After announcing last April a method for growing exceptionally long, straight, numerous and well-aligned carbon cylinders only a few atoms thick, a Duke University-led team of chemists has now modified that process to create exclusively semiconducting versions of these single-walled carbon nanotubes.(Read Full Story)

It's probably the most sophisticated teddy bear ever designed, but that doesn't stop MIT's companion robot called "the Huggable" from being pretty adorable, as well. The Huggable is the latest project to come from the MIT Media Lab, and could one day be used for healthcare, education, and social communication applications...Continue

Earlier this week, the humble computer mouse celebrated its 40th birthday. While surprisingly little has changed since Doug Engelbart, an engineer at Stanford Research Institute, in Palo Alto, CA, first demonstrated the mouse to a skeptical crowd in San Francisco, we may have already seen a few glimpses of the future of computer interfaces. If so, over the next few years, the future of the computer interface will likely revolve around touch...Continue

Scientists are developing new ways to selectively boost gene expression in the brain, in the hope of treating psychiatric and neurological disease. A growing pool of evidence shows that compounds that target this mechanism can improve learning and memory in rodents. But existing drugs, which were not developed for this purpose, are relatively weak and unselective, and their long-term safety is not yet clear...Full

A group of scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has fabricated a working computer chip that is almost completely clear -- the first of its kind. The new technology, called transparent resistive random access memory (TRRAM), is described in this week's issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters....Continue

(Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University)

"Rather than infer that nanotechnology is safe, members of the public who learn about this novel science tend to become sharply polarized along cultural lines, according to a study conducted by the Cultural Cognition Project at Yale Law School in collaboration with the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The report is published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology..."Continue

Quick you have two seconds, when I say the word “future tech” what comes up in your mind? Most people would say flying automobiles and obviously holograms! Today we are working on achieving these classic futuristic technologies. We got the flying automobile covered (Youtube) but what about the holograms? And by holograms we mean realistic 3D images projected in mid air very much like Star Wars and countless other science fiction movies.

The first 3D TV’s are going to be a kind of stereoscopic 3D; this would allow anyone to view an object without the need for the viewer to wear those goofy 3D glasses. This technology is near market and may only be a few months away according to findings by a team of University of Aberdeen academics.

A team of experts from the University undertook a comprehensive analysis into such technologies that would be necessary in order to make true hologram visual displays.

The research coordinator Professor Watson said "In order for 3DTV to become a reality, a number of significant technological developments need to be made. Importantly this includes the development of technology to allow programs to be created which can be televised in this format and the ability to transmit the vast amount of information needed to realize a fully 3D image. If 3DTV is holographic then this would involve the use of cutting edge laser technology during the programs filming process.”

He concluded that "… in ten years time it is highly probable that TV using holographic images which would appear to float as if in mid air will be available for consumers to purchase."

You can go out and buy that flying car but I guess you are going to have to wait a bit more for that holographic TV.

Source:.physorg

1.Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows.

Today we use silicon based solar panels to get solar energy. These silicon panels are thick, expensive, and not very efficient. But IBM is bidding on the creation of “thin-film” solar cells a new type of cost-efficient solar cell. These cells can be as much as 100 times thinner than silicon-wafer cells but not only that, they can produce energy at a lower cost. So within the next five years, solar energy will be an affordable option for you and your neighbors. Because it is so thin it can be “printed” and placed wherever there is an abundance of energy.

2. You will have a crystal ball for your health

I’m of course talking about your DNA. Having access to your DNA is important in both predicting and curing your problems. It's a valuable data, and it can be used to anticipate future health risks. Doctors can use this information by recommending lifestyle changes in order to prevent an illness from occurring. Pharmaceutical companies can also use this information for developing specific drugs that can be targeted for any individual. And all of this will be available within the next five years at a price of around $200. Now the downside to this (if your country does not have a uniform health care) is that if your health insurer gets access to your genetic blueprint and sees that you are very likely of developing some sort of illness they might jack up the prices or simply deny you coverage. This may be prevented by a uniform health care system. Or it may be prevented by a law that states that your genetic blueprint is doctor-patient confidentiality. Nevertheless genetic mapping will radically transform health care over the next five years and allow you to take better care of yourself.


3. You will talk to the Web . . . and the Web will talk back.

Within the next 5 years you would be able to access the web from anywhere in the world. You will be connected at all times. But if you are blind, cannot read, or don’t have access to a computer you will brows the web through “VoiceSites”. That’s right you would be able to call a site and talk to it and it will talk to you back. For example you are camping and needed information on how to start a fire because you don’t have matches or a lighter on you. So you decide to call your best friend Google. Google will know what you are asking and it will respond with the answer.

4. You will have your own digital shopping assistants.

A combination of new technology and the next wave of mobile devices will give the in-store shopping experience a significant boost. Fitting rooms soon will be outfitted with digital shopping assistants - touch screen and voice activated kiosks that will allow you to choose clothing items and accessories to complement, or replace, what you already selected. Once you make your selections, a sales associate is notified and will gather the items and bring them directly to you. You’ll also be able to snap photos of yourself in different combinations and email or SMS them to your friends and family for the thumbs up…or the thumbs down. Shoppers can access product ratings and reviews from fellow consumers and will even be able to download money-saving coupons and instantly apply them to their purchases.


5. Forgetting will become a distant memory

To help make these possible, microphones and video cameras will record conversations and activities. The information collected will be automatically stored and analyzed on a personal computer. People can then be prompted to "remember" what discussions they had, for example, with their daughter or doctor by telephone. Based on such conversations, smart phones equipped with global-positioning technology might also remind them to pick up groceries or prescriptions if they pass a particular store at a particular time. It's not hard to imagine that TVs, remote controls, or even coffee table tops, can one day be the familiar mediums through which we tap into our digitally-stored information.