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World Wide Wrap

Joanne Carew
By Joanne Carew, ITWeb Cape-based contributor.
Johannesburg, 05 Oct 2012

In this week's roundup, the Mars Curiosity Rover checked into Foursquare from Mars on Wednesday; scientists have developed electronics that dissolve when they are no longer needed; driverless cars will soon grace the streets of California, as legislation was passed to allow the technology on public roads; the ecoATM is a system that recycles or reimburses outdated gadgets; Disney is exploring the use of 3D printers to build new kinds of light features into objects; and many of the gadgets featured in classic James Bond films were unbelievable at the time, but are a part of everyday life today.

Checking in from Mars

The Mars rover Curiosity, some 182 million miles from Earth, checked in on Mars on 3 October. At approximately 2pm (East Coast Earth time), the rover, currently on the Red Planet to study its climate and geology and look for signs of past life, posted the following update on Foursquare: "One check-in closer to being Mayor of Mars!"

Via Huffington Post

Dissolving electronics melt in your body

Scientists at the University of Illinois, with help from Tufts and Northwestern Universities, have developed biodegradable electronics that can achieve a task and then dissolve. This technology not only reduces the amount of consumer electronics in landfills, but can also be used in medicine as medical implants, which dissolve in bodily fluids once they have done their job.

Via The Register

Driverless cars legal in California

California has officially declared that driverless vehicles are legally allowed to drive on public roads. This new technological development presents a number of far-reaching consequences for the insurance industry. According to experts, the system's accuracy could reduce the number of fatalities that occur on the roads on a daily basis.

Via The SA Leader

ecoATM recycles old phones, tablets

ecoATM has developed a unique, automated system that lets consumers trade in old devices for reimbursement or recycling. The ecoATM makes use of sophisticated artificial intelligence and can differentiate varied consumer electronics products and determine a market value.

Via Phys.org

Disney Research develops 3D printing optics

Researchers at Disney Research Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University are conducting experiments using 3D printed optics with clear resin. Printed optics can create various effects within 3D-printed objects, from focusing light within printed prisms to channelling light through honeycomb-like "light pipes". One concept involves a game of chess played on a tabletop display. As each player moves a chess piece across the board, its location is automatically sensed and displayed on the screen, which is then piped through its pedestal.

Via Gizmag

Bond gadgets now a reality

For James Bond, gadgets were as central to his persona as the martini and the glamorous Bond girls. Many of the gadgets featured in Bond films of days gone by were not commonplace innovations when they first appeared in Bond films, but are now part of our everyday tech lexicons.

Via Washington Post

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