Maybe some things shouldn't be replaced by technology

The Guardian reported this week that the U.K. Clinical Research Collaboration is in the process of developing a way for people to test themselves for sexually transmitted diseases using their mobile devices. If they are successful, users will be able to place their own urine or saliva on a small computer chip that plugs into the mobile device, which will then produce the test results.

According to the Guardian, the app is being produced with technology-savvy young people in mind – those that experts say may be too embarrassed to go to the doctor to be tested though their age group has the highest rate of STDs. The test is meant to be private and quick, much like a drug store pregnancy test, and to reduce the growing number of STDs, which have increased in frequency over the last decade in the U.K.

Appadvice points out that this news may mean one day doctorâ€s offices could be obsolete, or at least less frequently visited. If the average person can test themselves for an STD, whoâ€s to say people wonâ€t diagnose themselves and print out their prescriptions in the future?

We donâ€t see that happening until sometime very far into the future, and the app being developed does not seem to include a way for people to treat themselves in private as well. This could mean it will not actually reduce the rate of STDs. If someone is too embarrassed to see a doctor to be tested, they may be too embarrassed to be treated as well.

And now that weâ€ve discussed all the particulars can we take a minute to talk about how inserting your own urine or spit into your mobile phone is disgusting? Weâ€re sure the creators will have some way to keep the process totally sterile and clean, but weâ€re not planning on sticking anything up against our cheeks and ears that has once housed our own pee. Trying to stop the growing rate of infection any way possible is a great idea and should be commended, but how about educating young people about STD prevention and coming up with ways to make them feel more comfortable talking to their doctors instead?

Despite talks between the search engine behemoth and the Chinese government, Google announced today that the launch of two Android phones (previously scheduled for tomorrow) has been postponed.

The launch of the phones, from Samsung and Motorola on the China Unicom carrier, would signify the opening up of the Android mobile operating system to the previously untapped (and obviously HUGE) Chinese market. If Google continues to hold out, it could risk losing a lot more than face.

Here’s the timeline, updated:

• mid-December 2009 – Google and twenty other companies (reportedly including Yahoo!) suffer a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” that attempts to extract data on Chinese human rights activists. The Gmail account information of two activists are accessed, but not the emails themselves.
• January 12th, 2010 - Google announces on their official blog: “we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all.“
• January 13th, 2010 – Chinese citizens hold an informal memorial mourning the imminent loss of Google.
• January 14th, 2010 – The Chinese Government puts IMDB.com on its list of inaccessible sites.
• January 14th, 2010 – China indirectly responds to Google by publicly defending its right to censor information and stating that companies in China must abide by Chinaâ€s laws.
• January 14th, 2010 – Employees at Google China are given “holiday leave” and ” no longer have access to company systems.”
• January 18th, 2010 – Google and China commence talks.
• January 19th, 2010 – Google indefinitely postpones launch of Android phones in China.

Read More {AFP}

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Google announced to the world today what happens when they and HTC (a company that makes all those Android running smartphones) come together.

Answer? They make one sweet phone.

The Nexus One, Google's foray into the world of smartphones.

The Nexus One, publicly released today, is Google’s answer to the iPhone. This sleek piece of machinery doesn’t just look as sexy as the iPhone; it’s faster, lighter, and isn’t tethered to AT&T. You can buy the phone through T-Mobile for a discounted price ($180 with a 2 year contract) or unlocked at $530 – making the Nexus One slightly cheaper than most of its smartphone competitors.

Add into the mix the fact that it’s got a whole bunch of Google goodies (Google Mail, Maps) one touch away, cutting-edge software (Google Voice, Live Wallpaper), and some killer hardware (a 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touch screen and a 5 MegaPixel Camera) and you’ve got yourself a serious contender in the smartphone race.

This is the “it” phone of the moment (the one all those tech geeks and plugged-in multitaskers are practically slobbering over), but will the Nexus One appeal to the iPhone/App loving masses? Could it topple the house that Jobs built? Only time will tell.

Read More {Google}

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Peter DaSilva for the New York Times

But even we didn’t think the iPhone would be replacing your cello any time soon.

The newest fad in iPhone adventures? iPhone orchestras. From the University of Michigans’ Mobile Phone Ensemble to the Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra, these crazy kids are using their iPhones as their instruments to make some pretty out-there music.

Want to see/hear more? Check out the links below for videos of these mobile phone masters in action:

Read More {Switched}

Read More {The New York Times}

Read More {Technabob}

Read More {Sony Ericsson}

Read the full story {Gizmodo}