Interesting tech for 8 to 11 June 2010

Last week I started writing a new column for the NZ Herald. This is a fun assignment: Tech Universe brings 5 headlines each day about what’s up in the world of technology. Here are the links from last week.

Tech universe: Tues, June 8 2010

• IPHONE 4: New iPhone has 360ppi resolution, HD video, gyroscope.
• FLASH PANIC: Adobe Reader and Flash on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux are all affected.
• IGNITION: Lawrence Livermore Labs are bringing star power to earth, using lasers for fusion.
• DOES ELECTROSMOG KILL BEES?: Cell phone radiation could be a major factor killing honey bees.
• BEND MY LCD: Toshiba has a method of zooming images in and out by bending the display.

Tech universe: Weds June 9 2010

• CUTTING EDGE IPAD: Japanese surgeons use an iPad to show their patient’s insides while they operate (video). What’s that expensive equipment doing on the side? Sitting idle, that’s what.
• STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR: Movie car chases are fun, but in real life drivers can be killed. The driverless Scarab electric police car chases suspects by following a radar tag.
• RING RING: Can’t hear your cellphone ringing over the noise of the neighbour’s motor mower? The Geemarc CL8200 has the loudest ringtone in the world: up to 100 decibels. Never miss another call from your boss.
• GLOW AS YOU GO: Hot feet usually just mean smelly shoes. Thermocouples inside Orange’s gummies trap the heat from your feet and the cold from the ground then use the difference to charge your mobile phone.
• SMELL GO BANG: A laser made of plastic could sniff out a minefield. When it detects explosives the laser goes dead, showing where the mines are. Handy for road trips in Afghanistan.

Tech universe: Thursday, 10 June 2010

• COTTON FILTERS: Take oil mixed with water. Pour through cotton cloth. Separated, thanks to a special polymer coating. It worked in the lab. So, can BP just filter the Gulf? Slick.
• LIFESAVING STINK: Tiny capsules of pungent oil embedded in future bike helmets will break if the helmet’s damaged. The stink should stop you using the now worthless protection. Whew.
• A TOUCHING SCREEN: Tap, pinch, drag and flick the screen to navigate. No, not the handheld iPad, but the new Sony VAIO J Series desktop computers with HD touch-screen. Shiny.
• KICK AROUND THE CUP: One for the armchair refs. Check out the South African World Cup football fields. Google Earth now has 3D views of the stadiums. Whee.
• DUMP THE DIRECTORY: Unless a table’s totally out of whack, or you have shares in forestry, what use is a phone directory in these Internet days? Urban Canadians abandon their phone books. Urbane.

Tech universe: Friday, 11 June 2010

• SPIN A SPLEEN: The 3D medical Human Atlas is available for web, smartphones and iPad. With animations and photos of what’s inside the human body it’s like CSI for your phone. Don’t let hypochondriacs near this!
• GREEN PHONES: Nokia devices will come with an Eco Profile: details of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacture through use to disposal. Farmers: don’t use these near cows or you’ll throw the stats out!
• CABLE GUYS: In 2012 a new 5.12Tbps submarine Internet cable will carry broadband between South Africa, France and 20 countries. Some get broadband for the first time. Too late for the World Cup, at least they’ll be able to watch the replays!
• PHOTON DRIVE: The Japanese IKAROS spacecraft needs light to push it through space. Slow to start, it gathers momentum over time just from the photons pushing on its sails. Sunscreen not wanted!
• CLIMB, DOG, CLIMB!: The Boston Dynamics Little Dog robot teaches itself how to clamber over difficult terrain, including steps, rocks and seesaws. No fleas on this dog!