Technology News for May 31, 2008

Now, see 3D TV sans the special specs
Watching 3D movies will not be restricted to theatres alone, for now one can catch all that 3D action right in their living room and that too without those special 3D glasses, thanks to Philips, the electronics company, which has created a 42-ins 3D TV set that provides viewers with a vision in which the images will actually appear to come out of the screen. ANI

Kids will download lessons directly into their brains within 30 years
Sitting down and learning something will be a thing of the past very soon, for thirty years down the line, kids will learn by downloading information directly into their brains, predicts the head of Britains top private schools organisation. ANI

US researchers to develop eco-friendly asphalts
A new research program in the US is finding ways of making asphalt more environmentally sustainable. ANI

Scientists use modified cat litter to clean up Kiwi lakes
Modified cat litter, when dispensed in New Zealands polluted lakes, was found to reduce phosphorus levels in the water by up to 60 per cent, according to scientists. ANI

Genetic relatedness is really the key behind altruism in social insects
Scientists at the University of Leeds have reignited the contentious debate about why hundreds of species of insects and other animals evolved altruistic behaviour to put the interests of the colony over the individual, by finding that they do so to increase the chances that their genes will be passed on. ANI

Researchers developing new technologies to store, recycle nuclear waste
Researchers at Auburn University (AU) in the US are developing new technologies to store and recycle nuclear waste. ANI

New method enables more cost-effective quantum key distribution
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US have demonstrated a simpler and potentially lower-cost method for distributing strings of digits, or keys, for use in quantum cryptography, the most secure method of transmitting data. ANI

Artificial virus delivers genes, drugs into tumour cells nuclei
Korean researchers have made a significant advance in transporting genes and drugs into the interior of cancer cells using an artificial virus. ANI

MapJack takes Thai Sin City mapping images offline
Web mapping company MapJack has removed controversial photographs of the streets at Pattaya in Thailand, some of which showed Western males mingling with bar girls in the towns red light areas. ANI

Technical and economic feasibility of rice fortification in developing nations identified
A new report has identified the technical and economic feasibility of introducing cost-effective rice fortification programs in developing nations. ANI

Astronomers detect light echoes from supernova explosion in Milky Way
Astronomers have for the first time spotted light echoing from the original explosion of a supernova that exploded hundreds of years ago in the Milky Way. ANI

Queen bees were not polygamous in the beginning
A team of UK and Australian ecologists says queen bees were not polygamous right from the beginning, and that they became so after ensuring that their offspring would be taken care of by the hive. ANI

Heres what makes stretchy spider silks behave like rubber band, springs
Scientists probing what makes spider silk stretchy have found that the presence of the amino acide proline has a dramatic effect on the mechanical behaviour of hydrated spider silks. ANI

In-flight Big Brother to foil terrorists in the sky
Scientists have developed a prototype in-flight surveillance system that uses multiple cameras and Big Brother software to try and automatically detect terrorists or other dangers caused by passengers. ANI

Smartphone with Google operating system set to rival iPhone
British chipmaker ARM has unveiled a prototype mobile phone that will use the operating system Android, launched by Google last November. ANI

Geomorphological index for studying active tectonics of mountains developed
Scientists have created a new geomorphological index for studying the active tectonics of mountains. ANI

Inflatable robots could explore Mars in future
Engineers have designed inflatable, spherical, and lightweight robots, which one day might economically explore vast regions of Mars and other robots. ANI

Conservationists launch campaign to list Arctic seals as endangered species
Conservationists have launched a campaign to list Arctic seals as an endangered species, with some arguing that all arctic species should be red-listed. ANI

Nanowire mesh to act as paper towel to clean up oil spills
Researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have developed a mat of nanowires, with the touch and feel of paper, which could be an important new tool in the cleanup of oil and other organic pollutants. ANI

Phoenix Mars Lander discovers possible ice on Red Planet
NASAs Phoenix Mars Lander, which touched down on the surface of the Red Planet on May 26, has discovered what might possibly be ice, that was exposed when soil was blown away. ANI