Tech Universe: Monday 2 May

Google take security and data protection seriously. Photo / Thinkstock

GOOGLE SECURITY: Google has data centres all over the planet to handle the huge flow of information they're involved with. In a short video they show off some of the ways they protect the data centres and their precious cargo. Measures include stringent checks on anyone attempting to enter, biometric recognition and total destruction of any drives taken out of service. It's definitely not just search any more. More at DataCenterKnowledge and video on YouTube.

THE WHEELS GO ROUND: The Protean Drive system puts electric drives right in the wheels of your car. That means an electric vehicle can lose some weight. The electric drive wheels can also easily be added to a petrol or diesel car, creating a hybrid. Protean's F-150 car uses 4 in-wheel motors. It can travel at 160 Kph and has a range of 160 Km. That's a cunning way to create a hybrid. More at the AutoBlog Green.

DINNER TABLETS: E la Carte is a smart idea for when you're eating out. At some restaurants in the US you may find an E la Carte tablet on your table, displaying a menu, with photos and information about what you can order. Rather than waiting for a waiter to help you, just choose items and add special requests directly on the tablet. It
reports how long you'll wait and offer games to help fill in time. Swipe your credit card through the integrated card reader to pay when you're finished. Sounds like a great idea for low-cost and mid-level eateries. More at TechCrunch.

VIRTUAL COOKIES: At the University of Tokyo researchers are creating a virtual reality system that works with smell and sight. When test subjects ate a plain cookie but saw and smelled a flavoured cookie, they consistently reported their cookie had that same flavour. People have long said that our perception of taste is mainly determined by sight and smell. I guess this proves it. More at DiscoveryNews.

PAPER PLANES: Graphene paper, developed at the University of Technology in Sydney, is a processed form of raw graphite. It's as thin as a sheet of paper, 6 times lighter and 6 times lower density than steel, but twice as hard and 10 times as tensile. What's more it's eco-friendly. Graphene paper could be used for planes and other vehicles, with huge savings in weight, fuel use and costs. A real breakthrough like this is very exciting. More at University of Technology Sydney.

- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz