How Millennials shop and spend in America

16 to 34 year olds are more likely to wield a smartphone or other mobile device as a shopping companion.

We all know that young people like to shop. All before the responsibilities of having a family set in,  in the relatively care-free years of high school and college, young people tend to throw their pennies into blouses, jeans and other must-have accessories. (Infographic)

 

 

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Understanding the changes to the America Invents Act

On September 16, 2011, President Obama signed the America Invents Act.

On March 16, 2013, the third and final wave of provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) became effective.  This completes the overhaul of the U.S. patent law that began with the enactment of the AIA on September 16, 2011.  The United States will move to a first-to-file system with these provisions.  It will greatly expand the definition of prior art and usher in the use of post grant review.

 

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Scientists can tell who we are thinking about by scanning the brain

Scientists have used brain scans to decode imagery directly from the brain.

Brain researchers can tell whom a person is thinking about by scanning the human brain.  For the first time they have been able to identify what people are imagining from imaging technologies.

 

 

 

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The Nest: A thermometer that measures the environment using your smartphone

The Nest

The Nest, a smart thermostat for your smartphone, has received a lot of well-earned praise.  But the device might have limited use for those of who live in apartments where the heating and cooling systems aren’t under our direct control. However, for all you environmental geeks out there, there’s another way to harness technology to measure the environment using your smartphone. (Video)

 

 

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Next-generation wearable electronics will monitor your heart, track your posture and even give you a hug

Devices like headphones and watches are wearable electronics that have long been a common inclusion in many an active person’s tech cache. Such devices roll the function of electronics into a comfortable, ergonomic package that can travel far distances at fast speeds. The next generation of wearable electronics will become even more wearable and functional, shedding some of the bulky casing and integrating directly into clothing. From smart socks to hot jackets, the future of technology is molding itself around your body.

 

 

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Massive open online courses are transforming higher education and science

MOOCs: Internet-based teaching programs are designed to handle thousands of students simultaneously.

Engineering, science, and technology have at the forefront of the massive open online course movement.  These classes also are providing fodder for scientific research on learning.

 

 

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What vertical farms will look like in the future

The Dragonfly vertical farm

We are reducing the amount of agricultural areas and forests as the population around the world continues to grow.  Some architects are working on concepts for sustainable skyscrapers and vertical agricultural buildings. Here are some of the most interesting plans for the merging of the city and the farm.

 

 

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Brazilian doctor caught using silicon fingers to hack biometric scanner

Silicon fingers

Finger-scanning biometric security technology as it turns out is pretty easy to hack,  A news report from the BBC reveals that a 29-year-old Brazilian doctor, Thaune Nunes Ferreira, working in a small town outside Sao Paulo was arrested over the weekend for allegedly using prosthetic silicone fingers to fake the presence of six of her colleagues.

 

 

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