The pen that checks for spelling errors on PAPER and vibrates when you make a mistake

A pair of German inventors have created a digital pen that can check for spelling mistakes in handwriting. The Lernstift, which is German for learning pen, has a built-in sensor that recognises writing movements and tracks the shape of the letters to recognise words. It then vibrates when a mistake is made.

Lernstift also has Wi-Fi built-in and the pen can be connected a smartphone or PC to upload written texts online, share them on social networks or take part in writing training. Future models will also check for grammatical errors and the designers Falk Wolsky and Daniel Kaesmacher hope it will help children and adults develop their writing and spelling skills. 

The idea came from Wolsky's wife while she was helping her son with his homework.Current digital pens use optical sensors to pick up the writing movements and digitise the words or sketches so they can be used on a computer.

Some of these pens require additional devices, while others only work with specialty paper.

Lernstift is different because it has the technology and software built-in. The computer inside Lernstift is an embedded Linux system - a scaled-down version seen on some PCs and laptops. 

The board contains a non-optical motion sensor, processor, memory, Wi-Fi and vibration module.

The motion sensor recognises all writing movements, even if the pen is used to write in the air.

This means Lernstift doesn't need any additional recognition devices or special paper to work.

It combines a gyroscope with accelerometer, and to optimise the motion recognition, the inventors also added a magnetometer. Built-in Wi-Fi means it can connect to smartphones and computers for social media sharing or learning websites.

The pen has two functions: Orthography Mode is used to recognise misspellings and will vibrate when a word is spelt incorrectly. Calligraphy Mode is used to point out flaws in the form of handwriting and eligibility, to make it neater.

Lernstift uses a built-in handwriting software to compare the written words with the correct spellings. Future models will also be able to point out grammatical mistakes such as wrong word order.Wolsky and Kaesmacher have launched a Kickstarter project to raise £120,000 to produce and sell the Lernstift.

According to the project, the team are using a handwriting engine and language database to trace the words. The software has over 40 languages and Lernstift will be launched in English and German before being rolled out to more languages. This means it could also be used to help people learn new languages.

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Samsung launches a TV with a Curved screen Based on OLED technology

Samsung has officially launched its first super-thin curved TV screen with a price tag of £8,500 ($13,000) - five times more than its flat-screen equivalents. The 55-inch model has a high-resolution OLED display and its design means the screen is an equal distance from the viewer at all times.

It is now on sale in South Korea but Samsung told Reuters the set will be made available in other countries from July - the first time a curved TV of its kind has been sold outside of Asia.
The Korean company announced the television during the Consumer Electronics Show in January this year.

At the time, Samsung's curved screen was the world's first yet delays in the manufacturing process meant that rival LG beat the company to selling the device. Speaking at the launch event Kim Hyunsuk, Samsung executive vice president, said: 'We have just introduced our first OLED TV and have to see consumer response to gauge overall market demand.' 

Samsung Curved TV based on OLED technology

Samsung said it will begin selling its curved OLED television outside South Korea from July but did not specify which countries. It also said it has no plans to offer a non-curved one this year. The concave display gives viewers a sense of being immersed in the images. Samsung claims its 'Timeless Arena' design reduces the chance of images appearing pixelated, too. The 55-inch OLED screen also supports Samsung TV features such as multi-view that lets two people watch different things at the same time.
Samsung and LG, which are the only TV makers in the world to begin commercial sales of OLED TVs, had promised to launch them in 2012 but delayed the launch to this year.

The two South Korean TV giants tout OLED, short for organic light-emitting diode, as the next-generation display technology that will eventually replace older displays. But mass producing OLED displays still faces many challenges, leading to high prices. In addition to curved OLED TVs, Samsung launched two ultra-HD TVs, with four times the resolution of regular high-definition TVs. 

Samsung Curved TV on Display

An OLED display works without a backlight, which means it can display deep black levels and can be thinner and lighter than a liquid crystal display (LCD). In low lighting an OLED screen can produce a higher contrast ratio than an LCD, too.

The technology has long been touted as the future of consumer electronics displays, offering crisper picture resolution, a faster response time and high contrast images. Yet televisions with OLED screens are still a niche market and Samsung warned that industry forecasts for sales growth were a bit too optimistic.

Research firm DisplaySearch has forecast global industry-wide sales of OLED televisions at 50,000 this year, at 600,000 next year and rapid growth thereafter to reach 7 million in 2016.
LG, which currently offers both curved and non-curved 55-inch screens, is estimated to have only sold a few hundred screens so far after starting sales earlier this year.

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iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 will have liquid cooling feature

The race to decisively nail the title of world’s coolest smartphone just got hotter, with both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics (NASDAQ:SSNLF) reportedly evaluating the use of liquid cooling technology for their next generation of smartphones.

The technology is already in use in some laptops, where ultra-thin heat pipes are used to carry heat away from processors and wireless chip. Heat pipes contain a liquid that turns into a vapour when it comes into contact with a hot interface. The vapour then travels along the heat pipe to the cold interface, condensing back into a liquid, and releasing the latent heat.

But let’s leave the technical details for the engineers. What matters to me - and you – is that that niggling heat that we have all felt emanating from our smartphones, sometimes even after just casual use, could be a thing of the past – as soon as the fourth quarter of the year.

If you, like me, find it irritating that metallic phones heat up more, and more often, than their plastic counterparts, then this news should come as a breeze of cool air in stark summers. Most probably, Apple’s iPhone 6 will feature this technology, as will the Galaxy S5, the next iteration of Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones.And this news actually comes in the nick of time. Traditionally, smartphones such as the iPhone have used a graphite-plus-foil insulating method to keep the heat within the device, but with apps getting more and more demanding of processors, and processors getting more powerful, this method is no longer efficient enough to keep the heat from filtering out, as we all know very well.

And with 4G fast becoming a common transmission specification for smartphones, the heat problem was only expected to become worse. Now, however, Apple and Samsung seem to be evaluating a cool solution for that.

According to a new report by DigiTimes, “smartphone players such as Apple, Samsung Electronics and High Tech Computer have started showing interest in adopting ultra-thin heat pipes for their smartphones and are expected to release heat pipe-adopted models in the fourth quarter, at the earliest, according to sources from cooling module player.”

DigiTimes says heat pipe cooled smartphone models could be released by the fourth quarter at the earliest.

In fact, even if the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 sport this technology, they won’t be the world’s first mass market liquid-cooled smartphones. That title belongs to the NEC Medias X-06E, which will be made available on Japanese carrier, NTT DoCoMo.

“Currently there are already several cooling module players including Japan-based Furukawa Electric, Taiwan-based Chaun-Choung Technology, Auras and TaiSol Electronics, are developing 0.6mm heat pipes; however, because the heat pipes only have a yield rate of 30 per cent, these players are working aggressively over improving their production currently,” says DigiTimes.

Additionally, Apple is said have a few alternatives on the drawing board too. One involves a reinvented “Ionic Wind Generator” cooling system. A second idea was revealed last November by Patently Apple in its report titled “Apple Invents a New Streamlined Cooling System for iPhone.”

Apple’s most recent invention on the matter surfaced in May 2013 which discussed “diamond-like carbon coatings” to help keep battery-powered devices cooler.
Either way, we know that Apple, Samsung, HTC and NEC (and no doubt numerous others) will have coller smartphones for us soon, hopefully by the end of this year.

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Samsung announces breakthrough in 5G that can download in a speed of 1GB/sec

Samsung has developed 'ultra-high speed' fifth-generation technology that could allow users to download an entire Movie in a second, the electronics giant has said.The South Korean firm has successfully tested new equipment which it hopes will transmit data several hundred times faster than existing 4G networks.

It claims subscribers could use the technology to download high-quality digital films 'practically without limitation' and watch 3D movies or stream high-definition programmes in real-time.

Samsung believes its new transceiver is the world’s first device capable of providing 'ubiquitous' 5G broadband - and hopes to bring the service to customers by 2020.It announced the development after conducting a test where data was transmitted at speeds of more than one gigabit per second over a distance of up to two kilometres.

Customers using 4G services - currently provided in the UK by EE - access average speeds of between eight and 12 megabits per second (Mbps).

'The new technology sits at the core of 5G mobile communications system and will provide data transmission up to several hundred times faster than current 4G networks,' Samsung said in a blog post.The company believes the equipment could provide a solution to recent surges in wireless internet usage.

It added: 'Samsung’s new technology will allow users to transmit massive data files including high-quality digital movies practically without limitation.

'As a result, subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of services such as 3D movies and games, real-time streaming of ultra high-definition (UHD) content, and remote medical services.'

In the blog post, Samsung claims its technology uses high-frequency wavebands which were previously deemed unsuitable for mobile networks.

It said: 'The implementation of a high-speed 5G cellular network requires a broad band of frequencies, much like an increased water flow requires a wider pipe.

'While it was a recognised option, it has been long believed that the millimetre-wave bands had limitations in transmitting data over long distances due to its unfavourable propagation characteristics.

'However, Samsung’s new adaptive array transceiver technology has proved itself as a successful solution.

'It transmits data in the millimetre-wave band at a frequency of 28 GHz at a speed of up to 1.056 Gbps to a distance of up to two kilometers.'

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iPhone 6 rumours: Flexible screen, July launch, 5 colours, 3 sizes, plus a low-cost model

Gadget Lovers are eagerly waiting for yet another Launch of smart phone after Galaxy Launched Samsung Galaxy SIV and that is iPhone 6.Rumours about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 (or the iPhone 5S) are getting hotter even as the ‘older’ iPhone 5 celebrates its six-month anniversary.Bloggers and analysts are salivating at the new specs being drip-fed by ‘informed sources’, with rumours flying thick and fast about the iPhone 6’s transparent screen, anti-crash elements, and GPS ability to track you down to even the washroom.  

      Now, with Samsung busy packaging and shipping the Galaxy S4 for its April 27 availability across the world, more details have surfaced online about the upcoming iPhone 6. If even half of these and the others released earlier turn out to be true, Apple will have a winner on its hands – and ours too. Here we are presenting some specification based on rumors.

Transparnt Screen 

Flexible screen

 The first among the most recent rumours about the upcoming iPhone points to it sporting a flexible screen. This is not so much of a rumour as this has been confirmed by Apple’s recent patent wins, and the speculation is limited to whether or not the upcoming edition of iPhone will sport such a display. Apple’s patent application generally relates to electronic devices that may have portions that are capable of being flexed. Apple’s patent application for the advanced iDevice flex display features covers a lot of ground including both flex screen designs and flexible components to make these designs work.

One such component is a unique flex battery design. Apple’s patent filing also enlightens us with the fact that bending a future flexible centric iDevice may also allow users to open a specific application, control a game function and so much more.

Possible design of Flexible screen

In the end, the patent filing provides an overview of the whole future flexible device concept that could eventually cover wearable computers, the iPhone, iPad and even aspects of a MacBook.

The patent applications also suggest that flexible electronic devices may be more resistant to damage during impact events such as drops because the flexible device may bend or deform while absorbing the impact. Deformation of this type may increase the duration of an impact, thereby reducing the impulse received by other components of the flexible device.

Five colours

In addition to the display going flexible, Apple is rumoured to, for the first time, ditch the black or white only options, and have three coloured options, meaning the iPhone 6 could finally be the one that comes in a total of five coloured options.

Recently, Japanese website Macotakara released news regarding iPhone 5S. It stated that iPhone 5S will have five different colour options, including the usual white and black.

The blog did not mention the additional colours that the iPhone will be sporting – so that’s up for further speculation. We’re thinking red and blue should be the options, along with perhaps purple or maybe yellow… what do you think?

Three sizes

This is one rumour that is increasingly catching online denizens’ fancy – the iPhone 6 is rumoured t come in three sizes a la McDonald’s – small, regular and large. Or, the iPhone 6 Mini, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6 XL.

According to a Business Insider report, analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital claims that Apple is looking to release a new iPhone with multiple screen sizes this year – add the iPhone 6 Mini to it, and you have three sizes.

“After our meeting with a tech-supply chain company, we walked away with the view that Apple will release the iPhone 5S in at least two screen sizes this summer and possibly three,” says White.

“Essentially, we believe Apple is coming around to the fact that one size per iPhone release does not work for everyone and offering consumers an option has the potential to expand the company’s market share,” adds White.

So Apple may finally be coming around to acknowledge that one size doesn’t fit all, after all.

Different Price-Points

And while at acknowledging things, it is perhaps only fair that the Cupertino-based tech giant acknowledges that not everyone who aspires for an iPhone may be able to shell out Dh2,500 and upwards for it. According to rumours, Apple will be launching a no-frills version of the iPhone 6 a few weeks after it unveils the upcoming handy candy for those who want the iPhone but can’t afford the current price-tag.

This fits in with the multi-coloured and multi-sized rumours, in that the iPhone Mini may sport different colours and will be cheaper – aimed at students and a generally younger (read: shallow-pocketed) audience. The suggested price-point for the less expensive (still can’t call it ‘cheap’): ($300) or ($350).

“We believe this price-point is reassuring for investors that Apple wants to expand its market reach with consumers in developing countries such as China. However, the company will also manage its margin profile and brand accordingly,” White is reported to have said.

Are you kidding us – this price-point should be enough to spike Apple’s market share high enough to reach just under the moon, we think. Bring it on, then.

Launch Date

June, July, August… we’ve heard all three rumours, and still can’t make up our mind on which one to go for. A June launch with availability in July does sound logical – Apple wouldn’t want the Galaxy S4 to have a free hand in the market.

Marcotakara’s report predicts Apple will announce the iPhone 5S launch in July and that shipping will start from August. If Apple can keep the rumour-mill going with an ‘imminent’ launch, then even this might not be a bad strategy.

Either way, we’ll have the iPhone 6 (or iPhone 5S) out within the next three months. Can you wait?

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First robotic cervical surgery proves successful in US

A surgeon at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has performed a groundbreaking robotic laparoscopic procedure on a 35-year-old pregnant patient of Galveston, whose cervix was too short to sustain a pregnancy.

Dr. Sami Kilic, chief of minimally invasive gynecology and research at UTMB, is the first surgeon in the world reported to have used robotically assisted, ultrasound-guided laparoscopic surgery to successfully tighten a pregnant patient’s incompetent cervix.Kilic performed the surgery in December 2011 at UTMB’s John Sealy Hospital.

When performed traditionally, abdominal cerclage surgery requires a large incision and a long period of recovery.Kilic’s new procedure left the patient with only three tiny abdominal scars.

“The recovery was amazing. Two days later I was able to sit on the floor at home and play with my toddler,” new mum Leonora Orejuela said.Stitches to the cervix during surgery must be precise; a suture placed a hair’s breadth the wrong way can puncture either the amniotic sac or a major blood vessel in the mother.

With the dual visualization screen of the da Vinci Si robotic surgical system, Kilic was able to view a real-time ultrasound image on one screen and the operative field via scope camera on another screen, side by side, at the same time he performed the surgery.

This two-screen system offers unsurpassed visualisation in a laparoscopic surgical situation.

Kilic is an international pioneer in gynecologic robotic surgical techniques and training protocols who was hired by UTMB five years ago to spearhead a state-of-the-art robotic surgery training programme.

Orejuela, the patient, was discharged home the next day after a one-night stay in the hospital.

Orejuela proceeded to have an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, going into labor at 36 weeks.

She delivered a healthy baby girl, Lucia Munoz, 6 pounds, 11.5 ounces, by Caesarean section.

The procedure is published online in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology

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Finding Earth-like planet 'a near certainty,' claims scientist

If you have wondered whether there is another planet similar to Earth out there in space, the answer is absolutely yes.According to Sara Seager, a professor of physics and planetary science at MIT, there are hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy and upward of 100 billion galaxies in our universe. 

“So the existence of a planet similar to Earth somewhere, is, in my mind a certainty,” she told CNN Light Years.

“Less certain is if such a planet is near enough to us that we can find and identify it sometime in the future,” she said. 

Earth seen from Space

When as how soon can we find another Earth, she said it depends on how we identify Earth. 

If we want a true Earth twin, that is a planet with a thin nitrogen atmosphere, a planet with oceans and continents and orbiting a sun-like star, it will be well over a decade before we have the sophisticated space telescope tools to find and identify one, she said.

“Our best bet is to expand our definition of Earth to big Earth's orbiting small stars. We can use the future James Webb Space Telescope to search for signs (of) habitability and signs of life in the planet atmosphere.

“If we would be satisfied to just find an Earth-size or Earth-mass planet, that has already been done.

“But I caution that Venus and Earth appear the same size and mass, yet Venus is inhospitable to life due to a massive greenhouse atmosphere that creates surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, while Earth has a surface oasis in comparison,” she added.

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Now, send a text message to charge your cellphone

Out of battery? Just send a text!

People living off-grid can now power their phones simply by sending a text message.

A London-based company Buffalo Grid has introduced a solar-powered cellphone charging station that is activated by text message.

A patchy or absent power grid poses a conundrum of problems for rural areas in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia, where the use of cellphones is rapidly rising.

The company's basic technology, which was recently trialled in Uganda, should help tackle this issue, 'NewScientist' reported.

The battery extracts power from the solar panel using a technique called maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A 60-watt solar panel charges a battery.

A solar panel's power output is dictated by environmental conditions, such as temperature and the amount of sunlight, as well as the resistance of the circuits connected to it.

MPPT monitors the conditions and changes the resistance to ensure the maximum possible power output at any given time.

The innovation lies in how the stored power is released to charge a phone. A customer sends a text message, which in Uganda costs 110 shillings, to the device. Once it receives the message, an LED above a socket on the battery lights up, indicating that it is ready to charge a phone.

At the Konokoyi coffee cooperative in Uganda, each text message allows a phone to be charged for 1.5 hours. A fully charged Buffalo Grid unit can last for three days, has up to 10 charging points and charges 30 to 50 phones a day.

To bring the cost down further, Buffalo Grid hopes to co-opt the cellphone network operators into subsidising power for charging the phones, or even making it free.

"When you bring power to phones that don't have any, people will use them more," said Buffalo Grid's Daniel Becerra.

"Instead of paying for the charge, people will spend more on airtime," Becerra said.

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The peculiar 3D model which allows parents to hold their baby... BEFORE it's even born

Expectant parents who cannot wait to hold their new child can now buy a three-dimensional model of the foetus to cradle and show friends. Japanese inventors have devised a way to transform the commonplace ultrasound scan into an anatomically correct resin replica for parents to handle and keep as a memento. 

The nine-centimetre (3.6-inch) resin model of the white foetus, encased in a transparent block in the shape of the mother's body, is fashioned by a 3D printer after an MRI scan. FASOTEC, the company offering the 'Shape of an Angel' model, even offers parents a miniature version which could be a 'nice adornment to a mobile phone strap or key chain.' Tomohiro Kinoshita, of FASOTEC, said: 'As it is only once in a lifetime that you are pregnant with that child, we received requests for these kind of models from pregnant women who... do not want to forget the feelings and experience of that time.' 

Expectant parents in Japan who can't wait to show the world what their baby will look like can now buy a 3D model of the foetus

The 'Shape of an Angel' costs 100,000 yen (or around £760), and the company said the ideal time for a scan is around eight or nine months into the pregnancy. For those who would like a less pricey version, the company will start offering a 3D model of the face of the foetus at 50,000 yen - £380 - in December. It will use ultrasound images taken at a medical clinic in Tokyo that has forged a tie-up with the company. 

FASOTEC, originally a supplier of devices including 3D printers, uses a layering technique to build up three-dimensional structures. The company also produces 3D models of internal organs that can be used by doctors to plan surgery or by medical students for training, a spokesman said. It is also possible that models can be used in hospitals to better inform patients what their problems are, instead of relying on difficult-to-understand diagrams. 
The technology 'realises not only the form but also texture of the model -- for example making it hard or soft', the firm said . 'By making a model that is similar to a real organ or bone, one can simulate operations and practise different surgical techniques.' 

Kinoshita said the company hit upon the idea of making 3D models of unborn babies in the hope that people would become more aware of the technology. But there are medical benefits too. The company said some medics could also foresee diagnostic possibilities with the models that may help predict difficulties in the birthing process.

 3D model of their unborn child's face

Three-dimensional printers have been around for several decades but advances in the technology mean it is now gaining in popularity in several fields. The machines work in a similar way to an inkjet printer, but instead of ink they deposit layers of material on top of each other, gradually building up the product they are making. 

Where traditional manufacturing only becomes efficient with economies of scale because of the need to produce moulds, 3D printing is capable of producing single copies of relatively complicated objects. The technology is not yet advanced enough to build telephones or computers but it is already used to make components.

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Soon, typing style to become 'digital fingerprint'

There are lots of new techniques coming on the way and its really hard to be updated with every new techniques. New discovery in the technology is that Typing styles can now be adapted to verify the owner of the computer. Typing styles are as unique as fingerprints and could soon be used to verify the identity of computer users, according to a new study. The Queensland University of Technology's Eesa Al Solami has developed an algorithmic system to analyse typists' keystroke dynamics, the Daily Telegraph reported.

 The unique striking pattern will allow computers to lock down sensitive information in the case of an unauthorized user.

Even though the system is in its early stages, Solami doesn't believe it will render internet username and password useless.
"You need a username and password but a username and password cannot protect your computer (once you're logged in),' he said.

"My actual approach is to extract the behaviour of users and see if we can distinguish different users during one session," he added.

The researcher claimed that the system would be valuable to industries that collect large volumes of personal information such as banks and the armed forces and it could be extended to mobile phones and tablets.

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Facts about Flesh-eating bacteria

Aimee Copeland, a Georgiagrad student, is fighting for her life because of the flesh-eating bacteria that infected her after she gashed her leg in a river two weeks ago. One of her legs was amputated and her fingers will be too, her father says, because of the spreading infection.

She has a rare condition, called necrotizing fasciitis, in which marauding bacteria run rampant through tissue. Affected areas sometimes have to be surgically removed to save the patient’s life.

Flesh Eating bacteria

HOW OFTEN DO PEOPLE GET THESE INFECTIONS?

The government estimates roughly 750 flesh-eating bacteria cases occur each year, usually caused by a type of strep germ.

However, Aimee Copeland’s infection was caused by another type of bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila. Those cases are even rarer. One expert knew of only a few reported over the past few decades.

DO MOST PEOPLE SURVIVE?

Yes, but about 1 in 5 people with the most common kind of flesh-eating strep bacteria die. There are few statistics on Aeromonas-caused cases like Copeland’s.

HOW DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?

The germs that can cause flesh-eating disease are common in warm and brackish waters like ponds, lakes and streams. They are not a threat to most people. An infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, Dr. William Schaffner, said: “I could dive in that same stream, in the same place, and if I don’t injure myself I’m going to be perfectly fine. It’s not going to get on the surface of my skin and burrow in. It doesn’t do that.”

But a cut or gash — especially a deep one — opens the door for flesh-eating bacteria.

Foot seen after Infection

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO AVOID SUCH AN INFECTION?

Prompt and thorough medical care should stop the infection before it spreads. A wound can look clean, but if it’s sutured or stapled up too soon it can create the kind of oxygen-deprived environment that helps these bacteria multiply and spread internally. Once established, these rare infections can be tricky to diagnose and treat.

Also, Aeromonas is resistant to some common antibiotics that work against strep and other infections, so it’s important that doctors use the best medicines.

ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE AT RISK?

Yes, people with weakened immune systems are. Copeland’s family has not said whether she had some type of medical condition that could have made her more vulnerable and relatives could not be reached for comment Monday. Her doctors, meanwhile, have refused interviews.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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New cavity-filling material reverses decay and regenerates tooth structure

A new composite material, which is made up of silver and calcium nanoparticles, could work as a dental filling that kills remaining bacteria so that patients don’t have to make a return trip to the dentist.

Dental fillings replace the part of the tooth drilled out inorder to remove decay. But if any bacteria remains, the cavity can grow right under the filling, Discovery News reported.

The new material, developed by researchers at theUniversity of Maryland, also rebuilds any structure affected by decay, essentially getting rid of the cavity altogether.

Due to their small size, the silver nanoparticles can invade the cellular structure of bacteria and other microorganisms and kill them. Calcium phosphate, also included in the composite, is responsible for building the tooth back up.

There have been questions raised about implementing these materials into toothpaste or mouthwash, but the scientific community isn’t ready to get on board with that just yet.

There is a lot of concern coming from scientists and researchers about the possible harmful affects of human consumption of the particles. Further testing will be conducted on volunteers to sort through the health concerns. 

 

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Charge your mobile phone with your breath

You may have faced problem due to shut down of cell phone as battery was finished. If so there may be a solution as researchers have come up with a new device that could breathe new life into your mobile phone by using air from your lungs to charge it.

The kit, dubbed the AIRE mask, harnesses the wind power generated by breathing and converts it into electricity to run anything ranging from an iPod to a mobile.

The electronic mask consist tiny wind turbines and the energy created is transferred through a cable to the electronic device.

Inventor Joco Paulo Lammoglia, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, revealed that the device could be used in all situations from running to sleeping.

“I hope to bring the concept into production and reduce the carbon footprint,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“It can be used indoors or outdoors, while you’re sleeping, walking, running or even reading a book. Besides saving energy and helping environmental preservation, it also encourages physical exercise.

“Its energy is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Though many of our modern gadgets offer benefits, they tend to use a high amount of electrical energy. Harnessing energy from human activities and transforming it into electricity is possible and is a great solution,” Lammoglia added

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Earliest human ancestor discovered in canada

British and canadian researchers have confirmed that a 505 million-year-old creature is the most primitive known vertebrate - and therefore the ancestor of us all. Found only in the Burgess Shale fossil beds in Canada’s Yoho National Park, Pikaia gracilens has been confirmed as the most primitive member of the chordate family - the group of animals that today includes fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Averaging about five centimetres in length, it was a sideways-flattened creature something like an eel, that likely swam above the sea floor by moving its body in a series of side-to-side curves.

And through an analysis of 114 Pikaia fossils using techniques including scanning electron microscopy, fine details have been revealed that settle the question of whether it was a chordate or not.

Earliest human ancestor

Back when it was discovered, in 1911, it was classified as a possible annelid worm, a group that includes today’s leeches and earthworms. But there's long been speculation that it was in fact a chordate.

It appeared to have a very primitive notochord – the flexible rod found in the embryos of all chordates, and which goes on to make up part of the backbone in vertebrates. 

Key was the discovery of myomeres, a type of skeletal muscle tissue found only in chordates.

"The discovery of myomeres is the smoking gun that we have long been seeking," says Professor Simon Conway Morris of the University of Cambridge.

"Now, with  myomeres, a nerve chord, a notochord and a vascular system all identified, this study clearly places Pikaia as the planet’s most primitive chordate. So, next time we put the family photograph on the mantlepiece, there in the background will be Pikaia."

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Terrafugia preps flying car for New York auto show(Watch Video )

Flying cars have been the stuff of dreams for decades, and thus far, remains limited to the realm of science fiction.

Yes, many people have tried to make the dream of flying cars a reality for the masses, yet the only company that appears to have some form of limited success is Terrafugia with its Transition Roadable Aircraft.

This small car is designed with folding wings and can fit inside most normal garages for storage. The wings fold for normal driving, and when you feel like taking to the air, the flick of a switch unfolds the wings, and the car turns into an airplane.

The vehicle is set to make its auto show debut at the 2012 New York International Auto Show running April 6 to the 15th in New York City.

Terrafugia flying car

"We selected the New York International Auto Show to continue the roll-out of the Transition because of the value this show brings in terms of exposure to future owners, investors, and partners," explained Terrafugia COO Mracek Dietrich.

"The NYIAS is a venue from which we can show the first practical street-legal airplane to the world while meeting the people who will be part of its commercial success in the years to come. New Yorkis the perfect place to accomplish all of this."

Terrafugia flying car

Indeed, Terrafugia will be showcasing a production prototype, allowing attendees to see the street-legal vehicle up close and watch its wings unfold.  The company will also be streaming new video of the car driving on the streets and flying through the air. The max speed for the Transition in the air is a cool 115 mph with a cruise speed of 105 mph. The range is 490 miles, and it requires 1700 feet to take off and make it over a 50-foot obstacle.

Gross takeoff weight for the aircraft is 1430 pounds giving the Transition a 460 pound useful load. The aircraft falls under the FAA Light Sport Aircraft rules. On the ground, the vehicle is rear-wheel drive and when in-flight the vehicle is powered by 100 HP Rotax 912ULS engine. Options for the aircraft include a full vehicle parachute system, and it boasts modern glass avionics. The anticipated price for the aircraft is $279,000 and orders are being taken now with $10,000 refundable deposits.

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Can be useful to developing country: Waste water can generate electricity

American scientists have built a device that can generate electricity from waste water.

BBC said the team from Pennsylvania State Universitysaid the technology would simultaneously also treat the water. The scientists suggested the process could be adopted in developing countries to provide clean water as well as power for homes.

The study has been published in the journal Science.

Device that can generate electricity from waste water

Researchers in the Netherlandshave for some years been exploring the idea of generating power along the country's coastline, where fresh water from rivers meets the salt water of the sea.

Using a process called "reverse electrodialysis", fresh water and seawater are placed in intermittent chambers separated by membranes, and an electrochemical charge is created.

The Pennsylvania team, however, said the reverse electrodialysis technology was problematic because of the large number of membranes required, and because power plants have to be located near the sea.

The number of membranes can be reduced and the power output boosted by combining the technology with what are called "microbial fuel cells". These use organic matter in solution -- in this case waste water -- to create electric current.

Lead researcher Bruce Logan told BBC: "In our process, we have the microbial fuel cell part which is treating waste water and creating energy, and we have the reverse electrodialysis stack which is just boosting that process, it's making it happen more efficiently."

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Is your phone battery low? Recharge it with water

Barcelona It is the nightmare of the wired world — a smartphone low on battery. Now Swedish group myFC says its water-powered charger could be the fix anywhere while battery giant Duracell is championing a push for cars and even stadiums to be built with energy ‘mats' that would power up phones.

A Californian firm, meanwhile, has launched a phone that it claims can remain charged for up to 15 years, making it the perfect spare in emergencies or disasters.

"The difference between the energy on a phone and the energy we consume is increasing. We need to charge more often but you don't want to be hooked onto a wall," said myFC chief executive Bjorn Westerholm.

His firm has therefore come up with a portable fuel cell charger which is slightly larger than a compact camera and which uses just one spoonful of water and a small metallic device called a fuel puck, to fully charge an iPhone. The PowerTrekk could appeal most to campers, aid workers or the military, said Westerholm, who is exhibiting the charger at the world's biggest mobile fair in Barcelona. "It could be sea water, fresh water. You need to carry water with you to survive anyway and the PowerTrekk needs just one spoonful," he said.

 

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Windows 8 Consumer Preview now available

The final beta of Microsoft's new operating system has been released.

The company chose the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain as the official launch venue. Before this iteration, no one would have thought of a mobile trade show as a place for Windows, but this new platform is a brand new experience with mobile at its core.

In fact, some have criticized the OS as being "too optimized" for the mobile environment, because of features like touch controls that simply won't work on a traditional PC. So Microsoft is working on striking the perfect balance so that it can please the traditional segment and the mobile-centric segment at the same time.

There will be two versions of Windows 8 - one for desktops and one for tablets - but both should function pretty much the same. Things like an app store and highly customizable interfaces will make the new version unlike anything Microsoft has released for a computing product before.

As part of the launch, Nvidia confirmed today that it will be distributing test PC units to developers powered by the Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor. "We're furthering this tradition by helping to realize the extraordinary potential of Windows on ARM processors, like Tegra 3," the company said in a statement.

The most distinct aspect of Windows 8 is what's known as the "Metro UI," which allows users to have complete customization on their home page, including widgets, RSS readers, weather information, date/time, etc.

In addition, since this is such a revolutionary new platform, Microsoft wants to scrap out all remnants of the "old-school" look and feel. Instead of a Start bar, hovering your mouse over that corner of the screen will allow you to swap between the Metro UI and the traditional desktop. For the mobile version of Windows 8, the Metro UI will be the default interface.

The beta download is available now, and tips the scales at a little over 3 GB.

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Nokia unveils 41 megapixel phone that outperforms most SLR cameras

Nokia has unveiled a 41 megapixel camera-phone - designed so phone users can 'zoom in' without a bulky lens.

The 41-megapixel sensor is around three times more powerful than the ones in any existing handsets.

A Nokia executive says, 'It shows what we can do.' 

The phone will be launched in May and cost 480 Euros.

Nokia says the technology is designed so users can zoom in quickly and easily without losing picture quality. 

Nokia Smart Phone with 41 megapixel Camera

Most smartphones use digital zoom functions where the picture quality drops when users 'zoom in' - in practice, the zoom functions are rarely used.

PureView's huge 41-megapixel sensor lets users zoom in up to six times simply by 'selecting' an area - and because of the super-high resolution of the PureView, images still come out at five megapixels, the same as many normal smartphone cameras.

With video, users can zoom in up to four times and still shoot in 1080p Full HD. 

'When you zoom with the Nokia 808 PureView, in effect you are just selecting the relevant area of the sensor,' says the Finnish company. 'With no zoom, you simply use the full area of the sensor.'

41 mega pixel camera phone of Nokia

The phone is bulkier than normal camera phones, according to reports from Barcelona's Mobile World Congress, where it was unveiled, but even on full resolution, it shoots instantly.

'The PureView doesn't compete with the SLR,' Niklas Savander, executive vice president at Nokia.

'People aren't actually going to keep 38-megapixel pictures. but it shows what we can do.'

The phone has been in development for years, Nokia said, and produces pictures that can be blown up to 'poster size'.

Tech site Pocket-Lint said, 'What it shows us though is that Nokia can create amazing technology in a device that is small and compact - relatively speaking. 

'We're also told it will come to other handsets in the future. The reason you don't want it is that, beside the amazing camera tech, it runs the company's Symbian operating system, which is basically winding down.'

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