A Smartphone App That Detects Radiation In A Disaster

Fake Derailed Train At Disaster CityBrent Humphreys Disaster Cityis your one-stop for about every catastrophe you can think of. Train derailments, hurricanes, and other unfortunate happenings all get simulated at the Texas A&M site. As part of a test Wednesday, first responders test piloted something new: a smartphone app that detects radiation. GammaPix, which sounds like one of those weird apps you accidentally find in the App Store and assume doesn't work, is apparently a real thing for iPhone and Android that "can be used for the detection of radioactivity in everyday life such as exposure on airplanes, from medical patients or from contaminated products." It works through a smartphone's camera, so doesn't require any external attachments. Chips inside of a smartphone's built-in camera are sensitive to gamma rays; GammaPix uses its software to measure the impactof those rays, and give a picture of radioactivity in the area. The company says it works from up to 100 meters away. Wednesday, at the Disaster City exercise, first responders measured radiation levels with the app, then practiced sending the data to officials through a wireless network. The idea's that those officials will be able to make better-informed decisions more quickly with the data. Maybe one day civilians could download the app and be prepared to monitor radioactivity in an emergency, although they probably (hopefully) wouldn't get much of a chance to use it.

Wink Glasses Remind Computer Users to Blink

Technology has replaced conscious memory in so many aspects of our lives, reminding us of our appointments or alerting us when our oil needs changing. But reminding us to blink? One Japanese company has developed a pair of glasses that does exactly that. Developed by Japan's Masunaga Optical Manufacturing, Wink Glasses remind computer users to blink every so often to avoid eye strain. A sensor detects how long you go without blinking; after five seconds of staring blankly into the screen, the right lens fogs, obscuring your vision until you blink again. The glasses hold an eight hour charge, and even plug into a USB outlet for extra juice during those marathon WoW session. Of course, at $150, Wink Glasses qualify as an investment. But until someone invents a device to remind you to quit playing computer games and go get a girlfriend, what else are you going to spend your money on