Our Times: June 2005
Mobile phones have become popular in a remote Romanian village.
Lee DunstanMar 20, 2023, 12:37 AM
For Sale . . .
A Scud missile complete with its own launch truck is for sale on eBay. The launcher, which makes a Humvee look like a Dinky toy, has been repaired and repainted, and has only 300 km on the odo. The owner hopes to receive around $A66,000 for this rare item, and already has offers from Hollywood studios.
Remote Access
Mobile phones have become popular in a remote Romanian village. This may not seem all that strange except users have to walk eight kilometres to recharge them. The small village in Bistrita Nasaud country has 80 households, none of which has electricity but all of whom have at least one mobile phone.
Print-A-Meal
A chef has created a computer that prints paper meals. It uses ink made of liquidised food to print a picture snack on low-cal edible paper. The “meals” on soya bean and potato paper are intended to help office workers satisfy food cravings without piling on the kilos, as well as blend into the desktop.
Sunscreen Pill
Sun worshippers may soon be able to pop a pill to protect their skin, instead of slapping on handfuls of greasy lotion. The drug, made from a plant known to have the ability to destroy cancerous cells and rich in antioxidants, significantly reduced damage to skin exposed to direct sunlight. Taking a pill before sun exposure would be much simpler than having to regularly top up on sunscreen.
Online Library
The Libraries of Harvard, Stanford, University of Michigan, University of Oxford, and the New York Public Library have joined with Google to digitally scan library books to make them searchable online. This medium will benefit both publishers and authors, increasing the the visibility of both in- and out-of-print titles, and generating book sales via advertising.
Mobile Golf
Subway commuters could soon become more energetic in Japan through a new motion-sensitive mobile telephone. The V603SH, billed as the first phone in Japan to respond to movements, will let users perform basic mobile functions through programmed shakes and jerks. The 142 g mobile telephone doubles as a golf club, where users perform a programmed swing then look at the screen for feedback on their putting action.
More Articles
Nov 9, 2022
Does God Give Signs?
Is it appropriate to ask God for a sign when you want to know whether or not to do something?
Nov 9, 2022
An Exile in Babylon
Let's look at the historicity and accuracy of a long-disputed, even ignored, archaeological source - the Bible
Nov 9, 2022
Love and Obedience
Which comes first?
Mar 20, 2023
7 Non-Material Ways of Giving
Christmas may be a season of giving, but as Victor Parachin discovers, you don't have to go broke doing so
Mar 20, 2023
Ben Carson: The Faith of a Surgeon
Jarrod Stackelroth explores the life and faith of one ofthe world's bestknown and "gifted" neurosurgeons.