A new home for sale is a modern marvel

The houses and flats of the past were fine in their day, of course, but technological breakthroughs in the intervening years have led to many changes in the design of the modern property. Perhaps the most noticeable ones are those that help the environment, such as low-energy bulbs and short-flush toilet cisterns.
Many a new home for sale also has more plug points, reflecting our reliance on electrical appliances. Additionally, they have Internet sockets as well as ones for TV aerials and, in many cases, satellite television, too. As each year goes by, there are significant additions in most places.

Geothermal power – energy for the future?

Geothermal power could be making more headlines in coming years as its full potential is realised.

Harnessing geothermal energy has long been touted as a possible source of clean, green power. Tapping in to the immense energies – vast reservoirs of heat and pressure – that occur naturally inside the earth’s crust has always looked like an appealing way of gaining power, but, at least until now, technology that is capable of utilising this energy has proved elusive.

However, recent advances in geothermal technology looks set to make harnessing this form of energy a real possibility in the not-so-distant future. This is excellent news, as we must look to alternative power sources in the future as the earth’s supplies of fossil fuels begin to dwindle.

Fly control using UV light

Flies are a nuisance that no-one likes to encounter, but could UV light be used as a means of fly control? Many types of fly are attracted to UV light, and this attraction can be used to keep them under control.

A UV light source is placed inside a fly trap, and once the flies have been lured inside, they can be dealt with through an electric shock or stuck on a glue pad.

Unfortunately, not all flies share this liking for UV light. The vinegar fly is once of the most common flies that will not be lured into a UV trap. To control the vinegar fly, special pheromones can be used to attract the fly to the trap instead.

Fly control technology

Fly control technology has come a long way since the humble fly strip dangled from its first ceiling. Keeping working and living environments free of flies can be very important – especially in areas where food is prepared and served.

The latest fly control devices such as the Luminos range of fly fillers utilise unique encapsulation technology to ensure that there is no risk of contamination to the surrounding environment after the fly has been disposed of. A rear glue board can also be added to further increase the effectiveness of the machine.

Using such devices helps to keep sensitive areas clean and hygienic  and reduce the spread of disease.

Lockheed unveil new flash drive computer

Lockheed Martin, the American defence contractors, have developed a kind of virtual computer that is stored on a flash drive.

The drive has its own operating system and can store software, files and settings. Once plugged in to a computer’s USB slot, the virtual computer can be accessed and used without any files or data being transferred to the “host” machine.

The device, known as “Ironclad”, is designed to be a safe and secure portable data storage option for workers who handle sensitive data. Roughly the size of a keyring, the steel-cased drive is designed to be resistant to heat, cold, water and sand, and it can even be remotely instructed to self-destruct if it is lost or stolen.