safety stories

It's about time: redesigned traffic light includes the color blind

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - 4:44am

This is the Uni-Signal, or Universal Sign Light. It's here to address a major problem with our old traffic lights: if everyone is supposed to know what a traffic light is trying to tell them, then why isn't it designed so that everyone will be able to read it?

Future helmet creates a stink when you crash

Kevin Hall

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 5:24am

If you've had the same helmet for years, there's a chance that wear and tear has made it less effective over time. But how do you know? With this helmet being designed in Germany, all you'd need to do is give your helmet a whiff.

Cellphones don't cause tumors, this week. Or maybe they do?

Monday, May 17, 2010 - 11:25am

Ten years and $30 million later, a World Health Organization (WHO) study looking into whether cellphones cause brain tumors concludes, uh, nothing. That's right, after all that time and money spent, the 50 scientists conducting the study still can't say...

Sikker baby monitor warns you if baby gets sick

Michael Trei

Sunday, March 21, 2010 - 9:01am

Baby monitors have been around for decades, but the only thing most of them can do is let you know if the kid starts crying. He may look peaceful lying there in the crib, but what if your kid is...

Firescuba saves your life; doesn't come with fries

Michael Trei

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 2:57pm

Fire safety experts will tell you that most of the deaths in a fire are due to smoke inhalation, and not from getting caught in the flames. Many indoor fires generate a thick choking poisonous smoke that can quickly knock...

Smart handgun won't fire unless you're wearing the right watch

Friday, January 29, 2010 - 6:00am

Now here's a clever way to make guns safer: only allow them to work for the right person. This new Armatix .22 comes with a custom wristwatch. When the gun is within a few inches of the watch, a green...

The dangers of LED traffic lights: no heat means no melting snow

Kevin Hall

Thursday, December 17, 2009 - 12:51pm

LED traffic lights may use a fraction of the energy their incandescent predecessors used, but there's a problem emerging as we enter these colder months: LED bulbs don't give off a substantial amount of heat. When things got cold in...

NASA developing an airbag for helicopters — for the entire 'copter

Kevin Hall

Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 2:39pm

NASA's "deployable energy absorber" may appear to be a couple of oversized sponges attached to the bottom of a helicopter, but you could be looking at a safety system that helps occupants survive a helicopter crash — or even...

Honda bicycle simulator teaches safety without all the scrapes

Kevin Hall

Monday, November 23, 2009 - 10:24am

Some lucky folks in Japan will be able to learn about bike safety using Honda's fancy simulator setup you see above, rather than flying over their handlebars and developing forehead welts the size of golf balls. (Thanks, dad!) While it...

Entourage PS, a car-grade tracking device in your pocket

Kevin Hall

Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 4:58am

At a glance: Escort's Entourage Portable Security system is strong enough to keep track of cars, but it fits — albeit with a bit of a bulge — in your pocket. It's about the size of small cordless handset, and...

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safety stories

It's about time: redesigned traffic light includes the color blind

Future helmet creates a stink when you crash

Cellphones don't cause tumors, this week. Or maybe they do?

Sikker baby monitor warns you if baby gets sick

Firescuba saves your life; doesn't come with fries

Smart handgun won't fire unless you're wearing the right watch

The dangers of LED traffic lights: no heat means no melting snow

NASA developing an airbag for helicopters — for the entire 'copter

Honda bicycle simulator teaches safety without all the scrapes

Entourage PS, a car-grade tracking device in your pocket

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