hi-tech plaster British-based firm Toumaz, an offshoot of London's Imperial College, has developed a hi-tech plaster its makers claim could be used to monitor health while covering the wound. The 'digital plaster' contains a silicon chip and sensors capable of reading temperature, blood pressure and glucose levels, as well as electrical activity from the heart The device measures 3mm by 5mm and can be inserted into any plaster, powered by a battery usually found in watches. Data received by the device could be transmitted to mobile phones or PDAs, alerting patients when certain symptoms occur. wireless paradise The tropical island of Mauritius, known for romantic getaways and paradise beaches, aims to become the first nation with coast-to coast wireless internet coverage, turning the island into a giant hot spot. ADB Networks is installing the wireless radio network across the island to coincide with the government's plan to turn it into a hi-tech hub. Mauritius is facing intense competition and price declines in its economic staples of sugar production and textiles manufacturing. An undersea fibre-optic cable completed three years ago already gives the island high quality telephone and internet links with the rest of the world. ADB's wireless internet service now covers about 60 per cent of the island. PETS Curious Researchers at Sony's Computer Science Laboratory in Paris have succeeded in making the firm's iconic robot 'Aibo' pets curious; a feature they say could help in fields such as child development psychology. In the experiment, a dozen Aibos were equipped with a 'metabrain' - an algorithm that forces the robot's regular learning algorithms to look for new and more challenging tasks, and to give up on tasks that do not lead anywhere. During the experiment, a dozen Aibos were put in a playpen with balls. The robots progressed from swivelling legs, to wiggling, then crawling to hit and follow the ball within four to five hours. The research work could help developmental psychologists understand why children learn new skills at different times.Sony's enquiring Aibo robots Mauritius: first with coast-to coast wireless Web coverage.
