Raising the roof
Solar panel installations on the rooftop of the Fritz Walter-Stadium in Kaiserslautern, Germany will cover the whole stadium roof (6,000 square metres) and provide an 800 kilowatt peak when finished. The installation was inaugurated last week and ties in with climate protection campaigns 'Green Goal' and 'primaKlima:2006' in conjunction with the Fifa World Cup to be held in Germany this summer.?EPA
U are your own health care Ubiquitous health monitoring will soon arrive in the South Korean city of Daegu thanks to a joint project between the city government and the country's information and communication ministry. The city's 'U-health care' programme will provide wearable computers for 100 elderly people living alone and patients with chronic diseases, according to a report by Korean news outlet Chosun. The devices are in the form of shirts with embedded sensors that register vital signs and send the information to medical centres through the network. They also permit self-diagnosis, distance monitoring, emergency care and medical consultation.
iPod upload for makers Mainland and Taiwanese manufacturers are expected to produce more than US$104 million worth of iPods and related audio accessories this year - a 37 per cent increase year on year, according to a report last week from Global Sources. The report said at least 50 new suppliers would begin production this year to satisfy demand from owners of the iconic device. Mainland firms will account for US$33 million, with Taiwan producing around US$71 million of accessories. The report said many manufacturers expected to increase export prices by about 10 per cent in the coming months.
Water technology counters bird flu
Researchers at Japan's Tottori University and Sanyo's Human Ecology Research Centre have found a way to disinfect up to 99 per cent of airborne avian influenza viruses in enclosed spaces using the electronics giant's electrolysed water technology. Sanyo already uses the technology in air purifiers, air humidifiers, drier-washing machines and fan heaters sold in Japan. Tests that included letting contaminated air pass through a filter impregnated with electrolysed water and spraying electrolysed water on to a cotton bud smeared with the virus showed the same result. Sanyo said the technology was useful in preventing the spread of the bird flu virus, as electrolysed water could be made from tap water and it did not require antiseptic substances.?Agence France-Presse