New and Emerging Technology News part 48 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Saturday 25 January 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 48

The Panel 13in external laptop display from MEDL Technology
MEDL Technology recently showed off its fully functional, multi-purpose 13 inch display at the Spring DEMO conference in California. With its own power source and a number of connectivity options, The Panel not only offers extra screen real-estate to business and consumer laptop users but also to anyone wishing to show off a photo collection direct from a digital camera or watch a movie on the move or make gaming less reliant on complicated timeshare schedules being drawn up for the family TV.  Read More
Honda's new generator is powered by butane gas canisters
Scheduled to go on sale at Honda dealers throughout Japan this May, the ENEPO EU9iGB is pretty compact as far as generators go. It's powered by common butane canisters, which makes for safe and easy storage in contrast with gasoline-fueled alternatives. A fold-down handle makes transport dead simple, as the design is reminiscent of carry-on luggage with two wheels at the base.  Read More
Cassette Playa brings augmented reality to the catwalk of the London Fashion Show
It's not unusual to see some bizarre and extraordinary creations at the London Fashion Show and this year Cassette Playa continued this fine tradition with a live augmented reality catwalk performance. CGI animations on screens behind the models on the catwalk were triggered by different symbols on the clothing being shown, transporting the audience into a rich, colorful digital world where the boundaries separating reality and the virtual are blurred.  Read More
The Eclipse litetouch Keyboard with customizable LCD keypad
Available in wired and wireless models the Eclipse litetouch Keyboard is a companion to the Eclipse Touch Mouse we covered earlier this year. Both wired and wireless versions have an interesting LCD 3-in-1 touch panel alongside the backlit scissor keys which, with a single press, switches between media mode, numerical pad and the customizable “MyEclipse” mode.  Read More
A single unit of the new desalination device - in the Y-shaped channel (in red), seawater ...
Following natural disasters such as the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Katrina, potable water is often in high demand and short supply. In both of those instances, the disaster zones were near the sea, but converting salty seawater to potable fresh water usually requires a large amount of dependable electrical power and large-scale desalination plants - neither of which were available in the disaster areas. A new approach to desalination, called ion concentration polarization, could lead to small, portable desalination units that could be powered by solar cells or batteries and could deliver enough fresh water to supply the needs of a family or small village.  Read More
The Magic Wheel Scooter - no pedals, no handlebars, no brakes, but plenty of fun
The Magic Wheel Scooter fits in a niche somewhere in the middle of a skateboard, a unicycle and in-line skates. While riders in the promotional video below make riding the scooter look easy, we reckon it will take some getting used to, as will the stares from passers-by. However, it looks like a bit of fun, and certainly not as radical as the Loop-In concept board. It appears functional, too, especially if you live at the bottom of a hill and need to get home in a hurry. But with no handlebars, pedals or brakes, an element of bravado is required to master this piece of technology.  Read More
Geiger Cars' custom Hummer H2 Bomber sports Mattracks rubber tracks for unrivaled traction...
If you’re looking to boost the off-road capabilities of the already pretty capable Hummer H2 then look no further than the Hummer H2 Bomber. This customized vehicle from Germany’s Geiger Cars replaces the H2’s regular 8.5” x 20” rims and 305/60 tires with Mattracks 88M1-A1 rubber tracks on each wheel. These massive structures, 40cm wide and 150cm long, guarantee unrivaled traction on virtually any terrain.  Read More
Sony's upcoming firmware update removes the Other OS feature from the non-Slim PS3s which ...
I'm still rocking a launch-era PS3, and it's always felt like an investment rather than a money sink. Since launch, Sony has added DivX/Xvid playback, improved PSP Remote Play functionality, the affordable PlayTV PVR, and in Australia, support for the ABC's catch-up TV service called iView. So it pains me to report on the upcoming firmware update, which removes the Other OS feature from the non-Slim PS3s which were available until Q4 2009 - adding nothing in return.  Read More
The Water Bomb Factory will arm you lots of fun this summer
Where was this product when I was growing up? Aqua Antics’ Water Bomb Factory is a child’s dream come true. Just watching the video (below) conjures up (slightly evil) thoughts of saturating family, friends and foe. Overton’s – basically a watersport enthusiast’s supermarket – says the Water Bomb Factory lets children (of all ages) tie up to ten balloons a minute, which could arm kids with a sizable stockpile in no time at all.  Read More
The flexible silicon technology used to create a new type of implantable device (Image: Da...
Sure, LED tattoos might look cool, but now scientists have found an even better use for flexible silicon technology. In what represents the first use of such technology for a medical application a team of cardiologists, materials scientists, and bioengineers has created and tested a new type of implantable device for measuring the heart’s electrical output that the team says is a vast improvement over current devices and could also mark the beginning of a new wave of surgical electronics.  Read More

NVIDIA's claims its GeForce GTX480 GPU is 27 percent faster than any other GPU on the mark...
The first NVIDIA GeForce 400 series GPUs have broken cover in the shape of the GTX470 and the GTX480. Representing the first of the Fermi line of consumer products, the gaming graphics units offer dense geometric and photo-realistic image rendering, full high definition 3D performance and the ability to expand screen real-estate across three displays.  Read More
Safety first ... the reactor core of the Gosgen Nuclear Power Plant (Photo: Kernkraftwerk ...
One of the key challenges when designing nuclear reactors is finding materials that can withstand the massive temperatures, radiation, physical stress and corrosive conditions of these extreme environments. Exposure to high radiation alone produces significant damage at the nanoscale, so scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, have been working on a mechanism that allows nanocrystalline materials to heal themselves after suffering radiation-induced damage. This gives hope for materials that will improve the reliability, safety and lifespan of nuclear energy systems.  Read More
The hydraulic and latching mechanism concept could allow the development of a full-page, r...
When most of us are surfing the Web we generally do it in much the same way we read a newspaper. We scan the entire page looking for information that interests us before focusing our attention on that area. But imagine if your computer display only allowed you to see one line at a time. Finding that relevant nugget of information suddenly changes from a simple exercise to a time consuming chore. That’s the problem facing blind computer users today who are forced to rely on expensive electronic Braille displays that only show one line of text at a time. Researchers have now developed a concept that could enable a full-page, refreshable Braille display that would allow the blind to take full advantage of the Web and other computer applications.  Read More
Flex test - the 787 was subjected to loads 150 percent greater than it can expect to endur...
If you've ever felt a little queasy watching your plane's wings flex under the strain of being at 10,000 feet, rest assured that they can bend a lot further. Just how much pressure modern airliner wings can take is demonstrated by the latest 787 Dreamliner news from Boeing. During a recent "ultimate-load wing up-bending test," the 787 was subjected to loads 150 percent greater than it can expect to endure during service with the wings flexed upward by approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) over a period of two hours.  Read More
The CubeSail deploys to a size of 10 x 10 meters from a container measuring 10 x 10 x 30 c...
We’ve looked at the problem of orbiting space junk before and the threat it poses to the future of space exploration and the use of satellites. Now scientists have devised a miniature “nanosatellite” fitted with a “solar sail” that can be used on satellites or upper stage launch vehicles. Once the equipment that has reached the end of its mission, the solar sails can be deployed to successfully achieve de-orbit. While it won’t cut the amount of debris already whizzing around above our heads, it will help stop future missions adding to the problem.  Read More
Mercedes Vito e-taxi
It seems that hailing a fuel-cell powered black cab won't be the only option for Londoners looking to grab a green fare. Now ready for trials, this plug-in electric conversion of the Mercedes Vito can carry up to six people and has a range of 120 kilometers on a single six hour charge.  Read More
Snookie the under water robot features an artificial lateral line sensory organ to detect ...
Currently robots need to be precisely programmed for each step of a given task, but the move towards autonomous systems will see robots reacting intelligently to their surroundings and performing tasks largely independently. To do this they will need to rely on their own sensory perceptions. However, in harsh environments, laid low by fumes, dust, water, high temperatures or low visibility, new senses are called for – perhaps even sensory organs that humans lack. Researchers have fitted an underwater robot with an artificial sensory organ inspired by the so-called lateral line system found in fish and some amphibians that lets it orient itself in murky waters.  Read More
Century Gothic is the 'greenest' font
If you're looking for an easy way to make your contribution to saving the planet, then it could be as simple as switching your font to 'Century Gothic'. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay (UWGB) has rolled out the change this semester, saying it uses 30% less ink than its default font Arial when printed.  Read More
iPad news roundup #2
We're still holding on to the firehose of iPad news as the official April 3 release date approaches. Our second installment this week covers the latest on iPad availability, apps and accessories.  Read More

The Superbus will transport 23 passengers in transport where and when needed
Looking more like a futuristic stretch limo than a bus, the Superbus is a 15-meter long vehicle that provides seating for 23 passengers who can embark and disembark via its 16 gull-wing doors (eight on each side). The electric bus runs on four E2M electric motors powered by rechargeable batteries with its highly streamlined shape and lightweight construction designed to keep energy consumption down as it hurtles along at 155 mph.  Read More
The chicane seat and tail unit
A British company believes it has come up with a revolutionary seat upgrade for racetrack riders. The Chicane saddle unit ditches the traditional foam butt-pad for a series of rollers and gears to allow riders to slide smoothly from knee-down left to knee-down right in a tight series of corners without having to lift their entire bodyweight off the seat to do so. It's a fascinating idea, particularly for those of us that find track riding physically demanding on the legs - and the inventors believe it could help dampen the bowel-loosening sideways flick of a highside as well.  Read More
Princeton researchers have developed a new way to manufacture electronic devices made of p...
It seems that half the world’s R&D is involved in solar energy, which isn’t a bad thing considering the mess our reliance on traditional energy generation has got us into. Interestingly, engineers at Princeton University have developed a new technique for producing electricity-conducting plastics that could dramatically lower the cost of manufacturing solar panels, making alternative power within reach of more consumers and industry.  Read More
The Lexus LFA with a Nurburgring kit which adds a lot more than just good looks
The Lexus LFA supercar was a long time coming, but little time has been wasted in bringing a mod-kit aimed at hardcore track driving enthusiasts to market. The Nürburgring package offers new aerodynamics including a fixed rear wing which delivers greater downforce, a power increase to more than 562bhp, gearshift times cut to just 0.15 seconds, 0-62mph acceleration in 3.7 seconds and the top speed of 202mph is maintained in spite of higher downforce.  Read More
The magnetic gesture software MagiTact could work on all smartphones with a compass sensor...
Trying to get to your phone whilst it’s buried at the bottom of your bag is not the way to make friends with your local librarian. If researchers at Deutsche Telekom (DT) in Berlin, Germany get their way though, soon a magnet and a simple hand gesture could be all you need to silence any phone... provided it has a compass sensor.  Read More
The new UK Space Agency and Space Center address the industry's rapid growth - currently t...
The UK is getting a new £40 million (US$60 million) International Space Innovation Center (ISIC) as part of the Government’s plans to support Britain’s growing space sector. The announcement came at the launch of the UK's new Space Agency.  Read More
Mazda has struck a deal with Toyota to license the hybrid technology used in the Toyota Pr...
Mazda has struck a deal with Toyota to license the hybrid technology used in the Toyota Prius. Mazda plans to incorporate the technology into the SKY1 engines it is currently developing with the aim of having a hybrid vehicle on the road in Japan by 2013.  Read More
Imperial student demonstrates how neurotechnology works
Remember when the simple paddle game Pong generated a world-wide buzz of excitement? Those days may just have returned with the announcement that students from Imperial College London have created an interface using off-the-shelf components which tracks eye movement and enables a bespectacled user to play the game hands-free.  Read More
Chevrolet's non-hybrid Cruze Eco promises 40mpg highway, comparable to the hybrid Honda In...
Next week at the 2010 New York Auto Show, Chevrolet will be unveiling the compact 2011 Cruze Eco. Visually, this car isn’t going to be big news – it’s OK, but nothing you haven’t seen before. With a six-speed manual transmission, however, it should achieve an estimated 40mpg on the highway – what Chevrolet calls “hybrid-like” fuel efficiency. With that kind of mileage, but without a hybrid’s complexity or price tag, the Eco could prove pretty popular. By comparison, the hybrid Toyota Prius and Honda Insight get 49 and 43mpg highway, respectively, while the non-hybrid Honda Civic sedan gets 34.  Read More
Google goes 3D with launch of ANGLE graphics driver project
Google has launched a new open-source project for its Chrome browser that will enhance 3D graphics rendering capabilities without the need for users to download additional drivers. Dubbed ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine), the project aims to allow Windows users to run WebGL content without having the traditionally necessary OpenGL drivers installed.  Read More

The smallest superconductor, measuring just .87 nanometer wide. (Image: Saw-Wai Hla and Ke...
The world of superconductors just became a much smaller place. Scientists taking part in an Ohio University led study have discovered the world’s smallest superconductor – a sheet of four pairs of molecules measuring less than one nanometer (that's 0.000001 millimeter) wide, potentially paving the way for next – generation nanoscale electronics.  Read More
BunBun eco light - a flashlight with a twist
Japanese manufacturer Landport has created an ingenious variation on the wind-up flashlight with the BunBun - a compact torch that can be charged simply by swinging it about in front of you. Once you extend the handle and bend it at the hinge, you can charge the built-in rechargeable battery by cranking the BunBun for 30 seconds. Just this short amount of charging will give you about 5 minutes of juice.  Read More
AMD's Opteron 6000 series eight and 12-core server solution
AMD says that it has redefined the server market with the release of its Opteron 6000 series server platform. The company's gauntlet (of the throwing down variety) consists of eight and 12 core x86 processors giving twice the performance of the previous generation, significant improvements in memory bandwidth, better power management and attractive price points.  Read More
An Ostara PEARL proprietary fluidized bed reactor, used to extract phosphorous from raw se...
Here’s something rather important that you might not know: there may be a worldwide phosphorus shortage within the next few decades. The majority of the world’s phosphorus is currently mined from non-renewable phosphate rock deposits, and widely used in crop fertilizers. Scientists have begun to question just how much more phosphorus is left, and what the agriculture industry will do once it runs out. The answer – or some of it, at least – could be bobbing in a pool of raw sewage. Ostara, a Canadian nutrient recovery company, has developed a method for harvesting phosphorus from municipal wastewater and converting it to fertilizer.  Read More
The TomTom Start2 satnav system has many useful features including advanced lane guidance ...
It’s a jungle out there – an urban jungle. And if you have to negotiate a vehicle through it you’ll know how tough that can be, especially in an unfamiliar city or town. Take a wrong turn and it could be many miles before you regain your bearings and much wasted time before you reach your destination (don’t mention the wasted fuel). Sat-nav “institution”, TomTom, has launched TomTom Start2, a new entry level unit featuring advanced lane guidance, spoken street names and compatibility with the RDS-TMC traffic information system.  Read More
The iWEB folding keyboard cocept from designer Yang Yongchang
Designer Yang Yongchang is proposing a fold-away solution to the keyboard envy sometimes exhibited by netbook users. For the iWEB design, a full-size QWERTY keyboard is jointed in two places and folded inwards so that when not in use it sits within the frame of a 6.5in display portable device. Open up the netbook, fold out the side flaps and enjoy the ease of use and comfort of those nice big keys.  Read More
Sleepbox: Unobtrusive at the airport
Sometimes even the travel-weary budget flier would pay just about anything for a couple of hours sleep after a long haul flight in “cattle class” - which is where the Sleepbox concept comes in. Imagine your joy at spotting one of these comfy cocoons at the airport lounge while you’ve got a few hours between connecting flights. Or if you’ve arrived late at night in a strange land and don’t want to risk finding a hotel room in the dark – or the lone cab driver parked in the shadows of the airport or train station. Check into the Sleepbox and you could be on cloud nine before your head hits the pillow.  Read More
Bionic vision - ironically, we only have low-resolution images.
Researchers at Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) have produced a prototype version of a bionic eye implant that could be ready to start restoring rudimentary vision to blind people as soon as 2013. The system consists of a pair of glasses with a camera built in, a processor that fits in your pocket, and an ocular implant that sits against the retina at the back of the eye and electronically stimulates the retinal neurons that send visual information to the brain. The resulting visual picture is blocky and low-res at this point, but the technology is bound to improve, and even in its current form it's going to be a major life-changer for those with no vision at all. And the future potential - even for sighted people - is fascinating.  Read More
Not for hacks ... the Garia Soleil de Minuit golf car has many luxury marque features
Think about it. Where else would you unveil the world’s most expensive golf cart than Monaco? For a mere US$52,000, you can own the Garia Soleil de Minuit – the world’s most costly production luxury golf cart complete with double-wishbone front suspension, fridge and painted in the color of your choice. Driven out of the same factory as the Porsche Cayman and Boxter, the Garia Soleil de Minuit is designed to deliver the ultimate on-course driving experience. Whether it lowers your golf handicap is beside the point.  Read More
A symmetrical droplet (top) forms on a surface with straight nano-pillars, while on a surf...
By creating specific kinds of tiny structures on a material’s surface MIT researchers have made a liquid spread only in a single direction. While this may not appear to be a momentous breakthrough it has important implications for a wide variety of technologies, including micro-arrays for medical research, inkjet printers and digital lab-on-a-chip systems. Up until now the designers of such devices could only control how much the liquid would spread out over a surface, not which way it would go. This new system changes that.  Read More

The new Nissan LEAF will be on the road from the end of this year
Nissan is to start taking reservations from US consumers later this month for its LEAF electric vehicle. A fully refundable down payment of just US$99 will ensure customers are given first crack of the whip when ordering starts for real in August, with nationwide rollout expected early 2011.  Read More
Upon completion the Pearl River Tower will be one of the greenest skyscrapers in the world
The 71-story Pearl River Tower, described as one of the most energy-efficient skyscrapers in the world, has reached its topping out milestone on the way to its planned completion later this year. (For those not in the architectural know, topping out or topping off is a ceremony held when the last beam is placed at the top of a building.) With a height of 309.6 meters the 2.3-million square-foot Pearl River Tower incorporates the latest green technology and engineering advancements, the most immediately obvious of which will be a pair of openings in the tower’s facade which feed wind turbines to generate energy for the building.  Read More
iPad review roundup
Saturday April 3 is almost upon us, but even though the iPad isn't officially out, the first reviews are starting to flood in. So what's the early verdict on of Apple's sleek new tablet device from those who've already spent quality time on its 9.7-inch multi-touch screen? Read on for a review round-up.  Read More
The Paris showcase in white oak and black walnut ... gives your flat screen TV a personali...
Halden-Caviglia has a designed a series of Flat Screen Showcases for home-owners who prefer to steer clear of the minimalist approach to home decorating. For some, that large, sleek and modern-looking TV just doesn’t go with the rest of the furniture. For others, it’s a cheaper option for turning their large screen TV into something more akin to a home theater. Whatever the motivation, the company is attempting to create an entirely new product segment that makes the most of the ubiquitous flat panel TV.  Read More
A new report has made suggestion as to how fuel consumption of medium- and heavy-duty vehi...
While there are fuel consumption standards for passenger cars, there is no such regulation of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. With such vehicles accounting for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S. regulators are looking to establish fuel economy standards for these vehicles in the next few years. Now a new U.S. report has been released recommending the best ways to measure and regulate fuel economy for these vehicles, and assess technologies that could improve it. Amongst its findings, the report says that some vehicles could cut their fuel use by about 50 percent through the use of a combination of technologies.  Read More
No escape ... the Victor Multi-Kill Electronic Mouse Trap humanely zaps rodents dead in le...
There are two types of mice in the world. Firstly, there’s the Mickey, Speedy Gonzales, Stuart Little and Despereaux type of mouse, which are mostly harmless and a bit of fun. Then there’s the filthy rodent type that causes much damage and spreads disease. Pest control specialist Victor is hoping the saying “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” rings true as it releases its "Multi-Kill Electronic Mouse Trap", a device that zaps mice dead in less than three seconds and reloads almost instantly to execute the next victim.  Read More
CGear Multimat
If you spent last weekend camping at the beach or in the desert dunes, chances are you'll be spending a good chunk of next weekend removing sand from tents, sleeping bags and pretty much every bit of gear you own. Take it from someone who did go camping last weekend - you just can't seem to get rid of the stuff. One solution would be to avoid bringing so much sand back in the first place, and the CGear Multimat provides a clever way to help you do just that. Its dual-layer design creates a one-way-street for sand, dirt and dust, so particles fall through from above, but don't come back-up through the mat. The result - a clean area to plonk your chair on or spread in front of your tent to help keep sand at bay.  Read More
Rizwan Bashirullah holds a pill capsule designed to signal when a patient has swallowed it...
Patients forgetting, bungling or just plain refusing to take their medication is a big problem for health care professionals and patients alike. It can exacerbate medical problems, spurring hospitalizations or expensive medical procedures and undercut clinical trials of new drugs. In seeking a way to confirm that patients have taken their medication a team of researchers have added a tiny microchip and digestible antenna to a standard pill capsule that automatically alerts doctors when the pill has actually been ingested.  Read More
Ford and Microsoft have teamed together to deliver Microsoft Hohm to US owners of EVs in o...
A couple of the drawbacks of owning an electric vehicle (EV) will be remembering to recharge it daily and knowing what time of day or night is best to take advantage of the most cost-effective electricity tariff. According to some figures, a household’s energy consumption could double while an EV is charging. To help overcome these conundrums, Ford and Microsoft have joined forces to implement the Microsoft Hohm energy management application for Ford’s EVs, starting with the Focus Electric next year.  Read More
A population of Arizona State University's fatty acid-secreting cyanobacteria microbes
It seems like every day, a new way of producing biofuel is being discovered. Within the past few years, we’ve reported on technology that harvests biofuel from garbage, booze, crop waste, carbon dioxide and wood-munching marine isopods. Now, Arizona State University has announced a new development in the harvesting of biofuel from cyanobacteria microbes - ASU researchers Xinyao Liu and Roy Curtiss have genetically engineered bacteria that literally ooze the stuff out of their skins.  Read More
 
 

1 comment:

  1. Stand-by generators are really convenient due to their fixed location and automatic switch technology. Power can be generated either by the push of a button on honda generator 3000 or automatically, depending on the configuration of the generator.

    ReplyDelete