SRI International Digest, #28 Winter 2009

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IN THIS ISSUE

R&D News

     Computing Pioneer Engelbart Celebrated as One Billionth Logitech Mouse Ships

     Twins Sought for Northern California Twin Registry

     Energy from the Ocean: Wave-Powered Generator Holds Renewable Promise

     Imara Raises the Bar on Energy Storage Performance

     On the Hunt for Cyber Bots: New Software Monitors Networks to Neutralize Attacks

     Evaluation of Special Education Programs Under Way

     Analytical Chemistry Used to Tackle Drug Abuse

Events at SRI

SRI in the News

Meet SRI Researchers

R&D News

Computing Pioneer Engelbart Celebrated as One Billionth Logitech Mouse Ships

Personal computing made its world debut on December 9, 1968 when Dr. Douglas Engelbart and his team at SRI gave the first public demonstration of the mouse and other fundamentals of modern, interactive computing. On December 9, 2008, SRI presented a 40th anniversary event in Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University to celebrate what has been called the "mother of all demos".

A crowd of about 1,000 gave Engelbart a standing ovation, recognizing the magnitude of his contributions. Logitech also announced on December 9 it had shipped its billionth mouse.  

Read selected news coverage.

Twins Sought for Northern California Twin Registry

The Northern California Twin Registry, established in 1995 by SRI’s Center for Health Sciences, is seeking healthy fraternal and identical twins aged 18-65, for a study about the effects of opioid therapy. The study takes place at Stanford University’s Department of Anesthesia and requires a one-day commitment. 

Are you a twin? By joining the Twin Registry you can participate in other studies and receive periodic newsletters containing research updates on twin studies. All information is confidential. You will receive compensation for participating in the study, and reimbursement for travel expenses within the San Francisco Bay Area. Call 1-800-SRI-TWIN or e-mail us at sri.twin@sri.com. You can also register online at www.sri.com/twin.

Twins and multiples are uniquely valuable to research on the balance between genetics and environment, and their impact on health. We appreciate the contribution volunteer twins have made to previous studies, and look forward to telling you more about how you can participate. Learn more about why twin studies are important to science.

Energy from the Ocean: Wave-Powered Generator Holds Renewable Promise

The latest version of a novel wave-powered, buoy-mounted energy generator was tested in the waters off of Santa Cruz, California in early December. The generator uses SRI technology that employs a rubbery material to generate "clean" electricity simply by being stretched and allowed to return to its original shape.

The demonstration is part of a program sponsored by HYPER DRIVE Corporation, a Japanese company focused on the development of wave-powered generators around the world.  

In the news

Imara Raises the Bar on Energy Storage Performance

Imara Corporation (formerly Lion Cells) will ship advanced lithium-ion batteries for high-power applications in Q4 2009. Imara's high-power, fast-recharge lithium-ion battery technology, licensed from SRI, offers dramatic improvements in performance. Market applications include power tools, outdoor power equipment, specialty applications, hybrid vehicles, and grid storage.

Imara CEO Jeff Depew adds, "Our batteries will also have a positive impact on our environment, enabling a reduction in smog and carbon dioxide emissions emitted by everything from 2– and 4–stroke lawn and garden engines to today´s fuel-wasting SUVs."  

In the news

On the Hunt for Cyber Bots: New Software Monitors Networks to Neutralize Attacks

Network administrators may enjoy increased productivity thanks to BotHunter—network monitoring software released recently by SRI to identify malware-infested computer hosts. BotHunter revolutionizes network security by detecting machines inside a network that attempt to propagate infections, or which are being remotely controlled by external hackers. BotHunter is available for free download at http://www.bothunter.net.  

Evaluation of Special Education Programs Under Way

SRI now leads the Technical Assistance Center on Outcomes for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children with Disabilities, which measures outcomes of early childhood special education and early intervention programs. With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, SRI's leadership of the Center is part of a five-year cooperative agreement with the University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Research Triangle Institute, and the University of Connecticut.  

Analytical Chemistry Used to Tackle Drug Abuse

Treatment for drug dependency is a priority for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which has awarded SRI a $1.7M contract to continue providing the institute with chemical analyses of synthetic peptides, related compounds, and drugs of abuse. Since 1972, SRI has worked with NIDA to provide evaluations of potential medicines for drug abuse treatment.  

Events at SRI

1/22: Defeating Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

Café Scientifique Silicon Valley is hosted at SRI on the second Tuesday evening of every month (except for December and July). Visit the Café Scientifique website to learn more about upcoming speakers, and sign up to receive event notifications. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab spoke about "Humans in Virtual Environments" on November 11.

Dr. Gary Swan, director of SRI's Center for Health Sciences, talked at the October 14 event about "Aging Independently: Turning the 'Silver Tsunami' Into a 'Golden Tide'".

1/28: From Roman Aqueducts to Silicon Valley: Delivering Clean, Affordable Water to the World

Today's world faces clean water challenges in both the developed and developing worlds: economic growth, disease control, agricultural production, and even geopolitical stability are dependent upon reliable access to water.

On January 28, Business Association Italy America (BAIA)  invites you to SRI in Menlo Park, California to hear how technology experts, the venture community, utilities, and entrepreneurs define the water problem and are vying for innovative solutions.  

SRI in the News

A Software Secretary That Takes Charge

The New York Times

John Markoff reports that intelligent "agents" that quickly learn and adapt to user preferences and contingencies remain a hot item for Silicon Valley companies. SRI, through its Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes (CALO) project, SRI spin-off Siri, and others are addressing this artificial intelligence challenge.

Read the article.

Meet SRI Researchers

Meet ... 

	Melissa Koch, Senior Educational Developer, Center for Technology in Learning
	Rich Mahoney, Director, Robotics Program, Engineering & Systems
	Jordi Perez, Materials Scientist, Materials Research Laboratory

CONTACT US

For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact SRI Digest editor Marty Mallonee at marty.mallonee@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.

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