Portable fat breathalyzer indicates if you’re burning fat

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The portable prototype that detects if you're burning fat by analyzing your breath (Photo: NTT DOCOMO)

rtage of breathalyzers capable of detecting if you’ve had one too many drinks, a prototype device developed by researchers at NTT DOCOMO Research Laboratories analyzes your breath to detect if your body is burning fat. Besides letting users know if that exercise regime is actually shedding some pounds, its creators say the portable sensor could be helpful for diabetics and those trying to lose weight manage their daily diet. Rather than detecting exhaled fat particles, the device detects the levels of acetone on one’s breath. Although primarily produced in the blood when fat is broken down, acetone is also expelled through alveoli in the lungs and is therefore present in exhaled breath, making it a good indicator of when the body has begun to break down fat.
The device, which is 10 cm (4 in) long, weighs 125 g (4.4 oz) and is powered by two AA batteries, features a pressure sensor to detect when someone breathes into it, and two types of semiconductor-based gas sensors that are capable of detecting acetone concentrations of 0.2 to 50 parts-per-million. After detecting the exhaled breath, the device calculates the acetone concentration levels and transmits the results, either via cable or Bluetooth, to a smartphone within 10 seconds.
To test the device, the researchers enlisted 11 men and six women volunteers. All were healthy but had body mass indexes (BMIs) above the Japanese average. The volunteers were split into three groups with the first carrying on their normal routine without any calorie restrictions or exercise requirements.
The second group was required to perform 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise, such as jogging or fast walking, per day without any calorie restriction, while the third group had their daily calorie intake restricted while carrying out the same exercise routine as the second group.
Each day before breakfast for a period of 14 days, all volunteers measured their body weight, body fat percentage and breath acetone concentrations. In addition to using the prototype device to measure the acetone concentrations, a standard measuring instrument was used for comparison.
The results showed that the breath acetone concentrations remained constant for those in the first two groups who were not able to lose significant amounts of fat, while the volunteers in the third group showed a significant increase in their breath acetone concentrations and were able to lose “significant amounts of fat.”
“Because obesity increases the risk of lifestyle-related illnesses, enabling users to monitor the state of fat burning could play a pivotal role in daily diet management,” says Satoshi Hiyama, principal investigator of the study. “Current standard methods, however, are still not practically suitable for point-of-care instrumentation for diet-conscious people who wish to monitor their own fat metabolism at home or outside.”

MagBak just might be the world's thinnest iPad mount

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Mounts for iPad are thick on the ground, but the creators of MagBak are looking to stand out from the crowd with a slimmed down approach to attaching the tablet to any surface that also keeps the Smart Cover closed and provides a convenient grip. In fact, the MagBak so thin, it doesn't even look like it's meant to mount an iPad at all, which is exactly what the designers were aiming for.
The MagBak is basically two silicone-coated magnets that attach directly to the back of the iPad. These allow the device to be attached to almost anything made of metal. For other surfaces, a metal O-ring with 3M adhesive backing is included.
The magnets will also hold the Apple Smart Cover open and prevent it from flapping around while the device is in hand. They are also coated in silicone, which should make the iPad easier to carry around, and keep it from sliding on smooth surfaces. Additionally, the 0.5mm thick pads keep the back of the iPad slightly elevated, providing a little protection.

Sense+ turns a smartphone dock into a potential life-saver

Rather than replacing them, Sense+ is designed to work alongside household ceiling-mounted smoke alarms. This is because most ceiling-mounted smoke detectors rely on ionization smoke detection and are generally more responsive to flaming fires, while the Sense+ features a photoelectric smoke sensor that is better at detecting smoldering fires (and which doesn’t contain any radioactive material). This is coupled with a second sensor that detects carbon monoxide, a gas that causes drowsiness and makes it more difficult for people to wake up.
If the dock detects smoke or carbon monoxide, it will sound an alarm and the accompanying app will ask the user to respond. If no response is forthcoming, the app will automatically call all the numbers listed in the phone’s home call group. The app will then display an alert screen offering to call emergency services, which the user can accept or decline.

The Sense+ is powered by mains power, but if the mains power goes down it can also run off the docked device’s battery or its own built-in battery. When powered by the mains, it also acts as a charger for the connected phone. The creators say a smartphone dock is an ideal device to feature a smoke alarm as most people keep their smartphone by their bedside while sleeping. The Sense+ is also compact enough to throw in a suitcase when traveling.
While the current model is designed for the iPhone 5, it also supports the connection of other smart devices via USB. The makers also have future versions planned for Android and Windows smartphones.
The Sense+ team is currently seeking funding through Indiegogo, with a pledge of US$79 scoring an iPhone 5 compatible dock, charging cable and USB wall power adapter. If the team reaches its $150,000 goal, deliveries are expected by November.
The video pitch for the Sense+, (which was called the emergency aide during development and still bears that name on the device), can be viewed below.
Source: Indiegogo

Sony Xperia Z Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Just a few years ago, 4.3-inch smartphones were considered to be big. My, how things change. Somewhere along the way, having the biggest screen became a selling point, and thus began the great screen size arms race. Now we're to the point where we can have a gigantic phablet like the 

Size

Let's get this out of the way: the Xperia Z Ultra is a ridiculously large phone. Don't believe me? Look at the Note 2 next to the iPhone 5, then look at it again here next to the Ultra. Sony's device is basically a small tablet that happens to have cellular connectivity.
What's that, want percentages? Okay then: the Ultra is 19 percent taller than the Note 2. It's 14 percent wider.
Depth is the one area where the Ultra isn't gigantic. Quite the opposite, actually. The Xperia Z Ultra is incredibly thin, measuring only 6.5 mm thick. That's 31 percent thinner than the Note 2, and 14 percent thinner than the svelte iPhone 5.

Weight

All of that surface area in the Xperia Z Ultra is naturally going to register on the scale. It's 18 percent heavier than the Note 2.

Build

Like its progenitors, the Xperias Z and ZL, the Ultra has a backside made of glass. The Galaxy Note 2 is made of Samsung's favorite material, plastic.

Display

Here's another example of the Ultra's utter insanity. If you've ever used a Galaxy Note 2, you know that its screen is pretty huge. Well, it's only 74 percent as big as the Ultra's screen. Again, Sony's "phone" is basically a tablet that makes calls.
If you can live with a display that big in your pocket (if it even fits there), then the Xperia will reward you with sharper resolution. The Note 2 only gives you 44 percent as many pixels as the Ultra does.

Stylus support

Samsung's original Galaxy Note (re)popularized stylus use in mobile devices. But the Ultra takes that a step further, letting you use a pencil or pen to scratch notes on your screen. According to Sony, you can use any pencil, along with pens and styluses that have a tip diameter of over 1 mm. Can't say we've seen that before.
The Note's S Pen is included, but no styluses, pens, or pencils are included with the Xperia Z Ultra.

Processor

The Xperia Z Ultra should win this one hands-down. As one of the first handsets to run the Snapdragon 800, it will have a much newer and faster processor.
In the Note's defense, it's been on the market for close to a year now. The fairer comparison will be with the (as yet unannounced) Galaxy Note 3.

RAM

We're all even in the RAM department, with 2 GB a pop.

Storage

The Xperia Z Ultra will only be sold in one 16 GB model (Sony estimates that you'll have about 11 GB of usable storage). You can expand it (up to 64 GB) with a microSD card, but since Android no longer lets you install apps on SD cards, this could be too cramped for some people.

Wireless

No surprise here with both devices supporting speedy LTE networks, as long as your carrier lives up to its end of the bargain.

Battery

Battery capacity is pretty close, but there are too many other factors involved to jump to conclusions about the Ultra's battery life. The Note 2, a much more known quantity, will generally give you terrific uptimes.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 zoom packs 10x zoom lens, tells you what to snap

With the announcement of its Galaxy S4 zoom, Samsung has gone the extra yard beyond its Galaxy Camera to release a capable snapper – with a 10x optical zoom no less – that is also an out and out smartphone running Android Jelly Bean 4.2. Samsung claims that the 16-MP device combines uncompromising performance as both a smartphone and compact camera.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 zoom cameraphone

The device includes a 4.3 inch 960 x 540 AMOLED display and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. There's a secondary 1.9-MP front-facing camera. The Galaxy S4 zoom can talk to LTE and 3G networks and includes integrated Wi-Fi (stop me if this is taken as read, these days).