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Self-healing polymer serves up quick fixes under UV rays (video)
As many self-healing polymers as we've seen roll across our screens, we never really tire of them -- chalk it up to our unending quest for perfection, but we like our gadgets devoid of nicks and scratches. Lucky for us, a team of scientists that shares our need for clean has produced a material that fixes its imperfections in a mere 60 seconds when exposed to UV light. The typically rigid material basically melts down when exposed to rays of a specific wavelength, allowing it to fill in any nicks or dings. When the light is lifted, the polymer goes back to its original form, and voila -- the surface is like new. Its creators say the material could be used on everything from cars to dining room tables, but we've already come up with laundry list of devices that could do with a truly scratch resistant surface. Video of the stuff in action after the break.
Self-sterilizing door handle looks perfect for hypochondriacs, is as real as their ailments
The world of concepts is quite the wonderful place to behold, it's filled with electric supercars, cameras that only ever need one lens, beautiful BlackBerrys, and now... a self-cleaning door handle. The product of one Choi Bomi's hyperactive imagination, this gatekeeper continuously sterilizes itself with a UV light, only taking a break when you actually use it. A clandestine switch in the handle's frame is what toggles the sanitizing illumination on and off, a spark of cleverness that's earned the design a Red Dot award. That's great, now who hands out the awards for making economically viable, mass producible devices?
DECE's 'digital locker' take-anywhere DRM dubbed UltraViolet, launches later this year
We're still not sure if we believe in the promises made by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) yet -- buy a piece of content once in physical or digital format, and gain access across all formats and devices via a cloud based account -- but we're closer to finding out for ourselves now that it has a new name, UltraViolet. In case you haven't been paying attention over the last couple of years, the DECE group is already home to most of the biggest names on both the content and consumer electronics sides of the business, with the most notable holdouts being Apple and Disney, which is backing its own competing system, Keychest. The latest additions to the UltraViolet team are LG, LOVEFiLM and Marvell, while key members like Comcast, Microsoft, Intel and Best Buy are quoted in this morning's press release. Check it out for yourself after the break and keep an eye out for that grey and purple logo on movies and players later this year when it begins testing.
Violight goes ultraviolent on your gadgets, leaves germ corpses in its wake
Violight has been in the business of UV-based germicide since way back in 2004, but now it's bringing its wares closer to our geeky hearts. Its new Cell Phone Sanitizer will nuke 99 percent of all germs and bacteria slithering around your phone or MP3 player, and it'll do it in under 5 minutes too. Or such is the claim, anyhow. Alternative applications for this ultra-versatile product include using it as gift packaging or as a display stand in stores -- you've got to love that added value right there. Some patience will be required before you lay down $49.95 for your very own UV zapper, as Violight's Sanitizer isn't hitting the market until at least October. Video teaser's ready right now, though, just after the break.
AU Optronics' miraculous LCD Panels can read fingerprints or UV levels
Female? User of LCD panels? Have fingerprints that need read? Worried about skin cancer? If you answer "yes" to any or all of these questions, we have news that is sure to knock your sun-lovin' socks off. Among the items on display at this year's FPD International Exhibition in Yokohama are two exciting LCD panels: they're both 2.8 inches, and they're both manufactured by AU Optronics (a company that knows a thing or two about liquid crystal displays). The first panel functions as a fingerprint scanner -- it boasts a pixel count of 320 x 240, each pixel is equipped with four optical sensors, and sends its output to a 640 x 480 monitor. The other panel uses similar technology to measure the intensity of UV rays, numerically displaying the results on a scale of 0 to 11. According to the company, the UV reader "is targeted at female users who are concerned about the amount of UV light outdoors." There's no word yet on a UV reader for men, but you'll know as soon as we do.
Fujifilm's IS Pro DSLR lends a hand in forensics
Fujifilm has been lending a helping hand in the realm of investigative photography for quite some time, and the firm's latest picks up where the S3 Pro UVIR and IS-1 left off. Featuring Fujifilm's Super CCD Pro and Real Photo Processor Pro technology to see light from the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared portions of the spectrum, this 12.3-megapixel gem also sports face detection, password protected lockouts, optional "rubber body armor," CF / Microdrive slots, RAW support, and a live image preview LCD to boot. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Nikon F mount lenses and iTTL flash systems, which should ease the burden of switching costs if you've already sunk way too much into Nikon accessories. No word just yet on how much coinage this will demand, but look for it to land in precincts (okay, store shelves too) next month.
Philips patents system for UV exposure data via phone
Ever spend a lazy day at the beach, letting the hours drift by under a stratosphere heavily depleted of ozone, only to come home and discover that your skin's turned redder than the Cherry Chocolate in your pocket? Philips has the solution to the pollution in a patent filing recently made public -- but we've gotta warn you, it doesn't look cheap. First, we've gotta build a nationwide network of UV sensors that are capable of transmitting their status to nearby cell towers. Then, we need said towers to know how to process the data and alert nearby phones of the badness of the sun's rays based on the user's current location. For the coup de grâce, Philips also throws in the ability to notify the user of a recommended SPF number, but right now we're more concerned about the sheer mass of infrastructure required to get the basic setup up and running. Don't get us wrong, it'd be nice to avoid using our common sense to avoid sunburn, but this is one system we don't see coming to fruition.[Via New Scientist Tech]
Ultraviolet bread box preserves bread, freaks out friends
Contrary to appearances, this is not a device for creating giant mutant bread, it's actually a bread box designed to prevent mold from growing on your run of the mill unmodified loaf of carbs. Based on the same groovy kind of UV light used in food and medical sanitization, the breadbox should be relatively easy to build for anyone with minimal DIY skills -- and even if it didn't work exactly as intended, would be a stylish addition to any mad scientist's (or fantasy lad's) kitchen. But according to the folks at InventGeek, it actually does its job, increasing the shelf life of bread by about 50%, and preventing any mold from growing on the exterior of the bread (it may still grow inside, however). They didn't say what the bread tasted like after being baked a second time in UV, but you want to give it a shot yourself, the total cost of parts should only run you about $65.[Via MAKE: Blog]
Solestrom's new UV-detecting bikini
It's summertime, folks, which means funtime summery stuff like blankets, beach balls -- even bikinis -- get upgrades. Though not the first of its kind, the $190 Solestrom UV-metering bikini, which happens to look like something straight out of a Bond film, tells you where the sun's at on the UV scale from 0 to 20 and when you're done crisping -- which for pale n' pasty pushovers such as ourselves is pretty much as soon as we walk outside. And do deposit that wagging tongue, gentlemen; titillating though this post may be, we aim keep it clean 'round these parts.[Thanks, Michael]
Sharp's Mebius PC-AE50M for the unwashed
What's this, today Sharp announced a single new computer!? Not the 40-plus from Sony, or 26 from NEC, or even paltry 5-and-change from Toshiba, just one, the Mebius PC-AE50M. Not only are they bucking the shotgun announcement trend engulfing us, the new Mebius also loads-up a non-Core Duo, 1.80GHz AMD Sempron 3000 . Whoa Sharp, you go cowboy. The 2.8-kg Mebius PC-AE50M (that name just rolls, eh?) can bring up to 1.5GB of RAM and 60GB of disk and features a 15-inch, 1024 x 768 LCD, 802.11b/g WiFi, CD-R/RW & DVD-ROM drive, and UV radiation coating to keep palm-gunk from polluting the case. Rejoice o ye defiled brethren, rejoice!
