This portrait was woven using a Jacquard loom.
Before IBM, before punch-card computers, before Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, one of the very first machines that could run something like what we now call a “program” was used to make fabric. The machine was a loom and could process so much information that the fabric it produced could display pictures detailed enough that they might be mistaken for engravings.
Continue reading… “Before we had computers, people programmed looms”
The Contour Crafter could 3D print housing on the surface of the Moon using concrete made from lunar rock.
Imagine it’s the year 2045, and you open the curtains in the morning and instead of grey skies and rain, you are looking out at a rust-colored rocky panorama. You have just woken up on Mars.
Continue reading… “3D printed Mars homes could be built in 24 hours”
‘Smart chopsticks’
There are risks to eating food in China, such as reused cooking oil and rusty woks that can pose a problem for your health. In an effort to protect people from street food in China, and cash in on the recent obsession with wearable tech, Chinese internet service company Baidu have develop a pair of “smart chopsticks” that can analyze your food. Anyone who has spent time in China will realize that there plenty of people who would happily pay to improve food safety in the country.
Continue reading… “‘Smart chopsticks’ let you check the safety and quality of your food”
The Simulator Program surpasses conventional systems with next-generation mannequins and 3D printing.
Gabriel Mandeville at five months old seemed like any other normal, healthy baby. Then he began having infantile spasms. The spasms became so frequent and severe that he had to undergo a hemispherectomy: a complicated surgical procedure that separates one side of the brain from another. Luckily, doctors at the Boston Children’s Hospital were able to use 3D printing technology to greatly increase the chances for a successful operation. (Video)
Continue reading… “Top 3 amazing ways 3D printing is already revolutionizing healthcare”
Google makes so much money that it is now worth three times more than every U.S. airline combined.
This question is harder than it looks – what valuable company is nobody building? That’s because your company could create a lot of value without becoming very valuable itself. Creating value isn’t enough—you also need to capture some of the value you create.
Continue reading… “Competition is for losers: Peter Thiel”
Brewbot
It isn’t easy to brew your own beer. It’s also hard to brew a good batch of beer, and even harder to duplicate that batch to drink later on. And it is near impossible to simplifying the process so that it’s as effortless as baking cookies because of all the factors involved with the brewing process, including fermentation, location, temperature, and of course the availability of equipment itself.
Continue reading… “Brewbot lets you download, brew and drink craft beer right in your own home”
‘Smart suit’
In the U.S., engineers and roboticists have developed a ’smart’ robotic suit made from lightweight, flexible materials that can enhance the movements of everyone from soldiers and firefighters to hiking enthusiasts and the elderly. (Video)
Continue reading… “‘Smart suit’ – a new wearable robotic exoskeleton gives you superhuman powers”
Governors from Michigan to North Carolina and the Obama administration have a solution for some of the U.S. manufacturing sector’s woes: German-style apprenticeship programs.
Solar cell printers.
We’ve come a long way from the solar-powered calculator to waiting to see when innovators are going to give us solar-powered smartphones, where most of our calculators are these days. While the average energy consumer is busy worrying about such everyday concerns, scientists at the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) are wondering how to power entire buildings, and pretty much the whole planet, as the technology they are creating will be easily transferred inexpensively to developing and third-world areas, thanks to 3D printing and design. (Video)
Continue reading… “The sky’s the limit for 3D printing solar panels”
The IoT will affect all types of organizations.
The number of mobile-connected devices this year will exceed the world’s population. Most organizations will have to respond in some way to the rise of connected devices in order to survive the next decade. As connected products, connected logistics, and connected phones become ubiquitous, they create value for users and risks for companies.
Continue reading… “Top 10 ways connected devices will impact every business”
Operational analytics not only predict what the next best action is, but also cause the action to happen without human intervention.
In the future, just having predictive models that suggest what might be done won’t be enough to stay ahead of the competition. Instead, smart organizations are driving analytics to an even deeper level within business processes—to make real-time operational decisions, on a daily basis.
Continue reading… “Let algorithms make real-time decisions for your company”
Uber implements “dynamic pricing,” which some customers see as price gouging.
There is plenty of press these days on the pros and cons of the so-called “sharing economy.” Consider the diverse takes last week from MIT Technology Review, the New York Times, and the Kansas City Star.
Continue reading… “The ‘sharing economy’ – sharing isn’t free and price gouging isn’t mean”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.