A rescue drone that finds survivors by tracking their mobile phone signals

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The drone can pick out the location of an individual phone within 30 feet.

A mobile phone can be the device that saves you in an emergency, even if you aren’t able to make a call. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne have developed a drone that can pinpoint the location of a mobile phone by picking up its Wi-Fi signal. (Video)

 

 

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How five U.S. innovations helped improve schools in Finland even as American’s ignore the same reforms

finland schools

Finland has a staggering record of education success.

Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish educator and scholar, is one of the world’s leading experts on school reform and educational practices. He is the author of the best-selling “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland?”and a former director general of Finland’s Center for International Mobility and Cooperation. Sahlberg is now a visiting professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has written a number of important posts for this blog, including “What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools,” and “What the U.S. can’t learn from Finland about ed reform.”

 

 

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‘Micro-colleges’ will educate the workforce of the future: Futurist Thomas Frey

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The world has a shortage of 18 million teachers.

Dell’s Center for Entrepreneurs took to the Rockies, sponsoring an event at the Innovation Pavilion in Centennial, Colorado. Former IBM engineer and noted futurist Thomas Frey addressed a gathering of business leaders, entrepreneurs and community members on an issue he says is increasingly impacting the labor force: With the ever-increasing pace of innovation, traditional colleges and universities are failing to train and retrain workers quickly enough.

 

 

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Top 10 ways nanotechnology is transforming the world around us

Gecko
Nanotechnology might be outside your window at this very moment in the form of a gecko-like human scaling a self-cleaning, nano-enhanced solar window.

A pair of hand-held, gecko-inspired paddles that can help you ascend a 25-foot sheet of glass might not seem like the most impressive use of nanotechnology but this real-world advance aptly demonstrates how quickly the field of nanotechnology is climbing into our lives. Below are ten additional examples of how nanotechnology is already changing the world, followed by 10 ways it may help society scale even greater heights in the near future.

 

 

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Here’s why automakers want 4G technology in cars

4g tech

Automakers are counting on the connected car.

Today’s cars are trying to replicate the smartphone experience. Touchscreen interfaces are common. Dashboard designers take UI tips from iPhones, and automakers want to build apps for cars. Large automakers like General Motors are taking the next obvious step and integrating 4G LTE service into their cars starting this year. Drivers pay a monthly service fee for in-car 4G that’s separate from their smartphones, and use it for an array of services from movies for kids in the backseat to sophisticated GPS-on-steroids solutions. It’s a win-win for automakers, the dealers who sell the 4G add-ons, and carriers like AT&T. But is it a win for consumers?

 

 

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This fabric pen can magically mend torn clothing

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Fabric Pen

The average American throws out around 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles like shoes and sheets every year. The problem is that clothes are so cheap that it’s easier to replace something than repair it if a piece happens to tear. Many of us no longer even know how to sew. One survey in the U.K. found that 7 in 10 young adults couldn’t even sew on a button, let alone make a more complicated repair.

 

 

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Home Depot starts selling MakerBot 3D printers

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3D printed nuts and bolts from a MakerBot.

Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement chain, announced the start of a pilot program to sell MakerBots. They are described by the manufacturer as a type of professional-grade 3-D printing machine and will be in a dozen stores following a three-month period of online-only sales. (Video)

 

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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.