Tech Universe: Monday 29 November

The Terrestar-1 satellite was launched in 2008, but since its owners went bankrupt it's up for grabs at a bargain price. Photo / Thinkstock

DREAMS IN ORBIT: The Terrestar-1 satellite was launched in 2008, but since its owners went bankrupt it's up for grabs at a bargain price. A not for profit group are raising funds to buy it so they can bring Internet to places like Papua New Guinea, Indonesia or Africa. How about an international Web Aid concert? More at BuyThisSatellite.

BROAD REACH: Europe's Hylas-1 satellite brings broadband at 10Mbps to 350,000 subscribers in remote locations. It's orbiting 36,000km above the equator. Usually frequency and power are fixed before launch but the Hylas (Highly Adaptable Satellite) can be reprogrammed at any time from the Control Centre. Satellites for Internet are very trendy. Details at the BBC.

RESCUED BY A BEAR: Wounded soldiers need to be extracted from the battlefield - a risky job, perfect for a robot. The Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot, or BEAR, is an all-terrain remote controlled humanoid robot with a Teddy Bear face. It's designed to locate, lift and carry wounded soldiers out of harm's way. It's 1.8 metres tall, rolls on tracks and can carry 227 kg. That's a hefty teddy bear. More at Gizmag.

PERSONAL SPY: A smartphone app called Jigsaw totally keeps tabs on you. It monitors your phone's GPS, microphone and accelerometer for patterns characteristic of routine activities. In particular it can track your physical activity and store it for later analysis. Forget the pedometer; this app tracks everything. More at NewScientist.

DOWN TO EARTH PLASTIC: Scientists at Temple University in the USA are testing a possible alternative to concrete. 30,000 plastic bottles make 1 ton of Plastisoil. It's cheaper than cement and takes less energy to produce, while disposing of unwanted plastic. What's more, stormwater passes through it, rather than running off, and pollutants like motor oil could even be filtered out. But do harmful chemicals from the plastic leach out instead? More at ScienceDaily.

- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz