By feeding hundreds of sample sounds into the system, the software can distinguish different threats from various sounds - and not just based on volume.

BBC: New CCTV technology senses aggression from sound

Japan is also working on a new rocket engine using composite materials (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries), the first infrared seekers (Fujitsu) to see in two colors to distinguish decoys from warheads, and a kinetic warhead that rams into missiles directly rather than exploding nearby.

FORBES: On The Cover/Top Stories

Many of the bombings are probably carried out by criminals rather than separatists, though it is hard these days to distinguish between the two: the separatist movement, hopelessly split into factions, is being taken over by mafia-style gangs engaged in racketeering and guerrilla warfare.

ECONOMIST: Corsica

This means the robot can distinguish the type of waste based on its colour and drop it into the appropriate bin.

FORBES: ZenRobotics Develops a Garbage Sorting Robot

Walking into a store blind, it would be awfully tough to distinguish the devices -- though the Tablet is bit lighter, color-wise.

ENGADGET: Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet gets real, we go hands-on (video)

As it advances into the Tiger's last domain, the army must be careful to distinguish civilians from rebel fighters.

ECONOMIST: Sri Lanka

Earmarks -- all these pork projects -- a lot of them, by the way, people like, a lot of them are wastes of money, and we got to be able to distinguish between the two and make it more transparent so that they're not stuck into bills without anybody knowing about it -- (applause) -- but they only cost -- they amount to about 1 percent of the budget as well.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Holds a Town Hall in New Hampshire