Surrogacy agencies in both countries say demand has risen rapidly in the last two years.
Rich Chinese couples are hiring American women to serve as surrogates for their children, creating a small but growing business in $120,000 “designer” American babies for China’s elite.
Continue reading… “Wealthy Chinese hire American surrogate mothers to carry ‘designer’ babies”
Is the movie industry dying at the hands of home theaters, Netflix, Redbox, LoveFilm, and Amazon Instant Video?
Jack Valenti, former President of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) once said, “I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone.” That was a controversial claim but it helps highlight the fears that emerging technologies can cause amongst those with an interest in the status quo. In this instance, the underlying concern was that VHS-enabled time-shifting meant that viewers could not only copy and distribute copyrighted broadcasts, but also fast-forward commercials, which could discourage advertisers.
Continue reading… “The future of movie theaters”
Companies that want to sell software to enterprise in the next few years might be wise to start thinking about data. That doesn’t mean they need to become a “big data” company, per se, but at least thinking of what metrics your customers need tracked and how to deliver that information to them.
Continue reading… “The future of software is all about analytics”
The internet has made it possible for people to educate themselves, independently or in groups large and small, on an unprecedented scale.
There hasn’t been much change in universities since the Middle Ages. Universities have the campus with its lecture halls, dormitories, libraries, and laboratories surrounded by leafy quadrangles. They have added giant sports complexes, gyms and swimming pools, and gourmet restaurants, but the basic layout is the same. And the production process hasn’t changed since around 1200. Professors give lectures, students read books and take notes, there are examinations and grades, along with the occasional tutoring session, and a great deal of hanky panky. The professors wear tweed jackets instead of gowns, and the students wear – well, just about anything, including pajamas – but otherwise the university remains one of society’s most conservative institutions.
Continue reading… “Are universities terrified of MOOCs?”
The results of a recent experiment have been published by FaceResearch.org. Experimental psychologists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have combined the faces of women around the world to approximate the “average face” of each country. Multiple images of faces are aligned and composited together to form the final result using a modern version of the technique that Sir Francis Galton pioneered in the 1800′s.
Continue reading… “Average faces of women from around the world”
This is the largest campaign we’ve seen that has been focused on drone technology.
Chines hackers based in Shanghai went after one foreign defense contractor after another, at least 20 in all, for nearly two years. Their target, according to an American cyber security company that monitored the attacks, was the technology behind the United States’ clear lead in military drones.
Continue reading… “China hackers are after U.S. military drone technology”
A new study from the Oxford Martin Program on the Impacts of Future Technology suggests that almost half of U.S. jobs could be susceptible to computerization over the next two decades.
Continue reading… “Almost half of U.S. jobs at risk of computerization: Study”
Bitcoin is an online virtual currency that may be exchanged for goods and services from establishments that accept them.
The ministry of finance in Germany has recognized Bitcoin as a form of digital currency in the country. The four year old virtual money, Bitcoin, is now a formally recognized digital currency or “unit of account,” which can be used for private transactions in Germany.
Continue reading… “Bitcoins legalized in Germany”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOm-x7Mjyio[/youtube]
Japan has launched a rocket, Epsilon, into space in what it hopes will be the start of cheaper space exploration. The rocket is about half the size of normal rockets, and relies on artificial intelligence to do its final safety checks–meaning just eight people were at the launch site, rather than the 150 needed for previous launches. On board was the Sprint-A telescope, which was released 620 miles above the Earth’s surface, and which will be observing Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.
Continue reading… “Japan launches affordable Epsilon rocket using artificial intelligence”
For some patients and for some microbes, we are already in the post-antibiotic era.
The Centers for Disease Control, in a highly unusual new report, warned that America is threatened by a wave of new antibiotic-proof germs that could threaten public health, and that overuse of antibiotics in health care and industrial agriculture bears much of the blame.
Continue reading… “CDC warns “we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era””
102 billion mobile apps will be downloaded around the world during 2013.
Everywhere you look there’s someone using a mobile app for something. It’s an industry that’s flourished at an incredible rate since the arrival of the iPhone in 2007–and now, Gartner says this year, global revenues from apps will be $26 billion, a rise of more than 44% since last year.
Continue reading… “What’s driving the $26 billion mobile app economy?”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZSU40RBrg[/youtube]
Many urban cites don’t have enough street space for setting up proper bike storage infrastructure. The problem of overcrowding and illegal parking can cause potential hazards for emergency situations and general pedestrian navigation. In Japan, an earthquake-resistant underground bike parking system has been developed by Giken to help resolve the issue, approaching the situation through their design concept, which is based on culture above ground, and function underground. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Eco-cycle is an automated bike parking system”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.