::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Sci-tech

Robots get a hot Makeover
South Korean models pose with a life-size robot, named EveR2-Muse, resembling a Korean woman in her 20s, which can sing, talk and dance during a robot exhibition in Seoul. South Korean scientists are working on a new-generation android that can walk and talk like a human.

Just to spite Kim Jong II
In an effort to sanction North Korea via luxury items, the US is engaging in the first ever effort to "personally aggravate a foreign president" by targeting items he personally enjoys. The list includes, besides the iPod: cognac, Rolex watches, cigarettes, artwork, expensive cars, Harley Davidson motorcycles or even personal watercraft, such as Jet Skis. The new ban would extend even to music and sports equipment. Besides those, the leader also enjoys: Mercedes, BMW and Cadillac cars; Japanese and Harley Davidson motorcycles; Hennessy XO cognac from France and Johnny Walker Scotch whisky; Sony cameras and Japanese air conditioners.

TrioBike Does a Three-Way
Here's a versatile conveyance called the trioBike that can function as either a bicycle alone, a stroller or a combination of the two. You can drop your kids off at day care, leave the stroller there and ride your bicycle away. I was totally into this idea when I checked the price, a jaw-gaping $3320. I think I'll save up to get my bike separately. I think I'll just buy a car with that.

Wrist PDA Gives You the Magic Touch
I've never been a big fan of wearable tech and the mere thought of strapping a PDA this big onto my wrist does not help but fortunately this PDA comes with a twist. It creates a body area network (BAN) that lets you communicate with other peripherals by touching them. So for example, you could print documents from your PDA by touching a compatible printer or transfer files from your PDA by touching a computer. The concept is still in development, but seems promising (as long as they don't make you look like an android in the process).

MiJam iPod Guitar
Imagine playing Guitar Hero, except with any song in your iPod's library. This four fingered "guitar" from MiJam lets you play basic cords and riffs by strumming the bar and fiddling with the whammy. Fun for kids and people too lazy to learn how to play the guitar, but are too proud to still be doing air guitar.

DraganFlyer Four-Rotor Helicopter
With my current fascination for helicopters, I can't help mentioning the DraganFlyer Industrial Electric Gyro Stabilised RC Helicopter that's been around for a while, a $5000 flyer with four rotors and an electronically stabilised mechanism that makes it sturdy enough for video surveillance work. Use your imagination here. Never mind those little buzzing mosquitoes and Bell Jet Ranger look-alikes that have caught my attention in the past; I want one of these carbon fibre babies that can fly for 18 minutes on a charge, and can lift a payload of up to a pound. These drone aircraft are so sophisticated, mere mortals can't even purchase this model's more-expensive brandmate - it's only available to some governments and their military. Now those are the choppers I want to get my hands on!

Compiled by IMRAN H. KHAN

Source: AFP and Gizmodo Online