Ah science, where would we be without it? Well it turns out that in a few years time we could all be using iPods and mobile phones that don’t even require batteries or mains power for their source of power. Instead they could rely on the movements of our own bodies to generate electricity – whether it be our heart beating, our legs moving or the pinch of our fingers!

A team of scientists presented their findings at a National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, in which they used zinc oxide nanowires to generate electricity when strained and flexed.  Dr. Zhong Lin Wang of the team said of their findings:

This development represents a milestone toward producing portable electronics that can be powered by body movements without the use of batteries or electrical outlets.

Our nanogenerators are poised to change lives in the future. Their potential is only limited by one’s imagination.

Their latest development of the concept was thousands of times more powerful than their previous attempts and Dr. Wang is hopeful that if they can sustain the rate of improvement the nanogenerator could be used for a “broad range of other applications that require more power.” Five nanogenaroters can currently produce a cumulative total of about 1 microampere at 3 volts, which is equivalent to 2 AA batteries – a substantial increase from previous versions.

[Via The Telegraph]

If you recall, last week we reported on a request from four US Senators that Apple remove apps that warn and alert users of where DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoints are. Well the Association for Competitive Technology, a group of thousands of independent software developers has responded to this request by the Senators and objected to the reasoning of the claims.

Rebutting the contention that the apps are “harmful to public safety”, the group’s president, Jonathan Zuck, said that the concerns raised are actually “in conflict with the public interest on the issue of traffic safety.” Citing the National Highway Safety Administration, he goes on to say that heightened awareness of DUI checkpoints acts as a deterrent to illegal behaviour and that “several of the apps in question have received particular commendation from the law enforcement community.”

Furthermore some of the apps in question, including PhantomALERT (which is part of the A.C.T. group) and Trapster use data from the public domain - some of which is required by law to be published, this data will continue to live on regardless of whether some smartphone apps are pulled. Meanwhile, RIM last week removed PhantomALERT from it’s app store and was applauded by the Senators who issued a statement saying “Drunk drivers will soon have one less tool to evade law enforcement and endanger our friends and families. We appreciate RIM’s immediate reply and urge the other smartphone makers to quickly follow suit.” Jump the break for the A.C.T. group’s full response to the Senator’s request.

[Via Cult of Mac]

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In the spring of 1997 Apple released a $7,499 computer produced in 12,000 limited copies and designed by Jonathan Ive. This computer, the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, was in fact the first “big project” for Ive at Apple, but its sales didn’t go very well. Widely regarded by true Apple aficionados as a unique piece of Apple history that can also run Mac OS 9 (initially developed with System 7 in mind), this Macintosh model was built by Ive to “have a very small footprint” on the desktop and be easy to “move around”. Many see it as the father of the popular iMac line that was introduced a year later, and to good reason: the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh provided a better way to manage and install cables, had a standalone keyboard and, overall, was the first example of “all-in-one” design.

A never-used Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh has surfaced on eBay, and it’s currently bidding at $1,025.00. The box was opened for inspection, but the computer was never used and the packaging parts are still sealed. From the description of the item:

The TAM comes in one large box, with four smaller boxes inside consisting of the accessory box, keyboard, system and subwoofer. The accessory box was opened only to inspect the condition of the batteries out of concern that the corrosion of them over time could have damaged other components. The batteries did in fact expand but did not leak, causing no damage to any of the other accessories. The accessories themselves are all new, otherwise untouched, including the thick users manual which is still shrink-wrapped, and a special TAM pen and pencil set which come in a special Apple embossed leather case. The system and subwoofer boxes remain sealed, and therefore are to be in perfect condition, but because testing was not performed this system is being sold in as-is condition. Servicing of TAM’s is no longer available directly from Apple, but may be available thru an independent authorized service center.

The “TAM” was only released in the US, Japan, France, Germany, and UK – this is a great chance to get your hands on it if you’ve got money to spend (the auction will likely go up very soon) and you want to add a piece of Apple’s Macintosh history to your collection. Check out a video of Jony Ive talking about the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh below, courtesy of Electronista.
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