detectors
Science
One Day, This Will Be Remembered As The First Tricorder Ever
2:12AM Jesus Diaz | Leave it to a NASA scientist to create the first Star Trek Tricorder using a stamp-sized sensor chip, an iPhone and some spiffy programming. What does it do? It can detect killer gases in the air. More »
Gadgets
The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That’s (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
1:51AM John Herrman | The promise of the ADE 651 is seductive: a handheld detector which susses out bombs, guns, drugs and human bodies from up to a kilometre away. And the Iraqi military swears by it! One problem: It doesn’t seem to work. More »
Gadgets
New Hipster Affectation: Urban Oil Prospecting (Cardigan Not Included)
2:05PM Dan Nosowitz | This DIY oil detector, essentially a modified metal detector, is the hottest new accessory for city-dwelling hipsters worldwide. Plus, it matches terrifically with a beard. More »
Science
Scientists Build Portable Life-Signs Detector: Tricorder 1.0
11:15PM Gizmodo US Edition | A team of US and UK scientists have invented a portable scanner that may be useful in the hunt for life on Mars. And it sounds a whole lot like a Star Trek tricorder: it uses a beam of ultraviolet laser light and detects fluorescence from organic molecules, so it works remotely and doesn’t damage samples. Under simulated-Mars conditions, they’ve used it to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (found on comets, thought to be building-blocks of life) in masses as small as 1.5 micrograms. Plus they think the tech could be adapted to be rugged and fitted onto a future Mars rover. Just wait for the handheld version, and for an astronaut to start going “widdlywee…” as they stomp around Mars. [Eurekalert via IO9] More »
Gadgets
Sneakers Get Smelly in New Way, as Wi-Fi Sniffers
7:52PM Gizmodo US Edition | Designer Stefan Dukaczewski’s sneakers join the line of wearable Wi-Fi detectors next to the T-shirt and wristwatch, winning the title of strangest so far. Based on Nike Dunk shoes, the prototype—dubbed A Step in the Right Direction—has an 802.11 detector under the flap on the left shoe, with a discrete three-LED display system. As you tromp along the street a pressure sensor in the heel turns it on, and Wi-Fi signals detected within 150 feet light the LEDs. So you could wander around in a “warmer… colder” manner peering at your toes, until you find the best signal. We suspect this’d lead to many cricked necks, but at least you’d be able to avoid doggy-do on your mission to “borrow” someone’s Wi-Fi. [ASRD via Talk2MyShirt] More »
Entertainment
KDDI Develops Pirated-Video-Detecting Software
3:00AM Adam Frucci | KDDI research labs in Japan has developed a new system for detecting pirated material on the internet automagically. By detecting whether the footage was shot on an amateur or professional camera, what method was used to encode it, and things of that nature, they claim they can detect illegal material with a 98% success rate. From what I can tell, all it does to determine if something is pirated is to see if it was produced “professionally,” which seems as a really crappy litmus test for piracy. I mean, people put professional video online all the time with complete legitimacy. Nonetheless, I’m sure we’ll see something like this hitting YouTube sooner rather than later. At which point everyone will head over to DailyMotion or Vimeo or whatever other site will be too lazy to implement this technology. Check the press release after the jump. More »
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Cobra XRS R9G GPS-Enabled Radar Detector Available Now
5:30AM Jason Chen | The Cobra XRS R9G GPS Radar detector is available now. Why would you want a GPS-enabled radar connector? Besides beeping when you go too fast, it also has an index of police red light cameras and speed traps. [PRNewswire] More »
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Bomb Detector Powered by Bee Tongue
1:15AM Mark Wilson | A company named Inscentinel Ltd. has developed Vapour Detection Instrumentation with the promise of detecting explosives, cancer, drugs and basically anything you’d like to smell. And for this advanced olfactory detection, Inscentinel is deploying the world’s most advanced techniques—trained bee tongue. The company literally trains bees as a police force might train dogs. Using Pavlovian principles, the bees are given a food reward when they sniff, let’s say, cocaine. Over time, the bees are conditioned to stick out their tongues in hunger over the smell of this substance. More »
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Telespy Motion Detecting Phone Lets You Listen in on Robbers, Your Girlfriend
8:50AM Adam Frucci | This might look like a normal, albeit outdated, landline phone, but it hides a whole lot more than that behind its unassuming exterior. It actually contains a motion detector that’ll give you a call and allow you to listen in on whatever’s happening in the room. It’s perfect for listening in on, uh, robbers. Yes, that’s it, robbers. [Product Page via Product Dose] More »
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