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”
Google is planning to launch a new company with the absurdly ambitious objective of extending our lives. “Calico” is the name of the company and will be run by Arthur Levinson, chairman and ex-CEO of biotech company Genentech.
Continue reading… “Google hopes to cure death with its new health startup Calico”
What happened to biofuels?
Everybody was talking about biofuels a few years ago. Politicians in the U.S. saw corn ethenol as a path to “energy independence,” while greener folks preferred biodiesel made from waste cooking oil. Fans of biofuels said that these were supposed to be just a bridge to second-generation biofuels like cellulosic ethanol and algae biodiesel; these wouldn’t be made from food crops or limited feedstocks, and they would be much greener overall.
Continue reading… “What is the future for biofuels?”
How a self-driving car sees the world.
At about 8am every morning, Anthony Levandowski gets into the driver’s seat of his white Lexus for his daily commute to work. Most of us perform this routine five times a week, 50 weeks out of the year. But, Levandowski’s commute is different. He has a chauffeur and it’s a robot.
Continue reading… “Google’s quest to popularize self-driving cars”
Communication is the key when it comes to cancer care.
A new report has been released recently by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the state of cancer care in the United States. The IOM is a non-profit, non-governmental advisory group. To get on one of their advisory boards you have to be a national, if not international, expert in whatever field is being studied. According to the cancer advisory board, the state of cancer care in the United States is abysmal.
Continue reading… “Cancer care in the U.S. is failing”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Our teenage years have always been a time of great awkwardness, super hormones, and bad decision-making. But lately these years have moved even further down the path of supreme weirdness.
Margaret Focarino, Commissioner for Patents, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was in a state of crisis in 2009. There was a huge backlog of pending patent applications and it was growing. The process for reviewing patents had not changed in decades and was out-of-date. Employee job satisfaction was low and the longstanding distrust between management and the patent examiners union was ever-present.
Continue reading… “Patent system gets streamlined makeover”
MVRDV, a Rotterdam-based company, has just completed the ‘book mountain + library quarter’ centrally located in the market square of Spijkenisse, the Netherlands. It houses a mountain of bookshelves and is contained by a glass-enclosed structure and pyramidal roof with an impressive total surface area of 9,300 square meters. Corridors and platforms bordering the form are accessed by a network of stairs to allow visitors to browse the tiers of shelves. A continuous route of 480 meters culminates at the peak’s reading room and cafe with panoramic views through the transparent roof. Any possible damage caused to the books by direct sunlight is offset by the expected 4 year lifespan of borrowed materials. (Photos)
Continue reading… “Book Mountain: A stunning glass-enclosed library”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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