New and Emerging Technology News part 98 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Tuesday 28 January 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 98

Researchers have developed a method of laser-welding transparent pieces of plastic to one ...
Laser welding of plastic is quick, precise, and generates little waste, but it does have its limitations. The process involves shining a laser beam through the edge of an upper sheet of plastic and onto the joining edge of a lower sheet, which has had soot particles mixed into it to absorb the radiation – this means that manufacturers are almost always limited to joining transparent plastic to black plastic. Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, however, have recently developed a method for welding transparent plastics to one another.  Read More
One of America's numerous repurposed Muffler Man statues, spotted by Gizmag staff near Ann...
They – whoever “they” are – say that getting there is half the fun. While that might not be true for trips where you spend hours wedged into an airliner seat, it can definitely apply to cross-country road trips. Often, the things seen en route end up being just as fascinating as those that await you at your destination. This fact is not lost on the folks behind the RoadsideAmerica website and books, who have spent the past 25 years collecting and sharing accounts of quirky museums, Big Things, “natural wonders” and other weirdness encountered along the highways and byways of North America. Now, road travelers can be alerted to the locations of these must-sees as they near them, via the RoadsideAmerica.com Attractions and Oddities GPS guide.  Read More
Razer has unleashed a pair of portable omnidirectional gaming speakers with an expandable ...
Getting caught up in the game depends just as much on immersive audio as it does engaging visuals. Gaming specialist Razer reckons that it's come up with a pair of portable gaming speakers that offer listeners room-filling, omnidirectional sonic enjoyment in a very compact package. The new Ferox speakers feature a rising resonance chamber mechanism, which is sure to prove a talking point in addition to providing some bass oomph.  Read More
Sony has announced a couple of superzoom additions to its Cyber-shot camera range, with fa...
Sony has announced a couple of superzoom additions to its Cyber-shot camera range. Both the compact and the DSLR-like models can record full high definition movies, are GPS-enabled and have the ability to generate 3D stills without requiring the now familiar dual lens setup seen in other cameras. They both offer autofocus speeds comparable to digital SLRs and borrow some advanced technology from the company's Handycam camcorders.  Read More
Forensic researchers have had early success refining a method normally used to recover fin...
Promising early results from research undertaken by the University of Abertay Dundee and the Scottish Police Services Authority could lead to fingerprint evidence being obtained from clothing, for use in criminal prosecution. Refining an existing technique that's been used to successfully recover print detail from smooth objects such as glass and plastic, forensic scientists have managed to create a kind of photo negative of fingerprint impressions on fabric. It's a bit hit and miss at the moment, but even when clear ridge detail isn't retrieved, the technique could still prove useful to investigators looking for other evidence.  Read More
Take a virtual stroll through 17 of the world's most renowned museums, including MoMA, wit...
Google has announced a collaboration with 17 of the world’s most acclaimed art museums that lets people view over 1,000 high res artwork images and 17 "gigapixel" images while taking a virtual stroll through their galleries using “Street View” technology. While nothing can beat seeing a work of art in person, the Google Art Project could be the next best thing for those without the time and money to pop on a plane and trade elbows with crowds of tourists looking to catch a glimpse of what some of the best museums have on offer.  Read More
Tesla has announced a battery recycling program for Europe
When weighing up the impact of electric-vehicles on the environment two factors come to the fore. EV's produce no emissions locally, but depending on where the energy comes from, they can still be producing greenhouse gases back at the power plant ... the so called "long-tailpipe" argument. That's one. The second is batteries – or more specifically, how much energy goes into making them and what to do with the massive battery packs in these cars once they've passed their lifespan. Auto manufacturers building EV infrastructure are taking this second factor into consideration and now EV pioneer Tesla has announced a battery recycling program throughout Europe that will help reduce the carbon footprint of its vehicles.  Read More
Bing has been caught recycling Google search results.
Google doesn't have a lot of competition in the search world – it rose from obscurity in the late 1990s to its current position of utter dominance on the back of its clever results ranking algorithm; Google is the megalithic entity it is today, because for the last decade people have chosen its results over MSN, Yahoo and other search options. And now it seems Microsoft's new(ish) search competitor, Bing, is copying Google results in order to make its own search results better. In an embarrassing sting operation, Google claims it has proven that Bing is taking Google search results and displaying them as if they're coming from the Bing engine – and you'd have to imagine the guys at Google are absolutely delighted.  Read More
Lunar Cubit solar pyramids
The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is a competition that challenges entrants to think outside the box to create functional yet beautiful renewable energy generation facilities. First prize has just been awarded to such a submission, but this one thinks outside the pyramid. The Lunar Cubit concept design consists of nine pyramids made from solar panels in a configuration modeled on the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza. The pyramids would not only be capable of providing electricity to 250 homes, but are also designed to serve as a lunar calendar.  Read More
Seth Goldstein's tie-tying robot
Seth Goldstein must hate doing up his ties even more than I do. I changed my lifestyle about four years ago so I'd never have to wear one again, but Goldstein has put countless hundreds of hours into designing a robot that can do the job for him. The 'Why Knot?' kinetic sculpture is hypnotic to watch, as the video after the jump shows – and it makes you wonder at the marvel of our human machinery when you see how difficult this simple task is for a purpose-built robot to replicate. Oh, and when you watch it in double-speed, it also sounds a bit like glitch techno music. Very cool.  Read More
Researchers are looking at introducing sea cucumbers to fish farms, where they could clean...
Marine net-pen fish farms aren’t popular with environmentalists for a number of reasons, one of the main ones being the amount of fish feces and uneaten food that they release into the surrounding ocean. In the UK, help for that problem may be coming in the form of the sea cucumber. Despite its name, the sea cucumber is an animal, that resembles a big slug and is about the same size as ... well, as a cucumber, or sometimes larger. Given that sea cukes subsist on organic matter that they scavenge from the sea floor, scientists at Newcastle University have proposed that they be introduced to fish farms where they could process waste. After eating all that fish poop, some of the cucumbers could then be served up as gourmet cuisine for humans.  Read More
In the new racquet game of 360ball, players hit a ball into a central concave dish, trying...
It’s kind of like table tennis, kind of like squash, and looks like it would definitely be a good workout – it’s 360ball, a new racquet sport out of South Africa. Games are played on a circular court by two players, or two teams of two players, who are situated around a central concave deflecting disc. Players hit the ball into the disc, trying to do so in such a way that when it bounces out, their opponent(s) won’t be able to reach it. Unlike tennis, say, there are no designated sides on which players have to remain. Instead, everyone is allowed to move 360 degrees around the disc as play dictates ... hence the name.  Read More
TouchType has announced the release of a new tablet-optimized version of its popular onscr...
TouchType has now transferred its touchscreen typing smarts from smartphones to the big screen, bigger than a smartphone anyway. The company has launched a new tablet version of its SwiftKey typing app to coincide with the release of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and the launch of the Xoom tablet from Motorola. The app is claimed to make touchscreen typing more intuitive thanks to an improved version of the Fluency predictive text engine and easier thanks to optimized keyboard layouts and multi-language support.  Read More
The new Mini Cooper SD - D for Diesel
The MINI Cooper S name first graced the classic Mini back in 1963 and during the ensuing half century it has represented the ultimate performance Mini, having won the Monte Carlo rally three times plus countless other races and rallies around the globe. Now for the first time there’s a diesel version too – though not as fire-breathing as the petrol Cooper S, the SD’s 2.0-litre turbodiesel four produces 143 bhp at 4,000 rpm, and an almighty torque figure of 305 Nm (225 lb-ft) from 1,750 to 2,700 rpm endowing it with rapid acceleration all the way to its top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph). It’s the ecologically balanced nature of the pocket rocket which appeals most though, as despite this performance, it’ll return EU test cycle figures of 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres (65.7 mpg imp) with CO2 emissions of 114 grams per kilometre. The Cooper SD will debut in Geneva in March and hit showrooms in Q2.  Read More
The Revolve tap water filter bottle
Joining products like the Life Straw, the Bobble and the Katadyn Vario in the portable water filtration market, the Revolve filter bottle is designed to remove up to 99.99% of all contaminants found in tap water and one filter will produce the equivalent of 800 single use 16 oz bottles of water.  Read More
Voltaic's Spark Tablet Case harnesses the sun's energy to top up more power hungry mobile ...
Over the years we’ve seen increasing numbers of solar backpacks and messenger bags designed to keep mobile devices juiced up by harnessing energy from the sun. With the flood of tablets looking to jump on the iPad’s coattails at CES 2011, it comes as no surprise to see a solar bag specifically designed for such devices. Produced by Voltaic, the company behind a variety of solar backpacks and messenger bags including the Converter, the Spark Tablet Case’s solar panels generate 8 watts of power to provide about an hour of iPad runtime for every hour in direct sunlight.  Read More
Inside the Lexar clean room facility in Utah where memory chips are made. The clean room i...
Much of the world these days relies heavily on memory – not the human kind, but the manufactured variety. Many of us have a plethora of memory cards and sticks kicking around in devices like cameras, smart phones, USB thumb drives, etc., but have you ever wondered what goes into the manufacture of a memory chip. This "behind the scenes" promotional video from major manufacturer Lexar provides an interesting insight to the process – it takes the company one month and more than 800 processes to make a memory chip and the clean room in which they are produced is 100 times cleaner than a hospital operating room. That means in order to get in you have to do a lot more than just wash your hands.  Read More
The LSR Streamliner, once complete, will be used in an attempt on the land speed record fo...
Steam-engined vehicles are quaint, retro and obsolete ... right? Well, maybe not. The current land speed record for a steam-powered vehicle currently sits at 148 mph (238 kph), set by the British car Inspiration team in 2009. Now, Chuk Williams’ U.S. Land Steam Record (USLSR) Team is hoping to steal that title in its LSR Streamliner, powered by a heat-regenerative external combustion Cyclone engine – an engine that could someday find common use in production automobiles.  Read More
The Solar Wind bridge concept combines solar cells and wind turbines to generate power for...
Bridges are generally exposed to the elements, meaning they generally get a nice dose of sunlight often coupled with some fairly strong crosswinds. For these reasons this “Solar Wind” bridge concept from Italian designers Francesco Colarossi, Giovanna Saracino and Luisa Saracino would seem to make a lot of sense. The proposed bridge would harness solar energy through a grid of solar cells embedded in the road surface, while wind turbines integrated into the spaces between the bridge’s pillars would be used to generate electricity from the crosswinds.  Read More
Square is a card reader and app system that allows mobile devices to receive credit or deb...
There’s no debating that credit and debit cards are convenient, but typically the only places that you can use them are in businesses, or via the phone or internet. In 2009 the co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, set out to change that. He released a beta version of Square, a system that allowed mobile devices to receive card payments. A small card reader plugged into the device’s headphone port, and an app handled all the 1s and 0s. Two years later, Square is out of its debugging phase and available for general use.  Read More
 
The Game Changer system from Music Man is said to put over eight and a half million differ...
After you've spent a considerable time learning to play guitar or bass, you're then likely to want to find an individual tone. For most of us, this involves the never-ending search for an instrument that fits our personality, or taking what we can afford and switching out the pickups or, if you're brave, more advanced rewiring. With the aptly-named Game Changer from Ernie Ball's Music Man wing, you can hang up the soldering iron for good and still get access to millions of tonal variations in one guitar or bass.  Read More
Red Bull rips the covers off title defender RB7
F1 kicked back into life earlier this week with the first official test of the season and the unveiling of most of the 2011 cars, the most significant of which was the Red Bull RB07 – the car that will defend both Sebastian Vettel's drivers title and the energy drink’s very own constructors championship. As is generally the case, Red Bull's public relations output topped the field, and many of the highly informative illustrations in the image gallery come directly from the Red Bull press materials - images explaining the new RB7 changes, the pit crew roles and responsibilities, the 2011 steering wheel, driving position ad infinitum.  Read More
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
Arcologies, which are essentially entire cities crammed into a single high population density megastructure, are still the realm of science fiction – or games such as Simcity. But with the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ongoing, a group of designers have come up with the proposal for just such a structure designed to sit on the bank of the Mississippi. Called the New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH), the structure would house 40,000 residents along with all services and amenities that would allow them to live their entire lives within its walls if they so desired.  Read More
Honda to offer hybrid Fit Shuttle
Honda Japan has launched a special website featuring the all-new compact Fit Shuttle, scheduled to debut in March. The big news is that in addition to a petrol Fit Shuttle, Honda will offer a hybrid model equipped with Integrated Motor Assist making it the first wagon-type hybrid model in its class. Clearly the hybrid is now beginning to permeate every class of vehicle.  Read More
The N-Control Avenger is designed to give gamers an advantage over their opponents
Those that think video game controllers are already complicated enough with their array of joysticks, direction pads, face buttons and triggers might balk at the sight of the N-Control Avenger but, despite its imposing appearance, the device is actually designed to make accessing a controller’s various buttons easier and faster. Not only that, the device allows users to customize hair triggers and reach all a controllers face buttons with the exception of the A button without taking their thumbs off the analogue sticks.  Read More
Part of the pink object is rendered invisbile to the naked eye under the calcite-based inv...
The quest to build a working “invisibility cloak” generally focuses on the use of metamaterials – artificially engineered materials with a negative refractive index that have already been used to render microscopic objects invisible in specific wavelengths of light. Now, using naturally occurring crystals rather than metamaterials, two research teams working independently have demonstrated technology that can cloak larger objects in the broad range of wavelengths visible to the human eye.  Read More
Mazda MX-5 - the world's top selling two seater convertible sports car extends its lead
Total production of the Mazda MX-5 sports car reached 900,000 units today at Mazda's Hiroshima plant in Japan. The milestone was achieved 21 years and 10 months after mass production of the first-generation MX-5 commenced in April 1989 and further extends the Mazda MX-5's lead as the best selling two-seater sports car of all time. Indeed, the MX-5 took that title from the MGB (1962-80) in May 2000 when production reached 514,853 units to exceed the iconic British sportster. Second place on the list is now held by Porsche's 911 series (1964-present and pictured) which has sold over 700,000. It's also fifty years this year since Jaguar launched the first affordable super sports two-seater, the E-Type (pictured), but more on that shortly.  Read More
Neutron scattering analysis reveals the lamellar structure of a hydrogen-producing, biohyb...
One of the biggest problems with the move towards a hydrogen economy is currently the production of hydrogen fuel takes a lot of energy, which generally comes from burning fossil fuels. For hydrogen vehicles to make sense, cleaner more efficient hydrogen production methods will need to be developed. One promising approach takes its lead from the natural processes of photosynthesis in order to convert sunlight into hydrogen fuel. The latest breakthrough in this quest comes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) where scientists have taken an important step towards understanding the design principles that promote self-assembly in natural photosynthetic systems.  Read More
A miniature helicopter is powered by electricity generated by the previous SolarWindow pro...
Over the past several years, a number of companies and institutions have been developing technologies that could allow windows to double as solar panels. These have included EnSol’s metal nanoparticle-based spray-on product, RSi’s photovoltaic glass and Octillion’s NanoPower window. Last September, Maryland-based New Energy Technologies joined the party by demonstrating a 4 x 4 inch (10.2 x 10.2 cm) prototype of its SolarWindow product. This Tuesday, the company unveiled a working 12 x 12 inch (30.5 x 30.5 cm) prototype, which takes it significantly closer to becoming commercially-viable.  Read More
The PiCycle with its distinctive arch frame and option of embedded Wi-Fi technology
Combining an electric motor with a form factor that has remained largely unchanged for over a hundred years, hybrid electric bicycles make it easier to get around in an environmentally friendly way, while still providing some much needed exercise. One of the most distinctive electric bikes going around is the PiCycle. The latest model from Pi Mobility retains the instantly recognizable arch frame of its predecessor, but has been simplified even further and now offers the option of integrated Wi-Fi-based technology to remotely monitor the 2011 PiCycle’s performance and track the bike if it is stolen.  Read More
The Strait Power turbine inspired by the basking shark
Studying the bumpy protrusions on the fins of humpback whales has already led to more efficient wind and tidal power turbines and now nature is once again the source of inspiration for a new and more efficient hydroelectric turbine. The latest source of biomimicry is the basking shark, which industrial design student Anthony Reale has borrowed from to create "strait power," a water-powered turbine generator that tests have shown is 40 percent more efficient than current designs.  Read More
Production prototype of the Agility Saietta
Agility will never be accused of sticking to tradition for tradition's sake. Freed from the constraints of complicated combustion engines and all the associated tackle, designer Lawrence Marazzi has unveiled a brand new, fully electric British motorcycle that turns the rules of motorcycle design on their head. The Saietta features a hossack-inspired front end, an eye-popping fairing design and a crazy degree of mass centralization that could only be achieved with battery cells. Billed as a guerrilla commuter, it promises to be a very exhilarating ride. See the video after the jump to hear Marazzi talk about the design process, the future of electric motorcycles and the unique properties of the Saietta.  Read More
The Cougar20-H surveillance robot
The Cougar20-H is a remote-controlled surveillance robot that is so sensitive it can not only detect motion through walls but, to ensure no one goes unnoticed, it can also detect the breathing of a stationary person. Packing a fine beam ultra-wideband (UWB), multi-Gigahertz radio frequency (RF) sensor array as well as multiple integrated cameras for day and night time visibility, the Cougar20-H was designed by surveillance imaging specialist TiaLinx to provide improved situational awareness to soldiers while keeping them out of harm’s way.  Read More
Image of the far side of the Sun taken on February 2, 2011 when there was still a small ga...
On October 26, 2006, NASA launched two STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) spacecraft. Using the Moon’s gravity for a gravitational slingshot, the two nearly identical spacecraft, STEREO-A and STEREO-B, split up with one pulling ahead of the Earth and the other gradually falling behind. It’s taken over four years but on February 6, 2011, the two spacecraft finally moved into position on opposite sides of the Sun, each looking down on a different hemisphere. The probes are now sending back images of the entire star, front and back, allowing scientists for the first time to view the Sun in 3D.  Read More
The DreamPlug from Globalscale Technologies offers application developers a low cost, low ...
Applications developers looking for a low power, small form factor computing solution that won't break the bank will no doubt appreciate the DreamPlug from Globalscale Technologies. Expanding on the company's GuruPlug system, the new low-profile plug computer is powered by a Marvell processor, has half a gigabyte of DDR2 RAM and a generous helping of onboard micro-SD flash memory to store the Linux kernel and root system files. Physical connectivity and expansion options include USB, eSATA, JTAG and UART and the unit also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities.  Read More
Scientists have identified the mechanism responsible for driving the internal clock of alm...
A group of Cambridge scientists have successfully identified the mechanism that drives our internal 24-hour clock, or circadian rhythm. It occurs not only in human cells, but has also been found in other life forms such as algae, and has been dated back millions of years. Whilst the research promises a better understanding of the problems associated with shift-work and jet-lag, this mechanism has also been proven to be responsible for sleep patterns, seasonal shifts and even the migration of butterflies.  Read More
The SnowBow's bow-shaped handle reportedly allows users to shovel snow with little or no b...
At the present moment, much of north-eastern North America is buried under one of the biggest snowfalls to hit in over 50 years. Much to the chagrin of home-owners throughout the region, that means a whole lot of shoveling. While it might not require a huge amount of energy to shovel one’s sidewalk – in fact, sometimes it can be kind of invigorating – it’s the bending and lifting that really makes it unpleasant. Various ergonomic shovels have been invented over the years to address this issue, such as the wheeled Sno Wovel. A simpler product is now available, however, in the form of the SnowBow.  Read More
T-Mobile and LG have announced the G-Slate tablet with 8.9-inch multi-touch display, Tegra...
Motorola's Xoom may have grabbed most of the Android 3.0 headlines of late but it's not the only tablet to run on Google's new tablet-optimized operating system. T-Mobile and LG have announced a spring release window for the newest member of the G-series of mobile devices, the G-Slate. The Tegra 2-powered device features 3D-capable, high definition display and can record stereoscopic HD video via its rear-facing cameras. Wireless connectivity is also given a speed boost thanks to T-Mobile's growing HSPA+ network.  Read More
Pagani C9 Huayra
The Zonda supercar established Pagani in the elite category of supercar manufacturers, so much has been expected of its successor, which we now know as the Huayra. Named appropriately after a South American God of the Wind, the Huayra will be shown to the public for the first time in Geneva a month from now. Only 20 of the gull-winged Huayras will be made per year, each costing one million euro with its main distinguishing features being a very light carbon titanium monocoque, 700 bhp, 1000 Nm twin-turbo mid-engined V12 and movable rear wing and four adjustable flaps constituting the most extensive active aerodynamic package yet to head for production. Though response to the car’s appearance is mixed, a photoshopped mock-up of a Huayra Spyder indicates the 230 mph supercar will be even better looking without a roof.  Read More
A nanoparticle-based process allows blood clots to show up on a new type of CT scan (Image...
Every year, millions of people come into emergency rooms complaining of chest pains, yet those pains are only sometimes due to heart attacks. Unfortunately in many of those cases, the only way to be sure of what’s going on is to admit the patient for an overnight stay, and administer time-consuming and costly tests. Now, however, a new procedure could reveal the presence and location of a blood clot within hours. It’s made possible by the injection of nanoparticles, each containing a million atoms of bismuth – a toxic heavy metal.  Read More

A report by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has shown that innovat...
A report into inner city parking reforms has found that European cities are leading the way in the battle to coax people into using public transport instead of clogging up city streets with cars. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has revealed that cities which have implemented a host of innovative parking policies in recent years are now benefiting from improved air quality and better standards of urban life, all thanks to significant reductions in car use.  Read More
The Space Fence will detect the hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris orbiting t...
The U.S. Air Force’s Space Fence program has entered its next phase with the three companies originally awarded US$30 million contracts to develop a Space Fence now cut back to two. Northrop Grumman is now out of the project, leaving Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which have each been awarded a US$107 million dollar follow-on contract to further develop and prototype their systems in preparation for a final Space Fence production contract next year. As might be easy to misconstrue from its name, the Space Fence isn’t designed as a defense against intergalactic interlopers, but is intended to detect and track the increasing amount of space junk orbiting Earth.  Read More
The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER 1.4x lens with built-in 1.4x focal length exte...
Fiddling with lenses and focal length extenders to get the effects we want is an annoying necessity for photographers – but the latest announcement from Canon has the potential to make all the company's lenses at least twice as useful. The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER 1.4x is the first lens Canon has made with a built-in focal length extender. At the flick of a switch, it goes from 200-400mm to 280-560mm while maintaining its presumably stellar L series optics through the whole zoom range. That's one less fiddly lens change for wildlife and sports photographers, and one heck of a great idea!  Read More
The air hybrid engine used in the Lund University study
The most commonly used form of regenerative braking is where a vehicle’s electric motor is used as an electric generator to capture the vehicle’s kinetic energy, which is otherwise lost as heat when braking. The generator converts the kinetic energy into electricity that is then fed back into the vehicle’s battery pack where it is stored for later use. New research suggests that pneumatic or air hybrids that instead store the energy as compressed air would be much cheaper to produce than the current crop of EVs and battery-electric hybrids and could halve the fuel consumption of ICE powered vehicles.  Read More
The LCLS Atomic, Molecular and Optical instrument hutch where the experiments were perform...
An international team of scientists has obtained the world’s first single-shot images of intact viruses – a technology that could ultimately lead to moving video of molecules, viruses and live microbes. The team was also able to successfully utilize a new shortcut for determining the 3D structures of proteins. Both advances were achieved using the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser – the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) – which scientists hope could revolutionize the study of life.  Read More
Artist's impression of Kepler-11 planetary system as three planets transit - observed by N...
NASA's Kepler space telescope has succeeded in its mission to identify potentially-habitable exoplanets. Kepler has so far observed 156,000 stars in its field of vision and has identified no less than 1235 candidate planets that sit in the “goldilocks zone” (not too close to the star, and not too far away). Of these, scientists at the NASA's Ames Research Center are excited to announce the discovery of the Kepler-11 system – a rare multiple planetary system similar to our own with five planets in the habitable zone.  Read More
Researchers are developing a system that would allow surgeons to control both computers an...
Although surgeons need to frequently review medical images and records during surgery, they’re also in the difficult position of not being able to touch non-sterile objects such as keyboards, computer mice or touchscreens. Stepping away from the operating table to check a computer also adds time to a procedure. Researchers from Indiana’s Purdue University are addressing this situation by developing gesture-recognition systems for computers, so that surgeons can navigate through and manipulate screen content simply by moving their hands in the air. The system could additionally be used with robotic scrub nurses, also being developed at Purdue, to let the devices know what instruments the surgeon wants handed to them.  Read More
Researchers have developed a one-minute sideline test for athletes, that accurately detect...
By developing a simple one-minute sideline test, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have tackled the issue of diagnosing concussion head on. Up until now sideline tests for concussion have been vague and often miss a large spectrum of brain functions that may have been affected. It is a well-known fact that any concussion left untreated or ignored may lead to serious or potentially fatal consequences, thus the Pennsylvanian researchers are eager to get this simple and effective test into action.  Read More
Canon has unveiled its EOS 600D (pictured) and 1100D DSLR cameras
Canon has just announced two new entry-level DSLR cameras, theEOS 600D and the EOS 1100D (or Rebel T3i and T3 in North America). The company hopes that both cameras will bring in new, aspiring photographers looking to make that first jump from a point-and-shoot to a DSLR. Appropriately, Canon has built in a number of user-friendly features to make the EOS 600D and 1100D more accessible.  Read More
Canon's PowerShot SX230 HS - built-in GPS, 14X zoom, 12.1-MPX and 1080P video
The capability of the compact camera continues to move forward at warp speed with Canon today announcing its latest PowerShot SX230 HS model, complete with 14X optical zoom, 12.1-Megapixel images and 1080P video. The integation of a GPS receiver in the SX230 HS is another pushing of the boundaries – in addition to the logical recording of the latitude and longitude of where the image was taken in each image's EXIF data, the camera comes with mapping software so you can see where the pics were taken on a map, plus an internal GPS logger, so you can track your route on a map, making it a useful application for day or longer term trips. All this for US$350 and available next month.  Read More

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