Demo: Koala: A Wikipedia for How-to Knowledge

Koala is an end-user programming system for scripting web-based processes such as searching for real estate, ordering business cards, or checking one's bank account balance. Based on a "sloppy" programming language, Koala produces scripts that can be both read/written by people, and automatically executed by machines. Scripts are saved to a wiki, where people can search for them and collaborate on defining the "best practice" for each process.

Spintronics

While existing electronics technology is based harnessing electrons by moving charge, some scientists believe that another of the electron's properties -- its quantum spin -- might also be harnessed into new generations of devices. IBM Almaden Research Center scientist Kevin Roche will introduce the emerging technology of spintronics-- what spin is, what it does and how we are beginning to harness it. Through a virtual tour of his laboratory and the giant robots his team uses to study these nano-engineered material, he will share some of the emerging applications and advanced research being explored.