Soon we could be able to print circuits as well as 3-D products in the comfort of our homes.
Three scientists in China have found a way to create a metal that’s liquid at room temperatures, can be printed as if it was ink in ordinary, everyday desktop printers, and will adhere to surfaces as diverse and supple as rubber, paper, cotton T-shirts, or a leaf off an oak tree.
Researchers have designed this proof-of-concept wireless charger for moving electric vehicles.
A problem with electric vehicles is providing power while the vehicles are moving. One way to extend the range of electric vehicles may be to provide power wirelessly through coils placed under the surface of a road. But charging moving vehicles with high-power wireless chargers below them is complex.
Continue reading… “Recharging electric vehicles on the move”
Taco Bell has been killing it on Twitter, creating a hip, fun presence to turn customers into evangelists.
More and more brands are marketing themselves via short-form social media like Vine, Twitter, Instagram, Instagram video and the newer platform Snapchat. They are not marketing by broadcasting their silly old messages but by treating their prospects and customers with respect, engaging with them directly through brief snippets of conversation, personality and humor. But it’s not just for fun: Consumers who engage with brands via social media demonstrate a deeper emotional commitment to those brands and spend 20 to 40 percent more than other customers, according to a report from Bain & Company.
Continue reading… “2014 marketing trend: Small messages make a big impact”
Carriers don’t want anti-theft software for fear it would eat into the profits.
Lawmakers in San Francisco and New York have been pushing hardware makers like Samsung to provide anti-theft software for cell phones that would allow owners to remotely deactivate a phone should it get stolen, rendering it useless. But according to the San Francisco district attorney, George Gascón, carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint aren’t crazy about the idea of implementing such a “kill switch.” Why? Because they’d lose money.
Continue reading… “Cell phone carriers reject kill switch for stolen smartphones”
PetChatz
PetChatz is an innovative communication system designed for cats, dogs, and people that allows you to interact with your pet from anywhere in the world. (Pics and video)
Continue reading… “PetChatz – a video phone for dogs and cats”
Robotic surgery
What if you need a hysterectomy, and the surgeon wants to do the surgery with a robot? Instead of working directly with his hands, he will sit at a console manipulating a set of robotic arms outfitted with tiny surgical instruments.
Continue reading… “Pros and cons of robot-assisted surgery”
84 percent of travelers aren’t properly protecting themselves from public WiFi threats.
The holiday season is the time of year we travel. It’s when people buckle up on planes and trains across the world, relishing the relatively recent wide-spread availability of public WiFi. (Infographic)
Continue reading… “Holiday travelers beware – 89% of public Wi-Fi connections are not safe”
Smartphones with larger screens use more data.
Your WiFi and data consumption will probably be higher if your smartphone has a large screen compared to a device with a smaller screen. In fact, monthly WiFi and cellular data consumption on smartphones with screens 4.5 inches and larger is 44 percent greater than it is on smartphones with screens under 4.5 inches, at about 7.2GB and 5.0GB respectively.
Continue reading… “Smartphones with larger screens use 44% more data”
Train carrying coal to a power plant.
The Great Energy Shift is happening in spurts and is starting in places like Arizona and Mississippi instead of coming from legislation in Washington. Last week two two utilities faced decisions on whether to fight the future or embrace it.
Continue reading… “The death of coal in America”
Americans began taking their foot off the gas pedal well before the recession.
Energy an urban-planning nerds have been pondering a very interesting question these days – has the U.S. passed peak car? Ever since the recession, Americans have been driving less, getting fewer licenses, and using less gas. But is that just the work of the recession, or something more permanent?
Continue reading… “The decline of driving in the U.S.”
Cities are crucial to our continued ability to innovate and compete.
We tend to think about individual gifts of insight when we think about innovation—researchers in crisp, white lab coats, slick tech entrepreneurs with fancy gadgets and VC’s doing inspired deals. But, innovation is really a messy business. It is full of blind alleys and half-baked ideas, random collisions and abrupt changes in direction. Ideas mix and recombine, fail, reemerge and, in the end, a precious few become wildly successful.
Continue reading… “Cities are our most important innovation platform”
Harold Washington library in Chicago.
The need for libraries, and librarians has been placed under scrutiny due to the advent of the internet. Everything in print is now available online. So do we really need physical libraries and librarians anymore? Of course we do…now, more than ever before.
Continue reading… “Libraries and librarians are more relevant than ever in the digital age”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.