Unique Bee Defense Mechanism - The Hot Ball

Michael Luna, an expert in the wireless data industry who has worked with companies such as Jawbone and Seven Networks, loves bees. Michael Luna considers his interest in bees during his work with Jawbone and similar companies, as bees provide insights into the behavior of other social animals, including humans.

One way in which bees behave socially is to band together for mutual safety and defense, and the Japanese honey bee provides an excellent example of this behavior. Some hornets which prey on honey bees present a unique challenge for hive defense, and can easily tear apart a European honey bee colony. To defend themselves, Japanese honey bees swarm onto the hornet in droves and vibrate until they become extremely hot, overwhelming the hornet and ultimately cooking it alive. The bees themselves can withstand higher temperatures than the hornets.

Recent research indicates that the bees' genetics play a role in keeping this form of attack safe for the bees. Once bees reach the temperature that is lethal for the hornet but still safe for them, a gene connected to the sensory region of the bee brain becomes active. Scientists hypothesize that this activity tells the bee that it's reached the “hornet-cooking temperature,” at which point the group stops quivering.

Some Tips for Elk Hunting

The chief technology officer of the San Francisco technology company, Jawbone, Michael Luna has served as primary or supporting inventor on over 80 patents that have been issued. When he is not busy with Jawbone, Michael Luna enjoys fishing and hunting. 

The elk is a large species that is native to Asia and to North America. To hunt elk successfully, hunters have to take a few things into consideration before heading out on excursions. 

First and foremost, experienced elk hunters recommend that newcomers take the time to familiarize themselves with their quarry. This is valuable advice, whatever the quarry. But it is especially important when hunting elks as they exhibit distinct behavior. A hunter who is ignorant about their diets, habitats, and habits is bound to have a hard time hunting them. 

New elk hunters must also be relatively fit and should show up to the hunt well-prepared and equipped to walk long distances. Individuals who cannot hike at a strenuous pace for several hours are not likely to see an elk all day. Other things to keep in mind while planning a first elk-hunting trip include choosing the right rifle or bow, targeting areas that are far from roads, and choosing the appropriate methods for butchering/hauling potential kills.

Preparing a Child for Latch-key Responsibilities

Jawbone's chief technology officer, Michael Luna, wants to help people through technological innovation and philanthropy. One way Michael Luna intends to use his experience at Jawbone to help others is through the creation of a scholarship program targeting latchkey children, who have little supervision after school because their parents have not finished work by the time the kids return home.

Not all states place limits on the age at which a child can be home alone for an extended period, so parents often need to carefully consider whether a child is emotionally and mentally ready for the responsibility of being alone unsupervised. Parents must also consider the relative safety of their neighborhoods and the potential risks available in the home environment.

Preparing a child to stay home alone requires care, as they must simultaneously be ready for potential emergencies and other situations but not scared to stay alone. Leaving multiple emergency contact phone numbers and rehearsing solutions to situations is a simple, straightforward way to reduce anxiety for both children and parents.

A Look Back at the 2011 GSMA Global Mobile Awards

A diversely experienced innovator and engineer, Michael Luna has served as chief technology officer at Jawbone for the last decade. Concurrent to his work at Jawbone, Michael Luna spent two years at Seven Networks, Inc., where he helped develop a software-as-a-service (SaaS) product that won the 2011 Best Technology Breakthrough Award from the GSMA.

As a dedicated leader in the international mobile technology industry, GSMA acts as a representative on behalf of more than 1,000 individual operators and corporations that specialize in this field. Over the years, the organization has become known for its production of such events as the Mobile World Congress. Each year, this affair features the Global Mobile Awards, which celebrate the best mobile offerings from the past 12 months. 

In 2011, GSMA held its 16th annual Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona. British entertainer Jonathan Ross served as host throughout the ceremony, which recognized award winners in categories ranging from “Best M-Health Innovation” to “Device Manufacturer of the Year.” The 2011 Global Mobile Awards were also the first to feature specific awards for mobile applications. Over 600 entities applied for consideration for the 2011 awards.

Bioimpedance Sensors Open Up a World of Possibilities

Michael Luna draws on over 35 years of experience in management, engineering, and design to serve as the chief technology officer at Jawbone. In his position at Jawbone, Michael Luna is responsible for strategy related to technology and innovation. Mr. Luna was involved in bringing to market UP, the first fully commercialized wrist-worn device containing a bioimpedance sensor.

Today’s fitness trackers have a huge variety of sensors that measure everything from altitude and air pressure to UV rays. The differentiation for Jawbone's fitness trackers, however, lies in their bioimpedance sensors. The sensors are used to measure the skin’s impedance using a tiny electric current emitted from two electrodes . The data gathered is then used to track heart rate, sleep, respiration, hydration, and skin conductance and much much more. 

As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for wearable technology are endless. In addition to providing the wellness, sports and medical communities with helpful data regarding a\ body composition and heart rate, applications and new sensors from many of the companies and startups in the space are being tested that would measure peoples emotions, fertility, and other physiological processes.

As Hobbyist, Consumer-Technology Inventor Investigates Bee Behavior

Michael Luna, an inventor who became chief technology officer at the San Francisco consumer-technology company Jawbone, carries his career interests over to his personal life. At Jawbone, Michael Luna explored human and human-technology interactions to plan for new products; as a hobbyist, he studies bees to see how their interactions might apply to human behavior.

Among the best-known examples of bee behavior is the honeybee waggle dance, used by bees to communicate the location of food sources to other bees in their hive. AnimalWise.com says that a forager bee dances in a figure-eight pattern to communicate the direction and distance to the food source; the communication works to guide bees directly to it.

Where bees use their bodies to communicate messages, wearable devices use Bluetooth, a low-power wireless connectivity technology used to stream audio, transfer data, and broadcast information between devices, according to Bluetooth.com.

As effective as Bluetooth has been, its use in wearable devices has drawbacks, says a news article in WearableTech.com. The article, Future Wearables Use Your Body to Communicate, by Ryan Daws, says that is because the user’s body blocks the Bluetooth signal, causing an effect called path loss, where the signal is weakened and security is compromised. The distance that the signal is forced to travel makes it susceptible to eavesdropping.

The article says that University of California, San Diego, has discovered a way to use the body, rather than Bluetooth, as a medium for data transmission. This new technique places two coils on the body to create a magnetic field, similar to the magnetic field used in NFC (near-field communication) technology. It allows wearable devices to use less power and operate for longer periods of time, which is important in devices used to monitor the wearer’s health.