The US military is working on ways to improve security on wireless networks. It’s suggested adopting some of the tactics used by credit card firms and eBay. The project is the work of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is effectively the military’s gadgets division. It’s previously worked on making a robot that can […]
A Canadian specialist in infectious diseases says he found some success in using a modified iPhone to diagnose worm infections in Tanzanian children. But Dr Isaac Bogoch says the results aren’t quite reliable enough yet. The main way to diagnose worms is to examine stool samples for eggs. They are around 40 to 60 micrometers […]
Nigel Ackland, 53, was fitted with the Terminator-like carbon fibre mechanical hand which he can control with movements in his upper arm in November last year. The bebionic3 myoelectric (double corr) hand, which is also made from aluminium and alloy knuckles, moves like a real human limb by responding to Nigel’s muscle twitches. Incredibly, the […]
Tell your spouse that you want to coat the walls in your own urine and faeces and he or she will likely walk out of the room in disgust. But take up a multimillionaire’s offer and that won’t be possible — because you’ll be in space. It’s all part of a proposal by Dennis Tito, […]
That’s it guys, first a block of concrete, next, a human body. We’re doomed, DOOMED! I tell you! BigDog handles heavy objects. The goal is to use the strength of the legs and torso to help power motions of the arm. This sort of dynamic, whole-body approach to manipulation is used routinely by human athletes […]
A group designed to bring cultural creatives together has deigned today to be the start of National Day of Unplugging. The group wants people to pledge that from sundown tonight until sundown tomorrow, you’ll give up electronic gadgetry. The ethos of the event is clearly stated: Do you have multiple cell phones? Take your ipad […]
Engineers and researchers in Illinois have developed a battery that can not only be bent but also stretched up to three times its original size. It could assist in tech as diverse as a smartphone wristwatch and a heart monitor. The battery is the work of Northwestern University’s Yonggang Huang and the University of Illinois’ […]
A new iPhone app will help analyze your urine for 25 different health conditions. But thankfully you won’t have to worry about Apple’s warranty exemption for passing water damage. Instead the app works by examining photographs of a strip onto which a patient urinates. The strip changes color depending on the presence and levels of […]
We posted awhile ago about a school where programming had become a core subject in schools in Estonia from grades 1 through to 12. Well it seems they are definitely on the right track, and Code.org has created this video to tell you why: Learning the basics of coding is almost a necessity these days. […]
I’ve already said it and I’ll say it again: I, for one, welcome our new quadrocopter overlords. This video shows two quadrocopters capable of not only balancing an inverted pendulum, but also of launching it off the vehicle and catching it again. [Dario Brescianini]