Technology

The surgical process of stitching up a patient will soon receive a hi-tech makeover. The change could reduce the chance of infection and decrease healing times. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois have created the first ever ... 'electronic suture' (a stitch used by doctors and surgeons to hold tissue together). The special suture contains ultrathin silicon sensors integrated on polymer or silk strips that penetrate the skin and knot, just like standard medical stitches. To create the 'electronic sutures,' the researchers first use chemicals to cut an ultrathin film of silicon ... (view more)

A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that police and other law enforcement officials have the right to use Global Positioning System (GPS) data from a suspect's cellphone without a warrant. The judges decided a technicality in existing law means ... such actions do not violate the Fourth Amendment, which forbids unreasonable search and seizure by the federal government. The Appeals Court ruling came in the case of convicted drug dealer Melvin Skinner, who was tracked down by GPS after an investigation. The investigation involved acquiring a cellphone number used by Skinner. Drug enforcement ... (view more)

Disney researchers at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University have successfully given common houseplants electronic sensors that make them responsive to human touch. Called Botanicus Interacticus, the project leverages an innovative technology that ... allows humans to interact with everyday inanimate objects in ways never before thought possible. At the heart of the project is a custom-built 'capacitive sensor module' which transmits a low current through an otherwise ordinary plant. This allows the plant to 'sense' when and where an individual touches it. Because the human body is naturally ... (view more)

A Congressional agency has told regulators it is time to review the rules governing cellphone radiation. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said existing rules might not be doing an effective job of measuring the risk to users. The GAO acts ... as support staff for Congress and also carries out audits to check that government departments are spending money effectively. Three members of Congress recently asked the GAO to look into the way the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates public safety with respect to cellphones. Cancer, Health Risks Not a GAO Concern The GAO's year- ... (view more)

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plans to join the twenty-first century by using computer systems rather than paper to manage its cases. The change may improve detection rates by making it easier to cross-reference data between cases. ... The new computer system, called Sentinel, will also allow FBI agents to make notes on cases via dedicated software. A demonstration for reporters showed that Sentinel contains elements reminiscent of consumer software, such as web browsers, Microsoft Outlook, and tax preparation software. (Source: wsj.com ) FBI personnel have been using Sentinel ... (view more)

Most city-dwellers have had at least one scare while crossing the street or riding a bicycle through traffic. But General Motors now believes it can prevent pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities with a new smartphone application. According ... to GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 more than 4,000 pedestrians and more than 600 cyclists lost their lives after being struck by a moving vehicle. Clearly, something needs to be done to prevent such tragedies from occurring. (Source: csmonitor.com ) WiFi Tech: Vehicles, Smartphones Interact GM has been working for ... (view more)

A team of Ukrainian researchers calling themselves "QuadSquad" are breaking down barriers between people who communicate with sign language and those who hear and speak. Their method is based on an ingenious glove-based system that allows people ... using the two different modes of communication to understand each other easily. Called EnableTalk, the specially-designed glove senses the movements of the wearer's fingers and translates each meaningful sign into spoken words. Glove Features Special Sensors, Accelerometers The glove is quite remarkable. It is lined with more than a dozen flex sensors ... (view more)

Given the amount of media attention paid to the financial calamity currently facing Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry, the troubles of other smartphone producers have gone relatively unnoticed. But perhaps that's no longer the case. ... Nokia Corp. has also been confronted with narrowing profit margins, and has responded to a lack of consumer interest by slashing the price of its Lumia 900 Windows phone device. The Lumia 900, which runs Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile operating system, first hit the market in April, 2012. Available exclusively through AT ... (view more)

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly working on a laser scanner that could check airline passengers for security violations from 164 feet away. However, the technology may require at least four more years of development before ... being ready for deployment. The scanner works at the molecular level, giving it the potential to probe in far more detail than is possible with existing machines. The technology is being adapted for security scanning from use in both medicine and manufacturing. The manufacturer, Genia Photonics, says its "Picosecond Programmable Laser" is able ... (view more)

British researchers are working on an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation that will function when GPS fails. They say the GPS satellite system might not last forever, and could be damaged by a freak space incident or even a ... military conflict. The new system comes from BAE systems, a defense company in the United Kingdom. BAE has for some time been trying to find alternatives to GPS, which works by comparing a device's location to multiple satellites in space. Solar Flare Could Destroy GPS Satellites While GPS functions well for now, it is vulnerable to satellite ... (view more)