Harnessing Spider Powers

Since Ancient Greece, cultures have treated wounds by rubbing them with spider webs, believing this prevented blood loss and infection.  Since then, the practice has been lost.  Until recently.  Professor Fritz Vollrath has started using the silk of spiders and silkworms for medical use.  Vollrath put this tradition to the test by creating spider silk dressings in a series of animal trials, and found they blended seamlessly within host tissue. "Spider silk is inherently biocompatible so the wound does not reject it," he says. The silk is also biodegradable, meaning the dressing is simply eaten away as the wound heals."  He uses goldenrod spiders kept on the roof of Oxford university.  

However, in order to harness these ‘‘powers,” we have to understand how it works.  Volrath has discovered an array of proteins in the silk, which proved resilient to stress and deformation.  This, he concluded, was the reason that the silk is so tough.  In addition to that, he discovered that the spiders produce seven types of silk.  Dragline silk, which the spider uses to hang from, proved the toughest.

I chose this article because with so many advancements in the world, it’s amazing that possibly the most useful has been in front of us the the whole time.  

For more information on this amazing discovery, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/health/healing-powers-of-a-spiders-web/

Something New: Virtual Reality

        Recently, there has been an uproar in the technology world. Virtual Reality. This new idea is spreading all over different countries. This article gives examples of different virtual reality simulators and how they benefit our world today.
What is Virtual Reality? It is an environment generated by a computer. This allows one to experience different realities. It can visually separate one from their current environment. Virtual Reality can bring one to the Franklin Institute or swim in the Great Barrier Reef. One can do all of this through a Virtual Reality device.
Many Tech-Giant companies have began to build and sell these devices. Google has come out with the Google Cardboard, which is the cheapest VR device on the market. All one has to do is download the app on his or her’s phone and attach it to the VR device. From this that person can experience a whole new world. Other companies like HTC, Oculus, Samsung, and Sony have also released VR devices.
How can Virtual Reality benefit our world today? There are many ways. In the artistry and design areas, one could use VR to make designs without picking up a single tool. In the educational areas, VR can model advanced concepts and can take students on virtual field trips.
In conclusion, VR is a new advance in the technology world. It will certainly be used in many ways to benefit our world today, such as education and art. Also it will expose people different parts of the world. And last of all. It is fun to use. Virtual Reality is a new and exciting experience for people in our world today.
I chose this article because I liked the idea of Virtual Reality. I also like the idea of comparing two or more technology devices. It was interesting because Virtual Reality is a new advance and I find the idea of getting separated from your current location to experience a whole new world very intriguing.

Link to Article: http://www.cnet.com/special-reports/vr101/

“Teaching Dogs to Talk is Easier than You Think!”

The article I chose for my current events was titled “Teaching Dogs to Talk is Easier Than You Think”. I found this article on CNN’s website. This article was written by Anne Woolsey.

Melody Jackson an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology created an invention that has been said to give dogs a voice. The invention is a vest supplied with sensors that can send text notifications to a smartphone, or cues that can be heard. Teaming up with Thad Starner and research scientist Clint Zeagler, Melody Jackson created this vest for the project FIDO, or “ Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations”. FIDO is sponsored by DARPA, (Defense Advanced Research Project Protection Agency), and the National Science Foundation. Their test dog is Jackson’s border collie, Sky. She has helped them test out the vest, and helped troubleshoot by showing the team what is A-ok, and what isn’t. The dogs are trained with frisbees and balls to know how to detect a bomb, like trying to tell his/her handler what kind of explosive it is. But that’s not it. Jackson and her team have gone above and beyond and have developed a second vest, and are working on a third! The second vest is a medical alert vest. If the dog finds a trapped person when wearing the vest, he/she can trigger a sensor and let that person know that help is coming soon. The third vest that Jackson and her team are working on is a vest that will help the handler track his dog. If a dog finds it’s target and runs off, this vest activates a sensor and allows GPS coordinates to be sent to the handler. Jackson also thinks personal functions can be added to the vest such as the dog being able to turn around and pull a tab that calls 911, and with someone's GPS location can text that person's husband. The dog with the vest could also alert people that have speaking impairments or that are deaf to tell them what someone might have said, or when the doorbell rings. Jackson believes any dog that can be trained can wear these vests and make them work. One dog even figured it out in 27 seconds which proves, anything is possible!

I chose this article because I personally love dogs and loved the fact that Melody Jackson was making the world a better place. I found it interesting that all these different vests that regular trained dogs could just activate and help soldiers on the battlefield, big time! They can even help people with disabilities outside of the battle field which I found pretty amazing. Melody Jackson and her team are changing the world one step at a time!

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/tech/talking-dogs-georgia-institute-technology/index.html

Harnessing spider powers to heal human bodies

                         

  I find this article interesting because. A scientist named Professor Fritz studies spiders and is interested in spider webs. Also he makes medicine out of the spiders silk. He is going to use the medicine to help with any replacements in the body or use some of it for stitches.  This professor has worked with spiders for over 40 years! Also he is still working and trying to discover other stuff with spider webs or just spiders. I choosed this article because it was cool to learn about spiders and their webs. Also what spiders webs can do to help humans out.

By Jack Tuel
Bibliography:  http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/health/healing-powers-of-a-spiders-web/index.html

Uber’s self-driving Ford Focus hybrids are cruising around the streets of Pittsburgh

10 to 15 years ago in the California badlands, and in 2013, the Uber Self Driving technology was being created. Now in 2016 it’s finally here being used in Pittsburg, PA. The next Ford Hybrid you see in Pittsburgh might be self driven or maybe you might be riding in it. On Wednesday May 18, 2016, Uber was testing their new technology in Pittsburgh to find it a good success. I found this story very interesting because it is cool to see the world evolve each day of the year with something new.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/uber-self-driving-ford-focus-155759845.html 

This is your brain in space

  Nasa is planning a trip to mars in 2030. So far they have gathered everything they need to send people to mars, they have: housing, food, water and air they need for the whole mission. But there is one very important problem yet to be solved, the people. For this mission the astronauts need to be used to Isolation, leaving their families, crammed in a small space for long periods of time, and day and night times scrambled. Nasa has decided to make a simulation on a red mountain range where they spent multiple days and nights getting used to the situation and conditions.

  I chose this story because it seems interesting that we have almost made it to mars. I found it interesting that they found a place to simulate mars. Also it is interesting because it really shows that we can survive on mars but in maybe 20 or more years we will have people living on Mars.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/26/health/space-brain-psychology-way-up-there/index.htm

This bendable smartphone comes with a catch

The article I read was “This bendable smartphone comes with a catch”.  It was written by Sophia Yan on May 25, 2016.  The website I found this on was the CNN web page (http://money.cnn.com).  It is about a smartphone that is bendable but with a high price.
The Moxi Group, who is based in Chongqing, China,  is developing this smartphone device to be used as an accessory. They found that the only way to make this smartphone able to bend around someone’s wrist is if they use graphene.  Graphene is very thin and light and also bendable.  Now here’s the catch; graphene is very expensive. Therefore, this smartphone is going to be very expensive in order for the Moxi Group to make a profit.  The estimated cost of the device is about $5,288 in the United States.  One disadvantage of this device is that the display will not be available in color. However, it will have all the capabilities of a regular smartphone.  It is targeted to be on the market in China near the end of 2017.  They are hoping a color display version will be available in 2018.
I chose this article because I thought it would be fun if you could wear your smartphone on your wrist.  It’s interesting that they could build something that high- tech.  One problem that they might have with this product is that not many people will be able to afford it at the estimated price. I’m sure if any repairs are needed for the device, they will be expensive too.  However, I’m sure there will be some who will be willing to spend the money just because it is cool and new.

Floating Buses From China

This was an interesting story about how China made buses that could ride over other vehicles. This is an efficient way to ease traffic because the bus could ride over traffic and get to the desired place. These floating buses move by raising itself up on rails on the side of the road. The buses cost about 20% of a underground transport system. The buses are effective at going through traffic faster and can carry about 1,400 passengers at a time.

I think that this idea is a good one because it helps people who need to be on time get there without getting trapped in traffic. Everyone needs help getting around in traffic so I think that these floating buses from China could be helpful to people.

http://www.cnet.com/news/chinas-floating-buses-will-ride-above-the-roads/

This bendable smartphone comes with a catch

A Chinese startup, called Moxi Group, created a bendable touchscreen, that can bend in any way and still work. The screen is made out of graphene, the thinnest material on the world, which is also super strong. The company has made a prototype smartphone and plans to put 100,000 units on sale by the end of 2016. Though, the phone will only have black and white imaging, and the company says they will reach color by 2018. This phone is said to sell at 5,000 yuan (760 U.S. dollars). Not only is this startup trying to make flexible screens, but Samsung and LG are too. Apple also has patents for a “flexible electronic device”, which featured 24 drawings of a device and how it could be wrapped. The market for electronics will grow, with the innovation of people around the world.

I choose this story, because I’m fascinated how everybody hated the iphone for bending, and now they are turning bending into a good thing. I think it’s smart to create flexible electronics, as it could become part of your everyday household. I find it interesting, because the thought of a watch band the bends around your wrist, that could act like a phone is cool.


 To learn more, visit:http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/25/technology/bendable-smartphones-china/index.html

Teaching Dogs to talk

 In the article “Teaching dogs to talk is easier than you think”,
Melody Jackson an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology has created a vest that dogs wear so they can talk to their owners. Melody’s dog, Sky, has helped test these sensors by telling the FIDO or "Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations." if they work or not. Bomb sniffing dogs usually say hey I found an explosive, but this dog can tell what kind of explosive so the bomb can be handled carefully. Jackson is wishing that after putting the vest to the test with canines they can help on the battlefield.The vest also has the capability of telling the difference between a frisbee and a tennis ball and telling their handlers. Jackson is wishing that after putting the vest to the test with canines they can help on the battlefield. Melody and her research team have developed one thing that is pretty amazing. They developed a medical vest that can sense a trapped or missing person. Jackson believes any trained dog could be able to pick up these technology very easily because she said one of her dogs was able to understand the technology in just 27 seconds.
I found this article interesting because I would love it if my dog could talk and I thought it was amazing that the vest could sense what kind of bomb and it would be very useful on the battlefield. I picked this article because I love dogs and I think this is such a good idea.



http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/tech/talking-dogs-georgia-institute-technology/index.html

Minecraft just landed a huge deal to expand into China Minecraft landed a big deal in China

The Mojang company is doing this because they think that they will get more customers that would want to buy Minecraft. Mojang and the Chinese company, NetEase, can split Minecraft into two jobs that  both need to be accomplished. Mojang’s job is to make Minecraft more appealing for new players, and NetEase’s job is to take care of any disruptions. So partnering with NetEase is a very smart idea. But also the other topic in the article is what is Minecraft? Minecraft is a virtual  game where you can do anything you want or feel like doing with blocks. That is what the article I read was about.

I chose this story because I really like Minecraft and I was interested in how it was going to be expanded and developed in the future. Also I wanted to learn a little about the chinese gaming company and what it was going to do for the Mojang company. That is why I chose this article to write about.

I found this article interesting because I never thought that Minecraft would become so popular that it would spread to China. Also it was interesting to see the relationships between Mojang and NetEase because the job that NetEase is going to do is not easy and a big responsibility to Minecraft so I thought it was interesting how NetEase offered that. That is why I thought the article I chose to read and write about was interesting.

Website Adress: http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/23/technology/minecraft-china/index.html

Microsoft Trying to Partner Up With Oculus

Microsoft is trying to get some help from Oculus because they are trying to make a newer version of the xbox one with virtual reality headsets. They are going to make the new Xbox one thinner, have a larger hard drive, and sell it for a lower price. Microsoft is also trying to beat out their rivals, Sony and its PlayStation, to have a better console because Sony is releasing its own virtual reality platform called the PlayStation VR.

I chose this because I am interested in learning if Microsoft will come out with better technology for its Xbox. A virtual reality headsets would be great for kids that like to play on the Xbox.It was cool to learn that Microsoft and Sony are going head to head trying to beat each other out to have the best gaming consoles.

Here’s the link for more information on this:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/05/25/microsoft-report-partnership-oculus/84912760/

Chromebook gets more sales than Apple

    I thought this was a very interesting story about how Chromebooks are finally becoming the “Big new thing” in the technology world bigger than Apple Products. This story was about how Chromebooks actually made more money from selling their Chromebooks than Apple selling their Apple Macbooks and laptops. They wrote that more computer makers for the first time shipped more Chromebooks than Macbooks and Apple desktops and laptops all together. This was a very surprising thing to me. I have a chromebook and I think it is amazing but I also have a Macbook Air and I like my Macbook Air better, so I think that the main thing comes down to the price. Chromebooks are way cheaper than Apple Products. I think since it is very popular in K-12 schools it needs to be affordable so that the school can buy chromebooks for every single student in that school. I thought this story was so fascinating because I would have never thought that Chromebooks would have out bought Apple laptops and desktops. I also thought “Wow, finally there is something more interesting and intriguing that a new thing beat out Apple!” I think it is great to mix it up and have something new and fun in the technology world. That is why I picked this story or article to read and comprehend and blog about. This is a very interesting topic!!


Source:http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/20/technology/chromebook-macbook/index.html

Doctor uses iPad to conduct remote surgery in Gaza

This story is about a group of doctors that can do surgeries just through the screen of an iPad. The software that they use to do the surgeries is called Proximie. You can do the surgeries from hundreds of miles away, which is what the doctor Abu-Sitta did to show his colleagues how to conduct a blast injury that affects the hand. How it works is you get 2 smartphones or tablets connected to the Internet to show a live feed of the operation. Then, the person that is not doing the surgery can make a mark on the screen of where they should do the incision.

I find this very interesting because technology has come a long way, and these are one of the pieces of evidence that technology isn’t all that bad. It shows that you can use technology to do anything, which in the future, it will be even more advanced and easier to use. I found this information on http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/health/telesurgery-proximie-beirut-gaza/index.html

Weapon Sales Around The World

The story is about the United states of America weapon sales or where they sell the most weapons too. The main sale of weapons for the United States right now is in the middle east, like syria, yemen and Iraq. There is many more countries that the United States are selling to, which are like South Korea, Turkey, and even Australia. The US government puts 5.7 billion dollars to put away for foreign aid and making weapons then selling them. There is many other countries that the US is selling to. I choose this story because I like to know about politics and what the US is doing. I found is quite interesting because I thought we were not selling that many weapons because we wanted to limit power in the different countries.


I Found this story when I was looking through the stories on CNN and I thought this has something to do with the presidential race and the politics and what america is doing with there power.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/politics/us-arms-sales-worldwide/index.html

Looking for Eric: The mysterious death and rebirth of Britain's first robot

 Eric was the first british robot in the 1920’s, but now he has gone missing. The London Science Museum, is trying to get him back. He was first built in 1928, but he doesn't only speak and is another pretty face, he somehow vanished. He was built by Captain WH Richards and Alan Reffell. He was first announced to the public at London in the Model Engineering Museum. Eric could do everything from moving your head, arms, and even taking a bow and sitting back down. He also was a showman. Audiences loved him he later went on for a national tour. The people raised 35,000 dollars to rebuild him and even though that's a lot now, that was like a huge amount then. But they never found him.

I choose this story because I thought it was very interesting. Interesting, because I couldn't believe that they were making robots back then. And the fact that it could do so much. It’s also very interesting about how much our technology is evolving.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/looking-for-eric-the-mysterious-death-and-rebirth-of-britains-first-robot/

Man killed by walrus he took selfie with

This article was interesting, and it was about how a man took a selfie with the walrus and the walrus slinged the man into the water. This happened at the Yeschenko Wildlife Zoo in Liaoning, apparently the man had easy access to go and take a selfie with the 1-2 ton mammal. The man also, took a video with the walrus and posted the video to WeChat. The man had his back turned away from the walrus and the 2 ton mammal slinged him into the water where the man reportedly drowned. A zoo helper dove in to save the man but he reportedly drowned also.

This story was interesting because somebody took a selfie with a 2 ton mammal and got killed by the mammal. I chose this story because a man died by a 2 TON animal and so did one of the zookeepers!. For further information go here- http://www.cnet.com/news/man-killed-by-walrus-he-took-a-selfie-with-report-says/

Teaching Dogs to Speak is Easier than you think

In this story Melody Jackson an associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology is developing tech that give a voice to a dog. This tech is a vest designed for dogs to help them communicate to someone in countless events of emergency.  To test the vest they use Sky an 8 year old border collie to tell them if something works or not. During use of the vest the dogs were trained to bite or nudge a sensor on the vest to tell the trainer is it's a frisbee or a ball. They want to develop another vest to help in medical emergencies so that the dog could nudge a sensor on the vest and call 911, send its GPS location and text the owner family all at once with them knowing 911 is on its way. Jackson believes that any trained dog would be able to learn how to use this technology.

This article was very interesting because jackson was able to bring her training of assistance dogs and work with technology together. It also shows a more effective way for service dogs to help their handler in situations.

The full article is on the CNN website: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/tech/talking-dogs-georgia-institute-technology/index.html
       

Getting Tired of Current Xbox Controllers?

Ever getting tired of the Xbox controllers you have? Well, Microsoft is creating two new consoles. One of the consoles is described as “cheaper and smaller”, a “slim” version of the current Xbox 1. The second one is said to be released in 2017 and it is more powerful than the Xbox 1. It’s powerful enough to run the Oculus Rift VR headset.

 I found this interesting because having an Xbox with a headset is super cool.  I chose this article because  seeing what the new Xboxes might be in the future is really cool.

Website:https://www.yahoo.com/tech/may-two-xbox-one-consoles-154815837.html

Google Patents sticky car hood

In the U.S more than 32,000 people die from the road each year.Google has a solution.It made the hood of the car have a giant sticker placed on the hood,with a special coating on it.The coating is broken when something collides with it revealing a sticky surface sticking the object to it.The design will help people avoid even greater injuries from being hit by a car,and swung off of it.Google patened it earlier this week.Google’s new patent is aimed towards their new self driving cars,as a backup if it’s senses fail.
I chose this because bad driving is a very bad issue,and google came up with a very creative way to help solve this.I found this interesting because of the originality of the idea.I also found it interesting because of the simplicity yet complicity to the design.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/google-patents-sticky-car-hood-trap-pedestrians-collision-145952790--abc-news-topstories.html

The Google Tilt Brush

This story about the Google Tilt Brush was very interesting. The artist wears a HTC Vive headset which is connected to the brush. The brush can paint in three dimensions and can use materials that would be impossible in real life such as fire, stars, and snow. Fashion designers can illustrate what they want their creations to look like and can use things like silk and denim. Everything that you make with the Tilt Brush is sharable with Tilt Brush users around the world. Many artists agree that the Tilt Brush will revolutionize the world. Who knows, maybe the Google Tilt Brush will change the way the human race creates art. And maybe it will be sooner than you think. I chose this article because I think that it is world changing. To read more visit the Tilt Brush article on CNN Style.

Teaching dogs to talk is easier than you think

Melody Jackson is an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dogs are now getting a voice because of her! She developed a technology that helps dogs say things, something she says is vital for therapy dogs, search and rescue, and bomb detection. With her technology, dogs can send texts to a smartphone, and can ‘speak’ aloud to notify others. Jackson has worked with and trained assistance dogs for near twenty years, and combined that with her passion of technology to create her project “FIDO,” or ‘Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations.’ Her team of researchers include a professor, Thad Starner, and a research scientist, Clint Zeagler, and also her eight-year-old dog, Sky. Jackson is also working on medical alert vests, and vests that allow a handler to track the dog wearing the vest. The dog can just pull a tab on its vest, and the handler can be alerted.

I chose this article because I was amazed at the technology and how it was used. I was also impressed and awed by the way dogs could understand the technology so quickly -- the longest any of Jackson’s dogs took to understand the vest and its capabilities was twenty-eight minutes, and the shortest time was twenty-seven seconds! I was astounded at the way it was used to find missing people, find bombs, distinguish one thing from another, and even alert 911 if the dog’s owner is in trouble. I was also a bit confused about when the dogs pulled the tab, how the technology understood the dog wanted to say ‘ball’ and not ‘frisbee.’

Full Article