STEP UP TO POWER: One of the many problems at Japan's Fukushima power station is the radiation that has escaped. Workers who carry out cleanup tasks may be faced with eventually developing cancer resulting from radiation exposure. But that's where the Skilled Veterans Corps come in. Yasuteru Yamada, aged 72, is contacting old friends and colleagues to volunteer. Skilled workers over 60 who expect their life expectancy to be be shorter than the time it takes to develop cancer are offering their services. That's a special gift: to recognise a niche where one's unique qualities are a good fit for a task. More at here.
SUMMER CHARGES: Cellphone users in the UK can relax about charging up their phone while attending festivals and the like. The Vodafone VIP Recharge Truck charges up to 2,000 phones at once for its customers - drawing a massive 120KVA. The big rig holds secure lockers that can charge Android phones, iPhones, BlackBerry and Nokias, as quickly as they'd charge at home. Customers receive a barcoded wristband that matches a barcode stuck to their phone. The phone's locked away to charge so no-one else can lift it. If they were really smart they'd also issue cheap loaners for SMS and calls while your own phone's charging. More at Electric Pig and video here.
SCARIER MOVIES: Researchers at Disney have created a Tactile Brush. By placing a grid of 12 vibrating coils into a chair they can fool people into feeling various kinds of touch, such as when a vehicle corners hard or the sensation of raindrops running down skin. They're also working on wearable devices with vibrators in the sleeves or around the torso. The effects rely on how we interpret closely placed physical sensations. There may need to be a whole new movie rating system for this one. Details at here.
1.3 MEGABUCK CAMERA: Do you have any really old cameras lying around? If one of them is the extremely rare Leica 0-Serie Nr.107 (1923) then you could be holding a fortune. Recently one was sold at auction for 1.32 million Euros. Only 25 of those cameras were produced, and this camera was the first exported. Take a look in the old family heirlooms now. Details here, some video here.
BLUE AND RED ARMY: The Blue Army is a rather secret and elite group of Chinese cyberwarriors whose job is to improve the security of China's military forces. In a recent simulated cyberbattle they emerged victorious after defending against barrages of junk mail, bombardments of virus attacks and stealthy intruders. Hey, we do those battles
every day. here.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
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