Hmm, could this be the invisibility cloak everyone is talking about? I doubt it, but you be the judge…

Microsoft Windows, I thought we would never see the end of the era. Microsoft’s newest operating system (OS), Vista might be more advanced than OS’s of the past but in many ways are still the same. According to released inner office documents from Microsoft, it looks like a new OS is in the works. This system is called, Midori.

Microsoft’s key word with their development of Midori is, virtualisation. Almost everything is virtualized these days. At most businesses, especially those that have to manage different computing devices, virtual machines are a god send. Instead of having to service a massive amount of servers on one single computer, the virtual servers could be accessed at any machine.

This idea being used for virtual servers, is what’s inspiring Microsoft’s Midori. They are trying to create a portable operating system that can access various apps on different machines.

Microsoft hasn’t commented on Midori, other than that they have confirmed it is a project they’re working on. As with most of their developments, Microsoft believes that Midori isn’t ready enough to begin commenting on

Anyone who has seen an episode of old-school Star Trek, knows about the communicators. Back in the day, William Shatner would flip up what looked to be a cellphone to talk to Scotty back up on the Enterprise. One hospital has adopted the technology, and so far has saved a lot of man hours with it.

The Hospital Communicator Hangs Easy From The Neck

The communicator system was implemented by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, at the Royal Victoria Hospital Emergency Department. Since its release hospital workers have boasted about its performance, and convenience. Doctors, nurses, and aides all have the device. They have stated that they are spending less time trying to contact others, and have more time for the patients.

I know that this technology is for the benefit of mankind. But I really want one, if nothing more to say than “DAMMNIT JIM I’M JUST A DOCTOR”! (Star Trek nerds know of what I speak)

Last year Bill Gates showed off the Microsoft Surface. The tabletop computer was a pretty big hit, and people began getting into a buzz about the Microsoft Surface. It looks like Microsoft is trying to push the envelope even further, and in a different direction and shape. Ina Fried of Cnet.com blogs about her experience with the Microsoft Sphere, and what it’s all about.

Apparently the Microsoft Sphere has some similarities to the Surface, mainly touch screen capability. Besides that common trait, the Microsoft Sphere and Surface couldn’t be much different. Like the name suggests, the prototype computer is shaped like a sphere. Its’ diameter is 18 inches, and sits up on a pedestal for easy access.

The question that you’re probably asking yourself (because I know I did) is, “Why the hell do we need a spherical computer?” Well according to one of the main developers of Microsoft Sphere for, gaming, maps, and secret messages.

On the gaming side of things the Microsoft Sphere does present some unique possibilities. Imagine how Pong could change, if it were to be played on a 3D spherical surface. Of course there’s got to be more than just gaming ideas on the horizon right?

Well for mapping, the Sphere definitely opens up the possibilities for unique ideas. How about an interactive globe that’s actually shaped like a globe. Or if you’re trying to map video, the Sphere could give you viewpoints that would be hard to present on a flat screen.

If you’re having to give a presentation from a computer, then the Microsoft Sphere opens up more possibilities. With a spherical shape you can keep certain parts of the monitor hidden from certain positions. So if you’re giving a Power Point presentation, you can have notes on the opposite side of the screen which would be blind to viewers.

While some of these ideas seem cool and all, I just don’t see the importance of having a computer be a sphere shape. Games might be more interesting, and we might be get a cooler globe but there seems to be bigger fish to fry at Microsoft. How about a better version of Window’s Vista, or shifting funds to try and establish a larger foothold in the seargh engine business?

Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle is pretty much the only thing I can say after discovering this. I shouldn’t say that I ‘discovered’ as all I did was read an article about it. Anyways, a biologist by the name of Shawn Lockery has been researching how certain animals sense better taste in foods than others. The conclusion has been reached that atleast in worms, the sense is performed through Calculus.

Lockery states the importance of his research, “The more we know about how taste and smell function — not just at the level of primary sensory neurons, but downstream in the brain — the better prepared we will be to understand when the system is broken”

The function that the worm performs for devising where good tasting food is compared to bad is quite simple. Derivatives is a form of calculus that measures the fluctuation of change in something at a certain time. This mathematical process is what is used in the neurons of the worm to determine where certain foods are. Worms are attracted to higher concentrations of salt. So there are two separate neurons in the Worm’s brain that tell it that salt is ahead or if it needs to change direction. To prove this theory, Lockery implanted capsaicin which is a spice found in chili peppers into the worms. For one instance he implated it into the right neuron which tells the worm to continue forward because of higher salt concentration. Then he implanted it in the left neuron, which tells the worm that higher levels of salt are elsewhere so it would change direction. The experiment was a success and has opened up what Lockery hopes to be a better perception of how our own sense work.

The practical uses of this experiment are pretty groundbreaking. If Lockery was able to devise how a worm’s senses work at the most basic level, then it could provide insight into how our own senses work. If this were to happen, we could one day find the direct reasons why some people’s senses are weaker. Or could provide cures or solutions for people which have no senses at all.