Kit turns kiddie art into robots

19 hrs.

John Roach

Got kids who are?into arts and crafts but robots not so much? A kit that helps your kiddos turn their artistic creations into moving, sensing robots might help. No technical expertise required.?

Turn that cardboard dragon, for example, into one that gnashes its teeth at anyone who passes by. Or a static horse made of foam core into one that dances.

The idea behind the $199 Hummingbird kit is to hook young kids, especially middle school girls, on robotics at a time when they are known to express interest in them.?

If girls are hooked at a?young age, more may pursue careers in robotics as adults, the thinking goes.

Studies indicate that robo curiousness plummets among girls by the time they enter high school, according to Carnegie Mellon University?s Illah Nourbakhsh, whose lab developed the kit.

The kits are sold through CMU spinoff company BirdBrain Technologies.

Hummingbird differs from robotic kits available at toy stores where the focus is on building a specific robot; rather it comes with a control board along with lights, sensors, and motors that you use to roboticize your art project.

This incorporation step is thought to make robotics more?meaningful and useful to the user.

While the ?unboxing video? below is probably a turn-off for young technophobes, it does give parents plenty of detail on what they get for their money.

Programming is done with a ?free, easy-to-learn, drag-and-drop environment that requires no prior experience,? according to?Carnegie Mellon University.

For an example of a finished result, check out the dragon in the video below.

John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/technology/futureoftech/kit-turns-kiddie-art-robots-873998

islands joe flacco 2013 nissan altima masters par 3 contest google augmented reality glasses wonderlic test texas tornado

White rot fungus boosts ethanol production from corn stalks, cobs and leaves

Public release date: 11-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves rather than corn itself to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called "corn stover" to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the ACS' journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Yebo Li and colleagues explain that corn ethanol supplies are facing a crunch because corn is critical for animal feed and food. They note that the need for new sources of ethanol has shifted attention to using stover, which is the most abundant agricultural residue in the U.S., estimated at 170-256 million tons per year. The challenge is to find a way to break down tough cellulose material in cobs, stalks and leaves so that sugars inside can be fermented to ethanol. Previous studies indicated that the microbe Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, known as a white rot fungus, showed promise for breaking down the tough plant material prior to treatment with enzymes to release the sugars. To advance that knowledge, they evaluated how well the fungus broke down the different parts of corn stover and improved the sugar yield.

Treating stover with the white rot fungus for one month enabled them to extract up to 30 percent more sugar from the leaves and 50 percent more from the stalks and cobs. Because corn leaves are useful for controlling soil erosion when left in the field, harvesting only the cobs and stalks for ethanol production may make the most sense in terms of sustainable agriculture, the report suggests.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 11-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves rather than corn itself to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called "corn stover" to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the ACS' journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Yebo Li and colleagues explain that corn ethanol supplies are facing a crunch because corn is critical for animal feed and food. They note that the need for new sources of ethanol has shifted attention to using stover, which is the most abundant agricultural residue in the U.S., estimated at 170-256 million tons per year. The challenge is to find a way to break down tough cellulose material in cobs, stalks and leaves so that sugars inside can be fermented to ethanol. Previous studies indicated that the microbe Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, known as a white rot fungus, showed promise for breaking down the tough plant material prior to treatment with enzymes to release the sugars. To advance that knowledge, they evaluated how well the fungus broke down the different parts of corn stover and improved the sugar yield.

Treating stover with the white rot fungus for one month enabled them to extract up to 30 percent more sugar from the leaves and 50 percent more from the stalks and cobs. Because corn leaves are useful for controlling soil erosion when left in the field, harvesting only the cobs and stalks for ethanol production may make the most sense in terms of sustainable agriculture, the report suggests.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/acs-wrf071112.php

pi day monta ellis election results wiz khalifa taylor allderdice mixtape reggie wayne taylor allderdice vincent jackson

Many Wall Street executives say wrongdoing is necessary: Survey

(Reuters) - If the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes were to go out with his lantern in search of an honest man today, a survey of Wall Street executives on workplace conduct suggests he might have to look elsewhere.

A quarter of Wall Street executives see wrongdoing as a key to success, according to a survey by whistleblower law firm Labaton Sucharow released on Tuesday.

In a survey of 500 senior executives in the United States and the UK, 26 percent of respondents said they had observed or had firsthand knowledge of wrongdoing in the workplace, while 24 percent said they believed financial services professionals may need to engage in unethical or illegal conduct to be successful.

Sixteen percent of respondents said they would commit insider trading if they could get away with it, according to Labaton Sucharow. And 30 percent said their compensation plans created pressure to compromise ethical standards or violate the law.

"When misconduct is common and accepted by financial services professionals, the integrity of our entire financial system is at risk," Jordan Thomas, partner and chair of Labaton Sucharow's whistleblower representation practice, said in a statement.

The survey's release comes as the fallout from Barclays PLC's (BARC.L) Libor-rigging scandal continues and other banks including Citigroup Inc (NYS:C), HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA.L), Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS.L) and UBS AG (UBSN.VX) await the outcome of an industry-wide probe.

(Reporting By Lauren Tara LaCapra; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/many-wall-st-execs-says-050334637.html

nfl power rankings week 12 nfl power rankings week 12 brine turkey brine turkey uc davis super committee walmart black friday ad 2011

How You Can Easily Attain Optimal Thermal Comfort in Your Ottawa ...

Thermal comfort is a wonderful sensation you'll feel inside your home when your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system's temperature settings are just right. As defined by TheFreeDictionary.com, thermal comfort is primarily the practical condition of the body by which the superficial and deep tissues receive and sustain a certain amount of heat. The HVAC system plays a huge role in guaranteeing a person's thermal comfort.

Ottawa, Ontario is known for hot and humid summers which can get muggy and uneasy as temperatures supposedly increase to 30 degrees C or 80 degrees F. Winter, meanwhile, can be utterly frigid, with temperatures dropping to as low as 30 degrees or 22 degrees F. Ottawa homeowners are encouraged to get an effective HVAC system so that they can stay relaxed all year long. Obtaining the ideal heating and cooling systems naturally means picking a reputable HVAC business to install them.

There are quite a number of providers in Ottawa that install heating and cooling systems; the ideal technique to narrow down your selections is to get recommendations. Requesting for recommendations shouldn't be too complicated because, most probably, you are acquainted with someone who has an HVAC system set up in his house or office. You could even examine your local listings and also read client assessments online.

When hiring a provider to set up the kind of HVAC Ottawa locals can rely on, make certain that the folks you are working with are qualified to carry out the task. Check if their staff have Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) licenses to ensure that they follow the most stringent protection standards. Experience is definitely a benefit, so it is recommended for home owners to check how long the business has been serving clients. You should also examine the quality of the supplier's customer care capabilities.

To ensure that you come across the sort of heating system and air conditioning Ottawa customers will definitely find useful, select a company that delivers the most impressive customer care. Not a few contractors offer thorough upkeep programs to ensure that your HVAC system will last longer. They must also provide 24-hour service in case of emergency scenarios.

By selecting a company that offers the type of services for heating and air conditioning Ottawa residents require, you may be certain that the level of thermal comfort you're looking for will certainly be satisfied. These companies also properly build the structures that can produce huge savings in utility expenses. You may find more related details about HVAC systems on the following web sites: hvacrinfo.com/ and homeiswherethehealthisblog.com/2012/02/how-to-maintain-your-hvac-system.html.

For more details, search air conditioning Ottawa and HVAC Ottawa in Google for related information.

This article has been viewed 12 time(s).

It is a violation of our terms and conditions for writers to submit material which they did not write and claim it as their own. If this article infringes on your copyrights, you MUST either call us at 706-866-2295 or send proof of infringement along with the offending article's title, URL, and writer name to

IdeaMarketers.com
Attn: Marnie Pehrson - Copyright Concern
514 Old Hickory Ln
Ringgold GA 30736 USA
If you email us or use our problem submission form, we CANNOT guarantee we'll receive your notice!

Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3387959

pollyanna samuel adams snowy owl one for the money 10 minute trainer sarah burke death etta james funeral

Video: Capitol Hill Showdown on Taxes

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48133984/

tropic thunder carnie wilson missing reese witherspoon pregnant billy joel bent new york jets

The Only Way to Debate Health Care: Pop Culture References

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/only-way-debate-health-care-pop-culture-references-141350167.html

j r martinez j r martinez long island serial killer wizard of oz jeff green saturday night live aortic aneurysm

Carly Schwartz: Happy First Birthday, HuffPost SF!

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago, HuffPost SF went live.

We weren't exactly sure what to expect. But San Francisco has had a busy 365 days.

We elected a new mayor, who had actually already been our mayor for quite some time. We lost one major sports team, but we gained another. We welcomed an influx of tech companies eager to relocate within our borders. We watched our new sheriff quickly fall from grace. We really pissed off our friendly neighborhood nudists. We buckled under the weight of Obama's war on weed. We braced ourselves for the America's Cup. We protested. And protested. And protested some more.

It's been a thrill and a joy to watch the story of our zany, glorious city unfold for the past twelve months. It's been a challenge to then bring the most important pieces to life for our readers.

And it's a challenge we've embraced in the most HuffPost of ways. We live-streamed the mayoral debates. We used our scrappy, sneaky skills to peek inside Twitter's new headquarters. We made a local blogger's blood boil with our assessment of the Mirkarimi scandal. We got in a little trouble from headquarters for posting a full-frontal slideshow of a nudist demonstration (sorry, guys). We covered the medical marijuana crackdown from all angles. We let our readers weigh in on the America's Cup using the debate tools. And we live-blogged the Occupy movement from our smartphones until our thumbs had blisters.

None of our work would have been possible, however, without our muse: The amazing City by the Bay, the most magical metropolis the world has ever known.

A friend recently asked me if I'd ever consider moving back to New York. "I would," I said. "If I didn't love San Francisco more than I've ever loved another human."

("Well put," he replied. "Kinda f*cked up, but well put.")

Last July, on the eve of our launch, I penned a little ode to my great love, outlining a few of the reasons I find San Francisco so inspiring and enchanting.

I've been lucky enough to add some new reasons to that list over the past twelve months: Dancing aboard a refurbished 1970s schoolbus in the Panhandle. Finally making it all the way up Haight Street on my bike. Drinking hot toddies with my favorite local musician at Jack Kerouac's old haunt. My fifth consecutive Outside Lands festival. The view from Tank Hill at night.

But this website isn't about me. It's about our community of readers who help create the city's beautiful nuances. So to commemorate our first year of coverage, I asked my friends to tell me why they, too, believe San Francisco is the greatest place on earth.

Their stories are below. We hope you'll share yours with us as well. Cheers to a wacky, wonderful year in our wacky, wonderful world.

• "I like to think that I could live in anywhere. But of course that's assuming that everywhere has utopian environs, a commitment to social justice, the Castro and the best food in the universe." <em>- Robin Wilkey</em>

• "Because people here don't just say, 'I live in the best place on the planet.' They actually do something about it. There's a spirit of possibility here, stretching from all the way from the gold-plated dome of City Hall to the dingy basement where a handful of dreamers are giving the next world-changing art movement or tech company a stupid name they'll later regret, that says, 'We can do anything we set our minds to (except electing a Republican to anything).' Do these things fail sometime? Of course. Do they succeed more often than that? Hopefully. If our big/dumb/silly/tragic human experiment is about one thing, it's about celebrating the possible. If we're not doing that, all we're doing is admitting to ourselves that existence is nothing more than running out the clock. And there are no place I've ever been where that spirit of possibility is more tangible than in San Francisco. Also, you can wear the same outfit (jeans, t-shirt, light jacket) every day of the year. Take that, seasons. We're too hip for you." <em>- Aaron Sankin</em>

• "Because you can walk its span in one day, see water on both ends, and in between is everything you could ever ask for: Great music, great food, great people." <em>- Sarah Medina</em>

• "The food!" <em>- Elysha Rom-Povolo</em>

• "Because of its insatiable appetite for risk and its bottomless tolerance for failure." <em>- Andrew Sotzing</em>

• "Because the blue-haired, glitter-faced, raver chick waiting in line with me at the bathroom is also the CEO of her own successful start-up. And she has a food blog." <em>- Cory Rae Shaw</em>

• "Because every time I am on a plane that is descending into SFO my body starts to shake as I understand the massive beauty which surrounds us. Cause ten minutes after hopping on the highway from the Mission, I can be seen driving through a dense fog on a twisty cliff-side road at 5 o' clock on a Tuesday with a pal and feel like a lunatic for having plans to get in that water (to surf). Because we have our own unique definition for the seasons." <em>- Rick Swette</em>

• "The number of days I can spend sitting in one of our beauitful parks reading and/or hanging with friends all the way from coffee time til beer time. Walking down Valencia Street and (after running into a friend or two) and being able to buy a cool tank top off of a hanger on a wire fence for $2. The urban-natural juxtaposition (Is there anywhere else on earth like it?)." <em>- Maggie Jack</em>

• "The entrepreneurial spirit is everywhere, even in the consumption of spirits. San Francisco's bars close at 2am. So what do we do? Start our own bars! There's a quite a speakeasy scene in SF, where you can dance or mingle in underground warehouses and private rooftops until long after last call." <em>- Josh Constine</em>

• "When City Life gets you down in the grumps, you can escape within minutes to the most beautiful scenery in the world." <em>- Zach Dean</em>

• "1) The air smells of sesame oil. 2) In New York your office makes you smoke cigarettes out on the rooftop. In SF, they make you do yoga. 3) Every weekend there is an opportunity to wear a costume. 4) You can go out on the town and get laid dressed in a Garfield t-shirt." <em>- Dan Abramson</em>

• "Because of that moment when you're heading up a hill so steep it looks like the world will drop off on the other side and you crest over the top to face a beautiful view of the Bay... and realize there's 20 other streets like that in the city. Because there's a neighborhood for everybody, whether you're straight or gay, young or old, bro or hipster. Because there's literally hundreds of cities around the world that are trying to figure out how to foster the innovation that exists here, but nobody's figured out how to replicate a culture that evolved from a eclectic combination of the gold rush, the Grateful Dead, Stanford University and an enormous earthquake. Because I wasn't born here, but I can't imagine dying anywhere else." <em>- Will Hamlin</em>

• "No place on earth makes it so easy to be me. That, and porchetta sandwiches from the Ferry Building." <em>- Anna Barrera</em>

• "Even though it's a big city, it still feels like a small town. I love how often I run into friends around town." <em>- John Terenzio</em>

• "Because even though I grew up here I feel like I'm discovering new things (new restaurants, crazy events, fun bars) every week. To provide an example, did you know there's a <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sfbulldogs/" target="_hplink">meetup of all the English bulldogs</a> in San Francisco every 3rd Saturday at the beach? I'd say we pack a lot of awesomeness into the 7X7." <em>- Frank Bauch</em>

• "Dungeness Crab Season. The California way of life in an urban setting, and the friendliness of residents. The Giants. And the fact that its comforting at times to be wearing full winter gear in August. We get sun all year round. Who doesnt like the feel of a good sweatshirt?!" <em>- Kellan Hori</em>

• "It's a place where you can try on different lives like pairs of shoes. A place where freedom of expression is not just a law; it is the way. Novelties like the amazing food, consistently temperate and often amazing weather, and thriving young cultural happenings are just the icing. What makes this city grand is how it works through you sometimes slowly, sometimes at the speed of the Internet, to shape your core experience that is your life. While here, you truly are 'going to San Francisco.'" <em>- Pablo Veracruz</em>

• "Because it can be grey, foggy, cold and windy for days, testing you to see if you're worthy. You're ready to pack up and head for warmer pastures and then something happens. Whether you're driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and the sun is shining just right on this stunning city, or you get a few hours of heat and sun (and you can pull off the leggings and the cardigan), or you are biking through heavy traffic down Market and a 3-piece band on the sidewalk serenades you for a block - something happens that makes you melt and you fall back in love all over again." <em>- Rebecca Pariser</em>

?

Follow Carly Schwartz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlicita

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carly-schwartz/happy-first-birthday-huffpost-sf_b_1663767.html

jim mora the weeknd echoes of silence gio gonzalez san francisco fire patti labelle the weeknd the weeknd