Here First - Science and Technology Blog

You stick your feet in, you insert a coin, select a part of foot you want massaged and then you enjoy it for about 5 minutes. And of course it's good for your health. All courtesy of Sega, with this Japanese arcade foot massage machine called Ashipuri .

The Russians aren't only good at gymnastics and synchronized swimming, they're also pretty adept when it comes to developing green technology. Take this hydrogen powered charger for instance - it weighs a mere 180 grams and offers up to 5 charge cycles, juicing up a totally run-down phone within 10 minutes to a quarter of an hour - that's extremely fast, compared to current adapters that take hours to complete their task. Sounds like the perfect gadget to keep you company on your travels as it doesn't bog you down with additional weight and space, not to mention being a whole lot greener for our environment.

This concept phone from Japan’s KDDI AU Design Project looks quite interesting, though it most likely will never make it to the general public. The Box To Play, as it’s called, has a camera and the usual mobile phone functions, but it’s very much inclined towards the musical side of things. The phone itself can fold out to form a box shape, which will have a graphic equalizer displayed on the sides, and users will also be able to “scratch” music on it, to fulfill all their DJ dreams.

First it was free internet. Then, some universities were offering free laptops to students. And now, the Gray Old Lady reports that colleges are taking advantage of the popularity of both the iPod and iPhone by offering incoming students one of each. The idea is to take advantage of our rapidly evolving mobile culture and giving students a means to stay connected while attending class. Acting way too much like “Big Brother,” Universities like the ability to track students through the built in GPS chip, but they also like the ability to be able to contact students with schedule changes. Universities can send emails, IMs or even “tweats” to inform students about canceled classes, campus crises or updates in what the commissary is serving for lunch. However, the ability to use the iPod/iPhone’s wifi access for the Internet means that students can have mobile research at the touch of a virtual button. But there’s also the nifty ability to record lectures using applications through the ITun...

Planes are perhaps the hardest things to get rid off. That is why, with a little creativity and a small budget, one can cleverly reuse them. Some already ahead and created some of the coolest, oddest or funniest hangout. This is a house built by Bruce Campbell out of the Boeing 727 - he got a trendy, one-of-a-kind villa in the woods. “Cosmic Muffin” is the most unusual boat, made out of a rare and historic aircraft - the Boeing 307 Stratoliner “( dating back from 1937). The Boeing 307 Stratoliner was fitted with a luxury interior, including a bedroom, and named The Flying Penthouse after being used in World War II. It was originally owned by Howard Hughes which he bought in 1939. This Boeing 307, the Clipper Flying Cloud belongs to the Pan American Airways and has been restored for the National Air and Space Museum (the Smithsonian). The fully functional plane is the world’s only remaining Stratoliner. This villa in South Africa really is not quite the real plane, though it gets credit...

Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. Anorexia usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss. Weight loss is usually 15% below the person's normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating. Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls. People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes the individuals will prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of it. But anorexia can be cured...