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2007 Media Archive

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Dec. 31, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Nano-level university labs give leg up to businesses

Thirteen nano-level university laboratories across the country -- including the NanoTech User Facility at the University of Washington -- are hiring themselves out to businesses eager to make their mark in the millennium of the minuscule.

Dec. 28, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Seattle's state of the waters: Murky

Seattle Public Utilities on Thursday released the most detailed study ever done on the creeks and small lakes in this city -- and possibly any other urban area. The story it tells is murky. Derek Booth, affiliate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Dec. 25, 2007 | Skagit Valley Herald

Warming's impact on Skagit water

Early research by climate-change scientists suggests that the Skagit River will flow higher in the flood-prone winter months and lower in the summer, when salmon, farmers and thirsty residents need it most. Alan Hamlet, research assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Dec. 14, 2007 | BusinessWeek

Google and the wisdom of clouds

The magazine's cover features 27-year-old UW alum Christophe Bisciglia, now at Google. Last year Bisciglia teamed up with UW professor and mentor Ed Lazowska to offer 'Google 101,' a course that led to a national program.

Dec. 14, 2007 | Centralia Chronicle

Local governments face complex situation

A scientific picture of last week's flooding is only beginning to take shape as state and federal researchers study the water's rampage through both rural and urban landscapes. Susan Bolton, professor of forest resources and adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Dec. 10, 2007 | MSNBC

New endeavors aim to build a better Internet

UW computer scientist and search engine pioneer Oren Etzioni is hoping to make today’s “dumb” computers far more consumer-friendly. As part of a larger push in the field, his latest projects are providing a sneak preview of how online applications might look in a more intuitive Web 3.0 of the not-so-distant future.

Dec. 9, 2007 | ABC affiliates

Ultrasound wound healer

Bioengineers at the University of Washington are developing a new hand-held ultrasound device that they say can penetrate deep inside a human organ and stop bleeding without damaging surrounding tissue.

Dec. 7, 2007 | The Seattle Times

More streetcar lines? Report mentions 5 potential routes

As Seattle's new South Lake Union streetcar went through some final driver-training runs this morning, professor Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, released a report that five other neighborhoods provide ideal conditions for more streetcar lines.

Dec. 7, 2007 | KPLU

Seattle streetcar network proposed

A group called the Streetcar Alliance has unveiled its vision for an expansion of the new South Lake Union trolley. An extensive network would connect all of Seattle's neighborhoods. Professor Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

Dec. 6, 2007 | Santa Cruz Sentinel

Scientists testing robots that someday may perform surgery in space

Astronauts are not the only people who may benefit from technologies that enable robotic surgery in space. The robots may someday be found in ambulances racing to the scene of a car accident, some robotics experts say. Blake Hannaford, director of the UW's BioRobotics Laboratory, believes robotic surgery applications could change how medicine is practiced on a global scale.

Dec. 5, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Death, taxes… and now spam

Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat writes about the ever-increasing volume of spam. Oren Etzioni, professor of computer science and engineering, is quoted.

Dec. 5, 2007 | Crosscut Seattle

Stormwater runoff: An impermeable problem

Our built environment has forced the ecosystem to accommodate precipitation in high and fast volumes. The rush of water from pavement and compacted landscape destroys the natural order. It's also a huge source of Puget Sound pollution. Derek Booth, affiliate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Dec. 4, 2007 | Wired Science

Remote-controlled robot surgery

Never mind RoboCop; the future belongs to RoboDoc. Electrical engineer Blake Hannaford's small remote-controlled surgical system, a 50-pound piece of gear dubbed the Raven, may someday be used to tele-operate on people in places as distant as Antarctica or even outer space.

Dec. 1, 2007 | Seattle Business Monthly

Best of Business 2007

Healionics, a spinoff from Buddy Ratner's bioengineering lab, was named most promising new biotech firm. The company's porous material, the "Gore-Tex of biomaterials," is being tested for treating glaucoma in dogs.

Nov. 30, 2007 | ScienCentral

Vocal Joystick: Open wide and say 'Aaahh'

It's a device that could open a whole new world to people who are paralyzed, and simplify some tasks for the rest of us. This video explains how UW engineers are developing a voice-activated alternative to the computer mouse, something they're calling a "vocal joystick."

Nov. 30, 2007 | The UW Daily

Dedication drives UW race car team to competition

It’s 9 o’clock on a Wednesday night, and most of the campus has shut down until the following day, but in the basement of the mechanical engineering building a dedicated group of individuals is hard at work designing and constructing its year-long project — a formula-style race car.

Nov. 30, 2007 | Technology Review

Software that learns from users

Computers are a pain to use because they're "stupid," says UW computer scientist Pedro Domingos. He's using artificial intelligence to help personal computers understand and organize information, and learn and automate routine tasks.

Nov. 26, 2007 | BusinessWeek

Building a 3D world one snapshot at a time

That photo you snapped of Aunt Tilly in front of Notre Dame may help Netizens find their way around the world. UW computer scientists use online photos to create 3D models of famous, and frequently snapped, landmarks.

Nov. 26, 2007 | MSNBC.com

Imagining a bionic future

A survey of bold new projects in prosthetics—including UW computer scientist Yoky Matsuoka's lifelike robotic hand.

Nov. 26, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Startups hoping to reach maturity

New startups target people entering the senior phase of life who are seeking help, advice and tools to navigate the transition. Intel's Seattle research division and the UW have built activity sensors that monitor older adults walking, eating and taking medicines.

Nov. 16, 2007 | BusinessWeek

Computing heads for the clouds

IBM, Yahoo!, and Google are all putting the power of cloud computing to work. Google will make hundreds of processors in its data centers available to schools including the University of Washington, Stanford University, and MIT. Here's a short primer on how the new technology works.

Nov. 13, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Microsoft bus system hits a bump in road

Seven weeks after starting a service to take its employees to and from work, Microsoft's green-streaked buses have become a rush-hour fixture. But ridership has slipped noticeably since the system's splashy debut. Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

Nov. 12, 2007 | Discovery News

3D cityscapes made from Flickr pics

Vacation-goers who post photos of landmarks from their travels online are helping produce some of the most accurate 3-D models of architecture and cityscapes, thanks to a new digital project.

Nov. 8, 2007 | The Seattle Times: Brier Dudley's blog

Selberg scoops: Microsoft, UW departures to Google

UW computer scientists Brian Bershad and Craig Chambers have left the UW to work for Google. Until mid-year, Bershad was also chief executive of Illumita, a virtualization company founded by a group of UW profs.

Nov. 7, 2007 | The Associated Press

When 'ee' means 'move right'

A mouse that can move accurately in response to sounds could mean the difference between dependence and independence for someone with motor impairments. UW electrical engineer Jeff Bilmes is teaching computers to do just that.

Nov. 7, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

UW professors join Google

UW computer scientists Brian Bershad and Craig Chambers are joining Google's new office in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, strengthening the company's ties to the largest research institution in the state.

Nov. 5, 2007 | Christian Science Monitor

A reality check on dreams for space: the repairs

Saturday's spacewalk to fix a ripped solar panel on the International Space Station might be likened to threading cords through grommets of a waving, electrically charged camping tarp. It also points to the vital role that on-orbit maintenance will play as visionaries set their sights on more space structures. The solar-panel spacewalk was "really kind of a wake-up call," says UW aeronautics engineer Adam Bruckner.

Nov. 4 2007 | Slashdot.org

Recreating cities using online photos

The billion of images available from a site like Flickr has stimulated the imagination of many researchers. A team at the UW is using our vacation photos to create 3D models of world landmarks.

Nov. 3, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Skilled at code, he wins a load

UW computer whiz Michael Skinner scored an upset victory Friday by winning his division of an international contest aimed at finding out who can write the most effective computer programs. Skinner, 22, a senior, was one of just two Americans among a field of 120 students gathered in Florida for the 2007 TopCoder Collegiate Challenge.

Nov. 3, 2007 | The Tri-City Herald

UW computer science major wins $15,000 in coding competition

A UW computer science major won his division of an international contest aimed at finding the best coder. Michael Skinner, 22, brought home $15,000 from the 2007 TopCoder Collegiate Competition in Florida this past week.

Nov. 3, 2007 | Northwest Asian Weekly

MacArthur Foundation gives local researcher a hand

The MacArthur Foundation awarded a prestigious grant to the UW's Yoky Matsuoka for being a “leader in the emerging field of neurorobotics.”

Nov. 2, 2007 | Wired blog

Turning Flickr images into statues

UW computer scientists announced they are able to create 3D statues by overlaying dozens of photos from Flickr. "The big breakthrough here is being able to compute very accurate 3D models from people's vacation photos," said UW computer scientist Steve Seitz.

Nov. 1, 2007 | NetworkWorld.com

The top 10 real-life Star Trek inventions

In the past few months a number of technologies and products that invoke the Star Trek name have been rolled out. The UW's medical tricorder, a Tricorder-like tool that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound rays, is number two on the list.

Oct. 31, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Whose mouse is mightiest? UW code whiz hopes it's his

UW senior Michael Skinner takes on other top college computer programmers from around the world today in Florida at the 2007 TopCoder Collegiate Challenge.

Oct. 31, 2007 | The Seattle Times

UW computer-degree program growing

The UW's Computer Science & Engineering Department is launching a five-year degree program providing both bachelor's and master's degrees starting in 2008, part of a 25 percent expansion the department expects over five years.

Oct. 30, 2007 | KING 5 TV

Nanotechnology making its way into our homes

We've all heard of nanotechnology. It's about stuff that's really, really small. But now this technology is starting to make its way into the home. KING 5 visits Francois Baneyx in the UW's Center for Nanotechnology to see how small we're really talking about.

Oct. 29, 2007 | Fox News

Far-out ideas could provide solutions to world's energy crisis

Getting out from under the thumb of foreign oil producers and saying goodbye to polluting power plants could be just a couple of scientific breakthroughs away. Tom Jarboe, a UW professor of aeronautics and astronautics, describes the promise of fusion energy.

Oct. 29, 2007 | New Scientist

Holiday snapshots used to model the world in 3D

Images uploaded to photo-sharing websites like Flickr could find a surprising new application – they could help build accurate 3D models of the real world. Michael Goesele, a former UW postdoctoral researcher, and UW computer scientist Steve Seitz say they have a simple method for creating 3D digital maps.

Oct. 25, 2007 | The Associated Press

Intel, scholars explore tech frontier

Research teams at the UW, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California at Berkeley have for six years been working with Intel Corp. seeking ways to further integrate computers into daily life. The company sees the collaboration as a way to recruit smart students.

Oct. 25, 2007 | The UW Daily

Vocal Joystick brings accessibility to a new level

Most college students today would be lost without the Internet. For individuals with motor impairments, however, using a mouse to browse the Web is often impossible. UW electrical engineer Jeff Bilmes and colleagues are inventing a solution.

Oct. 24, 2007 | CBC Radio

Interview: Jeff Bilmes on the Vocal Joystick

There are certain everyday technologies that I take for granted. Like the computer mouse. But for some people with motor impairments, a computer mouse can be impossible to use. Instead, they may use tongue joysticks, eye tracking devices, or brain-computer interfaces to control a mouse pointer. Electrical engineer Jeff Bilmes may have developed an alternative.

Oct. 23, 2007 | BusinessWeek

Boeing: Man on the hot seat

Pat Shanahan, a UW mechanical engineering alum, has been the aircraft maker's Mr. Fix-It on a number of projects. Now he faces his biggest challenge: the 787 Dreamliner.

Oct. 22, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Linus Chou dives headfirst into making UW team

Perhaps the most unlikely of football players, Linus Chou, a Chinese-American, is a junior computer science major. He scored 1500 on his SAT. He just interviewed for an internship at Microsoft. Chou jokingly describes himself as the "biggest Asian this side of the Mississippi." How the Lakeside School product juggles academics and athletics is one of the Huskies' best feel-good stories of the season.

Oct. 19, 2007 | Discovery News

Joystick takes cues by voice

Electrical engineer Jeff Bilmes' Vocal Joystick software allows users to control a cursor using vocalizations. The technology calls to mind the "Phonetic Punctuation" routine by magician and comedian Victor Borge.

Oct. 17, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Aerospace Notebook: Boeing Dreamliner chief replaced

Boeing Co. announced a new head of the 787 Dreamliner program: Pat Shanahan, a Washington native and UW graduate in mechanical engineering. Shanahan has been in charge of Boeing's complex missile defense program in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective immediately.

Oct. 17, 2007 | The Seattle Times

787 visionary out; new chief must make it fly

Boeing has named UW alumnus Pat Shanahan as the new 787 program chief. Shanahan graduated from the UW with a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1985 and has been working for Boeing in Washington, D.C. The new position is a glorious opportunity, as well as a return home to Washington state and to the commercial-airplane business.

Oct. 15, 2007 | USA Today

'Brilliant' minds think alike -- for good of mankind

Computer scientist Yoky Matsuoka is one of Popular Science's "Brilliant 10."

Oct. 15, 2007 | The Seattle Times

As traffic gets nastier, many of us are shifting gears

Several key traffic measures show that as traffic congestion worsens, many drivers may be starting to make significant changes in how they get around -- including driving less and owning fewer vehicles. The UW's Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

Oct. 13, 2007 | The New York Times

As its stock tops $600, Google faces growing risks

Can anything stop the ascent of Google's stock? Jim Cramer, the high-decibel CNBC talk-show host, told his audience on Wednesday night "never to take financial advice from anyone who doesn't recommend Google." Computer scientist Ed Lazowska is quoted.

Oct. 11, 2007 | The Seattle Times

State audit proposes adding tolls, lanes

A new state audit says political leaders aren't doing enough to reduce traffic congestion and recommends adding more lanes to the region's highways and possibly using tolls to help deal with the problem. The UW's Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

Oct. 10, 2007 | Computerworld.com

Internet surfers say goodbye mouse, hello voice commands

UW researchers have developed software designed to let those who can't work a handheld mouse use their voice instead to navigate the Web. "There are many people who have perfect use of their voice who don't have use of their hands and arms," said UW electrical engineer Jeffrey Bilmes.

Oct. 10, 2007 | The Associated Press

UW develops 'Vocal Joystick'

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed computer software for the disabled that can control a cursor using sounds. It's called the "Vocal Joystick."

Oct. 9, 2007 | The (San Jose) Mercury News

Google, IBM forge computing program

Google's alliance with IBM to supply massive amounts of computing power to college campuses around the country started as one individual's idealistic notion. The Academic Cluster Computing Initiative is the dream of a 26-year-old graduate from the University of Washington named Christophe Bisciglia.

Oct. 9, 2007 | The Washington Post

Maryland joins megacomputer 'cloud' project

Google and IBM announced yesterday they are partnering with the University of Maryland, Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and three other universities to bring the power of huge clusters of computers -- or clouds -- to students and academic researchers. The initiative expands an effort begun at the UW.

Oct. 8, 2007 | The Wall Street Journal

IBM, Google, universities combine 'cloud' forces

International Business Machines Corp. and Google Inc. said they are starting a program on college campuses to promote computer-programming techniques for clusters of processors known as "clouds." Hundreds of donated computers will be accessible from six universities, led by UW, where some of the programming techniques were developed.

Oct. 8, 2007 | The New York Times

Google and I.B.M. join in 'cloud computing' research

Elite universities do not provide the technical training needed for the kind of powerful and highly complex computing Google is famous for, say computer scientists. So Google and I.B.M. are announcing today a major research initiative to address that shortcoming. The UW is one of six universities involved in the initiative.

Oct. 8, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Software Notebook: Google, IBM expand program to teach 'Internet-scale' computing

Google and IBM, expanding an effort that began at the University of Washington, will launch an initiative to help computer science students and researchers learn a form of programming increasingly significant in the Internet age.

Oct. 8, 2007 | The Tacoma News Tribune

Traffic Q&A

To merge, or not to merge? Civil engineer Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, helps answer a heated traffic debate.

Oct. 3, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Where did Sputnik leave us?

In an op-ed article, bioengineering doctoral student Thomas Robey asks: What is the state of science a half-century after Sputnik? NASA has an image problem; science allocations lag behind inflation stifling innovation; and while more Americans than other nationalities win Nobel Prizes, those accolades go to scientists trained in a different era -- the uncertain funding situation facing young scholars today is an impediment to many pursuing careers in science.

Oct. 1, 2007 | KOMO TV

UW researchers put more 'reality' into 'virtual reality'

UW computer scientist Zoran Popovic and doctoral student Adrien Treuille have a come up with a new formula for simulating fluids like fires and smoke. The new formula is changing the world of virtual reality.

Oct. 1, 2007 | Popular Science

Robot connector: Yoky Matsuoka

She's built incredibly lifelike robots. Now she's connecting them directly to our brains. Popular Science magazine names UW computer scientist Yoky Matsuoka to its 6th annual "Brilliant 10" list.

Sept. 28, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

UW makes breakthrough in translation technology

For decades, scientists have tried to create machines that can translate languages as competently as a human being. PanImages, a research project led by UW computer scientist Oren Etzioni, is taking machine translation and applying it to a specific segment: image searches on the Web.

Sept. 28, 2007 | The Oregonian

A love song to a vanished falls and a man's passion to hear it

A musical that tells the story of filling The Dalles Dam in Oregon features music by the UW's Chenoa Egawa. In her day job, Egawa is a UW staff member developing Native American programs in the College of Engineering's Mathematics, Engineering, Science and Achievement (MESA) office.

Sept. 27, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Lakefront might have better uses than upgraded Husky Stadium

Columnist Art Thiel suggests moving Husky Stadium to a new site north of the current location. Steve Kramer, a professor of civil engineering for 23 years at the UW, comments on the technical feasibility of building a stadium on landfill and peat bog.

Sept. 26, 2007 | The Seattle Times

PUD moves ahead on tidal project

The PUD is moving forward with initial studies of seven sites throughout Puget Sound. Last week, it removed testing equipment from the bottom of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass. "Overall power capacity is based on how strong the currents are," said mechanical engineer Brian Polagye. "And based on what we're initially seeing, that could be two or three times what we initially suspected."

Sept. 26, 2007 | Whidbey News-Times

Currents run deep

Tidal energy in Puget Sound could become a reality if studies already underway prove its economic viability and consequent negligible environmental impacts. UW mechanical engineering doctoral student Brian Polagye is quoted.

Sept. 25, 2007 | CBS Evening News

Robotic technology gets a hand

Seattle computer scientist Yoky Matsuoka receives major prize to help improve her robotic hand design. John Blackstone reports.

Sept. 25, 2007 | National Public Radio

Winners welcome MacArthur 'genius grants'

The MacArthur Foundation announces 24 "Genius Grants" of $500,000 each. The honorees include UW neurorobotics expert Yoky Matsuoka, who is the second person interviewed on this segment.

Sept. 25, 2007 | The Seattle Times

2 local researchers win $500,000 MacArthur 'genius awards'

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 25, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

2 local scientists win 'genius' awards

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 25, 2007 | The New York Times

MacArthur Foundation gives out 'genius awards'

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 25, 2007 | USA Today

Man on military 'mission' is among 'genius grants'

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 25, 2007 | The Washington Post

The 24 MacArthur grant winners

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 25, 2007 | The Los Angeles Times

Other MacArthur grant recipients

The UW's Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Mark Roth, affiliate associate professor of biochemistry, are two of the recipients of this year's $500,000 "genius awards," announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Sept. 24, 2007 | Computerworld

Happy birthday, Sputnik! (Thanks for the Internet)

Fifty years ago, a small Soviet satellite was launched, stunning the U.S. and sparking a massive technology research effort. Could we be in for another "October surprise"? UW computer scientist Ed Lazowska is quoted on pages 2 and 4.

Sept. 22, 2007 | New Scientist

Gizmo: PanImages

If you speak a language that isn't very popular, such as Hungarian or Kurdish, searching for images online is a pain. UW computer scientist Oren Etzioni created PanImages, an image search engine that translates terms into hundreds of languages and hunts those terms too.

Sept. 21, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

Delay of first flight squeezes timetable for jet certification

Boeing is racing to deliver its first 787 on schedule in May and as the deadline approaches, Boeing's success hinges increasingly on Federal Aviation Administration tests. The FAA office in Seattle is tapping resources and pilots from around the nation to do the job by the delivery date. UW mechanical engineer Mark Tuttle and aeronautics engineer Adam Bruckner are quoted.

Sept. 21, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sensors measure power in waters of Admiralty Inlet

The UW has a team of engineers and oceanographers working on tidal energy research in collaboration with the Snohomish Public Utility District. In addition to finding the tidal current hot spots, mechanical engineering doctoral student Brian Polagye said it's crucial to determine the shape of the tidal exchange. Some tides shift back and forth in a straight line, he said, while others flow in a more elliptical, or turbulent, pathway. All of that has to be factored in when designing a network of seafloor tidal turbines.

Sept. 18, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Greenwood Technologies gets $3 million in venture capital

Using a grant from the Washington Technology Center, Greenwood Technologies is working with mechanical engineer John Kramlich to develop a more efficient wood-burning boiler.

Sept. 17, 2007 | The Seattle Times

UW makes breakthrough in translation technology

When Seattle looks in the mirror, it sees Bill Gates looking back: a city that's geeky smart, entrepreneurial, socially compassionate and on the cutting edge of technology. Yet consider this: Just 160 seniors graduate in computer science or computer engineering each year from the UW, home to the state's most respected program. Computer science lecturer Barbara Mones and students Maxine Toh and Jenny Yuen are quoted.

Sept. 13, 2007 | United Press International

New search engine technology is developed

U.S. scientists have developed a multilingual technology that allows Internet users to successfully search for images using search terms in any language. "Images are universal but image search is not," said University of Washington computer scientist Oren Etzioni, who led the research.

Sept. 13, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Brier Dudley: Matter of translation

A new visual, multilingual search tool developed at the UW's Turing Center was presented Wednesday at the Machine Translation Summit in Copenhagen. Computer scientist Oren Etzioni is quoted.

Sept. 13, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Intel lab pushes 'ubiquitous computing'

Sensor technologies play a central role at Intel Research's Seattle lab, a 20-person facility with close ties to the UW. The lab's current director is David Wetherall, a UW computer science associate professor, and many UW students work and intern there. A video shows Ryan Wistort, a recent graduate in electrical engineering and intern at Intel, demonstrating a robotic hand.

Sept. 12, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Entrepreneurs get a quick crack at pitching to investors

Heated gloves. All-natural teas. Internet TV distributors. Those were among the ideas presented at the Zino Zillionaire Investment Forum, in which entrepreneurs competed for $150,000 and the attention of Seattle investors. Healionics, a UW bioengineering spinout founded by Buddy Ratner, won for best technology investment. The company aims to raise $1.5 million to develop biomaterials for use in tissue regeneration.

Sept. 12, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Obituary: Undefeated UW rower earned gold

Joe Rantz, a member of the 1936 University of Washington eight-oared crew that won the Olympic gold medal, died Monday night. Rantz studied chemical engineering at the UW.

Sept. 10, 2007 | EE Times

Nets to offer patients health care 'to go'

Researchers envision a coming revolution in health care: today's services, controlled by physicians and hospitals will give way to a new model in which consumers directly access devices and services on the Internet and other networks. Equipment now locked up in hospitals will someday be available on home or public networks, according to UW bioengineer Yongmin Kim.

Sept. 9, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Hold the line: The debate over the health effects of wireless

It's hard to imagine life without cellphones, BlackBerrys and WiFi. But some people believe the technology that makes modern life so convenient may be hazardous to our health. "There are enough scientific data to indicate that one should limit direct exposures to cellphone radiation," says UW bioengineer Henry Lai, a leading researcher on the subject.

Sept. 9, 2007 | The Times of India

Future stock

The 7th Class of Outstanding Innovators this year has four Indians, each of whom represents Technology Review magazine’s quest for excellence in technology of the future. UW doctoral student Tapan Parikh's mobile phone-based tool, called CAM, is changing the way small businesses function in developing countries.

Sept. 5, 2007 | The Times of India

Four Indians among top tech innovators

They are young innovators who are altering the state of medicine, computing, communications and energy. All under 35 years, they call them the TR35, and their work represents the future of technology. Tapan Parikh, 33, a PhD student in computer science at the UW, has been named Humanitarian of the Year for creating technology for the developing world.

Aug. 31, 2007 | CBC News

Ultrasound could treat lung trauma: study

Ultrasound is often associated with scanning pregnant bellies, a painless, non-invasive way of examining internal organs through high-frequency sound waves. Now the diagnostic technique holds promise for quickly and painlessly treating internal lung injuries caused by trauma such as car accidents, according to a new study by UW bioengineer Shahram Vaezy.

Aug. 29, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Tidal-power research under way

Researchers from the Snohomish County Public Utility District and the University of Washington are waiting for results from ongoing acoustic testing in Puget Sound. The PUD is considering how well sites might perform for tidal-power generation, while the UW hopes to use the information to continue mapping tidal flows. UW mechanical engineer Philip Malte is quoted.

Aug. 28, 2007 | USA Today

China8 project boxes up grand ad plan

Everett, Wash.-based Erudite is developing an advanced system for making shipping containers tamperproof. Company founder Paul Willms recruited University of Washington electrical engineering professor Les Atlas to develop a system that uses a GPS-activated lock to keep a container shut tight until it reaches its destination.

Aug. 27, 2007 | The (Calcutta) Telegraph

Connecting to progress

He could silence skeptics who would accuse academics of being disconnected from reality. Tapan Parikh, a graduate student at the University of Washington, developed an information system that can dramatically change the lives of the rural poor. Technology Review magazine named him “Humanitarian of the Year” and one of the 35 young innovators in its annual “TR35” list.

Aug. 27, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Human stem cells fix heart damage in lab rats

Human embryonic stem cells have been used to regrow the heart muscles of rats that had survived lab-induced heart attacks, scientists from the University of Washington and a private biotechnology company reported Sunday. Charles Murry, a UW professor of bioengineering and pathology, is quoted.

Aug. 26, 2007 | National Public Radio

Stem-cell procedure could rebuild heart tissue

Heart muscle doesn't regenerate when it's damaged, one reason heart attacks are so debilitating. A dream of researchers is to build new heart muscle using transplanted cardiac stem cells. Charles Murry, UW professor of bioengineering and pathology, took a potentially important step in that direction, using embryonic stem cells as a starting material.

Aug. 19, 2007 | The New York Times

Engineer on two wheels

Mechanical engineering alum Sally Jewell describes how she mixes business and a love for the outdoors. While studying at the UW she switched from dentistry to mechanical engineering, she writes, because "that seemed like more fun."

Aug. 17, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Commuters showed they can adapt, at least briefly

A thousand little things people did differently made the I-5 lane closures largely painless.It's an interesting lesson for a region that tends to fixate on pouring concrete, rather than changing behavior, to solve traffic problems. The UW's Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

Aug. 16, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Puget Sound area leads the charge to tidal energy

There's been such a sea change in interest around the Pacific Northwest in tidal energy projects that the federal government has had to freeze new permit applications. Mechanical engineering doctoral student Brian Polagye is quoted.

Aug. 16, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Biodiesel used in wheels, not turbines: Until prices fall, it's best used in cars and trucks

North America's largest biodiesel-processing facility opened Wednesday on the shores of Grays Harbor. The UW's Philip Malte, professor of mechanical engineering, is quoted.

Aug. 15, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Technology Review calls out UW innovators

The UW had an impressive showing on Technology Review's annual list of the top innovators under age 35. Three Huskies are on the list, including computer science doctoral student Tapan Parikh, who was named "top humanitarian of 2007" for his mobile phone technology helping small-business owners in developing countries.

Aug. 15, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Three at UW named among top innovators

Two University of Washington professors and a doctoral student have been named among the top innovators under the age of 35 by Technology Review magazine.

Aug. 12, 2007 | The Seattle Times

I-5 project just the first of many traffic disruptions

The Interstate 5 isn't the only local road in need of repairs. In all, the Department of Transportation lists 24 bridges and viaducts in need of new expansion joints — the gaps, often covered by metal strips, that make your tires go "thunk, thunk, thunk." Civil engineer Charles Roeder describes the deterioration in infrastructure over his 30 years of living in Seattle and studying bridges.

Aug. 11, 2007 | Associated Press

Weight-load on bridges, roads soars to risky levels

Just like Americans themselves, the nation's roads and bridges are carrying much more weight today. Added to an aging and deteriorating highway system, it means more safety problems, delays and repair costs for drivers, experts said. "The number of trucks and the number of heavy trucks have gone up dramatically since 1965," said Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington.

Aug. 10, 2007 | The Vancouver Columbian

UW computer graphics help demonstrate NASCAR drafting

The University of Washington says its computer scientists have developed software to illustrate the drafting effect of NASCAR race cars. Draft Track uses fluid dynamics math algorithms to create real-time displays of colors trailing behind cars that show viewers how drivers can use drafting to save gas or pick up speed.

Aug. 10, 2007 | Associated Press

Metal plates examined in bridge collapse

Engineers say outdated metal gussets may have caused the collapse of the interstate bridge in Minneapolis. The bridge was one of Minnesota's busiest, carrying 140,000 vehicles a day. Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the UW, said that's dramatically higher than designers would have considered in 1965.

Aug. 10, 2007 | The Puget Sound Business Journal

Illumita raises $6M

Illumita, a technology startup founded by a group of University of Washington computer scientists, has raised $6 million in funding from Seattle-area investors, including Bezos Expeditions, the investment company of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.

Aug. 10, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Funding gives Illumita a 'vote of confidence'

Illumita, a Pioneer Square startup aiming to make fuller use of high-powered computers, has secured $6 million funding. Illumita's technology emerged from the University of Washington. The company was founded in 2006 by UW computer scientists Hank Levy, Steve Gribble, David Richardson and Brian Bershad.

Aug. 10, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Venture firms give startup a vote of confidence

Four high-profile venture capital outfits are investing $6 million in illumita, founded last year by four UW computer scientists, to commercialize the company's research in "virtualization technology" that lets an organization make more efficient use of all its computers.

Aug. 6, 2007 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Therapists get graphic results with virtual reality

Medicine meets video games as doctors use virtual reality in physical therapy sessions. Hunter Hoffman, director of the Virtual Reality Analgesia Research Center of the UW, has used virtual reality to distract burn victims from their often excruciating pain; to help a woman with a spider phobia; and to treat people suffering from post-traumatic shock.

Aug. 6, 2007 | Investor's Business Daily

William Boeing's airline boost

William Boeing built an aerospace empire in the Pacific Northwest through his technological and political know-how. The article mentions his pull in opening a department of aeronautical engineering at the UW.

Aug. 6, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Microsoft photo software to showcase space shuttle

NASA will use Photosynth to offer a close, interactive look at the space shuttle Endeavour as it prepares for liftoff and the scene in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The 3-D photo browser is based on UW computer science research now licensed by Microsoft.

Aug. 6, 2007 | The Seattle Times

3-D Web views of space center to show off new photo technology

Anyone with an Internet connection can now get better-than-VIP access to the pinnacle of American technological achievement. Microsoft's Web site gives a 3-D view of detailed, high-resolution photographs of NASA's space shuttle Endeavour and its surroundings in the Kennedy Space Center. The Photosynth photo-viewing technology is based on research by computer scientist Steve Seitz and doctoral student Noah Snavely.

Aug. 3, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Twin Cities reminder: Care for what we have

The Seattle Times editorial board reflects upon the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota as a reminder that "the deeper lesson to take away from this is to invest time, money and talent in prevention." The UW's Marc Eberhard, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Aug. 3, 2007 | The Chronicle of Higher Education

Beyond PowerPoint

The UW's Richard J. Anderson, professor of computer science and engineering, may have solved the problem of the class loudmouth. With computers on their desks that have touch-sensitive screens that read pen strokes, however, it's easy for anyone to raise a "virtual hand." The program Anderson created is called Classroom Presenter.

Aug. 1, 2007 | New Scientist

Smartphones are the PCs of the developing world

Smartphones may seem like a frivolous indulgence for rich westerners, but it turns out that their added features can be harnessed to help people in poorer countries do business, educate their children and even hold those in power to account. Doctoral student Tapan Parikh describes his work with microfinance coops in India.

July 31, 2007 | The Capital Times

UW friends celebrate Denice Denton legacy

It's the little things adding up that can bring even the toughest woman down. That view was expressed again and again during a memorial symposium organized by friends and colleagues of Denice Denton, a former UW-Madison researcher and teacher and former dean of the University of Washington's College of Engineering.

July 30, 2007 | Skagit Valley Herald

Utilities put energy into tidal power

The tidal energy "gold rush" is on, and the Snohomish Public Utility District is the latest prospector to stake its claim to potentially potent sources of power in Puget Sound waters. The PUD has partnered with the UW to study the currents in Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass.

July 29, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Letter to the Editor -- Why allow British comment about specific U.S. law?

In a letter to the editor, the UW's Phil Bereano, professor emeritus of technical communication, responds to a column in the July 25 edition which carried a British commentary on U.S. law.

July 29, 2007 | Wisconsin State Journal

Lampert Smith: A legacy lost

Columnist Susan Lampert Smith discusses the legacy of Denice Denton, former professor at UW-Madison, dean of engineering at the University of Washington and chancellor of the University of California at Santa Cruz. Even more than science and education, Denton was known for helping women and minorities break through the glass ceiling of academia.

July 26, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

On radio: Car audio has quite a past and future

Car radios may be an old technology, but they represent a hugely important channel for delivering programming and advertising to listeners. The work of the late Chih-Chi Hsu, former UW professor of electrical engineering, is described with a quote from electrical engineer Les Atlas.

July 25, 2007 | Slashdot

Tool detects 'in-flight' Web page alterations

Some Internet service providers (ISPs) have been caught inserting ads into the Web pages their customers visit. Computer scientist Yoshi Kohno and members of the UW security and privacy research group teamed up with the International Computer Science Institute to investigate. They developed an online tool that helps identify when an ISP inserts ads or otherwise modifies Web pages.

July 23, 2007 | Campus Technology

U Washington offers computer academy for hearing impaired

The University of Washington is hosting its first Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing, a nine-week program during which students will learn how to program software, write computer code, model 3D objects, and make cartoon figures move.

July 21, 2007 | The Everett Herald

Tidal power sites sought

In 10 days scientists will begin taking current speed measurements, first at nearby Admiralty Inlet and then at the fast-moving tidal currents that rush through Deception Pass. UW oceanographers and mechanical engineers will feed the measurements into a computer model of Puget Sound that will assess the sites' suitability for tidal energy.

July 17, 2007 | PC World

Microsoft photo technologies aim big

A Microsoft project, unveiled last year and built in collaboration with the UW, collects images from public photo-sharing Web pages. Photo Tourism combines the photos into a 3D image so users can look at the object from any view. The idea was to take advantage of the potentially billions of images that are online, said Noah Snavely, a UW doctoral student who works on the project with Microsoft researchers.

July 17, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Cuts in grants for computer research assailed

Government funding for basic computer-science research in the U.S. is decreasing, and many academics believe agencies that award grants are reluctant to pay for longer-term, "audacious" projects. That was the message Monday from a panel of computer-science experts at Microsoft's eighth annual Faculty Summit. At the summit, Microsoft also announced funding for a partnership with the University of Washington on collaboration technologies used in distance learning.

July 16, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

Microsoft giving $750K to start UW program

Microsoft Corp. said it's donating $750,000 over the next three years to launch the Center for Collaborative Technologies at the University of Washington. The Redmond software giant said this is the latest of 11 centers it's established "to allow university researchers to focus deeply on extending the state of the art in computing."

July 16, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Microsoft funds green research, Grant money also goes to UW for high-tech classrooms

Microsoft on Monday committed $750,000 over three years to establish a Center for Collaborative Technologies at the University of Washington, which will focus on distance learning technologies and high-tech classrooms.

July 15, 2007 | The Los Angeles Times

Surfing before you fly can uncover best fare

On a flight from Seattle to Los Angeles a few years ago, Oren Etzioni learned that an aisle mate had paid about $100 less for his ticket than Etzioni had. When he returned to the University of Washington, where he is an expert on artificial intelligence, Etzioni set about creating a computer program that could ensure that fliers get the best deal. His brainchild, Farecast, attempts to tell travelers when they should buy a ticket by predicting whether a fare will go up or down.

July 13, 2007 | Inside Higher Ed

Handling the 'bad apples'

A national conference held this week at the UW, called Leadership Excellence for Academic Diversity, was geared toward advising academic leaders in the science, engineering and math fields on how to manage their decisions while keeping diversity in mind.

July 11, 2007 | The Seattle Times

PUD to begin tidal-power testing near Admiralty Inlet

Tidal-power testing for electricity production near Admiralty Inlet will begin at the end of the month, with testing at Deception Pass and other locations to follow. Teaming up with the University of Washington's oceanography department, Snohomish County officials will use acoustic Doppler to measure currents over the next several months.

July 11, 2007 | The UW Daily

Deaf college students pursue computing at UW

For nine weeks this summer, 20 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from across the nation are participating in the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Computing on the UW campus.

July 10, 2007 | The Everett Herald

Snohomish PUD closer to tide power

Snohomish County PUD's venture into generating electricity using underwater tidal turbines is cranking to life. Phil Malte, a UW professor of mechanical engineering, was hired by the PUD to develop models of currents in Puget Sound.

July 10, 2007 | The New York Times

Determined to reinspire a culture of innovation

The NY Times profiles William Wulf, an advocate for innovation and former president of the National Academy of Engineering. The UW's Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science and engineering, describes Wulf's influence on U.S. research policy.

July 8, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

UW offers deaf, hard of hearing chance to excel at computer academy

Students from all over the country have traveled to the UW for the first Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing. During the intense, nine-week program students will learn how to program software, write computer codes, model 3-D objects and make cartoon figures move.

July 6, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

UW nanophotonic lab aims at chips

The UW is expanding its research in nanophotonics, an emerging field of science involving ultra-tiny materials and light that many believe has the potential to revolutionize computing. Research by Alex Jen, chair of materials science, is mentioned.

July 2, 2007 | The Spokesman Review

Photosynth produces 3-D vistas of places people find interesting

Imagine exploring a gallery with thousands of pictures posted online by people you’ll never meet, and who don’t know each other. You can do that already, thanks to really smart technology being developed in Seattle. The experiment in massive digital photo-sharing is one example applications that stitch together digital photos.

July 2, 2007 | Everett Herald

Hybrid buses coming to Everett

Hybrid diesel-electric buses run quieter, smoother, use less fuel, and don't have the dark, smelly smoke of standard diesel buses. Federal transportation money recently awarded to Everett is expected to help add cleaner-burning hybrid buses to Everett Transit's fleet. The UW's Scott Rutherford, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

July 1, 2007 | Tacoma News Tribune

OK, now for the (good) bad news

The daily slog over the Tacoma Narrows will improve when the new bridge opens next week. But we should enjoy life in the faster lane now, because it probably won't last long -- the drivers who stay away awhile eventually will come back. UW civil engineer Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, is quoted.

June 28, 2007 | Tahlequah (Oklahoma) Daily Press

Potholes on the information superhighway

Ethan Katz-Bassett and Harsha V. Madhyastha, researchers at the University of Washington, recently found more than 10 percent of the World Wide Web can be out at any time on an average day. To search out these “black holes,” the researchers developed the Hubble system.

June 25, 2007 | The Seattle Times

iPhone: It all comes down to buttons

Those people lining up to buy Apple iPhones on Friday are guinea pigs, and experts in the field of human-computer interaction are taking note. UW computer scientist James Landay is quoted.

June 25, 2007 | The Gainesville Sun

Researchers split about risks posed by cell phone use

It seems that every month brings another horror story about cell phones. Yet many studies show no adverse effect. Bioengineer Henry Lai found that more than 70 percent of the studies showing phones are safe involved researchers who were funded by or have acted as consultants to the cell-phone industry.

June 22, 2007 | Technology Review

Human-aided computing: Microsoft researchers are trying to harness untapped brain power

Tapping into some of the specialized -- and often subconscious -- computing power in the human brain may solve problems that machines can't do. Pradeep Shenoy, a computer science graduate student, and a Microsoft researcher devised a scheme using electro-encephalograph (EEG) caps to collect brain activity to sort digital pictures.

June 20, 2007 | PC Magazine

Five ideas that will reinvent modern computing: The midair mouse

A new-age pointing device under development at Microsoft Research lets you navigate your PC using nothing but a bare hand. The device, known as Soap, is essentially a wireless optical mouse surrounded by a fabric hull—think of it as a beanbag with some hardware inside. It was dreamed up by Microsoft's Patrick Baudisch, an affiliate professor of computer science at the UW.

June 17, 2007 | KOMO TV

Wisconsin wins UW's concrete canoe competition

For the fifth year in a row, the University of Wisconsin-Madison won the National Concrete Canoe Competition, which took place this weekend in Seattle. The Wisconsin team used a 179-pound, natural gray canoe -- named the Descendent -- to capture the "America's Cup of Civil Engineering."

June 15, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

Top talent hard to hire at UW

The UW's failed bid to woo a star researcher to head its Center for Nanotechnology underscores both the intense competition for star researchers in the academic world -- and the risks universities face in mounting aggressive recruitment efforts. Francois Baneyx, acting director of the Center for Nanotechnology, is quoted.

June 15, 2007 | ABCnews.com

3-D models at the click of a camera

A computer-science research product, Photo Tourism, and a Seattle software company, Seadragon, joined forces to create Photosynth, a product under development at Microsoft. Photosynth creates photo-realistic 3-D models of any subject simply by scanning image databases on the Internet.

June 13, 2007 | The Tacoma News Tribune

Just skimming along

Pre-engineering freshman Bruce Hermansen and four friends started Dashboards Skimboards while attending high school in Tacoma. They manufacture wooden boards for neighborhood kids and post-adolescent daredevils to ride and do tricks across wet sand and constructed rails.

June 10, 2007 | Crosscut

No exit: Pay toll ahead

Are highway tolls in Seattle’s future? The UW’s Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center, and a team of students fine-tuned a recent technical report that incorporates electronic tags and “smart” cards.

June 8, 2007 | Puget Sound Business Journal

Prof designs little robot to prowl power lines

University of Washington researcher Alexander Mamishev is in the final stage of testing his energy crawler, a 3-inch-tall robot that checks underground high-voltage wires for potential electrical shorts, cracks and damage.

June 7, 2007 | WIStv.com

Health alert: Smart sunglasses

People who wear sunglasses may have a hard time adjusting to sudden changes in light conditions, like when going indoors. Now researchers at the UW are developing the next generation of sunglasses using materials that can change color and transparency in seconds.

June 7, 2007 | Wired

Researchers chart Internet’s ‘black holes’

Computer science doctoral student Ethan Katz-Bassett introduced a new tool, named Hubble, that probes the outer regions of cyberspace. Hubble’s network of probes found that blocks of the Internet were occasionally unreachable. Other times, traffic coming from some portions of the Internet fall into a "routing black hole."

June 6, 2007 | United Press International

Study urges double cycling of port cranes

U.S. scientists have determined massive seaport cranes could be used more efficiently if they unloaded and loaded ships simultaneously. Studies by assistant arofessor Anne Goodchild of the UW show such double cycling of cranes would also save costs and conserve fuel.

June 6, 2007 | TG Daily

Photosynth 3D image browser gets first real world app

BBC will use Photosynth image-browsing software, developed by researchers at Microsoft and at the UW, for its television series “How We Built Britain.” The program will create an interactive sightseeing tour that builds on broadcasted content.

June 4, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Download: Ballmer can always try government job

Ed Lazowska, a computer-science professor at the UW, quizzed Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on a range of issues, including education, at the Technology Alliance luncheon in Seattle.

June 1, 2007 | Columns magazine

Engineer of change

Former Washington governor Daniel Evans completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at the UW. This profile article reviews Evans’ many accomplishments, including his new appointment as Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus.

June 1, 2007 | Columns magazine

Columns Q&A: Engineering Dean Matt O’Donnell

Dean Matt O’Donnell talks about his career and his new job leading the UW’s College of Engineering.

May 31, 2007 | Washington CEO

The 21st century gold rush: Will Washington’s new fund help build a better biotechnology industry?

Today, prospectors using Petri dishes instead of gold pans have turned biotechnology and the life sciences into a 21st century gold rush – seeking cancer cures, space-age vaccines and diagnostic techniques that seem almost magical. The UW's Lee Huntsman, president emeritus and professor of bioengineering, is quoted.

May 31, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Microsoft blog

Videos: Ballmer on the state of education, tech

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer spoke at the Seattle-based Technology Alliance's annual luncheon today, answering questions from UW computer-science professor Ed Lazowska and the audience.

May 31, 2007 | Washington CEO

The trouble with rain

A feature article on storm water control and its effects on Puget Sound quotes Derek Booth, affiliate professor of civil and environmental engineering.

May 28, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Reliving the war – as therapy

Sometime this summer the first patients at Fort Lewis’ Madigan Army Medical Center will venture into a mock combat zone where they can see, hear and even smell the war in Iraq. Doctors hope that the use of virtual-reality therapy can ease or curb the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The UW’s Hunter Hoffman, who developed virtual-reality therapy for survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks, is quoted.

May 24, 2007 | BBC News

Robot performs surgery

Greater almost than NASA’s concern for the health of its spacecraft is its concern for the spacecraft’s occupants. Robotic systems could make surgery possible not only on the battlefield, but in outer space. The space agency will test a mobile surgical system being developed at the UW.

May 23, 2007 | The Daily

What’s new in science: RFID EcoSystem

Imagine a world where employers could track the length of lunch breaks or find out what employees really do after calling in sick. With radio frequency identification (RFID), they can, and some UW computer scientists are wondering how this might affect everyday life.

May 21, 2007 | The Boston Globe

Prototype: Smart sunglasses let you control the amount of shade

Materials scientists and engineers at the University of Washington have developed a pair of glasses that go from virtually opaque to crystal clear in two seconds. The specs contain a semi-solid gel whose properties change when an adjacent polymer layer is electrically charged.

May 20, 2007 | CBS News

The future's taking too long to get here

Computer scientist Rajesh Rao’s robot can read your mind, if you wear a funny hat and think really hard about something. CBS News “Sunday Morning” host Bill Geist tries it out.

May 9, 2007 | KUOW

Doctor robot

Scientists at the University of Washington want to help surgeons operate on patients who are across oceans and even planets. Their solution? A surgical robot.

May 9, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Utilities to explore power in the tides

The Snohomish County Public Utility District is investigating how to turn tidal power into electricity. The UW's Philip Malte, professor of mechanical engineering, is project manager for the study.

May 8, 2007 | The Seattle Times: Tech Tracks blog

Photosynth as an advertising platform

Microsoft is envisioning placing virtual reality advertisements in Photosynth, an offshoot of research by UW computer scientist Steve Seitz and doctoral student Noah Snavely.

May 7, 2007 | Pacific Builder and Engineer

Seattle to host concrete canoe event

The University of Washington will host the American Society of Civil Engineers' 20th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition in Seattle on June 14–16.

May 7, 2007 | BBC Mundo

Cirugía espacial teledirigida

Se llaman Raven y M7, son dos robots quirúrgicos móviles que esta semana probarán sus habilidades médicas en las profundidades del océano.

May 7, 2007 | SPACE.com

Deep-diving team to test robotic surgeons on sea floor

A team of six aquanauts and two handy robotic surgeons, including one from the UW's BioRobotics Lab, will plunge into the Atlantic Ocean to test new medical and exploration tools for spaceflight.

May 7, 2007 | Forbes

It's all in your head

Computer scientist Chris Diorio provides his expertise in a showdown between supercomputers and the human brain. Diorio studies neurons to develop better computers.

May 4, 2007 | Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

Universities ready to float their concrete boats

The American Society of Civil Engineers of holding its national concrete canoe contest next month in the Seattle area. UW students and organizers discuss the upcoming competition.

May 2, 2007 | ScienCentral

Mind-controlled robot

How would you like having a robot cater to your every whim, just by thinking? This video explains how computer scientist Raj Rao and colleagues are doing just that, while getting a better understanding of how the human brain works.

May 2, 2007 | USA Today

Washington will destroy dams to revive a river

High hopes ride on knocking down two aging hydroelectric dams. Civil engineer Richard Palmer is quoted on the dams' fall from favor.

May 2, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sims sees money in every mile

We'd all have computer chips in our cars to record time of day and lane miles traveled on major highways, and pay tolls based on the level of traffic congestion. A new report, co-authored by the UW's Mark Hallenbeck, argues such a system could radically transform Seattle's roadways.

May 2, 2007 | The Seattle Times

PUD gets grant to study 7 tidal-energy sites

The Snohomish County Public Utility District has received a grant to fund studies of seven tidal-energy sites in Puget Sound. Phil Malte, professor of mechanical engineering, leads the project to study tidal velocity and direction.

May 1, 2007 | Popular Science

A robotic cable crawler

Companies could soon deploy a robot to pinpoint the problem in buried power cables. Engineers at the UW have invented the Robotic Cable Inspection System, or Cruiser, a four-foot-long, train-like 'bot.

May 1, 2007 | Photonics Spectra

Sunglasses developed with adjustable shade and color

Tired of fumbling to find the right eyewear to meet the ever-changing intensity of the sun? Having trouble finding a pair of shades to complement the latest fashion? Mechanical engineer Chunye Xu may have come up with a solution.

April 27, 2007 | Electronic Design

Your thought is its command

What good is a robot if you can't order it around with your thoughts? Rajesh Rao has answered this question with an input system that can be used to control the movement of a humanoid robot with signals from a human brain.

April 25, 2007 | The Oregonian

Snowpack feels the heat of rain above 6,500 feet

"Rain-on-snow events" - surges of rainfall and warm temperatures that abruptly melt mountain snowpacks - can cause lethal floods. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey report the events are becoming less common. The UW's Dennis Lettenmaier, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

April 25, 2007 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Jay Leno's monologue

In his opening monologue, Jay Leno refers to the UW's surgical robot.

April 24, 2007 | The Vancouver Columbian

Researchers hone mind-reading robot

The idea of tapping brain waves to move a robot sounds like science fiction. Yet computer scientist Rajesh Rao is doing just that. Wearing a swim cap-like headpiece, students use a technique based upon electroencephalography - more commonly known as EEG - to maneuver a 2-foot-tall robot.

April 19, 2007 | IEEE Spectrum Online

NASA takes robotic surgeon to sea

The U.S. space program will begin testing its surgical capabilities under extreme conditions next month by sending a pair of doctors, along with a remote-controlled robot, to the agency's undersea laboratory off the coast of Florida. The robot will be evaluated as a potential back-up option for performing surgical procedures in space.

April 19, 2007 | USA Today

NASA to test portable robot surgeon

Doctors and scientists from the University of Washington will get a glimpse of what it would be like to do remote surgery in space when a portable medical robot they created will be tested next month in an underwater environment that mimics conditions aboard a space shuttle.

April 17, 2007 | The New York Times

Computer science takes steps to bring women to the fold

Stagnant numbers of women enrolling in undergraduate programs prompted the UW's department of computer science and engineering to create novel recruitment tools. Computer science professor Ed Lazowska is featured.

April 8, 2007 | The (Pennsylvania) Times-Tribune

Cell antennas fuel debate

As telecommunications companies expand cell-phone networks, local opposition has sprung up in many communities. The UW's Henry Lai comments on cell phone antennae's possible health effects.

April 6, 2007 | Discovery News

Sunglasses change color on demand

Sunglass lenses that transform automatically from clear to dark are old hat. New lenses with chameleon command can change not only from clear to dark but also to shades of yellow, green and purple, according to research by UW mechanical engineers Chunye Xu and Minoru Taya.

April 6, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Global warming could deal big blow to salmon

Global warming is expected to further weaken wild Chinook salmon populations by changing the temperatures and flows of major river systems. The study, co-written by civil engineer Richard Palmer, offers a sobering perspective on the challenges that climate change creates for the multibillion-dollar regional effort to restore wild salmon runs.

April 6, 2007 | USA Today

Study forecasts new 'Dust Bowl'

"Dust Bowl" drought driven by global warming will be the normal climate of the future for the American Southwest, report climatologists. The UW's Dennis Lettenmaier, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

April 1, 2007 | Popular Mechanics

The Brain-Powered Robot Servant: Resident Roboticist

The U.S. space program will begin testing its surgical capabilities under extreme conditions next month by sending a pair of doctors, along with a remote-controlled robot, to the agency's undersea laboratory off the coast of Florida. The robot will be evaluated as a potential back-up option for performing surgical procedures in space.

March 29, 2007 | The Chicago Daily Herald

Glasses that change color? A healthier pizza? An iPod run on sugar? Sweet!

Of course you want to protect your eyes. But don't you also want attractive members of the opposite sex clustering around as you demonstrate how the lenses of your cool new sunglasses turn from blue to red to green to purple? Chunye Xu, a chemical engineer at the UW, explains how.

March 29, 2007 | Slashdot

Smart sunglasses

Many readers submitted this story of chemists at the University of Washington who have made glasses with lenses that can be transparent or dark, in shades of yellow, green, or purple, all at the push of a button.

March 28, 2007 | Engadget

Electrochromic sunglasses change color on demand

U-Dub's swank new specs purportedly alter their transparency depending on the electric current, essentially giving athletes and motorists an easy way to instantly adjust the level of reflection and tint depending on the ever-changing circumstances.

March 28, 2007 | The Washington Times

Changing color of style

These rarified shades might be the next big thing in sunglasses. But they can't be had on Rodeo Drive. Inventor Chunye Xu displayed her "smart" sunglasses yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.

March 27, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

UW researchers develop 'smart' sunglasses

University of Washington researchers are developing sunglasses that can adjust their shade and color at the touch of a button.

March 26, 2007 | MSNBC

Ready for Web 3.0?

Just getting used to Web 2.0? Hang on, because Web 3.0 is about to hit shore. Computer scientist Oren Etzioni discusses strategies to organize information on the Internet.

March 26, 2007 | The Associated Press

Professors teach classes on Katrina

Electrical engineer Les Atlas is working with local firm Erudite to develop more and better ways to monitor container-ship cargo. Their final system--combining acoustic monitors, Global Positioning system data and other technologies--is now ready to go.

March 25, 2007 | The Everett Herald

PUD moves to turn tide on green power sources

Editors give a thumbs-up to studying Puget Sound's tides as a potential source of electricity. The UW's Phil Malte, professor of mechanical engineering, will be involved in the three-year study.

March 24, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Gregoire, New Zealand leader discuss common interests

New Zealand's top politician navigated icy canyons Friday as part of a virtual-reality tour at the UW. Industrial engineer Thomas Furness joined the tour from New Zealand, where he has set up an affiliate to the UW's Human Interface Technology Lab.

March 20, 2007 | The Seattle Times

New UW lab to work on better chip parts

UW materials scientists launched a new research lab Monday that will seek the best materials to surround ever-smaller silicon semiconductors for computer chips of the future.

March 19, 2007 | The Everett Herald

Erudite's ready and waiting

Electrical engineer Les Atlas is working with local firm Erudite to develop more and better ways to monitor container-ship cargo. Their final system--combining acoustic monitors, Global Positioning system data and other technologies--is now ready to go.

March 19, 2007 | The Seattle Times: Tech Tracks blog

Micron lab at UW to research new chip materials

The UW cut the ribbon today on a new research lab that will seek the best materials to surround ever-smaller silicon semiconductors in the computer chips of the future.

March 13, 2007 | COSMOS Magazine

Photo-harvesting software creates 3-D world

Photo-sharing websites have taken off in a big way - hand in hand with the growing ubiquity of the digital camera. Flickr, one of the most popular, has more than 200 million images on its servers. New software can harvest thousands of individual digital images from photo-sharing web sites and stitch them into 3-D scenes.

March 2007 | Newsweek International

Islam got it first

The tiling in medieval Islamic architecture turns out to embody a mathematical insight that Westerners thought they had discovered only 30 years ago. The UW's David Salesin is quoted at the end of the article.

March 12, 2007 | Technology Review

Power bot: Three-inch robot protects the grid

Just three inches high, this robot could help keep the power grid humming by diagnosing faulty power lines in difficult-to-access tunnels and pipes. The gadget is the fruit of a project led by the UW's Alexander Mamishev.

March 12, 2007 | The Seattle Times

Download: Appointments

The UW's Ed Lazowska was named the first chair of the Computing Community Consortium, a national group working to identify computing-research opportunities and establish big challenges for the field.

March 10, 2007 | The Everett Herald

Permit revs up tidal project

Snohomish County officials learned Friday that they have locked up the rights to study developing tidal power in the Admiralty Inlet, which connects most of south Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. The department plans to work with the UW's Phil Malte and the California-based Electric Power Research Institute to measure tidal currents and refine estimates on how much electricity it could generate with tidal power.

March 10, 2007 | The Seattle Times: Brier Dudley's blog

Lazowska to head computing consortium

Ed Lazowska, the UW's outspoken advocate for computer science education, is taking his show national. He was named the first chair of the Computing Community Consortium, a new group formed by the National Science Foundation and the Computing Research Association.

March 8, 2007 | The Daily

UW student connects technology, social issues

In much of the developing world, digital devices of any kind are not common — but one UW computer scientist is working to change that. Tapan Parikh spent six years bringing information technology to bear on real-world problems.

March 5, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Quake threat key in viaduct debate

An update on Seattle's elevated highway, the Alaskan Way viaduct, quotes civil engineer Steve Kramer on the liquefaction of the supporting soil in the event of an earthquake. The article also mentions a 1995 study which Kramer co-authored.

March 1, 2007 | The Green Guide

Global Warming: Ready for your carbon close-up?

Glaciers will shrink and flooding will increase in a warmer Pacific Northwest. Salmon fisheries may also suffer, says the UW's Richard Palmer.

March 1, 2007 | The Seattle Times Technology Blog

UW student turns phones into banking tools

Doctoral student Tapan Parikh and advisor Ed Lazowska have developed technology to use cellphones as simple, low-cost accounting computers.

Feb. 28, 2007 | Columbia News Service

Darwin on the dance floor

A 2005 study by Zoran Popovic and colleagues found that good dancers are more attractive. This writer heads to the dance clubs to find out why.

Feb. 22, 2007 | Newsweek International Edition

Technology: With this ringtone...

Indian couples are using new technology to solidify an age-old tradition, a new study suggests. They're helping arranged marriages flourish, using mobile phones to get to know each other before officially tying the knot, according to research by the UW's Beth Kolko and Carolyn Wei.

Feb. 22, 2007 | The UW Daily

EE graduate students place first in global competition

Graduate students working with Babak Parviz and Deirdre Meldrum won the best paper prize at an international nanotechnology conference. Samuel Kim and Ehsan Saeedi's winning paper, titled "Self-Assembled Heterogeneous Fluorescence Detection System," describes combining silicon and a light-emitting material, gallium arsenide, on a single chip.

Feb. 21, 2007 | KING5-TV

UW lab creating mind-controlled robot

Imagine if you could order a robot to get you a soda, or to do chores around the house, just by thinking about it. It may sound like science fiction, but the UW's Rajesh Rao is showing it may be reality sooner than you think.

Feb. 20, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Google class debuts at the UW

A pilot project launched last month trains UW undergraduates to program for the information age. The class, started by the UW's Ed Lazowska and UW graduate and Google employee Christophe Bisciglia, aims to create programming prodigies and revamp the way colleges teach computer science.

Feb. 16, 2007 | BBC News

Deaf to sign via video handsets

Many American deaf people prefer to communicate via sign language but this was impossible over current mobile networks. Video compression tools by the UW's Richard Ladner and Eve Riskin make it possible to send live pictures of people signing across low bandwidth mobile networks.

Feb. 16, 2007 | The Portland Tribune

Life could worsen by degrees

A look at what climate change has in store for Portland cites a 2002 report by the UW's Richard Palmer that predicts heavier rains.

Feb. 14, 2007 | KING5-TV

It's all in the dance

Finding a date can be a difficult task. Three reporters investigate whether the answer might be learning how to dance. They don motion-capture sensors and talk to animator Zoran Popović in this Valentine's Day special.

Feb. 13, 2007 | The Tacoma News-Tribune

SolarBees no help with Steilacoom Lake algae

The latest attempt to rid Lake Steilacoom of toxin-producing, blue-green algae has been abandoned. Workers removed nine solar-powered floating mixers from the lake late last year. The UW's Eugene Welch, a retired professor of civil & environmental engineering, is quoted.

Feb. 10, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Crane base blamed in collapse

A poorly designed foundation was the primary cause of the tower crane collapse in Bellevue, a deadly construction accident that spurred state lawmakers Friday to introduce crane-safety bills that would rank among the toughest in the nation. The UW's John Stanton, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.

Feb. 8, 2007 | KING-TV

Brain power gets robot moving

These engineers are putting their brains to work. A TV feature looks at how computer scientist Rajesh Rao uses brain signals to control a robot's movement.

Feb. 4, 2007 | The Virginian-Pilot

Virginia Beach on board with monorail? Not likely

Virginia Beach is considering building a monorail. Mark Hallenbeck, civil & environmental engineering and director of the Washington State Transportation Center, comments on Seattle's monorail experience.

Feb. 1, 2007 | The San Francisco Chronicle

Coast guard ending search for missing yachtsman, but colleagues in computer industry plan to continue, using high-tech mapping

Colleagues of a prominent computer scientist missing at sea are organizing a private search effort beginning today analyzing high-resolution aerial photographs with special, computer-assisted scanning techniques. "This is an unbelievable mystery, in addition to a tragedy," said the UW's Ed Lazowska, computer science & engineering, a colleague and friend of Jim Gray.

Jan. 31, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

$12 million for Farecast to work on air forecasts

Farecast has landed $12.1 million that the Seattle online travel startup will use to roll out its airfare predictions for international destinations and expand into new travel categories such as hotels. Both offerings are slated to debut this year, though Chief Executive Hugh Crean declined to provide specifics Tuesday. Farecast is based on technology developed by UW computer scientist Oren Etzioni.

Jan. 31, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Work on Windows Vista's successor is already under way

With a new Windows in stores, and many millions of copies left to sell, that's not a question Microsoft Corp. wants to dwell on in public. But inside the company, work toward Windows Vista's successor is under way, and it's about to start heating up. Ed Lazowska, the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering, is quoted.

Jan. 25, 2007 | Redmond Report

Microsoft ships Photosynth plug-in for Firefox

Photosynth takes a large collection of photos and displays them in a reconstructed 3-dimensional space. The software was developed by Microsoft's Live Labs and the UW department of computer science & engineering.

Jan. 18, 2007 | Electronic Design

Hot technology produces cool chips

University of Washington researchers believe their ion pump marks the coolest research breakthrough in decades. That's because the tiny device does only one thing—it cools chips.

Jan. 17, 2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Flood-control plan backed

A plan to spend up to $335 million on flood control was approved Tuesday by the King County Council. The UW's Richard Palmer, professor of civil & environmental engineering, is quoted on possible effects of global warming.

Jan. 12, 2007 | The Puget Sound Business Journal

Weather wizard: UW graduates power 3Tier Environmental Forecast Group's predictions

Using computer models to predict weather patterns, 3Tier advises utilities and alternative-energy companies. The Seattle business was launched in 2001 by Pascal Storck, a UW graduate in civil & environmental engineering, and Kenneth Warwick, a UW graduate in atmospheric sciences.

Jan. 12, 2007 | Technology Review

Robo crawler monitors underground power cables

A new cable-crawling robot, developed by researchers at the University of Washington, could provide much-needed insight into the health of subterranean power systems.

Jan. 11, 2007 | KPLU radio

Wiring brains to computers

The idea of a machine that can read your mind sounds like either science fiction or a booth at a carnival. Now, reality is catching up. Scientists are finding ways to connect human brains directly to machines.

Jan. 11, 2007 | Computerworld Australia

Robotic crawler performs check-up of power lines

U.S. researchers have developed an autonomous robotic crawler that scans power lines for weak points in an electrical grid. By monitoring and precisely locating problematic sections of cable, the robot is expected to improve the efficiency and reduce the costs involved in power line maintenance.

Jan. 10, 2007 | Discovery News

Brain waves guide walking robot

Forget the remote control — scientists are learning how to let you control a robot with signals straight from your brain. Eventually, the technique could lead to semi-autonomous robots able to assist disabled people or perform routine tasks in the home.

Jan. 2, 2007 | The Future of Things

Ionic wind: Chillin' the PC

A new type of ultra-thin, silent cooling technology for processors is being developed by electrical engineers. In two years, this new technology might replace existing cooling fan technology in laptops and other portable devices, making them more reliable and far quieter.

Jan. 1, 2007 | Los Angeles Times

It knows where you go

Your new Nike+iPod Sport Kit — a disc that fits in your running shoes and beams workout information to your nano — might do more than whisper sweet workout data into your ear. It could help a third party, such as a jealous spouse, spy on you.