For more than a decade, roboticists have worked on systems for the elderly, hoping to extend the amount of time that seniors can live at home and improve their quality of life. Now MIT researchers have built a humanoid robot with a special motion-tracking system and spring-loaded actuators that make it better equipped to deal with household chores. The robot, named Domo, can size up an object by shaking it in its hand and then put it away in a cupboard.

 

 

There's an explanation why most "Men in Black" knockoffs have failed -- namely, because achieving that balance of comedy and sci-fi action is pretty damn hard. Yet ABC Family has accomplished just that with "The Middleman," a delightful adaptation of "Lost" scribe Javier Grillo-Marxuach's graphic novel that brims with clever pop-culture references and disarming wit. Actually, this series could potentially work on any number of networks, and it's almost too smart for the room at ABC Family; nevertheless, this sprightly summer arrival should fit nicely into the evolving niche the channel established with "Kyle XY."

Not far from our hotel in the center of Palermo is Oratorio di San Lorenzo, a little Baroque church founded by one of those orders that looks after the unwanted dead.

Cosmos Café has endured. It's hard to believe, but Cosmos Café is one of downtown's longest-tenured restaurants. Hard to believe because if someone asks you to list downtown's best restaurants, Cosmos isn't likely to top the list. But maybe that's a good thing. More on that in a moment.

From the guys at the Infiniti of Charlotte's eCommerce Department.  This soup will MAKE your Sunday Brunch in the Carolinas!  Easy to make and is good for the whole next week.