A round-up of the latest technology news from around the globe.
MUSEUM SEEN: Often at a museum you have to squint to read the information card beside a work. New Plymouth's Museum, Puke Ariki, will have you peering at an iPad screen instead for their McLean
exhibition. The iPads include a custom app, an artist's tour of the
exhibition, audio catalogue labels, and
video footage. That's one
smart smart museum. More at GeekZone.
BEWILDERED: Why did the deer cross the road? We don't know, but in Utah too many deer are killed on the road. DeerDeter makes sounds like the cry of a frightened animal and has strobes that look like a predator's eyes. It's triggered by headlights of oncoming cars, and no deer have been killed since it was installed. I'd still like to know why the deer are crossing the road. More at Wired.
BEDAZZLED: The Dazer Laser 'gun' shoots out a bright green Class IIIB laser beam of over 500mWatts that temporarily blinds. It may cause disorientation, vertigo, and nausea, but no permanent damage, and is intended for law enforcement. Intended for and used by could differ wildly. More at Discovery.
SNIFF TEST: A superthin, flexible tube detected faint but distinctive compounds of nitrogen in underground air pockets to pinpoint decomposing rats. That was just a test though. The next job is to find hidden graves months after a murder, or bodies buried under rubble. You can't escape the long nose of the law. Details at Wired.
SPACE BOT: NASA's Robonaut 2 will soon be the first human-like robot in space, becoming a permanent resident of the International Space Station. The 136 Kg R2 has two human-like hands and arms, a bronze coloured head, and a torso. Its makers intend it to take over simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks. That weight shouldn't
matter, where it's going. Read more at NASA and see the video on YouTube.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz.
