Toggle light / dark theme

In the next few years Space X and Virgin Galactic will be sending tourists into orbit and during a brainstorming session for last years SpaceApps Challenge we brainstormed some possible applications for Space Robots.

Last night on the International Space Station Astronaut Thomas Pesquet showed the SPHERES robots testing software that will be used to clean up space junk. Smaller versions of these robots could be developed with multiple ports for a Go Pro Camera linked to a SmartWatch app for Space Selfies or for a Virtual Reality 360 degree recording for the Tourists of their trip. Having wireframed for the Samsung Gear Watch App to be used on the International Space Station and with the advances in technology its easy to see how Siri/ Cortana/ Alexa could be incorporated into a SPHERE type Astromechanical robot to advise of Comms, Timetable scheduling and the other apps that are required for day to day use on the International Space Station. Fun applications that we came up with for the Space Apps challenge was a version of Space- Quidditch and Jedi Training for a SPHERE robot fitted with mini propulsion tanks.

The Annual SpaceApps Challenge is a great way of streching your tech skills and learning new ones. If you would like to host a SpaceApps event the deadline is today:

Read more

SoFi is just the kind of deal that Chen has been pursuing: His NYSE-listed company, once known as the Facebook of China, has been investing in fast-growth tech start-ups to broaden its revenues and boost its stock price. That connection with Renren has also boosted SoFi.

“Joe is a great investor and was our investor from the early days. He saw the vision early on and pushed us to grow faster and be more aggressive,” said Dan Macklin, a co-founder of SoFi in San Francisco.

Similarly to Renren, China’s tech titans Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are leading a surge of Chinese investment in cutting-edge U.S. technology start-ups with bold ambitions to expand their footprint, attract top talent and gain an edge in innovation.

Read more

Science has taken another step toward delivering the perfect newborn – or at least a bouncing baby free of certain genetic defects.

Chinese researchers used a genome editing technique called CRISPR to rid normal embryos of hereditary diseases that cause blood disorders and other ailments, according to New Scientist. Experts who reviewed the project told the publication that, even though it involved just six embryos, it carries promise.

“It is encouraging,” Robin Lovell-Badge, a human genome expert at the Francis Crick Institute in London, told New Scientist.

Read more

This is nowhere near the power of the biggest systems, but still allows us to participate in research and development powered by supercomputer.

The idea that a computer could deliver an increase in life expectancy arises for a number of reasons, Prof Desplat says. Major gains are expected from the emergence of personalised medicine, care specifically tailored to match your genetic make-up. This will be driven in the not too distant future by “deep artificial intelligence learning” run on a supercomputer. These will also deliver faster more accurate early diagnosis, he says.

These computers are used in a variety of ways, from weather forecasting and climate modelling to energy usage modelling, statistical processing and seismic analysis when prospecting for oil and gas.

Read more