Security
Tsunami Survival Capsules Offer Hope for Japan's Next Great Wave
by Steve Levenstein
Ready for the next tsunami? Then you've really got balls: enhanced fiberglass “Noah” capsule balls, to be exact. Japan's Cosmo Power designed these bright yellow survival spheres so users can escape onrushing floods and ride the relentless quake-spawned tidal waves to rescue.
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1 comment Wasabi Smoke Alarm Wins 2011 Ig Nobel Prize
by Steve Levenstein
A Japanese research team has been awarded the 2011 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their patented invention, the Wasabi Smoke Alarm. As previously reported at InventorSpot in March of 2008, the silent alarm releases a mist of pungent wasabi oil that will wake up those with hearing disabilities in case of fire or a related emergency.
New Japanese Smartphone Case Doubles as Radiation Monitor
by Steve Levenstein
Japan's largest mobile phone service provider, NTT DoCoMo, has produced a prototype cellphone case that adds a radiation detecting function to your smartphone.
China's First Flying Drone Has Got its Robotic Eye on You
by China.new
Watch out for the F50, China's first flying robotic drone. Small as a pizza pan and equipped with an HD video camera, you can be sure it'll be watching you!
Ghost Of Guy Fawkes Evoked To Destroy Facebook?
by Ron Callari
While the blogoshere is cyberventilating once again about the imminent demise of Facebook (anybody remember the "We're Quitting Facebook Day"
scheduled for May 31, 2010?), the ghost of Guy Fawkes has been evoked
to stir the conspiracy pot. Five hundred years to the day, the Hacker
activist group known as Anonymous is claiming they will coincide their
destruction of Facebook with Fawkes attempt to blow up the House of
Parliament on November 5, 1605.
China's Experimental Fast Reactor Plugs Into the National Power Grid
by China.new
The China Experimental Fast Reactor, or CEFR for short, has begun pumping power into China's national electric grid. By greatly increasing fuel efficiency and minimizing the discharge of long-lasting toxic waste, the CEFR pioneers the new direction nuclear power plants must take in a world where nuclear power is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Teachers Expel School Intruder with Two-Pronged 'Man-Catcher'
by Steve Levenstein
Japanese teachers recently subdued and immobilized a knife-wielding intruder using a variation of the traditional, two-pronged Sasumata. The incident highlights this ancient fighting weapon in its modern iteration as a non-violent, noninvasive, “Man-Catcher” school safety device.
Presidential Social Media, Not Stymied By WeinerGate!
by Ron Callari
Back in February, when Mia Cambronero
was stepping down from her post as Social Networks Manager for
President Obama, the open position and job description sought job
candidates that were "passionate about engaging millions of Americans in
advancing President Obama's agenda and changing the country." And going
into the 2012 elections, our "social media" head of state is not going
to shy away from social media like so many other politicians who fear
from the backlash of Representative Weiner's "below the belt" sharing.
Medical Identity Thieves Meet New Detective: The Palm Reader
by T Goodman
According the the National Survey on Medical Identity Theft, about 1.4 million Americans were victims of medical identity theft in 2009. Almost half of these victims did not learn of the theft until one or more years after their medical records were taken over and 'blended' with the thief's. The time it takes to discover medical identity theft is one reason why this crime is on the rise; it's easier to get away with.
Japanese Army Rolls Out Floating Orb Robot That Shoots Pics – For Now
by Steve Levenstein
Remote-control Predator drones operated by the U.S. Air Force may not be old & busted but Japan's army just rolled out some awesome new hotness: a flying robot orb ready for recon or defcon!
EV Roadside Assistance Charger Vehicle Gives You a Boost in the Boondocks
by Steve Levenstein
So you want to drive an EV (electric vehicle) but worry about being stranded when the power runs out... it's a valid concern that puts off many potential EV buyers. Now a pilot project from Nissan and the JAF (Japanese Auto Federation) is addressing the issue by testing an EV Roadside Assistance Charger Vehicle.
Card Reader Frog Gobbles Up MicroSD & SD Cards, Won't Give You Warts
by Steve Levenstein
The model 303-F "Yomikaeru" microSD & SD Card Reader Frog from Japan Trust Technology (JTT) is one electronic data reading device that isn't afraid to toad the line.
Shorter Hop - Qantas Gets You Through The Airport Fast
by Jamie Reygle
Qantas are letting you check in and board with just your Frequent Flyer card.
If You Could Talk To Walls - Your Body As An Antenna
by Jamie Reygle
Your body is an antenna, and Microsoft Research have worked out a way for you to use it.
Fashionable Protection With 'Pound It' Handbags
by Toby
Chain handle bags are back in fashion, but the old Coco Chanel chain handle bag has taken on new twists in Mary Kolber and Courtney Theese's industrial design project, titled Pound It. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) seniors just may have a career ahead of them with their sexy, fashionable handbags that pack a whack and a mean arm or neck burn.
