In this week's wrap, with Movember upon us, there is now an application to assist men in their month-long moustache growing efforts, and Eminem was named Artist of the Year at the first annual YouTube awards. Get the details on these stories and more below.
Scientists bring dinosaurs back to life
The fictional fantasies of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park could be a little closer than we think. A group of experts from the University of Manchester have digitally reconstructed one of the world's largest dinosaurs, allowing it to take its first steps in over 94 million years.
By laser scanning a 40-metre-long skeleton of the Cretaceous Agentinosaurus dinosaur, and using advanced computer modelling techniques, they were able to recreate the enormous animal's movements and tested its locomotion abilities.
"If you want to work out how dinosaurs walked, the best approach is computer simulation. This is the only way of bringing together all the different strands of information we have on this dinosaur, so we can reconstruct how it once moved," said Dr Bill Sellers, lead researcher on the project from the University's Faculty of Life Sciences.
Via: Phsy.org
YouTube holds first ever awards
YouTube held its first awards ceremony in New York recently. The event was not broadcast on TV, but was rather streamed online and much of the happenings during the ceremony were improvised.
The video-sharing site celebrated the work of Eminem, Lady Gaga and M.I.A, who all made live music videos, which were directed by the awards' creator Spike Jonze, among others. Nominees were chosen based on YouTube views, likes, comments and subscription figures. Eminem walked away with Artist of the Year, while Taylor Swift's "I knew you were trouble" landed the YouTube Phenomenon award.
YouTube user DeStorm Power was awarded Innovation of the Year for his 250 videos on the video sharing Web site, which have been watched over 200 million times. The popularity of YouTube was made evident by a recent Nielsen report, which found that 64% of American adolescents listened to music on YouTube, outdoing the 56% who listened to music on the radio.
Via: Sky News
Smart jacket protects miners
Chile has the highest fatality rate in the global mining sector. Inspired by efforts that saw a group of Chilean miners being rescued after spending over two months underground, a team of university graduates in Chile have developed a jacket equipped with technology to ensure the safety of miners who work in dangerous conditions.
The smart jackets transmit information about the situation underground in real-time, and will send out a warning message when conditions become dangerous. Sensors fitted to the jacket are designed to track the environment inside the mine, as well as the wearer's vital signs as they undertake their day-to-day activities. The data is sent via WiFi to computers above ground, where officials can keep watch for any occupational hazards.
Developers are making plans to get the jacket to market and ultimately to make it a part of the standard safety equipment used by miners around the world.
Via: Reuters
Harvesting electromagnetic electricity
A German researcher has created a device that harvests free electricity by soaking up radiation. The device gathers nearby energy and is capable of recharging an AA battery. Essentially, a wireless power transfer, the technology harvests energy from almost any source, including things like overhead power lines, coffee machines or even the ambient energy from your WiFi router or smartphone.
Because every electrical device gives off electromagnetic radiation, that radiation can be tapped into, and when passed across a coil of wire, can produce an electrical current. The success of this wireless charging tech depends on the range and orientation of the transmitter and on the strength of the electromagnetic field.
Via: ExtremeTech
Mobile app tracks your 'mo'
The annual Movember campaign for men's health sees men from around the world sporting a little extra fuzz on their upper lips for the duration of November. This year, there is a mobile app that brings the "mo" experience to your Android or iOS device.
The application allows users to recruit Movember team members and share updates. Users can also track the growth of their 'stache, allowing the individual to stitch together all the images taken over the month into stop-motion video.
"It's an interesting challenge to create great apps on a charity budget," said Movember CEO and co-founder Adam Garone. Last year, 1.1 million participants in the Movember campaign raised $147 million for causes including the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Via: Mashable
Car Mode curbs phone use while driving
While switching a mobile device to Airplane Mode disables its radios and WiFi, turning your device onto Car Mode will see your gadget functioning with road safety in mind.
Designed by Joey Cofone and Michael Vanderbyl for iPhones, Car Mode automatically pairs your smartphone with your vehicle's Bluetooth system, offering hands-free calls and turn-by-turn navigation. In this mode, all notifications are disabled, meaning any sounds or alerts that you would receive when there is an incoming call or message will be turned off. Any messages sent to your phone will receive an automatic reply, informing the sender that you are driving and are unable to receive their call or reply to their messages. Only once you stop the car and switch off the ignition will you receive the notifications that were sent while you were driving.
According to the developers of Car Mode, it is not a separate app or device, but rather is embedded within iOS 7, which encourages more people to use it because it is already part of the iPhone's operating system.
Via: UberGizmo
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