Worries over radiation are so rampant in Japan after last year’s nuclear meltdowns that the world’s first cell phones with built-in radiation monitors are going on sale.
Softbank Corp, the carrier for the hit iPhone and iPad in Japan, says the Pantone 5 mobile device, which shows the microsieverts-per-hour number on a display at a push of a button, will go on sale in July. Pricing was not announced.
The tsunami last March in northeastern Japan set off meltdowns and explosions at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. Areas near the plant are a no-go zone. But “hot spots” have popped up in many places, including Tokyo. Many Japanese are worried, especially families with children.
Photo: Bloomberg
照片:彭博社
Softbank President Masayoshi Son publicly opposes nuclear power after the disaster, and is an aggressive proponent of solar and other renewable energy.
The device by Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp works like a dosimeter. It measures the radiation in one’s surroundings in two minutes. It does not measure radiation in food or water.
People in parts of Fukushima are still being exposed to radiation higher than the 1 millisievert a year set as safe by Japan before the disaster.
(AP)
去年日本核電廠熔毀後,由於民眾對輻射的擔憂蔓延,全球首支內建輻射探測功能的手機即將發售。
販售iPhone與iPad等熱門產品的行動通訊營運商「軟體銀行」表示,Pantone 5手機將於七月發售,這款手機只要按下一個按鈕,就能在螢幕顯示每小時微西弗的輻射值。價格未定。
去年三月日本東北的海嘯引發福島第一核電廠熔毀與爆炸。核電廠附近的區域成為禁區,但許多地方冒出高輻射「熱點」,包括東京。許多日本人都很擔心,特別是有小孩的家庭。
軟體銀行總裁孫正義在災後公開反對核電,並成為一位積極支持太陽能與其他再生能源的倡議者。
這支手機是由日本電器製造商「夏普」生產,功能有如輻射劑量監測器,可在兩分鐘內測出周遭的輻射值。但不可用於測量食物與水的輻射值。
福島部分民眾仍暴露於輻射當中,劑量超出日本災前訂定的一年一毫西弗標準。
(美聯社/翻譯:陳維真)
A Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel “Shunxin-39” was believed to have caused damage to an undersea cable of Taiwan telecoms operator Chunghwa Telecom on the morning of Jan. 3. It was suspected that the Chinese merchant ship, which was registered with the nationality of another country, deliberately cut off the cable by dragging the anchor over it. While the incident is still under investigation, China has a long history of using maritime tactics to sabotage Taiwan’s infrastructure. In February last year, two cables linking Taiwan to its outlying Matsu Islands were damaged within days of each other by a Chinese fishing
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
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Street lights are often taken for granted until a power outage plunges the world into darkness. When that happens, the value of these lighting installations becomes evident as the world turns into a more dangerous place for pedestrians and motorists alike. The Chinese could claim to be the first to have constructed a crude type of street light. Around 500 BC, residents of Beijing employed a type of street lamp that used hollow bamboo pipes and natural gas vents to create burning torches. Later, ancient Romans adopted lamps fueled by vegetable oil, which relied on slaves to light and