http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/internet/ Internet News and Research. From Internet access to Internet addiction. From search engine technologies to junk e-mail, read about it all here. en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 14:05:01 EDT Fri, 16 May 2008 14:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/internet/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. 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/2008/05/080505162820.htm Like the popular children's song "There's a Hole in My Bucket," in which Liza and Henry try to patch a leaking pail, researchers with the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC-San Diego are plugging a hole in the data management process by creating a universally accepted cyber-infrastructure to study our most valuable natural resource -- water. Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162820.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/2008/04/080429164720.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/2008/04/080425123351.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/2008/04/080416212725.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/2008/04/080414145659.htm Apple iPhone and iPod (touch) support a new self-localization feature that uses known locations of wireless access points as well as the device's own ability to detect access points. Now researchers have demonstrated that positions displayed by the devices using this system can be falsified, making the use of this self-localization system unsuitable in a number of security- and safety-critical applications. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145659.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/2008/04/080410115336.htm Although millions of people use Web search engines, researchers completed by show that -- by using relatively simple methods -- most queries submitted can be classified into one of three categories. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115336.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/2008/04/080408144817.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/2008/04/080408085511.htm Starting April 7th, all research articles funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must be submitted to the NIH's public digital library of full-text articles, PubMedCentral, and made freely available no later than 12 months after publication. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408085511.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/2008/03/080331111029.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/2008/03/080330154101.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 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172415.htm Scientists have developed and patented a virtual telemicroscope. The software permits off-site pathologists to diagnose cancer or other diseases in patients living in remote locations around the world. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324125154.htm The lives of today's college students have always included computers and the Internet. That technology now has moved from the ether into instruction. A new technical report finds that students in a "hybrid class" that incorporated instructional technology with in-class lectures scored a letter-grade higher on average than their counterparts who took the same class in a more traditional format. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324125154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324201319.htm While the "digital divide" may be narrowing in terms of access to the Internet, a significant "digital skills divide" is emerging. Researchers found the higher the socio-economic status, the greater the time spent on the Web and the more sophisticated the search and evaluation skills. Google was the favored search engine by parents in the high socio-economic group. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324201319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317123237.htm Human diseases and social networks seem to have little in common. However, at the crux of these two lies a network, communities within the network, and farther even, substructures of the communities. Computer scientists and geneticists can now use a new computer program to automatically discover communities and their subtle structures in a variety of networks. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317123237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311201731.htm Internet searching is something of an art form. The spaghetti-like tangle of documents and fragments resulting from what you thought were perfectly cogent keyword searches can make the web a forbidding place. More precision and integration are inevitable developments on the net: "Information will be integrated and clustered from a large number of different, heterogeneous data sources all over the internet, provided by software agents, responding to users' data needs in whatever contexts," according to one computer specialist who is working on a model to do just that. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311201731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306170924.htm In a provocative new article in Science, computer specialists says it's time for the laboratory research that has defined science for the last 400 years to make room for a revolutionary new method of scientific discovery. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306170924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305173345.htm Hardware piracy, or making knock-off microchips based on stolen blueprints, is a burgeoning problem in the electronics industry. Computer engineers have devised a comprehensive way to head off this costly infringement: Each chip would have its own unique lock and key. The patent holder would hold the keys. The chip would securely communicate with the patent-holder to unlock itself, and it could operate only after being unlocked. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305173345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218162851.htm Virtually flawless data reception to end users of the Internet and other fiber-based telecommunications systems is possible with a new device. The technology uses a 3-D photonic crystal to filter out unwanted wavelength channels so the end user gets a clear signal without interference from the other optical frequencies. Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218162851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219093009.htm A prototype portable device that will allow people to do business across the Internet on any computer in a trusted manner has been developed Known as a Trust Extension Device, the TED consists of software loaded onto a portable device, such as a USB memory stick or a mobile phone. It is able to minimize the risk associated with performing transactions in untrusted and unknown computing environments. Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219093009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221101659.htm Efforts to use computers to translate languages, known as machine translation, date from the 1950s, yet computers still cannot compete with human translators for the quality of the results. Machine translation works best for formal texts in specialized areas where vocabulary is unambiguous and sentence patterns are limited. Aircraft manufacturers, for example, have devised their own systems for quickly translating technical manuals into many languages. Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221101659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219124512.htm A rapid way to spot insider threats from individuals within an organization such as a multinational company or military installation is reported in the International Journal of Security and Networks. The technology uses data mining techniques to scour email and build up a picture of social network interactions. The technology could prevent serious security breaches, sabotage, and even terrorist activity. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219124512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218185101.htm Contrary to stereotype, most Internet sex offenders are not adults who target young children by posing as another youth, luring children to meetings, and then abducting or forcibly raping them, according to researchers who have studied the nature of Internet-initiated sex crimes. Instead, Internet offenders target teens, not young children and rarely use force, abduction or deception. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218185101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213150959.htm Web surfers may get more than just the music, videos and news updates they were looking for when they log onto trendy next-generation sites such as Last.fm, YouTube and Digg, according to new research. Whether they know it or not, they also could be getting swayed -- toward musical genres that stretch their tastes or to video and news clips they might have overlooked without an endorsement by the masses. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213150959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212173134.htm If you need information, the Internet offers a wealth of resources. But if you're hunting down a person or a thing, a computer's not much help. That may soon change. Electronic tags promise to create what some call the "Internet of things," in which objects and people are connected through a virtual network. To see what this future world would be like, a pilot project involving dozens of volunteers in the University of Washington's computer science building provides the next step in social networking, wirelessly monitoring people and things in a closed environment. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212173134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211220251.htm Adversaries the U.S. currently faces in Iraq rely on surprise and apparent randomness to compensate for their lack of organization, technology and firepower. If one could find some method to their madness, however, the asymmetric threat could be made significantly less serious. These scientists hope to help provide a better intelligence posture on these asymmetric threats by developing computer models that identify trends in the behaviors of the adversaries. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211220251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206155346.htm Large-scale digital music distribution is bringing about a profound revolution in the way we 'consume' music. The market is still in flux, but it is very clear that the listening systems of the future will be significantly different to what we see today. With the advent of compressed music files (MP3) and easily accessible internet file exchange and download services, consumers are increasingly turning to personal mini-databases of music files (iPod, MP3 players) for their musical enjoyment. The CD market has already taken a hard knock and many predict its imminent demise. In the future, the boundaries between the stereo system, computer and the television will become more and more blurred, but how the various functions will combine, and what new ones will emerge, is still 'a work in progress'. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206155346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206162044.htm Groundbreaking audio software could help music lovers jump to the hidden beats. Researchers have started a project for automatically extracting and classifying audio signals. Such metadata, as it is called, can be used to tag audio files so they can be more accurately picked up by search engines equipped to handle this kind of information. The software could be the next big step in boosting online music sales, as it could allow companies to exploit their archives more thoroughly and help consumers dig out tracks they might not have discovered otherwise. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206162044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140848.htm A researcher at the Johns Hopkins Institute of Genetic Medicine has led the effort to compile to date the largest free resource of experimental information about human proteins. The research team describes how all researchers around the world can access this data and speed their own research. Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140848.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204172316.htm From backyard gardening to mountain climbing, outdoor activities are on the wane as people around the world spend more leisure time online or in front of the tube, according to findings. "The replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor videophilia has far-reaching consequences for physical and mental health, especially in children," one of the researchers said. "Videophilia has been shown to be a cause of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders and poor academic performance." Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204172316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204143203.htm Instant messaging, blogs, Facebook, MySpace -- there are limitless ways your child communicates online with the offline world. And the risks and opportunities are only increasing. The digital divide between parents and children is widening. Despite what parents might believe, there is an enormous gap between what they think their children are doing online and what is really happening. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204143203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080126100444.htm A new computer program developed by Stanford computer scientists, can take any two-dimensional image and create a three-dimensional "fly around" model of its content, giving viewers access to the scene's depth and a range of points of view. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080126100444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124093957.htm Signal transmission for TV, telephone and Internet could be significantly improved with new system. The system would transmits each TV, telephone and Internet signal via a separate group of light rays through the optical fiber cable. Such a technology has not yet been marketed. Yet in the ideal situation it could be applied in a glass or polymer fiber, has the potential of being cheap, and transmits all information without disruption. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124093957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092536.htm The Internet is not the font of all knowledge, despite the plethora of information available at your fingertips. Researchers have found that while Internet searches do bring up a variety of useful materials, people pay more attention to information that matches their pre-existing beliefs. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121130202.htm European researchers took the concepts of Web 2.0, like user-generated content and social networking, into the real world. They hope to create user-generated physical networks so internets could be set up, by anyone, anytime. It's radical and, surprisingly, fairly realistic. Welcome to Web 3.0. The internet, Web 1.0, is so incredibly powerful that even now, almost 20 years later, we have only begun to explore its potential. Web 2.0, with its YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and blogs galore is even younger and shows even more potential. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121130202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121125709.htm Agreed standards help ensure coordinated, efficient and rapid development of new technologies such as RFID radio tracking. A major report maps the stakeholders and rules affecting RFID and provides ground rules for successful standardization. When a technology is developing as rapidly as radio frequency identification (RFID) with the active participation of a huge range of industry sectors worldwide -- from automotive manufacturing to pharmaceutical distribution and fashion retailing -- it is not surprising that overlapping and, at times, conflicting standards develop, according to Peter Gabriel, spokesman for a European research project in this area. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121125709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm Achieving superhuman vision like the Bionic Woman's could be as easy as popping in a contact lens. Engineers have for the first time combined a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112080851.htm Think how many lives could be saved if emergency services were alerted the moment a pedestrian is run over. Think how much more fun snowboarding could be if you could emote your feelings electronically to ski-buddies. Breakthroughs in capturing and transmitting ambient intelligence could make these scenarios a reality. The My Space/Facebook phenomenon has shown how we love to share personal information. But will we take the next step and share our feelings and emotions across the ether? Whether it is sensors on our skin, in our clothing or embedded in the environment, research into ambient intelligence is advancing in leaps and bounds. We could soon be using technology in a whole new, human-centric way. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112080851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114142307.htm With emerging diseases like the West Nile Virus, and re-emerging diseases such as the pandemic flu and drug-resistant tuberculosis, it's increasingly important to promptly detect a potential infectious outbreak within a community. But public health officials can't act quickly unless physicians report the diseases. Low-cost methods such as e-mail, a Web site, and a PDA program significantly increased spontaneous disease reporting by physicians according to a new study. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114142307.htm