Category: Health
VIDEO: Japanese exoskeleton suit called "HAL".
There’s a long comic book tradition of people going slightly doo-lally, building massive robot suits in their garage, and then stomping all over their enemies. Well, the Japanese just did it. They’ve built HAL, who looks like he’ll stomp all over you in an instant.
HAL is worn over your arms and legs, and uses eight motors to attached to your shoulders, elbows, knees and waist to control your movements. Let just hope that whoever’s controlling it has the same ideas about what you want to do as you do. Still, longer term, this could be an incredible help for the disabled.
(via WeirdAsiaNews)
Purelight XD Magic Wand offers fast, safe, sterilisation of surfaces
A “light wand” that uses ultraviolet radiation in the UV-C band to sterilize surfaces has been made available by Purelight UK. The wand should be able to knock out 99.9% of bacteria, including the rather nasty MRSA and C.difficile bacteria.
UV-C is higher-energy than the UV-A and UV-B wavebands, and it cleanses viruses and bacteria by breaking down the DNA of the microbes. After exposure of no more than 20 seconds, only 1 in 1000 bacteria remain.
There’s three versions of the wand available – the XD, which is rechargable and costs £120, the MD which is more compact and costs just £35, and the more hardcore, industrial “ClearCare” system, which costs £500 and up. None of those prices include VAT.
Purelight UK
The Zoom Bicycles Jet Stealth 80cc Bicycle Engine Kit, for weak-limbed environmentalists
If you’ve ever been caught out on your bike, riding into the wind, up a slight hill, almost in tears at how hard it is and WISHING with all your might that someone would invent a little engine to help you out at times like this, you’re in luck – here’s a little engine to help you out at times like that.
The Zoom Bicycles DIY engine enhancement kits come with anything from a 49cc to an 80cc engine to pop onto your bike yourself and eliminate all that tiresome pedalling, but the catch is the weight – the motor adds around 19lbs (8.6 kilos to you Euro-people) to the weight of your bike…
Literally *INSANE* Sky claims that watching HD broadcasts helps combat depression
Genius. Simple genius. Sky has teamed up with psychologist Donna Dawson to claim that watching broadcasts in HD via Sky+HD can help alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Of course, as men who have just spent an obscene amount of money on an HDTV and Sky+HD subscription, there is indeed something calming and enjoyable about sitting there, basking in the HD glow, smug in the fact that your picture has more pixels in it than the picture your neighbours are lumbered with.
But the completely ludicrous PDF guide to Sky+HD claims that “programmes with vivid, bright and sharply defined colours create a visual sensation for our eyes, which help to lift our spirits and energise…
Oxford Junior Dictionary ditches "beaver" and "budgerigar" for "blog" and "biodegradable"
The Oxford Junior Dictionary has been slowly removing loads of boring old nature and science words from its recent editions, replacing the likes of “guinea pig” and “monastery” with modern things kids need to know about like “MP3 player” and “broadband”.
This deeply shameful activity by the newly edgy and urban word-explainer has mainly seen numerous nature terms and animal names dumped, but plenty of Christian and other religious words have been removed too – to make way for the likes of “database” and “chatroom”. Ideal if you’re currently hot-housing your kid for a future career in IT…
World's oceans will soon be ruled by IMMORTAL SELF-CLONING JELLYFISH
This is more “science” than “gadgets” to be honest, but we can’t turn down the chance to report on the discovery of an immortal jellyfish.
The jellyfish, known as Turritopsis Nutricula among jellyfish enthusiasts and on jellyfish forums, manages to cleverly revert back to a juvenile state after mating – effectively becoming a baby again and living forever. Scientists say…
Nintendo DS "no better than a pencil" when it comes to training your brain
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Nintendo’s much-loved Brian Training series is a FRAUD that’s of no demonstrable benefit to your brain whatsoever, which means Julie Walters and Patrick Stewart have been LYING TO US all this time.
There is no worse feeling in the world than having been lied to by Patrick Stewart.
The revelation comes from Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes, who conducted a survey comparing the effectiveness of a pencil and paper and a copy of Brain Training on the development of the maths skills a bunch of ten-year-olds.
The result? Reading, playing board games and watching documentaries on TV had as much benefit…
Steve Jobs steps down… for a bit
Whether or not you think that Apple’s celebrity CEO Steve Jobs’ health should be a matter of public concern, the company’s stock price seems to be intrinsically linked to his heart rate. That’s why Apple stock took a dive of about 10% in 14 minutes last night, following the disclosure that Jobs will be stepping down as CEO for medical reasons until June. Tim Cook will be taking on Apple’s day-to-day running in the meantime.
I’m on the fence about this one. On the one hand, it’s ridiculous to think that Apple’s fortunes are the sole result of one man, and his absence will tumble the company into ruin. On the other hand, though, Jobs rules the company with an iron fist, and his absence will leave a big hole in the company’s management. It’s going to be an interesting six months, that’s for sure.
Apple Media Advisory (via Silicon Alley Insider)
Related posts: Ten gadgets to keep Steve Jobs alive and well for another 30 years | Steve Jobs to give Macworld a miss in 2009 – and forever after too
CES 2009: Video – NJOY ecigarettes
While ecigarettes are ten-a-penny in the UK, there’s only one manufacturer of them in the USA. Zara, ever the detective, managed to track them down. Not just cigarettes, though – cigars, cigarette holders, everything!
For more CES tomfoolery click through to the Tech Digest CES motherpost
CES 2009: Touch screen gadgets alienate blind tech fans, says schoolground blind icon Stevie Wonder
It’s all well and good you sitting there, staring at the Palm Pre and imagining yourself navigating its menus after having successfully blagged one for free off your provider, but what about the needs of the blind? You haven’t considered them at all, have you, you selfish little shit?
That’s an issue Stevie Wonder is in Las Vegas to raise, highlighting the fact that the new wave of touch screen gadgets is making many of today’s hot new electric toys impossible for blind users to operate…
