The researchers have been working on a tracking system which lets "walkers" dispense with the type of suits used in Hollywood films for motion capture.

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And for aviation engineer Oliver Caldara, it was the motion of birds in flight which inspired him to design a new, more efficient, type of paraglider.

CNN: Aviation industry learns from nature

The question for many now is whether that type of growth can continue absent idea-generator Jobs, new products and with intensifying competition from Research In Motion ( RIMM), Samsung ( SSNHY), and others.

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