This Week's 21St Century Technology News
BBspot - Geek Parents Using Cooling Technology Instead of Medicine to Lower Fevers
"I was working on my rig in the basement installing a new water-cooling system when my daughter came down with a 103 degree fever," said Fernando Ferringer of coolingyourkids.com. "I knew we didn't have any Tylenol, and that's when I had a 'Eureka' moment." Ferringer connected the water-cooling system and a couple of heatsinks to his daughter and reduced her fever. "I figured the system cools down my processor which runs a lot hotter than my daughter. Why couldn't it cool her down? She did scream a bit when her hair got tangled in the fan, but we took care of that." CoolingYourKids has grown rapidly and has spawned several other copycat sites like kidmodifier.com and peltierbabies.com, that also hope to take advantage of the craze. Ferringer does not recommend taking a Dremel to your kids and putting Lexan panels or neon lights in them. "Those are just for show and really aren't necessary for cooling or performance." 
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/busi...b83ead1b79.lpf
THE newspaper of the future will be a flexible plastic sheet capable of receiving all the pages via radio waves. And if that sounds a tad futuristic, you'll be reading from it at your breakfast table by 2008. Plastic Logic, one of Cambridge's most exciting companies at the moment, has just announced "the world's largest flexible organic active matrix display", in other words, the enewspaper. The plastic displays, or readers, can be updated in real-time. This means newspapers will be bang up-to-the-minute with breaking news, share prices etc, putting them on a par with broadcasters, even one jump ahead, as the new flexible displays will be capable of receiving your favourite newspaper wherever you happen to be in the world. The display is battery-powered during downloading and for updates or doing the crossword, but once a page is there it is dormant and using no power.
uwnews.org | Alternative medicine treatment using pulsing magnetic device may offer benefits for some MS patients | University of Washington News and Information
A small electromagnetic device thought to help supplement the body's electrical energy has shown some beneficial effects for patients with multiple sclerosis, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Washington. Results of a small double-blind study of MS patients showed that 9 of 15 patients treated with the device reported subjective improvements ranging from 22 to 38 percent in combined self-reported scores rating eight different symptoms, said Dr. Todd Richards, associate professor of radiology at the University of Washington and principal investigator. Those symptoms most responsive to treatment appear to be bladder control, cognitive functioning, spasticity and fatigue. "Why would pulsing magnetic fields have an effect on MS? Because the brain is an organ that emits electrical energy," researchers from the University of Washington and elsewhere wrote in the Spring, 1997 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Richards explains the concept behind the pulsing device - readjusting the body's bioelectrical signals - is one not readily accepted by American medical professionals. He likens body frequencies to vitamins and minerals which the body needs to be healthy and people could benefit by supplementing the frequencies where they are deficient. "This magnetic device acts like a vitamin supplement by giving back to a person those frequencies his or her body is deficient in," he said. The Enermed electromagnetic deviceEnermed electromagnetic device, approximately the size of a wristwatch and powered by a 3-volt battery, emits a pulse of magnetic energy at a power of 50 to 100 milliGauss, roughly equal to the energy emitted from a hair dryer, Richards said. The 30 MS patients in the study wore the device, attached to their hip, shoulder or back, for 10 to 24 hours a day for a period of two months. Half of the patients received devices which were activated, while the other half received inactive devices. The Enermed device used in the study is just one of the electrical pulsing devices on the market. These devices may or may not have patient-specific frequencies. While unavailable in the United States, electronic pulsing devices have been offered in Europe and in Canada for several years and are best known for use in the treatment of migraine headaches.
SmarTruck lll Concept
SmarTruck III - Road Test - Truck Trend
Designed for America's homeland security, or for use in a war zone. The vehicle showcases the latest in armor protection, and detection and deterrent capabilities. Smar Truck lll is equipped with a weapons station module featuring a remote controlled .50-caliber machine gun which rises from the back of the vehicle and has sniper-detection directional sound capabilities. :/- Road Test: SmarTruck III International works with the military and creates a monster By Jason Watson, Mark Williams, Frank Markus
You say the Ford Excursion and Hummer H1 are too small? The heavy-truck folks at International may soon have just the thing. The company made two debuts at the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) show, one of which was this medium-duty truck concept, trimmed out as the SmarTruck III.
Dressed in military garb, complete with a hydraulic-hybrid drivetrain, night vision, and Star Wars-grade weaponry, the SmarTruck III is the third military variant sponsored by the National Automotive Center (NAC), which is the Army's official link to companies like Ford, GM, and high-tech suppliers of top-secret military technology. The SmarTruck I, introduced three years ago, was a Ford Super Duty designed to explore light-duty troop support. SmarTruck II was based on the Chevy Silverado HD platform, centering on communication, microwave technology, and laser systems. Both were modestly modified platforms from existing civilian vehicles.
Now comes the SmarTruck III, based on a brand-new International platform, specifically designed to handle heavier-duty responsibilities. In addition to the SmarTruck III, International also took the opportunity at the SAE show to promote its commercial variant of the SmarTruck III--a monster-tough, open-fendered, big-shouldered crew-cab pickup.
LCD headlights
The original idea for the SmarTruck III was to design a vehicle that meets military specifications, with development costs that could be spread over a high-volume vehicle sold to commercial and (possibly) retail customers through International's 1000 dealers. The concept truck places the mass-produced cab (two-door, four-door, and sleeper) from a Class-5/6 medium-duty chassis on a new and much lower-slung frame tailored to the 16,000-pound GVWR class. Lowering the truck allows it to be carried aboard military transport planes, and there are plans to offer the chassis with a heavy-duty four-wheel-drive system. We'd expect this platform could be popular with a few motorhome manufacturers as well.
Power comes from a new 4.5-liter V-6 24-valve common-rail diesel with twin sequential turbochargers, making 230 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. (This engine was originally planned for several Ford pickups, but was reconsidered last year when cost overruns became a significant issue.) International's Power Stroke V-8 turbo-diesel (325 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque), currently an option in Ford Super Duty pickups, could also be available at a later date. In addition, an air suspension that can kneel three inches from its standard right height or be lifted four inches (from the standard ride height) to ensure better off-road capability (on exceptionally wide trails) will also be available, but we're pretty sure it won't be able to go where a Hummer H1 with gear-reduction hubs, central tire inflation, and ultra-high ground clearance can go.
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1 Million Hydrogen-Fueled Cars in the US
News of Future: 1 Million Hydrogen-Fueled Cars in the US
January 19, 2035 - According to the latest statistics presented this week, 1 million hydrogen-fueled cars have now been sold in the US. The figures for last year show an increase in sales by 50% from 2033.
The hydrogen fleet is still dominated by hydrogen-hybrids even though several fuel cell models have been introduced in the market during the last couple of years. The price for a hydrogen-hybrid is still about 20% higher than for a regular gasoline-hybrid, which make it more expensive to own and drive. The reason for the sale increase is more related to the hydrogen hype for environmental purposes, although mainly all hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, like natural gas.
The latest environmental effort is the introduction of the Re-Hydro label last year to stimulate the production of hydrogen produced through electrolysis, based on a source of 100% renewable energy. The production is still quite limited and it is only available at selected stations. The current price is about 10% over the regular price for hydrogen, and will most likely not have a major impact until more producers switch from regular production to Re-Hydro.
The transition to hydrogen in the US is moving slow compared to a country like Iceland where already 80% of the car fleet runs on hydrogen. They are planning to set a date of when to shut down the last gasoline pump on Iceland, and it looks like it will be around the year 2040. When that day arrives in the US it will mean a lot to the global environment.
Argument: The development of hydrogen-fueled is based on several different sources, with the optimistic scenarios for a fast introduction on the market, to the book The Hype about Hydrogen by Joseph J. Romm. Except from the development in technology and the production and distribution of hydrogen, the price of gasoline will be the key to how fast hydrogen alternatives will reach a mass market.
Questions: Will there be other fuel alternatives to hydrogen when gasoline will be replaced? 
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Beam Yourself Around the World with Telebeamer
News of Future: Beam Yourself Around the World with Telebeamer
September 12, 2035 - Are you kidding? Is it possible to beam myself? No, of course not, but you can now make a 3-D projection of yourself anywhere in the world. The first product for real teleimmersion has been released, the Telebeamer.
It consists of four 2-meter pillars, to set up so they form a square of about 4 square meters. Anything within the box (preferably you) is scanned in three dimensions, and can easily be projected in another box with the same setup. The great thing is that you can have someone else projected in the same box where you are, at the same time as you are projected in that person's box. In that way you can truly communicate with each other from different parts of the world.
In the pillars there are 3-D scanners as well as 3-D projectors. They are wireless connected to your computer where you have specific software that connects with the person that you would like, that have the same software and 3-D box as you. With the microphone and speakers that goes with the installation you can easily talk to the other person when he or she is projected in front of you.
In the future the manufacturer intends to provide a three-party connection, so people from three Telebeamers can meet. They are also developing game versions where you for instance can play table tennis together with a projected ping-pong ball. Even though an installation is a bit bulky they hope that a shuttle can bring a Telebeamer to Starbright Hotel on the moon, so the guests there can get a visit from home.
Even if it sounds cool, don't expect that this will be the Christmas present of the year. First you need two of them to have someone to communicate with, and secondly, they cost US$ 12,900 each, so they are mainly for businesses.
Argument: Even though videophone has not been interesting enough for the mass market so far, there is a great interest in interacting in people elsewhere. The developing in 3-D scanning and 3-D projection makes the Telebeamer possible, and by year 2035 Internet will be so fast that it can handle a well projected, well updated, 3-D experience.
Questions: Will a product like the Telebeamer be interesting for the home market? Will there be other ways to interact with each other from distant locations in the future?
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So Come Get Your Technology News of The 21St Century Right Here In; This Week's 21St Century Technology News
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