Jellyfish-mimicking device could snatch cancer cells right out of the bloodstream

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/jellyfish-inspired-microchip-captures-cancer-cells/

If you think the picture above looks like droplets of blood being snared in a sticky tentacle, then you have a scarily active -- but in this case accurate -- imagination. It's actually a microfluidic chip that's been coated with long strands of DNA, which dangle down into the bloodstream and bind to any cancerous proteins floating past -- directly imitating the way a jellyfish scoops up grub in the ocean. If required, the chip can release these cells unharmed for later inspection. According to the chip's designers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, the catch-and-release mechanism can be put to both diagnostic and therapeutic use in the fight against Big C, and can also be used to isolate good things, like fetal cells. The next step will be to test the device on humans -- at which point we may owe an even greater debt of gratitude to our gelatinous friends.

[Image credit: Rohit Karnik and Suman Bose]

Continue reading Jellyfish-mimicking device could snatch cancer cells right out of the bloodstream

Filed under: Science, Alt

Jellyfish-mimicking device could snatch cancer cells right o! ut of th e bloodstream originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon brings wireless monitoring service to Lowe's Iris smart home system

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/verizon-brings-wireless-monitoring-service-to-lowes-iris-smart/

If you're haunted by dreams of left-on irons and stoves while trying to holiday, Verizon has announced it'll team up with Lowe's to help you wirelessly correct any carelessness. The operator is bringing a USB modem to Lowe's Iris smart home system, letting you monitor and manage your house remotely from a smartphone, sans WiFi or broadband. That'll let you track family members (or intruders) and control thermostats or appliances via smart plugs. Lowe's kits start at $180, so if you'd rather hear "are we there yet?" instead of "is the house on fire yet?" on your next trip, tap the PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon brings wireless monitoring service to Lowe's Iris smart home system

Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Verizon

Verizon brings wireless monitoring service to Lowe's Iris smart home system originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: Samsung Is Betting Big on Flexible Phones

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5960408/wsj-samsung-is-betting-big-on-flexible-phones

We've known for a while that Samsung is readying phones with flexible screens. Now, though, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that it's pushing forward with the concept more quickly than ever, in order to avoid being beaten to the finish line by other firms.

The new phones simply swap plastic for glass in the screen. The OLEDs you find in plenty of other displays can be put on flexible materials—like metal foil—which then makes it possible to create a device which is both unbreakable and bendable.

Samsung hasn't told the Journal how much it's invested in the new bendy phones. However, it points out that it has been spurred along by growing innovation in the display market, from the likes of LG and Sharp. Seems that's enough to rush out a bendy phone as soon as possible.

Which is just what it plans to do. The Journal reports that a "person familiar with the situation" told it that devices will be released in the first half of 2013. Bendy phones for all!

But that raises a fine question: who the hell wants a bendy phone anyway? Aside from plenty of gimmick value and the ability to flex when squeezed into the pocket of your tightest pants, it's not obvious what it adds to the user experience of a phone. Is a bendy phone something you want in your life? [WSJ]

Image by Samsung

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Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/elliptic-labs-develops-touchless-gesture-control-for-windows-8/

The rise of touchscreen Windows 8 PCs isn't a happy occasion for anyone who's been carefully keeping PC screens clean: years of slapping wayward hands have been undermined by an interface that practically begs us to smudge up the display. While we suspect it's really aiming for ease of use, Elliptic Labs may have heard that subliminal cry for cleanliness while producing its new Windows 8 Gesture Suite, a touchless control system built for a very touch-focused platform. The company's newest take on ultrasound control can pick up 3D hand motions near the display and invoke all of Windows 8's edge swipes and scrolling without the extra effort (or grease) of putting skin to screen. The method doesn't need a one-to-one map of the screen and can work even in pitch darkness, which leaves adoption mostly dependent on hardware support rather than any wary users -- despite immediate availability for the SDK, PCs need extra microphones and transducers to drop the touch layer. If computers with the Gesture Suite arrive in the hoped-for 12 to 14 months, though, we can get back to obsessing over a fingerprint-free LCD while saving some physical strain in the process.

Continue reading Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Software

Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/visa-v-me-beta-ends-53-banks-23-retailers/

After roughly a year since its unveiling, Visa's digital payment platform V.me has emerged from beta with support from a total of 53 banks, including PNC and U.S. Bank, and 23 retailers. If V.me has escaped your memory thanks to the proliferation of electronic payment options, you'd be forgiven. For those in need of a refresher, the service lets users check out at participating online stores using a one-click solution that remembers credit card details from multiple providers (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa) in addition to billing and mailing addresses. Visa's Global Head of eCommerce, Jennifer Schulz, told TechCrunch that the firm is planning on making mobile apps and bringing the service to checkout terminals next year. How does the company plan on standing out from the sea of options? Visa's banking on its brand-name and ability to spread the service far and wide. If V.me has piqued your interest, leap past the break to catch the full list of supported banks and retailers.

[Image credit: Philip Taylor, Flickr]

Continue reading Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Internet

Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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