::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Sci-tech

World Record Transfer Speed Set
The world record for fastest data transfer was just broken by Alcatel/Lucent, as they were able to transfer 25.6 terabits of data in one second over a single fibre strand. Well, that certainly puts my DSL line to shame. Of course, this insanity isn't about to be hooked up to your house anytime soon, but just knowing that they've figured out how to do it means that eventually, at some point, people will probably have speeds similar to this when they connect to the Internet. Hell, even 1/10th of that speed would be totally bananas overkill. But I'd take it, oh yes, I would take it.

Evolving Computer Developed
Researchers at the University of Oslo have developed a computer that evolves on its own using genetic algorithms to boost performance. What their hardware does is pair up "genes" in the hardware to find the hardware design that is the most effective to accomplish the tasks at hand. Just like in the real world, it can take 20 to 30 thousand generations before the system finds the perfect design to solve the problem, but this will happen in just a few seconds compared with the 8-900,000 years it took humans to go through the same number of generations. Neat. Who knows how many practical applications this will have, but the idea of a computer evolving on its own to do what it needs to do is both cool and kind of terrifying.

Knife + Cutting Board = Clever Cleaver
Mark this invention up as another million dollar idea. The Clever Cleaver combines a knife and a cutting board into a pair of kitchen scissors that could be great for all kinds of food. No more dirtying up your only cutting board with vegetable or fruit juices; just chop the food directly above the bowl. This gadget is just asking to have an infomercial.

FreeHand Gives Your Hand a Pocket
Spring is here, it's warming up everywhere and you know what that means? There's great running weather, and you'll have fewer pockets. That's where FreeHand can give you a hand. It's a pocket for the back of your hand. Of course using such a convenience would mean actually leaving your house. Indeed, there is a whole world out there.

Store your credit cards, money, your cellphone or your iPod in there, always ready and right at your fingertips. Might be perfect for that pesky Motorola Q, whose buttons keep getting accidentally pressed while riding in a pocket, calling that same poor soul over and over again. Solving that problem alone would make it worth the $22 purchase price.

New Mexico to Build a Space-port for Space Tourism
Apparently space travel for the common man is closer than we thought, at least according to one county in New Mexico. They've just approved a tax meant to pay for a space-port, so I guess that means there's a need for a space-port, right?

For the low, low price of $198 million, they'll build a space-port that Virgin Galactic madman Richard Branson will use to launch rich people into space for $200,000 a pop. Apparently this will be happening in a mere two years, so those New Mexicans had better start collecting those taxes ASAP.

RFID Medical Sponges Help Forgetful Surgeons
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Jerry accidentally drop a Junior Mint into the open body of Elaine's boyfriend? Yeah, this is kind of like that, but with medical sponges. Siemens and other companies have begun placing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips in surgical sponges. Upon finishing the operation a wand is used to swipe the patient to ensure there are no sponges left in the body. I guess this won't prevent Junior Mints from accidentally being left in a body, but at least it is a start.

Baby Spoon Plane, for Appetite-Stimulating Cropdusting
Some of us have kids, and we know how finicky the little runts can be. I know a couple of wee ones who would love this Baby Spoon Plane, a $10.50 set of wings and tail you can place onto your kid's fave utensil, giving visual aid to your feeding-time stimulations and simulations. Sound effects not included. Start them off young, and who knows, maybe the little tyke will become a pilot someday.

Compiled by IMRAN H. KHAN

Source: Gizmodo Online and Uncrate.com