Entry #18: Cancer Killing Virus

The FDA has recently approved of a new drug that is designed to target and kill cancer. The new drug is called Imlygic and is actually a virus. It is a modified strain of the herpesvirus. The drug/virus is injected into the area of infection and it actively targets and bursts cancer cells. The immune system then kicks in to clean up the debris left behind. Results have shown that the drug can extend a cancer patients life by up to 4 months. This isn't a complete cure but it is a good step in the right direction in the fight against cancer.

For more info: Cancer Killing Virus

Entry #17: Plasma Engine

Physicists from France have created a new type of engine called the Wall-Less Hall Thruster. Most space crafts already use the Hall Thruster to propel themselves but the new Wall-Less Hall Thruster is said to use 100 million times less fuel. This could mean much much longer exploration times for space crafts. This research is still in progress so no telling when it'll be done but just discovering this new way to conserve fuel is a big step. Maybe within our lifetime humanity will be able to colonize Mars.

For more info: Plasma Engine

Vocabulary Word of the Day #8: F-Stop

1. What does it measure?
it measures the amount of light that is being transmitted into the lens

2. What is it a ratio of?
the amount the iris is open to the amount of light

3. What does "f" stand for?
focal length

4. What is a "stop"?
doubling or halving of light

Entry #16: Honda Clarity

Honda has recently revealed its new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle Clarity. This new vehicle by Honda boasts being able to go 400 miles on a three minute hydrogen fill. The size of the fuel cell is the same size as a regular V-6 motor so the design stays compact just like what you'd expect from a typical sedan. With this new reveal it just goes to show how much technology has advanced and how eco-friendly companies are trying to be.

For more info: Honda Clarity

Entry #15: 3-D Blood Vessels

A Chinese company called Revotek has recently released the world's first 3-D blood vessel printer. It uses stem cells to build whatever vessel is needed according to what is specified. This same system can also potentially be used to print livers, kidneys, and other organs.

This revolution could save a lot of lives once the technology is done. Lots of people die all the time because of lack of organs that are needed. Also if new blood vessels could be made then people could live longer if they replace their failing or cholesterol filled arteries with new ones.

For more info: 3-D Blood Vessels

Entry #14: Light Speed

A group of Harvard professors led by Professor Eric Mazur have created a material that can "squeeze" light. What this means is that the light can be made to go faster. Mazur predicts that with this new material and using light in stead of electrons then things such as computers or telecommunication can be vastly improved. Light doesn't waste as much energy and is much faster. Their work is still in development but just creating this new material which can manipulate light is a big first step to improving what we think of electronics now a days.

For more info: Light Speed

Entry #13: Drone City Repair

A group of engineers in England have taken on the task of making drones work for the city. What they want is for the drones to repair city damage. This will include things such as potholes, street lamps, and utility pipes. The researchers claim that these tasks will be easy for the drones to do. They also say that having the drones do the work will eliminate a lot of traffic blockage. The drones will also spot weakness before it gets bad and repair it so not as much repair will be needed. I think it sounds like a really cool idea and will make city life run more smoothly.

For more info: Drone City Repair

Entry #12: Desert Greenhouse

An organization called "Roots Up" has designed a greenhouse that can successfully sustain crops in the desert. It collects moisture in the air which is then used to water the plants. This new greenhouse can help provide food for areas of the world that cannot grow crops very easily. The organization plans on launching this project in Ethiopia first.

For more info: Desert Greenhouse

Vocabulary Word of the Day: #7 Ducking

When there are two audio feeds simultaneously being played and one is lowered while the other one is still being played. A common example of this is a voice over. DJs use this effect all the time while on air, for example when they are still speaking while music is being played.

Vocabulary Word of the Day: #6 Progressive Scan

When referred to TV's, a progressive scan is where the image is scanned from the top to the bottom in order to create a frame. Often the letter "p" will be tagged onto the end to show what kind of scan the TV uses, for example "1080p." The progressive scan will take the image line by line to show the complete frame.

An Example of Progressive Scan vs Interlaced Scan

Entry #11: Driverless Trucks

Driverless cars are starting to become a reality in this day and age we live in. There have already been plenty of trial runs by many different companies and they all seem to be a success. One such test is a mine in Australia. They currently have 22 driverless trucks operating on the site. The trucks do the exact same work as a regular worker would do but can run 24/7 without breaks. Using this technology will cut down on operation costs and can be used for the dangerous tasks so human life isn't risked.

For more info: Driverless Trucks

Entry #10: Artificial Skin

Recently a new type of artificial skin has been created. The creator is Zhenan Bao, a professor from Stanford University. The new skin sends signals to the brain allowing the person to feel the sensation of touch. It is meant to go on top of prosthetic limbs. If this technology is perfected it could mean that people who have suffered injuries can experience being whole again.

For more info: Artificial Skin

Vocabulary Word of the Day: #5 White Balance

White Balance is a process that can be used to balance the amount of color temperature in a picture. If for example a picture looks like the colors are exaggerated it can be used to cool the picture to give it a more realistic neutral color. It can also be used to give pictures that seem bland more of a warmness so that they don't look so dull.

Entry #9: "Vampire" Drone

DARPA has recently proposed a new type of unmanned drone that has been called the "Vampire" drone. The concept is for the drone to disappear after delivering its supplies or within 30 minutes of twilight. It's pretty interesting that DARPA mentions it doesn't just want the drone to be camouflaged but for it to actually disappear, like it was never there. The project has been named ICARUS (Inbound, Controlled, Air-Releasable, Unrecoverable Systems) and has a budget of $8 million. It seems like a really cool concept to make something just disappear after its use has been served so that there doesn't need to be the worry about disposal.

For more info: "Vampire" Drone

Entry #8: Hulu Virtual Reality App

Hulu has recently announced that it will be releasing a new virtual reality app. This app will be launched with the new Samsung Gear VR. The Hulu app will allow you to watch videos in a more immersive 3D environment. It seems like virtual reality is going to be the next big thing in entertainment. It seems pretty legit, but you never know if it actually will be immersive until the product actually rolls out.

For more info: Hulu Virtual Reality App

Entry #7: Panasonic Solar Panels

Panasonic has recently beaten out the competition in terms of solar panels. They recently created a new rooftop solar panel that has a 22.5% conversion efficiency making it the best commercial rooftop solar panel out there that consumers can get.

For more info: Panasonic Solar Panels

Vocabulary Word of the Day: #4 RAW

A RAW is an untouched image straight from the camera. This means that all it's pixels are intact and in full detail. Many images are down scaled so that they can be easily loaded on webpages and RAW's are generally larger files so are mainly used for editing and then are made into smaller more compressed images when done.

Vocabulary Word of the Day: #3 Histogram

A histogram shows the distribution of data in a numerical graph. In terms of Photoshop, it shows the amount of color being used in any given area in the piece that is being worked on. This can be useful if you are trying to adjust the contrast or brightness of the overall image.

Entry #6: Photonic Memory

A recent development in memory Photonic Memory. Currently SSDs (Solid State Drives) are the fastest type of memory storage that most PC owners can get. The new Photonic Memory technology boasts being 100 times faster than SSDs meaning things will load much much faster. This technology uses light to read and write data.

For more info clink the link: Photonic Memory

Entry #5: Powerline Adapters

I recently found out about this cool little gadget called the Powerline Adapter. If you live in a home where your router can't get good signal all across  the house then this might be an alternative worth looking into. It is relatively not too expensive and is a pretty cool nifty tool. What it does is use the electricity of the house as a network to get internet any where in the house where there might be a bad signal but has power outlets. It plugs directly into a regular power outlet and has ethernet ports that you can plug your PC into for a internet connection. This type of networking is perfect for older devices that don't have built-in WiFi or just areas of your house where wireless signal from your router isn't great. It's a pretty cool piece of technology I did not know about before but now am thinking about perhaps investing into.

For more info about Powerline Adapters.