Tag: computer science

  • Open Source Energy-Economy Optimization Model Developed

    Computer scientists and engineers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh developed a computer model to aid energy-related economic policy decisions, making both their data and source code available to the public. The model, called Tools for Energy Model Optimization and Assessment or Temoa, is the work of a team led by NC State engineering…

  • University, Company Partner on Computer-Based Drug Discovery

    The drug discovery company Serometrix in Pittsford, New York is deploying bioinformatics software developed by University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland for identifying protein structures that show subtle clues as potential targets for drugs. Financial terms of of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. The system is a result of  a collaboration between Strathclyde chemistry…

  • XPrize Cancels $10 Million Genomics Challenge

    The XPrize Foundation in Los Angeles cancelled a $10 million challenge to bring down the cost of genomic sequencing, saying the advance of technology has overtaken the purpose of the competition. Foundation chair and CEO Peter Diamandis announced the cancellation on Thursday in a Huffington Post article and on the challenge’s Web page. The Archon…

  • Simple Authentication Scheme Cuts Phishing, Password Theft

    Computer scientists at Royal Hollaway in the U.K., a part of University of London, developed a method for verifying the identify of computer users when logging on to password-protected Web sites that reduces opportunities for stealing user credentials. Royal Hollaway professor Chris Mitchell and researcher Haitham Al-Sinani in the university’s Information Security Group describe an…

  • NSF Awards $20 Million for Cyber Security, Privacy R&D

    National Science Foundation is funding new research to better secure the nation’s health information technology, simplify and improve control of security for cloud computing, and clarify an individual’s privacy on the Web. The awards, made under the agency’s Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program, total $20 million and are supporting three initiatives, each shared among multiple…

  • TV, Cellular Signals Harnessed for Power, Communications

    Computer scientists and engineers at University of Washington in Seattle developed a wireless process that harnesses existing television and cell phone signals as sources of power and a way of communicating. The team led by computer science professors Shyam Gollakota and Joshua Smith describes the process in a paper at ACM’s Special Interest Group on…

  • Medtronic Acquires Telemedicine Systems Developer

    Medtronic Inc., a medical device company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is buying Cardiocom, a developer of telemedicine systems in nearby Chanhassen, Minnesota, in an all-cash transaction valued at $200 million. Medtronic’s devices currently help treat cardiac and vascular diseases, diabetes, and neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. Cardiocom, founded in 1999 and privately held, builds solutions for home…

  • Prototype Robotic Brain Blood-Clot Surgery Device Developed

    Engineers and surgeons at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee built a prototype of a surgical device to safely remove blood clots from the brain, a risky and difficult procedure. A team led by Vanderbilt neurosurgery professor Kyle Weaver and mechanical engineering professor Robert Webster describe the system in an upcoming issue of the journal IEEE…

  • Inexpensive Robotic Power Line Inspection Device Developed

    An engineer at University of California in San Diego created a prototype device that propels itself along utility lines and can locate problems that need repair. The device, called SkySweeper and built by graduate student Nick Morozovsky, will be presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 3 to 8 November, in Tokyo.…

  • Health Portals Capture App Data to Drive Wellness Engagement

    Health care providers and insurance companies want to get their customers healthier, and have customers record their wellness data to track their progress, with some health app developers eager to help out. Speakers on Friday, 26 July at the mHealth + Telehealth World Congress in Boston gave examples of recent health and wellness initiatives making…