Handheld breath sensor could help detect cancer

University of Oklahoma researchers are working on a high-tech breath test that could one day help detect cancer.
The team is using mid-infrared laser technology to measure suspected cancer biomarkers in the breath, such as ethane, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, and to establish the relationship between those gas molecules and the disease. Ultimately, they hope their work will lead to easy-to-use detection devices that don't emit radiation.

But it may take a while before doctors have such devices in hand. Patrick McCann, an OU professor of electrical and computer engineering who's leading the team, predicts that it will take five to 10 years for the gadgets to find their way into clinics.
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Facebook: The Movie: Now, who should play Mark Zuckerberg?

If a recently created group on Facebook is to be believed, entertainment stalwart Aaron Sorkin--creator of The West Wing and A Few Good Men--is working on penning a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about the origins of Facebook. Someone claiming to be Sorkin's researcher created the group so that he can learn more about the site, and several hundred Facebook members have already joined.

So maybe it's real and maybe it isn't real. But let's start asking the really important questions: which young actor should play founder Mark Zuckerberg?

I say Jason Schwartzman. He's slight and prone to geeky roles, he's already played Ringo Starr and Louis XIV, and it can't be that hard for him to dye his hair blond and wax philosophical about the "social graph". Alternate: Arrested Development star Michael Cera, who already has the blond hair and can play geeks like nobody's business. (Thanks to Elliot Schimel for that suggestion.)
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New Dell leaks: XPS Studio 13 and 16

To give credit where credit is due, Dell's recent reveal of its new Latitude E-series business laptop line was the first new laptop announcement in a long time to not completely leak a few days or weeks early. (There were some photos and rumors a few months ago, but overall, it was a successful launch.)

The same cannot be said for Dell's consumer side--every new product is leaked, usually with detailed photos and spec sheets, leaving little actual news for the system's launch day. Case in point--these new photos and details (purportedly from an internal PowerPoint) of something called the Dell XPS Studio line.

We're familiar with both the XPS and Studio brands, and we're curious to see if this new hybrid is the beginning of the end of one or both as a standalone. These slides, from notebookreview.com, show slot-loading Blu-ray drives, edge-to-edge glass displays, hybrid SLI graphics (that's a GPU and the motherboard's integrated graphics working together), and backlit keyboards. In addition, the 16-inch model is shown with some cool-looking wood accents on the lid.
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Hang a BlackBerry Bold from your ear

In your face, iPhone! CrackBerry addicts now have a new way to show their loyalty to the smart phone--by dangling tiny versions from their ears.

And there's no need to fear added radiation from these BlackBerry Bolds. The earrings, which measure about three-quarters of an inch high--are made from Fimo, a polymer clay. They were selling for US$3 (plus shipping) on Etsy, an online market for homemade goods, but they're sold out now.

Maybe the upcoming release of Research In Motion's highly anticipated Bold will inspire the artist, whose Etsy handle is picnicbybarbfeldman, to pound out some more. She has been working with Fimo since 1971 and says she can make the earrings even tinier than the ones pictured--as studs about three-eighths of an inch wide and a half an inch high. Um, talk about BlackBerry thumb!

Thanks to Popgadget for ringing us up on this one.

Via Crave CNET

Benefits add up for water-powered calculator

We really like the idea of eco-friendly water-powered gadgets. Exhibit A: The H20 desk calculator. Add a few drops of tap water to the removable battery and put it back in the product for up to three months of use. When the display begins to fade, just make another trip to the sink.

This isn't the only water- or electrolytic-liquid-powered calculator around, but online seller Solutions notes that the battery in this one can be taken out, stored in a dry state indefinitely, and activated when needed. It can be "re-energized by the addition of water again and again", supposedly lasting a lot longer than alkaline batteries.

The calculator has a standard 12-digit display and takes care of your basic adding machine functions. It sells for US$24.95, which seems more than reasonable if promises of an Energizer Bunny-type battery persistence bear out.

Readers, have you used an agua-powered clock, calculator, or other gizmo? If so, how did it work? Are H20-powered cell phones and MP3 players next?

Via | Source: Gadgetastic

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