Innovation Watch

The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things Done. By Peter Miller. Avery.

iw — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:39:15 +0000

The modern world may be obsessed with speed and productivity, but twenty-first-century humans actually have much to learn from the ancient instincts of swarms. A fascinating new take on the concept of collective intelligence and its colorful manifestations in some of our most complex problems, The Smart Swarm introduces a compelling new understanding of the real experts on solving complex business, politics, and technology problems. In the tradition of James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds and the innovative works of Malcolm Gladwell, The Smart Swarm is an entertaining yet enlightening look at small-scale phenomena with big implications for us all. … Read more

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Japan Aims its Home Fuel Cells at Europe (BBC)

iw — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:12:45 +0000

With over 5,000 fuel cells providing heat and energy for conventional homes up and down Japan, the BBC has learnt that companies such as electronics giant Panasonic are in talks with EU governments about the possibility of bringing these proven energy and carbon-saving devices to market in Europe and elsewhere. … Read more

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China May Emulate U.S. ‘Quiet Revolution’ in Shale Gas Output (Bloomberg)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:11:17 +0000

China may produce a quarter of its natural gas from shale deposits within 20 years to meet growing demand for the cleaner-burning fuel, reduce imports and emulate a boom in U.S. output from the gas-bearing rock. … Read more

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Computer Program ‘Reads’ Minds (CBC)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:09:59 +0000

U.K. researchers have used a computer program to analyze human brain activity and “read” a person’s memory of watching a short film. … Read more

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Recognition Technology to Transform Mobile Devices (PhysOrg)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:07:58 +0000

UT Dallas researchers are working with Texas Instruments Inc. and GetFugu Inc. to enable next-generation human-device interaction (HDI) technologies that merge a physical, real-world environment with virtual, computer-generated imagery on mobile devices. … Read more

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Curbs on Media, Internet Rise Worldwide, U.S. Says (BusinessWeek)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:06:34 +0000

Crackdowns on the media and on Internet use rose last year in China, Iran, Russia and other nations in an effort by governments to clamp down on dissent, according to the annual U.S. report on human rights. … Read more

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Down on the Farm With the Robots (BBC)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:04:42 +0000

Dr. Richard Dudley and colleagues at NPL along with agricultural firm Vegetable Harvesting Systems (VHS) are working on robots that are as fast as humans at working out if a cauliflower is ready to be picked. … Read more

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Google’s Library Project Forces Important Media Decisions (PhysOrg)

iw — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:01:31 +0000

Sometime in the near future, a federal judge will decide whether Google can proceed with its plan to create a digital library and bookstore out of millions of old books scanned from libraries around the world. … Read more

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Arctic Seed Vault Becomes World’s Most Diverse Collection of Crop Diversity (PhysOrg)

iw — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:13:57 +0000

Days after celebrating its second anniversary, the Svalbard “Doomsday” Global Seed Vault is receiving this week thousands of new seeds that will push its collection to more than half a million unique samples, making it the most diverse assemblage of crop diversity ever amassed anywhere in the world. … Read more

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Google to Digitize Old Books from Rome, Florence (Boston Globe)

iw — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:10:43 +0000

Google said it will scan up to 1 million old books in national libraries in Rome and Florence, including works by astronomer Galileo Galilei, in what’s being described as the first deal of its kind. … Read more

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