The UltraViolet Initiative hasn’t exactly been the iTunes-killer Hollywood had hoped for. The File-Locker system launched late last year has floundered in its first few months with poor reviews, unhappy customers and little support from the rest of the industry. That changed today with Amazon and Samsung announcing their backing of the fledgling format. More »
Using delicate lasers to ionise but not burn difference sections of your hair for precise chemical analysis, this new forensic method can theoretically tell what you ate and where you were in the world on an hour by hour basis. (Usually, the entire hair gets mashed up into one vague average sample.) More »
The long-planned DECE scheme to unify digital downloads into one globally compatible online file format is near completion, with the service – now known as UltraViolet – set to launch this spring. That logo is going to be everywhere. More »
Thanks to the germ eliminating knife block, the next time you stab someone you will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your blade is 99.99% germ-free (we wouldn’t want an infection to set in now would we?). The block relies on UV-C light to eliminate bacteria—and if you are a serious germaphobe it can be set to give your knives a hit once every three hours. If stabbing isn’t your thing, it should do a decent job of eliminating pesky salmonella and staphylococcus from your foodstuffs as well. Available for $US90. [Hammacher Schlemmer via Boing Boing Gadgets]
A bit like Dean Kamen’s miraculous water distiller, only not quite so fancy or miraculous, is the WaterMill drinking water collector. It’s basically a clever dehumidifier that collects airborne water and filters and purifies it with an ultraviolet steriliser, providing you with up to 12 litres of water per day. And before you start thinking your home air is going to be all dry and uncomfy, it is actually designed to hang outside your house and inhale water from there, streaming it to where it’s needed inside: like your in-fridge chilled water dispenser. It’s due out February 2009, and though unit pricing’s not known, it’ll cost you about 11 cents per day to run. Or you can just drink tap water. [Product via Geekologie]
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]
Scientists at the Gyeongsang National University in South Korea have cloned cats that have the ability to glow-in-the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light. By inserting a virus into the skin cells of a mother cat and placing those contaminated cells into the womb, scientists were able to prove that it was possible to clone an animal with a manipulated gene. Apparently, this development could allow for a better understanding of human genetic diseases in the future. But what about the benefits of glowing cats? More »
