Swarms of robots could bring buildings to life

robot swarm

The more of these robots we have in our homes, the more intelligent they could be.

What does it take for a building to be considered smart? Add some lights that turn themselves off when nobody is around or install an “intelligent” air conditioning system to regulate the ambient temperature and you’re well on your way. But compared to the living buildings proposed by Akira Mita, today’s smart buildings are the architectural equivalent of single-celled organisms.

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The obstacles faced by transformative technologies in medicine

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A smart-phone add-on enables at-home diagnosis of ear infections.

There is a post on The Health Care Blog written by Eric Topol where he looks to a future enabled by emerging technology: “Just as the little mobile wireless devices radically transformed our day-to-day lives, so will such devices have a seismic impact on the future of health care. It’s already taking off at a pace that parallels the explosion of another unanticipated digital force — social networks.

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If you don’t get enough sleep you can’t do your job

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The average American only gets between six and six and a half hours of sleep a night.

Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything met Kevin Crain, a Managing Director at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, one morning at a conference and Kevin was feeling tired, as he did most days.

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More colleges taking online education to a new level

Coursera

Coursera will offer 100 or more free massive open online courses.

There is a shift in online learning that is reshaping higher education.  Coursera, a year-old company founded by two Stanford University computer scientists, will announce  that a dozen major research universities are joining the venture. In the fall, Coursera will offer 100 or more free massive open online courses, or MOOCs, that are expected to draw millions of students and adult learners globally.

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The X-Pen: A carbon fiber writing tool

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The X-Pen has a sleek shape and clever design.

The X-Pen marries the incredible Pilot Hi-Tec C refill with a bomb-proof carbon fiber and machined stainless steel body to create pen that not only writes incredibly well, but looks great and will stand up to whatever you want to throw at it. The X-Pen will be one of the featured products at the 8th Annual DaVinci Inventor Showcase on Oct 13 at the Denver Merchandise Mart.

After the jump, inventor Kyle Kinghorn tells about his experiences creating this carbon fiber based pen and his successes on Kickstarter…

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What is the future of communication?

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Experts talk about the future of communication.

Communication plays a role in all information exchanged among living species. Even plants and fungi communicate with each other.

But what sets us humans apart from other living species?  It is the speed at which our means of communication develops and innovates. Technology has been helping us to communicate easier, faster and more often. We’re now at a point where we’re “always on” and panic sets in when we temporarily lose the ability to communicate – for example when we lose the data connection our mobile phone.

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Will Amazon’s push for same-day delivery destroy local retail?

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Amazon logistics center.

Amazon has had an unbeatable price advantage over its physical rivals.  When you buy anything from your local retailer the company is required to collect local sales tax at the checkout. In most states, Amazon is exempt from that rule. According to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, only firms with a physical presence in a state are required to collect taxes from residents. For example, if you live in California and buy a product on Amazon you are supposed to  pay a $100 “use tax” when you file your annual return in that state. But nobody does that. For most people, then, most items at Amazon are significantly cheaper than the same, identically priced items at other stores.

911 Emergency & Traffic Alerts make emergency transportation safer, more efficient

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911 Emergency & Traffic Alerts the motoring public of RESPONDING emergency vehicles in their area, via GPS, SmartPhones e.g. “Warning emergency vehicle approaching from (rear, right, etc.), Amber Alerts, and emergency evacuations for wild land fires, tornadoes, floods, etc., including routes to safety. 911 Emergency & Traffic Alerts will be one of the outstanding exhibitors at the 8th annual DaVinci Inventor Showcase on October 13, 2012 at the Denver Merchandise Mart.

Company president  Juan Gutierrez took a moment to answer a few quick questions about his product, his vision for safer emergency transportation and safety in general…

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.