The Menlo Briefs

Geek alert! - Have you seen the new Star Trek movie yet? If not, stop reading The Briefs and go see it. It's a great flick! Don't worry, I'll wait... See? This is me waiting... Okay, now that you've seen the movie, you'll undoubtedly want to know more about it. You might be surprised how some of the scenes were pulled off. (Spoiler alert: Some plot details are revealed in this article, so if you haven't seen it you might not want to read the article until you do.) [more]

Wishing I was fishing - As if phishers aren't trouble enough, now it seems that we need also protect ourselves from "vishers", people who call our homes and businesses from companies using spoofed caller ID numbers. Typically they are trying to hide their identities from consumers and law enforcement authorities because they are selling bogus products. [more]

Have you met TED? - The Technology, Entertainment and Design conference (also known as TED) began making videos of its talks available a few years ago, but only in English. Now they've set out to change that -- with your help. They have created the Open Translation Project, which combines crowd sourcing with smart language markup to provide translated and transcribed videos in multiple languages that can be indexed and searched by key words. The cool part is that users can click on any phrase in the transcript of a talk, and jump to that point in the video. Some 300 translations have already been completed in 40 languages -- from Arabic to Urdu. [more]

Smaller, Cheaper Technology - Washington University engineers in St. Louis have coupled a USB-based ultrasound probe technology with a smartphone, enabling a compact, mobile computational platform and a medical imaging device that fits in the palm of your hand. The goal of the project is to train people in remote areas of the developing world on the basics of gathering data with the phones and sending it to a centralized unit where specialists can analyze the image and make a diagnosis. The target cost of the device is $500, just a fraction of the $30,000 price tag for other mobile USB devices. [more]

Vacation Sharing - Traveling this summer? Many of us will be, either with or without our loved ones. How can you bring them along with you? Well, maybe a vacation-sharing tool is what you need. With the help of these tools you'll can document where you've been, share pictures, and even upload videos. Not only will it help others track where you've been and what you've done, but it's a handy way to document your trip for yourself. [more]

The nose knows - The electronic "nose" developed by NASA can detect contaminants within a range of one to approximately 10,000 parts per million. In a series of experiments, the Brain Mapping Foundation used NASA's electronic nose to sniff brain cancer cells and cells in other organs. Their data demonstrates that the electronic nose can sense differences in odor from normal versus cancerous cells. These experiments will help pave the way for more sophisticated biochemical analysis and experimentation. [more]

Resist the urge - Circuit Judge Scott Silverman declared a mistrial in a civil fraud case after being informed that a witness on the stand had engaged in text-messaging while the judge spoke with attorneys during a sidebar conference. [more]

Are you a stupid user? - Have you ever had the experience of pushing on a door and having it not move only to realize that you missed the enormous sign that says "PULL"? How did that make you feel? Did you slink through hoping no one noticed, particularly since you've worked in the building for years and you use this door every day? Did you feel "stupid"? IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! A door shouldn't need a user manual! It's evidence of failed design. The same is true for software! The need for a user manual is evidence of failed design. Come to Menlo for a Taste of how we use High-tech Anthropology^Ž to avoid this common failure of software design.

How do you make Google searches Googlier? - Google may have over 63% of the search market, but its never been one to rest on its laurels. Now, using semantic web technology to leverage underlying data on websites, Google has unveiled new products that will push search in a new direction. [more]

Can you believe what you see? - Magic is cool, it's as simple as that, and Penn and Teller are two of the coolest kids on the block. Reading this article just makes the cool, well, cooler. "People take reality for granted," says Teller. "Reality seems so simple. We just open our eyes and there it is. But that doesn't mean it is simple." What he means is that there are times when -- even when a trick has been explained to us -- we still can't comprehend the cognitive illusions we're seeing. Magicians have been taking advantage of this fact for years. [more]

Spam, Spam, Spam - Researchers at Northwestern University and Yahoo Research in New York have shown that they can distinguish and categorize people based solely on the timestamps of their e-mails. This discovery paves the way for smarter advertisements, spam filters and social networking sites. Of particular interest to Yahoo is the ability to detect spammers. Between 80 and 90 percent of mail sent worldwide is spam. "Any novel way to identify spammers makes a huge contribution," said Jake Hofman of Yahoo Research. "Even if you just reduce it by a small percent, that's a big win." [more]

Mosquitoes better watch their step - Things aren't looking good for mosquitoes this year. In addition to the usual host of deterrents we can now add the ProVector Bt. It may not look like a real flower, but the artificial device sports bright, finely tuned colors and sweet nectar that can lure and kill mosquitoes that potentially carry diseases. [more]

Innovation inspired by Mother Nature - Using cuttlefish as a model, MIT scientists have developed an inexpensive but hi-tech color screen that could be used in a variety of applications. The current prototype is several square inches across but only one micron thick. There are 20 to 30 layers of alternating "dirt cheap polystyrene that doesn't do anything," said Edwin Thomas, a professor at MIT who recently co-authored a paper describing his team's new screen in the journal Advanced Materials, and "responsive" poly-2 vinyl. [more]

Talk to us! - Have a story idea for The Menlo Briefs? We'd love to hear from you, and now it's easier than ever because Menlo's on Twitter! Tweet us at @menloinnovation (no "s"). Not using Twitter? No problem! You can e-mail us at briefs2009@menloinnovations.com.