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Laser-Etching Threatens Future of Stickers on Fruit

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Nov 5th 2009 at 3:12PM

Let's face it. Fruit's gotten kinda boring. Unless they're wearing pajamas or belting out Motown classics, most household fruits lack character. A new labeling system, though, might finally give fruit that bad-boy, tattoo-parlor image it's been lacking for so long.

Instead of bearing the same dull sticker labels, fruit may soon appear on supermarket aisles with laser brands directly etched onto their skins. Thanks to a new technology that uses a low-energy carbon dioxide beam to print labels, you may never again have to pick away at that pesky sticker before enjoying a juicy Golden Delicious. So far, it seems the technique is pretty safe for consumers; a recent study found that thusly labeled grapefruits showed no significant water loss or increased decay rates when compared to non-branded fruits. And, even better, the new technology would be a lot more eco-friendly, reducing the need to print paper stickers, which become instant garbage anyway. Similar technologies have already been approved in Asia, South Africa, Central and South America, Canada, and Europe. The FDA has yet to give the process its seal of approval, but if it does, it would be only a matter of time before produce aisles all over the country got their own ink. [From: PSFK, via Inhabitat]

Tags: etching, fda, food, fruit, laser, top, weird

Computers

Kellogg's Lasering Its Logo on Corn Flakes to Protect Against Imitators

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 14th 2009 at 8:23AM


There's technology in place to detect counterfeit money, but what about counterfeit breakfast cereal? It might sound like a dumb question, but it's one that Kellogg's is taking very seriously. According to the Daily Mail, the cereal maker used a laser to burn its cursive logo on a limited batch of Corn Flakes that will soon hit store shelves. If this test run is successful, Kellogg's plans to include a number of branded flakes in each box of Corn Flakes, along with other cereals like Frosties, Special K, Crunchy Nut, and Bran Flakes, in an effort to combat imitation cereals.

While the Kellogg's rooster had no comment, lead food technologist Helen Lyons told the Daily Mail, "We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else." (If she really didn't want shoppers to be confused, couldn't she have found a less confusing way of saying that?) And who knew the cereal business was so cutthroat, anyway? We bet that Trix rabbit has something to do with this. He always was up to no good. [From: The Daily Mail]

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Tags: branding, business, cereal, food, kelloggs, laser, logo, top, weird

Computers

Lasers and Electrical Outlets Can Be Used to Steal Stuff Off Computers

by Kaiser Hwang (RSS feed) — Jul 13th 2009 at 6:23AM


Andrea Barisani and Daniele Bianco, two researchers from network security company Inverse Path, will soon be demonstrating how to power lines and off-the-shelf lasers to capture a user's keystrokes at the Black Hat 2009 security conference in Las Vegas. Both methods are similar in that each uses different fluctuations to determine what keys are being pressed: The first uses voltage differences and leaked keyboard signals, while the latter measures the vibrations made when a particular key is hit. It took the two no more than a week to produce verified results, according to a paper published by the two researchers.

The components to create the power line and laser hacks can cost as little as $100 to $500 according to Barisani, with the only essential things needed being the power grid, and a distant line of sight, respectively. The two also bring up a good point saying, "If our small research was able to accomplish acceptable results in a brief development time and with cheap hardware, consider what a dedicated team or government agency can accomplish with more expensive equipment and effort." Head on over to Network World for the nitty-gritty on how each hack works. [From: Network World]

Tags: blackhat2009, hack, laser, lasers, security, top

How to Turn a Flashlight Into a Laser (Video)

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Apr 6th 2009 at 7:18AM



If you have an abundance of flashlights and a dearth of futuristic armaments in your house, then you'll want to take a look at what the weaponry wizards over at TechEBlog.com and Kipkay.com have for you. Without revealing whether the blueprints came from 'The A-Team' or 'MacGyver,' the video on Kipkay.com provides step-by-step instructions for converting a "regular mini-mag flashlight into a powerful burning laser." Requiring only the flashlight, a DVD burner, an Aixiz laser housing, a soldering iron, and a drill, the final product generates a laser, as demonstrated in the video, powerful enough to light a match or pop a balloon.

There is one negative, though. The how-to doesn't address how we're supposed to attach the finished laser to the head of a shark. Sorry, but we just couldn't help ourselves. Check out the video after the break. [From: Kipkay via TechEBlog]

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Tags: dangerous gadgets, DangerousGadgets, diy, flashlight, laser, laserbeam, lasers

Visionaries

World's Largest Laser Finally Complete

by Chad Mumm (RSS feed) — Apr 2nd 2009 at 9:25AM

Watch out, Alderaan; the world's largest laser is finally complete. Created to blast tiny hydrogen atoms into a self-sustaining fusion reaction, the giant laser system -- located in Livermore, California -- is known as the National Ignition Facility (NIF). According to the Daily Mail, the system is comprised of 192 laser beams and is 60 times more powerful than the next most powerful laser.

It'll have to be powerful, considering atomic fusion requires enormous amounts of energy to become self-sustaining. In a fusion reaction, two atoms are fused together to become one atom. We're all familiar with Einstein's famous equation e=mc², which states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, although it (matter) can be converted to energy. This means that fusion reactions release a staggering amount of energy -- enough to power the sun, as well as the world's most powerful nuclear weapons.

Until now, scientists had been able to create small fusion reactions using lasers in a lab, but could only sustain the reactions by adding more and more energy. The holy grail for fusion researchers is "ignition," whereby the reaction is strong enough to power itself and become self-sustaining (hence the name, National Ignition Facility). Although scientists hope that the new laser system (which will begin firing in 2010) will be powerful enough to reach this ignition point, nobody knows for sure whether or not it will, because there has never before been a project of this size and scale. You can read more about it at the project's Web site, here.

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Tags: fusion, laser, military tech, MilitaryTech, national ignition facility, NationalIgnitionFacility, nif, nuclear, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, NuclearPower, NuclearWeapons, science, top

U.S. Soldiers Blind Each Other With Lasers, Blame Lack of Training

by Chad Mumm (RSS feed) — Mar 30th 2009 at 11:12AM


What did your mom tell you about pointing lasers in other people's eyes? Apparently, U.S. troops in Iraq have recently suffered a rash of laser "friendly fire" incidents; since November, one unit has experienced 12 such incidents, resulting in the injuries of 14 soldiers. Of the 14, one soldier was permanently blinded in one eye and three more were forced to undergo medical evacuation, according to a report by Sgt. Crystal Reidy of the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC). Capt. Russell Harris, an ESC troop commander from Denison, Texas, chalks up the incidents to a lack of training with the devices, writes Sgt. Reidy.

Although they might conjure up images of 'Star Wars,' lasers have found use in military convoys as a means of deterring non-authorized vehicles. These green laser "dazzlers" are meant to be non-lethal and non-damaging to the eyes, but, according to Wired's Danger Room report, some troops have instead been issued much more powerful lasers, intended only for weapon aiming and designating targets. Since these models are apparently still being used as dazzlers, and since many soldiers may think the devices are harmless, it's not entirely surprising that there have been so many incidents.

Sgt. Chris Horvath, a victim of one of these incidents, told Sgt. Reidy, "We are all U.S. Soldiers, you would never point your rifle at another Soldier, don't point your laser." We couldn't agree more, Sergeant, but we can't help thinking that reminds us of something we've heard before... [From: Gouverneur Times, Via: Wired]

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Tags: army, expire-images:2010-3-29, laser, military, military tech, MilitaryTech

Weaponized Lasers Coming to A Battlefield Near You...Eventually

by Peter Mychalcewycz (RSS feed) — Mar 24th 2009 at 6:05AM



Next time Dr. Evil asks his cohorts for a "frickin' laser," they just might be able to give him one; Northrop Grumman, a military manufacturer and defense systems developer, has successfully tested a 100-kilowatt (kW), electric laser for the first time. This weapon is far different from the mosquito-killing laser we talked about last week.

The development of this laser is significant because 100 kW is considered battlefield strength. The device consists of seven laser amplifier chains, each of which can produce around 15 kW of power. The development of a single, complete laser amplifier chain (which combine to form the foundation for more powerful lasers) had preoccupied scientists for a long time. Now that researchers have finally created a military-grade laser, they can focus on three major issues hindering mass production: size, weight and cost.

Once these futuristic weapons are smaller, lighter, and cheaper, we're betting they'll be employed by the U.S. military for defense against enemy rockets, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, mortar rounds, and pretty much any other mechanized threat. [From: DVICE]

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Tags: future tech, FutureTech, laser, lasers, military, science

eBay

Scientists Shoot Down Malaria-Carrying Mosquitoes with Frickin' Lasers

by Darren Murph (RSS feed) — Mar 16th 2009 at 2:01PM

Seriously, is there anything a laser can't do? A team of mad scientists in Washington have concocted a system that could essentially eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes with lasers, and the whole thing can be built from parts sourced on eBay. The so-called mosquito laser is credited to an idea from Lowell Wood, an astrophysicist who worked with Edward Teller, the "architect of the original plan to use lasers to shield America from the rain of Soviet nuclear arms." In theory, at least, the technology could one day be used to draw a laser barrier of sorts around a village. Of course, the trick is to make the lasers powerful enough to smoke the bugs without harming humans -- any of you Earthlings up for a clinical trial or two? [Via eHow]

Tags: disease, health, laser, lasers, malaria, Mosquitoes, rocket science, RocketScience, science, weapon

Audio/Video

Maestro Guitar Attachment Lets You Shred With Lasers

by Darren Murph (RSS feed) — Feb 8th 2009 at 12:33PM


The world needs another instructional guitar tool like it needs another hole in the ozone layer, but in all seriousness, this one is stupendous. Er, it exhibits remarkable potential, considering that it's not yet beyond the concept stage. Designer Eugene Cheong has dreamed up the Maestro, an attachment that can supposedly be adapted to work on any guitar (of the electric variety, we presume) and teach you what frets to mash in order to actually become a halfway decent player. Put simply, the device accepts MP3 files via SD card, and then it breaks down the tunes into tablature which can be displayed via lasers. Once you see the beams lighting up your fretboard, you mash / strum in order to keep up and "learn" the songs. We can only hope this thing adds a slowdown mode should it ever hit store shelves, 'cause even the amateur probably doesn't want to tackle select Dream Theater tracks at full speed
[Via DVICE]

Tags: art, concept, design, guitar, instrument, laser, Maestro, music

Computers

Lasers Are the Only Way to Deal With Pirates, Says Homeland Security

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 6th 2008 at 6:42PM

Lasers - The Solution to All of Life's Problems
Despite what Homer would have you believe, beer is not the cause of, and solution to all of life's problems. According to homeland security analyst, James Jay Carafano, the solution to all life's problems is actually lasers.

Carafano, a PhD and Senior Research Fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has been suggesting for years that the solution to just about every security issue we face is directed energy weapons (DEW) such as lasers and microwave guns.

In 2004, he suggested outfitting power plants and transportation hubs with lasers to defend against missiles. Then in 2005, he declared them the future of anti-terrorism technology. In 2006, he suggested that laser-based weapons could be used to destroy Hezbollah rockets. And as if his obsession wasn't obvious enough yet, in 2007 he argued for deploying such weapons on nuclear powered Navy ships and that the Russian-Georgian conflict highlighted the need for DEW systems.

Now, Carafano is suggesting that these weapons would be perfect for defending against pirate attacks in the lawless seas. He argues that even low-powered lasers would be effective at disabling the engines of small boats and detonating shoulder-fired missiles before they could be launched. In fact, it seems the only thing Carafano isn't suggesting we do with lasers is strap them to the heads of sharks. [From: Wired]

Tags: laser, lasers, military, pirates, security, terrorism, weapons

These Gadgets Could Get You Arrested

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Sep 4th 2008 at 8:01PM



In an odd bit of tech trivia, Wired has compiled a list of gadgets that could get you arrested (other than your Hannah Montana iPod dock, naturally). The entries range include the WASP knife -- designed to aid you against undersea predators like sharks and manta rays through a combination of a very sharp blade and the ability to deploy 800-psi blasts of compressed freezing gas into its target -- to the Lil' Buttie, which allows you to easily tap a phone line.

Our favorite gadget on the list, however, has to be the Sonar II Burner. Developed by the best-named company in the history of companies, Wicked Lasers, the Sonar II is just that: a more powerful version of the lasers found in Blu-ray players, the laser machine can burn holes through paper and melt plastic.

And really, what more can you ask for in a tech story? Sharks with freaking laser beams attached to their heads?

Perhaps. [From: Wired]

Tags: crime, laser, law, safety

Computers

Military to Get Laser Weapons By Year's End

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Sep 4th 2008 at 12:43PM


Note: We guarantee there will be no jokes about "freakin' lasers" in this article.

Now that we've got that out of the way, word is that the U.S. military will finally get weapons grade lasers by the end of 2008. No joke, the holy grail of a laser-based weaponry is right around the corner, according to Northrop Grumman, a military contractor. Grumman recently tested an electronic laser system that combines small silicon-based lasers into one more powerful beam, much like the Death Star. 100 kilowatts (kW) is generally considered the threshold for a useful weapons grade laser, and the most recent test only hit 30 kW. Since the weapon is built simply by chaining smaller lasers together,it will be able to quickly scale up its power by the end of the year, according to Grumman.

These new electric lasers have replaced traditional chemical lasers, which are bulky and require noxious gases to generate their high-powered beams. The size and danger of these systems has rendered them impractical for most military situations.

Grumman isn't alone, though. The military also expects to see a laser truck from Boeing and a laser mortar from Raytheon soon. Plus, it just test-fired its aerial Advanced Tactical Laser for the first time. It's only a matter of time before we'll all have ray guns and plasma rifles. [From: Wired]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, laser, lasers, military, weapon, weapons

Doctors Use Laser to Destroy Brain Tumor in Conscious Patient

by Nilay Patel (RSS feed) — Sep 2nd 2008 at 3:12PM

Neurosurgery with robotic assistance is getting pretty old hat nowadays, so it looks like scientists are trying to up the difficulty factor by keeping their patients awake -- a team of French doctors just completed the first successful removal of malignant brain tumor from a still-conscious patient, using a computerized laser and an MRI scanner to guide the probe.

The fiber-optic laser was fed into the brain through a 3mm (.12 inch) hole in the patient's skull and guided via MRI to the tumor, where it fired for two minutes and completely destroyed the cancerous tissue. Once the tumor cells were dead, the cable was removed and the patient was allowed to return home -- all within a single day.

That's pretty impressive, and it comes on the heels of 15 similar trials where five out six patients who underwent the total removal procedure were cancer-free nine months after surgery. The team says further research will cost an additional two million euros to progress, but if this technique works as well as they claim after peer review, we'd guess that money won't be hard to come by. [From: Telegraph via Fark]

Tags: cancer, health, laser, laser neurosurgery, LaserNeurosurgery, medicine, mri, neurosurgery, science, surgery, tumor

Lasers Eliminate the Pain of the Dental Drill

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Aug 14th 2008 at 8:39AM

Dentists Drill Teeth With Lasers
The squeal and pain of the dentists' drill may soon be a thing of the past as oral caretakers look to the future... which, of course, means lasers. This is far from the first application of lasers in dental surgery, but until now they haven't been strong enough to penetrate teeth.

Because the lasers don't require physical contact between the tooth and the tool, vibrations are greatly reduced, which means far less pain. In fact, unless removing the decaying portions exposes a nerve, there may be no need for Novacaine injections at all, though many dentists will still give them as a precautionary measure.

Because decaying bone tissue in the teeth holds significantly more water than healthy enamel, the laser drill works by heating up water in the dead tissue causing microscopic explosions, literally blasting away the decayed bone. Unfortunately, traditional drills will still be needed to remove old-school mercury fillings, which can reflect the laser back at the dentist, posing a potential hazard.

As of now, laser filings are still expensive, but then again. According to the article in the UK's Daily Mail, the British National Health Service charges £75 (roughly $142) for one, compared with £40 ($75) for traditional filings. Here in the US, laser dentistry procedures cost about 30 percent more than standard dental procedures. [Source: Daily Mail]

Tags: dentist, drill, health, laser, medical, medicine

Car Tech

Laser-Equipped Windshield Aims to Make Driving Easier

by Darren Murph (RSS feed) — Jul 21st 2008 at 9:01AM


Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit's R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road's edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we'll theoretically react faster.

Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don't see why younger motorists won't benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you'll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we're one step closer to full-on autopilot. [Source: CNN]

Tags: driving, elderly, GM, laser, lasers, sensor, sensors, windshield

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