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You probably don't go hunting for decaying bodies too often, but then you probably don’t work in the field of forensics. If you did, then you’d be glad to hear that technology recently developed by America’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) should make finding buried bodies much easier. Traditionally, cadaver-sniffing dogs have been used to find bodies, but they can be limited in situations such as where a body is buried under concrete. The new device, however, uses a probe slightly thicker than a human hair to probe the soil, detecting ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen (NRN) that collects in air pockets around gravesoil. Previous technology could only achieve that same end through what NIST describes as “the tedious and expensive process” of solvent extraction of soil samples. Read More
What’s in a name? Google Goggles lets you search the web with pictures
By Jeff Salton
23:06 December 8, 2009
As Juliet was heard to remark: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Well, that’s fine for Juliet but if you can’t think of a name for something, how do you search for it on the Web? Use Google Goggles. This new app for Android phones lets you use pictures taken with your mobile phone to conduct your searches. It's especially handy for things that aren't easy to describe in words – like ones right in front of you! There's no need to type or speak your query - all you have to do is open the app, snap a picture, and wait for your search results. Read More
Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are developing software that would enable computers to perform video analysis tasks, such as alerting emergency services if a video surveillance camera detects a person falling and not getting up. The software could also be used to search inside videos and look for certain objects, such as basketballs or footballs, hence reducing the time taken to locate a certain game or scene. Read More
