Technology News for June 20, 2008

New Terminator-like war robot invented for US military
Robot manufacturer iRobot Corporation and research and development company Metal Storm have together invented a war robot for the U.S. military. ANI

Indian-origin scientist creates virtual sticky notes for mobile phones
Thinking about trying a new restaurant and want to know what others think about it? Well, all you need to do is tap a few buttons on your mobile phone. An Indian-origin scientist has developed a new GPS-enabled software system, which allows you to leave virtual sticky notes or site-specific messages for others on their mobile phones. ANI

No energy crisis if cars keep pace with computers
Only a litre of fuel would be able to serve the UK for a year and oil reserves would last the expected lifetime of the solar system, provided the innovations in car are at par with those in computers, said a leading computer scientist. ANI

Washing fruits and vegetables doesnt always wipe out bacteria completely: Expert
Washing fruits and vegetables under cold water does not always remove potentially harmful bacteria off their surface completely because some of them are resistant to the shower and hang on tight, according to experts. ANI

Future soldiers might sport solar powered uniforms in the battlefield
Future soldiers might sport army uniforms fitted with solar panels to allow them to generate power in the field and charge batteries for radios, phones and laptops. ANI

Now, an orgasm jab that hits women G-spots spot on!
Want to heat up your bedroom life? Get the G-shot, a treatment that enhances a womans sexual experience by boosting the G-spot- the ultra-sensitive area of tissue that can hold the key to happy lovemaking. ANI

Bacteria pump a molecular clutch to stop
Scientists at Indiana University in Bloomington have found that a bacterium uses a molecular clutch called epsE to disengage its propulsion system, when it wants to settle down. ANI

Egypts oldest pyramid complex undergoing laser scanning
Scientists are carrying out a laser scanning survey of Djosers Step Pyramid - Egypts oldest pyramid complex, in an attempt to create its virtual three-dimensional model. ANI

New solar dish to revolutionize global energy production
The invention of a new type of solar energy collector, which concentrates the sun into a beam that could melt steel, could revolutionize global energy production. ANI

Uncontacted Amazon tribe has actually been known from decades
Past and current Brazilian government officials have said that the uncontacted Amazon tribe recently photographed by a plane, has actually been known from decades, and monitored from a distance. ANI

Diamonds may pave way for next-gen cool computers
Diamonds are not just a girls best friend, for now the gems have been shown to be equally cordial to computers, as they not only help the machines achieve more efficiency but also cool them down, says an Australian physicist. ANI

Marine snails to shed light on human long-term memory
In a quest to unravel brain mysteries, cellular neuroscientists at UCLA are studying learning and memory in the marine snail Aplysia, and are providing new insights into the mechanisms that underlie long-term memory. ANI

Space radars may revolutionize mine safety on Earth
A space radar originally developed to investigate the soil structure on the Moon and other planets on ESA (European Space Agency) planetary missions, is now being used in Canadian mines to spot hidden cracks and weaknesses in mine roofs, which may revolutionize mine safety on Earth. ANI

Nanohorns could push immune system into action
A team of French and Italian researchers has claimed that nanohorns, a cone-shaped variety of carbon nanotubes, have the ability to trigger an immune response to fight infectious diseases and cancers. ANI

Farmers do not reap benefits of rising food prices
A new study has found that farmers do not reap benefits of rising food prices, as there is no rise in the price they receive. ANI

Earth may have supported life 100 million years earlier than previously believed
By analyzing elements in ancient mineral crystals, scientists have suggested that suggests liquid water existed on Earth as long as 4.3 billion years ago, 100 million years earlier than previously thought, which may mean that Earths conditions then could have supported life. ANI

Laws of nature are the same in the distant Universe as they are here on Earth
A new research has determined that the laws of nature are the same in the distant Universe as they are here on Earth. ANI

Cheap food is no so cheap for poor countries: Study
A Senior Research Fellow in the New Delhi office of the International Food Policy Research Institute says that cheap food is not actually cheap for poor countries. ANI

Desert plant may hold key for overcoming food shortage
A unique desert plant may hold the key for overcoming food shortage because unlike normal plants, it captures most of its carbon dioxide at night when the air is cooler and more humid, making it 10 times more water-efficient than major crops such as wheat. ANI

Scientists find active submarine volcanoes near Fiji
A team of Australian and American scientists has found several huge active submarine volcanoes, spreading ridges and rift zones, northeast of Fiji. ANI

Animals with big brains need more REM sleep
Analysing compiled studies on sleep patterns in 83 species of mammals with the help of statistical techniques, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Starnberg, Germany, have come to the conclusion that animals with big brains for their body size need a significantly higher percentage of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which plays a role in intelligence and cognitive function. ANI

White deposits on Mars must have been ice, claim NASA scientists
Scientists have determined that the white material, found by NASAs Phoenix Mars Lander on the surface of the Red Planet, must have been ice as it vanished within four days of its discovery, which led to the hypothesis that it was frozen water that vaporized. ANI

Scientists generate shortest-ever flash of light; just 80 attoseconds long
Experts at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany have devised a way to generate the shortest-ever flash of light, that is, just 80 attoseconds long (billionths of a billionth of a second). ANI

Scientists get a new tool for reconstructing planetary origins
A precision analysis of lava samples taken from the Kilauea Iki crater in Hawaii crater is giving scientists a new tool for reconstructing planetary origins, by revealing more about the formation of the crust than previously thought. ANI

Its official - women and men actually do think differently
A new study has shown that women and men may actually think in different ways, by finding that there are subtle genetic variations between their brains. ANI

Indian-origin scientists system helps solve crime using tattoos and scars
Identification of individuals using passport, licence etc is not a credible option as far as homeland security, identity fraud and natural disasters are concerned. But now, an automatic image retrieval system, created by an Indian-origin researcher at Michigan State University, will make things easier by enabling police to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims. ANI

Formula proves todays the happiest day of the year!
Dump all your sorrows and spread smiles everywhere, for June 20 has been declared the Happiest Day of the year by a leading researcher at the University of Cardiffs Center for Lifelong Learning. ANI

4.6-billion-year old meteorite suggests much dustier origin for Earth
The analysis of a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite that fell in India in 1940 has revealed higher than expected levels of sodium, suggesting that the dust clouds from which the building blocks of the Earth and neighboring planets formed were much denser than previously supposed. ANI

Gallons per mile defines vehicles fuel efficiency better than miles per gallon
Duke University researchers say that posting a vehicles fuel efficiency in gallons per mile instead of miles per gallon will enable customers to make better decisions regarding car purchases and environmental impact. ANI

End of last ice age saw dramatic see-saw climate changes
An international science team has gathered information from a Greenland ice core which shows that the Northern Hemisphere briefly emerged from the last ice age some 14,700 years ago with a 22-degree-Fahrenheit spike in just 50 years, then plunged back into icy conditions before abruptly warming again about 11,700 years ago. ANI

IIT alumnus developing tiny refrigerator to cool future computers
An IIT-Madras alumnus, currently associated with Purdue University, has revealed that he and his colleagues are working on a miniature refrigeration system that will be small enough to be used inside laptops and personal computers. ANI