Nanotechweb.org: The World Service for Nanotechnology [pdf]
http://www.nanotechweb.org/
This Web site is an information hub for news and developments in the world of nanotechnology. Besides monitoring nanotechnology research in industry, government, and academia, the site runs feature stories roughly every month to keep visitors up to date on some of the most important scientific breakthroughs. Conferences and workshops are also listed in an online calendar of events. Links to full text of many current research papers and articles are provided; however, some are restricted to subscribers. [CL]
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How does it Work??? [Flash]
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~thunder/education/main_frame.htm
As part of England's Royal Navy Engineering Sponsorship Scheme at the University of Southampton, this Web site illustrates "how some of the Royal Naval systems work." The material is divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced sections, and it covers topics such as helicopters, radar, sonar, and propulsion. The basic and intermediate sections are suitable for people with little to no prior knowledge of these systems, but the subsequent discussions go into theoretical proofs and more complex properties. Each module builds on the items introduced in the previous one, allowing users to understand one level of abstraction before moving onto the next. [CL]
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W3C: XHTML 2.0 [pdf, postscript, zip, tar]
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/
Web developers will be especially interested in this sneak peek at the next incarnation of the Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML). This is the fifth working draft of the XHTML 2.0 specification produced by the World Wide Web Consortium, an organization that creates standards that maintain interoperability. As can be seen from the list of issues, many unresolved points remain in the specification. However, the progress that has already been made is well documented and shows how the language is evolving. [CL]
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InfoWorld: From the Battlefield to the Enterprise
http://www.infoworld.com/reports/SRbattle.html
The recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated the effectiveness of many new technologies. Published on May 30, 2003, this series of special reports looks at the different technologies that were deployed to strengthen intelligence and military capability. The four categories examined are Communications, Security and Data Mining, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Robotics and Automation. Another article considers the history of battle-tested technologies and their subsequent emergence in the world of information technology. Lastly, a look ahead at future soldier equipment and warfare is given. [CL]
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JOONE [pdf, exe, zip, binary]
http://www.jooneworld.com/
The Java Object Oriented Neural Engine (JOONE) is "a free neural net framework to create, train and test neural nets." Neural networks are most often used for prediction or "intelligent" computation. Available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems, the tool comes equipped with a graphical user interface and extensive documentation making it easy to operate. The source code for JOONE and all library files necessary to manually compile the software are also included. A short introduction about neural networks is given to help potential users decide whether JOONE suits their needs. [CL]
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IBM: User Engineering
http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/1996
In every kind of product development process, the end result is based solely on the user's experience. The product should be easy to use and suit the customer's needs. This Web site from IBM takes a general look at this principle and delves into the theory of user engineering -- defined as "a discipline for designing user experiences that match users' expectations." After discussing its motivation and phases of the design process, the site elaborates on user-centered design. The content of the site is not specific to any single product category; rather, it can be adapted to nearly any application. [CL]
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TLC: Junkyard Wars [Macromedia Flash Reader]
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/junkyard/junkyard.html
This is the fan site of The Learning Channel's exciting series, Junkyard Wars. Visitors can read about upcoming episodes and learn about the engineering and technology aspects unique to each week's feature. Junkyard Science is the most informative section, providing insights into vehicle design for land, air, and water. There are descriptions of jet skis, cannons, blimps, and many others with details about how they work and what components are required to make them. An interactive quiz lets visitors test their knowledge of "basic science concepts introduced in the challenges of Junkyard Wars." [CL]
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Chess Championship: Humans vs. Computer
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/editorial/display/chess.html
This nine-page article, published on May 4, 2003, discusses the capabilities of computer chess programs and examines the possibility "that artificial intelligence is superior to human mind." Beginning with the realization that most chess grandmasters rely on computers for training, the article proceeds to analyze the dynamic of a game involving a human and a computer. The history of such matches is outlined, showing how computer chess programs have evolved and how the human opponent has to adapt his or her strategy to fit the computer's tactics. The article provides a fascinating insight into past events and future development of artificial intelligence. [CL]
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