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By comparing the hippocampus of a patient suffering from episodic memory to that of a healthy person of the same age, Professor James Brewer can determine whether the patient is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Trouble is, to manually assemble the 256 hippocampi MRI images, it can take an entire week. Or he can run NeuroQuant on his iMac and get a statistical report in about 8.5 minutes.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Yeah, we confess we’re nerds and watched all that behind-the-scenes stuff on the Matrix DVD — when it’s the only DVD you own, you gotta get your money’s worth. If you’ll recall (don’t try and deny it), the much-lauded “bullet time” effect was accomplished by surrounding the leather-bedecked Keanu with dozens of digital still cameras to capture every millisecond of his limbo moves from every angle. Commercials aplenty soon co-opted the technology to push their wares, but Toshiba is flipping that formula here, hiring an ad agency with its very own bullet time vareint called “timesculpture” to plug Toshiba’s XDE technology. A circular rig with 200 Gigashot HD camcorders and 20,000 gigabytes of data later, they created this little number, which mixes full motion video, Matrix camera moves and a healthy dash of hipsterism. Check it out after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba’s “timesculpture” ad is bullet time meets Feist, or something equally impressive

Toshiba’s “timesculpture” ad is bullet time meets Feist, or something equally impressive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Remember the iPosture? That little button-sized nano-sensor you attach to your body which then vibrates any time you slouch or strike a less-than-optimal pose? The one which supposedly improves your posture, making you look thinner and taller, feel more confident, and also doubles as a hot piece of jewelry? Well, it’s available now for the pretty reasonable price of $89.95 with a free copy of “Young, Sexy and Healthy” — which you were probably considering buying anyway. If you’re one of those people who can never get enough of being nagged at over your seemingly minuscule flaws, this just may be the perfect device for you.

iPosture unleashed upon world, wants you to know you’re not standing up straight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

These portable power generating options are a dime a dozen now, but we thought you’d still want to know that Sanyo has invented a device that’ll let you turn your health obsession into electricity to power your health obsession — a vicious cycle if we’ve ever seen one. It’s a pedometer that generates just enough energy (40 microwatts) to keep itself ticking when the swinging motion of its health-nut wearer’s body causes tiny parts to move around. Sanyo hopes to use the technology for other low-power devices in the future. As for us, we’d rather remain utterly otiose and let our battery slaves do the work for us, though we can imagine something like this might, with some improvements, prove useful to those villagers who have to walk 12 miles to charge their cell phones.

[Warning: read link requires subscription]

Sanyo builds prototype pedometer that powers itself while you walk originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just last week, Time announced what they considered the 50 most important technological breakthroughs of 2008. Not to be outdone, today Popular Science has named their 100 “Best of What’s New.” Unlike Time, PopSci has categorized their awards into achievements in Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets (of course!), Green Tech, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Health, Recreation and Security. But you’ve had enough of a tease; you just want to see the winners:

Automotive

• 2009 Nissan GT-R
• BMW MyInfo
• Carnegie Mellon’s Boss
• BMW 7 Series Sign Reading Camera
• Audi Harmonic Drive Steering
• Lexus LX570 Wide-View Cameras
• Infiniti EX-35 Self-Healing Paint
• Ford Eco-Boost Engine
• Honda FCX Clarity
• Mercedes SL63 Speedshift
• Ford Capless Fuel Filler

Aviation & Space

• Mars Phoenix Lander
• White Knight II
• GeoEye-1 Satellite
• Kizuna Broadband Satellite
• Large Binocular Telescope
• Martin Jetpack
• Icon A5
• Rocket Racing League
• Boeing Advanced Technical Laser
• DraganFlyer
• Pipistrel Taurus Electro

Computing

• Maxis’ Spore
• Device VM SplashTop
• Adobe AIR
• Qualcomm Gobi
• Microsoft PhotoSynth
• Microsoft Explorer Mouse
• Phoenix FailSafe
• Intel Core Duo Merom

Engineering

• Large Hadron Collider
• Bahrain World Trade Center
• Hillman Composite Beams
• Glubam’s quick assembly bridge
• Kajima’s new demolition method

Gadgets

• 3M MPro 110
• Casio EX-F1 Camera
• BUG Labs’ Base and Modules
• Eye-Fi Explore SD Card
• Polaroid ZINK
• Sleek Audio SA6 Headphones
• Vision Research’s V12 Camera
• Livescribe Pulse
• Ugobe Pleo
• Nikon D90
• Samsung AIRAVE
• iTunes App Store
• Amazon Kindle
• Tonium Pacemaker DJ System

Green Technology

• Serious Materials EcoRock
• ElectraTherm Green Machine
• Envirofit Clean Indoor Cookstove
• Enphase Energy Micro-Inverter System
• Mariah Power Windspire
• Agroplast All In One System

Home Entertainment

• Sony OLED TV
• Audiovox FPS10 Subwoofer
• Lucas Arts’ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Sonos ZP120 Digital Amp
• Sony BDV-IT1000ES Home Theater System
• Onkyo TX-NR906 A/V Receiver
• Hitachi UltraThin TVs

Home Technology

• Honeywell Specialty Materials Storm-a-Rest
• Craftsman VibraFree Sander
• Home Comfort Zones MyTemp
• Festool Lapex Miter Saw
• Remington PowerMower
• Gorilla Super Glue
• FreshAire Paint
• PF WaterWorks PermaFLOW

Personal Health

• Recellularized Heart
• CellScope
• SensAble
• Toshiba Aquilion One CT
• Fraunhofer Institute’s Magnet-Controlled Gut Camera
• BioXcell INVOcell Fertility Assist Device
• Pro-Neck-Tor
• Nintendo Wii Fit
• Electronic Taste Chip
• Hewlett Packard Smart Drug Delivery

Recreation

• Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 Di2 Electronic Shifting Components
• Poseidon Mk IV Discovery Rebreather
• Speedo LZR Swimsuit
• Schoeller Cold Black
• Atomic Double Deck Skis
• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleep Pad
• O’Neill XDS-Air Insulated Neoprene
• Energy Integration Technology Aevex Gloves
• Moog Guitar

Security

• Thruvision T5000 Camera
• Noblepeak Vision Triwave
• Rotundus GroundBot
• Ingenia Technology Laser Surface Authentication System
• Lumidigm Venus Series Sensors
• Raytheon Controlled Impact Rescue Tool (CIRT)
• Landshark IED Robot
• RedX Spray-On Bomb Detector
• ARA Safety FIT-5
• The Streetlab Mobile

So what do you think? Was PopSci dead on or dead wrong? Lay it out in the comments. We were personally affronted that disemvowling didn’t make this particular list. [PopSci]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

You’re a good person with noble motivations — you ride a bicycle instead of driving because it’s healthy and it doesn’t have a disastrously negative impact on the environment. We salute you, but not all of society appreciates your virtue like we do. In a sinister and systematic oppression of cyclists (we’re absolutely certain it’s intentional), many traffic lights are governed by sensors in the pavement that give a green light only after they’ve detected the change in inductance when a large metal car pulls up. Before you take up arms, though, take a look at this recently-patented device that sends out a signal that fools the sensors so cyclists don’t have to wait for a car to unwittingly play good Samaritan — we suppose we’ll try this out just in case before we incite a violent revolution.

[Via Core77]

Intersection sensor activator puts an end to cyclist discrimination originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever since daylight saving time ended last weekend, I’ve been a little depressed. By the time work is through, there is nothing but bleak, cold darkness outside. It perpetually feels later than it really is, and the horrible reality is that it will only get worse. By December 21st many of us will be experiencing full-on seasonal depression. The good news is that there are plenty of gadgets out there designed to reverse these effects and help us cope with our suffocating, sunless existence.

Lamps:

Philips LivingColors Lamp: Those suffering from the depressing lack of sunlight can conjure up 16 million unique colors at the push of a button on their remote. Unfortunately, the LivingColors Lamp has still not made its way to stores in the states. [Philips via Link]

Exideal: This device uses 280 LED lights and 10 modes that vary in both patterns and intensity in an attempt to promote a healthy mind as well as “permeate the vitamins and collagen in your skin and make you beautiful from the inside.” I wouldn’t stare directly into it though—there is nothing healthy about writhing around on the floor choking on your own tongue. [Exideal via Link]

Philips Wake-Up Light: This alarm clock stimulates your senses in the morning by simulating a natural sunrise. Over the course of 30 minutes, the intensity of the light increases “sending your brain a message to reduce the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, and to increase the production of cortisol, the energy hormone.” [Sadbox via Link]

Simulations:

Sunset Now: Adam Parker Smith’s “Sunset Now” art installation allows the user to control the rising and setting of a simulated sun using a simple dimmer switch. [Adam Parker Smith via Link]

Rainbow in My Room: Discovery’s “Rainbow in My Room” uses LEDs to recreate the lights of a real rainbow and projects it onto a wall or ceiling. It also doubles as leprechaun bait. [Discovery via Link]

SkyV Skylights: SkyV takes Sky Factory’s faux skylight concept to the next level by adding natural movement using high definition LCD screens. So, even in the darkest depths of winter you can always stare up at a sun-filled sky. [Sky Factory via Link]

Portable Gadgets:

Verilux Book and Travel Light: This tiny travel light uses a full-spectrum cold-cathode bulb to simulate natural sunlight. You can use it to read a book or even shine it on your face to help eliminate dark circles under your eyes. [Verilux]

Verilux Readylight Solar Flashlight: Verilux also makes a handy full-spectrum flashlight (although you will need some real sunlight to charge it). Again, full-spectrum bulbs simulate actual sunlight so using this flashlight to tell ghost stories in the dark can actually lead to wellness. [Verilux]

Wicked Lasers Torch Flashlight: The LEDs in this torch are not full-spectrum, but it cuts through the darkness like dynamite thanks to 4100 lumens of power. Unlike the Verilux flashlight, I do not recommend this for ghost stories—although your face catching on fire would certainly scare the hell out of everyone in the room. [Wicked Lasers via Link]

Pets:

Light Therapy Pet Bed: Even your pets can get the winter blues, which is why someone developed a sunlight simulating bed for cats an dogs. If every pet owner used one, I would suspect that the rate of cat and dog suicides during the winter months would plummet. [Link]

Hey Jason,
I have this ongoing irrational feeling that no one reads us. Which is why when I meet a geek who tells me they spend all day at work wasting time on Gizmodo, it makes me super happy. I had that happen last night at Lucky 13 hanging out with Xeni and the guy from Telstar Logistics.

But people have been reading us! I was looking over some old traffic reports from Gizmodo a year ago and realized that a core group of readers have really stayed true to us over the last year, while quite a few more have joined us. I know we don’t talk about it often, but I get that warm tingly feeling in my belly when I think about it.

Last month was our biggest ever. We had 86 million pages, and on one day alone, we had 13 million pageviews from 2 million viewers on the day Apple launched their new Macbooks. I don’t think we run the biggest liveblog of the Apple events, but I am pretty happy with how many people are watching the efforts these days. Especially if you consider 2 years ago, we didn’t do them regularly. And the first time I did a liveblog, I forgot a camera cable. Also, I think we’ve jumped up in Technorati to #2, behind Huffington Post. I suppose all the features everyone is working on after doing their news posts are paying off.

I don’t really have a point here. Maybe what I’m trying to say is that I’m just thankful, since Thanksgiving is practically on top of us in internet-future-news time, that the Gizmodo family of people-who-waste-time-at-work is so healthy. OK, I am getting emotional, so I will stop now to tell you which stories were my FAVORITES of the day.

• MacBook Air With Nvidia-Powered H.264 Video Playback Runs Less Toasty
• New Net Radio Royalty Compromise Sorta Finished, Sorta Sucks
• Design Your Own Heads-Up Display of the Future
• Confirmed: 3G Tethering Coming to iPhone
• Inside Consumer Reports’ Electronics Testing Lab
• Datamore Porté Adds Lambo Doors to Your Hard Drive
• It’s Official: The Canon 5D Mk II Will Turn Us All Into Professional Cinematographers

While having Wi-Fi everywhere is a great way to offload traffic from its 3G network, AT&T’s hard Wi-Fi push strikes me as a little anachronistic. Shouldn’t we be talking about super fast, ubiquitous 3G, 4G even? Its $275 million pickup of Wi-Fi provider Wayport now gives AT&T customers Wi-Fi access at McDonald’s, Four Seasons, Marriott and Wyndham hotels, in addition to everyone’s standard Wi-Fi leeching spot, Starbucks.

AT&T to acquire wayport;combined wi-fi networks to provide connectivity in more places

Millions of AT&T Customers to Get Free Wi-Fi Access at

Nearly 20,000 U.S. Hotspots

DALLAS and AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 6, 2008 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that it has agreed, through one of its subsidiaries, to acquire privately-held Wayport, Inc., a leading provider of managed Wi-Fi services in the United States, for approximately $275 million in cash. The deal adds Wayport’s focused capabilities and enterprise customer portfolio with AT&T’s leading Internet Protocol (IP) and 3G networks, and broad consumer and business customer bases, to deliver enhanced broadband connectivity at home, in the office, on the road, and virtually anywhere in between.

The acquisition expands the AT&T Wi-FiSM footprint to nearly 20,000 domestic hotspots, takes the company’s global Wi-Fi presence to more than 80,000 locations*, and creates thousands of new ways for customers worldwide to stay in touch. Millions of AT&T customers – plus millions of other consumers needing to connect on the go – will benefit from access to new hotspot locations served by Wayport. Wayport hotspots are in key locations, including select Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club and Four Seasons hotels; HealthSouth and Sun Healthcare locations; plus McDonald’s restaurants.

AT&T’s global brand, marketing leadership and extensive enterprise sales force will complement Wayport’s expertise in enabling and managing applications over an integrated network. Wayport will also extend AT&T’s reach in the hospitality, health care, education and retail sectors.

“We’re seeing exponential growth of Wi-Fi-enabled devices — such as smartphones — combined with a continued dependency on 24/7, anytime, anywhere Internet access across business and consumer market segments,” said John Stankey, president and CEO, AT&T Operations. “Now is the right time for AT&T to affirm our commitment to Wi-Fi leadership. By acquiring Wayport, we’re giving consumers more ways to stay in touch and building a more robust network management solution for businesses. We’re bringing ready access to the nation’s leading Wi-Fi, wireless and IP networks — on a global scale.”

Delivering Greater Value to Consumers

More than ever before, customers worldwide are using AT&T’s expansive network to serve today’s growing demand for more connectivity in more places – which is driven by the proliferation of Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

This acquisition enhances AT&T’s Wi-Fi presence in the United States, and it delivers a seamless, consistent communications experience to customers at home or on the go — from one company.

* Nearly 300 million Wi-Fi-enabled devices were shipped in 2007. Nearly 1 billion are predicted by 2012.* *
* With the surge of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, portable computers, gaming devices and cameras, more consumers can enjoy the benefits of anytime, anywhere access from the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network.
* A broader and deeper AT&T Wi-Fi network means more free connectivity for millions of AT&T customers, including select AT&T smartphone customers, AT&T LaptopConnect customers and AT&T High Speed Internet (including U-verseSM) subscribers.

Providing Solutions for Enterprise Customers
The acquisition complements AT&T’s ability to deliver a complete end-to-end solution for businesses worldwide with Wayport’s experience in facilitating business applications and managing public access to the Internet over a single network. As Wayport currently provides back-office management for AT&T’s Wi-Fi Hot Spots, the acquisition expands such capabilities and brings management of Wi-Fi infrastructure completely under AT&T management.

The combined company will be able to deliver a more cost-effective and streamlined solution for enterprises – and their customers – by providing more anytime, anywhere access to end-user applications. Plus, with both the back-office infrastructure and end-user content application managed by one company, businesses can reduce operating costs, enhance and customize their customers’ experience and reach more customers in new innovative ways.

* AT&T will provide a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking converged and managed network capabilities – on one network – with global reach, while also bringing ready access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi, wireless and leading global IP network.
* Enterprise customers will be able to better utilize private-side applications – effectively managing costs and increasing productivity levels – including inventory management, remote employee learning, point-of-sale applications and remote security monitoring.
* A unified solution will drive new business partnerships, leveraging AT&T’s unique, innovative services and applications available to enterprise customers.
* Enterprise customers will benefit from new, revenue-generating opportunities with AT&T’s ability to bring customized, location-based messaging and advertising to more touch points – via a streamlined Wi-Fi solution – reaching more end-users.

“AT&T’s premier capabilities in both the enterprise and consumer industries will take Wayport’s strength in delivering Wi-Fi solutions over converged networks to an entirely new level,” said Dave Vucina, chairman and chief executive officer of Wayport.

“AT&T’s ability to reach and service tens of millions of customers will greatly expand the value we currently bring to our customers. As part of AT&T, we’ll bring new and better solutions to our customers on a global scale, with greater reach and more innovative services.”

[AT&T]

In the growing pile of reasons why Windows 7 will be a thousand times pile of reasons why Windows 7 will be a thousand times better than Vista, Microsoft has reported internal power specifications in which they tested an identical laptop playing back DVDs to battery failure. All things equal, the Vista configuration pulled 17.9W of power, while the Windows 7 machine pulled just 13.4W. It might not sound like much, but that’s a big deal.

jkOnTheRun reasons that if in Microsoft’s scenario the battery had 52 Watt/hours of power, the Vista system would run 3.05 hours. The same system running Windows 7 would run for 4 hours. And that makes sense, given that Microsoft was able to playback DVDs up to an hour longer on Windows 7 systems.

Microsoft tested a multitude of machines and found that while not everyone will gain an hour of battery life, every Windows 7 user coming from Vista would gain a healthy 11% minimum. [Viddler via jkOnTheRun]