Technology Update

The development of an invisibility cloak takes another step forward with invisibility in three dimensions:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8574923.stm

Robotics Update

Telerobotics ("avatar" technology) is being developed for use in space:

http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/3433/avatars-in-space

Alternative Energies Update

A small-scale concentrated solar power system that can be embedded in the walls of a building to provide not just electricity, but also air/water heating and lighting:

http://ecogeek.org/solar-power/3106

Alternative Energies Update

Transonic combustion boosts efficiency of gasoline internal combustion engines by 50%:

http://ecogeek.org/automobiles/3105

Alternative Energies Update

Nanocomposites could increase energy capacity of lithium batteries by five times:

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223800317

Computing Update

Researchers take an important step forward in developing self-assembling computer chips:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/self-assembly-0316.html

Artificial Intelligence Update

Recently developed memristors closely match the function of neurons in the brain:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527515.900-electronics-missing-link-brings-neural-computing-closer.html

Robotics Update

The EU is developing a program to develop robots that can learn from observation to make it easy for non-programmers to teach robots skills:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-03/12/amarsi-project-could-see-robots-learn-from-co-workers.aspx

Computing Update

Stacking chips into the third dimension should help carry Moore's Law (and the Law of Accelerating Returns) past 2020:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/news/frame.html?main=/news/news_single.html?id%3D11929

Alternative Energies Update

Tiny (9mm), self-contained solar power system developed:

http://ecogeek.org/solar-power/3095

Alternative Energies Update

Google now has a prototype of a lower-cost solar-thermal mirror which could bring energy production costs down cheaper than coal:

http://ecogeek.org/solar-power/3090

Transportation Update

The commercially available jetpack is finally here!

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/03/09/wheres-my-jetpack-right-here/

and

http://www.gizmag.com/first-commercially-available-jetpack/14423/

"The 200-horsepower, dual-propeller is designed to fly average-sized person for 48 km (30 miles) in 30 minutes on 18 liters (5 gallons) of gas. The newest model can also reach heights of 2,400 meters (about 1.5 miles). Price? $100,000."

I'll hold off until they're tried and true and a lot less expensive...but I want one!

Cybernetics Update

New exoskeleton allows soldiers to carry up to 200 lbs at 10 mph while feeling like he's only carrying an extra 5-10 lbs:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/06/hulc-exoskeleton.html

Alternative Energies Update

A prototype catalyst uses solar power to convert three bottles of water into enough energy to power a home for a day:

http://www.physorg.com/news187031401.html

Alternative Energies Update

Flexible, efficient silicon solar cells made with only 1% the amount of material as traditional solar cells:

http://ecogeek.org/solar-power/3074

Alternative Energies Update

A new nanoscale material can act as both body and battery for electric vehicles, cutting almost 1,000 lbs off the weight of a typical EV:

http://ecogeek.org/automobiles/3072

Artificial Intelligence Update

A new computer program is writing music that rivals that by the great composers:

http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/triumph-of-the-cyborg-composer-8507/

Robotics Update

A number of new robot chefs have come on the scene, capable of cooking on different stoves and preparing thousands of recipes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/24robots.html?ref=technology&pagewanted=all

"The Famen restaurant opened, with two giant yellow robot arms preparing up to 800 bowls of ramen a day. When it’s slow, the robots act out a scripted comedy routine and spar with knives."

Alternative Energies Update

The "Bloom Box" is a new fuel cell that can efficiently convert almost any readily available fuel source into electricity. It's already being tested by a number of large companies, may end up replacing the power grid with individual home fuel cells:

http://www.physorg.com/news186123245.html

Alternative Energies Update

A new Stanford firm is developing nanoparticle coatings to increase the amount of light absorbed by solar cells:

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24623/?a=f

Computing Update

US broadband speeds and market saturation lags behind many other countries. The FCC is proposing a plan to bring 100 megabits-per-second Internet access to home users by 2020:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/021610-fccs-100-megabits-to-the.html?page=1

Although Google is looking at an even higher goal of 1 gigabit-per-second.

Medicine Update

Researchers have discovered how to increase telomere lengths, which could lead to rewinding the clock for aging cells:

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24604/

Alternative Energies Update

IBM has developed a method for creating solar cells out of inexpensive materials using an inexpensive manufacturing process:

http://www.physorg.com/news185093054.html

Computing Update

Energy savings and performance are not keeping up with the Law of Accelerating Returns. This could be a big problem for developing the ever-more-powerful computers needed for developing AI. However, low-voltage computing, while still having reliability issues, could reduce energy consumption by 10 to 100 times:

http://www.physorg.com/news185621560.html