As technology in the security field advances, so does the intelligence of the burglars in prevailing over this technology. Gone are the days when a simple alarm system, connected to your phone line, was enough to protect you from potential security risks.

Cellular alarm systems (蜂窝报警系统)are a replacement of the traditional wired phone line security networks. These systems work just like your cell phone. A cellular module is placed in the main control panel and it sends signals, without the use of wires, to the monitoring station. The cellular signal is sent via the data part of a cellular signal, much like a text message.

Sensors can be placed anywhere in your house. Whenever there is an emergency, the relevant sensor picks up the unusual activity and sends a cellular signal to the main control panel. The control panel serves more than one purpose, which sends a cellular signal at the same time to the monitoring service at the back end. The monitoring service later informs the relevant authorities in the form of high-pitched sirens (高音警笛声). Typically it takes a few minutes for emergency services to arrive at the scene. Depending on the efficiency of your monitoring service and the local authorities, help should arrive soon and deal with the potential threats.

It allows you to monitor your house remotely. All you have to do is simply access the cameras from your phone and keep a check for any unusual activities while you are not around. With cellular technology securing your house, you don’t have to worry about the power failure or even burglars cutting your phone lines.

Since these systems operate on batteries, you should be careful about when the batteries die out. There might be other appliances including microwave ovens and WiFi in the house that can cause disruption (干扰). Ensure that your cellular alarm system's range is not affected by the presence of these appliances. Many homeowners tend to go for wireless systems due to the ease of installation (安装）factor. However，keep in mind that a non-professional installation might actually leave the system easy to damage.

More than a third of the world’s population lives in drylands, areas that experience significant water shortages. Engineers and scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a unique solution to help people in these areas access clean drinking water.

They developed a low-cost gel film (凝胶膜) that can pull water from the air in even the driest climate. Combining two simple ingredients, cellulose and konjac gum, the gel is inexpensive to produce. Just one kilogram of gel can absorb up to six liters of water in a dry climate. For those living in a climate with relative humidity, one kilogram of gel can collect up to13 liters of water a day. As the gel is so inexpensive and easy to make, it may offer a way of providing drinking water to countries with water shortages.

Previously, researchers have harvested fresh water from fog and dew, but that only serves areas with high humidity. Other attempts at pulling water from desert air are typically energy-intensive and do not produce much. In fact, this gel is a vast improvement from previous water harvesting technologies. The maximum water harvested has been 5. 87 liters in places with relative humidity. This new gel doubles this amount, uses no energy and is simple to operate and it can be molded into a shape or size that best suits the user.

“This new work is about practical solutions that people can use to get water in the hottest, driest places on Earth,” said Guihua Yu, professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering. “This could allow millions of people without consistent access to drinking water to have simple, water generating devices at home that they can easily operate.”

“This is not something you need an advanced degree to use,” the paper’s lead author, Youhong “Nancy” Guo said. “It’s straightforward enough that anyone can make it at home if they have the materials.” Scientists are planning on making a thicker gel that will increase the yield, making this technology a practicable solution to drought.

There are many reasons to skip deep-fried fast food, one of which is the challenge of dealing with used cooking oil. But researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered amusing method of transforming this useless waste product into an affordable plastic ink for 3D printers. And there’s more good news! The ink can breakdown naturally, unlike conventional 3D printing resins (树脂).

Professor Andre Simpson is director of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. He first became interested in the idea when he got a 3D printer around three years ago. After noticing that the molecules (分子) used in commercial resins resembled fats found in cooking oil, he wondered whether such a molecule could be created using waste cooking oil.

Using old cooking oil from a local McDonalds restaurant close to a campus, Professor Simpson and his research team applied a one-step chemical process in the lab, using about one liter of used cooking oil to make just under half of that amount in resins. The resin was then used to print a plastic butterfly that was structurally and thermally (热地) stable. This means that it won’t crumble or melt above room temperature.

Speaking to Goodnet, Professor Simpson outlined his high hopes for the creative and cheaper route to recycling that waste cooking oil: “Normally 3D printing resins come from fossil fuels, but by recycling used cooking oil into a high value product, we hope it will reduce the financial barriers, which should be a win-win for the environment.

Professor Simpson is also excited that the new lower cost of this 3D printing material will open up access to the near-limitless creative opportunities. “We hope that as the resin can be made very cheaply, it could reduce the 3D printing cost, so the technology is available to everyone,” he explains.