Selected News Coverage

SRI International is featured in many press articles and broadcast news segments. The following is a sampling of our news coverage, arranged chronologically. Links are given where available.

Jump to: 2012 |2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | Older Articles

| 2012 |

The Economist: January 7, 2012
One of the Most Depressed States is Going All Out to Attract New Industries
This article about Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s plan to diversify the state’s economy reports that he commissioned a big report by the Brookings Institution and SRI.

Technology Review: January 6, 2012
Cleaner, Cheaper Liquid Fuel from Coal
This article reports that SRI is developing a process that combines coal and natural gas to produce liquid transportation fuels that are substantially cleaner and cheaper to make than existing synthetic fuels. "SRI's process is the fruit of a 2008 solicitation by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeking a cheap, carbon-free coal-to-liquids (CTL) process for producing jet fuel."

| 2011 |

Wired Blogs: December 30, 2011
First Siri, Now Threat Detection: Inside SRI’s Amazing R&D
This article describes how "from botnets to cancer cells, SRI is working on strategies to seek (and ultimately neutralize) that which harms us the most."

Signal Magazine: December 22, 2011
Work on Enhanced Interoperability Underway
This article reports that SRI and Covia Labs will develop the enhanced capabilities for communications devices such as smartphones. "In the long term, the companies plan to design a low-cost solution that features the seamless formation of secure teams across different military and public safety agencies."

SNL Financial: December 20, 2011
SRI Unveils New Process for Making Coal-Based Liquid Fuel
This article reports that SRI researchers have found a new and cheaper way of converting coal to synthetic gas without consuming water or generating CO2. "The process uses natural gas to provide the hydrogen needed to create syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas is then converted to methanol that can be used to make transportation fuels."

International Business Times: December 19, 2011
How Apple's Future Revolves Around Siri
This article reports that Apple has explained its plans to integrate all of its devices such as the iPhone and iPad via "Smart" Bluetooth 4.0, but the brain that will power all of these devices is none other than Siri, Apple's virtual personal assistant found on the iPhone 4S. Siri was born out of a $150 million DARPA-funded artificial intelligence project led by SRI.

International Business Times: December 19, 2011
Siri plays 'Santa's Little Helper' in New Apple TV Spot
This article about a new holiday-themed iPhone 4S TV advertisement reports that Siri was born out of a $150 million project from DARPA and SRI, the largest artificial intelligence project in U.S. history to date. “Siri has driven sales of the iPhone 4S to make the new smartphone one of the most successful product launches in the company's history.”

New York Times, December 12, 2011
Online Learning, Personalized
Learn how SRI is working on a classroom evaluation of math software from Khan Academy.  

Bloomberg, December 12, 2011
Bedbugs' Rampant Incest Colonizes Entire Apartment Buildings, Study Finds
According to SRI's Rajeev Vaidyanathan in this article about bedbugs ability to inbreed without ill effects, "The number of infestations from the insects, which feed only on blood, has grown as much as 100-fold since 1990."

NPR Science Friday, December 9, 2011
Inbreeding To Blame For Bedbug Renaissance
Radio interview with SRI's Rajeev Vaidyanathan, who discusses the latest research about bed bugs.

Chicago Sun-Times, December 7, 2011
Research: Bedbugs Can Thrive Despite Inbreeding
This article about bed bugs' "special genetic gift of withstanding incest," reports that SRI's Rajeev Vaidyanathan, associate director of Vector Biology and Zoonotic Disease, is working on a quick, easy test so people can discover the bugs before they get bitten.

TechCrunch, December 7, 2011
Reed Hastings And John Doerr Put $11M in Adaptive Online Math Learning Platform DreamBox
This press release about DreamBox Learning, an adaptive e-learning platform for students, reports that a recent SRI independent study showed that students' test scores improved by 5.5 percent after having access to DreamBox Learning Math for only 16 weeks.

Bloomberg Businessweek, November 30, 2011
Siri Means You'll (Almost) Never Have to Die
This article discusses how artificial Intelligence (AI) could allow your persona to live forever, and reports that Siri, Inc., an SRI spin-off company, used four decades of DARPA-funded AI research from SRI to build software that can answer nearly anything.

International Business Times, November 30, 2011
Siri: Coming Soon to Apple TV?
This article, about the possibility of integrating Siri into Apple TV reports that the virtual personal assistant, which first debuted on the iPhone 4S, was originally a project co-developed by SRI and the Department of Defense's innovation arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Homeland Security Today, November 21, 2011
Maritime Domain Awareness: Facing the New Threat Matrix
This article reports that, perhaps, the most ambitious attempt to integrate maritime surveillance data is the Smart Integration Manager Ontologically Networked (SIMON) system developed by SRI. The article quotes SRI's Gary Brown, director of the Center for Maritime and Port Security: "SIMON was designed to connect data generated by a variety of maritime security equipment, including cameras, radar and other sensors, in a unified system."

Fortune, November 17, 2011
What Makes Siri so Different? She Gets You
This article reports that, according to Siri's original creators, SRI's researchers, the key to Siri's success is natural language processing.

The Orange County Register (AP), November 16, 2011
Editorial: California Schools Failing Science
This article describes the results of a new study, "High Hopes -- Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California," conducted by the Lawrence Hall of Science and SRI, and funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. The study found that teachers feel unprepared to teach science and that California's elementary schools spend too little time on science in order to focus more on English and math.

Yahoo Finance, November 15, 2011
My Own Private Internet
This article reports that Trapit, a discovery engine for Web content that launched in public beta this week, follows Siri as the second company to sprout from SRI's $200 million CALO artificial intelligence project.

Wired.com, November 15, 2011
Personalized Web Searching from Siri's Sister
According to this article, SRI's spin-off Trapit hopes to provide an alternative way to search the Google-dominated web.

The Sacramento Bee, November 11, 2011
SRI International Report: Missed Opportunities for Innovative Teaching Around the World
This press release announces that a new multinational study led by SRI finds that innovative teaching practices supported by technology can indeed promote 21st century skills such as collaboration and problem solving. According to the release, "SRI's Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) research program, sponsored by Microsoft Partners in Learning and local country partners, examined teaching practices in 159 schools in Australia, Finland, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, and England."

Top Secret Writers: November 9, 2011
SRI International Lists Innovations--And Remote Viewing Is Not On the List
The article reports that SRI is a fascinating research organization with a long and varied history. According to the article, "throughout its long history, SRI really did produce some of the coolest technologies that exist today."

USA Today, November 9, 2011
Economy, Lack of Engineers Could Hinder U.S. Innovation
This article about  innovation in the U.S. features a quote from Curt Carlson, president and CEO of SRI: "This should be the best time ever for innovation in the U.S.," says SRI’s Curt Carlson, CEO and President. "We have an abundance of opportunity in energy, health care, IT, media — all of which are all in transition." 

SFGate.com, October 26, 2011
Bay Area Science Festival Features Fun, Discover
This article reports that science is breaking out all over the Bay Area this week as hundreds of scientists at research institutions, laboratories, universities and high-tech companies go public to show adults and kids alike that the scientific world is exciting, fun and well worth exploring. According to the article, the timing of this event is convenient, as a detailed study, just released by the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and SRI, concludes that few elementary school teachers are equipped to include science in their classes, and that "students do not have the opportunities they need to participate in high-quality science learning experiences."

Contra Costa Times, Study, October 25, 2011
Science Pushed Out of California Elementary Schools
This article describes the results of a new study, "High Hopes—Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California," conducted by the Lawrence Hall of Science and SRI, and funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. The study found that teachers feel unprepared to teach science and that California's elementary schools spend too little time on science in order to focus more on English and math.

Education News, October 25, 2011
Elementary Science Education Under Microscope in New Report
"High Hopes—Few Opportunities' is a two-year study conducted by SRI of science education in California's elementary schools. According to this article, the research shows that while educators strongly believe that science education is important, children in California's elementary schools rarely have the opportunity to engage in high-quality science learning opportunities.

The Huffington Post (AP), October 23, 2011
 Weaknesses In Power Systems Spark Fear Of Science Fiction-Style Hack Sabotage
This Associated Press article reports that computer attacks in recent months highlight the danger to operators of power plants, water systems and other critical infrastructure around the world. According to SRI's Ulf Lindqvist, an expert on industrial control systems, "The situation is not at all as bad as it was five to six years ago, but there's much that remains to be done. We need to be as innovative and organized on the good-guy side as the bad guys can be."

The New Yorker, Tim Cook's iPhone, October 5, 2011
According to this article about the iPhone 4S launch, the event's highlight was the demonstration of software inside the phone called Siri that serves as a kind of personal assistant.

Wired.com, October 5, 2011
The iPhone 4S' Talking Assistant Is a Military Veteran
According to this article, "As it turns out, Siri—the voice-activated data assistant available on Apple's iPhone upgrade — is a veteran. Nearly 10 years ago, Darpa funded a project known as PAL, for Personalized Assistant that Learns." The article reports that it was an adaptive AI program for both data retrieval and data synthesis.

Wired.com, October 11, 2011
With Siri, the iPhone Finds Its Voice
According to this review, "Apple never specified what the "S" stands for in iPhone 4S, and it may as well stand for Siri." The reviewer says that Siri is the reason that people should buy the new iPhone. He shares that Siri "kind of like having the unpaid intern of my dreams at my beck and call, organizing my life for me. I think Siri on the iPhone is a life changer, and this is only the beginning."

New York Times, October 12, 2011
iPhone 4S Conceals Sheer Magic
Columnist David Pogue analyzes the new features in the iPhone 4S. He says that speech recognition is now "crazy good, transformative, category-redefining speech recognition." According to Pogue, "dictation is only half the story — no, one-tenth of the story. Because in 2010, Apple bought a start-up called Siri, whose technology it has baked into the iPhone 4S. Siri is billed as a virtual assistant: a crisply accurate, astonishingly understanding, uncomplaining, voice-commanded minion."

San Jose / Silicon Valley Business Journal, October 14, 2011
SRI a Mastermind Behind Much of the Valley's Technology
This article reports, AAs the iPhone 4S makes its way into the hands of eager customers, a key feature of Apple's latest device is Siri. The voice-activated personal assistant can do everything from read text messages to remind users to pick up milk on their way home from the office."

Forbes: Apples Siri, October 17, 2011
“The Culmination of Steve Jobs' Legacy”
According to this article, Siri suggests the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs managed to define what may be the next and most amazing era in human interaction with computers. “Siri is the culmination of the Jobs legacy,” contends Gary Morgenthaler, a partner at the venture capital firm Morgenthaler Ventures. Morgenthaler was the first VC investor in Siri and was a board member until Apple acquired it, as well as an investor and board member of Nuance Communications, the voice recognition software company whose technology also is used by Siri. Both companies were spun out of SRI.

CNN.com International, October 4, 2011
Apple's Siri Voice Assistant Based on Extensive Research
According to this article about SRI's Siri technology, The iPhone 4S may not look any different from its predecessor, but it is Apple's only model with a sort of robot living inside. The article reports that Siri "let's people bark commands or ask questions to the phone, and it will provide an answer or ask follow-up questions in order to perform a given task."

New York Times, October 4, 2011
Apple Unveils iPhone 4S: Faster CPU, Better Camera and Voice Controls
"One of the most significant updates coming with the iPhone 4S is a new feature called Siri, which enables users to control the device using only voice commands. This functionality is based on technology developed by Siri, a company Apple acquired last year for exactly this purpose."

Greentech Media, August 31, 2011
Will the Transition to Renewables Be Fast or Slow?
According to this article about renewable resources, “Back in the late '80s, only billionaires had cell phones and they were the size of small shoeboxes. Twenty years later, the cellular industry can brag about having billions of subscribers worldwide. Over that same time 25-year span, the gas you put in your car hasn't fundamentally changed.” The article reports that solar and wind combined, only provide 5/1000th of the world's total energy diet, according to SRI's Ripu Malhotra, co-author of the book “A Cubic Mile of Oil.”

SFGate, August 29, 2011
"Carlson's Law" an Interview with SRI International President & CEO Dr. Curtis Carlson According to this interview with SRI's President and CEO, Curtis Carlson, “Though SRI may not have the household name cachet of an Apple, we nonetheless rely on their inventions every day, whether we're watching TV, using a computer, or talking on a mobile phone.” According to Carlson “We think we're going into the golden age of innovation. So I've never seen a better time and, as proud as we are of the things we've done in the past, we really expect to do bigger and more important things going ahead”. The article reports that SRI's CEO is a founding member of the Innovation Leadership Council for the World Economic Forum and was selected to serve on President Obama's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Military & Aerospace Electronics, August 28, 2011
SRI International to Develop Prototype Virtual-Reality Training System for Marine Corps Infantry
This article about simulation, training, and mission rehearsal reports that SRI experts are designing a prototype virtual-reality training system for the U.S. Marine Corps. The prototype is designed to insert virtual actors and objects into computer-generated scenes that each trainee views. According to the article, "SRI International will build the virtual reality training system under terms of a $5.4 million contract awarded Friday by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington, VA."

Infosecurity, August 19, 2011
IT Professionals Fret About Smart Grid Cybersecurity
This article about smart grid cybersecurity quotes SRI's Ulf Lindqvist, program director, Computer Science Laboratory, who identified a number of cybersecurity vulnerability points in the smart grid, including smart meters and power plant control systems. "When you introduce computers everywhere in the grid — in the generation, transmission, distribution, and metering in homes – then you also introduce security risks. Unfortunately, it is very common that when new infrastructure is introduced, security is more of an afterthought." The article cites a survey by nCircle which found that 77 percent of IT professionals are concerned about smart grid cybersecurity.

The Space Review, August 15, 2011
The Evolving Ecosystem of NewSpace
This article about technologies for low-cost access to space describes the "Sticky Boom": a long, deployable boom that has a special electrostatic adhesion material, developed by SRI, that allows the boom to attach to almost anything without the need for special manipulators or grapples.

Aviation Week, August 5, 2011
Mechanical 'Tractor Beam' Wins Prize
This article reports that  Altius Space Machines won the 2011 Heinlein NewSpace Business Plan competition. The award was given  for the extendable "sticky boom" to capture and retrieve nanosats, "technology to enable FedEx-style package deliveries  to the International Space Station." The sticky boom, which uses electrostatic adhesion technology developed by SRI, can grip both conductive metals and non-conductive materials.

Nation Defense Magazine, August 5, 2011
Here's Looking at You: Iris Recognition on the Move
According to this article about SRI's Iris on the Move product line, technologists say the fundamental process of using standoff iris scanners and advanced computer processing to identify individuals moving in crowds is within reach. The article reports, "In a few years' time, clearing security checkpoints or customs at airports could entail walking nonstop through a designated passageway with fellow passengers." According to SRI's Mark Clifton, vice president of products and services, "We have been working for a number of years on developing technology to allow the user to get his iris scanned without having to do anything except keep the eye open."

Menlo Park Patch, August 3, 2011
DARPA Funds Surveillance Robot Project
This article reports that  SRI is researching technology for a smart camera that could replace Army soldiers. According to the article, DARPA awarded SRI a $3,068,155 contract for a project called Visual Intelligence Grounded in Learning, which focuses on developing technologies that would enable the automation of surveillance robots.  "Surveillance in dangerous areas is currently performed by remote reconnaissance teams and advanced scouting patrols who are often risking their lives," said SRI's Hung Bui, a senior computer scientist who is on the VIGIL team.

HPC Wire, August 3, 2011
TeraGrid '11 Keynote Speaker Nora Sabelli Calls for New Ways to Teach Science
This article describes a keynote address at the TeraGrid ‘11 conference by SRI's Nora Sabelli, a senior science advisor. Sabelli said that  the scientific community, along with the National Science Foundation leadership, must rethink how the sciences are taught at all levels by focusing not only on computational thinking but also on modeling. Sabelli also said there's a lack of "commulativity" of scientific knowledge in education, i.e. using more effective learning techniques and processes that leverage new technologies for teaching science to a new generation of students and researchers.

VentureBeat, August 1, 2011
DreamBox Aces Test: Study Shows Edutainment Program Boosts Exam Scores
This article reports that a study released by SRI shows that DreamBox Learning's educational program can be linked to significant gains in standardized test scores. According to the article, "The findings will likely spur discussion about the success of "hybrid" elementary schools, where computers do much of the teaching, as well as the increasing impact of Silicon Valley investment on the public education system."

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, July 28, 2011
Which Valley Defense Contractors Face Federal Debt Threat?
This column lists SRI as one of the top 10 Silicon Valley defense contractors of 2010 and describes the economic effects of defense contractors not being paid due to the government defaulting on its debts. The article reports, "Defense is a $5.4 billion dollar industry in the valley, with 9,837 contracts awarded to 968 companies here in 2010. And while a lot of that money went to companies that make missiles and guns (Lockheed Martin alone accounted for $3.6 billion of it), a not-inconsequential amount went to organizations outside the traditional definition of defense."

Internal Medicine News, July 27, 2011
Sleep Debt Exacts High Price
According to this article about an SRI study of sleep deprivation, the effects of insufficient shut-eye was linked to the development or exacerbation of symptoms of ADHD in early childhood. "We performed two sets of regression analyses to identify whether sleep duration in preschool-age children predicts attention and hyperactivity at kindergarten entry and [whether] attention and hyperactivity symptoms at preschool predict sleep duration at kindergarten", said SRI's Erika Gaylor, Ph.D., Early Childhood Researcher. "These findings suggest that some children who are not getting adequate sleep may be at risk for developing behavioral problems manifested by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and problems sitting still and paying attention."

VEGAS INC, July 25, 2011
We've Heard This Before: Another Report Says Nevada Needs to Diversify Its Economy
According to this report about Nevada's path to economic diversification, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki led a meeting teleconference in Las Vegas and Carson City at which participants received preliminary findings on a report being developed by research groups SRI and the Brookings Institution. After the meeting, Sandoval said he expects the final report—expected to recommend industry clusters compatible to the state's business environment—will provide the framework for the state's plans to overhaul its Economic Development Commission.

VentureBeat, July 23, 2011
Will iOS 5 Take Advantage of Apple's Purchase of Siri Virtual Assistant?
According to this article, Siri technology may be reborn in the upcoming iPhone 5 under the name "Assistant." The article reports, "If this speculation is true, then Apple could have a very cool discovery technology that will help users find what they want more easily and quickly." Siri is a technology spin-out of SRI.

La Segunda Online, July 20, 2011
Stephen Ciesinski Innovation Expert: "Chile is Aware That More Must Be Done" (Note: original article in Spanish)
This article about innovation in Chile quotes SRI's Stephen Ciesinski, vice president, Strategic Business Development, who says that there is an understanding and awareness that the country must to more to advance and compete globally. According to the article, SRI is one of the most recognized organizations promoting innovation and that over the last five it has forged relationships with governments, companies, and universities in more than 30 countries. SRI representatives are now in Chile to advise the School of Engineering at  Universidad Católica on how to create an innovation plan for the faculty.

VentureBeat, July 18, 2011
Mobile Game Discovery Isn't Ready for Primetime
According to this article about VentureBeat's recent DiscoveryBeat conference, its mobile-app discovery panel tapped into the latest thinking on this tough issue. Panel speakers were Jussi Laakkonen, CEO of Applifier; Immad Akhund, co-founder of Heyzap; Dror Oren, executive director of ventures, licensing, and strategic programs at SRI; and Colin Digiaro, chief operating officer of MindJolt . The article notes that SRI has developed AI technology that could serve as a virtual assistant for humans. Oren said that SRI is continuing to develop and spin off artificial intelligence and virtual assistant technologies that can help users discover apps that they want. "If you apply AI to understanding what kind of games a user wants to play, you can solve discovery," Oren said. "The AI can search for what the user wants and then return with the right information in a very efficient manner.

Tampabay.com, July 17, 2011
If University of Florida Program Can Revitalize Teacher Training, Pinellas Schools Benefit
This article reports that University of Florida's Lastinger Center for Learning has blended what experts consider the best practices in professional development and wrapped it in the shiniest of labels. According to the article, "Lastinger hired SRI International to do a four-year study in the Miami-Dade school district. The results should shed light on the effectiveness of the program in all districts."

San Francisco Business Times, July 15,2011
SRI International Gets $13M from DARPA for Distorted Speech Software
This article reports that SRI will work on software to process "noisy and highly degraded speech" under a $13 million contract from the from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). According to the article, SRI got the contract through DARPA's "RATS" program -- Robust Automatic Transcription of Speech. The software will be developed at SRI's Speech Technology and Research (STAR) lab. "The idea is to create programs that can detect speech in a noisy recording and identify both the speaker and the language being spoken, while also looking for key words."

Government Security News, July 14, 2011
Facebook and Flashmobs: New Challenges in Perimeter Protection
This article, written by Mark Clifton, vice president of products and services at SRI International Sarnoff, describes how a new generation of networked consumer technologies is upping the ante in perimeter protection. According to the article, ubiquitous wireless networks, social networking, smart phone apps, GPS and Skype are empowering civilians with capabilities once reserved for military and law enforcement. The new consumer technologies portend a grim new era of smart terrorism and smart crime, greatly expanding hazards at the perimeter. "Recent advances in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance from SRI International Sarnoff can make a difference."

Read Write Web, July 13, 2011
Google Talk Video on Android Stabilized with SRI Technology: What Comes Next?
This article reports that "with the technology Google has licensed from SRI, image stabilization will no longer be a concern ... at least on Android." Google is implementing the SRI 2D technology in its Google Talk application, to deliver better video on Android 3.0+ devices.

Image Stabilization in Google Talk. "By stabilizing the video, SRI's software allows the compression to take up fewer bits. Simply put, it's more efficient. It takes less work and fewer resources." Norman Winarsky, vice president of SRI Ventures, is quoted in the article.  

New York Times, July 12, 2011
In Search of a Robot More Like Us
This article reports that as part of DARPA's Autonomous Robot Manipulation (ARM) program, SRI is developing robotic arms and hands that will mimic basic capabilities of motion & perception. The article describes work on a four-finger hand that will grasp with a human's precise sense of touch. Each three-jointed finger is made in a single manufacturing step by a three-dimensional printer and is then covered with "skin" derived from the same material used to make the touch-sensitive displays on smartphones. "Part of what we're riding on is there has been a very strong push for tactile displays because of smartphones," said Pablo Garcia, an SRI robot designer who is leading the design of the project, along with Robert Bolles, an artificial intelligence researcher.

GigaOm, July 8, 2011
Android This Week: Droid 3 Launches; Better Google Talk; Google Plus Boosts
This article reports that SRI recently announced that Google has chosen its 2D video stabilization software for Google Talk on Honeycomb tablets. The software not only minimizes any shaking on the incoming video but could also reduce the amount of effort needed from a device to encode the video, which can help battery life.

Ubergizmo, July 8, 2011
Video Stabilization Software from SRI Embedded in Google Talk
This article reports that that Google Talk for Android 3.0+ devices integrates SRI's 2-D video stabilization software. According to the article, "SRI has been widely recognized worldwide for its disruptive inventions, including the first mouse, invented by Douglas Engelbart in his SRI lab in 1963. For video stabilization, researchers at SRI Sarnoff started to work on the problem in the early 1990s, for security, military, safety and surveillance applications. Ultimately, the patented technology was used to develop the SRI Sarnoff's Acadia family of vision products."

Engadget, July 7, 201
Google Talk to Use SRI technology for Stabilizing Video Chats, Revive Chatroulette This article reports that SRI has recently announced it will be providing image stabilization software to take the jiggles from your future Google Talk videocalls. According to the article, you'll need an Android 3.0+ device in order to take advantage, but the general consensus here seems fairly positive. GigaOM is reporting that this could also improve battery life, but only the heaviest of video chatters are apt to notice the difference.

PC Magazine, June 27, 2011
Flashback: The Tale of the Mouse
This article reports that in the early 1960s, a 36-year-old visionary named Douglas Engelbart joined the Stanford Research Institute (now known as SRI International) to explore the interaction between man and computer. According to the article, funded by the Pentagon's Advanced Research Project Agency, NASA, and the Air Force's Rome Air Development Center, Engelbart established SRI's Augmented Human Intellect Research Center. One of his objectives was the development of ''interactive computer aids" in the form of an "evolutionary" hardware-software system. In July 1965, he first tested what was described as a small mouse-like object, a round-edged box on wheels with buttons "sticking up on top like ears," that trailed a tail-like wire. "The mechanism itself was not revolutionary, but the SRI device, however, was an ergonomical leap forward."

Tampa Bay, June 26, 2011
U.S. Must Create 21M jobs by 2020; Tampa Bay Innovators are Doing Their Part
According to this article, "I see it in the introduction of the new way of teaching math — called SunBay Digital Math — at some Pinellas County schools that already is producing impressive student performance gains in a surprisingly short time. Digital Math comes to us courtesy of hotshot researchers SRI International — SRI was recruited to expand to St. Petersburg in late 2009 — and, with some timely support from the local business community, may prove revolutionary."

The Economic Times, June 2011
To Kill or Not to Kill
This article reports that "pop culture would have us believe that military robots are purely for destructive purposes. "In fact, the most obvious advantage of using robots in such dangerous environments is to reduce casualties," says Rich Mahoney, director of the robotics program at SRI. "For specific tasks, robots can do things far better than soldiers to meet military missions," says Mahoney. He cites an example of how SRI had developed the daVinci surgical robot, the rockstar of medical robotics, specifically developed to safeguard highly-specialized - and therefore, hard to replace - surgeons, allowing them to remotely treat soldiers closer to a dangerous battlefield.

Menlo Park Patch, June 16, 2011
Twins Play Unique Role In SRI Research
This article explains that as part of SRI's Twin Research Registry, twins get to participate in valuable medical research that uses identical and fraternal twins to study the genetic and environmental factors relating to disease and vaccines. Gary Swan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Health Sciences at SRI, is quoted in the article. SRI's Twin Research Registry is currently recruiting twins 40 years old and older for a study to help scientists develop more effective vaccines for chicken pox and shingles. Participants ages 50 and older will receive free Zostavax vaccines against herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, a painful skin disease that can surface years after an episode of chicken pox.

eScience News, June 14, 2011
Sleep Loss in Early Childhood May Contribute to the Development of ADHD Symptoms
According to a new study recently presented at SLEEP 2011, short sleep duration may contribute to the development or worsening of hyperactivity and inattention during early childhood. According to the article, results show that less sleep in preschool-age children significantly predicted worse parent-reported hyperactivity and inattention at kindergarten. In contrast, hyperactivity and inattention at preschool did not predict sleep duration at kindergarten. Erika Gaylor, Ph.D., a senior researcher at SRI and lead author of the study is quoted in the article.

Info Security, June 10, 2011
Control Systems, Smart Meters Could be Vulnerable to Smart Grid Attack
According to this article,working with the Department of Energy (DoE), SRI has developed intrusion detection technologies to defend against cyber-attacks targeting control systems in the energy sector. "The Detection and Analysis of Threats to the Energy Sector (DATES) project was sponsored by DoE's National Energy Technology Laboratory." Ulf Lindqvist, program director at SRI's Computer Science Laboratory, is quoted in the article. Lindqvist said that SRI is working to develop the advanced intrusion detection system for commercial power plant use.

Get Robo, June 2011
Can Silicon Valley Be the Center for Robotics Too?
This article reports that Rich Mahoney, director of the robotics program at SRI, thinks Silicon Valley can be the center for robotics research "and to make sure that people know it, he and his colleagues at SRI along with local robotics companies such as Adept Technology and Willow Garage have formed a group called Silicon Valley Robotics (SVR)." The goal of of SVR is to nurture the robotics industry in this area and help create an environment where other companies would want to come here and start up. Mahoney, along with Philip von Guggenberg and Regis Vincent at SRI started having weekly meetings to talk about ways to make it happen and put together a mailing list. The group grew organically with volunteers organizing meetings, but it was not until this year's National Robotics Week when Silicon Valley Robotics endorsed and managed the Robot Block Party at Stanford that they decided to get exposure.  

Knowledge Stream, May 27, 2011
Dr. Ripudaman Malhotra A Cubic Mile of Oil: Averting the Global Energy Crisis
This video shows Dr. Ripu Malhotra, associate director of Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory at SRI, speaking at the University of Toledo to discuss his book A Cubic Mile of Oil: Realities and Options for Averting the Looming Global Energy Crisis. Dr. Malhotra is an active member of the Petroleum and Fuels Chemistry Divisions of the American Chemical Society. In 2005, he was named an SRI Fellow, the highest award SRI bestows on its employees for excellence in research.

Associated Press (AP), June 7, 2011
World's Largest Radio Telescope Under New Boss
This article reports that "the world's largest single-dish radio telescope has received a five-year, multimillion-dollar funding commitment that new management says will allow scientists to probe the mysteries of imploded stars and maybe even lead to the detection of elusive gravitational waves predicted by Albert Einstein." According to the article, the Arecibo Observatory secured the funding this month amid looming budget cuts when the National Science Foundation awarded a $42 million contract to a consortium that includes SRI. Robert Kerr, SRI's directore for the observatory, is quoted in the article.

USA Today, June 6, 2011
Areas Tie Economic Futures to Industry Clusters
According to this article, SRI recently identified early-stage clusters that can be developed in technologies for marine, medical and aerospace industries and business financial and data services, among other sectors. "While SRI cited the region's strengths, such as climate, it also pointed to weaknesses, such as a relatively older population."

The New York Times, June 5, 2011
Advice for China
In this op-ed column, reporter Thomas Friedman is addressing Chinese President Hu Jintao on the subject of the Arab Spring. According to the article, "the second trend we see in the Arab Spring is a manifestation of "Carlson's Law," posited by Curtis Carlson, the C.E.O. of SRI International, in Silicon Valley, which states that: "In a world where so many people now have access to education and cheap tools of innovation, innovation that happens from the bottom up tends to be chaotic but smart. Innovation that happens from the top down tends to be orderly but dumb." As a result, says Carlson, the sweet spot for innovation today is "moving down," closer to the people, not up, because all the people together are smarter than anyone alone and all the people now have the tools to invent and collaborate."

Xconomy, June 4, 2011
Dear Apple: Go Big with Siri and Nuance in iOS 5
This article, written by Gary Morgenthaler, partner at Morgenthaler Ventures in Menlo Park, says that "As someone who served on the boards of Siri and Nuance—two companies whose technologies are rumored to be deeply integrated into Apple's upcoming iOS 5—I might have a unique take on what's possible at the upcoming Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC ) in San Francisco June 6-10." According to the article, it is widely reported that Apple is working on a licensing agreement with Nuance to embed speech recognition capabilities deeply into iOS 5. It is also speculated that Siri, a natural language AI technology acquired by Apple in April 2010, will figure prominently in iOS 5. "A quick primer on what Nuance and Siri can do will shed light on why I am so fascinated by their achievements. Both born out of the prestigious SRI International technology R&D center in Menlo Park, CA, they serve different parts of the spectrum in which your verbal intent is translated into action."

Reuters, June 3, 2011
Shaquille O'Neal's Retirement Assists Startup
This article reports that Michael Downing, CEO of Tout, talks up Tout's two patents from SRI that enable it to attach "key relevant data," including "contextual, geo, social, and commercial" to each video. He said Tout has also created technology that "will allow people to dialogue back and forth" in "real-time, true video messaging."

Menlo Park Patch, May 26, 2011
Top 10 Tech Trends 
This article says the Churchill Club's 13^th Annual Top Ten Tech Trends event was "organized like a Comedy Central roast." SRI President and CEO Curt Carlson presented the top 10 tech trends at the evening event. According to the article, Carlson explained in his opening speech that some of the trends he was about to proclaim were intentionally provocative. After he read the trend, audience members were asked to raise a red card when they didn't like the trend, or raise a green card if they agreed with the trend. Then, the three panel members would discuss their opinions about each one. Immediately afterward, the audience would push a button on an Option Finder vote remote to gauge what the 326 or so people in the audience really thought. The article includes a list of the top 10 tech trends presented.

Xconomy, May 26, 2011
Aneesh Chopra, Steve Jurvetson, Paul Saffo Debate Top Tech Trends, from Rosie the Robot to Augmented Reality
This article reports that the Churchill Club, a networking group for Silicon Valley technology executives, recently held its annual "Top 10 Tech Trends" dinner. According to the article, "the format is simple. A panelist or guest proposes a trend that will shape markets and define entrepreneurial opportunities over the next three years, and the other panelists either praise the idea or shoot it down." This year's trends were dreamed up the by folks at "Menlo Park contract research giant" SRI and delivered by SRI CEO Curt Carlson. According to the reporter, "I found myself agreeing with most of Carlson's proposals. Whether all of SRI's trends will materialize within the specified three-year time frame is another question." Included in the article is the list of the top ten tech trends presented.

GigaOm, May 25, 2011
Can This Bomb-Defusing Robot Take Care of Grandma, Too?
This article reports that "the grabby little Taurus has the makings of a real renaissance robot." Developed by SRI, Taurus is the world's newest, smallest and possibly most capable remote-telepresence robot. It is also described as "the little cousin of the Davinci, SRI's remotely-controlled medical robot." According to the article, bomb squad technicians will be able to use Taurus to defuse a bomb from a safe distance. Tom Low, director of medical systems and tele-robotics at SRI, is quoted in the article.

KGO TV: May 25, 2011
Silicon Valley Holds Top 10 tech Trends Event
According to this news story, "Silicon Valley's annual Top 10 Tech Trends for 2011 were released recently at the Churchill Club's 13^th annual event. There were some that hit the mark and others, according to high tech experts. that really missed it." SRI formed the list and predictions included developing more artificial intelligence like 3-D virtual reality animation, countries like India and China surpassing Silicon Valley when it comes to new innovation, and robots becoming a part of our lives. Curt Carlson, president and CEO of SRI, was the trend presenter at the event, and is featured in this interview.

Menlo Park Patch, May 25, 2011
Using Enzymes From Fireflies To Illuminate Cures for Cancer
This article describes how Lidia Sambucetti and her team of researchers are using enzymes from fireflies to determine if the drug combinations that they're researching are effectively neutralizing cancerous cell growth. The National Cancer Institute has asked SRI researchers to take 100 FDA approved cancer drugs and combine them to see if they can identify customized ways to treat cancer. According to the article, Sambucetti estimates that the combinations will result in 3.5 million data points, after they've tried 5,000 different drug medleys. Since November of 2010, the team has been using firefly enzymes to tell if the cell growth in their test arrays has stopped. They determine this by measuring Adenosine TriPhosphate production, which is a fundamental energy unit that organisms produce when they're alive.

Nature, May 24, 2011
Change Rattles the World's Biggest Dish
This article reports that, "As Earth's biggest 'ear' on the Universe, the giant 305-metre radio dish at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has played a part in groundbreaking discoveries, searches for alien civilizations and the occasional Holly­wood movie. Now a different sort of drama is shaking up the facility, with the news that Cornell University, which has managed Arecibo since the observatory was switched on 1963, has lost its bid to continue to do so." According to the article, "Instead, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has offered the job — and the $41.2M five-year contract that goes with it — to a consortium that includes SRI International, and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in Washington D.C., and the Metropolitan University (UMET) in Puerto Rico."

Nature, May 24, 2011
U.S. Astronomers to Face Tough Choices
According to this blog post, at an NSF town hall meeting, Jim Ulvestad, the division's director, acknowledged news that the agency has decided to switch management of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico from Cornell University, which has run it since 1963, to a consortium led by SRI. "There hasn't been a hand-off of this type in astronomy before," Ulvestad said. In response to questions, he said SRI was selected because its bid included a particularly strong involvement by Puerto Rican institutions, but declined to discuss the Cornell bid.

Yale Daily News, May 23, 2011
University Confers 2,907 Degrees at 310th Commencement
Yale University conferred 2,907 degrees — 1,251 to undergraduates — and awarded another 229 provisionally to students in the Law School and in the School of Medicine's Physician Associate Program, who have not yet completed their courses of study. According to the article, Provost Peter Salovey also announced to a crowd that filled the roughly 18,000 seats on Old Campus the recipients of ten honorary doctorates, including Douglas Engelbart, who invented the computer mouse. Engelbart was awarded a doctorate of engineering and technology.

UPI, May 20, 2011
Arecibo Telescope to Have New Management
According to this article, "The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will be getting a new manager after four decades of operations under the direction of Cornell University." The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded a 5-year contract to a consortium of organizations including SRI, the Universities Space Research Association, Universidad Metropolitana, and other institutions, to operate the largest radio telescope in the world. The only two bidders were a Cornell-led consortium and the SRI-led partnership.

Science Magazine, May 20, 2011
New Consortium to Run Arecibo Observatory
This article reports that "after 4 decades under the direction of Cornell University, Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will have a new manager. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has decided to award a 5-year contract for the facility, home to the largest radio telescope in the world, to a consortium comprising SRI, the Universities Space Research Association, Universidad Metropolitana, and other institutions." According to the article, NSF officials are expected to make an official announcement on June 1.

Nature, May 19, 2011
Arecibo Set for Shake-Up
This article reports that Cornell University has lost its long-term contract to run the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the world's biggest radio dish. According to the article, the decision recently made by the U.S. National Science Foundation means management of the National Atmospheric and Ionospheric Center (NAIC) that includes the AO will move from Cornell to a consortium including SRI, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), the University of Puerto Rico, and other institutions.

The Telegraph, May 13, 2011
SLU Center For Entrepreneurship Announces New Institute for Private Business
The Center for Entrepreneurship in the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University has announced the formation of the Institute for Private Business (IPB), to advance private business in the St. Louis region and beyond. IPB will host four events in 2011 as part of the IPB Seminar Series. Its Spring Seminar Series, "Innovation: It's Not Rocket Science," kicked off Tuesday, May 24, with "The Essential Role of Innovation for Private Business: Lessons and Experiences from Silicon Valley." Stephen Ciesinski, SRI vice president of strategic business development, shared SRI's unique process for innovations.

You Tube, May 2011
Future of Robotics
In this Future of Robotics presentation given at UC Berkeley for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), Rich Mahoney, director of SRI's robotics program, discusses his perspectives from 23 years of strategic R&D and commercialization of robotics technology, including some views on both technical and industry trends, with additional insights on the current robotics landscape in the Bay Area based on his involvement in helping to set up the Silicon Valley Robotics Cluster. Mahoney highlights some of the latest robotics work taking place at SRI, as well as offers his observations on challenges and expected developments defining the future of robotics.

Education Week, May 16, 2011
Illinois Preschoolers Make Academic, Social Gains, Says Study
According to this article, a new study funded by the Illinois State Board of Education and conducted by the Erikson Institute in conjunction with SRI shows that by kindergarten, Illinois preschool students had made statistically significant gains in language and social skills and showed a reduction in problem behaviors. However, children enrolled in Illinois pre-K did not show gains in mathematics. The article notes that "advocates are seizing on the results both to preserve Illinois pre-K from budget cuts and to promote the creation of a statewide, research-based kindergarten assessment called KIDS, for Kindergarten Individual Development Survey."

Science Magazine, May 12, 2011
Is There a Special Formula for Successful STEM Schools?
According to this article, with all the attention to poor U.S. student achievement in math and science, the questions that Congress put to the National Science Foundation (NSF) 18 months ago tackles the problem from the opposite direction: What is the United States doing right in precollege science and math education? And what can the rest of the country learn from the schools that do it best? The article reports that this week an expert panel, convened by the National Academies' National Research Council to answer those questions put to NSF, held a workshop in Washington, D.C., to explore "successful STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] education in K-12 schools. Another speaker, Viki Young, principal scientist at SRI, didn't dispute a panelist's choice of words when he asked about official reaction to her "quite minimal results" in an evaluation still under way of 51 newly created STEM schools in Texas serving disadvantaged and minority students. "We've tried to temper the expectations" of the organizations funding the study, Young confessed to the panel. "The governor touts them in his speeches, but these are still very early days."

The St. Louis American, May 12, 2011
SLU Forms Institute for Private Business
The Center for Entrepreneurship in the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University has formed the Institute for Private Business to advance private business in the St. Louis region and beyond. According to this article, its first membership year will launch in 2012. Member companies will be offered interactive seminars, educational forums, peer groups, newsletters, research studies and other Saint Louis University resources. It will host day-long seminars in 2011, one on May 24 The Essential Role of Innovation for Private Business with Stephen Ciesinski, SRI vice president of strategic business development.

Menlo Park Patch: May 11, 2011
Investigating What Went Wrong @ Café Scientifique
This article reports that about 175 people recently attended the May Cafe Scientifique on the SRI campus to hear Dr. Don Shockey, director of SRI's Center for Fracture Physics, speak about how material fractures, some microscopically small, can cause large failures. He explained that by studying the details of a failure, SRI scientists create a recipe for success. According to the article, "when the outer skin of an airplane rips open in flight, or a Humvee military vehicle fails to protect passengers from improvised explosive devices, the scientists at SRI see an opportunity to learn."

The Almanac: May 10, 2011
Learning from Failure
This article reports that scientist Donald Shockey will discuss recent notable failures of manmade structures at Cafe Scientifique on May 10 at SRI headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Shockey, director of SRI's Center for Fracture Physics, will discuss projects at SRI concerned with an understanding of structural failure and how it plays into the design of better structures. His examples will range from medical devices to components for space missions.

Richmond Times Dispatch: May 9, 2011
UR Graduates Urged to Innovate
Members of the University of Richmond Class of 2011 were urged to achieve their dreams and thrive in a world of abundant possibility at a recent graduation ceremony. According to the article, Curt Carlson, SRI president and CEO, addressed 751 graduates during the university's 181st commencement ceremony. Carlson urged the UR graduates to become creative innovators to address the world's major issues, such as security and environmental sustainability. He told the students that to be creative innovators, they should look for opportunities where they can make a difference and find at least one person who shares a vision and passion.

San Francisco Chronicle: May 7, 2011
Let's Keep the Hacks in Proper Perspective
This article about how consumers and corporations can protect their private information reports that recent cyber attacks "bode particularly poorly for consumer confidence, because there's nothing customers could have done to avoid being victimized, short of not signing up for the services of legitimate, well-known brands." Ulf Lindqvist, program director in SRI's Computer Science Laboratory, is quoted in the article saying, "As a defender, you have to secure everything, and the attacker only needs to find one way in." The writer notes that "Lindqvist's bumper sticker reads, "security is not easy." But he believes that businesses on the whole can do far better. Too often, companies are much more focused on rapidly rolling out new features than on adequately locking down security, he said.

CNET, May 5, 2011
SRI Shows the Benefits of Shrinking Tech
An article highlights SRI's miniaturized robot and miniaturized satellite program, and profiles the Iris on the Move detection system. According to the article, Taurus is a miniature robot that can allow a trained dismantler to remotely do the work that used to require getting up close and personal, often too close for comfort, to a bomb. The article goes on to say, "Another area where miniaturization is being leveraged at SRI is in space satellites. SRI doesn't make the small CubeSat boxes, but it does specialize in the networking technology that can make the tiny satellite valuable in space." The article notes that "SRI, of course, works in a wide variety of fields, from robotics to medicine to satellites to education. Another area is security, and that's where the company's Iris on the Move system fits in," and concludes by describing the Iris on the Move system.

Xconomy, May 3, 2010
Anybots, DrChrono, TRUSTe Join Lineup for Beyond Mobile on May 17; How to Win Free Tickets on Twitter
An article in Xconomy reports that "the main dish at Beyond Mobile forum will be an on-stage conversation with three leading thinkers from the West Coast information technology community, including Bill Mark, vice president of the Information and Computing Sciences Division at SRI International (which is hosting the event); Dan Reed, the leader of the eXtreme Computing Group at Microsoft Research and vice president of technology policy and strategy for Microsoft overall; and Larry Smarr, the director of the California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology, better known as Calit2." According to the article, the organizations that these distinguished speakers lead are each charged, in their own way, with mapping the way from today's information environments to the smarter, faster, cheaper, more pervasive forms of computing that are surely over the horizon. "I got just a taste of what may be coming in an interview last week with Bill Mark, whose own research focuses on "smart spaces" where embedded sensors and processors may take over many of the communications, information-retrieval, and advisory functions mobile devices now provide (and offer many more in addition). SRI is studying how government and military leaders, educators, and businesspeople might make use of such technology, and we'll go deeper into that—as well as similar ideas being explored at Microsoft and Calit2—at the event."

Wired, May 2, 2011
Sticky Film Makes Nonslip Ladders, Wall-Climbing Robots
This article in Wired's Gadget Lab section reports that scientists at SRI International have figured out how to make a plastic film that can stick to walls when you apply a small electric current — then peel off effortlessly when you turn the current off. According to the article, "The organization has been home to an impressive range of breakthroughs, from Douglas Engelbart's pioneering work on mouse-driven graphical user interfaces to surgical robots, and has spawned a number of commercially successful spinoffs. The SRI scientist who developed this technology in 2008, Harsha Prahlad, sees it as potentially useful for wall-climbing surveillance robots, or robots that can climb buildings, bridges, or other structures to inspect them for damage in places that humans can't easily reach."

Xconomy, April 29, 2011
From Smartphones to Smart Spaces: SRI's Vision of Computer Evolution
This article includes a Q&A with Bill Mark, vice president of the Information and Computing Sciences Division at SRI International, about the ideas on the future of computing. Mark argues that despite our culture's current infatuation with iPhones, iPads, and the like, mobile devices are actually ill-suited for many tasks, especially those involving group interactions. In those situations, he says, it would make more sense to embed computing smarts in the environment, be it a conference room or a classroom. Mark also discusses the idea of the "smart space"—environments where embedded computers help people work, learn, or communicate more effectively. According to Mark, "I'm interested in spaces that understand human interaction. How can my work environment make me more effective in the way I interact with other people? How can my home environment provide a better experience for me and my family, and how can schoolrooms provide better experiences for students and teachers?"

PC Magazine, April 27, 2011
Happy 30th Birthday, Computer Mouse!
An article in PC Magazine reports that "thirty years ago today, the first computer mouse to be used alongside a personal computer appeared. On April 27, 1981, the integrated mouse made its debut with the Xerox Star Information System." According to the article, the mouse has come a long way in its 30 years - most don't even have wires any more. The prototype for the first mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963 while he was working at Stanford Research Institute (now known as SRI International). The device went through many revisions before Xerox released it with star in 1982. "However, the mouse didn't get a lot of attention until it appeared with Apple's Macintosh three years later.

Engadget, April 18, 2011
SRI Unveils Taurus, DaVinci's Bomb-Defusing Little Brother
This brief article includes an image of "SRI International's Taurus," described as "DaVinci's bomb-defusing little brother." The article explains that Taurus is "brought to you by the minds behind the DaVinci robo-surgeon, the diminutive (14 x 5-inch) bad boy is used to detect and defuse improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Piggy-backing on existing devices such as Talon or PackBot, the device delivers hi-def 3D images and haptic feedback (via gloves) to a bomb disposal tech operating from a safe distance. Right now it's a prototype, but with any luck the system could be in the field as early as this summer."

IEEE, April 18, 2011
SRI Shows New 'Taurus' Bomb-Defusing Prototype at Stanford Robot Block Party
An article in IEEE includes an image and reports that "SRI International's Taurus, a little manipulator robot that was recently unveiled to the public for the first time at the National Robotics Week Robot Block Party at Stanford's VAIL automotive research lab." According to the article, the robot was specifically designed to fold itself into a box shape, and needs to be so compact because of what its job is — Taurus is meant to be shoved into small spaces in vehicles to detect and defeat vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). "Taurus is a prototype in active development, and systems should be in the field as early as this summer, for a cheap enough price that they should be affordable for people besides the military." The article notes that "also on display was SRI's magical wall-climbing robot that manages to stick to anything you want it to stick to using static electricity. This works on surfaces that are smooth or rough or covered with dust, and SRI's robots are currently being used in Japan to inspect buildings."

Xconomy, April 18, 2011
TuneUp Expands, ShowYou Debuts, Students Go to E-Bootcamp—The 1-Minute Version of Last Week's Bay Area BizTech News
Xconomy has announced its next big networking event, Beyond Mobile: Computing in 2021, to be held at SRI International in Menlo Park, on May 17. The evening forum will feature an on-stage chat with Calit2 director Larry Smarr, Microsoft eXtreme Computing Group leader Dan Reed, and Bill Mark, the head of SRI's computing sciences division. "This distinguished group will help us figure out what shape computers and computing interfaces might take, given 10 more years of progress at the pace of Moore's Law."

KCBS-AM, March 24, 2011
Interview with Curtis Carlson, President and CEO of SRI International
Radio interview with Curtis Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International. Carlson defines innovation as "creating new customer value and delivering it into the market place." He also describes transformation happening in technology, healthcare and biotech. Carlson explains "this is the best time for innovation" because of global competition and unlimited opportunities. These concepts were discussed earlier in the day at the Economist conference, Ideas Economy: Innovation.

Third Factor: Biometric Trends, March 23, 2011
Will Emerging Modalities and Mobile Applications Bring Mass Adoption?
This article reports that long distance iris recognition systems from SRI Sarnoff and AOptix show tremendous promise. According to the article, SRI Sarnoff is a leader in long distance iris recognition technology. The company offers two models in its Iris On the Move (IOM) line: a walk-thru gate called the IOM PassPort and a small mountable unit called the IOM Glance. Mark Clifton, vice president of products and services for SRI International Sarnoff, is quoted in the article.  

Harvard Business Review, March 22, 2011
Big Bets vs. Little Bets and the Future of HP
This article reports that "the small bets approach helped HP pioneer handheld calculators." According to the article, in 1972 HP's first calculator, the HP-35, was $400 at a time when the market for scientific calculators did not yet exist. The technology was remarkable and it could fit into your pocket. But the price tag was hefty, especially at a time when the alternative was inexpensive slide rules. People inside HP were torn about what to do. "So they hired SRI International to do some market research. SRI was then considered the premier computing research group. They had done pioneering work for General Electric, RCA, and others. "They knew more about computing than anyone," House recalls, "And they said, 'This thing can't sell."

New Jersey.com, March 21, 2011
SRI International Sarnoff in West Windsor continues transformation
This article reports that "from its founding in 1942 as RCA Laboratories, Sarnoff Corp. has been synonymous with cutting-edge research and development in areas that range from television and video to liquid-crystal displays, lasers and microelectronics." According to the article, at the start of the year, SRI fully integrated its West Windsor-based subsidiary into the corporate parent's overall operations and altered the Sarnoff location's name to SRI International Sarnoff. Mark Clifton, vice president of products and services for SRI International Sarnoff, is quoted in the article.

KCBS Radio: Interview with Curt Carlson, President and CEO of SRI International , March 25, 2011
Radio interview with Curt Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International. Carlson defines innovation as "creating new customer value and delivering it into the market place." He also describes transformation happening in technology, healthcare and biotech. Carlson explained "this is the best time for innovation" because of global competition and unlimited opportunities. These concepts were discussed earlier in the day at the Economist conference, Ideas Economy: Innovation.
     

Red Tape. MSNBC.com, March 18, 2011
Why Plan B Often Works Out Badly
This article reports that defending against and preparing for emergencies or disasters is a problem that vexes all kinds of systems designers, from airplane engineers to anti-terrorism planners. According to the article, there's a simple reason, according to Peter Neumann, principal scientist at the Computer Science Lab at SRI International. Neumann said emergency drills and stress tests aside, there is no good way to simulate a real emergency and its unpredictable consequences. Making matters worse is the ever-increasing interconnectedness of systems, which leads to cascading failures, and the fact that preventative maintenance is a dying art.

United Press International, March 18, 2011
Non-profits Partner for Homeland Security
This article reports that two U.S. nonprofit organizations are working to foster development, testing and fielding of technology for use by public emergency first responders. According to the article, as part of the agreement, SRI International will work with New York's Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security and resident research partners to create and commercialize products and to provide training capabilities to allow for easier and more effective communications during emergencies and disasters.

Xconomy, March 18, 2011
Bay Area Life Sciences 2031: The Photo Gallery
This article reports that California has one of the worst state budget shortfalls in the country, but in 20 years' time, San Francisco will still be the world's number one place for creating innovative new drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices. According to the article, that was the gist of what was heard recently from the all-star panel pulled together for Bay Area Life Sciences 2031 at Genentech Hall on UCSF's Mission Bay campus. SRI is included in the list of "organizations that helped us make this event such a big hit."

Red Orbit, March 17, 2011
Tracking The Causes Of Space-Based Weather Disruptions
This article reports that space weather-based disturbances in the Earth's upper atmosphere cause disruptions that affect space-based communication and navigation signals, such as GPS and radio signals. According to the article, Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX) is a space weather research satellite that is designed to investigate the causes of these weather disturbances. RAX is the first satellite constructed under the National Science Foundation (NSF) CubeSat-based Space Weather and Atmospheric Research Program. Since September 2008, the project has been carried out jointly by SRI International and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Hasan Bahcivan, Ph.D., research physicist at SRI, is quoted in the article.

Education Week, March 16, 2011
Research Collaborations Not Seen as Two-Way
This article reports that partnerships between researchers and school districts have become a top priority for federal education research efforts, from the National Science Foundation to the Institute of Education Sciences, yet scientists and teachers argue the current system doesn't provide much incentive for practitioners to collaborate. Barbara Means, co-director of SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning, was quoted in the article as saying, "That is really a major problem. If we want to follow through on what [President Barack Obama] has said—that we want to change our education system to support innovation—we have to find room in that system for education systems to become self-learning."

Menlo Park Patch, March 15, 2011
@Cafe Scientifique: Researcher Suggests Lifestyle Transformation May Be The Only Way
This article reports that our world's energy reserves are running out, and we're consuming more than ever. According to the article, SRI International researcher Ripu Malhotra, Ph.D put it all in perspective at a recent Cafe Scientifique presentation at SRI I in Menlo Park, with examples of how we can make the necessary transformation, together. Instead of comparing gallons, kilowatts and tons Malhotra used an all-encompassing term: a cubic mile of oil (CMO). One CMO is the current total oil consumption the world uses in one year. "The concept of a CMO was coined by SRI's Hew Crane in the 1980s while he was waiting in line to buy gasoline. Crane's concept changed the way many thought about the global energy crisis, allowing for uniformity and understanding. It had a sobering effect."

Security Information Watch, March 11, 2011
SIA New Product Showcase
This article showcases products that will be exhibited at ISC West in April. According to the article, SRI Sarnoff's VerifIR is a non-invasive standoff detection system that enables users to identify Person Borne Improvised explosive and concealed weapons on perpetrators. Using a patent-pending parallax free optically fused camera, VerifIR displays full-color, low-latency EO/IR footage with the look of TV, minimizing user training. SRI Sarnoff's Acadia In-Line Stabilizer (ILS-6000) uses embedded processing technology and world class algorithms, allowing it to deliver electronic video stabilization for harsh environments and extreme camera motion. No calibration or tuning is required.

News RX, March 2011
New Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) Study Findings Have Been Published by Scientists at SRI International
This article reports that SRI researchers have observed high levels of activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in tumor cells in vivo, using different model tumors. According to the article, these findings suggest the hypothesis that modulation of AMPK activity could have therapeutic value for the treatment of solid tumors. To investigate this hypothesis, SRI researchers have been conducting a SAR study of potential small-molecule modulators of AMPK activity. They report that the chemotherapeutic drug SU11248 (sunitinib) is at least as potent an inhibitor of AMPK as compound C, which is a commonly used experimental direct inhibitor of the enzyme. They also provide a computational model of the binding pose of SU11248 to an AMPKa subunit, which suggests a structural basis for the affinity of the drug for the ATP site of the catalytic domain. The study was published in Cancer Biology & Therapy.

TechCrunch, March 6, 2011
The Coolest Tech Tour Ever: A Look At How SRI Is Augmenting The Human Condition
This blog post describes a tour of SRI and some of the most exciting current projects. Videos are included, showing demos such as augmented reality, speech technology, medical robotics, and artificial muscle. One of the videos in the series includes a conversation with Norman Winarsky, SRI's vice president of Ventures, Licensing, and Strategic Programs, describing how technology moves out of SRI and into the market.

WHSV.com, March 2, 2011
Specialized, High Tech Jobs Bring High Wages to Valley
This TV news story reports on job growth in the Harrisonburg, Virginia metropolitan area. According to the story, income isn't going up for everyone, but the overall number is looking good, thanks to specialized, high skill companies such as SRI. In an interview, Robin Sullenberger, the CEO of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, notes the increase in "higher level and higher education attainment jobs" at organizations such as SRI. Krishna Kodukula, executive director of SRI's Center for Advanced Drug Research (CADRE) in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia says that "I think the quality of life is great, the proximity to major metropolitan regions is nearby, and of course good education institutions - so that is a good source for talent."

Innovation, March 2011
When Disaster Strikes, You Could Be on Your Own
This article reports that recent disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the oil platform blowout in the Gulf of Mexico have provided ample evidence that deploying resources for a widespread disaster is agonizingly slow, despite the best intentions of government. According to the article, for this reason, emergency preparedness is moving in a new direction, one that seeks to ensure self-sufficiency for days, maybe weeks after a catastrophic event. Silicon Valley Joint Venture—an influential consortium of public, private and institutional movers and shakers—has embarked on a mission to establish a state-of-the-art non-profit Disaster Resiliency Center at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif. This facility would integrate teaching, training and research while simultaneously serving as a base camp for a response and recovery effort in the event of a disaster. "The fledgling organization has enlisted advisors and board members from such diverse entities as Carnegie Mellon and San Jose State universities, Lockheed Martin, NASA Ames, Google, Applied Materials, Accenture, Juniper Networks, SRI International, Airship Earth, Red Cross and the California Air National Guard."

Huffington Post, Feb. 23, 2011
Zeroing Out Public Broadcasting Does Not Add Up
This column written by Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, reports that a study conducted by Shelley Pasnik of Education Development Center and William Penuel of SRI International showed that preschool children who participated in a curriculum incorporating PBS KIDS video and games into classroom instruction were better prepared for kindergarten than those who didn't. According to the article, independent research also demonstrates that PBS multimedia content is accelerating learning for kids and closing the achievement gap.

Biorefining Magazine, Feb. 17, 2011
Biological Data: Enhanced
This article reports that metabolic engineers within the field of bioenergy are constantly on the lookout for more reliable bioinformatic tools that can help accelerate their research. According to the article, with help of a three-year, $1.25 million grant from the U.S. DOE, SRI International intends to make this task easier when it expands its MetaCyc database and enhances its Pathway Tools software. The upgrades are anticipated to give SRI's bioinformatics tools even greater utility.

The New York Times, Feb. 14, 2011
A Fight to Win the Future: Computers vs. Humans
This article reports that "at the dawn of the modern computer era, two Pentagon-financed laboratories bracketed Stanford University. At one laboratory, a small group of scientists and engineers worked to replace the human mind, while at the other, a similar group worked to augment it." According to the article, in 1963 the mathematician-turned-computer scientist John McCarthy started the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. "The researchers believed that it would take only a decade to create a thinking machine. Also that year the computer scientist Douglas Engelbart formed what would become the Augmentation Research Center to pursue a radically different goal — designing a computing system that would instead "bootstrap" the human intelligence of small groups of scientists and engineers."

Military Aerospace, Feb. 13, 2011
Sarnoff and HRL Laboratories to Develop Photonic Integrated Circuits to Enable Video-Like Phased-Array LIDAR
This article reports that "scientists at SRI International Sarnoff in Princeton, N.J., and HRL Laboratories LLC in Malibu, Calif., are developing new methods of active optical beam steering and sensing as part of the Short-range Wide-field-of-view Extremely-agile Electronically-steered Photonic EmitteR (SWEEPER) program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va."

EdWeek, Feb. 2011
Tougher Than It Looks
This article about education innovation reports that "education and business communities often have trouble pulling in the same direction." The article quotes Norman Winarsky, SRI's vice president of ventures, licensing and strategic programs, who explains SRI's approach. The article reports that SRI's client companies identify a problem in the markets in which they work, such as students having difficulty conceptualizing fractions. SRI education researchers then analyze existing research and evaluate risks to determine if the intervention is sustainable and unique, developed at a price districts will buy, and something teachers and students will use. PDF also available – email press@sri.com

National Geographic, Feb. 2011
Watson Wins Jeopardy! - 6 Artificial Intelligence Milestones
This article includes a photo of the late Charlie Rosen, artificial intelligence pioneer and computer scientist at SRI International, as he poses for a picture with Shakey the Robot in the late 1960s. According to the article, "like a primitive, vacuumless Roomba, Shakey "was the first robot program that could perceive its environment using vision and touch sensors, make a plan to achieve a goal, execute the plan, monitor its execution, and recover from execution errors." The robot's moniker came from its tendency to shake when the machine came to an abrupt stop. Shakey had an on-board television camera, a laser range finder for sensing distance from walls and objects, and whisker-like detectors for identifying obstacles. The search algorithm used by Shakey is still used today to find directions by programs such as Google Maps.

VanceAirScoop, Feb. 2011
F-35 Pilot-Aircraft Speech System Fine-Tuned
This article reports that SRI International developed the DynaSpeak speech recognition software as a highly accurate system for noisy environments, specifically for embedded devices like personal digital assistants, in-car navigation systems and avionics systems. According to the article, it is speaker-independent, meaning a pilot can use it without first "training" the system to his or her voice, which took up to an hour on previous experimental systems. SRI International is working with integrating contractor Adacel Systems, Inc., to tailor the system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's airborne environment.

St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 30, 2011
Two Cities, St. Petersburg and Tampa, Strive to Establish Their Own Industry Clusters
This article about industry clusters in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida reports that because of SRI International's "high-profile research reputation and deep defense industry ties, SRI is the Big Wow factor for the cluster." According to the article, it was lured in late 2009 to a brand new waterfront building in St. Petersburg near the USF marine sciences property. "It's the crown jewel that will be touted in campaigns to bolster the marine science cluster with new players."

Yahoo News, Jan. 27, 2011
Cash-Strapped States Consider Virtual Classes, Despite Lack of Research
This article reports that some studies have shown that online courses work best with highly motivated and high-performing students, who enjoy being able to work independently and privately. According to the article, Barbara Means, the lead author of the study, said there is no evidence that taking an online course will enhance a student's intellectual abilities. "She notes, however, that so many colleges are adopting online-only courses that it might be good for students who want to go to college to get the hang of them, anyway." Barbara Means, center director in the Policy Division at SRI, is quoted in the article.

CNET, Jan. 22, 2011
The Robotics Route to Medical Renewal
This article reports that at Kaiser Permanente's recent demo day event, SRI International was demonstrating telepresence robotics for surgery. According to the article, the demo at the Garfield Center in Oakland was not of new technology; the U.S. military has been evaluating the same hardware we saw at the center; and the SRI spinoff Intuitive Surgical has been selling similar systems for prostate cancer surgery. Kaiser is evaluating the system for more general surgery. In addition to making it possible for remote specialists to beam in to operating rooms as needed, the tele-surgery setup can help doctors perform fine manipulations by "tiny-izing" their movements. Laparoscopic surgery can also get more effective and precise when surgeons control precise actuators inside a patient's body, instead of, essentially the knives on long sticks that they're using now. Tom Low, program director of medical devices and robotics at SRI, is quoted in the article. A video interview with Low is also included.

The New York Times, Jan. 17, 2011
Report: iPhone 5 Will Be 'Completely Redesigned'
This article reports that "among Apple's other high-profile acquisitions was April 2010's buyout of Siri, a personal mobile assistant that was spun out of SRI International, and whose core technology came from a DARPA-funded artificial intelligence project called CALO. Siri was transformed into an iPhone application that could listen to questions either spoken aloud or typed in and then provide answers."

Toledo Blade, Jan. 16, 2011
Ex-Toledoan Gains Sweet Vindication
This article reports that Oliver F. Senn was the inventor of the modern process for making saccharin, the artificial sweetener. According to the article, in 1949 Senn led a group of chemical engineers who devised a way to synthesize the sugar substitute, eliminating its bitter metallic aftertaste. According to the article, Senn joined the Stanford Research Institute in 1952, where he remained until his retirement in 1974 as the institute's vice president of administration.
URL: PDF available – please email press@sri.com

C4ISR Journal, Jan. 14, 2011
A Better Bomb-Spotter
This article reports that one of the most daunting real-world problems faced by soldiers or law enforcement officials in large-crowd scenarios is how to spot a suspect and keep track of the person in a throng. According to the article, new technologies are emerging that could help identify someone hiding a gun or crude bomb. "In October, Sarnoff unveiled the camera, which it says can be used to scan crowds for people trying to hide weapons or bombs, or to detect bombs buried as deep as 6 inches in sandy soil. The New Jersey-based unit of SRI International plans to pitch the idea to the U.S. Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, the Navy and Coast Guard. The company also sees a potential market for transportation security."

Education Week, Jan. 14, 2011
The Best Kept Secret About Private Schools
This article reports that "even the vaunted KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools are not immune to pushing out underperforming students. A study by SRI International in 2008 of five KIPP schools in the San Francisco Bay area found that 60 percent of their students left in middle school. Predictably, those who were counseled out tended to be the weaker students."

San Francisco Business Journals, Jan. 12, 2011
SRI International lands $17.4M in NIH deals
This article reports that SRI International has been awarded two contracts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) worth $17.4 million. According to the article, the contracts from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the NIH, are for research to find treatments for heart, lung and blood diseases. "SRI will get $11.5 million for running a Pharmacology and Toxicology Center that will help test drugs before their makers apply for approval from regulators. Hanna Ng, who oversees preclinical safety at SRI, will be the lead investigator there. The rest of the money, $5.9 million, is for a Non-Biologics and Small Molecules Production Facility, which will ultimately make and test treatments for heart, lung and blood diseases. Mary Price runs quality control programs at SRI and will be the principal investigator at this unit."

eGovMonitor, Jan. 11, 2011
Students Leaving School Without Rights Skills to Succeed in 21st Century Economy – New Research
This article reports that students are not being equipped with the 21st century skills they need to succeed in a knowledge economy, according to new research published by Microsoft. The pilot year of the research was managed by SRI International and took place in coordination with the government of Finland, Indonesia, Russia and Senegal. According to the article, the research shows that most countries have yet to define the key skills for the 21st century let alone developing those skills in schools. Policy makers need to get teaches on board and ensure the teachers have the right tools and guidance to teach and assess these skills.

The Washington Post, Jan. 10, 2011
KIPP Responds to Criticism on Attrition Rates
This opinion piece was written by leaders of the Knowledge Is Power Program, better known as the KIPP charter schools, in response to a recent guest post in The Washington Post by Richard Kahlenberg that highlighted attrition in KIPP schools. According to this opinion piece, "in his post, Mr. Kahlenberg relied on a study of KIPP Bay Area schools, published by SRI International in 2008, that found those schools to have unusually high levels of attrition. We absolutely agree that this study was rigorous and its findings are valid. However, it was based on data from just five KIPP schools over a three-year period, and only one of those schools had reached full enrollment at the start of the study period. Thus, the SRI study does not account for how attrition rates at those schools have fallen as these KIPP schools have matured over the past four years."

The Washington Post, Jan. 10, 2011
Does KIPP Shed too Many Low-Performers?
This opinion piece reports that, "Valerie Strauss, creator and proprietor of the fabulous The Answer Sheet blog, recently encouraged a spirited debate over attrition rates at the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) schools." According to the article, "in a rigorous 2008 study of five KIPP schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, researchers at SRI International found that an astounding 60% of KIPP students left over the course of middle-school. Moreover, the researchers found evidence that the 60% of students who did not persist through the tough KIPP regimen (a longer school day and week, and heavy doses of homework), tended to be the weaker students."

San Jose Mercury News, Jan. 9, 2011
Study: More Special-Needs Students Engaged in Community, Enrolled in College
This article reports that "more special-needs students aged 18-21 are participating in volunteer or community service, with the rate having almost doubled from 13 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2005, according to a study from SRI International. "According to the article, Lynn Newman, a senior education researcher at SRI and project director for the study, attributed the gains to improved assistance in high school for special-needs youths over the past two decades. "In general, high schools are providing more support and enhanced educational programs for students with disabilities," Newman said in a recent news release. "And students are increasingly taking rigorous academic courses in high school, which better prepare them for postsecondary education."

Network World, Jan. 5, 2011
Military Set to Develop Smart, Robotic Cameras
This article reports that "in a move seemingly straight out of the Terminator movies, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency this week said it has contracted with 15 companies or universities to begin building software and hardware that will give machines or robots visual intelligence similar to humans." According to the article, "DARPA said the program, known as Mind's Eye, should generate the ability for machines to have the perceptual and cognitive abilities for recognizing and reasoning about the actions it sees and report or act upon it. For Mind's Eye, DARPA has contracted with 12 research teams to develop fundamental machine-based visual intelligence: Carnegie Mellon University, Co57 Systems, Inc., Colorado State University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/CALTECH, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, SRI International, State University of New York at Buffalo, TNO (Netherlands), University of Arizona, University of California Berkeley and University of Southern California. These teams will develop software for use in a smart camera that integrates existing state of the art computer vision and Artificial Intelligence with visual technology, DARPA stated."

EE Times, Jan. 3, 2011
SRI Swallows Sarnoff
This article reports that SRI International has completed the integration of Sarnoff Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of SRI for more than 20 years. The article notes that in March 2010, SRI International and Sarnoff announced that Sarnoff will be integrated into SRI.

San Francisco Business Times, Jan. 3, 2011
SRI International Wraps Up Sarnoff Corp. Deal
This article reports that "SRI International just finished integrating Sarnoff Corp. of Princeton, N.J., into itself." According to the article, the deal is mostly a change in names and organization, as Menlo Park-based SRI has owned Sarnoff for 20 years. "But Sarnoff, once called RCA Laboratories, was a wholly owned subsidiary, and now it is more tightly integrated into SRI. Sarnoff is named for David "The General" Sarnoff, a major television pioneer who founded the National Broadcasting Co. and who was boss at RCA for many decades."

Science: Stretching Dielectric Elastomer Performance, Jan. 2011
URL: PDF available — please email press@sri.com if interested
This article reports that the diversity of applications for electrically stretchable materials took a great leap 10 years ago in a landmark study by Ron Pelrine and colleagues at SRI International. According to the article, the study reported high-speed, giant-strain, electrically actuated elastomers with unprecedented electromechanical transduction performance. "The exceptional performance of these dielectric elastomer actuators gave rise to a scientific and technological revolution in the field of electroactive polymers, materials that can undergo electrically induced deformations. The most widely recognized potential of dielectric elastomer actuators is for creating artificial muscles. Possible future applications of dielectric elastomer actuators that have been under development over the past decade, and seem to be promising, deal with haptics and optics."

The Detonator: Dilute Explosive Blast Innovative Tool (DEBIT) for Rendering Safe VBIEDs, Jan. 2011
URL: PDF available — please email press@SRI.com if interested
This article reports that there is a current need to efficiently render safe Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) without the use of large quantities of water. According to the article, SRI's Poulter Laboratory has developed a VBIED tool that does not use water, is easily and quickly deployed robotically, and is ready for use directly from the Bomb Squad Response Vehicle.