Robot Offers Hope to Would-Be Spidermen

(NEWSER) - Honda today demonstrated new technology it hopes will make the Jetsons look old-fashioned. The company unveiled a special helmet that allows its wearer to control a robot by thought alone, the Guardian reports. The helmet scans brain activity and relays it to a computer, which then instructs the robot what to do. The device remains in the primitive stages and is years away from any practical use. More»

High-tech 'carp' find chemical contaminants in Spanish harbor

(NEWSER) - Robots will soon be patrolling the harbor of Gijon, Spain, and if all goes well, the local sea life won't notice a thing, reports the Financial Times. The pollution-detecting bots cost $30,000 each and are modeled after carp, complete with shiny scales and an undulating swimming motion. "We are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years’ worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient," said a researcher on the project. More»

You haven't already spent that tax refund, have you?

(NEWSER) - This year, the government’s economic stimulus package will add $600 to the average $2,300 refund each taxpayer receives. That’s a sizable chunk of change, perfect for a little tech-toy indulgence, reports ComputerWorld.

1. Casio Exilim Pro Ex-FI high-speed digital camera: Snag 60 frames in a single second, to score a shot in which everyone’s eyes are open.

Man spotted directly below the carvings of four presidents

(AP) - Authorities have arrested a man for climbing Mount Rushmore National Memorial in western South Dakota. A Mount Rushmore rep says the climber was arrested about 2:15pm yesterday on federal charges that include trespassing and climbing the memorial. She did not identify the man, who has yet to appear in court. He was spotted on the loose rock directly below the carvings of four presidents, and park rangers escorted him safely down the mountain. The rep says the sculpture was never in any danger. More»

'T-rays' provide speeds 20 times faster

(NEWSER) - Japanese scientists have set a whopping record for wireless data speeds—20 times faster than typical WiFi—by using an unconventional part of the electromagnetic spectrum known as the "T-ray" band. The researchers were able to transmit data at 3 gigabytes per second. "T-ray" technology could eventually lighten the load on lower WiFi frequencies that have become jam-packed by data-hungry consumers, reports BBC . More»