the sniffer

Hi kids

Just dropping a quick note because the news today is all about how IBM and the nano game. Food for thought methinks. Gizmag claims IBM today announced two major scientific achievements in the field of nanotechnology that could one day lead to new kinds of devices and structures built from a few atoms or molecules. Such Lilliputian, atomic-scale devices might be used as future computer chips, storage devices, sensors and for applications nobody has imagined yet. The work will be unveiled tomorrow in two reports being published by the journal Science. In the first report, IBM scientists describe major progress in probing a property called magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms. This fundamental measurement has important technological consequences because it determines an atom’s ability to store information. Previously, nobody had been able to measure the magnetic anisotropy of a single atom.  

And the NY Times is covering it too

Gee I’m so glad I found my password for the blog. It’s been hell without it. Nora and I will be back on Tuesday with regular podcasts. It’s been great having a break but we’re jonesing for y’all.

Cath

 

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In this podcast, Nora Young and Cathi Bond’s vacation update!

Nora chats about the quirky pleasures of Crystal Beach!  Also her trip to Montreal…going to artisanal beer brasseries  Le Cheval Blanc and Dieu du Ciel, and a stop at Quincaillerie Dante (Dante Hardware)

Meanwhile, Cathi went to L.A. to visit her brother and nephew in a Ray Bradbury play.  She also got the snot kicked out of her while boogie boarding! Hear the tortured tale!

 

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In this podcast, Nora Young highlights this New York Times write-up on Adobe’s planned new interactive animation display which will be on a wall in Union Square, in Manhattan. Nora sees it as part of a growing trend towards interactive displays that incorporate ‘virtual’ information into the real world.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond encapsulates Technology Review’s conversation with the creator of Twitter. That sets Cathi and Nora off on a chat about what’s great and what’s not about Twitter, and the future of continuous ambient information.

Plus, a propos of nothing, Core 77 has this look at aromatherapy pencils!

 

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In this podcast, Cathi Bond talks about the hot trend for guys’ fashion: skinny rocker pants, and, as JC Report says, to go with them, taut behinds.

Meanwhile, Nora Young has a supercool do-dad, via Technology Review. It’s called Qwerk! It’s a do it yourself, all in one robot, that designers from Carnegie Mellon University hope will encourage people to hack their robots, or follow the “recipes” included.