Businessmen in New Zealand are working with American creators of some of Hollywood's most famous creatures to develop animatronic dolphins that look almost the same with their living counterparts (相对应的事物).

A robotic dolphin that can nod an answer to a child might sound unappealing or disturbing. But as marine parks around the world face increasing pressure to abandon exhibitions featuring real whales and dolphins, the creatures provide an appealing choice, their creators say.

But with a price tag of about NZ$40m (£20.8m) per dolphin, the biggest difficulty for the creators of the animatronic creatures is proving to potential clients that the robotic sea creatures will work out to be cheaper in the long run than the real thing.

Li Wang, a business developer for Edge Innovation, the New Zealand-based company making the case for the robots, said they do cost four times more than normal dolphins but would last longer.

Melanie Langlotz, one of the businessmen behind the project said, the prototype (原型) for the dolphin is indiscernible from the real thing. A test audience had been unable to guess the dolphin was not real, she added.

Animal rights advocates also welcomed the change. They hoped robotic dolphins would replace real ones in marine parks worldwide. In nature, dolphins swim up to 40 miles a day and live in close family groups, but in marine parks animals were limited to pools filled with chemically treated water and forced to interact with strangers. It’s hoped that in the near future, advanced technology might allow us to experience nature without harming it.

Are you always looking at your mobile phone as you’re walking, playing with it as you’re studying, and reluctant to put it down as you go to bed? Tired of a life controlled by their mobile phones, many young people seem to be intent on working out how to overcome it.

One of the popular gadgets is the mobile phone isolation box. Users simply put their mobile phone in the box and set a time lock that will ban them from having access to the phone for a set time. Some boxes allow users to respond to emergencies. These isolation boxes can be adapted to almost all types of mobile phones on the market. The locking time generally ranges from one minute to 12 hours, and the price is generally about 100-200 Yuan. Xianfeng Technology, one of the sellers on Taobao says: “Our main customers are students and office workers. They usually ask for engraving some inspirational quotes on the box when buying. Some parents who feel their children are wasting time on Douyin and ruining their studies are also buying them. This physical box is much better than software on phones.” Xianfeng’s after-sales comment section is filled with positive comment from buyers who say the box has helped them become more self-disciplined.

However, Lin Tianqi, a college student says, because the lock time is set by users, whether they can achieve their goal depends on the individual. A five-hour lockup is too harsh, she says, but one of her friends locks the box for just 30 minutes, she seems to cheat herself. Liang Wenyu, another college student, sneers at these “flashy” attempts. “Regardless of the effectiveness of the isolation box, you might as well lock yourself up. As simple as that.” he says. “I can understand why they need these blood pumping quotes on the box — because they lack discipline. How about simply taking back your time. Self-disciplined people are bound to succeed without such gimmicks.”

Israeli company Watergen has produced a device that generates clean, drinkable water out of air. The device called GENNY is small enough to be used in a home or office but can generate up to 30 liters of water a day. The water that GENNY produces is not only clean enough to drink, it’s also often cleaner than tap water.

GENNY takes air in and passes it through a filter (过滤器) to remove dust and dirt. The filter is powerful enough to work even in areas with high air pollution. The air then passes through a chamber where heating and cooling cause water vapor in the air to condense (凝结). This water is then passed through several more filters and minerals are added to make it healthier and taste better. Finally, the water is stored in a tank where it is continually circulated to keep it fresh.

A larger model, called the GEN-350, can produce up to 900 liters of water per day. The GEN-350 is now being used in hospitals that previously did not have a reliable source of fresh, clean water. Watergen has also developed an emergency response vehicle (ERV) that can carry a GEN-350 unit wherever it is needed. In addition to the GEN-350, the ERV carries a portable generator that supplies electricity for the GEN-350.

Watergen’s ERV is designed to bring water to people suffering from the effects of a serious earthquake, fire, flood or other situations. Once such an incident occurred in California in 2018. A fire started at a camp site and spread quickly over a wide area, destroying many thousands of acres of trees and many homes. One of Watergen’s ERVs was driven there and it provided water for its citizens and rescue workers. Besides, they also provided clean safe water for the residents of Texas and Florida in the aftermath of the devastation caused by hurricane’s Harvey and Irma.