Memory aids and Body aids

Source: PhysOrg Recent research has added weight to the belief that a good night's sleep is required for effective learning. People how are deprived of sleep display significantly reduced activity in their hippocampus, where memories are consolidated.

Source: Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends Computer Scientists have developed a computer model that is able to recognize objects in a complex street scene. Although a task easily performed by humans, it is something that previously required massive computational power, if it could be performed at all. The system may find application in augmenting sensory prosthetics.

Source: Nature A research organization in the Netherlands has proposed that an excellent place to store electricity is in the freezer. Specifically, they suggest using large cold storage units as thermal batteries. They theorize that by distributing the load over many cold storage units, a 1 degree change in temperature could be used to store thousands of megawatts of energy without thawing the food in which the energy is stored.

Source: MedGadget An ankle exoskeleton controlled by the patient's own nervous system has been developed to aid in rehabilitation after injury. It has proven to be effective in helping patients quickly regain control of limbs affected by partial nerve impairment. Many were able to walk after as little as 30 minutes of training.

Source: Coolest Gadgets The Cellular Book is the first portable book reader with a rollable display. When not in use, the display remains tucked inside the device, but when needed it can be extended to reveal a flexible display.

Coffee bean mice and circuit cakes

Source: Ristretto coffee mouse brings the beans and the ugly

Source: Spinning Disc CD Player Cuts Like a Saw

Source: Remote Control Cup Holder: For Lazy/Adventurous Drunks

Source: Gallery: 10 Yummy Techie Cakes

Source: AromaUSB Offers Supercharged Relief From Cubicle Rot, Locker Room Effect

Flaming Columns and Happy Feet

Source: CBC News Thanks to ancalagon_tb for alerting me to this story. Researchers in the US have discovered a new way to catch virus attacks by monitoring the rate at which similar packets are sent from a host computer. If many similar packets are sent, the channel is shut down and the packets analyzed to determine if this is, indeed, a virus attack. If the packets are cleared, then the transmission is allowed to proceed.

Source: Sci Fi Tech Cyclone is a tall class column which contains a tall, dancing flames, real flames. Think of it as a fireplace with 360-degree visibility. The price tag is a cool $3,800(US), so you may want to be rich enough to burn money in those columns.

Source: Technology Review Stanford researchers plan to model the cerebral cortex in silicon. The system is based on transistors that mimic the behaviour of neurons, a process called neuromorphing. The artificial cortex will consist of 16 chips, each containing a 256x256 array of artificial neurons. The resulting system is expected to have an equivalent processing speed of 300 teraflops, allowing them to perform experiments in real-time that would take days to simulate in software.

Source: Coolest Gadgets Johnson Tiles allows you to imprint digital images, or any portion thereof, onto tiles for things like kitchens, bathrooms and swimming pools. The tiles are fade and scratch resistant.

Source: Uncrate Bonsai sandals are covered with sheepskin to keep your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They're $35(US) a pair, but what price happy feet?

The Panda... it watches you

Source: USB Panda Webcam Eats Children

Source: Coolest… Lamps… Ever…

Source: Piano as Sculpture: Fazioli M. Luminal Looks as Good as It Sounds

Source: Remote Controlled Robot Arm Can Build Very Tiny Cars

Source: Wee Humidifier Uses a Water Bottle to Steam Up