Computers generally sense human movements by seeing or feeling it. But this Microsoft research project suggests that your devices may soon be able to hear your gestures through ultrasonic waves.

mashable.com/2012/05/07/gesture-control-system-sound/

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If you believe that the Internet should be accessible to everyone, iPavement may make you happy. This new technology promises to bring us a step closer to universal access by putting a wireless network underfoot.

good.is/post/ipavement-puts-a-world-of-knowledge-beneath-your-feet

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wired.com/design/2012/04/10-things-3d-printers-can-do-now/?pid=171

It’s easy to imagine a future filled with 3D printers doing all kinds of fantastic things. But 3D printers are already being put to work in all kinds of fascinating applications. You’ll probably be surprised by many of the pictures in this Wired photo essay.

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npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/04/19/150905465/to-read-all-those-web-privacy-policies-just-take-a-month-off-work

Did you ever wonder about those privacy policies you’re required to accept before using popular web sites? This NPR story sheds a little light on those Internet annoyances.

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Project Glass

The brave new world of augmented reality may be closer than you think. If it becomes a popular product, Google’s Project Glass may make touch-screen smart phones seem positively old-fashioned. This Huffington Post article describes this intriguing wearable technology, and the video gives you a sense of what it might feel like to spend time behind the lenses of smart glasses.

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Turing in 20

April 4, 2012
Thumbnail image for Turing in 20

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2012/mar/19/turing-problem/ It’s hard to overstate the importance of Alan Turing. The man who invented artificial intelligence before computers existed also created a machine that helped the Allies win World War II, saving thousands of innocent lives from the scourges of war and totalitarianism. But instead of being honored for his monumental achievements, Turing was persecuted [...]

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A Bright Future Ahead?

March 27, 2012

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by bad news and lose hope for the future. In this fascinating and inspiring TED talk, Peter Diamandis makes a compelling case for a bright future fueled by technology, do-it-yourself ingenuity, and a global network of people working together to bring about profound change. Is he right? http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future.html

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Will You Be Living in a Drone Zone?

March 20, 2012
Drone aircraft

npr.org/2012/03/12/148293470/drones-over-america-what-can-they-see Computer-piloted drones have become part of life—and death—in war zones. But , according to John Villasenor, we’ll soon be seeing drones in American skies performing non-military tasks. As he explains in this NPR Fresh Air interview, a flurry of ethical, social, legal, and political questions will arrive with those drones.

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The Dark Story Gets Darker

March 19, 2012
Retracted Apple manufacturing story

thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/460/retraction   Mike Daisey’s monologue on This American Life a few weeks ago fueled the firestorm of criticism of Apple for treatment of workers that make all those iProducts. There’s truth in many of the criticisms, but there are enough untruths in the monologue to cause the producers of this popular public radio program to [...]

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A Whole New Kind of Photography

March 13, 2012
The Lytro, a groundbreaking new camera

http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/03/01/147665130/shoot-now-focus-later-a-little-camera-to-change-the-game Digital cameras have transformed the way we take and edit photographs, but a digital picture is still just a picture. Until now. This groundbreaking camera doesn’t just create a two-dimensional representation of a scene; it captures 3D light patterns that can be focused and refocused long after the shutter button is pressed. Will it [...]

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