Technology News for July 14, 2008

Hand-held 3-D display on the anvil
You may soon be able to hold a three-dimensional image of your loved ones in the palms of your hands, if Japanese experts have their way. ANI

Air pathways that help apples, pears breathe identified
Researchers have identified air pathways that help apples and pears breathe and prevent them from rotting. ANI

Happiness levels stay the same throughout our life
Time really is the best healer, for no matter what the disaster, a new study has found that the basic level of happiness stays the same throughout our lives as we get used to good and bad events. ANI

Global warming will allow several pests to invade vulnerable Australian ecosystems
The WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) conservation group has warned that global warming will allow several exotic plants and animals, which can be referred to as pests, to invade vulnerable Australian ecosystems. ANI

Kids burn 50% more energy playing virtual sports than computer games
A British study has revealed that playing interactive sports video games like the Nintendo Wii help children burn over 50 per cent more energy than playing sedentary computer games like Xbox does. ANI

Idle brains shrink faster
A study conducted by Australian researchers has revealed that people who do not engage in complex mental activity over their lifetime have twice the shrinkage in a key part of the brain in old age. ANI

Too much time on computers is affecting kids intellectual development
A charitable educational trust has released a report stating that children these days are losing out on neurological and intellectual development because they spend too much time on computers rather than work with their own hands, something that can teach them important life skills. ANI

Nitrogen filled tires more efficient than oxygen filled ones
A US based company has developed a technology that takes tire efficiency one step further, providing a product to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of oxygen. ANI

Scientists devise technology that can distinguish mine collapses from other seismic activities
Scientists have developed a method to detect underground nuclear weapons tests to quickly examine the seismic recordings of the event and determine whether that source was most likely from mine collapses or from other seismic activities. ANI

Higher fuel prices may help cut road fatalities, says expert
A researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) believes that higher fuel prices may lead to a reduction in the deaths from road accidents. ANI

Drivers tend to be cautious while carrying passengers
Motorists admonished for talking on the phone while driving have often asserted that its no more hazardous than talking to a passenger. As it turns out, a new study has quashed these claims, finding that drivers with passengers are more responsible. ANI

Snake venom differs with age, location
Its not just humans who have different traits, accents and habits in different geographical regions. Snakes belonging to different geographical regions pack different venom, even if they belong to the same species, reveals a new study. ANI

Unlocking long-sealed cave may solve Mexican pyramid mystery
A team of archaeologists are all set to open a long-sealed cave under a Mexican pyramid in the hope that it will unlock the mystery of one of ancient civilizations greatest cities - Teotihuacan. ANI

Eco friendly bike will help cyclists go uphill easily
Cyclists may not need struggle going uphill anymore, thanks to the development of a hybrid electric vehicle that will store power from freewheeling downhill in order to recharge a battery to help push the bike up again. ANI

Now, tiny fishing reel to untangle DNA strands with laser beams
A team at Kyoto University, Japan has designed the worlds smallest fishing reel to store, without any damage, long DNA strands that have a tendency to become tangled. ANI

Dinos may have sped from Scotland to North America 165 million years ago
Paleontologists have found near-identical dinosaur footprints dating back to 165 million years in Skyes Trotternish peninsula in Scotland and the arid plains of Wyoming in the US, which suggests that the prehistoric creatures roamed the same landscape before the continents drifted apart and the Atlantic Ocean was formed. ANI

New hearing aid technology helps you hear even in a really noisy place
Is your hearing aid making it difficult for you to communicate in noisy environment? Well then try out the new open-fit one developed by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that can help you hear even in a really noise environment such as a packed restaurant. ANI

Demand for food and fuel may lead to destruction of forests
A new report has warned that demand for land to grow food, fuel crops and wood is set to outstrip supply, leading to the probable destruction of forests. ANI

Historic African circumnavigation starts from 1st August
More than 2,500 years after the first circumnavigation of Africa by the Phoenicians, a brand new replica ship with 20 paying crew is preparing to follow in the footsteps of these ancient mariners. ANI

2,500-year-old marble discus found in Israeli waters
A rare 2,500-year-old marble discus that was meant to protect ancient ships from the evil eye was found by a lifeguard while diving in the antiquities site of Yavne-Yam, next to Palmahim beach, Israel. ANI

Atom laser may help in ultra-precise navigation of space craft
Physicists from Australia have suggested that a laser beam that emits a continuous stream of atoms may one day help ultra-precise navigation of space craft. ANI

Hormone-loaded speargun makes expensive tuna spawn
Seeing the rapid decline of Bluefin tuna, scientists have used a special speargun to implant hormones into the fish in sea-cages off the coast of Italy, thus making the species spawn and grow in large numbers. ANI