Nasa scientist has developed a “proof of concept of new technology that would bring compact, low-cost, low-power, high-speed nanosensor-based chemical sensing capabilities to cell phones”. Jing Li, the scientist at NASA, developed the device which can be plugged into an iPhone to collect and process sensor data.

The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The device senses chemicals in the air using a “sample jet” and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi.
 

iPhone chemical sensor

Apparently the hacker was not to shy about it and has done several interviews about how and why he did the hacking. The hack started out as an experiment to see how far it would go and reportedly started out with three phones and spread like wildfire overnight.

This presents an interesting dilemma for many iPhone users as there are supposedly millions of jailbroken iPhones out on the market right now. For those of you that are not familiar with jailbraking, it is the process by which users are able to run unofficial code through their phones that will enable them to use unapproved applications. By doing this, they are also able to get applications via other outlets instead of going through the official iPhone App Store.

Anytime you have something like this, it will start to spread chills up and down spines as these renegade iPhone users now realize that by putting this “illegal” code into their phones, they are now susceptible to a virus. While this one seemed liked more of a joke than anything else, there is no telling what the next person will do.

While this is not great news for iPhone users who have a jailbroken phone, it may prove to be great news for Apple. The point has been proven that you cannot use code that does not officially come from Apple without risking the integrity of your information. They may look upset on the outside, but there very well may be smirk deep down within. This can only increase sales at the App Store as the millions of users who were considering doing something like this have probably just been scared straight.

iPhone jail breaking vulnerable to hackers

Priceline.com released a Negotiator App (free) that lets travelers make last-minute bids on hotels. The app sorts hotels by location and gets a little help from William Shatner, a k a the Negotiator.

Not For Tourists, which fancies itself as a hip insider guide for locals, released iPhone guides for New York City, London, San Francisco and other cities ($4.99 each). In addition to touristy places like hotels, the guide highlights neighborhood amenities like bicycle repair shops and community gardens.

Virgin Atlantic also released an app, but not for what you think. The airline’s Flying Without Fear program, which helped Whoopi Goldberg with her airplane phobia, is now a $4.99 app. It offers breathing exercises and calming answers to doomsday questions like “What if all the engines fail?”

Another cool idea comes from PicTranslator, which turns the iPhone’s camera into a kind of translator: point the camera at a sign with foreign words, and the app translates them into English. It is available so far in 16 languages ($1.99 each), from Czech to Turkish.

Expect many more travel apps in the not-so-distant future. Just this week, Hilton Worldwide announced apps for each of seven of its brands in the United States, including Hilton and Doubletree (free). Among other things, the apps allow users to “e-check in” and order room service.

Travel iphone apps