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Years ago, a study was conducted that used dogs to sniff out cancer on patients’ breath. You may have heard of this study, as the results were so surprising health and technology communities embraced it, and the aftermath has brought new technology to the forefront of cancer treatment.

Dogs were obviously not a great tool in identifying cancer patients, not because of their accuracy, but because they need food and walks, etc. Enter Metabolomx: a Mountain View, CA based tech company. Metabolomx developed a machine that uses sensors to detect the cancer indicators in patients’ breath. This new machine has already proven widely successful in tests throughout the nation.

We applaud Metabolomx for engineering and bring to market this great breakthrough in health care! Very Exciting!

Businessweek originally reported this story, read the full article with tech details here.

Datasift, a UK-based company, has joined with Twitter to process and organize a massive tweet archive dating back to January 2010. Previously, tweets from only the last 30 days were visible to others, and some internet privacy groups suggest that this is the impression tweeters are under using this interface.

Datashift currently has a long waiting list of companies who want to subscribe to this archive service. No doubt the tweet archive will be studied for trends, predictions, and analyzed as a giant market research project.

This is certainly a complex development, with parties on both sides of the privacy argument standing firm. This was originally reported by BBC News, their full article is here.

Apple, the most valuable technology company in the world, reported yesterday that they have purchased Chomp Inc., though the price of sale was not disclosed.

Chomp is a search interface for mobile device apps. It features an easy-to-use main page, and as users search terms like “puzzle games” is displays apps for the user’s device, shows relevant apps, and offers related search terms as well.

Apple’s iTunes app store has been publicly criticized for being hard to navigate and not displaying quality search results. And while a spokeswoman for Apple maintained that they have a track record of purchasing small tech businesses, they would not be disclosing their future plans for the company.

A patent recently filed out of Cupertiono, CA, illustrates a new keyboard design that promises an even thinner, more sleek laptop for the tech giant. Wired.com reports: “

The patent, called ‘Single Support Lever Keyboard Mechanism,’ describes a few different ways Apple could trim some of the fat from existing notebook keyboards, making them more slender.

The keyboard design comes from a need to create computing products that are ‘attractive, smaller, lighter, and thinner while maintaining user functionality,’ according to the patent application.”

In this market, users are ready to get more bang for their buck, and it looks as though Apple will deliver again. We can’t wait!

Scientists at Harvard University have been working on developing bio-inspired robots. They are designed to work as an insect would, interacting with nature, serving an integral purpose, and they are able to do their work autonomously.

The robot is called the Harvard Monolithic Bee, or Mobee, for short. And because it is so incredibly small, the parts are encased in a scaffold shell, and as the casing is folded, the MoBee is actually assembled, like a children’s pop-up book.

Liquipel was at CES 2012, causing all sorts of excitement about this revolutionary process and material that coats an electronic gadget, waterproofing it. Liquipel works by coating the device in a pressurized chamber, filling all nooks and crannies of your iPhone or other product, though the substance does not actually block an ear phone or power jack. Based in Santa Ana, CA, this team of scientists has worked for years to develop coating materials, ultimately being the first to offer this innovation and receiving an Edison Award in 2012.

Recently, NASA released the famed, high-resolution image called the Blue Marble that depicted the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. Now, upon calls from NASA’s audience, they have released this image: a high-resolution perspective of the Eastern Hemisphere, showing Africa and the Middle East.

Because of the satellite’s positioning, the picture is comprised of six different images from an eight-hour orbit, put together by esteemed NASA Goddard oceanographer Norman Kuring. The final product is breathtaking!

Nokia has introduced a prototype of their “Kinetic Device,” that displays images and music, navigating by the user’s gestures as they flex and twist the gadget. While this particular model, introduced at the Nokia World Show in London, will likely not be sent to the market soon, it does inspire excitement in potential users that this type of technology is in the near future. To navigate the device, a user simply twists opposite corners to scroll, and bends from the center of the gadget to zoom in or out. This innovation utilizes human gesture, and appears intuitive in its ergonomic design.

See this video of this device here:

Samsung debuted their Smart Window at CES 2012, and it was one awesome innovation! It’s a one-sided window that acts as a touch screen, so the user can browse the internet and use apps right on the window. It also has a function to act like a normal window with blinds, allowing one to close them to block out light, or open them and view the outside.

At Hybra, we love this product, and hope to see it in the coming months!

Our Managing Director, Ryan Wells, shares the Sound Band™!