Media Coverage
May 9, 2008
Addictive protein-folding game
A reporter at the journal Nature tries the UW's new online protein folding game, Foldit. The game lets users manipulate different parts of a protein (amino acid sidechains, beta sheets, and helices) to optimize its 3-D structure. "Overall, I’m hooked," she writes. (Nature blog) [Read more]
May 9, 2008
Questions for Oren Etzioni, professor, computer science & engineering, University of Washington
The Puget Sound Business Journal talks with Oren Etzioni, professor of computer science and engineering. Etzioni's spinout companies include airfare prediction website Farecast, just bought by Microsoft for a reported $115M. (Puget Sound Business Journal) [Read more]
May 8, 2008
Free video game from UW: Wiggling and shaking for science
A group at the University of Washington developed a clever new way to get the public's help with the massive computing challenge of researching cures for conditions such as HIV and Alzheimer's. They created a free, downloadable video game called Foldit that "turns protein folding into a competitive sport." (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
May 8, 2008
Return to the fold
For sheer adrenaline, the UW's new computer game, Foldit, does not match the likes of Grand Theft Auto IV. But for the world's obsessive problem solvers, a three-dimensional Tetris which allows them to help design a new life-saving vaccine seems certain to be a hit. (The Economist) [Read more]
May 8, 2008
Biologists enlist online gamers
A leading protein researcher has teamed up with computer scientists to create an online game for developing useful protein structures. Players will help design new vaccines and make enzymes for repairing DNA in diseased tissues. (Technology Review) [Read more]
May 7, 2008
Hackers will know what you're wearing
American Apparel is placing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on its clothes to improve inventory management. At the trial store, the RFID tags were removed from products at the time of purchase. However, when they expand the program, tags will be left on the purchased items. The UW's RFID Ecosystem project is mentioned. (Networkworld.com) [Read more]
May 2, 2008
How the West was nuked
A growing number of museums and visitor's centers that look at aspects of the West's "atomic past." At the UW, a grad student has proposed to turn the Nuclear Reactor building into a historic site. (Crosscut) [Read more]
May 1 , 2008
Huskies rower Lowell Neal tries to build a better oar
Aeronautical engineering junior Lowell Neal is a rowing renaissance man mixing academics with athletics by looking at ways to optimize the propulsion of the blades. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 28, 2008
Unplugging Bill Gates
Students had the opportunity to listen to stories and advice from the third richest individual in the world last Friday when Bill Gates spoke at Kane Hall for the final stop of his “Bill Gates Unplugged” tour. Several times throughout his presentation, Gates highlighted the UW and its importance to Microsoft and the ambitions of the Gates Foundation. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
April 28, 2008
Drivers ready to pay when Highway 167 "HOT lanes" open Saturday
About 9,000 people have signed up to use the new high-occupancy or toll "HOT lanes" on Highway 167, starting Saturday. For a price, solo drivers can jump out of the clogged general lanes from Auburn to Renton and cruise in the faster car-pool lane along the nine-mile corridor. Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 26, 2008
UW helped nurture computing ideas, Gates says
As teenagers, Paul Allen and Bill Gates wandered the University of Washington campus, trying to pilfer free computer time. They let their minds wander to a future when computing power would essentially be free. Gates, in the final stop of his last university-speaking circuit as a full-time Microsoft employee, told students and faculty at the UW on Friday about what they imagined then and how much of what they dreamed of is becoming reality. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 25, 2008
Gates looks back, ahead
With his father and two sisters watching from the front row, Gates recounted for the overflow crowd the well-known story of roaming the University of Washington campus as a boy with Paul Allen, who would become the Microsoft co-founder, looking for research computers that they could use in off-hours. Gates discussed a wide range of topics during a speech and a question-and-answer period, spanning his interests in technology, health and education. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
April 24, 2008
The new science for treating hearing loss
Host Steve Scher explores new technologies to treat hearing loss. Bioengineer and otolaryngologist Jay Rubinstein talks about his work on processing audio signals for implants in the inner ear. And at minute 44, Richard Ladner and Eve Riskin describe their experimental video-enabled cell phone for the deaf community. (KUOW) [Read more]
April 24, 2008
High-tech armband puts your fingers in control
A novel way of interacting with computers and other gadgets could make twiddling your thumbs a productive activity. Computer science PhD student Scott Saponas is working with Microsoft researchers to develop an armband worn on the forearm that recognises finger movements by monitoring muscle activity. (New Scientist) [Read more]
April 23, 2008
Arranged marriage gets high-tech twist
The rise of cell phones has made long-distance courtships easier. A small 2006 study from a UW researcher in technical communications found that young Indians living in Bangalore used cell phones to get to know partners introduced to them by their parents. (CNN.com) [Read more]
April 22, 2008
To defeat a malicious botnet, build a friendly one
Beating the "botnets" – armies of infected computers used to attack websites – requires borrowing tactics from the bad guys, says UW computer science PhD student Colin Dixon and adviser Tom Anderson. (New Scientist) [Read more]
April 22, 2008
Recruiting friendly botnets to counter bad botnets
New Scientist reports on a University of Washington project aiming to marshal swarms of 'good' computers to take on botnets. (Slashdot) [Read more]
April 22, 2008
Bill Gates: the last word
The Rolling Stones. The Eagles. The founder of the world’s dominant software company. Farewell tours by legends are becoming commonplace. But that last one, featuring Bill Gates, is coming to a close this Friday at the UW. (Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired campus) [Read more]
April 21, 2008
Popcorn solar cell promises to slash cell costs
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an enhanced nanotechology-based manufacturing method that could slash the cost of solar panels. (BusinessGreen.com) [Read more]
April 21, 2008
Researchers map internet 'black holes': Disappearing data to be tracked
Most users run into an internet black hole when the website they want to access won't load or their email seems to get swallowed up in cyberspace. According to UW computer scientists something like that is happening a lot more often, and over much longer times, than anyone ever thought. (Computerworld.com) [Read more]
April 19, 2008
Organizations to host talk on Port of Prince Rupert
Civil engineer Anne Goodchild will lead a discussion of how ongoing development of the Port of Prince Rupert will affect ports and trade flows in British Columbia, Washington and Alaska. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
April 18, 2008
Not elementary
Columnist Brier Dudley writes about the electronic Sherlock Holmes project the UW is leading for the Department of Defense. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 18, 2008
Microsoft acquires Farecast: Seattle travel cost predictor's price tag put at $115 million
Microsoft is the mystery buyer of Farecast. Responding to a Seattle P-I inquiry Thursday, Microsoft issued a statement welcoming the Seattle online travel search startup to the "Microsoft family." Farecast was started by University of Washington computer scientist Oren Etzioni. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
April 18, 2008
Microsoft confirms purchase of Farecast travel site
Microsoft bought Seattle-based airfare prediction and travel site Farecast earlier this month for around $115 million, according to a person familiar with the transaction. Farecast was founded in late 2003 by Oren Etzioni, a computer-science professor at the University of Washington. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 18, 2008
Microsoft buys Farecast
Microsoft Corp. said it's bought airfare prediction site Farecast Inc. Farecast uses a computerized prediction model developed by University of Washington computer science professor Oren Etzioni. (Puget Sound Business Journal) [Read more]
April 17, 2008
UW leading computer study for Defense Department
Computer scientist Pedro Domingos is leading a five-year study by seven universities to help the military process vast amounts of computer information. (Associated Press) [Read more]
April 16, 2008
ISPs meddled with their customers' Web traffic, study finds
About one percent of the Web pages being delivered on the Internet are being changed in transit, sometimes in a harmful way, according to research by UW computer science graduate student Charles Reis. (Networkworld.com) [Read more]
April 16, 2008
25 radical network research projects you should know about
While universities don't tend to shout as loudly about their latest tech innovations as do Google, Cisco and other big vendors, their results are no less impressive. Here's a roundup, in no particular order, of some of the most amazing projects. Number 15 is electrical engineer Jeff Bilmes' Vocal Joystick. (Networkworld.com) [Read more]
April 16, 2008
Of circles and solar cells
Hardly a week goes by these days without a new solar panel technology development in the news. While the approach that materials scientist Guozhong Cao took was not intended immediately to maximize efficiency, it is at its core a method for capturing more light. (Popular Science) [Read more]
April 16, 2008
ISPs accused of tampering with Web pages
About one percent of the Internet web pages are being changed in transit, sometimes in a harmful way, according to UW computer scientist Yoshi Kohno and PhD student Charles Reis. (Techworld.com) [Read more]
April 16, 2008
Researchers, startups talk innovation at Washington Technology Summit
Innovation in Washington state helped build airplanes and software, but now it's taking off into new realms to tackle energy, environmental problems and global health. Technologies to detect cancer and turn waste into energy exemplify the new direction, highlighted Tuesday during the annual Washington Technology Summit in Bellevue. VisionGate's partnership with Eric Seibel, research associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Human Photonics Laboratory, is noted. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
April 14, 2008
Nano 'popcorn balls' increase dye-solar efficiency by 250%
UW engineers have announced an exciting breakthrough in dye-sensitized solar cell technology. Materials scientists studying solar cell configurations discovered that by using a design based on a popcorn ball (tiny spheres grouped into bigger porous spheres), efficiency in cheap solar cells was more than doubled. (EcoGeek) [Read more]
April 13, 2008
Spring-friendly cleaning
Green Cleaning parties are a new concept started by a Montana-based environmental group. While an ingredient in a cleaning product may not be toxic in isolation, combined with another chemical it can become dangerous, said Anne Steinemann, a UW civil and environmental engineer. (The Calgary Sun) [Read more]
April 13, 2008
Farecast sold in $75 million deal
Farecast has been sold in a deal that values the online travel search startup at more than $75 million, according to a source. Farecast, which tries to tell consumers whether airfares will rise or fall on selected routes, was founded by UW computer scientist Oren Etzioni. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
April 11, 2008
Scientists discover black holes on the Internet
You’re pounding the keyboard, double-clicking away, sighing and grumbling, but to no avail: That devilish little hourglass icon refuses to give way to the Web site you’re trying to reach. Ethan Katz-Bassett, a UW graduate student in computer science, and his advisor, Arvind Krishnamurthy, designed a program to continuously search for these strange Internet gaps. (MSNBC) [Read more]
April 10, 2008
Skytap surfaces with UW-spawned cloud computing technology
One Seattle's hottest new startups may be a Pioneer Square company started by a group of UW professors, including Hank Levy, and a graduate student with an especially promising thesis project. It basically rents out virtual test labs in all sorts of configurations, so software developers won't have to set up labs themselves. (Seattle Times: Brier Dudley's blog) [Read more]
April 9, 2008
Internet black holes
Hubble is a system that operates continuously to find persistent Internet black holes as they occur. (Slashdot) [Read more]
April 8, 2008
Iranian-American researcher explores technology frontiers in US
Computer displays that fit into contact lenses, machines that assemble themselves, tools that let a doctor see precisely which of your cells has cancer, and nanodevices that monitor your health and dispense medicines -- these are just some of the projects that Iranian-American scientist and researcher Babak Parviz of the University of Washington is pursuing. (America.gov) [Read more]
April 7, 2008
Microsoft creates 'instant backing band' for singers
Whether you're a frustrated songwriter or a shower-time crooner, you may long to hear your lyrics put to music. New software, from Microsoft Research and UW computer science doctoral student Ian Simon, promises instant musical accompaniment. (New Scientist) [Read more]
April 7, 2008
Bionic contact lens: Imprinted circuitry could one day create lenses that enhance your vision
Tiny electronic circuits and wires embedded into a contact lens that would allow you to see in night vision, zoom in or out on whatever you are focusing on and improve your vision dramatically. It may sound like science fiction, but incredibly, scientists at the University of Washington have already created a prototype. (The (Baruch College) Ticker) [Read more]
April 6, 2008
Self-assembly, science of the future
A Q&A with UW elctrical engineer Babak Parviz, expert in micro manufacturing. (PressTV) [Read more]
April 5, 2008
University of Washington tracking the edge of privacy
We've been told for several years that RFID tags would eventually be everywhere. This isn't the case yet, but researchers at the University of Washington would like to know if the future of social networking could be affected by these tags and check the balance between privacy and utility. They've deployed 200 antennas in one UW building and a dozen researchers are carrying RFID tags on them. (Slashdot) [Read more]
April 3, 2008
A 3-D viewfinder for a shoebox of digital photos
Viewfinder, developed by the University of Southern California, is an intriguing alternative to Photosynth, a project developed in 2006 by Microsoft and the UW. Both automate the proper placement of 2-D digital photographs in a 3-D virtual space. (The New York Times) [Read more]
March 31, 2008
UW team researches a future filled with RFID chips
Some University of Washington students, faculty and staff are being tracked as they move about the computer-science building, with details of where they've been, and with whom, stored in a database. If it seems a bit like Big Brother, that's the intention. The project is meant to explore both positive and negative aspects of a world saturated with technology that can monitor people and objects remotely. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 31, 2008
Conference issues the call: Engineers as a force for change
Engineers Without Borders-USA founder Bernard Amadei called on engineers to be "social entrepreneurs, community builders and peacemakers," working on behalf of people living in poor conditions in the developing world. Donee Alexander, civil engineering PhD student and projects director for the UW student chapter, is quoted. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 26, 2008
Engineering as diplomacy
An op-ed by Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders - USA. The organization was formed out of the conviction that engineers have a leadership role to play in addressing some of the world's most serious problems: contaminated water, poor sanitation systems, expensive or harmful energy sources. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
March 31, 2008
12 rules to boost your brainpower
The Seattle Times reviews "Brain Rules" by John Medina, affiliate professor of bioengineering. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 25, 2008
RFID Update editor's note
Today's top story is the new Washington state law, expected to be passed today, that will make it a felony to skim personal information encoded in RFID tags. The UW's RFID Ecosystem project is mentioned. (RFID Update) [Read more]
March 25, 2008
Arphid watch: Skimming becomes a felony in Washington state
Governor Chris Gregoire made it a felony to skim personal data from RFID cards and documents in Washington state. The UW's RFID Ecosystem project is mentioned. (Wired blog) [Read more]
March 25, 2008
Someday we may be surfing with our eyes closed
Move over, Bionic Man. Electrical engineer Babak Parviz has come up with a nanotech device that Steve Austin would have loved: a contact lens that displays images, letting a person surf the Web, read e-mail, scan a spreadsheet or play a video game, all without using a computer screen. (The Washington Post) [Read more]
March 24, 2008
A high-tech aid for extreme pain
Doctors say a video game called SnowWorld--where players glide through a world of snowy canyons, launch snowball fights watch penguins cartwheel across icy plains--will help burn patients heal. About 10 hospitals in the world use the game. Co-creator Hunter Hoffman is quoted. (The Chicago Tribune) [Read more]
March 23, 2008
Under the needle: Engineers Without Borders building better lives
A conversation about Engineers Without Borders-USA with Susan Bolton, adjunct professor in civil and environmental engineering. This week the Seattle chapter of Engineers Without Borders is hosting 700 members for the group's international conference at the University of Washington. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
March 21, 2008
Developing tools that help disabled students use the Web
The Chronicle interviews computer scientist Richard Ladner. The Computing Research Association recently gave Ladner its A. Nico Habermann Award for advancing underrepresented groups. (The Chronicle of Higher Education) [Read more]
March 20, 2008
Inside the twisted mind of a security professional
Security requires a particular mindset. Security professionals -- at least the good ones -- see the world differently. Which is why Tadayoshi Kohno's CSE 484, an undergraduate computer-security course at the UW, is so interesting to watch. (Wired blog) [Read more]
March 16, 2008
Hidden depths: 3D models from photos
Your March Break snapshots could wind up playing a small role in a big research project: creating accurate 3-D models of structures such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the Great Wall of China. (The Toronto Star) [Read more]
March 16, 2008
UW engineers create 'bionic eye'
UW engineers have created a contact lens with circuitry embedded in the small piece of plastic. KING 5's Roberta Romero reports. (KING TV) [Read more]
March 14, 2008
Heart-stopper: Could hackers hit pacemakers, other medical devices?
Researchers warn that implantable medical devices could be vulnerable to cyber strikes. (Scientific American) [Read more]
March 14, 2008
Playing well with industry
When computer scientist Magdalena Balazinska received a 2-year graduate fellowship, and then a New Faculty Fellowship worth $200,000, from Microsoft Research, the money came with no strings attached.
(Science Magazine) [Read more]
March 14, 2008
MySpace to double its downtown Seattle office space
MySpace is the latest internet giant to set up shop in the Puget Sound area, drawn by the region's pool of talent at Microsoft, Amazon, technology startups, and the UW's computer science program. (The Puget Sound Business Journal) [Read more]
March 14, 2008
Graduate students and American Indian tribes work for biofuel solutions
Eight UW graduate students are working with local American Indian tribes on a research and education program about biofuels in the Bioresource-Based Energy for Sustainable Societies program. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
March 13, 2008
Tracking technology in the corridors of learning
An American university is testing a system that allows participants to follow others' movements around campus. Computer scientists Magda Balazinska and Gaetano Borriello, and computer science doctoral students Evan Welbourne and Travis Kriplean, are quoted. (The Guardian) [Read more]
March 13, 2008
Water supply projected to serve Everett 50 years
Everett and Seattle, two of the region's largest water suppliers, recently used scenarios developed by the UW's Climate Impacts Group to project they will have adequate supplies to serve customers for at least 50 years. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 13, 2008
Heart device hack a shocker
University researchers were able to gain access to what is known as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Computer scientist Tadayoshi Kohno is quoted. (PC World.ca) [Read more]
March 13, 2008
Could your pacemaker be hacked?
Researchers from the University of Washington and University of Massachusetts discovered they could both assume control of the device—potentially causing bodily harm— and glean personal data from the signals. (Popular Science online) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
A heart device is found vulnerable to hacker attacks
To the long list of objects vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, add the human heart. The threat seems largely theoretical. But a team of computer security researchers reporters that it gained wireless access to a combination heart defibrillator and pacemaker. Computer scientist Tadayoshi Kohno is quoted. (The New York Times) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Hackers can attack heart devices
A Seattle computer scientist who helped expose how hackers can mess with electronic voting machines is part of a team that has shown how new, wireless cardiac devices implanted in thousands of heart patients also are vulnerable to electronic attack. Computer scientist Yoshi Kohno is quoted. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Researchers hack defibrillators
A common new technology for monitoring defibrillators is vulnerable to hacking and even to reprogramming that could stop the devices from delivering a lifesaving shock. Computer scientist Tadayoshi Kohno is mentioned. (The Associated Press) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Research: Heart implant could be hacked
A heart defibrillator-pacemaker combination is vulnerable to hacking, a team of U.S. computer security researchers say. The UW's Yoshi Kohno is quoted. (United Press International) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Heart defibrillators implants can be hacked: experts
Implanted heart defibrillators, which automatically shock a fluttering heart back into a normal rhythm, can be hacked from the outside, U.S. researchers report. (Reuters) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Heart devices vulnerable to hack attack
Warning: Not only computers are vulnerable to hack attacks. Our bodies may be, as well. Computer scientist Tadayoshi Kohno, a co-author of the study, is quoted. (The Boston Globe) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Hacking the heart
In perhaps the weirdest computer developments of the year so far, a team of US scientists have managed to hack into a pacemaker. (Nature blog: The great beyond) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Hacking heart devices
An interview with computer scientist Yoshi Kohno on security risks associated with implantable cardiac devices. (CBS radio) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Researchers 'hack' into heart device
In a laboratory test, experts from the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts were able to gather personal patient data. (U.S. News and World Report) [Read more]
March 12, 2008
Seattle and Silicon Valley square off
The online debate over which place is better, Seattle or Silicon Valley, has spun into a gloves-are-off, let's-take-this-outside kind of brawl. The UW engineering school is mentioned. (IDG News) [Read more]
March 11, 2008
Editorial: A long drink of water
The editorial board looks at regional water-management efforts. Seattle and Everett are working with UW scientists to anticipate how climate change will impact long-term water supplies. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 7, 2008
Swallow-able solutions: Pill-sized camera helps detect America’s fastest rising cancer
The tethered capsule endoscope camera, developed by mechanical engineer Eric Seibel, is not only the smallest of its kind, but is also an innovative tool for the early detection of esophageal cancer, which is currently America’s fastest growing cancer. (The Daily) [Read more]
March 5, 2008
UW building was hot, but is it historic?
It's an odd relic — a University of Washington building that once housed a nuclear reactor. Now, a UW architecture graduate student is hoping to preserve More Hall Annex by nominating it to the National Register of Historic Places. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
March 3, 2008
BTW: Your cornea is ringing
Researchers are developing a contact lens that projects images in front of the wearer's eyes—to signal an incoming call, say, or e-mail. (BusinessWeek) [Read more]
March 3, 2008
A chosen place: A diverse community springs out of electrical engineering lab
A look at the diverse group of students in electrical engineer Sumit Roy's Fundamentals of Networking Lab (FUNLAB). (The UW Daily) [Read more]
March 2008
From the labs: Bionic eye
UW researchers built a biocompatible contact lens with electronics and optoelectronics embedded in it. (Technology Review) [Read more]
March 2008
Microsoft's shiny new toy: Photosynth is dazzling, but what is it for?
Photosynth links images to re-create physical environments in a dazzling virtual space. It started as the marriage of a Seattle-based software company and Photo Tourism, the thesis of a zealous 26-year-old UW doctoral student named Noah Snavely. (Technology Review) [Read more]
Feb. 28, 2008
Legislation To regulate RFID technology may be first in country
A Washington state representative has drafted legislation that would make it a felony to steal information from RFID cards, or radio frequency identification microchips. Computer scientist Magdalena Balazinska and PhD student Evan Welbourne comment on the technology. (KIRO) [Read more]
Feb. 28, 2008
Biotech startup PhaseRx wins $19 pledge
Robert Overell, a former venture capitalist at Frazier Healthcare Ventures, has received commitments for $19 million for a Seattle biotechnology upstart called PhaseRx. PhaseRx founders include UW bioengineers Patrick Stayton and Allan Hoffman. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
Feb. 28, 2008
$19 million for biotech startup PhaseRx
Venture capitalists have agreed to nurture PhaseRx, a nascent Seattle biotech pursuing a technique that could help turn off harmful genes. PhaseRx founders include UW bioengineers Patrick Stayton and Allan Hoffman. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Feb. 26, 2008
Keeping a close watch
Students and staff inside the computer science building are under closer surveillance than those in other buildings on campus, thanks to the RFID Ecosystem. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
Feb. 25, 2008
Bridging an engineer shortage
Columnist Jerry Large writes about two programs designed to get girls and black and Latino students interested in engineering. Electrical engineer Eve Riskin started the University of Washington Women's Initiative, in which ten UW women engineering students make presentations to middle- and high-school girls. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Feb. 20, 2008
Art under the microscope
Large-scale beauty is often hard to overlook. But in bioengineer Albert Folch’s lab, a whole new world of exquisiteness is found in what is normally invisible to the naked eye. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
Feb. 19, 2008
RFID Ecosystem project
A pilot project in social networking, which involves wirelessly monitoring people in a closed environment, will commence in March, 2008 at the University of Washington's computer science building. (The Future of Things) [Read more]
Feb. 19, 2008
Seattle has a distinct and remarkable tech ecosystem
A Feb. 18 article in Crosscut argued that Seattle is not "the next Silicon Valley." Computer scientist Ed Lazowska responds. (Crosscut) [Read more]
Feb. 18, 2008
Stormwater runoff ranked No. 1 Puget Sound pollution problem
Stormwater runoff is considered the No. 1 pollution problem for the urban Puget Sound region. The damage and economic costs of stormwater runoff in the Puget Sound region will total at least $1 billion in the next decade, according to a 2006 study by the University of Washington's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. (The Associated Press) [Read more]
Feb. 15, 2008
Wearable tracking tags test privacy boundaries at the U. of Washington
It's 2 a.m. Do you know where Evan Welbourne is? Finding him could be as easy as logging on to a Web page. The graduate student has agreed to take part in a UW experiment designed to explore the myriad concerns with RFID tracking devices. (Chronicle of Higher Education) [Read more]
Feb. 13, 2008
Social networks move into meatspace with 'RFID Ecosystem'
UW students are about to begin a large-scale simulation of a future in which you and your items are tracked by tiny monitoring devices we know as RFID tags. (Wired News) [Read more]
Feb. 13, 2008
Study predicts the 'Internet of things'
Beginning next month, volunteer UW students, engineers and staff will wear electronic tags on their clothing and belongings that will sense their location every five seconds. The information will be transmitted to a database, published to Web pages and used in various custom tools. The researchers said their project is designed to explore the use of radio-frequency identification, or RFID, tags in a social environment. (United Press International) [Read more]
Feb. 11, 2008
Uncle Ben was leader among Asian Americans
Ben Woo held many titles: Architect. King County construction chief. Mushroom expert. Woo, a mechanical engineering alum, died Friday. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Feb. 10, 2008
Retiree flood waits in aerospace wings
Roughly a quarter of the nation's 637,000 aerospace workers could be eligible for retirement this year, raising fears that America could face a serious skills shortage in the factories that churn out commercial and military aircraft. The UW's advanced education in composites and other aircraft materials is mentioned. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Feb. 10, 2008
Benjamin Woo, 1923-2008: Unsung hero championed museum, preservation
An obituary for mechanical engineering alum Benjamin Woo, an architect and community member active with the Wing Luke Asian Museum, Kin On Health Care Center and the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
Feb. 10, 2008
Sparking possible when support cables loosen and sway in wind
Power lines are known to be a fire danger, especially in rural areas thick with brush and susceptible to high winds.Less known is that the cable systems that tie down the power poles may also pose a threat. Electrical engineer Mohamed El-Sharkawi is quoted. (The San Diego Union-Tribune) [Read more]
Feb. 8, 2008
Seattle taps its inner Silicon Valley
Many communities dream of becoming the next Silicon Valley. Seattle is actually doing it. A crucial part of the chemistry is the University of Washington, in particular its computer science and electrical engineering departments. It is fostering the entrepreneurial climate here the way Stanford University does in Silicon Valley. Computer scientists Oren Etzioni and Ed Lazowska are quoted. (The New York Times) [Read more]
Feb. 8, 2008
Engineering the deep: UW students build a human-propelled submarine
While the hunt for Red October is over, a group of UW mechanical engineering students continues to make submarines. They built a flooded submarine, which is propelled and navigated by human power. The project collectively is known as the Human Propelled Submarine. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
Feb. 6, 2008
Pill-sized camera is easy to swallow
Technology developed by UW mechanical engineer Eric Seibel that doctors expect will help detect precancerous cells faster and less painfully also could someday take cameras to parts of the body where no camera has gone before. (The Associated Press) [Read more]
Feb. 5, 2008
'Bionic Lens' Adds Computing Power to Sight
The bionic eye has arrived: engineers have, for the first time, combined a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. (Discovery News) [Read more]
Feb. 1, 2008
2 reports urge big changes in water usage in West
The West is big, growing and thirsty. And it's time for a shift in how water is managed across the West, according to two papers published Thursday in the journal Science. Civil engineer Dennis Lettenmaier is quoted. (The Billings Gazette) [Read more]
Feb. 1, 2008
The 24/7 professor
Technology has revolutionized the way professors work. Civil engineer Alex Horner-Devine describes how telecommuting and an Advance grant lets his family juggle two academic careers. (The Chronicle of Higher Education) [Read more]
Jan. 31, 2008
Drivers needed for tech train
Schools in the United States aren't keeping up with the demand for science and technology professionals. The shortfall is particularly noticeable with regard to women and minorities, who've long been underrepresented in the sciences. The Women in Science and Engineering conferene at the UW this Saturday works to change that. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Jan. 31, 2008
Brutal attack sends builders to their wallets
Roy Larson challenged his construction crew at Harborview Medical Center to match his $100 donation for Ms. J, a Harborview work-study student who was attacked north of the UW. The crew raised more than $3,100 for the pre-engineering student. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
Jan. 30, 2008
Business growing strong with bamboo
It's not just furniture and floors anymore. The bamboo plant is changing the way the world does business. Mechanical engineer Joyce Cooper comments on the environmental impact of bamboo. (NBC Nightly News) [Read more]
Jan. 30, 2008
UW researchers scope out future, create world's smallest endoscope
It's one of the world's smallest devices for probing a human body: a tiny laser scanner the size of a Tylenol, tethered to an optical fiber, used to scope out cancer in the esophagus. It was developed by mechanical engineer Eric Seibel and about 15 collaborators at the UW. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Jan. 30, 2008
Madrona, WRF back Physware
Two UW Engineering spin-offs got early stage financing: Healionics, started by bioengineer Buddy Ratner, and Physware, led by electrical engineer Vikram Jandhyala. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
Jan. 29, 2008
The bionic contact
Researchers have developed a way to combine a flexible contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights (BusinessWeek) [Read more]
Jan. 29, 2008
Bionic' contact lenses may create tiny personal displays
A new contact lens embedded with electronic circuits could be the seed for "bionic eyes" that can see displays overlaid on a person's field of view, researchers say. (National Geographic) [Read more]
Jan. 27, 2008
Tiny camera to replace endoscope
American scientists have made a pill-sized camera as an endoscopy substitute which can discover the warning signs of esophageal cancer. (PressTV) [Read more]
Jan. 27, 2008
Local boy genius makes good
Google “Christophe Bisciglia.” You’ll learn how the 27-year-old Google wunderkind and UW alum, who grew up in Gig Harbor, made the cover of BusinessWeek magazine last month for a breakthrough technological innovation. (The (Tacoma) News Tribune) [Read more]
Jan. 27, 2008
Contact lens with Terminator vision
An electronic contact lens has been developed that will enable maps and videos to be beamed before the wearer's eyes. (The Daily Telegraph) [Read more]
Jan. 26, 2008
Antoni Kazimierz Oppenheim dies
Antoni Kazimierz Oppenheim, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley and a leader in the field of high-speed combustion processes, died of cancer Jan. 12. Former UW Dean of Engineering J. Ray Bowen, one of Oppenheim's first doctoral students, is quoted. (The San Francisco Chronicle) [Read more]
Jan. 26, 2008
Camera in a pill can spot signs of cancer
A "camera in a pill" that can be swallowed whole to check for warning signs of cancer is being tested by American doctors. The capsule measures one quarter of an inch by three quarters, small enough to be comfortably swallowed, and creates a high-resolution colour picture of a person's insides. (The Daily Telegraph) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
Camera in a pill takes picture of insides
U.S. researchers are developing a new, more easily swallowed camera in a pill that offers more than a fly-by view. (United Press International) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
Vision of the future: Researchers build bionic eye
Talk about bionic eyes and most people hearken back to the Bionic Woman or other sci-fi shows. Engineers at the University of Washington, however, say it's not all movie magic fantasy. (Computerworld) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
Pill-sized camera can be swallowed for cancer scan
UW mechanical engineer Eric Seibel has developed a tiny camera that fits inside a pill, with the goal of allowing patients who swallow it to be assessed for warning signs of esophageal cancer. (CBC News) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
Nanotech center provides cutting-edge tools for research
In what people are calling the millennium of the miniscule, the UW will not be left behind. The Center for Nanotechnology, located in Fluke Hall, houses state-of-the-art machinery and experts for research into the microworld. (The UW Daily) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
How to build a bionic eye
UW researchers have created an electronic contact lens that could be used as a display or a medical sensor. (Technology Review) [Read more]
Jan. 25, 2008
New "endoscope on a pill"
A new form of endoscope developed at the UW is more like swallowing a pill than the typical "massive" cable. The pill, complete with a 1.4 mm wide tether, contains a single optical fiber for illumination and six fibers for collecting light. (Slashdot) [Read more]
Jan. 24, 2008
Riders pack bus in record numbers
King County Metro buses handled some 110 million boardings last year, nearly a 7 percent increase since 2006. It is the largest increase in at least a decade, officials said. Civil engineer Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Jan. 22, 2008
Eyeing up a new technology
A “bionic” eye lens developed at the UW points to a completely new way of building microelectronic circuits (The Economist) [Read more]
Jan. 22, 2008
One small step closer to superhuman cyborg vision
UW engineers have pushed our technologically primitive world closer to this Terminator-esque dream of augmented reality: They’ve manufactured contact lenses that contain electronic circuits and red LEDs-and taken pretty sweet pictures of rabbits showing them off. (Discover blog) [Read more]
Jan. 22, 2008
Electronic contact lens debuts
Electronic contact lenses promise to overlay a heads-up display over a user's visual field, enabling tactical information to be seen only by the wearer. UW researchers recently demonstrated the world's first electronic contact lens, complete with integrated light-emitting-diodes. (EE Times) [Read more]
Jan. 21, 2008
Vision of future seen in bionic contact lens
Thumper has seen the future. UW electrical engineer Babak Parviz has created the prototype for a bionic contact lens — recently tested on rabbits — that includes light-emitting diodes, basic wiring for electronic circuits and even a tiny antenna. (MSNBC) [Read more]
Jan. 17, 2008
Bionic contact lens may lead to overlay displays
Engineers have developed a contact lens including circuitry and a matrix of LEDs. Although not yet a working prototype, this may be a foundation for Terminator/RoboCop style overlay displays in which computer graphics could be superimposed on your normal vision. (Slashdot) [Read more]
Jan. 17, 2008
Google rave in Fremont draws a crowd of techies
Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley writes about the grand opening of Google's Fremont Office. Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science, and Brian Bershad, who left UW to run the new Google office, are mentioned. (The Seattle Times) [Read more]
Jan. 16, 2008
To grow an organ
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have made strides in human tissue research by creating a heart that beats outside the body. Bioengineer Buddy Ratner comments on the discovery. (Minnesota Public Radio) [Read more]
Jan. 16, 2008
Perks make Google office hardly feel like work
It's amazing that Google employees can get any work done. The Calif.-based Internet search giant pulled back the covers on a new perk-filled office in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. UW computer scientist Ed Lazowska and Brian Bershad are quoted. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [Read more]
Jan. 16, 2008
Google touts Fremont engineering office, links to UW
A gang of local politicos, venture capitalists, computer science profs and reporters gathered at Google's swank new Fremont engineering office this morning to check the place out. Seattle site director Brian Bershad said the UW and Google share values of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. (The Seattle Times: Tech Tracks blog) [Read more]
Jan. 15, 2008
Google shows off new Seattle digs
Google unveils its second Seattle headquarters, in the Fremont neighborhood. The company was likely drawn to Seattle to recruit UW graduates. UW computer scientist Ed Lazowska and former UW professor Brian Bershad are mentioned. (ITworld.com) [Read more]
Jan. 14, 2008
Growing new hearts from old
Scientists at the University of Minnesota have taken a big step toward making replacement organs with the recipients' cells. Bioengineer Buddy Ratner is quoted. (Technology Review) [Read more]
Jan. 13, 2008
A living, beating heart -- grown in a jar
University of Minnesota researchers grew a rat heart in a landmark effort that may foreshadow the ability to grow tissue to repair organs, or even create organs for transplant. Bioengineer Buddy Ratner is quoted. (The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune) [Read more]
Jan. 12, 2008
Did life begin on a radioactive beach?
Did life on Earth begin on a radioactive beach? That's the claim of UW astrobiologist Zachary Adam, who says that life's ingredients could have emerged from the radioactive sand grains of a primordial beach laced with heavy metals and pounded by powerful tides. (New Scientist) [Read more]
Jan. 11, 2008
Startup could help airlines fly for less
In the aviation industry, where it costs about $120 a minute to operate a commercial airliner, time is truly money. An Albuquerque-based entrepreneur teamed up with aeronautical engineer Juris Vagner to use flight planning optimization software, shaving valuable minutes off commercial airlines’ flight time. (New Mexico Business Weekly) [Read more]
Jan. 8, 2008
Learning from Katrina
Hurricane Katrina can teach engineers a lot about the unintended impact of technology as well as what can be done to prepare for the next catastrophe. In this video, electrical engineer Denise Wilson introduces a series of videos about the lessons engineers can learn from the storm. (IEEE Spectrum) [Read more]