Technology News for June 11, 2008

Brits ditching instant messaging for social networking sites
Social networking sites have sounded the death knell for traditional instant messengers like Yahoo, MSN and Windows Live Messenger, with the latters use falling by 25 per cent in the past year, industry figures have revealed. ANI

Future cars may run on eco-friendly algae fuel
Cars of the future might run on eco-friendly fuel that is produced by photosynthesis in algae. ANI

Wii Fit underwear girl becomes YouTube sensation with two million hits
A video showing a young girl in underwear practising her moves to Nintendos Wii Fit video game, has created a stir in the online world, ever since it hit the online video sharing website, YouTube. ANI

Extended driving can impair nighttime driving ability
A new research has suggested that extended driving impairs an individuals driving performance at night, and should, therefore, be limited. ANI

World Bank announces global venture for tiger conservation
The World Bank has announced a global joint venture to help reverse the decline in wild tigers - the first-ever species initiative by the Bank. ANI

Lamps made from recycled plastic bottles that have a 700yr life expectancy
A pair of artist-designer sisters has created art quality lighting fixtures from recycled plastic bottles, household plastic containers and recycled scrap metal. ANI

Tune-deaf people may recognise a wrong note unconsciously
A new research has shown that people with tune deafness, an auditory processing disorder in which a person with normal hearing has trouble distinguishing notes in a melody, may actually be able to recognize an incorrect note unconsciously. ANI

Archaeologists say Cursus may be older than Stonehenge
An archaeologist at the University of Manchester says that the Greater Stonehenge Cursus may have been there since about 3,500 years BC, making the structure 500 years older than the circle itself. ANI

Indian-origin researchers study may help develop pills for body clock related conditions
Symptoms associated with jet lag, shifts in work schedules, seasonal changes in day lengths, and disorders like insomnia and depression may become treatable with a pill if an Indian-origin researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has his way. ANI

Complete family tree of British birds gives clues about which species might be endangered next
A new research has determined that a new complete evolutionary family tree showing how all British bird species are related to each other may provide clues about which ones are at risk of population decline and are endangered. ANI

Rate of predicted Arctic warming over land can more than triple during periods of rapid sea ice loss
A new study has determined that the rate of climate warming and permafrost thaw over northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia could more than triple during periods of rapid sea ice loss. ANI

Physicists uncover new secrets about properties of grapheme
Physicists have uncovered new secrets about the properties of graphene-a form of pure carbon that may one day replace the silicon in computers, televisions, mobile phones and other common electronic devices. ANI

New radiation resistant materials would help crafts on long space missions
Researchers at Northwestern University in the US have developed new transistors that hold up well when exposed to radiation, which could prove helpful on long space missions. ANI

Early mans experiments with bow and arrow a precursor to todays cutting-edge weapons
University of Missouri archaeologists have discovered that early man, on the way to perfecting the performance of the bow and arrow, engaged in experimental research, producing a great variety of projectile points in the quest for the best, most effective system, a precursor to todays cutting-edge weapons. ANI

Hondas Asimo robot can follow three peoples shouting at once
Japanese researchers have unveiled a humanoid robot that can understand three humans shouting at once. ANI

Astronomers re-discover youngest and brightest supernova remnants in the Milky Way
Astronomers have re-discovered one of the youngest and brightest supernova remnants in the Milky Way, the corpse of a star that exploded around 1000 years ago. ANI

Tennis aces possess superior perceptual skills than the rest of us
With Wimbledon knocking on the door, tennis fans must be craving to see Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer doing their stints on the green court. But what is it that makes these tennis stars outperform those who dont play the game? Well, the answer lies in the better-developed perceptual or visual information processing skills of these champs, according to a new study. ANI

NASAs early warning system would predict quakes 2 weeks in advance
NASA is collaborating with a UK company in developing an early warning system for earthquakes, which would be able to predict major quakes two weeks in advance. ANI

Monkeys can learn how to exchange money for food
Italian researchers have demonstrated that monkeys too possess the ability to learn how to exchange money for their favourite food items, and whether to trade for one piece of tasty food or many pieces of a less appetizing snack. ANI

Breath fresheners inspire new taste testing method
A researcher from Temple University has developed a new, easier method for clinical taste testing by using the same concept behind commercial breath-freshening strips. ANI

Plutos moons spraying cosmic graffiti on Charon
An astronomer has suggested that Nix and Hydra, two of Plutos moons, are spray-painting the planet and Charon with their dust. ANI

100-mln-yr-old fossil suggests link between South American and Aussie dinos
A rare hundred-million-year old dino fossil found in Australia has led scientists to suggest a link between South American and Aussie dinosaurs. ANI

New telescope to give alien hunt a shot in the arm
Scientists are hoping that with the development of a new telescope known as LOFAR (Low Array), the search for aliens would get a boost. ANI

Arecibo Observatory becomes part of 6,800-mile global telescope
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico became a part of the global network of telescopes in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa when all of them simultaneously observed the same targets recently, simulating a telescope more than 6,800 miles in diameter. ANI