadre of policy experts and journalists with a background in engineering.

Government decision-making would be enhanced if more opportunities were available for the public to become involved in discussions about technological issues, the report adds. Through creative exhibits and programs, museums and science and technology centers can help the out-of-school public be better prepared to participate in these discussions.

This study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Battelle Memorial Institute. The National Research Council and National Academy of Engineering are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science and technology advice under a congressional charter. The Research Council is the principal operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering.

Read the full text of Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology for free on the web. A companion website can be viewed at www.modern-items.blogspot.com. Printed copies of the report are available for purchase from the National Academy Press website or by calling (202) 334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242.

More About:
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The NAE operates under the same congressional act of incorporation that established the National Academy of Sciences, signed in 1863 by President Lincoln. Under this charter the NAE is directed "whenever called upon by any department or agency of the government, to investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art." The NAE is a private, independent, nonprofit institution. In addition to its role as advisor to the federal government, the NAE also conducts independent studies to examine important topics in engineering and technology.

Ten Technologies That Will Rock 2010

Now that the aughts are behind us, we can start the new decade with a bang. So many new technologies are ready to make a big impact this year. Some of them will be brand new, but many have been gestating and are now ready to hatch. If there is any theme here it is the mobile Web. As I think through the top ten technologies that will rock 2010, more than half of them are mobile. But those technologies are tied to advances in the overall Web as well.
Below is my list of the ten technologies that will leave the biggest marks on 2010:

1. The Tablet: It’s the most anticipated product of the year. The mythical tablet computer (which everyone seems to be working on). There are beautiful Android tablets, concept tablets, and, of course, the one tablet which could define the category, the Apple Tablet. Or iSlate or whatever it’s called. If Steve Jobs is not working on a tablet, he’d better come up with one because anything else will be a huge disappointment.Why do we need yet another computer in between a laptop and an iPhone? We won’t really know until we have it. But the answer lies in the fact that increasingly the Web is all you need. As all of our apps and data and social lives move to the Web, the Tablet is the incarnation of the Web in device form, stripped down to its essentials. It will also be a superior e-reader for digital books, newspapers, and magazines, and a portable Web TV.

2. Geo: The combination of GPS chips in mobile phones, social networks, and increasingly innovative mobile apps means that geolocation is increasingly becoming a necessary feature for any killer app. I’m not just talking about social broadcasting apps like Foursquare and Gowalla. The advent of Geo APIs from Twitter , SimpleGeo, and hopefully Facebook will change the game by adding rich layers of geo-related data to all sorts of apps. Twitter just recently launched its own Geo API for Twitter apps and acquired Mixer Labs, which created the GeoAPI.

3. Realtime Search: After licensing realtime data streams from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and others, Google and Bing are quickly ramping up their realtime search. But realtime search is still treated as a silo, and is not regularly surfaced in the main search results page. In 2010, I expect that to change as the search engines learn for what types of searches it makes sense to show Tweets and other realtime updates. In the meantime, a gaggle of realtime search startups such as Collecta, OneRiot, and Topsy will continue to push the ball forward on the realtime search experience. Realtime search will also become a form of navigation, especially on Twitter and Facebook. The key will be to combine realtime search with realtime filters so that people are delivered not only the most recent information but the most relevant and authoritative as well.

4. Chrome OS: In November, Google gave the world a sneak peek at its Chrome operating system, which is expected to be released later this year. The Chrome OS is Google’s most direct attack on Windows with an OS built from the ground up to run Web apps fast and furious. Already a Google is rumored to be working on a Chrome Netbook which will show the world what is possible with it a “Web OS.” It sounds like it would be perfect for Tablet computers also (see above). Chrome is a risky bet for Google, but it is also potentially disruptive.

5. HTML5: The Web is built on HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and the next version which has been taking form for a while is HTML5. Already browsers such as Firefox and Google’s Chrome (the browser, not the OS) are HTML5-friendly. Once HTML5 becomes more widespread across the Web, it will reduce the need for Flash or Silverlight plug-ins to view videos, animations, or other rich applications. They will all just be Web-native. HTML5 also supports offline data storage, drag-and-drop, and other features which can make Web apps act more like desktop apps. A lot of Websites will be putting HTML5 under the hood in 2010.

6. Mobile Video: With video cameras integrated into the latest iPhone 3GS and other Web phones, live video streaming apps are becoming more commonplace—both streaming from phones and to them. As mobile data networks beef up their 3G bandwidth and even start to tiptoe into true broadband with 4G (which Verizon is heading towards with its next-gen LTE network), mobile video usage will take off.

7.Augmented Reality: One of the coolest ways to use the camera lens on a mobile phone is with the increasing array of augmented reality apps. They add a layer of data to reality by placing everything from photos to Tweets to business listings directly on top of the live live image captured by the camera. Tonchidot’s Sekai Camera, Layar, GraffitiGeo and even Yelp are examples of augmented reality apps.

8. Mobile Transactions: As mobile phones become full-fledged computers, they can be used for mobile commerce also. One area poised to take off in 2010 are mobile payments and transactions. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s latest startup Square turns the iPhone into a credit card reader. Verifone has its competing product, as does Mophie. The idea is that any mobile phone can become a point of sale, and those mobile transactions can tie into back-end accounting, CRM, and other enterprise systems.

9. Android: Last year saw the launch of nearly two dozen Android-powered phones, including the Verizon Droid. In a few days, Google’s Nexus One will launch as the first Android phone which can be unlocked from any given carrier (it is launching with T-Mobile). Android is Google’s answer to the iPhone, and as it reaches critical mass across multiple carriers and handsets it is becoming increasingly attractive to developers. There are already more than 10,000 apps on Android, next year there will be even more. And other devices running on the mobile OS are launching as well.

10.Social CRM: We’ve seen the rise of Twitter and Facebook as social communication tools. This year, those modes of realtime communication will find their way deeper into the enterprise. Salesforce.com is set to launch Chatter, it’s realtime stream of enterprise data which interfaces with Twitter and Facebook and turn them into business tools. Startups like Yammer and Bantam Live are also making business more social.