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Mobile Miscellany: week of October 22nd, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, T-Mobile announced the price and release date for the Optimus L9, carriers were announced in Canada for the ATIV S Windows Phone and ZTE released a low-priced Android smartphone for Virgin Mobile in the UK. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 22nd, 2012.
Intubation bot lets doctors safely shove tubes down unconscious human throats
We've seen all manner of medical robots 'round these parts, from bloodbots to surgical cyborgs. And now Dr. Thomas M. Hemmerling from McGill University Health Centre (who also helped develop the McSleepy anesthetic android) has created the world's first intubation robot. Called the Kepler Intubation System (KIS), it's a robotic arm with a video laryngoscope that's controlled via joystick -- allowing MDs to get their Dr. Mario on while sliding an endotracheal tube into any passed-out meatbag with minimal fuss and maximum safety. The first procedure using the device on a real, live human was a success, and clinical testing continues. We're not big on bots shoving anything anywhere (even if it does help us breathe while under the knife), but that's better than android appendages lobbing grenades our way.
Rechargink, a soda fountain dispenser for inkjet cartridges
Who wouldn't love a really convenient and easy way to refill those annoying empty inkjet cartridges, besides every printer company ever? With that in mind, KIS/Photo-Me is displaying its new "Rechargink" system at the Photokina exhibition in Germany this week, which is great news for consumers and retailers and terrible blow to HP, Canon, and friends. The Rechargink is basically like a soda fountain dispenser, but for ink, based on what we can tell from this photo -- apparently you belly up to the kiosk with your empty container, pull down the lever, and then you have a functioning ink cartridge again within five minutes. No word on price nor availability, nor on what happens if you try to make a suicide soda version of ink, either.
