Kids tend to get a bit of stick from grumpy old folks (like us) for using too much nonsensical jargon in their text messages, but this might actually be masking a higher intellect than previously thought. There’s nothing like a proper scientific study to quash ill-founded rumours and this area intrigued the British Psychological Society enough to run a test of their own to find out if ‘poor’ use of language in texts relates to poor reading and writing skills.The short answer is ‘no’. 88 children were asked to send a bunch of text messages to friends and the frequency of jargon was compared to tests of their reading, vocabulary and phonological awareness. Results showed that those who used the most text-speak also scored highest in terms of literary skills. This does make sense when you think about it, since a kid needs to know what word they are trying to type and have a sufficient vocabulary to decipher the nonsense that’s sent back, so perhaps it’s not the sort of thing we should be discouraging after all. - Paul Lester [IngentaConnect] mobile phones SMS BPS

Microsoft may be moving the crosshairs from motion capture specialists 3DV onto another likely candidate, provided its claims can be backed up at next week’s CeBit. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications have announced the iPoint 3D, which allegedly offers gesture control for 3D TVs by responding to hand movements. The system uses a keyboard-sized control device that’s supposed to be suspended from the ceiling or built into a coffee table and has two built-in cameras to detect movement and send it to a computer for processing. Researcher Paul Chojecki explains that “The system responds instantly, as soon as someone in front of the screen moves their hands. No physical contact or special markers are involved. The small device is equipped with two FireWire cameras - inexpensive, off-the-shelf video cameras that are easy to install.” Gaming is of course a big potential market but it has also been considered for hospitals, offices or as suggested “Someone kneading pastry in the kitchen, whose hands are covered in dough, can turn down the boiling potatoes by waving a finger without leaving sticky marks on the stove.” This all sounds rather ambitious to us and there are obvious comparisons to be drawn between the iPoint and Sci-Fi movies like Star Wars, Minority Report and ‘Sylar′ off Heroes. We’ll take a sceptical stance though and wonder how it could accurately work out that you’re trying to change the channel or volume and know to ignore other movements and hand gestures that you might naturally be making. Regardless, we’ll keep a sharp eye on CeBit to see if the iPoint 3D turns out to be nearly as cool as it sounds.- Paul Lester [Fraunhofer] CeBit iPoint 3D 3D TV

We′ve seen some less than inspiring uses for solar power this week, including a rather chunky hands-free car kit and and a set of batteries. Best to leave things on a high then by showing that some people actually do know how to integrate the technology effectively, so step up the Freestyle Boiler watch. This timepiece features a bit of a ‘love it or hate it design’ but there can be no doubting its efficiency, since apparently a single charge will keep it ticking for over to a year. Of course every time you do venture out into the sun it′ll top up its battery, so there’s every chance that once you’ve given it an initial boost it′ll never need tending to again. There’s a chronograph, alarm, timer, dual time zones and a backlight display built in and though it doesn’t seem to be available in the UK at the moment, retails in the States for $115. Considering its advantages we think this is quite reasonable - it’s just a shame there aren’t any alternatives to the rather ugly looking rubber strap. - Paul Lester [FreestyleUSA] solar power watch batteries

It seems that someone needs to put a reign on these eco-warriors as we saw another bizarre invention today that suggests the solution to Earth’s problems is just to strap solar panels to everything. This particular idea comes from designer Knut Karlsen, who decided it would be a good idea to stick some solar panels to the outside of batteries. Called the SunCats, they have basically been knocked up from some old NiMH rechargeables and flexible Photo Voltaic cells for the Institute for Energy Technology. Admittedly this is a very early prototype design and later models are expected to use capacitors to make charging more efficient, as in the designer’s own words: “This setup is in fact a (quite weak) trickle charger”. Aside from the fact that we very much doubt people would be willing to leave batteries on a windowsill for days on end (particularly when the alternative is a 15-minute power charge) isn’t it bad to leave these things in the sun? Aren’t they supposed to be kept at room temperature to prevent them from overheating and leaking? Hopefully these piffling issues have been taken into account, but even so this is one particular green innovation that we can’t see ever taking off. - Paul Lester [Inhabitat] solar power batteries green

Inspired by a nephew who was diagnosed with autism, a professor at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee has designed a robot that can help to measure the emotional state of autistic children. It works by reading physiological responses such as heart-rate, temperature and muscle response and it’s claimed that a current emotional state could be predicted with better than 80% accuracy.The robot is designed to interact with children with autistic spectrum disorders while playing games and can help them to learn social skills, developing affective models for individuals to predict enjoyment, anxiety and engagement. Researchers expect similar technologies to ease the burden of behavioural therapy in ASD treatment in the future, which is currently costing the US over £63.3 billion per year, or £2.2million per person per lifetime. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] robots games autism

The discovery of alien life-forms could be closer than you’d think, if you believe experts preparing for the American Association for Advancement of Science meeting. Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution speaks around the launch of a new generation of orbital telescopes which will be better able to detect Earth-like planets capable of sustaining life. Though the chances of finding anything even half as complex as the variety of species on this planet are much more unlikely, Mr. Boss says he would be ‘astonished’ if the new telescopes didn’t detect a series of Earth-like worlds. And when they do, it would be very surprising to find that those that have had the right conditions to support an ecosystem for a few billion years haven’t generated some form of life, even on a micro biotic level. “There are something like a few dozen solar-type stars within something like 30 light years of the sun, and I would think that a good number of those - perhaps half of them would have Earth-like planets,” he said. “So, I think there’s a very good chance that we’ll find some Earth-like planets within 10, 20, or 30 light years of the sun.” British scientists agree that we are ‘close’ to discovering alien life but while suitable planets are relatively easy to detect, getting to them and bringing someone back is another story altogether. - Paul Lester [TheRegister] science technology space

If you’re looking to add a bit of a ‘wow’ factor to your home, this is one of the best ways we’ve seen of doing it for a while that doesn’t involve investing in flashy technology. These temperature-sensitive glass tiles react to heat by changing their base colour through three phases over a six to ten degree rise in temperature. The effect, as you can see from the photos, is quite dramatic and though you may struggle to think of enough applications, bathrooms spring to mind as the most likely room to benefit.Six different types of tile offer different colour moods and ranges so you can coordinate the base colour with the rest of the room and each measures 4×4″ in size. They′re also relatively cheap at just $15 a pop, though obviously import fees need to be taken into account unless they get officially resold over here, but we think it’s a clever enough idea to generate quite a bit of interest. - Paul Lester You’ll find more information and contact details if you’re interested in placing an order from the link below. - Paul Lester [Inventables] heat-sensitive tiles interior design

If you′re not keen on spraying antibacterial cleaner around your kitchen and bathroom surfaces and scrubbing all the nasty blighters away on a daily basis, the lazy-man’s option may just be the Purelight XD Magic Wand. This little device is available in a number of variations and uses ultraviolet radiation (that’s not the one that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk) to kill 99.9% of bacteria.It’s based on UV-C light, which cleans viruses by breaking down their DNA, though apparently the high success ratio was only reached after they had been exposed for 20 seconds, which is quite a long time to be holding the thing. As well as your typical surfaces it’ll also do carpets, sofas, mattresses and just about anything else that is a home for nasty microbes, and there are safety filters built in so you don’t accidentally burn your eyebrows off. Three models are available, the rechargeable XD at £120, the compact and portable MD for £35 or the industrial strength model which will set you back a hefty £500. More details available from the link below. - Paul Lester [Purelight] UK light steriliser appliance

It’s quite stunning just how reliant we have become on the Internet these days but its history and development have been exhaustively documented over the last past 50 or so years. That’s why cramming the complete history of the Internet into an 8-minute animated video is both amazing and probably quite insulting to all of those hairy geeks involved in creating what was to later become not just the single greatest modern information and communications tool but also [the less grand] greatest source of porn, illegal movie and music downloads, and the modern scourge known as ’social networking′. Still, this animated video which covers the period between 1957 and now is probably all our little, Net-fried brains can handle these days. It’s quite dry, to the point but very, very informative. We’re already smarter and it only took 8 minutes. Of course, we’ll have forgotten most of it by teatime. So, take a peek, and you too can impress your boss in the office and bore the hell out of your friends in the pub.-Martin Lynch internet history

Computer games seem to have done quite well in comparison with the rest of the entertainment industry amidst the financial crisis, and they’re not just a guilty pleasure any more, at least for researchers at Durham University. Rather than use bespoke 3D modelling software to help train employees in the event of a fire, it has opted for a far cheaper approach by ‘modding’ levels from the 3D game engine used in Half Life 2, creating a virtual model of a department at the university. These are being used to help familiarise people with layouts and evacuation routines, and could also pinpoint flaws in fire procedures. The only problem was, those who play video games anyway tended to steam about rather recklessly, probably expecting a headcrab to jump out and bite them in the arse any second. Non gamers took it more seriously though, and the researchers do believe there is genuine merit such a system. “The video you see is an example of how to escape the Computer Science Department of Durham University.” Said Dr. Shamus Smith. “We were interested in using game technology over a customised application and The Source Engine, from Half-Life, is very versatile. We used the simulation to see how people behaved in an actual fire situation and to train people in ‘good practice′ in a fire.” Check out the video from the link below to see what it looks like. - Paul Lester [BBC] Half Life 2 3D modelling fire drill