Tulane University has applied for a patent for a method to produce the biofuel butanol from organic material.
Scientists have found one way that old-fashioned newspaper beats the internet. Tulane University scientists have discovered a novel bacterial strain, dubbed “TU-103,” that can use paper to produce butanol, a biofuel that can serve as a substitute for gasoline. They are currently experimenting with old editions of the Times Picayune, New Orleans’ venerable daily newspaper, with great success.
Continue reading… “Scientists produce biofuel from recycled newspapers”
USPTO issues 8,000,000th patent on August 17, 2011.
The first patent granted by the USPTO was in 1836 and 175 years later, the government body now has a database that is eight million strong.
Continue reading… “USPTO’s major milestones from one to eight million patents”
Earth, fire, water, and wind
Technology’s unpredictable “dark side” means our best ideas are also often our most dangerous, one of the world’s best-known scientists says.
Continue reading… “Beware of the dark side of a great idea”
Microsoft rationalized the patent as a way to answer to government requests for surveillance and wiretapping.
Microsoft is seeking a patent for technology that lets it eavesdrop on VoIP calls, weeks after Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion.
Continue reading… “‘Legal Intercept’ – Microsoft seeks wiretapping technology patent for Skype”
Over 44,000 trade mark files have gone missing in India.
Justice Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court on April 7 asked the government to reform the Trade Mark Office. This was after an investigation revealed that the office had lost 44,404 trade mark registrations without even realizing.
Continue reading… “Growing Concerns Over Problems with the Indian Trade Mark Office”
Mobile filtering software is limited or non-existent.
Parents who want to prevent their children from accessing pornographic material online normally only worry about traditional PCs, but what’s the use of installing filtering software now that kids can get porn on their phones? Internet-enabled smartphones can access any pornographic website, but mobile filtering software is limited or non-existent. And with the rise of sexting, children can even share their own indecent images.
Continue reading… “Porn Filtering Software for Kids’ Mobile Phones Sends Images to Parents”
Inventor of the Year – Jerome Rifkin, Tensegrity Prosthetics
The DaVinci Institute’s annual Inventors Showcase featured 39 inventors showcasing all manner of creations, from audio-enabled greeting cards to jewelry to roving robots inspecting the show floor.
Continue reading… “Inventors Compete for Distinction at the Annual DaVinci Inventor Showcase”
Inventor of the Year at the DaVinci Inventor Showcase – Jerome Rifkin, Tensegrity Prosthetics
The DaVinci Institute held its annual Inventor Showcase on Saturday, November 13, where a large group of inventors demonstrated innovative concepts and products. The event attracted a large crowd of inventors, entrepreneurs and families looking to get a glimpse of what is just around the corner.
Continue reading… “DaVinci Inventor Showcase Displays Wide Range of Innovations”
Apple’s new technology prevents users from sending or receiving objectionable texts.
Today the US Patent and Trademark Office approved a patent Apple filed in 2008, which, get this, prevents users from sending or receiving “objectionable” text messages. The patent’s official title? “Text-based communication control for personal communication device” which actually doesn’t use the pretty ridiculous noun/verb “Sexting,” but come on, we all know what they mean.
Continue reading… “Apple Patents New Anti-Sexting Technology”
