Tech News

In its early years, information theory was dominated by research on error-correcting codes: How do you encode information so as to guarantee its faithful transmission, even in the presence of the corrupting influences engineers call "noise"? Recently, one of the most intriguing developments in information theory has been a different kind of coding, called network coding, in which the question is how to encode information in order to maximize the capacity of a network as a whole. For information theorists, it was natural to ask how these two types of coding might be combined: If you want to both minimize error and maximize capacity, which kind of coding do you apply where, and when do you do the decoding?

A doorknob that knows whether to lock or unlock based on how it is grasped, a smartphone that silences itself if the user holds a finger to her lips and a chair that adjusts room lighting based on recognizing if a user is reclining or leaning forward are among the many possible applications of Touché, a new sensing technique.

Web-based software dashboard helps facility managers assess the potential impact of settings changes or daylight harvesting applications.

Michigan startup GPS Software says its new business intelligence tool suite will enchant small businesses.

Alfred Hitchcock's debut feature film, The Pleasure Garden, has been restored by the British Film Institute (BFI) as part of its celebration of the film-maker.

India's ultra-modern plan to ID a billion people

From a programmer’s point of view, the user is a peripheral that types when you issue a read request. - P. Williams

Good specifications will always improve programmer productivity far better than any programming tool or technique. - Milt Bryce