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Airport Scanners and Helicopter Kit-outs ... not trendy, but very important

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>> Gordon Brown has approved the use of full body scanners at UK airports following the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day. The scanners have already been tested at Heathrow and Manchester airports and will be rolled out to all BAA airports as soon as possible. Customer acceptance of the scanners, which shows a full body "naked" image has increased to 92% from 75% since the failed attack.

>> A 19 year old student of economics at the University of Hertfordshire, is hoping for a prize of £15,000 after entering the Flare business competition with a gadget designed to make life easier for the average person. Tom Kadwill has set up an internet based company called Tekrux which sells automated technology for the home, such as a keyring which will turn on lights and appliances without having to get up. He is aiming the product at the elderly and disabled, but points out that it can be useful for everyone. He also comments that the keyring is good for saving energy, as it can be used when the home-owner walks up their driveway, rather than leaving lights on while out of the house.

>> UK homes are full to the brim with 18.9m of unused gadgets. Old televisions, computers, mobile phones and kitchen appliances are the most common items gathering dust in lofts around the country. According to a study by electrical retailer Curry's, 40% of people in the UK received a new gadget for Christmas, yet 60% had not considered the idea of recycling old gadgets. As a way of combating the problem, Curry's is offering a recycling service on all electrical items until the end of January, even if a new item is not bought in store.

>> The Wiltshire Police helicopter team have recently returned to the skies after a 3 month refit of their helicopter with the most up to date technology money can buy. Police observer Kevin Reed has commented that the £850,000 refit of the helicopter and air ambulance will improve the effectiveness of both the police and the medical team. The new camera will allow officers to see people two and half miles away from 2000ft in the air. It also has night time thermal cameras and zooming capabilities. It can even read number plates and allow users to give descriptions of clothing, without having to lower the height of the aircraft, saving time and possible lives The upgrade has also included a new Tetra radio system. The refit has been partially funded by donations and appeals.

>> The Consumer Electronics Show is to be held in Las Vegas this week and will highlight the best gadgets which may reach our shores in the months and years to come. The show has more than 2,500 companies from around the world showing off gadgets, new technology and innovations to more than 100,000 visitors over the week. 3D TV looks set to dominate this year, alongside new methods of streaming television content with set top boxes. British company Cello is one of the first to offer this type of technology with their iViewer TV, which has an iPlayer and YouTube access built in. Most manufacturers however, seem to be focusing on making their own products more user friendly and better than the competition, rather than bringing out anything new.

>> According to the Independent, shares in Apple have soared to an all time high with the indication that they are about to reveal their new device for 2010. The device is thought to be called the iSlate and will be a tablet like device larger than a smart phone but smaller than a laptop. Apple is yet to confirm the rumours, but the fact they have bought the iSlate domain name is a fairly good indication. The idea of a laptop minus the keyboard and mouse is an idea which has been tried before, but industry experts seem convinced that Apple may be able to get over the technical issues which have been faced by competitors.

>> British company Roadtour, has brought out a new app for the iPhone aimed at those who enjoy the great outdoors. The OutDoors App uses the ordnance survey maps and GPS to help hikers with navigation. Due to difficultly with reception in these remote areas, the app does not rely on the mobile phone signal, but uses satellite signals to pin point the users location and places them on a more intuitive map. The user will have to pay £25 per region they wish to have access to. This is still significantly cheaper than buying the ordnance survey maps for each region and easier to carry. The inventor Daniel Taylor is hopeful that the app will allow even novices to walk the countryside without fear of becoming lost.

>> Motoring website Carsite.co.uk has named the SatNav as the most significant motoring moment of the last ten years. Included on it's list of the top ten motoring moments was the introduction of the new Mini, the surge in the use of eBay motors and the new French Viaduct, but the SatNav came out as number one. The safety and convenience of this gadget has meant that not only car drivers have benefited. The GPS system has been used in everything from watches and mobile phones to running shoes and laptops. The SatNav can also offer traffic reports, speed camera alerts and can highlight places of interest. Despite some cases of drivers being sent in the wrong direction or off the beaten track, the SatNav looks set to remain a top in car gadget.

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