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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Bacteria’s not lookin’ too shabby these days, aiding in digestive health and even moonlighting as a fuel source. Recent studies also show that the use of live bacteria could very well solidify deep, sandy soils that make for treacherous grounds when an earthquake strikes. The new findings hint at a promising alternative to the use of bonding epoxy chemicals, which can boost toxicity levels in soil and water. The mighty microbe, Bacillus pasteurii to be exact, essentially transforms loose sand back into sandstone by depositing calcite (calcium carbonate) throughout the grains, fusing them together. Buildings sitting atop soils treated with the bacteria are predicted to experience considerably less devastation than those on the loose soil that tends to liquefy beneath them in the event of a quake, typically resulting in collapse. The research, partially being developed at UC Davis, is restricted to the lab at the moment, however plans to scale up are on the table. So the next time all you coast-dwellers fall violently ill from some ratfink bacteria, remember that his cousin might save your apartment, or even one day, your life.

[Thanks, Sid]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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The traditional flat solar cell panel depends on a certain angle to maximize the amount of energy it can extract from the sun, but the Sphelar solar cell offers an efficiency level of up to 20% thanks to the ball-like solar cells which measure 1mm each that are arranged in a flowr-like pattern. The Sphelar also holds the advantage of being thinner, more flexible, and transparent, enabling you to place it on standard window glass. This advancement bodes well for superstructures that receive a huge amount of sunlight each day, effectively cutting down the building’s operational cost. In addition, the Sphelar solar cell is made via a more efficient production process, making this a truly green choice for building materials.

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Prison inmates are a pretty deprived lot, and they would do virtually anything to escape. This includes using everyday items as weapons, and you would be surprised to know how a pen can be turned into a lethal weapon when used in the right hands. The Prison Pen offers a new twist to the equation, since it is made from a soft rubber material that bends under the slightest of pressure. Prison guards and wardens can now breathe a sigh of relief, since the Prison Pen remains effective as a writing instrument and nothing else. Spycatcher is carrying the Prison Pen for $10.

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Working parents these days find it difficult to keep watch over their kids all the time as they are engrossed in the rat race to provide the best for their offspring. Magnet is offering a Kiddy Cam to help couples in their parental duties. The Kiddy Cam kit consists of a flip-down LCD display that can be mounted onto any surface, receiving transmissions from up to a hundred feet. Yes, mom can now slice vegetables in the kitchen while keeping an eye of Junior in the playroom. If only it came with an integrated radio so that mom can holler at the kid in case he/she gets too cheeky and decided to play football with dad’s Treo 750.

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The problem with anti-personnel landmines lies in the fact that it is unable to tell the difference between the footfall of an actual combatant or a child. The Claymore mine is a fearsome weapon indeed, but they now have been imbued with modern technology that could go a long way in preventing unwanted deaths or maiming of innocent civilians. The Macroswiss Claymore Camera is a video camera attached to the Claymore itself, sending information to a remote receiver via a cable system for the operator to monitor events in front of the mine, detonating it in the presence of an enemy threat while letting innocents walk past by unharmed. Good to see the Army is taking initiatives to reduce collateral damage, which is always a sore point in war.

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Filed under: Displays

NYU may have been the first to put the mouthful that is frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) to use in a multi-touch display, but it’s not the only one experimenting with the curiously-named technology, with the folks at tinker.it building a setup of their own and explaining how they did it. As the video after the break shows, the end result is slightly less polished than NYU’s device, but it puts on an impressive light show nonetheless, tracking your fingers’ movement in a suitably hypnotic fashion. While tinker.it’s guide doesn’t exactly hold your hand though the process, those with the necessary skills should be able to build their own rig relatively easily, with some coffee tableexcess seemingly only a few more steps away for those with the carpentry skills to match.

[Via MAKE:Blog]

Continue reading Build your own multi-touch table

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Trying to capture a picture perfect moment can be tricky - how many shots of people have you seen that involved somebody blinking? Canon is currently working on a spanking new digital camera software that will take a photo only when nobody blinks. That’s right, you won’t end up wasting shots anymore, although I suspect this will make photo taking a little bit longer since everybody has different blinking frequencies. I wonder what kind of algorithm is applied to calculate the chances of catching everybody with their eyes wide open. Will the software be able to handle large groups of people, say, a hundred?

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The paranoid will definitely love the Cell Sensor EMF detector, as this device is capable of measuring electromagnetic fields and radio frequency radiation. I suppose most people are extremely concerned with both, since we now live in a world where wireless connection is pervasive. Do those unseen rays and radiation actually harm us in the long run? Will it cost us to bear offspring that have an extra arm or leg? Why not purchase some peace of mind with this $35 device instead and lay those ghosts to rest. I personally think this is bollocks - so what if you know the level of radio frequency radiation around you, what can you do about it? Move to an island and be a hermit?

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We were expecting the A800s March first, and with the ides of March marches in Sony’s NW-A800 flash Network Walkman. Outfitted with up to 8GB of memory and a supposed 30 hour battery life (surely that’s playing ATRAC files, as always), the A800 also has a 2-inch QVGA display — not too bad, especially considering it plays back H.264 video. Audio codecs are the usual: AAC, WMA (sorry, no PlaysForSure support — maybe Sony’s being forward thinking here), MP3, and ATRAC. Models listed on Sony’s Euro sites are A808 for the 8GB, A806 for the 4GB, and A805 for the 2GB — what, was A808, A804, and A802 too hard to name ‘em? Whatever their reasoning, we’re a little baffled by the price: £199 for the 8GB, which is close to $400 US (that kind of pricing sound familiar?). Seriously. Granted, these will probably get a little cheaper when they head stateside, but we’re definitely shaking our heads at you, Sony, on behalf of our European readership.

[Via Engadget Japanese]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Is the laptop going the way of the Nintendo DS? Those who feel that 17″ of viewing real estate are not enough to handle all the spreadsheets and work assignments can always settle for the briefcase-inspired Estari DC15 laptop. Although each touch screen is only 15″ when measured diagonally across, the combined viewing area is definitely much more than a single 17″ display. The DC15 is no slouch when it comes to performance with an Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz processor running the show, along with 2GB RAM, WiFi and USB connectivity, and a 100GB hard drive. Input methods include a styles, typing on the virtual keyboard, or plugging in an actual keyboard. Unfortunately, the DC15 weighs heavier than the average briefcase at 5.9kg, making this unsuitable for traveling. The Estari DC15 retails for $4,350.

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