One day, it might be possible to spot illness the same way we track exercise habits and sleep patterns: with wearable sensors. A new study compared baseline normal readings on 60 people, then looked for deviations to see if changes might be tied to new environmental conditions, illness, or other factors that can impact health. Because most people… Read More »
On campuses today almost every educational interaction leaves digital traces. Assignments and feedback are given through online portals; debates and discussions happen via learning management systems as well as in classrooms, cafes, and dorm rooms. Those and other digital crumbs allows universities to examine the processes, practices, and goals of higher education in ways that were largely impossible a… Read More »
Neurable, a U-M startup that developed brain-computer interface technology based on breakthrough neuroscience, has raised $2 million in seed funding to bring its software platform to market. The technology enables real-time control of software and connected devices using only the power of the user’s brain. Neurable has roots at U-M’s Direct Brain Interface Laboratory, where Ramses Alcaide, co-founder and CEO… Read More »
In an effort to meet increased requests from the university community, SafeRide recently launched a mobile application. During fall and winter terms, you may request a ride through the TapRide mobile application: Download for Android or for iTunes. Select “University of Michigan SafeRide” from with the app. Login with your UMICH username and password to request a ride and… Read More »
Education is the key to preparing young people to achieve their dreams and contribute to society. However, student debt now stands at about $1.3 trillion with the average family owing over $48,000, making it increasingly difficult for middle and low-income families to invest in their futures. Scott DeRue, dean of the business school, examines how revamping a flawed… Read More »
An ongoing battle between New York City and Uber over rider data points to a broader struggle between ride-sharing services and local governments hungry for more information about the movement of their citizens. Companies like Uber and Lyft say requirements to release rider data is an invasion of privacy, while government regulators say it’s an issue of ensuring passenger safety. Gautam Hans, a fellow at… Read More »
Given the concern with electronic hacking this past election, old-fashioned paper ballots might seem more reliable. But after listening to computer science Professor J. Alex Halderman and doctoral student Matt Bernhard discuss the recent US election at the Chaos Communications Congress, even paper ballots might not provide much reassurance about election outcomes. Although their analysis of recounts in Michigan… Read More »
Researchers at U-M and Peking University analyzed 427 million messages from nearly 4 million smartphone users in 212 countries and regions to see if emoji use was universal or differed based on user location and culture. They discovered the most popular emoji worldwide is… face with tears of joy, which accounted for over 15% of total symbols seen in the study.… Read More »
Although rare, armed robberies and violent incidents have occurred during the exchange of online transactions. While the overwhelming majority of online transactions occur without incident, the Division of Public Safety and Security is committed to providing a secure environment for U-M community members and recently established a “Safe Exchange Zone” in the front lobby of the U-M Police Department… Read More »
A U-M alum is striving to take the turbulence out of getting passengers to their planes on time. Caryn Seidman-Becker is CEO of CLEAR, which helps airline passengers at participating airports confirm their identity through biometric scanning of either their fingertip or iris. Customers sign up with CLEAR in advance and have their identification digitally authenticated. Then they… Read More »
There is a transformation happening in U.S. television as more companies distribute content over the internet and more viewers move away from live, network-scheduled viewing. Internets streaming services offer many popular channels currently available from cable and satellite services. Bundled channel packages streamed over the internet “are meant to compete with cable or satellite, and some have called them ‘skinny… Read More »
Computer science and engineering students at U-M partnered with visually impaired high school student India West to develop technologies that may help other blind and visually impaired people navigate the world around them. David Chesney, a lecturer in electrical engineering and computer science, leads the effort, which is featured in this video. Read more about the project.
Melissa Levine, the lead copyright officer at the U-M Library and ex officio member of the library’s open access committee, co-authored an article advocating open access publishing as a way to speed up scientific discoveries and advances in technology. “If published research and data were freely accessible and reusable by researchers of diverse interests, urgently needed solutions could be… Read More »
A group of researchers including Josh Ackerman, an assistant professor of psychology at U-M, believe you might be “accidentally” breaking your phone, on purpose, to justify getting a new one. It’s a phenomenon called the “upgrade effect” and according to the study, that’s exactly what we’re doing.The study found that even when people think they aren’t being careless or deliberate… Read More »
Facebook, with 1.79 billion monthly active users, has emerged as the main engine for “fake news.” Researchers say they’d like to help Facebook get to grips with its problem. But if you want to work with Facebook’s data, you usually have to become a contractor, work at its campus in Menlo Park, and agree to the company’s terms on what… Read More »
Students and faculty from the School of Education are working with students at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor to help them become good digital citizens, and so they can become ambassadors for others in their school. Watch the video below to learn how the program hopes to foster civility and respect online.
“Fake” news is not limited to politics or celebrity gossip. A study by Ceren Budak, an assistant professor at the School of Information, shows that the most popular health stories on social media may also be the least accurate. For example, four out of five popular posts on Facebook about Zika contained accurate information, but the ones containing… Read More »
A team of researchers on the Ann Arbor and Flint campuses have developed a new Android app to help Flint residents during the ongoing water crisis. MyWater-Flint is an interactive guide that lets people pinpoint homes with a greater risk for lead, and also shows where lead has been found in city water. Users can see where pipes… Read More »
As part of this year’s Academic Innovation Initiative, the Office of Academic Innovation has challenged the U-M community to contribute more than 2,017 ideas about how we should transform education at Michigan. Visit the Ideas2017 Challenge website and enter a tweet-sized idea (or bigger). While you’re there, browse through ideas that have been submitted.
This past November I started at the University of Michigan, leaving behind a job and staff I have truly loved and stepping up to a new challenge more than halfway across the country. I thought I would get started by sharing a little bit about me, what drew me to Michigan, and what my role means for the… Read More »