Technology News for June 8, 2008

Now, mobile robotic arms to manipulate objects with UMan
Though robots moving around, doing household chores and fighting like humans is something limited to sci-fi films, scientists are trying hard to build androids that simulate humans in many activities. And they have taken a major step in this direction by creating a mobile robotic arm with the ability to see its environment through a digital camera. ANI

Now take air-powered go-karts for a spin
With fuel prices soaring, there is a need to look for alternatives to petrol, gas and diesel, and the answer to the problem lies in air- literally so- as scientists have now developed cars that actually need air as a fuel, promising to run at great speeds. ANI

Green garden furniture hits mainstream markets
While Green Garden Furniture is becoming the latest fad for passionately eco-conscious citizens; its not something that is available readily in the market. But now, a large number of mainstream retailers are offering outdoor furniture made from sustainable wood which is not only good for the environment but is also priced competitively, says new survey by National Wildlife Federation (NWF).According to a National Wildlife Federation survey of major outdoor furniture retailers, a wider variety of styles and prices of sustainable wood garden products are now being sold at retailers ranging from Wal-Mart to Pottery Barn. ANI

Go past the sound barrier in your own supersonic jet
Cutting through the sky sooner than the speed of sound is not a far-off dream anymore, for three big companies are developing private planes capable of supersonic flight. And to own one such supersonic jet, all you need to have is a good bank-balance.In 2003, Air France and British Airways retired their Concordes and many feared that this was the end of supersonic passenger flight. However, Lockheeds Skunkworks division is now developing the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QSST), which features a cool gull-wing design and a top speed of Mach 1.8. (Mach 1, about 770 mph, is the speed of sound.) ANI

Soon, industrial machines that work without batteries, power sockets
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Technology Development Group TEG in Stuttgart are trying to develop an industrial machine that will work independent of batteries and power sockets, and will be less vulnerable to breakdowns. ANI

Now, microballoons that can carry hydrogen, deliver drugs
Scientists at the Savannah River National Laboratory have announced the development of a new material that they say may help make the current retail gasoline infrastructure compatible with hydrogen-based vehicles of the future, and help deal with global warming. ANI

All you need is a CyranoSuit to woo your ladylove
Those who find it difficult to tell their ladyloves how much they love them need not worry anymore, thanks to a new CyranoSuit that can provide enough confidence to a shy man to express his feelings confidently. ANI

New technology to turn seawater into much cleaner drinking water
A student from Ottawa University in Canada has developed a technology that turns seawater into clean, drinking water much more efficiently than is available today. ANI

Worlds biggest radio telescopes set to get 10 times more powerful
An international effort is underway to upgrade the Very Large Array (VLA), the worlds biggest radio telescopes, with 21st century technology. ANI

The best place to look for ETs
Scientists searching for aliens have shifted gear by now looking for extra terrestrials (ETs) around stars that lie more or less along lines of sight of Earth, a region known as the ecliptic, or the plane of Earths orbit. ANI

Genetically modified plants dont harm beneficial bugs that kill pests
A new research by scientists has found that genetically modified (GM) plants that use a common soil bacterium to kill pests, wont harm beneficial bugs that are the natural enemies of the pests. ANI