http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/information_technology/ Information Technology. Read the latest in IT research from research institutes around the world. Updated daily, full-text, images, free. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:05:04 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:05:04 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/information_technology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm Researchers are making progress in developing a new type of transistor that uses a finlike structure instead of the conventional flat design, possibly enabling engineers to create faster and more compact circuits and computer chips. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112444.htm When managers issue a forecast of their firm's earnings, they do not always take into account prior forecasting errors, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141249.htm Computer scientists are using Android, the open-source mobile operating system championed by Google, to transform a cell phone into a flexible data-collection tool. Their free suite of tools, named Open Data Kit, is already used by organizations around the world that need inexpensive ways to gather information in areas with little infrastructure. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105355.htm College age students text the most, preferring it to calls or e-mail. However, new research is suggesting that the copious amounts of texting could lead to overuse injuries -- once only reserved for older adults who have spent years in front of a computer. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135413.htm Mathematicians are coupling mathematical models with information about a baby's physiology inside the womb. Combining ultrasound with powerful algorithms based on real-life data, pediatricians get critical data on the development of the fetal circulatory system, so they can determine when the baby is strong enough to survive on its own. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110135413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090858.htm A number of US states now use facial recognition technology when issuing drivers licenses. Similar methods are also used to grant access to buildings and to verify the identities of international travelers. Historically, obtaining accurate results with this type of technology has been a time intensive activity. Now, researchers have developed ways to make the technology more efficient while improving accuracy. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121203.htm If you forget your password when logging into an e-mail or online shopping website, the site will likely ask you a security question: What is your mother's maiden name? Where were you born? The trouble is that such questions are not very secure. But computer scientists are testing a new tactic that could be both easier and more secure. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150432.htm It may look like little more than fishing line, but plastic optical fiber or POF promises to revolutionize high-speed last-mile communications networks. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065917.htm Natural history plans to chart life on earth, yet the discipline risks being buried under a landslide of painstakingly collected data that isn't always used. Now researchers at London's Natural History Museum have created a social networking tool called "Scratchpads" where natural historians can get together and share their data. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121220.htm Materials scientists have found a way to transform a chemical long used as an electrical conductor a thin film insulator potentially useful in transistor technology and in devices such as electronic books. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121209.htm Simple computerized alerts can help curb the impulse to prescribe unnecessarily expensive, heavily marketed drugs. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102658.htm Researchers in Spain have designed a system for the mobility of military troops within a battlefield following the mechanisms used by ant colonies to move. The scientists have used settings of Panzer General, a commercial war video game, for the development of this software. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027162009.htm Cyber criminals are using fake messages claiming to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to deliver a virus capable of stealing unsuspecting victims' bank passwords and other sensitive personal information, says a computer forensics specialist. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027162009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105102729.htm A team of researchers in Spain has developed a protocol to distort the user profile generated by Internet search engines, in such a way that they cannot save the searches undertaken by Internet users and thus preserve their privacy. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105102729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101628.htm The eyes may be the mirror to the soul, but the iris reveals a person's true identity. A new report demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy even with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101537.htm Three-dimensional computer graphics is moving into museums. Works of art are being digitally archived in 3-D, simplifying research into related artifacts and providing the public with fascinating three-dimensional displays. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112050.htm A telemedicine system based on a modified version of the Bluetooth wireless protocol can transfer patient data, such as medical images from patient to the health-care provider's mobile device for patient assessment almost four times as fast as conventional Bluetooth and without the intermittent connectivity problems. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144826.htm The details of your personal life, such as grocery purchases and pizza topping preferences, are collected every day -- online and by club and discount cards from the gym, department store and supermarket. Though this data seems innocent enough, when it's put together it can tell a whole lot about your health, finances and behavior. That information, researchers remind us, could eventually be used against you. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112247.htm When searching for basketball videos online, a long list of Web sites appears, which may contain a picture or a word describing a basketball. But what if the computer could search inside videos for a basketball? Researchers are developing software that would enable computers to search inside videos, detect humans and specific objects, and perform other video analysis tasks. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101543.htm Researchers are working to develop futuristic communications systems that could help protect frontline troops. Building on work completed recently for the UK Ministry of Defence, the project is aimed at investigating the use of arrays of highly specialized antennas that could be worn by combat troops to provide covert short-range person-to-person battleground communications. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102246.htm The spread of malware, or computer viruses, is a growing problem that can lead to crashed computer systems, stolen personal information, and billions of dollars in lost productivity every year. One of the most insidious types of malware is a "rootkit," which can effectively hide the presence of other spyware or viruses from the user. But now researchers have devised a way to block rootkits and prevent them from taking over your computer systems. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121632.htm A wireless digital "plaster" that can monitor vital signs continuously and remotely is being tried out with patients and healthy volunteers in a new clinical trial run by researchers in the UK. The digital "plaster" or "patch" is a disposable device that sticks to a patient's chest. It is designed to allow patients to have their health monitored continuously without being wired up to bulky, fixed monitoring machines. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132959.htm Researchers are investigating long-distance, mobile optical links imperative for secure quantum communications capabilities in theater. They have conducted high data-rate experiments using an optical laser link, a tool which exploits the quantum noise of light for higher security. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031003511.htm What are the odds that your digital identity will be stolen by cyber criminals? Why do bank payment systems crash when everybody is trying to pay for Christmas gifts by credit card? Cyber criminals are everywhere. Now, help is just a click away. Researchers have developed a new, ultrafast digital signature scheme that is 17,000 times faster than current systems for verification, and 10,000 times faster in providing a digital signature. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031003511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012100514.htm New tools and systems developed by European researchers are helping astronomers access data centres from anywhere in the world. From charting new stars to finding new meaning in old stellar objects, the result will be virtual observatories with very real impact. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012100514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028113948.htm Scientists are using an adapted version of VPIC, a particle-in-cell plasma physics code, to model the nonlinear physics of laser backscatter energy transfer and plasma instabilities in an attempt to reach fusion ignition. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028113948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027162001.htm Scientists have always attempted to develop spin transistors by incorporating local ferromagnets into device architectures. A far better and practical way to manipulate the orientation of an electron's spin would be by using purely electrical means. Researchers have now found an innovative and novel way to control an electron's spin orientation using purely electrical means. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027162001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029120858.htm Does your laptop sometimes get so hot that it can almost be used to fry eggs? New technology may help cool it and give information technology a unique twist. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029120858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027185140.htm Electrical engineers recently pitted Genius -- the music recommendation system in Apple's iTunes -- against two experimental music recommender systems. Genius appears to capture acoustic similarities among songs within the same playlist, the researchers found. The electrical engineers also discovered that the music recommender they built from scratch can generate song playlists that human subjects thought were as good as those that Genius generates. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027185140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141221.htm Scientists have built the first optical frequency comb -- a tool for precisely measuring different frequencies of visible light -- that actually looks like a comb. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162022.htm Scientists have designed smartphone technology, which includes interactive games and easy-to-use logging features, especially for elderly Chinese diabetics. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095447.htm Service-centric software engineering is the latest paradigm in computing, and researchers have developed a platform they believe will launch the concept into the business world. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095447.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161536.htm In a new study the evolutionary history of more than 10,000 sequences from more than 400 HIV-infected individuals was compared. The idea is to identify common features of the transmitted virus, and attempt to create a vaccine that enables recognition the original transmitted virus before the body's immune response causes the virus to react and mutate. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161539.htm Smokers who crushed computer-simulated cigarettes as part of a psychosocial treatment program in a virtual reality environment had significantly reduced nicotine dependence and higher rates of tobacco abstinence than smokers participating in the same program who grasped a computer-simulated ball, according to a new study. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152942.htm A new "Roadrunner Universe" model requires a petascale computer because, like the universe, it's mind-bendingly large. The model's basic unit is a particle with a mass of approximately one billion suns (in order to sample galaxies with masses of about a trillion suns), and it includes 64 billion and more of those particles. The model is one of the largest simulations of the distribution of matter in the universe, and aims to look at galaxy-scale mass concentrations above and beyond quantities seen in state-of-the-art sky surveys. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125535.htm The world's fastest supercomputer, Roadrunner, at Los Alamos National Laboratory has completed its initial "shakedown" phase doing accelerated petascale computer modeling and simulations of a variety of unclassified, fundamental science projects. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224157.htm Researchers have demonstrated some of the first commercially viable plasmonic devices, paving the way for a new era of high-speed communications and computing in which electronic and optical signals can be handled simultaneously. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224157.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111427.htm More than 120 years after the discovery of the electromagnetic character of radiowaves by Heinrich Hertz, wireless data transmission dominates information technology. Higher and higher radio frequencies are applied to transmit more data. Some years ago, scientists found that light waves might also be used for radio transmission. So far, manufacture of the small antennas has required an enormous expenditure. Scientists have now succeeded in specifically and reproducibly manufacturing smallest optical nanoantennas from gold. Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153639.htm Investigating mysterious data in ultracold gases of rubidium atoms, scientists have found that properly tuned radio-frequency waves can influence how much the atoms attract or repel one another, opening up new ways to control their interactions. Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153637.htm While more older adults than ever are using cell phones and computers, a technology gap still exists that threatens to turn senior citizens into second-class citizens, according to Florida State University researchers. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022153637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101549.htm Scientists have developed a system to identify common patterns in versions of songs, which will help to quantify the similarity of musical pieces. The technique could be applied to analyze time series of data in other fields, such as economy, biology or astronomy. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192204.htm Japanese researchers have developed a computer program which may be able tell from an emergency call if you are about to die. Research shows that a computer algorithm is able to predict the patient's risk of dying at the time of the emergency call. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915202150.htm New mobile phone software will help epidemiologists and ecologists working in the field to analyse their data remotely and map findings across the world, without having to return to the lab, according to research. The authors of the study say the software will also enable members of the public to act as 'citizen scientists' and help collect data for community projects. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915202150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111614.htm Engineers have created a new material that would allow a fingernail-size computer chip to store the equivalent of 20 high-definition DVDs or 250 million pages of text, far exceeding the storage capacities of today's computer memory systems. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163025.htm Scientists have created a remote-controlled robot that is able to simulate the "visual" experience of a blind person who has been implanted with a visual prosthesis, such as an artificial retina. An artificial retina consists of a silicon chip studded with a varying number of electrodes that directly stimulate retinal nerve cells. It is hoped that this approach may one day give blind persons the freedom of independent mobility. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020162223.htm Research scientists have now linked emergency medical services providers in the field to patients' preexisting health information, a link enabling emergency workers to make more informed treatment decisions and to transport patients to the most appropriate facility. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020162223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105631.htm What the World Wide Web is to humans, the Triple Space could become for machines, say European researchers who have helped lay the foundations for this innovative integration of web services, semantic web and tuple space technologies. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014102207.htm A team of scientists have demonstrated -- for the first time -- that mathematical models created from data obtained by DNA microarrays, can be used to correctly predict previously unknown cellular mechanisms. This brings biologists a step closer to one day being able to understand and control the inner workings of the cell as readily as NASA engineers plot the trajectories of spacecraft today. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014102207.htm