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Sci-tech

Teague Breathes New Life into PDAs with Rugged Concept for HP
PDAs are pretty much in a coma nowadays, but Seattle-based design firm Teague is giving them a dose of CPR with the above concept created for HP. It's a rugged PDA designed to "streamline day-to-day tasks. It synchronises with the user's PC to track inventory, communicating through RFID and Bluetooth." It's meant for the IT crowd, but should HP ever decide to enter the rugged PDA / smart-phone market, this design would certainly be a nice start. Especially since it just won CeBIT's Design Award.

Relief for the Perpetually Thirsty
Squirrel away three ounces of your favourite beverage inside the heel of each of these Reef Dram Sandals, giving you a total of four generous shots of courage afoot wherever you may roam. Looks like a great way to keep your sanity that is, if you don't mind your single malt tasting a bit like feet. You may remember its first foray into drinking and walking with its bottle opener sandals, and now there's these $45 Dram Sandals that are available in three earthy colours. Just be sure to empty the contents of their internal flasks before placing them on that airport security conveyor belt.

Play Games with Your Mind
The OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) turns your brain into a video game controller. The headband's neural sensors are located up front, reading your neural activity the same way that an electrocardiograph reads your heart (though fortunately the NIA doesn't require you to lube up before putting the headband on). OCZ claims the device has a two-minute learning curve. The NIA is set to come out at the end of the year for 300 USD.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
Malaria isn't a pretty disease, and it's one that's difficult to control because it's spread widely by mosquitoes. Researchers may have come up with a way to help stop its spread, however, using special genetically modified mosquitoes that are malaria-resistant and therefore better equipped to survive. By making bugs that are both unable to carry the virus as well as stronger than their counterparts, the researchers hope to have their disease-fighting insects take over in insect populations, cutting out a huge way that malaria is spread. Will it work the way they planned, or in a few years will they need to create even stronger, Bluejay-sized mosquitoes to combat these malaria-resistant versions? I guess time will tell.

Compiled by IMRAN H. KHAN

Source: Gizmodo Online.