Safe Texting While Walking? Soon, There May Be an App for That

CrashAlert, created by University of Manitoba researchers, could make it easier to walk and text without smacking into things.

• By Rachel Metz on April 15, 2013

Why It Matters

The more time we spend focused on our gadgets, the more likely we are to disengage with the world around us.

The last time you saw someone walk into a lamppost while focusing intently on a smartphone, you probably thought, “That was dumb!” If you were Juan-David Hincapié-Ramos, though, you might have thought, “There should be an app for this.”

First Solar Shines as the Solar Industry Falters

First Solar’s strong finances are helping fund innovation and drive down the cost of solar power.

• By Kevin Bullis on April 12, 2013

Why It Matters

Solar power needs to get cheaper to replace fossil fuels on a large scale.

Renewable power: A solar cell from Tetrasun.

Innovation in solar cell technology has slowed as startups struggle to get a foothold in a tough market and solar panel manufacturers delay purchasing the equipment they need to manufacture more efficient cells. But First Solar, one of the world’s largest solar companies, continues to invest in boosting the efficiency of its solar cells.

Interview with BRAIN Project Pioneer: Miyoung Chun

The trickiest thing about the brain mapping project might be that we don’t even know what we’re trying to learn.

• By Jason Pontin on April 15, 2013

Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) project, which President Obama announced in his State of the Union address in February, will be a decade-long effort to understand the nature of thought (See “Why Obama’s Brain-Mapping Project Matters.”) The project, which inevitably evokes the Human Genome Project, will demand billions in research funding and require the coöperation of many government agencies, universities, and foundations. Miyoung Chun, a molecular geneticist and vice president for science programs at the Kavli Foundation, has been coördinating communication among those involved since planning began 18 months ago. 

Monetizing Your Movements

Data that shows where people live, work, and play is being sold to businesses and city planners, as mobile operators seek new sources of revenue.

• By Jessica Leber on April 12, 2013

Why It Matters

Better information about how people move around the physical world could lead to more efficient and greener cities and help small businesses.

Remapping Cities: A San Francisco startup’s software shows real-world analytics about who goes where.

Soon Your Bird Can Sing: Twitter to Release Music App

Rachel Metz

April 12, 2013

It sounds cool, but only a select few such as Ryan Seacrest get to play with Twitter’s music app for now.

It’s not yet available to everyone, but Twitter’s giving a few hints about its forthcoming music app, which the social site is surely hoping will challenge music listening and sharing service Spotify.

Wireless Micro LEDs Control Mouse Behavior

Mice tap into their own neural reward circuits with the help of a new optogenetics device.

• By Susan Young on April 11, 2013

Why It Matters

Light-based control of neural activity, or optogenetics, is a useful tool for studying the cellular basis of cognitive processes, but most setups prevent the study of natural behavior.

Petite power: This miniaturized LED device can control brain activity with light.

A microscopic light-emitting diode device that controls the activity of neurons has given researchers wireless control over animal behavior. The tiny device, tested in mice, causes less damage than other methods used to deliver light into the brain, report researchers in Thursday’s issue of Science, and it does not tether mice to a light source, enabling scientists to study behaviors more naturally than is normally possible.

LED Lights to Cut 60-Watt Bulb to Five Watts

Martin LaMonica

April 11, 2013

Philips seeks to replace florescent tube light with an LED using technology planned for other types of bulbs. 

Philips researcher Coen Liedenbaum with a prototype of tubular LED bulb for overhead lighting. Credit: Philips.