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Imagine a party on a warm summer’s evening. You can see the beautiful greenery and the dipping sun, you can smell the freshly cut grass and taste the cool drinks on offer. You hear someone walk up behind you and feel them tap you on the shoulder. Now imagine you’re not really at the party – but sitting at home and the scene and all these sensations are coming from your TV.

Working out how television programmes could one day stimulate all our senses is an interesting question for researchers like myself, who are exploring the future of TV. But the bigger, more exciting challenge is how we can not only imitate what is happening on the screen, but also use smell, taste and touch in a way that’s not a novelty and enhances the emotional experience of a show, just as a soundtrack does.

There’s good reason to think about how the TV industry can innovate in this way. Despite the rise of online video, millions if not billions of people still watch traditional broadcast media through television sets. TV remains a powerful format for programme making and watching that follows specific restrictions and guidelines.

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There’s still much that we don’t understand about obesity and its underlying causes, but scientists in Germany say they’ve discovered a genetic ‘switch’ that could effectively turn obesity on or off.

The new report is based on epigenetics research — that is, the way the genes in our bodies change based on chemical and environmental factors, rather than modifications in the fundamental DNA genetic code itself. We’re all born with a certain set of genes, but these can be turned on or off, or dialled up or down, though processes inside the body (it’s part of the reason why identical twins don’t always look identical).

It’s one of these epigenetic tags that the scientists have identified, and it works like a light switch rather than a dimmer. “Once the switch is triggered, it is a lifelong, epigenetically-driven decision that ends in a stable, either a lean or obese phenotype,” lead author Andrew Pospisilik from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics. “The effect is akin to a light switch — on or off, lean or obese. Typically, we usually consider epigenetic control of disease to act much more like a dimmer, shifting phenotypes like body weight up or down gradually.”

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I knew this was coming. Customer agent robots in Japan’s airports coming soon. Next will be baggage handlers, flight attendants, and maybe a co-pilot. Not totally sold on a robot captain besides FAA, NTSB, HHS has to approve that one.


Description: ‘Nao’ offers flight, airport information in three languages, Author: Ray Montgomery — TravelMole Media Group LLC, Publish Date: 10 February 2016, Image:, Category: Travel News.

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Very nice. I am looking forward to seeing it more utilize to help citizens and especially kids.


Gunfire or Car Backfire? Most people don’t know the difference however Shooter Detection Systems and Desktop Alert do.

Rowley, Massachusetts (PRWEB) February 09, 2016.

Today, Desktop Alert, Inc. and Shooter Detection Systems, LLC announced a successful integration project that combines the industry’s fastest and most reliable gunshot detection product with the fastest mass notification system. The Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System made national news recently when featured in a TODAY Show exclusive on how to survive an office shooting.

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As much as the title states India isn’t ready for AI; much of the world isn’t fully ready either. Very few businesses are planning and prepping for an AI transformation or introduction into their businesses or companies; many schools still require newer methods (if not a program/ set of courses) to teach AI; many financial structures like insurance for business using AI capabilities such as robots that will interact regularly with the public are not widely available for businesses; etc. Lots of planning and work remains even across the US for AI adoption to truly be appreciated by the masses.


India still not ready for Artificial Intelligence (Tech Feature) — New Delhi, Feb 10 : At a time when the global technology giants are set to leverage the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for your daily lives — from taking care of businesses to fulfilling your personal needs — India seems to be reluctant to get on to this bus.

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