Sunday Reads 7/2/10

1. NASA, GM take giant leap in robotic technology. These robots can work side by side with people, for example assisting NASA astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants.

I won’t mind robots doing dangerous jobs but if they start building cars, won’t that be taking away bread and butter jobs and increase unemployment?

2. Ultra-precise quantum-logic clock puts old atomic clock to shame. The quantum-logic clock, which detects the energy state of a single aluminum ion, keeps time to within a second every 3.7 billion years. The new timekeeper could one day improve GPS or detect the slowing of time predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

3. How to create an iPhone and android app for $25? You can now create an application for the iPhone and Android platforms with little effort and cash.

4. Dentists to replace drills with plasma jets. Dentists may use cold plasma to destroy the bacteria in future, instead of that fearful drill.

5. Wafer-thin Plastic To Be Battery Technology Of The Future? A wafer-thin piece of plastic that can store electricity… gadgets are set to get slimmer and lighter.

6. What baby boomers want from technology. Boomers show a great deal of interest in purchasing consumer electronics, more than any other age group. Yet they are underserved by marketing initiatives, which mostly aim at younger people. 

7. iPad meges leading technology with hotel operations. The Apple iPad, set to hit stores in March, is already being revered as potentially industry altering technology for the hotel segment.

8. Future Photoshop masking technology. Photoshop PM Bryan O’Neil Hughes shows off some new selection technology that offers better edge detection and masking results in less time.