Technology

DIABETES ALERT

American scientists are working on systems which will allow doctors to measure the glucose levels of diabetes patients via their mobile phones. The system involves skin patches containing a microprocessor that can track glucose levels and then transmit that information to a mobile phone.

The scheme is being developed by Georgetown University, and the technology firms Gentag and Science Applications International Corporation.

WI-FI ON WHEELS

Chrysler, the US car maker, is turning cars and lorries into wireless hotspots. The system, which will be installed in cars from next year, offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity within the car to allow people to transfer data such as mobile phone numbers to the car's 30-gigabyte hard drive or control their iPods using the radio and steering wheel controls.

MINDED TO SHOP

Scientists have identified a primitive area of the brain that makes us adventurous – a finding which may help explain why people routinely fall for "new" products when shopping. Using brain scans to measure blood flow, British researchers discovered that a brain region known as the ventral striatum was more active when subjects chose unusual objects.

BRAINSTORM ROOM

Japanese company Kayac is developing a high-tech 'brainstorming' room that listens to its inhabitants and then feeds back related data and images, via a ceiling-mounted projector, in order to boost creativity. The system relies on speech-recognition software that monitors the brainstorming session, identifies keywords and automatically trawls the internet in search of related information and images.

ONE BILLION PCs

There are a billion installed PCs across the world, according to US market analysts Gartner. Each year, the study adds, 180 million computers are replaced.