Technology

In the 1950s there were no MP3 players. In fact, there was no way to slip your favorite music into your pocket. But that all changed, thanks to a scientific breakthrough that revolutionized development at one of central New York's largest manufacturers. And the result of that development will now be forever remembered at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Fifteen teams of students from the Rochester Institute of Technology, led by faculty, will develop technologies for assisting people with disabilities in the region.

The number of women graduating from computer science degrees has more than halved since the 1980s. One computer scientists recently spoke to students at the Rochester Institute of Technology and told them that women have to be included in the field to boost the economy, and to encourage equality.

The industry around the scientific fields of optics and photonics has a strong presence in upstate New York. Monroe County alone is home to around 50 companies working in the field that is behind things like lasers, smart phones, and the Internet.

We’ve all seen or experienced it – unfortunate wildlife dashes in front of a car at just the wrong time - and its remains splatter across the road. But Danielle Garneau, a wildlife ecologist at SUNY Plattsburgh, says the roadkill we’re likely to see on roads can teach us a lot. She’s using a new smartphone app for citizen scientists.

Over the last decade, new wind farms have changed America’s landscapes – and its power sources. The growth has been spurred by a production tax credit wind companies get in exchange for producing energy. But the credit is due to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t renew it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced New York would invest $250 million to develop smart grid technologies to modernize the state's energy grid. At Clarkson University, the highly regarded science and engineering school in St. Lawrence County, a professor working on smart energy grid systems was just awarded a grant by IBM. The $10,000 prize will help him continue his research, and develop coursework for students to train the next generation to use this hot technology.

Law students have often been used to help solve so-called "cold-cases," but criminal law isn’t the only place their skills are being put to use. Syracuse University law school professor Ted Hagelin's class focuses on the cutting edge of technology.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a Tarrytown-based biotech company, has announced a $72 million expansion in the Capital Region, which is expected to add 300 new jobs.

Cybersecurity and technology companies have converged on upstate New York for the HackerFest technology trade show this week. And new technologies are emerging to step up security and pre-empt the strategies of cyber criminals.

Kodak has launched a free iPhone app to help photography enthusiasts in the U.S and Europe work with their film stock.