News

New Wireless Encoding Scheme Promises Fast Communications

2012-02-13T22:16:45Z

US and Israeli researchers have created a new communications-encoding scheme that promises to guarantee fast data transmission regardless of signal strength or interference. The method, developed by MIT and Tel Aviv University scientists, uses one large codeword for each message to be sent. Different, smaller segments of the codeword are encoded using standard error-correction codes. Thus, if a portion of the transmission fails because of noise, the next portion is still sent. Once the recipient has enough of the coded symbols to decode the message, the sender is signaled to stop transmitting. The researchers, who have applied for a patent for their technology, will publish their full results in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. (redOrbit)(MIT News Office)

Researchers Analyze Emotions in Software Engineering Requirements

2012-02-13T22:14:48Z

A new study by Spanish researchers investigates the importance of emotions in software-engineering requirements. Led by scientists from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, the study focused on how emotions shape a software development project’s requirements. Because software is designed and developed by humans, the researchers say emotions do drive the process, including the various acceptance and negotiation activities that take place during the development process. “In the world of computer system development consultants, I have often met disappointed users whose unhappiness was produced by a deficient collection of requirements,” stated Ricardo Colomo, one of the study’s authors. The researchers used a social-psychology tool called an affect grid to overlay a project’s requirements. They found that developers must take user’s emotions into account when negotiating and establishing software-development requirements, even when there are different stakes or emotional expectations for users compared to those held by the development team. Researchers from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Universidad de Murcia also collaborated on the study, the results of which appeared in the Journal of Universal Computer Science. (EurekAlert)(Journal of Universal Computer Science)

Zen Gardens Go Robotic

2012-02-13T22:10:16Z

Zen gardens typically feature an area of gravel or sand, the raking of which is said to clear the mind. These have been miniaturized for desktops, and now, an entrepreneur is adding robotics and software to the mix. The Zen Table, created by Simon Hallam, is a Japanese rock garden in a coffee table. It forms designs based on software using a layer of microscopic silicone beads in lieu of sand or gravel. Underneath these beads is a sculpting head attached to a robotic mechanism driven by electric motors that creates or sculpts patterns and images. The Zen Table has an SD card slot via which users can upload new designs. The table also has a 3G-wireless modem that enables the importation and sculpting of new designs. A USB connection also allows a user to accomplish these tasks from a computer. Hallam says the underlying technology is scalable and could be built into bars or desks in hotel lobbies or resorts. He is also designing a desktop Zen-garden system. (GizMag)(Kickstarter)

[Conference News] Smart Phone Imaging App Can Recognize Skin Cancers

2012-02-13T20:10:01Z

Melanoma skin cancer accounts for less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases but causes the most skin-cancer related deaths. Convenient, automated diagnosis of skin lesions and melanoma recognition can greatly improve early detection of melanomas.

"A Mobile Automated Skin Lesion Classification System," a paper presented by researchers from the University of Missouri at the 2011 IEEE 23rd International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence, describes a prototype of an image-based automated melanoma recognition system for Android smart phones. The system consists of three major components: image segmentation, feature calculation, and classification. It is designed to run on a mobile device with a camera, such as a smart phone or a tablet PC. A skin lesion image is converted to a monochrome image for outline contour detection. Color and shape features of the lesion are extracted and used as input to a kNN classifier. Initial experimental results show that the system is efficient and works well on properly lighted test images, achieving an average accuracy of 66.7 percent.

Papers from ICTAI 2011 are available to both IEEE Computer Society members and paid subscribers via the Computer Society Digital Library.

New Fab Technology Announced

2012-02-11T02:48:09Z

The IMEC nanoelectronics research center says it has created a fabrication facility that houses the world’s first 300-mm fab-compatible directed-self-assembly (DSA) process line under a single roof. IMEC says the DSA patterning technology—developed with the University of Wisconsin, AZ Electronic Materials, and Tokyo Electron Ltd.— might extend both 193-nm and EUV lithography. The facility will have the tools needed to study DSA in order to increase its pattern reliability as well as to study the of use DSA repair techniques with EUV lithography at a production scale. The full details will be announced in conjunction with the SPIE Advanced Lithography conference in San Jose, California. (PhysOrg.com)(IMEC)

Graphics Researcher Creates Realistic Skin Images in Real Time

2012-02-11T02:46:25Z

A Spanish graphics researcher has developed a method for rendering realistic skin images in real time using consumer-level computer and graphics hardware. Universidad de Zaragoza doctoral candidate Jorge Jimenez used a technique called separable subsurface scattering developed via Microsoft’s DirectX 10 multimedia API. Although leading animation studios with high-end equipment have been able to use this compute-intensive technique for years, Jimenez executed his code in real time on ordinary computer hardware equipped with a GeForce GTX 580 graphics card. Some observers say the approach might work with next-generation gaming devices. “I think there is still a lot of work to do,” said Jimenez. “Probably the most important one will be rendering realistic facial hair. It will be my dream if my skin research helps to improve the rendering of humans in games. I truly believe that more realistic characters will inevitably lead to deeper storytelling and more emotionally driven games.” (GizMag)(Wired UK)(Jorge Jimenez Blog)

Congressional Testimony: LightSquared Would Interfere with Navigation Upgrade

2012-02-11T02:44:43Z

US Congress members have heard testimony that LightSquared’s hybrid satellite/wireless broadband technology would interfere with an upgrade to the nation’s GPS-based navigation system. US Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari told a House of Representatives Aviation Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing that LightSquared’s proposed network cannot be compatible with GPS and that the government should set signal-interference standards to prevent future conflicts over companies trying to establish such services. This concerns aviation officials because the government has already spent about $8 billion moving air-traffic control from a ground-based system to a satellite-based GPS system. The most recent government tests of LightSquared’s system found that the network would interfere with 75 percent of GPS devices. Porcari added “there appears to be no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the LightSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few months or years without significantly interfering with GPS.” Previous tests also identified interference problems, which LightSquared asserts are the result of existing GPS devices improperly using available frequencies. In October 2011, LightSquared notified the FCC it will take legal action if not cleared to operate. The company reported a $427 million net loss for the first nine months of 2011. (ArsTechnica)(PC World)(US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)(Computing Now – NewsFeed)

New Study Could Help Reduce Devices’ Power Consumption

2012-02-10T03:55:05Z

A new analysis of chips’ energy use could help manufacturers create electronics with lower power consumption. The study by University of Texas and Australian National University researchers is reportedly the first to systematically measure and analyze the tradeoffs between energy use and performance for chips used in various types of machines, ranging from smartphones to data-center server arrays. The researchers say their study could yield power profiles useful in designing machines optimized for low energy consumption. Frequently, devices are optimized primarily for performance. Software designers could also use a device’s power profile to design algorithms that reduce power consumption without any changes in functionality. The researchers say that a growing number of users will be interested in power-efficient devices as a way to, for example, conserve battery resources. (PhysOrg.com)(The University of Texas)

Researchers Build Two Tiny Lasers

2012-02-10T03:49:47Z

University of California, San Diego, scientists have created two lasers that could provide device designers with new capabilities. One is a tiny room-temperature nanolaser almost a half-micron in diameter. The other is a thresholdless laser, which efficiently uses all its photons without wasting any of them. The latter could be utilized in developing metamaterials useful for imaging. Either laser could be used for optical communications on a chip and also in biochemical sensors or high-resolution displays. The researchers said that both should scale even smaller and that they are still investigating precisely how the lasers work. (redOrbit)(University of California, San Diego)(Nature)

Study: Tools for Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks Widely Available

2012-02-10T03:48:07Z

A newly released survey by security vendor Arbor Networks finds that tools for easily launching distributed denial-of-service attacks are widely available for sale online. According to Arbor research analyst Curt Wilson, these tools include “single-user flooding tools, small host booters, shell booters, Remote Access Trojans (RATs) with flooding capabilities, simple DDoS bots, complex DDoS bots, and some commercial DDoS services.” He added, “Many types of threats can be blended into any given tool in order to make the tool more attractive and financially lucrative.” Some sources of the tools that Arbor found were from third parties offering individuals the ability to outsource an attack. According to Arbor, the wide availability of DDoS tools “represents a sea-change in the threat landscape and in the risk assessment model for network operators and end-customers that rely on the Internet for their business.” Although DDoS attacks traditionally have been financially motivated, another Arbor survey found that half of the attacks in 2011 were politically or ideologically motivated. (InformationWeek)(Dark Reading)(Arbor SERT Blog)(The Arbor Networks 7th Annual Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report)

Smartphone, PDA Training Helps the Memory-Impaired Regain Independence

2012-02-10T03:46:18Z

Canadian researchers have found that individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment experience improved independence when trained to use a smartphone or PDA. Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care researchers designed a program for training people with memory impairment caused by an illness or injury to use a smartphone or PDA. The researchers said that before the training, all participants had difficulty with daily routines, often needing ongoing supervision and assistance for tasks such as paying bills or taking medications. After training, the researchers asked family members and participants to track device use. The participants were also asked to complete 10 scheduled phone calls in two weeks to mimic the keeping of appointments. The researchers said using the technology greatly improved trainees’ daily functioning and increased their independence and confidence. Three to eight months later, participants told researchers they were continuing to benefit. The work was published in the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.(EurekAlert)(Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care)(Neuropsychological Rehabilitation)

US Researchers Find Iron Superconductor that Could Improve Electronics Manufacturing

2012-02-09T15:18:02Z

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Maryland researchers have discovered an iron-based superconductor they claim operates at the highest known temperature for a material in its class. Researchers are increasingly studying iron-based superconductors because they are less brittle and easier to make than copper-based superconductors. The NIST and University of Maryland work is vital to helping manufacturers use the material in electronic devices. The researchers found that the iron-based superconducting material they examined had a threshold superconductivity temperature of 47 degrees Kelvin, as long as a smaller praseodymium atom is substituted for the original calcium. If not enough praseodymium is used, the material’s structure shrinks by 10 percent. The work was published in Physical Review B. (PhysOrg.com)(Physical Review B)(The National Institute of Standards and Technology)

Satellite-Telephone Encryption Cracked

2012-02-09T15:14:15Z

Researchers from the Horst Görtz Institute for IT-Security (HGI) at Ruhr University Bochum have successfully cracked the European Telecommunications Standards Institute encryption algorithms used for satellite telephones. Satellite telephony is commonly used at sea and other areas without standard cell-phone communication, as well as in situations such as military operations and natural disasters. Satellite telephony has previously been considered secure. The HGI researchers reverse-engineered satellite telephones using the GMR-1 and GMR-2 standards and then used a PC running open-source software to recover the encryption key in less than an hour by adapting a known attack on Global System for Mobile Communications cellular systems. There are currently no alternative encryption standards that would be able to protect users from eavesdropping. The researchers will present their results at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 2012. (EurekAlert)(Ars Technica)(InformationWeek)(Ruhr University Bochum)

[Conference News] AR System Supports Home Networks

2012-02-08T17:14:26Z

As the popularity of interconnected, networked home appliances increases, the operation and function of these appliances becomes more complex, since they are continually sharing contents and data with other devices. In this context, an obvious and intuitive control interface is vital.

At the recent 2011 IFIP Ninth International Conference on Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing (EUC 2011), a team of researchers from Japan’s Doshisha University proposed an LED-augmented reality marker system that helps users to control a diverse array of home network applications simultaneously. “Augmented Reality Marker for Operating Home Appliances,” describes a location-aware collaboration system for controlling multiple networked home appliances.

Papers from EUC 2011 are available to both IEEE Computer Society members and paid subscribers via the Computer Society Digital Library.

Researchers Boost Chip Performance by Coordinating CPU, GPU Processes

2012-02-07T22:49:48Z

North Carolina State University scientists have created a new architecture that enables GPUs and CPUs housed on a single chip to work in concert efficiently. CPUs and GPUs on a single chip typically work separately rather than collaboratively. To maximize performance, the North Carolina State researchers had each type of processing unit conduct those tasks at which it excels: the GPU executes functions that use data while the CPU determines the data needed by the GPU and retrieves it from the main memory. This accelerates overall chip performance by an average of 21.4 percent, according to the researchers’ early testing. They are scheduled to present their work at the 18th International Symposium on High Performance Computer Architecture at the end of this month. (PhysOrg.com)(North Carolina State University)

New Method Uses Heat to Accelerate Magnetic Recording

2012-02-07T22:48:23Z

A multinational research team has devised a novel method for magnetic data writing that enables information to be processed hundreds of times faster, using less energy than with conventional hard-drive technology. They recorded terabytes of information per second with their technique, which uses a very short pulse of heat, rather than an external magnetic field, to change a magnet’s poles to record a data bit. The team, led by researchers from the University of York, also included researchers from Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, and the Netherlands. They published their full research results in Nature Communications. (EurekAlert)(University of York)(Nature Communications)

Home-Security Cameras Vulnerable to Internet-based Peeping

2012-02-07T22:46:33Z

A Web-connected home-security camera maker has confirmed that many of its products contain a vulnerability that lets Internet users view private video feeds. The vulnerability could let viewers gain real-time online access to feeds from Trendnet’s IP home-surveillance cameras without entering a password. Some links to accessible video feeds were posted on several popular Internet message boards. One hacker described how he used the Shodan search engine, which finds online devices, to discover vulnerable cameras. According to Trendnet, 26 camera models sold since April 2010 may be vulnerable. The company says it became aware of the problem in early January. It has reportedly e-mailed its customers who registered devices to alert them to the problem. However, the BBC reports, only about 5 percent of buyers are registered. Trendnet claims it plans to have firmware available for all affected products by the end of this week. (PhysOrg.com)(AFP)(BBC)

Hungarian Hacker Sentenced to 30 Months in Marriott Employment Extortion Attempt

2012-02-07T17:35:51Z

A Hungarian hacker seeking an IT job with Marriott was sentenced Friday to 30 months in US prison. Attila Nemeth, 26, was convicted of numerous charges after he stole confidential data from Marriott International’s network via a phishing attack and installed malware on the corporate network to create a backdoor. He contacted company officials revealing that he had network access and eight documents, including confidential financial information, which he threatened to release if the company didn’t hire him as a contractor. His demands reportedly included a European-based job with a salary of at least $150,000 annually, a hotel room in the location of his choosing, free flights anywhere he wished, and the ability to work whenever he wanted. In return, he agreed to destroy the data within two years. Marriott flew Nemeth to Washington, D.C., under the guise of an interview, but he actually spoke with an undercover US Secret Service agent posing as an IT manager. Federal officials subsequently arrested Nemeth, who pleaded guilty. Prior to sentencing, he also pleaded guilty to transmitting malicious code and attempted extortion. Following his prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release. Marriott claims the intrusion cost them about $1 million in salaries, consultant expenses, and other costs. (SlashDot)(Forbes)(Computerworld)(United States Department of Justice)

Haptic Gadget Lets Users Feel Forecast Temperatures

2012-02-07T01:09:53Z

A prototype device uses haptics to provide the physical feel of the air temperature forecast by meteorologists for various locations. Rochester Institute of Technology industrial-design student Rob Godshaw created the Cryoscope, an aluminum cube that houses a thermoelectric Peltier element, which is a device that both heats and cools; heat sink; and cooling fan. The Cryoscope is connected to an external power supply and Arduino microcontroller. Once the user enters a place name into the Cryoscope via a Web application, the device accesses the location’s forecast temperature over the Internet and brings the device’s surface to the anticipated air temperature—including factors such as humidity and wind chill—by pumping heat in or out of the cube. The gadget can represent temperatures between 0° and 100°F. Godshaw said that the Cryoscope is a concept device that he doesn’t plan to commercialize. (GizMag)(CNET)

Computer Model “Reads” Words in Human Thoughts

2012-02-07T01:08:35Z

A team of US scientists have used computer modeling to convert words that patients are thinking into sound based on their brain waves. Electrical signals gathered directly from a patient’s brain via implanted electrodes were input into a computer model that tried to determine the words that epilepsy- or tumor-surgery patients in the study were thinking. The system then sounds out those words. The research was led by Brian Pasley, a Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, Knight Lab’s Cognitive Neuroscience Research Laboratory. He says the system may eventually be used to help comatose and locked-in patients communicate. (PC World)(KCBS)(Public Library of Science)