Soon, ‘human odourprint’ based technology to sniff out criminals

October 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Each of the world's 6.7 billion people has a signature body odour. Now scientists are tracking down those odiferous arches for diagnosing diseases and crime prevention.

September 25th, 2009 SYDNEY - Researchers are developing a technique to provide unparalleled ability to explore environments as diverse as oceans and the human body. Using ion-selective electrode technology, Curtin University of Technology researchers are working on a hand-held or implantable device, using self-calibrating sensors that will be able to cheaply and easily monitor pollution in rivers and oceans, or heparin levels as a clotting factor in blood.

September 14th, 2009 Cyber criminals targeting small businessesWASHINGTON — Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting small and medium-sized businesses that don't have the resources to keep updating their computer security, according to federal authorities. Many of the attacks are being waged by organized cyber groups that are based abroad, and they are able to steal not only credit card numbers, but personal information — including Social Security numbers — of the card holders, said Michael Merritt, assistant director of the U.S.

September 13th, 2009 LONDON - Human urine can help grow bumper tomato crops that can be eaten safely, says a new study. Surendra Pradhan, an environmental biology researcher at the University of Kuopio, Finland, and colleagues gave potted tomato plants one of three treatments: mineral fertilizer, urine and wood ash, or urine only.

August 17th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay will conduct an event in Orissa's Rourkela this year to promote new generation technologies. The "Nexus-2009" will be held Oct 10 in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus in Rourkela, an official statement said Monday.

August 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Wednesday launched a project to train scientific experts who will take R&D work undertaken in government laboratories to manufacturers for bulk production. The science and technology ministry launched the project for training and certification of technology commercialisation specialists.

July 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The makers of a biomass-eating military robot have clarified that the machine is a vegetarian, and not a non-vegetarian as was earlier reported. Robotic Technology Inc.'s (RTI's) Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR) "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," according to the company's Web site.

July 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find - grass, wood, old furniture, or even dead bodies. Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR) "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.

July 8th, 2009 LONDON - Dogs can find food by sniffing the snouts of fellow canines, finds a new study. "They're scavengers," New Scientist magazine quoted Clive Wynne, a psychologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, as saying.

July 3rd, 2009 LONDON - It's not just laugh that is contagious, fear too falls in the same category, claim researchers. What's more, the smell of fear is real, the boffins said.

June 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Patrol agents along the US border are using a sophisticated ground penetrating radar to spot illegal tunnels dug by criminals. While most tunnels are used to move drugs or people, they could also be used to move in weapons and explosives for a terrorist attack.

June 12th, 2009 NEW YORK - Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International that runs public toilets in India, has been awarded the Renewable Energy Award for developing low cost toilet technology to produce energy out of human excreta.

June 10th, 2009 NEW YORK - Sulabh International, an Indian organisation popular for introducing low-cost toilet technology, has been selected for this year's prestigious Renewable Energy award. The Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organisation (IREO) will present the award to Sulabh founder, Dr.Bindeshwar Pathak, at the United Nations headquarters here Thursday.

April 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Rapper Busta Rhymes feels that rapid technological advancements are "dehumanising people". The 36-year-old singer, real name Trevor Smith, admits while hi-tech gadgets are useful, the convenience is beginning to "dehumanising people" by reducing personal interaction.

March 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have discovered a way to detect explosives based on the physical properties of their vapours and are readying the technology, which utilises micro-sensors, for field testing. 'Certain classes of explosives have unique thermal characteristics that help to identify explosive vapours in presence of other vapours,' said Thomas Thundat, Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) and University of Tennessee researcher who conducted the study with colleagues at ORNL and the Technical University of Denmark.