Scientists working for the US Air Force have created t-shirts and underwear that could be worn for weeks without washing yet could remain hygienic. LIvescience.com reported that "the new technology attaches nanoparticles to clothing fibers using microwaves. Then, chemicals that can repel water, oil and bacteria are directly bound to the nanoparticles. These two elements combine to create a protective coating on the fibers of the material. This coating both kills bacteria, and forces liquids to bead and run off."

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Dopod International officially announced the entry of its phone in the local market. With the entry of three new handset models, Dopod officials assured the consumers that the problems with Dopod 900, the company’s first 3.5G handset, is now a thing of the past. I was informed that the battery life of the new units has been greatly improved and the connectivity problem is no longer an issue with the new models. I used to have the Dopod 900 but I gave it up because of very bad battery life and connectivity problems with the PC. With the launch of the new handset models I am thinking of going back to Dopod as it is not only a phone but also a real computer.

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The HWS-BTA2W or the Sony Wireless Music Gateway provides non-Bluetooth devices with audio streaming capabilities. The Sony HWS-BTA2W is a two-way audio adaptor that converts non-Bluetooth products into stereo Bluetooth devices by transmitting and receiving stereo audio streaming. This gadget allows users to control and transmit to any music device with a standard 3.55mm stereo jack using a cell phone or a computer with Bluetooth capabilities. I found this gadget when I was scouring the streets of Hong Kong for some gadgets and, surprisingly, maybe because of the Japanese markings all over it, nobody seemed to notice it.

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Space.com reported that super futuristic military capabilities would be available for testing in just three years. This means that what we see now in sci-fi movies will become a reality soon. Soldiers will soon be able to see through walls and carry objects more than 20x their own weight. They will also be better protected. The risk of internal injuries are still possible using current armor; the armor of the future will provide a more protective 2-inch gap between the soldier and his armor eliminating the shock waves that may cause broken ribs and other injuries. And by 2010 body-worn sensors that monitor basic body functions like breathing, heart and pulse rate, and shock waves from bullets will let medics know right away when soldiers get injured.

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An Indian chess player has been banned for 10 years for cheating after he was caught using his mobile phone’s wireless device to win games. The player, Umakant Sharma, had logged rating points at a rapid pace in the last 18 months and also qualified for the national championship, arousing the suspicion of officials and bemusing rivals.

Sharma was finally caught at a recent tournament when officials discovered that he had stitched a Bluetooth device in a cloth cap that he always pulled over his ears.

His accomplices outside the hall, who used a computer to simulate the games, relayed the best possible moves to him by calling his mobile phone. (Reuters)

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After we published the Motorola KRZR review, Technews Lab was flooded with calls and emails asking us our opinion about the phone. KRZR is also one of the top words searched in our site and the same word has brought us good traffic from Google and other search engines. The Motorala KRZR K1 has caught the attention of many people because of its looks and very elegant finish. Here’s the last paragraph of the review:

"The Motorola KRZR K1 or MOTOKRZR is definitely an eye-catching phone. I have yet to meet someone who was has not admired or at least touched the phone and was left envious. It has a solid construction, is slim, is shiny and certainly is a fashionable piece of art packed with new and standard functionalities. However, like other Motorola phones that we have tested, the K1 mysteriously slows down after a few weeks of extensive use, giving us doubts whether to include this unit in our shopping list come Christmas time." (Technews, November 27, 2006)

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My vacation in Davao last Christmas and New Year was one of the best vacations I ever had except that I forgot to bring my phone chargers. My Nokia E61 has no compatible charger even though most phones at home are Nokia phones. Good thing the staff of the Nokia store in SM Davao were very accommodating. Dino and Lotis, the sales representatives of thNokia store in SM Davao, accommodated my request, unlike the Sony Ericsson store in NCCC Mall, when I tried to ask them if I could charge my SE Z610i. I went to both stores as an ordinary customer; I did not inform them that I was from the Manila Bulletin.

Just recently, Luanne Erni, the outgoing Marketing Communications Manager of Nokia Philippines informed me that Nokia would soon launch public charging centers. These public charging centers would be placed in malls, fastfood chains and schools. With these charging centers consumers would be confident to go out without fear of experiencing "low batt".

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Davao International airport is one of the best airports in the Philippines not only because of its looks and cleanliness but also because of the uniformed and non-uniformed personnel manning its doors. Under the leadership of Supt. Ernesto Reyes, PNP-ASG, his male police officers Arnel D. Cain and Arnel M. Aca patiently search and assist the passengers at the final security check. The two Arnels said that they usually become the whipping boys of irate passengers when they confiscate liquids and gels as new rules prohibit passengers from brining these kinds of stuff inside the airplane. Police Officer Cain said that many passengers are still unaware of these new rules that most of the time passengers argue with them. "We just implement the rules; this is the reason why we just laugh it off when passengers argue and even curse us". The two police officers work with non-uniformed personnel (NUP) Mr. Raymond Tayag, Joseph Palamine and x-ray operator Ms. Amalia Bautista.