technology

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How to tell when a blog is automated

The Babystuff blog is apparently dedicated to bringing you all things baby. And we do mean all things: "Measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood of a fetus during labor has no bearing on whether a Caesarean section is performed and does not affect the health of the newborn baby, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a multicenter study. South County residents may soon be able to get Chili's baby-back ribs. Once charged with aggravated battery to a child in a... READ ON

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Snacking on Cotton

At first when I read the headlines on edible cotton, I was dreaming of bale-fuls of cotton candy, but apparently, the breakthrough isn't that advanced. Instead, the edible here actually refers to the cotton seeds, which are normally high in protein (more than 30%), but also toxic to human systems. Amazingly, scientists at Texas A&M have managed to use a new gene-silencing technique to eliminate the toxins. Currently, for every pound of cotton fiber reaped, farmers end up with 1.6 pounds of seeds; and until... READ ON

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The iPod of kitchens

I was so, so excited when I got my first apartment with a dishwasher. But now I feel a little outdone: Architect and design guru Zaha Hadid continues her non-stop ruling of all things craftable. This time, Hadid was commissioned by DuPont and Ernestomeda to design a futuristic kitchen for the Milan Furniture Fair. ... The Z. Island has two areas labeled "Fire" for cooking and "Water" for the washing area. Also incorporated is a special heating membrane, interactive technology features such as touch... READ ON

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Fashion that's Shocking

Hey ladies: If you're searching for a look that screams "don't even think about putting your grubby hands on me", get a load of the No-Contact jacket. While the $950 waterproof nylon parka looks sort of dowdy from the outset, the attire is positively electric. And by that, I mean it delivers 80,000 volts of juice to anyone who tries to touch you. If you get groped, all you have to do is turn a key in the sleeve, and watch your harasser throw his hands in the air (at least according to the instructional... READ ON

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Insane Einstein Optical Illusion!

I read about this optical illusion on Digg, and the video demonstration of it is pretty crazy. Essentially, sculptor Bryan Parkes and manufacturer David Burder have taken a hollow mask shaped like Einstein, turned it around so that you're looking at the inside, and then put it up to the light... and the effect is SPECTACULAR! As the video shows, when you walk around the room, the head looks like it's turned towards you-- not just the eyes, but the whole face. Pretty crazy. Link via... READ ON

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The Sweet Strums of the Air Guitar

Yahoo News is reporting today that Australian researchers have just developed a t-shirt that turns the sweet music of air guitar-ing into a reality. Using motion sensors built into the garment's "elbows", the shirt relays the rock star miming to a wireless computer which turns the fake chords and windmills into music. And while some might be confused as to why air guitarists would find such a shirt necessary (it seems antithetical to the concept), others might be more confused by the fact that the rocking... READ ON

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Taking one page at a time

For those of you who can't play band music and turn pages at the same time, meet your solution: the Hammacher Schlemmer Hands-Free Sheet Music Library and Page Turner. Of course, the HSHFSMLAPT will set you back a little (actually, it'll set you back a lot, as in more than a grand), but check out what you get for your money. The tablet can: store several thousand scores display music on a backlit screen be used as a metronome and pitch pipe work as an audio player for your MP3's comes with... READ ON

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Electric stimulation applied to brain during sleep improves memory

As long as you're willing to look like this at night, you too can improve your verbal memory by 8%! Actually, the potential for this kind of technology is pretty cool. Maybe one day we'll all strap on our brain caps before bed. Read about the study over at... READ ON

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Found in Translation

The New Scientist Tech blog is reporting that researchers at Carnegie Mellon are developing an exciting new translation device. The gadget uses electrode sensors on your face and neck to essentially lip read your words before relaying them in another language, meaning you don't even need to whisper to make it work?! The phenomenon is unique because today's translation devices try to "listen" to your words that you speak out loud, before translating them-- you say something, the computer interprets it, then... READ ON

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World's Coolest Rain Coat

Elise Co has designed a very cool rain jacket that lights up when rain hits it. From ABC Science Online: It's coated with PVC and has water sensors on its back and left sleeve. The sensors are wired via interior electronics to electroluminescent panels on the front of the jacket. When water hits one of the sensors, the corresponding lamp lights up on the front, creating a flickering pattern of illumination that mirrors the rhythm of rainfall, says Co. Unfortunately the jackets she's created so far... READ ON