Slime molds could hold key to new kinds of intelligence, help Statue of Liberty walk

See that yellow amoeboid slime mold? It's up to something. A team of Japanese scientists at Future University Hakodate led by professor Toshiyuki Nakagaki has found evidence that physarum polycephalum -- or grape-cluster slime -- are capable of navigating mazes and can organize their cells to find the most direct route. Nakagaki and others believe this could be the key to designing bio-computers capable of solving complex problems. According to Nakagaki, the slime's cells appear to have a kind of information-processing ability that allows them to "optimize" the route along which the mold grows to reach food while avoiding stresses -- like light -- that may damage them.

Over at Kyushu University, researcher Atsushi Tero told the AFP news agency: "Computers are not so good at analysing the best routes that connect many base points because the volume of calculations becomes too large for them. But slime molds, without calculating all the possible options, can flow over areas in an impromptu manner and gradually find the best routes." Tero and other researchers have expressed hope that slime mold networks could be used in future designs of new transportation systems, electric transmission lines and understanding the human nervous system. Just remember, if you're going to coat the interior of the Statue of Liberty with some pink slime you found in the sewer, make sure you play some upbeat music to go along with it. It's just a good idea in the long run.

Slime molds could hold key to new kinds of intelligence, help Statue of Liberty walk originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/29/slime-molds-could-hold-key-to-new-kinds-of-intelligence-help-st/

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This Cat Just Beat Your Fruit Ninja High Score [Video]

Of all the trends to close out 2011, I couldn't be happier with the emergence of Animals Playing Games On Gadgets. First came the agile bearded dragon, then the vicious African Bullfrog, and now, in perhaps the most impressive display yet: a cat that is very, very good at Fruit Ninja. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vQ-xM32Cojg/this-cat-just-beat-your-fruit-ninja-high-score

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Happy Office Napping with the Inflatable Pillow Tie

The Pillow Tie might look like a normal silk style neck tie, but it hides an inflatable cushion inside. Just pop open the valve, give it a few puffs of air and you’re all set to grab some shut eye while you’re supposed to be doing those year end budget reports. Pillow Ties are available [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/12/28/happy-office-napping-with-the-inflatable-pillow-tie/

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AT&T-branded Nokia Ace possibly leaked in holiday card

Nokia Ace
The grain of salt we're taking this with is roughly boulder-sized but, we have an image of what may very well be the AT&T Nokia Ace -- the rumored LTE-sporting Windows Phone from the Finnish phone maker. It seems that someone sent out a holiday greeting featuring a phone that looks a heck of a lot like the Lumia 800, except it prominently features a Ma-Bell logo, a 4G icon and what appears to be a front facing camera. Of course, what has also been referred to as the Lumia 900 could just as easily be a chop job -- and not a particularly difficult one to pull off at that. Hit up the source link for a couple of more pics of what could be Nokia's first high-end Mango (or, perhaps Tango) offering here in the US.

AT&T-branded Nokia Ace possibly leaked in holiday card originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/30/atandt-branded-nokia-ace-possibly-leaked-in-holiday-card/

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LG to Demo 3D Ultra-Def Behemoth at CES

LG Electronics will show off an 84-inch 3D Ultra Definition TV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The world's largest 3D TV will offer 8 million pixels at 3840 x 2160 screen resolution -- four times that of existing full HDTV screens, LG asserted. Features include 3D Depth Control, 3D Sound Zooming, and Magic Gesture capability.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74069.html

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Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Boeing
If you're reading this now and have experienced the wonders of modern air travel then you have surely suffered through what I call the "Terrible 10,000 Feet." This is the period between the clunk of the cabin door closing and the bong of the cabin indicator, the chime signifying arrival of the magic altitude where "approved electronic devices" can then be used again. The first half of the worst part of the flight is then over -- the latter half to commence as soon as the plane dips again below that gadget ceiling.

This is the loudest part of the flight -- engines throttled up, flaps and gear hanging in the breeze and scared kids doing their best to drown all that out with screams and shouts. It's exactly when you most want to use your portable music player, and exactly when you aren't allowed. We've been told that this is for safety reasons, to prevent interference from the myriad devices carried by a cabin full of passengers, but that's never quite felt satisfactory to me. (Why is it okay to use those very same devices over 10,000 feet? Why can pilots use iPads but I can't?)

So many questions, but I'm not here to second-guess the people whose jobs it is to keep me safe as I schlep myself, my roller bag and my personal item across the country yet again. I'm here to propose a very simple solution: a certification program in which manufacturers submit devices for testing and the FAA charges a (possibly hefty) fee for their approval. It could not only improve the lives of frequent travellers like myself, but could also stand to provide millions in funding to the FAA, funds that could be put toward its unfortunately named NextGen air traffic control system. Win win? Read on and decide for yourself.

Continue reading Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/30/faa-certified-gadgets-could-improve-air-travel/

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Deal of the Day: Seidio Innocell 3200mAh Extended Battery for AT&T Galaxy S II

Seidio Innocell 3200mAh Extended Battery for AT&T Galaxy S II

The Dec. 30 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Seidio Innocell 3200mAh Extended Battery for the AT&T Galaxy S II. It effectively doubles the amount of juice in your Galaxy S II, includes a replacement battery door with Seidio's signature soft-touch coating and keepse things as slim as possible. And it's available today only for just $49.95. Get yours while supplies last!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/q9-efO3-idQ/story01.htm

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Raspberry Pi, a Pocket-Sized 1080p-Capable Computer for $25

The Raspberry Pi is a tiny, bare-bones computer that is capable of playing back 1080p H.264 video. It runs Linux on its 700MHz ARM CPU, has 128MB RAM and it will cost just $25. A $35 version doubles the RAM and adds an ethernet port. The little computer has been in the pipeline for some years, [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/raspberry-pi-a-pocket-sized-1080p-capable-computer-for-25/

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This Nerdy Instrument is Part Atari Console Part Guitar [Video]

The gAtari is a "musical instrument" that basically consists of an Atari 2600 playing pre-programmed tunes, which has been hacked together with a few guitar effects processors. It's kind of like an Atari keytar. The resulting music is scatterbrained weirdness that's impossible to describe. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ochBMkMyu6g/this-nerdy-instrument-is-part-atari-console-part-guitar

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