High-res mini microscope ditches the lenses

Researchers have come up with a microscopic microscope, tiny enough to fit on a fingertip, that can be cheaply mass-produced and used to scan blood and water for pathogens.

The high-resolution microscope functions without the large and expensive lenses usually associated with such imaging devices. Instead, it combines the chip technology found in digital cameras with "microfluidics", the science of channeling liquid at scales far smaller than a common droplet.

"The whole thing is truly compact--it could be put in a cell phone--and it can use just sunlight for illumination, which makes it very appealing for third-world applications," said Changhuei Yang, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology and one of the lead developers of the device.

Yang imagines a range of uses for the so-called optofluidic microscope, which measures about the size of George Washington's nose on a quarter and has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, according to the Caltech research team.
Read more »

Researchers focus on electronic eye camera

Researchers at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University have created a camera with a layout similar in size and shape to the human eye. The eye camera is based on "single-crystalline silicon detectors and electronics, configured in a stretchable, interconnected mesh", according to the University of Illinois.

The curved technology will put an entire image in focus, in contrast to today's cameras, which take images that are sharper in the center than near the edges, according to researchers. Plus, the technology could be a big step toward the development of a bionic eye similar to the one worn by the Terminator.

Click on the image at the top of this post for more.

Via CNET Crave

RFID goes primetime in Beijing Olympics

Radio-frequency identification technology or RFID will be facing it first major test during the Beijing Olympics, taking care of ticketing for the estimated 3 million athletes, journalists and spectators. Despite the Chinese government's current uptight security measures, the RFID chips embedded in the Olympics ticket will be not carrying any personal information. Instead, they'll be linked to a remote database, designed primarily to combat counterfeits, facilitate check-in, etc.

Following the recent food scare originating from China, the local authorities will also be using an RFID-based food management system to maintain close tabs on food production, processing and deliveries. The arrangement may be a lot more significant than the above mentioned, considering the well-being of close to 10,700 international athletes and the daunting logistics to pull off the feat across 31 competition venues throughout the country.

Via EE Times | Photo credit: www.beijing2008.cn

Modern skyscraper, low-tech decoy

What is the world's most high-tech building technique for constructing a skyscraper at the blink of an eye? Well, the answer lies in one of the China's well-kept secrets in its incredible cityscape transformation for the Beijing Olympics. This was unveiled recently by Japanese Fuji TV in one of its news broadcasts that took on a negative spin around the frantic Olympics preparations.

According to the coverage, the Chinese authorities are giving incomplete buildings a fake exterior to beat construction hiccups and delays. A video footage showed a spruced-up hotel from the onset, followed by walls of scaffold holding life-sized props including a facade of its occupants. It was pretty convincing--if not for the mismatched background used for the latter.

There're other interesting discoveries in the report, but we are going to leave it at that and move on to the genuine stuff.

Via Japan Probe | Photo credit: Japan Probe

Beijing threatens cyber war for Olympics

Wars have been started for many reasons. Money, oil, love and even by mistake. So it is quite ironical that for an event which is supposed to promote international peace and cooperation, China is threatening cyber war against those who upload clips of the Olympics through the Internet.

The International Olympic Committee granted exclusive rights to China Central Television (CCTV) to broadcast the games. As such, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the National Copyright Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology made a statement that they will take drastic actions against illegal video streams of the Olympics by shutting them down. Considering that legal action against Web sites not based in China are convoluted at best, and useless at worst, Defensetech speculates that China might launch a cyber offensive to shut down offending sites.

If this occurs, it might be the first case of a government Internet attack on the international Web community. The legal ramifications will likely to be mind-boggling, yet also probably as fun to watch as the games themselves.

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (2230)

» Digital Cameras (984)

» Notebooks (1233)

» PC & Peripherals (1312)

» Handhelds (585)

» Printers (82)

» Home AV (1145)

» Music & Play (893)

» Gadgets (1484)

» Future Tech (394)

» Green Tech (172)

» Lifestyle (157)

» Luxury (22)

» Home Appliances (57)

» Cars (99)

» Games and Gear (248)

» Software (95)

» Web (117)

Previously...

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Hot Topics

Subscribe to
Crave

What's Hot

apple apple inc. apple iphone apple ipod asia battery camera game google inc. iphone microsoft corp. microsoft windows mobile phone photograph singapore smart phone software sony corp. video

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads