Researchers have devised a method that allows them to study neurological activity in moving animals. At first glance this might now seem like a big deal, but it could be the catalyst of some major neurological discoveries in the future, and a lot of the thanks can go to the PC game Quak 2.

While scientists have a general understanding of the brain, what has alluded them is researching single neurons and how they work when being used. The problem with tracking individual neurons is that when the head is in movement, the neurons are all over the place. Thus, making it impossible to study each neuron specifically.

A Princeton neuroscientist, David Tank had this to say about their research, “One of the major research areas of neuroscience is the development of techniques to study the brain at cellular resolution”

In order to be able to study the neurons of mice, they devised a contraption where the mouse’s head could be still while firing the neurons off. A styrofoam fall being kept up with a pocket of air acted as a treadmill where the mouse could run without moving his head. Then a virtual maze was created using the Quake 2 mod, and presented to the mouse. At the end of the maze the mouse would be award.

Here’s a video of the experiment:

Ads, it’s a four letter word to some. You’d think that ads carry some form of plague as much as people try to avoid them. DVR, ad blockers, all serve to quench our thirst for a non-ad world. Hold on a second, what if the ads that were shown to you related to things you enjoy in life. For instance, if you enjoy fighting games what’s wrong with an ad popping up showing off the new Tekken game releasing.

Well, according to this study you don’t even want targeted ads. The study involved two universities who surveyed asked a variety of people if they want targeted online ads. Sixty six percent of the people surveyed they don’t want ads that are targeted to their lives. They were then asked if ad vendors ought to display targeted ads based on tracking customer’s behavior…86% said no.

This survey debunks the constant assurance that marketers are giving people what they want with behavioral targeting. Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the FCC has said the survey could potentially lead to new privacy laws. Below are some fun facts from the survey which hopefully enlighten the right people to show what people really think of behavioral advertising.

- 35% of the respondents company execs should face jail time if they use people’s information illegally

- 18% believe the practice should put companies out of business.

New Features Compliment the ThinkPad x200

The ThinkPad x200 has been around for a while. It is the classic boxy, unglamorous and straightforward business work machine—devoid of the frills, thrills, and fancy features that characterize its cousins. Lenovo recently announced that they are launching changes in next generation of X200s and T400s that add a bit of flair to the machine.

The ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC will get an upgrade to its touchscreen. Now, X200 users who purchase the optional touchscreen will be able to use a variety of touches to control their input. Two-finger touch, touch zoom, tapping, flicking, and pinching are all recognized by the touchscreen, and bring a new level of versatility to the device’s capability. Since touch technology has evolved to a new level, ThinkPad’s Sam Dusi remarked that “now [is] the right time for multitouch screens on PCs.” Since most PCs are not yet utilizing touchscreen technology yet, he may just have a point. While Apple’s MacBook touchpad and iPhone (or iPod Touch) are basically bristling with the technology, bringing it into the personal computer side of things may be helpful.

A few additional upgrades to the X200 include an extra-bright screen option for ease of viewing in direct sunlight. The screen also gets a specialized coating, which hides fingerprints and maintains a crystal clear display for the screen. With a boost in battery power, Lenovo is claiming that X200 users can get nine hours of battery life off a single charge, which is a helpful feature for the X200 clientele that includes largely sales personnel, health care, education, and other mobile professionals.

The powerful ThinkPad T400 also utilizes the advanced touchscreen technology. These computers now boast four-finger touch recognition, allowing them to move and manipulate objects, use two hands on the screen, or even collaborate with another user also touching the screen. They call it “advanced capacitive touch” and claim that the advanced hardware can compensate for touch imprecision, light-touch sensitivity, and other features. Lenovo even thinks that the power of the touchscreens will eventually render the mouse or touchpad obsolete.

“SimpleTap” is Lenovo’s trademark for a new tablet-focused technology that adds simplicity and customizability to the touchscreen. SimpleTap launches with a mere double tap anywhere on the device’s touchscreen. The double tap brings up a series of tile-like buttons that can open applications, go to specific websites, turn on the camera, turn off the computer, or other hardware functions. The tiles are completely customizable, meaning that within three quick taps, users can immediately access information or programs in a way that saves time and effort.

A Billion Bucks For Start-up Tech Firms Going Green

Backed by the success stories of Sun Microsystems and empowered by his billions of dollars in capital, Vinod Khosla is at it again. He’s pouring a billion bucks back into Silicon Valley to make the world a bit greener, technology a bit more progressive, and maybe his wallet a bit fatter.

Just yesterday, Khosla Ventures announced that they have raised $1.1 billion for two funds. Vinod Khosla’s venture-capitol firm has solicited funds from outside tech investors and from public sources for a major influx of money into exclusively green technology projects. It is the biggest dedicated fund of its kind in the last three years. This is received as good news for the reviving tech sector as well as for environmental technology research, which Khosla predicts will be big in the years ahead.

Both funds are focused on green tech research as well as IT startups with a focus on innovation and environment. The first fund, the larger of the two, consists of nearly $800 million. The goal of this “Khosla Ventures III Fund” is to aid the traditional pursuits of solar power, biofuels, energy efficiency, renewable batteries, and similar research. As Khosla himself remarked, it’s for “almost anything that can be made renewable, sustainable, more efficient and cheaper.” The money will flow toward research-focused firms which are in their early stages or mid-stage of research. One fourth of this fund was filled by CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System), which boasts the biggest public pension fund nationwide. Sheeraz Haji, who advises green tech research, regards this as a good omen for the future of the fund: “the fact that an investor like CalPERS is stepping up is a good sign.”

The other side of the fund, $250 million worth, is not for your traditional technology. It’s for the wilder side of green research, the kind that Khosla describes as firms who will “take risks that nobody else will take.” Khosla is one to take risks, which is part of the reason he is so successful. But clean tech start-ups which are commonly regarded as too pricey and too risky for investors, are just the kind of start-ups that Khosla wants to empower. He describes the investment strategy as an old-school strategy with a new-world focus: “This is the 1980s style of venture capital — real technical risk with small amounts of money and small teams.” And, while some of the money may get spilt along the way, that’s part of investing, according to the experienced investor himself, who said, “We will often invest in things that have a high probability of failure.”

Violent video games are a hot button issue in this country. Just what effects do they have on our youth, and are they propagating a more violent culture? While the debate rages on, and ratings become more important the issue has really taken off in Venezuela. The lawmakers in the South American country are looking to pass a law that would ban violent video games in the country.

In the capital city of Caracas, crimes occur in droves. Sometimes for something as small as a cell phone. The figures of how many murders there are have been under debate. Many believe that Hugo Chavez has exaggerated the figures so that he can rush laws he deems important into conception.

The ban against video games is a perfect example of Chavez using these statistics. The bill hasn’t been passed yet but there’s a good chance that it will. In order for it to become law, it has to pass two votes in the National Assembly. If it makes it through that step, then all that is left is for Hugo Chavez to sign it.

[via: Reuters]

Everyone grab your noise makers, Wikipedia has hit another milestone on it’s way to cataloging all knowledge. It has been eight years since Wikipedia made it’s mark on the world, and here we now sit at 3 million articles. If you don’t like doing math, Wikipedia averaged 1,027 entries a day going into it’s eight year anniversary.

So, what topic was the 3 millionth? It concerns a Norwegian actress by the name of Beate Eriksen. She has appeared in a few soap opera roles, and curiously enough she married one of the actors on the show. It’s quite an interesting story actually…but I better get back on topic.

Over 10 million registered users have taken party in the project thus far, and more than 17 million pages have been created as a result.

Without further adieu, Happy Anniversary Wikipedia!!