Tech digest
Potter fans warned
Hogwarts fans will need more than a magic wand to save the contents of their bank accounts if they fall victim to the latest phishing scam. Billionaire author J.K. Rowling has issued a warning to Harry Potter fans not to respond to 'phishing' e-mails claiming to sell electronic copies of the unpublished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The e-mails asked wizard lovers to hand over credit card and bank details to pay for a copy of the sixth Potter book, due out on July 16. Ms Rowling's lawyers managed to close one fraudulent site offering the latest book, but the author warned the scams are likely to re-emerge. 'I would bet the original manuscript of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ...this will not be the last attempt to con HP fans,' she wrote on her website.
touchy feely robots
A South Korean professor has redefined cybersex by installing artificial chromosomes in robots to get them in the mood. Kim Jong-hwan, the director of the ITRC-Intelligent Robot Research Centre, said chromosome software would give the machines the ability to feel, reason and desire and could lead to them reproducing. 'Christians may not like it, but we must consider this the origin of an artificial species,' news reports quoted him as saying. 'Most researchers in this field have focused only on the functionality of the machines, but we think in terms of the essence of the creatures.' That 'essence' is a computer code which determines a robot's propensity to 'feel'. He said the software was modelled on human DNA.
Toilets go hi-tech
Japanese luxury toilet-maker Toto has produced what it claims is the first toilet to release aromas and play soothing MP3 music. The 'New Neorest' series also boasts a wireless LCD control panel, seat warmer, automatic flushing and the usual array of bidet and drying features. For the complete 'hands off' experience, the toilet seat opens and closes automatically. All the best thrones have their price, however. This one will sell for $22,425 from April.
