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SRI International Digest, #32, Winter 2010
Subscribe to the SRI International Digest, our quarterly e-newsletter, or view previous issues.
IN THIS ISSUE
R&D News
Watch This
Industry Events
Meet Our Innovators
SRI in the News
Contact Us
R&D News
Siri Launches Intelligent Mobile Assistant for iPhone
 Ever wanted a personal assistant who could manage the details of your life, such as finding the perfect restaurant for dinner, telling you what's playing at a local jazz club, or advising if it will rain today? SRI spin-off Siri brings this wish a few voice commands closer to reality. The public beta of Siri's virtual assistant software for iPhone 3GS is now available for free download in Apple's App Store. Users speak into their phones; Siri listens and executes the requested actions, adapting to individual preferences over time.  |
Afterschool Science Programs Studied for NSF
 Students and families in California communities value science education beyond regular school hours. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded SRI $2.4 million for a five-year study to examine elementary and middle school grantees of California’s Afterschool Education and Safety (ASES) program. SRI will study the links between afterschool providers and science institutions. |
Microsoft, SRI, and Partners Commit to Innovating Global Education
 World leaders recognize the need to prepare youth for 21st century jobs with more effective integration of technology in education. In support of this vision, Microsoft sponsors the Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research project, led by SRI. This research will investigate the effects of information and communications technology (ICT) on transforming teaching and learning.
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Cutting-Edge Marine Research Center Sets Anchor in New Ocean-Front Facility
 SRI’s recently inaugurated facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, houses its Marine Technology Program, which is focused on marine science and technology, port security, and environmental research. The facility is part of the City of St. Petersburg's master plan for fostering a marine research cluster in the Bayboro district.
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Needle-Free System to Improve Drug Delivery
 Drug efficacy depends on patients taking the right dose for a prescribed period—a regimen that can fail when injections are required. A new SRI-developed system bypasses needles to offer effective drug delivery through a gel that attaches to mucous membranes. This enhances access to the patient's systemic circulation, ultimately improving outcomes—especially where sterile medical supplies are lacking. |
New Imaging Technology for Breast Cancer Patients
 More precise, affordable computed tomography can greatly benefit medical research, particularly breast cancer studies. SRI has received two grants from the National Cancer Institute to develop an X-ray system prototype using a new source tube design. The design could improve 3D imaging technology, making it easier to monitor tumor growth and assess the body's response to chemotherapy.
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SRI works to advance medical x-ray imaging technology
Since the introduction of computed tomography (CT) in the early 1970s, X-ray-based tomographic imaging has become an indispensable tool for medical diagnostics and research. SRI's Microsystems Engineering Laboratories (MSEL) is developing a new X-ray source for tomographic imaging that has the potential to increase imaging speed and image quality while reducing overall system size and complexity. The new source could have a variety of applications ranging from small animal imaging and whole body CT to breast digital tomosynthesis for improving cancer screening efficacy. |
Game On for the Study of Real-World Gamers’ Behaviors
 Interest in virtual gaming environments is surging. In the Virtual Environment Real User Study (VERUS), SRI will explore how online games across different cultures can function as tools for teaching and learning, professional training, and collaborative work. VERUS investigators will use the resources of SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center, Speech Technology and Research Laboratory, and Center for Technology in Learning.
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Robotic Surgery System Approved in Japan
SRI spin-off company Intuitive Surgical has received regulatory approval to allow marketing of its da Vinci S Surgical System in Japan. The system allows for treatment of complex conditions via minimally invasive surgery, enabling patients to return more quickly to active and productive lives.
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Watch This
The Light Revolution Beams Ahead
 Watch SRI’s Cavity Organic Lights Emitting Diode (COLED) in action. SRI’s COLED technology represents the next generation of lighting devices, promising to replace incandescent, fluorescent, and even advanced LEDs to achieve significantly higher efficiency.
For displays, COLED provides high visibility even under sunlight, as well as a wide view angle, typical challenges for many other types of displays. For lighting systems, COLED also offers a breadth of design options, since light is emitted across a surface, not a single light point. Applications include efficient lighting for traffic lights and building illumination as well as high-quality displays. |
SRI Innovation Tour
Take a virtual tour of SRI labs, listen to the pioneers of innovation, peek into SRI’s campus, and see experiments in the field. |
Upcoming Industry Events
Visit SRI at these upcoming tradeshows and speaking engagements:
Event Name
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Date
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Location |
Focus |
Details |
| Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting |
March 7-11 |
Salt Lake City, UT |
Biosciences |
SRI Biosciences will exhibit in booth #1016. |
| American Chemical Society (ACS) Annual Meeting |
March 21-23 |
San Francisco, CA |
Biosciences |
SRI Biosciences will exhibit in booth #1412. |
| Phosphor Global Summit 2010 |
March 23-25 |
San Diego, CA |
Phosphor technologies and applications |
Ravi Ravilisetty, SRI's Phosphor Program Leader, will talk about "Nanophosphors for medical, lighting, defense, and security applications". |
| American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting |
April 17-21 |
Washington, D.C. |
Biosciences |
SRI Biosciences will exhibit. |
| NEST Technology Showcase |
April 29 |
SRI Menlo Park, CA |
Biosciences |
SRI will host the 2010 technology showcase at its headquarters. |
| 31st IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy |
May 16-19 |
Oakland, CA |
Security |
SRI's Ulf Lindqvist will chair the event. |
View our full calendar.
Meet Our Innovators
SRI in the News
Denver Business Journal
Patent Issued for Drug Targeting T-cell Lymphoma
A U.S. patent has been issued to Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, SRI, and Southern Research Institute for FOLOTYN™ (pralatrexate injection), which has shown efficacy against T-cell lymphoma while exhibiting less toxicity than other therapeutics.
St. Petersburg Times
High Tech Brings High Hopes
At SRI's new 37,000-square-foot facility in St. Petersburg, maritime research is translated into government and commercial applications. Projects include developing better underwater security sensors for protecting ports and important work in marine technology and ocean discovery. Development of a robust high-tech sector in Florida could mean higher-quality jobs, more intellectual capital, and a stronger, more diversified portfolio for the state economy.
Channel Register
iPhone Worms Loom on the Mobile Horizon
Think your iPhone is immune to viruses and worms? Think again. Mobile "botnet" risks abound and could affect all smartphones with Internet access. SRI computer security researchers recently released an analysis of iPhone botnets. According to the report, "Modern Internet-tethered cell phones are today susceptible to being probed, fingerprinted, and surreptitiously exploited by hackers from anywhere on the Internet."
Medical News Today
In the Blink of an ... EPAM
Blinking is an essential function of the healthy eye since it spreads tears across the cornea, providing necessary lubrication. Without the blinking function, the eye is at risk of developing corneal ulcers that may cause blindness. Artificial muscles, such as those developed at SRI, could restore a paralyzed patient’s ability to blink.
SRI in the Community
SRI is a Best Workplace for Commuters
For its commitment to supporting staff members who choose public or carpool transportation, SRI was once again recognized as a "Best Workplace for Commuters" for 2010. SRI offers a transit and vanpool pass subsidy to employees, is active in ozone awareness programs, offers rideshare matching, shuttles, preferred parking for carpools, secure bicycle parking, compressed work weeks, telework, onsite amenities, and promotes healthy initiatives.
See other ways SRI supports its local communities.
CONTACT US
For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact SRI Digest editor Lucia Panini at lucia.panini@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.
Copyright 2010 SRI International. All rights reserved. SRI International is a registered trademark of SRI International. All other names and logos are the property of their respective owners.
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