Thursday, March 10, 2011

Nintendo 3DS will stream movies from Netflix

Nintendo 3DS will stream movies from Netflix: "With the Nintendo 3DS release date fast approaching (March 27 in the United States), Nintendo's keynote address at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was an opportunity to showcase more of what we can expect from the new handheld."

Self-healing elastic polymers developed with the help of a tree

Self-healing elastic polymers developed with the help of a tree: "When the caoutchouc tree is damaged, liquid latex containing capsules of the protein hevein escapes from inside of it. Those capsules rupture, releasing the hevein, which links the latex particles together and ultimately closes up the wound. The whole bursting/sealing-microcapsules thing is obviously a pretty good idea, as it has been put to use in human technology such as self-healing concrete, electronics, paint and aircraft epoxy resin."

Getting robots to move like people for better interaction

Getting robots to move like people for better interaction: "As robots get smarter and more capable and make their way from manufacturing assembly lines to a much wider variety of applications, we will be interacting with them in more and more situations. Currently, robots tend to move with jerky, stop/start motions, which can make it difficult for humans, who are accustomed to the fluid and dynamic movements of other humans, to easily recognize what the robots are doing. In an attempt to create robots that can better interact with humans, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are getting robots to move in a much more human-like way."

FiiK electric skateboard - wireless control, ABS braking system, ton of attitude

FiiK electric skateboard - wireless control, ABS braking system, ton of attitude: "Sometimes you come across a product that makes you sit back and go 'FiiK'. In the past we have covered electric skateboards, off road skateboards, even all terrain boards, but a combination of fun, technology, design and street cred has always been elusive."

Bandage with integrated sensors to monitor the healing of injured knees

Bandage with integrated sensors to monitor the healing of injured knees: "Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries that can befall sportspeople or those that simply enjoy an active lifestyle. Such injuries can lay up patients for weeks while they wait for the joints to regain their full function."

Molecule that can erase or restore long-term memories – in rats

Molecule that can erase or restore long-term memories – in rats: "If you're struggling to remember the names of classmates from high school, or just can't forget that time you made a complete ass of yourself in front of your high school crush, then a single molecule known as PKMzeta could be to blame – and increasing or decreasing its activity in the brain could either help you remember those names that seem on the tip of your tongue or drive that embarrassing memory from your head."