http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/communications/ Communication Technology. Read computer science articles on new technology, internet addiction and more. Read all the current research into computerized communication here. en-us Thu, 15 May 2008 01:05:01 EDT Thu, 15 May 2008 01:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/communications/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101713.htm As cars become entertainment centers and data-gathering devices, the amount of information they're collecting about you is rapidly growing. And guess who might be interested? Insurance companies, advertisers, government agencies, your boss and perhaps your spouse. On the other hand, say researchers, an intelligent car with a caring voice might persuade humans to drive more safely. Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513191103.htm Today's video games serve a multitude of functions ranging from entertainment to exercise and even education. Now, three recent graduates have created a game with an even more important purpose --- to foster independence among disabled individuals. Graduating seniors have led an interdisciplinary student team made up of programmers, game designers, character and level artists, electrical engineers, and music composers to create a groundbreaking interactive game simulation to help individuals with disabilities develop life skills and obtain increased autonomy. Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513191103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513202149.htm Using mathematics and a computer model of brain activity, scientists have shown a direct link between activity in the cortex and the microscopic structure of this neuronal network. Building on the existing body of research, the new work indicates that the spontaneous activity of small neuronal networks in the cortex consists of highly structured patterns rather than random "noise," shedding light on previous speculations. Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513202149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508174310.htm A free, e-mail-based service that translates text into Braille and audio recordings is helping to bridge the information gap for blind and visually impaired people, giving them quick and easy access to books, news articles and web pages. Developed by European researchers, the RoboBraille service offers a unique solution to the problem of converting text into Braille and audio without the need for users to operate complicated software. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508174310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094426.htm Can online networking sites help new students settle into university? Researchers are now looking for first-year University of Leicester students who use Facebook to help their pioneering research into this issue. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143107.htm Quantum cryptography has been regarded as 100-percent protection against attacks on sensitive data traffic. But now a research team in Sweden has found a hole in this advanced technology. The risk of illegal accessing of information, for example in money transactions, is necessitating more and more advanced cryptographic techniques. Sun, 11 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508122520.htm Gamers have devoted countless years of collective brainpower to idle pursuits. This week researchers will try to harness those finely honed skills to make medical discoveries through a competitive protein-folding computer game. Fri, 09 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508122520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502154248.htm Engineeers have discovered a way for peer-to-peer (P2P) users to efficiently identify nearby P2P clients in order to reduce costly cross-network traffic without sacrificing performance for the user. Mon, 05 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502154248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502110340.htm Progress being made by European researchers on automatic speech-to-speech translation technology could help the EU tackle one of the biggest remaining boundaries to internal trade, mobility and the free exchange of information -- language. With 23 official languages, European institutions spend more than a billion euros a year translating documents and interpreting speeches. Companies trading across the EU's internal borders spend millions more just to understand their business partners. Mon, 05 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502110340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125414.htm Researchers show that many real-world networks can be understood as a hierarchy of modules, where nodes cluster together to form modules, which themselves cluster into larger modules -- arrangements similar to the organization of sports players into teams, teams into conferences, and conferences into leagues, for example. Sat, 03 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501154219.htm For many adults over the age of 30, the former groupings of letters would seem incoherent, but for a newer generation of technologically-savvy young adults it can say a lot. Researchers found that instant messaging is a unique language form differing from Standard Written English. Fri, 02 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501154219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501155234.htm Researchers from HP Labs have proven the existence of what had previously been only theorized as the fourth fundamental circuit element in electrical engineering. This scientific advancement could make it possible to develop computer systems that have memories that do not forget, do not need to be booted up, consume far less power and associate information in a manner similar to that of the human brain. Thu, 01 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501155234.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428175336.htm Patients in therapy to overcome addictions have a new arena to test their coping skills -- the virtual world. A new study found that a virtual reality environment can provide the climate necessary to spark an alcohol craving so that patients can practice how to say "no" in a realistic and safe setting. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428175336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429164720.htm Young Internet-using men who have sex with men AND who meet their sexual partners both online and offline have greater numbers of partners, appear more likely to contract HIV, and report higher substance use rates than those who meet their partners exclusively online or offline, according to new research. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429164720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428164259.htm An advance by physicists improves our understanding of how light interacts with matter, and could make possible the development of new integrated-circuit technologies that result in faster computers that use less energy. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428164259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428123555.htm Quantum cryptography may be essentially solved, but getting the funky physics to work on disciplined computer networks is a whole new headache. Cryptography is an arms race, but the finish line may be fast approaching. Up to now, each time the codemakers made a better mousetrap, codebreakers breed a better mouse. But quantum cryptography theoretically could outpace the codebreakers and win the race. Forever. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428123555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428083418.htm Sometimes the diagnosis of episodes of illness in schizophrenia, rotatory vertigo, or reading and writing deficits needs electro-oculography (EOG), performed using a special medical apparatus. Researchers have developed spectacles that could in future make this technique portable. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428083418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425123351.htm One of the first large-scale analyses of how people share knowledge on Yahoo Answers has found that participants use the site to exchange advice and opinions, in addition to technical expertise. In the group that includes the biology, repairs and programming categories, inquiries sought factual answers. These questions tended to receive fewer replies. Once someone gives the right answer, there's no real need for others to respond. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425123351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421162714.htm A new approach to robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to a revolution in the field by shifting the focus from what a thing is to how it can be used. Identifying what a robot is looking at is a key approach of AI and machine cognition. So far ambitious researchers have managed to teach a computer's vision system to recognize up to 100 objects. Granted, this is a huge achievement, yet far short of an "I, Robot" scenario. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421162714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416100455.htm Imagine a computer system that can carry on a discussion with a human being by reacting to signals such as tone of voice and facial expression. That's what is being developed by an international team of computer scientists. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416100455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm Over 77 million baby boomers will retire in the next 30 years, and robots are ready to assist with elder care. Engineers have created a robotic assistant that can recognize medical emergencies and call 911, remind clients to take their medication, help with grocery shopping and cleaning and allow retirees to communicate with loved ones. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416161215.htm There's safety in numbers -- especially when those numbers are random. That's the lesson learned from new research that is already helping to beef up security at LAX airport in Los Angeles. Soon it may be used across the country to both predict and minimize risk. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416161215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm From cars and mobile phones to computers and furniture, most of today's products are created virtually on a computer before they are actually produced. Researchers are adding new functionalities to digital product development. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185011.htm Computer scientists have created a fog and smoke machine for computer graphics that cuts the computational cost of making realistic smoky and foggy 3-D images, such as beams of light from a lighthouse piercing thick fog. By cutting the computing costs, the computer scientists are helping to pull cutting edge graphics techniques out of research labs and into movies and eventually video games and beyond. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415075711.htm Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may gain better control over their breathing and breathe more efficiently by using their breath to play a computer game, according to new research. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415075711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415193420.htm A new artificial material may mark the beginning of a revolution in the development of materials for electronic applications. The new material, a superlattice, which has a multilayer structure composed of alternating atomically thin layers of two different oxides, possesses properties radically different to either of the two materials by themselves. These new properties are a direct consequence of the artificially layered structure and are driven by interactions at the atomic scale at the interfaces between the layers. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415193420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412175657.htm Emotions are an intrinsic part of communications. But machines don't have, perceive or react to them, which makes us -- their handlers -- hot under the collar. But thanks to building blocks developed by European researchers, machines that 'feel' may no longer be confined to science fiction. Nearly everybody has to communicate with machines at some level, be it mobile phones, personal computers or annoying, automated customer support 'solutions'. But the communication is on the machine's terms, not the person's. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412175657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414232716.htm Engineers took an early step toward building superfast computers that run on far-infrared light instead of electricity: They made waveguides -- the equivalent of wires -- that carried and bent this form of light, also known as terahertz radiation, which is the last unexploited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414232716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411103046.htm Would you like instant access to information on the buildings and scenery you see on your travels? A novel mobile phone program is able to provide information on what you see when you see it. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411103046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411082947.htm People searching the Internet for information about suicide methods are most likely to come across sites that encourage suicide rather than sites offering help and support, finds a new study. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411082947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411150948.htm Supercomputers simulate products and manufacturing processes within minutes. In the Computer Aided Robust Design CAROD project, researchers are developing new methods and software that significantly improve the quality of the virtual components. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411150948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409100456.htm Computer science and engineering researchers revealed that the answer quality provided by online question-and-answer Web sites, such as Yahoo! Answers and Google Answers, depends on two factors -- how much you pay and how many people contribute to your answer. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409100456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409085902.htm In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have provided new insight into blog readers' online habits and experiences, as well as how they perceive their roles in blog-based communities. A better understanding of the reader-blogger connection could lead to new, advanced features that would enable richer interactions between the two groups. For readers, an installed add-on could enrich their experience by tracking blog habits of which they might not be aware. For bloggers, a logging tool could help them easily distinguish between different types of readers and allow them to better connect with audiences. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409085902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144820.htm Computer scientists are one step closer to realizing distributed quantum computing. They recently demonstrated one of the basic building blocks for distributed quantum computing using entangled photons generated in optical fibers. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144817.htm A surprisingly large fraction of Web traffic gets sucked into temporary black holes, in which information between two computers disappears en route. A new online observatory monitors Internet black holes so network administrators -- and frustrated Web users -- can diagnose problems in real time. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407101854.htm Nano-physicists have made a discovery that could change the way data is stored on computers. In the future it will be possible to store data much faster, and with more accuracy. A computer has two equally important elements: computing power and memory. Traditionally, scientists have developed these two elements in parallel. Now computer scientists have made a step towards a new means of data-storage, in which electricity and magnetism are combined in a new transistor concept. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407101854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408120110.htm In short-term health care settings, sophisticated information technology systems assist in the diagnosis of patients, support care management and enhance adherence to clinical guidelines. However, current levels of IT sophistication in US nursing homes are unknown. In response to recent efforts from policy makers to integrate IT in long-term health care, a researcher found, through two different studies, that the current level of IT use in Missouri nursing homes is minimal. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408120110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403133910.htm Three engineering professors have created a computer ranking system that consistently predicts NCAA basketball rankings more accurately than polls, formulas, other computer models and even the tournament seeds themselves. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403133910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407142711.htm Using the Electronic Health Record in everyday care for diabetics leads to dramatic improvements for those patients, according to a new report. The Electronic Health Record automatically generates reminders to make sure patients receive timely blood tests and vaccinations, allows patients and doctors to immediately review lab results and also provides instant feedback to physicians about the health of their patients. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407142711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404122139.htm Will the Miss America pageant ever be the same? "Beauty," goes the old saying, "is in the eye of the beholder." But does the beholder have to be human? Not necessarily, say computer scientists who have successfully "taught" a computer how to interpret attractiveness in women. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404122139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402101656.htm Engineers have created a software program to help avoid the network timing glitches called 'cyclic jitters' that can cause real jitters, making production line machines jump or shake, damaging products, even shutting down assembly lines. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402101656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404094502.htm Emerging computer technologies will change our lives for the better by 2020. But we need to retain control to ensure that these developments do not impact negatively on basic human values, according to a new report. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404094502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223826.htm A virtual reality underground ride has been used by researchers to reveal the extent that paranoia occurs in the general public. The research demonstrates that suspicious or paranoid thoughts are much more common in the general population than was previously thought, and that they are almost as common as anxiety and depression. Researchers found that the participants interpreted the same computer characters very differently. The most common reaction was to find the virtual reality characters friendly or neutral, but almost 40% of the participants experienced at least one paranoid thought. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331111029.htm How can pensioners with little if any computer skills successfully cope with a digital information system? According to researchers, the design of an accessible system needs to incorporate large letter types and keys, the mother language, and a touch screen and ABCDE keyboard as input devices. Furthermore, positive feedback is important to reduce the stress experienced by pensioners whilst using the computer. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331111029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm Second Life is more than an on-line game for some young scientists. It is a handy three-dimensional tool used for resolving real issues. Computer Science students have recently used it to analyze and solve the everyday frustrations involved in borrowing a book from a library. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080329122121.htm Designers of artificial cognitive systems have tended to adopt one of two approaches to building robots that can think for themselves: classical rule-based artificial intelligence or artificial neural networks. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and combining the two offers the best of both worlds, say researchers who have developed a new breed of cognitive, learning robot that goes beyond the state of the art. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080329122121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330230525.htm In theory, wireless networks can transfer only a limited amount of information. However, researchers have now shown how the limits of conventional W-LAN networks can be significantly overcome. It is a battle with the boundaries of physics: ever since information transmission theory was developed, it has been known that only a limited amount of data can be transferred by wireless communication within a defined frequency band. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330230525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330154101.htm Pairing an interned-based health reporting system with regular clinic visits enabled healthy patients in rural and urban settings at high-risk for heart disease to lower risk factors through frequent communication with their doctor. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330154101.htm