Crave

(Credit: CNET)

CNET Labs finished their panel of battery drain tests for the fifth-generation Apple iPod Nano, and the results are better than expected. Testing for continuous playback of audio and video, the Nano reached an average of 33.6 hours of audio or 5.3 hours of video.

Given Apple's own modest battery rating of 24 hours of audio or 5 hours of video, we expect Nano owners will be happy to know they have a little extra time to squeeze from their iPods.

Dr. Hossam Haick developed a breath test that can identify lung cancer.

(Credit: The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute)

Breath might be tested to measure more than sobriety if researchers at the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute in Haifa, Israel, have anything to say. They've developed a sensor made from gold nanoparticles that is able to distinguish between the breath of those with lung cancer from those without.

The sensing technology, according to lead author Hossam Haick, does not require the exhalation to be pre-treated in any way; the resulting breath test is simple, affordable, and portable. (In existing tests, preconcentration of the biomarkers is required to improve detection.)

"We demonstrated that our device has a potential not only to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy controls but also to identify different types of primary lung cancer," Haick told Medscape Oncology.

The findings, reported in Nature Nanotechnology, could help screen for and diagnose lung cancer so quickly and affordably that the sensor has the potential to save millions of lives a year, Haick estimates.

In patients with lung cancer, studies show that levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can range from 10 to 100 parts per billion, compared to the range of 1 to 20 parts per billion in healthy human breath. Researchers noted that there was "no overlap of the lung cancer and healthy patterns," even though there is small overlap in the range of VOCs.

Diagnosing lung cancer might be the first of many applications. "The potential exists for using the proposed technology to diagnose other conditions and diseases, which could mean additional cost reductions and enhanced possibilities to save lives," Haick says.

DxO Labs added scores for three Sony SLRs to its site for image sensor tests. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: DxO Labs)

Three midrange Sony SLRs now are included in DxO Labs' measurements of image sensor performance, and the Alpha A700 proves to be reasonably competitive.

Sony's A700, which costs about $1,100 with an 18-70mm lens, has a score of 66.3 on the test, which calculates how well the sensor handles color, a range brightness and darkness, and low-light shooting. That puts it behind the top-scoring camera with a comparably sized sensor, the Nikon D90, almost ties it with the Pentax K10D and Nikon D300, and gives it a a few points' lead over Canon's 40D and 50D.

Meanwhile, the A200 scores 62.9 and the A300 an even 64, according to the DxOMark Sensor test results that were updated Tuesday. A five-point difference makes a difference of about 1/3 stop in exposure, DxO says, meaning that a higher-scoring camera can attain the same raw image quality as a rival even though the higher-scoring camera is using a faster exposure or higher ISO.

DxO Labs, a French company, makes a business of measuring camera image quality, developing technology for image-processing hardware and software, and selling software to convert the raw files produced by higher-end cameras into less flexible but more convenient formats such as JPEG. The DxOMark score measures sensor performance based on the raw file, a foundation for overall image quality but only a facet of a camera's overall performance.

One challenge in testing networking products is measuring vendors' claims of how green their products can be. Most of the time, during the course of reviewing, I just have to take vendors at their word. But it seems this might change in the near future.

On Tuesday, Ixia, a global provider of IP performance test systems, announced that its IxGreen solution and iSimCity facility will be used to measure the energy efficiency of Juniper Network's T1600 core router, a massive router used to handle huge corporate networks.

In addition, Ixia and Juniper Networks announced the formation of the ECR Initiative in conjunction with Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. The initiative is a framework for measuring the energy efficiency of network and telecom devices.

IxGreen is the industry's first "green" test and measurement solution that's actually integrated into the networking system, allowing for measurement of a device's power consumption at various load conditions utilizing real-world applications and traffic.

While the IxGreen tests are currently used only for networks of large scale, it's hoped that someday they can be used to rate regular home wireless routers, as well as other network devices. I'll let you know when I actually start implementing this in reviewing wireless routers here at CNET.

Thank goodness for the World Police!

(Credit: Paramount Pictures)

First up, Dong is a little concerned that Eric may be a terrorist. He soon discovers, though, that everyone is a terrorist.

Then, LED vs. CCFL LCD backlights. Which makes your eyes bleed less? Find out!

Could our love affair with the iPhone 3G be over? Possibly. Then why do we still own one? It's a complicated answer that we tackle.

Finally, we tell some stories about our early WoW days. Enjoy the fun!

To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the link on the right. Don't forget to leave us a voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com.

The monoscope pattern is used to test for motion resolution.

(Credit: CNET)

HDGuru.com has published a survey of the resolution capabilities of 125 high-definition televisions.

The survey was conducted by HDGuru's sole proprietor, Gary Merson, who subjected the sets to a variety of test patterns and recorded the results in a handy PDF table. The patterns tested for 1080i de-interlacing performance of both video and film-based sources, still resolution (bandwidth) and motion resolution.

The results of the tests make interesting reading for people who follow the evolution of HDTV technology.... Read more

A device like this prototype would shine near-infrared light through the scalp and skull, then reflect light back depending on how much blood is circulating in the brain.

(Credit: World Intellectual Property Organization)

As anyone who watches Dr. Phil has surely learned, standard polygraph tests measure responses such as blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate to detect anxiety associated with guilt or lying. But a new kind of lie detector test could skip the psychophysiological gauges and head straight to the brain for answers on a subject's veracity.

New Scientist pointed us to a patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization that proposes detecting lies via near-infrared spectroscopy. Basically, a device would shine near-infrared light through the scalp and skull into certain parts of the brain. Seeing how much light reflects back would indicate oxygenation levels, which vary depending on how active the brain is at a given point and could yield information on the neural pathways underlying the cognitive as well as the emotional aspects of deception.

To measure the light, the patent filers, headed up by Dr. Scott Bunce, a professor of psychiatry at Philadelphia's Drexel University College of Medicine, have come up with a flexible sensing device that would fit around the head. Neural activity could be transmitted to a processor through wired or wireless means, according to the patent, and results could be made available after post-test averaging, or in real time, while the subject is being tested.

The inventors cite heightened reliability as the main advantage of their method. Conventional polygraphy, they say, suffers from a lack of specificity in differentiating guilt from fear or anxiety, and that can contribute to an unacceptably high level of false positives.

DeviceAnywhere allows for complete control of mobile devices without having one.

(Credit: DeviceAnywhere)

DeviceAnywhere, a global provider of end-to-end solutions for the mobile development, announced Tuesday its support for the iPhone 3G. This doesn't mean much for the average consumer, but this is good news for developers.

DeviceAnywhere is a service that lets developers access about 1,500 different mobile devices located throughout the world in real time. They can interact with the devices to ensure all development, porting, testing, and monitoring needs are met.

The service offers complete control over the devices as if they were in your hand. This is a solution that lets developers create software with different or multiple devices without having to purchase the phones or cellular service.

The addition of iPhone 3G support makes DeviceAnywhere the only solution, for now, that offers developers a simple, direct connection to both the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G.

DeviceAnywhere's support of the iPhone includes the latest features available on the device, including downloading applications through the App Store and testing how fast Web sites load on the 3G network.

If you are a developer and want to try out the service, DeviceAnywhere offers a three-hour trial. After that, it costs from $13 to $16 per hour depending on the package you choose. You can also buy the device package that cost $100 per month per type of device. Existing subscribers can access the iPhone 3G through their standard DeviceAnywhere subscriptions. Additional DeviceAnywhere features--such as monitoring and test automation--are also available on the iPhone 3G.

This monoscope pattern can help measure motion resolution, but the results can be a bit too blurry to pin down.

(Credit: CNET)

In the course of testing for HDTV reviews here at CNET, I always compare displays directly against one another side-by-side using both normal program material--typically Blu-ray movies, HDTV, and standard-definition material--and test patterns from special discs. I'm always on the lookout for new test patterns, so earlier this summer when I spoke with another TV reviewer, Gary Merson of hdguru.com, about his tests for motion resolution, he was kind enough to pass along a Blu-ray Disc called "FPD Benchmark Software for Professional." It contains a variety of test patterns, most of which I've seen and used before, with one notable exception. A suite of patterns and program material is devoted to testing and demonstrating motion resolution, and I'm considering incorporating it into CNET's regular HDTV tests.... Read more