BOAT TRACKS: Dump your boat trailer. The Iguana yacht can make its own way into and out of the water using its retractable caterpillar tracks. The yacht is 8.6 metres long, weighs 2 tonnes and can carry 10 passengers. It can travel at 35 knots at sea. Ah, but what's its speed in traffic? Iguana Yachts. Video
FOAMING GAS: Nano-stuff is very small, which makes it really hard to work with. So researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute made continuous graphene nanosheets into a kind of foam then used it to detect gases. Gas particles stick to the graphene surface and change the electrical resistance. The larger sheet of foam was much easier to work with than nano-sized particles. The foam performs better than current sensors at detecting potentially dangerous and explosive chemicals, and it works at room temperature. Graphene certainly seems to be the new miracle substance. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Video.
HEART RACER: The Vital Signs Camera App from Philips uses the iPad 2 camera to remotely measure your heart and breathing rates. Place the iPad on a table and sit still in front of it for a few moments. The camera detects small changes in the colour and blood flow in your face and the motion of your chest as you breathe. With this one narcissists will probably always have an elevated heart rate. Vital Signs Camera. Video.
ROTORS, ROTORS EVERYWHERE: Scotland's about to build a 6MW wind turbine just off its East Coast as part of its goal for 100 per cent renewable energy. The turbine features 2 blades anda helicopter landing pad. That's a challenging landing spot for pilots. Clean Technica.
KOREAN BOOKINGS: The Kyobo eReader is based on Qualcomm's 5.7 inch Mirasol display and Snapdragon processor. The low-power colour device can be used in sunshine and the display is also capable of refreshing quickly enough for video. About 93,000 ebooks are currently available for the Kyobo. The South Korean Culture Ministry plans to invest in ebook tech for the next 5 years to help nurture the industry. Authors: this may be yet another format to add to the list, but at least youcould add video. The Korea Herald.
