Sundell Inc. said Monday that its new smart socks have completed the first test, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the smart socks within the next year. This could be the perfect gift for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor. Smart socks, which can teach to dance, may satisfy anyone with two left feet.

The socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.

Sensors record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter (脚踝发射器) to a smart phone. Then a “virtual coach” application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skills in any task with feet.

The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. “People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well,” Dr. Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is pretty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such as golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.

Mr. Vigano said, “People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely.”

Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and boots. The socks, anklet and software package, are expected to be sold for around￡120, which will go on sale in the near future .

British scientists seeking to protect the environment have designed a biodegradable mobile phone cover that breaks down in soil when discarded and sprouts (发芽)a flower from a seed put inside the case. Researchers at the University of Warwick in central England said the novel device, made from a specially designed polymer (聚合材料),is a blessing for the environmentalists.

Millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year as the industry produces large quantities of new models without caring about the quality. “It is really original in the phone industry and consumers are happy because they feel they are doing something for the local environment,” said Keny Kirwan from the university of Warwick. Designers have made the hesitant users feel sure that the seed, put into a transparent window, only sprouts when the phone cover is discarded. “We put sunflower seeds into the covers of the samples, but we are working with gardening researchers to identify which other flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put poppies (虞美人)or roses next time,” said Kirwan.

Water shortage is one of the world’s biggest challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) thinks one in three people globally do not have easy access to clean water. Desalinating (给……脱盐) ocean water could help. But currently-available desalination units typically require high-pressure pumps (泵) to push water through filters (过滤器), which makes it difficult to reduce their size without influencing the energy-efficiency of the device. Meanwhile, they are too expensive to set up widely.

Now, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a convenient desalination machine. Unlike traditional desalination units that need replaceable filters, the MIT machine uses electricity to remove the salt and other small things from the ocean water. More importantly, the suitcase-sized device needs less power to run than a cell phone charger. It can also be powered by a small solar panel that costs less than $50. The lack of filters and the low electricity requirements make the machine extremely cheap to set up. “Even a kindergarten student can carry and use the desalination unit,” said one researcher. “Ease of use was one of the main motivations for creating the device.”

After running lab experiments using water with different salinity and turbidity (cloudiness) levels, they field-tested the device at Boston’s Carson Beach. The researchers set the box near the shore and put the feed tube into the water. In about half an hour, the device had filled a plastic drinking cup with clear, drinkable water.

The researchers believe their invention can deliver drinking water meeting WHO quality standards with a push of a button. Meanwhile, a smartphone app allows the user to control the unit wirelessly and receive real-time data on power consumption and water salinity. It also sends out information when the water is drinkable.

The MIT team is now exploring ways to bring their portable machine to market. They believe it will benefit residents of small islands or those running away from natural disasters. It could also be very useful for sailors on cargo ships and small groups of soldiers on long-term military missions.