New device looks to improve neural prosthetics for paralysis victims

For America's approximately 5,000 people who suffer cervical spinal cord injuries each year, typically resulting in quadriplegia, new brain-computer interfaces are not merely fun and games, they're a means to perhaps someday live a full life again and possibly regain some movement. Standing in the way is the complexity of the in-tissue implants needed to gain more complex control.

A newly designed implant from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) aims to simplify the process of attaching miniature electrodes to brain neurons via robotic control using MEMS devices, tiny little motors. The Caltech Robotics Burdick group is running the project. The group is led by research engineers Michael Wolf, Joel Burdick, his mentor, Jorge Cham and Edward Branchaud. According to researchers, this is the "first robotic approach to establishing an interface between computers and the brain by positioning electrodes in neural tissue".

The research "could enhance the performance and longevity of emerging neural prosthetics, which allow paralyzed people to operate computers and robots with their minds" according to the researchers. An early prototype of the system has been constructed.

The prototype is currently undergoing testing on non-human primates. According to the researchers, the device "is designed to fit inside a standard laboratory cranial chamber, used for acute experiments in non-human primates, to allow semi-chronic operation. A semi-chronic design has the advantage that the device can be repositioned over a different region with minimal effort and without need for additional surgeries."

The device positions four electrodes to optimize action potentials. Wolf describes the overall design of the device, stating, "Our approach consists of implanting a small robotic device (and accompanying control algorithm) with many individually-motorized electrodes that each autonomously locate, isolate, and track a neuron for long periods of time. To further complicate matters, we wish to find signals only from neurons dedicated ('tuned') to a particular task, say controlling an 'arm reach.' While the primary aim of such technology is for a neural interface for neuroprostheses, such a device may also advance the state-of-the-art experimental techniques for electrophysiology."

While the Caltech team is still working on fine tuning the MEMS design for the final version of the device, the software algorithm is complete. The algorithm in many respects is the keystone of the project. It was actually adapted from algorithms the U.S. military uses to track airplanes. On a most basic level, the algorithm involves the motors slowly being powered to drive the probe down into a tissue. As it picks up a signal it pushes the probe deeper until the signal deepens, in which case it backs up to position itself on the active neuron.

Neuroprosthetics, the science of using brain implants to power robotic limb movement, is a budding field of science, buoyed by recent better understanding of the human brain and new nanoelectronic designs. However longevity is a major concern as cells in the brain can shift slightly and even slight shifts in an in-brain electrode probe could disconnect it.

The advance of medical science is frustratingly slow for the afflicted, but with improvements such as the new Caltech interface, quadriplegics and those suffering from other neurological conditions may someday be able to walk and lead mostly normal lives.

Source from DailyTech

AMD's next generation Radeon graphics card to get a boost from GDDR5

Although NVIDIA may be grabbing headlines lately with leaked details of its next generation GeForce graphics cards, AMD isn't exactly standing still with its Radeon offerings. ATI is preparing its Radeon HD 4800 series GPUs which will replace the existing HD 3800 lineup.

While the HD 4800 Series is rumored to feature GPGPU physics and HDMI 7.1 surround sound pass-through, today we were made privy of one concrete aspect of the new cards: the onboard memory. Qimonda contacted DailyTech earlier this morning with the news that they will supply AMD with GDDR5 memory chips for the reinvigorated Radeon family.

"The days of monolithic mega-chips are gone. Being first to market with GDDR in our next-generation architecture, AMD is able to deliver incredible performance using more cost-effective GPUs," remarked Rick Bergman, AMD Senior Vice President and General Manager, Graphics Product Group. "AMD believes that GDDR5 is the optimal way to drive performance gains while being mindful of power consumption. We’re excited about the potential GDDR5 brings to the table for innovative game development and even more exciting game play."

The high-speed memory chips are 512Mbit and offer bandwidth of up to 4.0Gbps. In preparing for AMD's June launch, mass production of the new GDDR5 chips has already commenced and are shipping in volume.

"We are very proud to supply AMD with GDDR5 volume shipments only six months after first product samples have been delivered," said Robert Feurle, Qimonda AG's Vice President of the DRAM Business Unit. "This is a further milestone in our successful GDDR5 roadmap and underlines our predominant position as innovator and leader in the graphics DRAM market."

"Qimonda's strong GDDR5 roadmap convinced us to choose them as a primary technology partner for our GDDR5 GPU launch," added AMD's Joe Macri. "Both the early availability of first samples and volume shipments added great value to the development and launch of our upcoming high-performance GPU."

Source from DailyTech

Seagate 7,200 RPM drive provides performance and high storage capacity

When it comes to notebook computers you have to give up something’s for the sake of power savings and portability. Typically this means slower processors and lower performing hard drives. For most users this isn’t an issue, but for gaming notebooks low performance is a big deal.

Seagate announced that Dell and Alienware will be the first notebook makers to ship notebooks that use the Seagate 320GB 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch hard drive. Dell is currently offering the hard drive in its line of XPS notebooks and Seagate says Alienware will be shipping systems using the drive soon.

The Momentus 7200.3 hard drive is available in 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB capacities. Seagate only introduced its higher capacity 250GB 5,400 RPM hard drive in January and wasted no time with the faster high capacity drives now shipping.

Seagate says that the hard drives have a 16MB cache and are offered with G-force protection that allows them to withstand up to 1000G of non-operating shock and 350Gs of operating shock. The drives are able to sense acceleration greater than that of the force of gravity and can lock the drive heads during a fall of as little as 8 inches to prevent contact with the disk platters. The interface for the drives is the Serial ATA 3 Gbit/second.

Source from DailyTech

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation has been pushing its XO notebooks in developing nations for a while now at a price of $188 per notebook. The XO has had some stiff competition in the market from competitors like the Classmate from Intel. Many have seen one major drawback to the XO notebook as being the fact that it ran the Linux operating system rather than Windows.

OLPC attempted to initiate talks in the past with Microsoft to put its Windows operating system on the XO to no avail. At the time Microsoft didn’t want to be part of the project because it was going to use Linux as well.

Over time, Microsoft came around to the notion of having its Windows operating systems run on machines that also run Linux, paving the way for talks between it and the OLPC to begin again. Microsoft and the OLPC announced today that they had signed an agreement to provide a customized version of Windows XP for use on the XO Laptop.

Part of the agreement will even allow the OLPC to build XO’s that will be dual boot systems with both Linux and Windows installed at the same time.

Microsoft chief research and strategy officer, Craig Mundie said in a statement, “Transforming education is a fundamental goal of Microsoft Unlimited Potential, our ambitious effort to bring sustained social and economic opportunity to people who currently don’t enjoy the benefits of technology. By supporting a wide variety of affordable computing solutions for education that includes OLPC’s XO laptop, we aim to make technology more relevant, accessible and affordable for students everywhere.”

Microsoft says that customers and partners around the world have been asking for a Windows-powered XO because of the fact that Windows on the low-cost machines would allow educators and students access to the entire ecosystem of Windows software.

Many foreign developing nations see Windows on the XO as a way to give their children marketable technology skill with the world’s most dominant operating system. Andres Gonzalez Diaz, the governor of Cundinamarca, Columbia says, “As I plan my region’s investment in technology, I must evaluate the best way to provide quality education and prepare my citizens for the work force. Windows support on the XO device means that our students and educators will now have access to more than computer-assisted learning experiences. They will also develop marketable technology skills, which can lead to jobs and opportunities for our youth of today and the work force of tomorrow.”

According to the New York Times, the addition of Windows to the XO won’t add much to the cost of the machines. Under Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential program the fee for Windows is around $3 more per machine. To allow the XO to run Windows and Linux will add about $7 to the price tag.

Despite adding Windows to the XO’s list of features, the small notebook faces a tough road ahead. As DailyTech reported before, there is more to the implementation of the XO notebook to consider in developing nations than simply buying notebooks and handing them out

Source from DailyTech

OCZ branches out to include notebooks under its growing umbrella.

While most people know OCZ Technology as a memory company, it has recently branched out into many sector of the computing market. OCZ's portfolio has now expanded to include video cards, power supplies, memory cards and solid-state drives (SSDs).

OCZ hopes to branch out even further with the announcement of a new do-it-yourself (DIY) gaming notebook. End-users will be able to purchase the DIY notebook barebones and add components to the machine to build an entire system. OCZ venders, however, will be able to spec the notebooks however they see fit.

Each notebook comes from OCZ standard with a 15.4" WXGA display, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 512MB GPU, Intel PM965 northbridge/ICH8M southbridge, SATA support for HDDs or SSDs, 8x dual-layer DVD burner, four USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard 34/54 slot, and a fingerprint reader. Optional components will include Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a TV tuner, and a Intel 4965AGN 802.11a/g/n wireless adapter.

OCZ's DIY gaming notebook is no lightweight, however, and weighs in at hefty 7 pounds with a 9-cell battery pack. External dimensions for the machine ring in at 14.25" x 11.25" x 1.5".

"For years consumers have wanted to build their own mobile computing platforms, but the product offerings and market simply did not serve them as they did in the desktop do it yourself segment," said OCZ Systems Solutions Product Manager Eugene Chang. "With the OCZ Do-It-Yourself Notebook initiative, OCZ empowers with the resources like validated component guides, documentation, tech support, and a warranty to allow consumers to configure and build a true gaming notebook with the exact specification that matches their unique requirements."

OCZ also plans to go above and beyond the call of duty by offering validated components in the system, toll-free support, and detailed instructions on how to complete a new system build.

Pricing has not been announced for OCZ's DIY gaming notebook, but will be revealed when the system and its siblings arrive later this year.

Source from DailyTech

Sony plans to commercialize the hybrid fuel cell system for mobile devices

Fuel cells are one of the items that will change the face of the electronics industry forever once they finally start making their way into electronic devices. Sony unveiled its own ultra-small hybrid fuel cell system that is small enough to fit in one hand.

The fuel cell system measures 50mm x 30mm and combines a fuel cell, Li-polymer secondary battery and a control circuit. According to TechOn this is the first time Sony has shown off a complete fuel cell system that has a control circuit and secondary battery.

Sony says that it expects to commercialize the fuel cell and an engineer from the Sony material Laboratory said, “We have been aiming to mount (a fuel-cell system) in mobile devices and finally reached a level of commercial design.” The fuel cell runs on methanol.

Methanol also powers the Mobion fuel cell that DailyTech covered last week that was integrated into a GPS prototype. However, the Mobion fuel cell is passive and the Sony fuel cell is active with a pump to move the methanol. Sony’s didn’t comment specifically on its fuel cell power output, but does say output can be as high as 3W.

According to Sony, 3W is enough power for a mobile device. The fuel cell is said to be able to run 14 hours in a mobile phone on 10mL of methanol. It’s not entirely clear if the fuel cell will power electronic devices directly or if it will charge the internal Li-ion battery, which will in turn power the electronic device the fuel cell is integrated into. The battery could also be used as a type of backup power system.

Source from DailyTech

Bold is the first BlackBerry with GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA

For business pros and consumers across the country that are Smartphone aficionados, one of the most recognizable and popular devices is the BlackBerry. RIM announced its latest BlackBerry handset today called the BlackBerry Bold.

The Bold is the first BlackBerry device that offers tri-band support for HSDPA networks around the world and includes integrated GPS and Wi-Fi. The phone has a black exterior with satin chrome accents and a leather-like back plate.

A full QWERTY keyboard makes texting and web surfing easy and the Bold is compatible with 802.11a/b/g networks. The brain of the phone is a 624MHz processor and the device has 128MB of on-board flash memory and 1GB of on-board storage. Memory expansion for the device is via a microSD or microSDHC card slot.

All the applications expected on a BlackBerry are available including phone, email, messaging, organizer, and web browser. The Bold can also send and receive email or access the web while talking.

The LCD has a 480 x 320 resolution and is fused to the undersurface of the lens for clarity and sharpness. Web surfing on the Bold is done with a new enhanced browser that offers page view or column view. The page view allows for full computer style HTML pages to be viewed on the phone. A 2 megapixel digital camera is included that features a built-in flash and 5x digital zoom.

In addition to the tri-band HSDPA network compatibility the Bold is also a quad-band EDGE device. Other features of the handset include Bluetooth 2.0, voice activated dialing, speaker independent voice recognition and support for MP3, polyphonic, and MIDI ring tones. The device features a 1500 mAh battery with a talk time of 5 hours and a standby time of 13 days.

The BlackBerry network suffered from a significant failure back in February of 2008 due to a system update on servers in America. Since then the network has suffered from no serious downtime.

Source From DailyTech

Microsoft preps 65nm GPU for cooler Xbox 360s

Chip process evolution is a usual thing in a console’s lifecycle, but rarely has it been as important as in the case of the Xbox 360.

Known for its relatively hardware fragility, the original design of the Xbox 360 would frequently fall to the “Red Ring of Death” failure, which Microsoft terms as the three flashing red lights. While improvements in cooling and a CPU die shrink to 65nm in the Falcon revision have surely improved the situation, the problematic GPU still sits with its 90nm process.

The 65nm drop for the GPU in the Xbox 360 revision codenamed Jasper isn’t expected until August, a time frame backed up by a report from CENS. Microsoft has contracted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE) and Nanya PCB Corp. to build the chips that will ship with the Jasper consoles later this summer.

TSMC will produce the 65nm chips, ASE will package and test them, and Nanya will supply the flip-chip packaging substrates. Microsoft has supposedly booked a production capacity at TSMC estimated to be at around 10,000 300mm wafers.

Inventory of the existing Falcon chips are reportedly depleted, paving the way for the transition to Jasper. The next step for the Xbox 360 console is dubbed “Valhalla,” which will integrate both the GPU and CPU in a single package as a cost-cutting measure, isn’t expected until a year after Jasper.

Source from DailyTech