Fresh Startup
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday March 1, 2001
Q and A
Q: Does PVC clothing give you cancer?
A: It could. PVC needs a plasticiser to make it soft and flexible. The most common one is a phthalate called DEHP: a suspected carcinogen. Phthalates make up to 50 per cent of some PVC fabrics.
You probably can't get cancer just by wearing PVC. But it's pretty certain there are links between ingesting phthalates and cell deformities, liver and kidney lesions, disruption of the reproductive system and cancer. That's why PVC has been banned for use in children's toys in 22 countries. So don't suck your clothes and stop licking those PVC boots, OK?
Disposal's nasty too: burning it produces by-products including hydrochloric acid and toxic dioxins; if it's put into landfill, the phthalates can leach into ground water and harm marine organisms. It's not easy to recycle either.
For more info, see Greenpeace's site (www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/ html/content/pvc1.html).
Gingerly now
The top-secret project code-named "IT" (or "Ginger") had everyone in a spin earlier this year, even though no-one actually knew what IT was.
IT is the brainchild of Dean Kamen (inventor of the stair-climbing wheelchair and the portable insulin pump) and six co-inventors. The patent filing describes it as a "class of transportation vehicles for carrying an individual over ground." Kamen himself cryptically says that IT will be an alternative to devices that "are dirty, expensive, sometimes dangerous and often frustrating, especially for people in the cities."
You can easily imagine an anti-gravity scooter/hovercraft with an environmentally friendly engine. But who really knows? IT could be the world's biggest scam. For now, we can all speculate in our usual Web hangouts and laugh at the incredible hype. Go to www.gingerpoll.com to nominate your choice for what IT could be. Or check out the spoof Flash site, www.idleworm.com, to get your very own preview of the IT.
www.theitquestion.com
Blokart ($2790)
Glide around the beach with this wind-powered cross between a go-cart and a sailboat. It comes in five colours, is over four metres high and folds away snugly to fit into the back of your car.
Available from www.blokart.com.au
Kool skool
If you're a teen or a teacher with an ace band on your hands, check this out. Kool Skools can get you into a studio working with professionals, plus you get to design the CD cover and multimedia stuff to make your CD interactive. The project runs in Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Tassie.
www.koolskools.com.au
made simple - digital tv
So, digital TV started on January 1, 2001, but you haven't spotted a difference to the signal on your telly. Here's the deal.
+ You can keep your current set until 2008, if you're happy with what you've got.
+ The ultimate, kick-butt way to watch digital TV is with a whopping great expensive integrated high-definition digital television set. The bad news? There aren't any in Australia right now, and it's unlikely there will be for some time.
+ If you want to receive the digital signals right now, you can buy a set-top box to go with your existing TV, provided it's a relatively new telly. A standard definition set-top box will give you clear digital images, widescreen, CD-quality sound, multi-channelling and in some cases, datacasting; a high-definition set-top box will give you that plus cinema-quality images and Dolby surround sound.
+ The free-to-air TV stations have all started broadcasting something in a digital signal. The whizz-bang extras are just beginning. At least it's free!
But if you already have a clear signal on your free-to-air channels because you have cable, then don't bother just yet.
+ Want to see what all the fuss is about without a huge outlay? Try renting a set-up for a little while.
+ For more information, visit www.abc.net.au/digital, 7digital.i7.com. au, www.ninemsn.com.au/digitaltv, www.tendigital.com.au. SBS did not have a dedicated digital TV site at the time of writing.
BodyGlove competition winners
We're pleased to announce the winners of our December comp:
A. Trewin (VIC) who wants to coat his CPU in neoprene for some serious overclocking.
A. Taylor (NSW) who wrote us a funky haiku about reading books in the surf. Go figure.
C. Martini (VIC) who suggests near earth-orbit asteroids should be covered in neoprene as a preventive measure.
BodyGlove reps tell us they probably won't take up these suggestions, unfortunately. Most popular responses? Wrapping buildings, Christo-style, wrapping pets for a family surf, and outfitting sexy lovers/spouses/ neighbours for visual appreciation.
win
Want to play MP3s on funky discs about one-quarter the size of a CD? Five lucky readers can win one of these Iomega HipZip music players worth $669 each and do just that.
What do you have to do? For your chance to win this great prize, head over to www.emag.com.au and register your name and e-mail address. It's that simple!
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald
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