Brain implant could be used in reactivating paralysed limbs

A brain implant developed at the University of Michigan is claimed to use the body’s skin like a conductor to wirelessly transmit the brain’s neural signals to control a computer.

The implant is called the BioBolt and unlike other neural interface technologies that establish a connection from the brain to an external device such as a computer, it’s minimally invasive and low power, said principal investigator Euisik Yoon, a professor in the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Currently, the skull must remain open while neural implants are in the head, which makes using them in a patient’s daily life unrealistic, said Kensall Wise, the William Gould Dow Distinguished University professor emeritus in engineering.

According to a statement, BioBolt does not penetrate the cortex and is completely covered by the skin to reduce risk of infection. Researchers believe it’s a critical step toward allowing a paralysed person to ’think’ a movement.

The ultimate goal is to be able to reactivate paralysed limbs by picking the neural signals from the brain cortex and transmitting those signals directly to muscles, said Wise.

Another promising application for the BioBolt, for which a patent has been filed, is controlling epilepsy and diagnosing diseases such as Parkinson’s.

According to the university, the BioBolt looks like a bolt and is about the circumference of a small coin, with a thumbnail-sized film of microcircuits attached to the bottom.

It is implanted in the skull beneath the skin and the film of microcircuits sits on the brain. The microcircuits act as microphones to ’listen’ to the overall pattern of firing neurons and associate them with a specific command from the brain. Those signals are amplified and filtered, then converted to digital signals and transmitted through the skin to a computer, Yoon said.

Another hurdle to brain interfaces is the high power requirement for transmitting data wirelessly from the brain to an outside source.

BioBolt is said to keep the power consumption low by using the skin as a conductor or a signal pathway.

Eventually, the hope is that the signals can be transmitted through the skin to something on the body, such as a watch or a pair of earrings, to collect the signals, said Yoon, eliminating the need for an off-site computer to process the signals.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1009074.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=200611&email=true#ixzz1Pwmx4VB6

Designing (or not) a non-profit brochure

Reader Mark Scholmann dropped us an email Tuesday with a question:

“I support a local charity group that manufactures wheelchairs for kids living in war-torn and less-fortunate locations. I’ve always been struck by their gaudy brochure enticing new donations to their cause and wondered if its ‘eye-catching’ design is really effective, or would it be better if it were more streamlined and less loud? That is, does this blast of the senses actually get more attention than a more ‘designed’ brochure?



“I wondered if you wanted to use this example as one of your discussion topics. Of course, any redesign and suggestions could ultimately help a very worthwhile group in their endeavour to help others.

“Wheelchairs for Kids is located here on planet Earth.”

—————

Mark, great question, great issue.

How designed is too designed? Wheelchairs for Kids is a bootstrap operation with a beautiful mission, sustained by unpaid volunteers. It’s clear that no professional attention has been paid to brochure design. Would a more polished look add to or detract from the soul of its message?
(By more polished, I don’t mean slick. I mean more intentionally presented, with visible thought given to a theme, a style, typography, photography and all the rest.)

This is not easy to discern. On one hand, there’s a matter of credibility. Does the kitchen-table design give you confidence that a real, well-run charity is handling your contribution truthfully and well? On the other hand, might a more-professionally designed piece broadcast a sense of wastefulness? After all, we want our money spent sending wheelchairs to children, not designers to dinner.

I’m not an authority here. My closest charity-design experience is the logo I made three years ago for Twinomujuni orphanage in Kabale, Uganda:

Twinomujuni (pronounced: twin-ohm-zhu-nee) is a similarly bootstrap operation that cares for orphaned children, of which in Africa there is no shortage. My goal was to give them an unpolished look that captured, in the colors and earthy style of Africa, the exuberance and hopeful resilience of youth.

Although I’d loved to have developed the whole project — Web site, newsletter, all that — I knew I didn’t have the time and that everything else would remain undesigned, so the logo would have to do the heavy lifting. My goal was to make it strong and vivid enough to bear that weight.
So readers, what is the role of design in these cases?

Let me suggest this: that the most authentic route is to forget “message” and “target audience” and other marketing-speak. Charity is not about putting on a show (“cheap paper, can’t look fancy”) or twisting arms. Rather, your work should portray, visually and verbally, in the purest, most elemental way, who you are. This is a job for the team, not just the designer. If you can actually make that visible, results should follow.

Talk to me.

By John McWade    June 16, 2011

Hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft completes set of tests

Boeing’s Phantom Eye high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned airborne system has completed 12 days of ground vibration and structural mode interaction tests at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center.

Phantom Eye is being prepared for its first flight, scheduled for later this summer. According to Boeing, Phantom Eye’s two hydrogen fuel tanks were also successfully filled with nitrogen to test fuelling procedures and the aircraft’s full-fuel weight configuration.

Phantom Eye has a 150ft wingspan and is powered by two 2.3-litre, four-cylinder hydrogen engines that each provide 150hp. It is designed to fly at 65,000ft for up to four days; perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions; and serve as a communications relay. Phantom Eye evolved from Boeing’s earlier success with the piston-powered Condor that set several records for altitude and endurance in the late 1980s.

Suppliers and partners for the Phantom Eye programme include Ford Motor Company, which supplied the engines, Aurora Flight Sciences which provided the wings, plus DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NASA.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1009080.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=200611&email=true#ixzz1PwlebmPI

Reach for the (All) Stars

Reach for the (All) Stars

Back in 1960, basketball shoes weren’t the air-filled, springy, ankle-supporting hugs-in-a-shoe that they are today. They were pretty basic, not very ergonomically designed with a comparatively thin sole, and they made one heck of a squeak on the court too. But more than any other sports shoe in history, something about the design endorsed by Chuck Taylor (basketball player for the Akron Firestones) rang true not just with basketball-loving Americans, but across the world.

I would say more than half the people I know currently own or have previously owned a pair of Converse All Stars. In fact, over 60% of Americans allegedly own one or more pairs. I bought my first pair when I was 14 with my dad (who would admit that he is quite conservative and old-school) and even he loved the bright red ankle-high design. At the time of my first purchase, there wasn’t the range of colours and designs that there are today (and they originally came in a simple brown with black trim) so now, ’simple’ red All Stars might look to some Converse fans to be a bit passé and mainstream against the plethora of designs now available.
And we’re not just talking block colours here; we’re talking material and textures – as well height and styling – and yet they remain quite clearly Converse All Stars. There are Marimekko patterns from the 1960s (right) – created by the Finnish textile mill’s designers (coming with a matching cinch bag) – pop art pictures, bespoke logos, and pretty much any design imaginable.
Practically every part of the All Star shoe is customisable: the shell, the tongue, the rubber edging, the lining, the laces – everything. And not just by artists and fashion designers, either. I had great fun this morning on the UK Converse website creating my own bespoke pair of leather All Stars which I quite simply named ‘Ashley’, which is emblazoned down the heel. And for £70, I’d say that’s not bad at all, given what some off-the-shelf trainers cost. I might even buy them. Here’s my effort:

There are some areas, however, where some designs of Converse All Stars haven’t been very successful, to my taste. For instance, I was strolling around Portobello Road last Sunday and I saw my first pair of high-heel All Stars (right). I can’t say I liked them. They just look a bit…hmmm. As if Dr Frankenstein had been let loose in the factory for a day. And then there are two of the various flip-flop versions which don’t look right, to my eye:

Undeniably, though, Converse All Stars are probably the most customisable shoe on the market today. And long may they continue to be. I wonder what designs Creativepool’s readership could come up with, being the creative lot that you are? For now, though, I leave you with some of the other weird and wacky designs out there:






by Ashley Morrison
Ashley is a blogger, copywriter and editor
Follow me on Twitter @Ashley_Morrison
ashleymorrison72@gmail.com
www.creativepool.co.uk/ashleymorrison

5 ways to stand out from the crowd

Earlier this week, it was revealed that nearly a thousand people applied for 120 jobs at a new Wilkinson's in Norwich. At eight applications per job, this is by no means the most competitive we've encountered but, the sheer bulk of numbers involved demonstrates one thing: landing a job isn't getting any easier.
This is just the latest in a raft of similar stories, all pointing to a situation where there are simply many, many more jobseekers than there are jobs. This shouldn't make you despondent, though; look at it as a challenge, a chance to shine in an overcrowded job market. Read on to find out how to do it.

1. Find the right job for you

You can fix all sorts of things about your application, but one factor will see your application consigned to the bin quicker than any other: applying for jobs that you're patently not suitable for. It might sound agonisingly straightforward, but it's all too tempting to fire off a tranche of hastily prepared CVs and cover letters to as many employers as possible. Instead, use oursearch function to find the jobs that you're really after, and if you're struggling for inspiration, our location pages will help you pinpoint roles in your area.

2. Develop a killer CV

In most instances, your first opportunity to sell your talents to prospective employers is on your CV. Send them a sloppy, half-hearted document, and you can feel fairly certain that you'll shine like mud. Our dedicated section contains advice onsuccessful CVs, and provides you with a number of CV templates to help you grab recruiters' attention like never before. The basics you should always be aware of, though: keep it to two pages, make sure you've eliminated all spelling mistakes before you send it, and tailor it to the job in question.

3. Tailored your cover letter

If you want to sell yourself short and ensure that you completely fail to stand out, then send your CV along with a two-line generic cover letter, preferably littered with errors as well. To shine like the star you are, put some real effort into your cover letter; sure, your CV will contain the bulk of any information you send to the recruiter, but a well-written cover letter can make all the difference. Personalise it with details on why you want to work for this particular company, and of course why you're perfect for this specific job. Read more at our cover letter clinic.

4. Go the extra mile

If a company is receiving nearly 1,000 applications for a round of vacancies, then even the occasional good CV will fall by the wayside. To make sure that you keep your name at the forefront of the recruiter's mind, and your application at the top of the pile, give the company a call a couple of days after they receive your CV. Use the contact from the job ad, so you know you're not bothering the wrong person. Ask if they received your application, then offer them the chance to ask you a few questions. The chances are that they won't have seen your CV at all, but they'll pay much more attention to it when they do after this call.

5. Be prepared

If you make it to the interview stage, then you have your best opportunity yet to shine above other candidates. Like above, go that extra distance when it comes to research and preparation; shrugging your shoulders and looking clueless when they ask what you know about their company will guarantee you a rejection letter. Spend time finding out everything you can about the job and the company; appearing prepared and interested will only work in your favour. And if you really want to stand out, prepare a few killer questions to ask of the interviewer; many employers see this as a demonstration of your desire for the job, so check out our examples of questions to ask at interview.

self-effacing

tending to make oneself, one's actions, etc., inconspicuous, esp because of humility or timidity; modest

self-effacingly  adv

 

self-effacing - reluctant to draw attention to yourself reticent, retiring unassertive - inclined to timidity or lack of self-confidence; "a shy unassertive person"

 

How to sell yourself if you’re a shy job hunter

At targetjobs.co.uk, we’re always advising you to sell yourself effectively in your application forms and interviews for graduate jobs, but this can feel uncomfortable and unnatural if you’re naturally self-effacing. In fact, modest people often downplay their abilities and sometimes don’t even mention them to recruiters, either because they don’t recognise them as anything special or because they feel that they would be boasting. But by doing so they’re not giving recruiters a reason to give them a job. So, if you are naturally modest, here’s how to get past your inhibitions and sell yourself.

1. Get to know your own strengths

The first step to selling yourself is to recognise that you have skills and strengths worth talking about. Start by looking at the different activities that make up your life and make a list of the skills you used. Wrote essays and gave presentations for your degree course? Examples of your written and verbal communication skills. Play rugby/football/hockey? Example of teamwork and, if you were captain, organising, leading and motivating others. Fitted in a part-time job alongside your course and work for a SU society? Examples of time management and prioritising.

Also make a list on top of that of any extra qualifications or courses you might have attended. First Aid qualifications or IT courses are valued by employers.

It’s always good to ask friends, family, your boss (old or new) and the tutors who know you best what they think you’re good at.

2. Switch your thinking

If you’re worried about over-selling yourself or coming across as arrogant, you have to change your thinking. What you are doing in your interview isn’t boasting; you are simply providing recruiters with evidence that you are the right person for the job. Recruiters aren’t mind readers. Unless you tell them about your skills and highlight what you are best at, they won’t know – and will probably hire someone else.

So approach an application or an interview with the attitude that you are going to tell them about all of the skills that are relevant to the position to help them make the best decision. Self-help books call this switch in thinking ‘reframing the situation’. We just call it common sense.

3. Say you’re good without actually saying you’re good

If you really aren’t comfortable saying ‘I’m good at managing my time’ you could talk about times when you managed your time well, using the CAR technique (describe the Circumstances, your Actions and the Results). For example: ‘There have been times when I have had to manage my time carefully to get things done. In my second year, I volunteered two mornings a week at a primary school through Community Action, but I also had to hand in two essays a week and I worked at a supermarket for eight hours a week. I handed in all of my work on time, met all of my volunteering obligations and still worked my eight hours, although I did swap shifts with colleagues on a couple of occasions.’ In this example, the candidate isn’t explicitly saying they’re good at time management, but it’s clear that they are.

You can also refer to feedback and impress your interviewer by saying something along the lines of ‘My manager complimented me on my time management skills’ (as long as it’s true, of course).

Top 10 skills that will get you a job

1. Commercial awareness (or business acumen): This is about knowing how a business or industry works and what makes a company tick. Showing that you have an understanding of what the organisation wants to achieve through its products and services, and how it competes in its marketplace.
2. Communication: This covers verbal and written communication, and listening. It's about being clear, concise and focused; being able to tailor your message for the audience and listening to the views of others.
3. Teamwork: You'll need to prove that you're a team player but also have the ability to manage and delegate to others and take on responsibility. It's about building positive working relationships that help everyone to achieve postive goals and business objectives.
4. Negotiation and persuasion: This is about being able to put forward your way, but also being able to understand where the other person is coming from so that you can both get what you want or need and feel positive about it.
5. Problem solving: You need to display an ability to take a logical and analytical approach to solving problems and resolving issues. It's also good to show that you can approach problems from different angles.
6. Leadership: You may not be a manager straight away, but graduates need to show potential to motivate teams and other colleagues that may work for them. It's about assigning and delegating tasks well, setting deadlines and leading by good example.
7. Organisation: This is about showing that you can prioritise, work efficiently and productively, and manage your time well. It's also good to be able to show employers how you decide what is important to focus on and get done, and how you go about meeting deadlines.
8. Perseverance and motivation: Employers want people to have a bit of get-up-and-go. Working life presents many challenges and you need to show employers that you're the kind of person who will find a way through, even when the going gets tough... and stay cheerful-ish.
9. Ability to work under pressure: This is about keeping calm in a crisis and not becoming too overwhelmed or stressed.
10. Confidence: In the workplace you need to strike the balance of being confident in yourself but not arrogant, but also have confidence in your colleagues and the company you work for.

Fred Perry

Australia-NZ biofuels industry could take off

Establishing an economically and environmentally beneficial, ‘bio-derived’ Australian and New Zealand aviation fuels industry is a viable proposition, according to a report.

Compiled by CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and aviation partners, the Flight Path to Sustainable Aviation report predicts that, over the next 20 years, a new and sustainable Australia-New Zealand aviation fuels industry could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent, generate more than 12,000 jobs and reduce Australia’s reliance on aviation fuel imports by $2bn (£1.2bn) per annum.

‘This study highlights promising options for the aviation industry,’ said project lead Paul Graham, CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship’s economist. ‘It also identifies the market, infrastructure and governance changes that will be required for success.

‘Through the uptake of sustainable bio-derived jet fuel, together with next-generation aircraft and engines, the industry can reduce both its emissions and its reliance on imported fossil fuel.’
According to CSIRO, the study was commissioned by and developed in collaboration with the members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group — including Air New Zealand, Boeing, Qantas and Virgin Australia — together with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and The Climate Group.

It found that production of commercially viable quantities of aviation fuels derived from non-food biomass sources, such as crop stubble, forestry residues, municipal waste and algae, is a feasible option for Australia and New Zealand. It also found that there are currently sufficient biomass stocks to support a local jet-fuel industry.

The report identifies several major actions that are required by 2015 to ensure the industry can be established.

These include the creation of a supportive market structure and supply chain, the development of refining plants and certification, as well as independent verification, to ensure sustainability of the fuel.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1008800.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=270511&email=true#ixzz1O3Utxkkd

Could be used for Presentations

http://prezi.com/index/
Remember this one

London gets city-wide electric vehicle charging network

Source London — a city-wide electric vehicle charging point network and membership scheme — was launched this week by London mayor Boris Johnson.

Source London will allow electric vehicle owners to plug in to 1,300 publicly accessible points across the city by 2013.

At that point, there will be more charging points than petrol stations in London, providing Londoners with the opportunity to charge their vehicle at charge points on residential streets, in supermarkets, public car parks and at shopping and leisure centres.

Annual membership of the Source London scheme is £100, enabling cardholders to charge up at any Source London point whenever they need to.

The scheme initially launched with 150 new charge points making it London’s largest single charging network. This is a significant boost in the number of publicly accessible charge points from the existing 250, which are currently operated through a range of different localised schemes.

There are currently 17,000 hybrid and pure electric vehicles being used in Greater London. The mayor wants to boost this to 100,000 and help London become the electric capital of Europe by making it easier to charge electric vehicles.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1008823.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=310511&email=true#ixzz1O3PMIEPL

Interesting Blog

http://eight48.com/

Check it out as soon as possible

5 Minutes with Jon Humphreys - The Neighbourhood

5 Minutes with Jon Humphreys - The Neighbourhood

Renewable optimism, emissions gloom

One wonders whether Briefing should be re-named Agent Provocateur, given the red flag of renewable-energy optimism that is about to be waved in front of you. A report is expected today from a European-wide think tank that will provide an analysis on the progress made toward powering Europe and North Africa with 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2050.

The consortium, which includes PricewaterhouseCoopers, is expected to reveal that renewable electricity generation capacity grew by 30 per cent in Europe in 2010 but further progress may depend on reform of the EU infrastructure planning and permits regime, on a democratic outcome to political unrest in the Middle East, or on efforts to increase the competitiveness of power markets for the benefit of European consumers.

This report comes on the day that the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued stark estimates regarding world CO₂ emissions in relation to limiting global temperature rise to 2^oC by 2020. In a statement, the IEA estimates that emissions from energy sources climbed to 30.6 Gigatonnes (Gt) in 2010, a five per cent rise from 2008, when levels are said to have reached a record 29.3Gt. Emissions of CO₂ from fuel sources stood at 44 per cent from coal; 36 per cent from oil; and 20 per cent from natural gas.

Furthermore, the IEA says that 80 per cent of projected emissions from the power sector in 2020 are already locked in, as they will come from power plants currently in place or under construction. IEA believes limiting global temperature rise to 2^oC, as agreed at UN climate change talks in Cancun last year, will require the long-term concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to be limited to around 450 parts per million of CO₂-equivalent, a five per cent increase compared to an estimated 430 parts per million in 2000. Still with renewable energy and news that Judith Farman, an electrical systems engineer with Dresser-Rand, is to give a talk tomorrow entitled ‘Advances in Wave-Power Technology’.
Taking place at The Adelaide in Teddington, Farman will take a two-pronged approach to the discussion, talking first about wave energy mathematical models, the difficulties in capturing wave energy and the myriad of installed and prototype equipment in the field. 

Farman will then take attendees through Dresser-Rand’s HydroAir, a variable radius turbine used on oscillating water column power plants. HydroAir is claimed to offer a higher efficiency and a wider range of operation than other OWC turbines such as the Wells turbine. According to Dresser-Rand, incoming surface waves induce an oscillating flow of air within a chamber which flows back and forth through an air turbine installed in a duct connecting the chamber to the atmosphere. The turbine then converts this air movement into electrical energy. 

Still with power generation, this time with the diesel engine and a talk entitled ‘The Challenges for Applying Advanced Diesel Engine Technology in the Global Commercial Vehicle Market’. Delivered by Dr Richard E Kleine, the SAE International Technical Exchange Lecture at Ricardo’s Shoreham Technical Centre will look at how regulations are necessitating the application of new technology to achieve more stringent emissions standards. According to the event’s blurb, total systems engineering focus is required to ensure the design and development of reliable products - given their complexity - and the challenges presented in optimizing engine systems for the machines and vehicles in which they are used.
The application of more complex systems is resulting in challenges not only for the engineer but for the mechanic maintaining and the repair technician to diagnose and fix problems.

Similarly, more complex systems may require specific fuels and lubricants specifications that when not available can have significant consequences to the machine/vehicle operation and reliability. The event’s publicity material goes on to state that the need for more detailed processes to ensure the delivery of good performance, reliable and safe products will be discussed and an approach to total systems integration will be presented.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1008833.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=310511&email=true#ixzz1O3N7cFHl

Perspectives.

The new video from studio Neue Big, directed by Virgilio Villoresi is freely inspired by the new Moleskine collections, a full set of tools (http://bit.ly/gD859D) for accompaniying your everyday and extraordinary experiences. 



Videomaker's comment: "The video was filmed with forced perspective and a number of small photographs have been employed to recreate scenes in depth of field. The actor finds himself in a world of photographs, miniature objects and in each scene he picks up an object from the new Moleskine collections (http://bit.ly/gD859D) that is camouflaged in the photographs.



Will nuclear U-turn leave an energy gap? | Opinion | The Engineer

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/opinion/comment/will-nuclear-u-turn-leave-an-energy-gap?/1008850.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=010611&email=true

5 steps to a better salary

On paper it might be your ideal role, but what seems like the perfect job can quickly turn into a nightmare if it doesn’t come with a big fat salary. After all, we all have to pay the rent, keep up with the bills, get a round of beers in... Well, maybe that's not as essential, but you get the idea.
It's nothing to be ashamed of. Negotiating salaries is a very important skill, but it’s something us Brits struggle with. You may be surprised to learn that it’s not all about haggling and the bulk of your negotiating strategy should be sorted before you’ve even spoken to your interviewer. Confused? Don't be, it's really very simple...

1. Research, research, research

2. Be realistic

3. Ask the question

4. The whole truth

5. Negotiating excellence

 

http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/money-and-legal/5-ways-to-get-a-better-salary?linktype=copylink

New Space Craft for the European Space Agency

Skylon development given go-ahead by UK Space Agency

 The UK Space Agency’s report on the Skylon technical assessment, for which the European Space Agency (ESA) was commissioned, also agreed with the objectives of the proposed next stage of the development programme.

 http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1008776.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=270511&email=true#video