President Obama Governor Huntsman Ambassador to China VIDEO

President Obama announces Governor Huntsman (R-UT) as his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to China. Washington, DC

Governor Huntsman Tapped as US Ambassador to China Salt Lake City - Utah Governor Jon Huntsman issued the following statement today:

"When I had the honor of asking Utahns for their vote as Governor of the greatest state in America, I did so as a public servant. We set out, as a family, willing and able to do our very best. That dedication to service and to the success of our state and country has influenced our every step.

"It is in the spirit of placing country before self or politics that I have accepted the request and nomination by President Obama, and with the consent of the United States Senate, to serve as United States Ambassador to China.

"Mary Kaye and I are equally humbled and conflicted by this decision, understanding that the U.S. - China relationship is among our nation's most critical. We are honored by the President's confidence and trust in our ability to contribute meaningfully, yet conflicted by leaving a state, people and job we love deeply. But when the President asks you to step up to serve your nation in such a capacity and at such an important time in world history, it is the end of the conversation and the beginning of an obligation.

"We have accomplished much with an excellent staff, cabinet and a dedicated legislature. I am proud of our work together which has resulted in Utah being recognized as the best managed state in the nation - with an economy second to none. Our journey has covered everything from comprehensive tax reform, the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR), and improving our state's competitiveness to bolstering education and increasing teacher salaries, advancing healthcare reform and retooling our energy needs based upon a more sustainable future. Utah is positioned like few other states nationally to endure the challenging times, but indeed to exceed our expectations going forward.

Lt. Governor Gary Herbert has been an effective and loyal supporter of this Administration's goals. I thank him for his service and have great confidence in his ability to govern the State.

"Serving as Utah's 16th Governor truly has been our family's greatest honor. Mary Kaye and I thank all Utahns for their friendship, support and trust, and ask for continued confidence as we begin this new chapter."

A specific timeline of the transition between Governor Huntsman and Lt. Governor Herbert will be announced on Monday.

OpenViBE: software program enabling 'action through thought' VIDEO

Brain computer interface VIDEO circa 2006

Operating a computer by thought alone was unimaginable ten years ago, but this incredible feat is now possible. Financed by the ANR (the French national research agency) OpenViBE is the first French multi-partner project on brain-computer interfaces.

Public release date: 15-May-2009. With support from INRIA (the French national institute for research in computer science and control) and Inserm (the French national institute of health and medical research), OpenViBE has successfully perfected a free software programme with highly promising applications.

A Brain-Computer Interface, or BCI, enables its user to send commands to a computer or machine only by means of brain activity. In 2005, while research in this field was almost non-existent in France, research scientists initiated a project called OpenViBE to carry out innovative research on brain-computer interfaces. By combining their knowledge on the workings of the brain with their technical and computer science expertise, the researchers succeeded in perfecting an ergonomic, easy to use programme four years after the project started.

The result of the eponymous project, OpenViBE is a genuine "interface" designed to translate what takes place in the brain into a command for a computer. In producing a support of this kind, the researchers at Inserm and INRIA have opened up new prospects in a rapidly developing field of research, as regards not only signal processing and the optimisation of Man-Machine Interfaces, but also research on communication aids for people with reduced mobility, the treatment of certain neurological disorders and our understanding of how the brain works.

Four applications using the properties of the OpenViBE programme have already been developed by scientists. Three prototypes involve virtual reality and video games. The user, wearing helmets equipped with electrodes, will be able to pilot a space ship, play handball or move around in a virtual world, depending on the application. A fourth prototype, designed as a communication aid for people with reduced mobility, makes it possible to write on a computer simply by using thought. ###

The project has brought together four other partners around INRIA and Inserm, each taking action in a specific scientific area: CEA LIST, AFM, GIPSA LAB and FRANCE TELECOM R&D

To know more: The OpenViBE software programme can be directly downloaded on the Internet: openvibe.inria.fr

Contact: Priscille Riviere presse@inserm.fr WEB: INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale)