The Audeo is being developed to create a human-computer interface for communication without the need of physical motor control or speech production. Using signal processing, unpronounced speech representing the thought of the mind can be translated from intercepted neurological signals.

By interfacing near the source of vocal production, The Audeo has the potential to restore communication to people who are unable to speak. The proposed solution is a featherweight wireless device resting over the vocal cords capable of transmitting neurological information from the brain. Using data analysis, this information can be processed into synthesized speech or a menu selection capable of conveying the basic necessities of human life.

The Audeo will allow people with disabilities to express their thoughts and ideas, an aspect of life which is often taken for granted.

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TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

Italian car designer Leonardo Fioravanti (who worked for Pininfarina for a number of years) has developed car prototype without windshield wipers.

This amazing technological feat is made possible thanks to the use of 4 layers of glass modified using nanotechnology. The first layer filters the sun and repels the water. The second layer, using 'nano-dust' is able to push dirt to the side. The third layer acts as a sensor that activates the second layer when it detects dirt, while the fourth layer is a conductor of electricity to power this complex mechanism.

Via NewLaunches.com

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TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

EARTHtimes.org: Pay By Touch, the leader in integrated biometric authentication, personalized marketing and payment solutions, today announced that four separate retailers will pilot its internet-based Rapid Enroll kiosks to facilitate loyalty program customer sign up. All four will be live by the end of August.

Replacing the traditional paper-based enrollment process which is timely and error-prone, the sleek in-store kiosk facilitates simple and efficient electronic loyalty program sign-up. To join a retailers' loyalty program, a shopper needs only to enter a phone number and second identifier such as the first three letters of the last name. The back-end technology then automatically populates address information. The shopper can also enter her information manually.

The system also scrubs profile data against existing databases and automatically corrects any errors. The result is a more accurate loyalty program database that requires less time to process than paper based applications. What once took weeks can now be accomplished in minutes.

"To build and retain a loyal customer base in today's competitive retail environment, retailers must provide personalized service, and the most efficient way to do that is through loyalty programs," said John Rogers, Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Pay By Touch. "At half the cost of paper enrollments and infinitely faster, Rapid Enroll is the most efficient way to facilitate a positive return from loyalty program investment."

Pay By Touch's New Rapid Enroll Product is an Immediate Hit with Four New Customers [EARTHtimes.org]

Futurewire: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have developed a nanotechnology polymer that can "heal" itself by filling in cracks and tears automatically. Although self-healing plastic is not an entirely new concept, the UIUC material is different because it can repair itself multiple times without any intervention.

The material could have important uses where making repairs is difficult, where materials are under enormous stress and/or where material failure would be catastrophic -- such as in implanted medical devices, airplane and spacecraft components, and microprocessors. The UIUC researchers emphasize, however, that practical applications are years away, and that initial products will be highly expensive.

Self-Healing Plastic [Futurewire]

Gizmodo: NaturalNano has used nanotechnology to develop a type of paint that stops cellphone signals. It’s done by blending particles of copper that are inserted into nanotubes, and then mixing and suspending these tiny particles into a can of paint.

NaturalNano’s idea is to completely block cellphone signals with this paint, and then provide a radio filtering device that will allow wireless signals to pass through only when they’re appropriate. Using this system, a theater owner could allow cellphone signals before the show or during an intermission, but completely block them during the movie. At the same time, that theater owner could still allow emergency radio communications to get through. While jamming of cellphone signals has been ruled illegal by the FCC, it’s not a crime to passively prevent signals from passing through, which is exactly what NaturalNano’s paint does.

NaturalNano Develops Cellphone-Blocking Paint [Gizmodo]

Atlanta Business Chronicle: In 2029, people and computers will be "intimately connected" in profound ways, thanks to breakthrough advances in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and a soon-to-be-acquired knowledge of the human brain.

That's according to futurist Ray Kurzweil, who spoke Feb. 7 at the Technology Association of Georgia's annual summit in Smyrna. Kurzweil, author of "The Age of Spiritual Machines" and inventor of the speech-to-text synthesizer, predicts scientists by 2029 will have created "nanobots" capable of repairing the human body from within and immersing the five senses in full virtual reality environments. Nanobots also will be able to make us smarter too, he predicts: improving memory, sensory and cognitive abilities.

Just around the corner -- in 2009 -- people will have fast Internet connections at all times in all places thanks to advances in small, mobile electronics embedded in clothing and in the environment. "Computers will disappear," he said, as visiting a Web site will become a mobile, virtual reality experience and "displays will be written directly on our retinas" from eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Futurist foresees big gains in nanotechnology [Atlanta Business Chronicle]

Popgadget: Thank you nanotechnology for bringing us the windows that clean themselves.

Pilkington Activ Self-Cleaning Glass is coated in a chemical layer that reacts with ultra-violet rays from daylight to disintegrate organic dirt. Then when rain or water hits the glass, it simply takes the dirt with it.

The substances in the glass are normal household chemicals, and the huge reduction in spray-and-wipe cleaning supplies adds up to a greener window.

Self-cleaning glass [Popgadget]
Press Release

Hoping to jump onto the nanotechnology bandwagon and earn a pile from it? Well, you can certainly join in the crowd if you have been observing the trend of nanotechnology taking the shape of big business, with numerous companies having spun off from academia. The global government and private investments have estimated to be at over $4 billion. The scope of developing potential products from nanotechnology is literally boundless!

One recent product that was introduced to the market was the nanopowder sunscreens, Colorescience Sunforgettable. This innovative product will definitely be a hit with diehard beach bums who worry as much about looking good as they do about getting burned. Promising results work wonders on the people sun tanning as Nanopowder sunscreen puts a thin, invisible shield between skin and sun, giving melanoma the brush-off.

Nanopowder sunscreen first made a splash on Australia's sun-baked beaches with products like ZinClear that use micronized zinc oxide to give the ray-wary protection. Besides, Colorescience Sunforgettable is packaged to look like makeup with its brush applicator and loose-powder to give a unique powder-room appearance. The unisex, safe-for-all-ages sunscreen, which stands up to sun, is certainly enticing to those outdoor adventurous seekers!

Let's Get Down To Business...
Applying R&D to existing products surely give an upperhand in any business as consumers are enticed and will show greater confidence in high tech products. Being a novelty in the local scene, this revolutionary Nanopowder will certainly attract much fanfare. The demands and expectations of customers in the consumer goods industry have undergone changes over the past years. Key lesson here: improvise on existing products based on new technologies like nanotechnology.

Also packaging is always important, as it will create good and lasting impression on the customers. Uniqueness is the key to win the hearts of your customers! You can also choose to tailor your branding campaign according to the preferences of your target audience.

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