Breakthrough in using sunlight to split water
April 16, 2010
A team of MIT researchers has managed to mimic
the photosynthetic process in plants by engineering M13, a simple and
harmless virus, to help splitting water into its two atomic components,
hydrogen and oxygen, using sunlight. The researchers hope this is the
first step toward using sunlight to create hydrogen reserves that could
then be used to generate electricity or even produce liquid fuels for
transportation. Read More
It’s easy to think of the Internet as something
that’s just “out there” in cyberspace, that doesn’t effect the physical
world in any tangible way. In 2009, however, it was estimated that
Internet data centers worldwide consumed about 2% of global electricity
production. Not only did most of that electricity undoubtedly come from
non-green sources, but it also cost the global economy approximately 30
billion US dollars. Much of the electricity was needed to power the
data centers’ forced air cooling systems, that keep the servers from
overheating. Now, researchers from IBM Zurich and the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) have devised a much more efficient
method for cooling the steamy Internet - they use hot water. Read More
Kisai Escape C - the Bluetooth 'fashion accessory'
By Rick Martin
April 16, 2010
Hands-free calling using Bluetooth earpieces has
become - shall we say - controversial over the years, as we've all seen
that annoying guy at Starbucks trying to close the deal as he orders his
cappuccino. But the latest receiver from Tokyo Flash, the Kisai Escape
C, might just have enough features to offset the Bluetooth
douche-factor. Read More
For decades boys and girls have dreamed of
becoming astronauts when they grow up. Now young assembly-line robots
and claw vending machines can share the same dream with news that NASA
plans to send Robonaut 2
(R2) into space. R2 will be the first human-like robot in space when it
is launched on the shuttle Discovery later this year to become a
permanent resident of the International Space Station (ISS). Read More
Nanoparticles may be small, but they sure ain’t
cheap - ounce for ounce some of them are more precious than gold. Which
is why scientists are seeking better ways to recover, recycle, and reuse
the tiny particles that are barely 1/50,000th the width of a human
hair. A new method to recover these valuable specks using a special type
of microemulsion may make such recovery efforts easier and speed the
application of nanotechnology in a variety of fields. Read More
German-based company Elgato is well known for its
range of digital television tuners that turn a Mac (and more recently a
Windows PC) into a fully-fledged PVR/TV as well as its easy-to-use
EyeTV software that has become the standard for Mac-based PVR
functionality. Released in February, the EyeTV Netstream DTT is the
latest bit of hardware to join Elgato’s venerable line of hardware that
lets users go mobile by streaming digital television or recorded
programs over a wireless home network. We took a unit through its paces
to see if it lives up to Elgato’s previous offerings. Read More
For some reason, and nobody knows exactly why,
the healing process for open wounds can be sped up by applying suction
to them under a tightly-sealed bandage. The negative pressure this
creates has been benefiting patients for decades but because mechanical
pumps are expensive and they need a constant electricity supply the
technology is not readily available, often where it is needed most – in
the developing world. A newly developed basic negative pressure pump
that doesn’t require electricity, is cheap to manufacture, lightweight
to transport and can be left in place for days could change that. Read More
Seeing as we recently told you about the stunningly-goofy HaptiHug, which allows you to receive the physical sensation of a hug via your computer, here’s a similar but much
more macho product – the 3rd Space FPS Gaming Vest. With its
game-activated internal pneumatic pockets, the FPS has no interest in
hugging you, but it will gladly simulate a gunshot to your torso. Read More
If you’re a racing cyclist, barreling down the side of the highway at 30mph, what do you not
want to be doing? Stabbing at your bike computer's little buttons, or
squinting at its little displays, that’s what! Or at least, that’s what
the folks over at Polar think. That’s why they’ve designed their latest
cycling computer, the CS500, with a couple of unique features – an
oversized LCD display, and for the first time on a cycling computer, a
rocker switch. Read More
There was a time when budget actioncams (or
helmetcams, or whatever you want to call them) were limited to just one
or two models. Now the options abound, with manufacturers adding special
features to set their cameras apart from the rest. We’ve seen
actioncams with laser-assisted alignment, extra-wide lenses and anti-glare LCD screens,
just to name a few. With the gobandit GPSHD, we’re about to see a
camera that offers something else yet - a recorded onscreen display of
the location, altitude and speed at which your footage was shot. Read More
Citroën Metropolis plug-in hybrid limousine concept
By Gizmag Team
April 19, 2010
Not so long ago the notion of an eco-friendly
vehicle meant small, boxy and decidedly uncool. But the push towards
hybrid and electric vehicles in recent times has changed all that - if supercars can be hybrids,
why not limousines? Citroën’s international design team has created the
Metropolis plug-in hybrid-limousine concept for the Shanghai World
Fair. The imposing 5.3m long by 2m wide by 1.4m high vehicle produces
impressively low CO2 emissions of just 70g/km via a 2-liter, V6 petrol
engine and an electric motor developing 70kW at its peak. Read More
High-speed photography specialist Vision Research
has unleashed its next-gen video camera - the Phantom Flex. The unit is
billed as the world’s most flexible digital cinema camera and it's no
idle boast - the specs speak for themselves. Packing a four mega-pixel
color CMOS sensor, the Phantom Flex captures a maximum resolution of
2560x1600 shooting at 1,560 frames-per-second (fps) which can be
increased to 2,800 when you step the resolution down to full-HD
(1920x1080). At 720p HD resolution the maximum recording speed hits
6,100 fps, at 640x480 it's a whopping 13,000 fps and if you really want
to trade in resolution for speed, try 330,000 fps at 256 x 8. Clearly
this is a serious a weapon for capturing slow motion footage. Read More
American manufacturer ZEV has issued a fairly
blunt challenge to other electric motorcycle manufacturers such as Vectrix, Zero Motorcycles and Brammo,
by claiming to have the fastest and most powerful production electric
scooter on the market in its US$7237 ZEV7000. "We tell them to bring
their street legal production bike and to bring their betting money.
There can be only one "fastest" street legal production electric motor
scooter or bike in the world." Read More
If you’re still a little strapped for cash and can’t afford a powerboat and
a submarine, then you might want to consider this cross between the two
- the Hyper-Sub. On top of the water it boasts speeds of 40 knots with a
range of 500 surface miles thanks to twin 440 horsepower inboard Yanmar
diesel engines and a 525-gallon fuel tank, while underwater it can dive
to depths of 250 feet using an electric over hydraulic self-recharging
dive system. Read More
Bang & Olufsen's innovative BeoLab-11 sub-woofer
April 19, 2010
Bang & Olufsen
has added some serious bottom-end to its speaker line-up with the
BeoLab 11 subwoofer. Sporting a small footprint and typically slick
design, the tulip-shaped BeoLab 11 unit uses two opposing drivers to
take advantage of the "Acoustic Balance Principle" - a first for B&O
in subwoofer design. Read More
We certainly like our chicken. According to USDA statistics, Americans ate around 84 pounds of chicken each during 2008, triple the amount eaten in 1960.
Poultry production is clearly a huge industry, and one that's set to
benefit from a new technology being developed at the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST)
which detects minute traces of chemical compounds that indicate
spoilage. The goal is to give industry a fast, cost effective method of
identifying foul fowl without damaging the product itself... and
ultimately keeping consumers safe. Read More
The same team responsible for the development of a flexible silicon device
that wraps around a heart to record its electrical activity has now
developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly
fitting to the brain's surface. Such ultrathin flexible implants, made
partly from silk, can record brain activity more faithfully than thicker
implants embedded with similar electronics and could pave the way for
better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals
from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord. Read More
If you find yourself in an expensive hotel
without the funds to cover that three-course seafood buffet you've just
demolished, you may not be led to the back of the kitchen to scrub pots
and pans after all... you could be off to the gym instead. Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers
has installed two electricity-producing bicycles which are connected to
the hotel's main electricity supply. Guests who pedal hard enough not
only get a dose of environmental feel-goodness, but can also score a
complimentary meal. Read More
With the trend for digital SLRs to include
additional video capture it was only a matter of time before dedicated
prime and zoom cine lenses were offered to hybrid photographers and
videographers. At the NAB Show in Las Vegas this week, Carl Zeiss
introduced an entire new range of cine lenses, set for launch in June.
As well as being designed especially for DSLRs, all forthcoming lens
models will be available with interchangeable Canon EF, Nikon F and Arri
PL mounts. Read More
We all know we should eat our greens because
they're good for us. Lithuanian researchers have found a way to make
them even healthier by exposing them to short-term light treatment with a
solid-state illuminator, reducing harmful nitrate concentration by 44% -
65% and boosting nutritional value. Read More
Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum share a passion for
Victorian high design but also enjoy all that modern technology has to
offer. Happily both needs have been met by applying some Steampunk
design principles to authentic or reproduction period furniture and
appliances. The latest in an impressive line of projects to be completed
by the couple has merged a reclaimed pipe organ with modern computer
technology to produce the utterly gorgeous Victorian Organ Command Desk.
Read More
The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol, which depicts
a serpent or dragon curled in a circle, swallowing its own tail.
Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in California have now
created a nano-tool, that they named after the curious beasty. Their
ouroborand molecular switch looks kind of like the Ouroboros, in that
its tail coils up and around into its cup-like head. Unlike the reptile,
however, the molecule could be used to detect metals, toxins, and other
pollutants in our environment. Read More
Mercedes is to show an interesting four-door
coupe concept car at the world's most important motor show, Auto China
2010. Dubbed the “Shooting Break Concept”, it's part Estate Car and part
sports car with extra luggage. It has a sloping tail end, highly
practical interior layout and 306 bhp direct injection V6 petrol engine.
For all the innovation, it's the machine's dynamic full LED headlamps,
due for series production this year, which are the stars. The
Intelligent Light System has five functions – country lights, motorway
lights, enhanced fog lights, active curve lights and cornering lights –
and combines LED technology with Adaptive Highbeam Assist for the first
time, leading to a completely new level of safety at night. Read More
After first leaving terra firma in December 2009, Austal's next-gen 102-meter trimaran
is now nearing completion. The company says the vessel has impressed
during sea trials this year, achieving a speed of 39 knots at 90% MCR
(maximum continuous rating) with 340 tonnes deadweight. Read More
Garmin
has announced slick new additions to its nüvi line of personal
navigation devices with its 3700 series. Available in three models -
the nüvi 3760T, nüvi 3750 and flagship nüvi 3790T, the slender units are
just 9mm thick and feature a 800 x 480 pixel, 4.3” WVGA glass display
with capacitive multi-touch functionality that lets users zoom in and
out of maps by double-tapping or pinching. Read More
Not unlike the Mini-digi which we covered a few weeks back, the Chobi Cam from Japan Trust Technologies
gives you the power to shoot photos and videos using a device no bigger
than an eraser. Even smaller than the Mini-Digi (2.5 x 1.8 x 1.2
inches), the Chobi Cam measures a miniscule 1.7 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches and
weighs only half an ounce. Read More
Apple's notoriously tight secrecy ahead of
product launches seems to have been undermined with a stray prototype of
what appears to be the next iPhone falling into the eager hands of Gizmodo.
It's been carefully pulled-apart, pored-over and examined from every
angle, and the folks over at Gizmodo are convinced that it's the real
thing. So what can we expect? Read More
Researchers at the Southern Methodist University
(SMU) in Dallas are developing new miniature camera technology and an
iris recognition application built on a high-resolution, light and
compact platform known as Panoptes. The technology is designed to help
the military and border patrol to track combatants in dark caves or
alleys and airport security personnel to quickly and unobtrusively
identify a subject from an iris scan. Read More
If you've ever been to Las Vegas you'll probably
be familiar with Stratosphere, the 1,149-foot-tall hotel and casino that
towers above the famous Strip. If you're the adventurous type, you'd
also know there's some fun to be had at the top in the form of three
hair-raising amusement rides. Now there's a fourth. Claiming the title
of the world's highest commercial decelerated descent, the SkyJump takes
thrill-seekers on an 855-foot "controlled free-fall" at 40mph - think
base jumping, but with a safety wire. Read More
It might not exactly be a revolutionary idea, but
we think Ubisoft should be commended for announcing it is doing its bit
for the environment by eliminating paper game manuals for its PC, Xbox
360 and PS3 video games. The paper numbers will be replaced with in-game
digital manuals for all games that will also make it easier for gamers
to access game information, as well as providing gamers with a manual
that won’t get lost or ripped to shreds by the family pet. Read More
We know it’s bad news for the environment (and
our health) to use cleaning products that contain nasty chemicals, but
until now, there have not been a lot of viable alternatives. Enter the
Activeion ionator – it’s a cleaning product that transforms humble tap
water into a super-powered, germ-destroying, dirt-removing dynamo – with
absolutely no chemicals. That’s good news for your family, your pets
and the environment. Read More
There have been a few companies that have
previously tested the 3D PC waters and found the market lacking –
presumably due to the lack of 3D content. But with the major TV
manufacturers generating lots of interest in 3D TV
among consumers and more 3D content starting to appear NEC is ready to
try its hand again with the announcement of a 3D all-in-one desktop PC
to be released before the end of the year. Read More
Each year, around 80,000 people in Germany become
seriously ill from occlusions of veins caused by blood clots. Such
thromboses can cause pulmonary embolism or even heart attacks. Air
travel is recognized as a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis with
evidence showing the wearing of compression socks or tights while
traveling reduces the incidence of thrombosis in people on long flights.
However many people don’t wear such items as they don’t realize they
may be at risk. A new fast and easy test of the risk of travel-related
thrombosis will soon be possible – and all airline passengers will have
to relinquish is one drop of blood. Read More
Here we are in the Information Age. Never before
has the flow of ideas, innovation and new technologies been so strong,
so much so that it's hard to imagine what the world will be like in 10,
20 or 50 years time. So which of today's fledgling technologies will
have a fundamental impact on the way we live our lives in the future?
MIT’s Technology Review has turned its attention to this
question with the release of its annual list of 10 emerging technologies
and it makes thought provoking reading. Read More
It is estimated there are approximately five
nonillion (that’s 5x10 to the power of 30) bacteria on Earth, and
although they generally get a bad rap, there are actually many
beneficial bacteria that are vital to life on our planet. As we’ve seen
previously, scientists are now looking to harness bacteria to produce
electricity through microbial fuel cells.
These microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert chemical energy to electrical
energy to offer a clean, efficient and reliable alternative to
batteries and other environmentally harmful fuels. Recognizing their
potential the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has developed an MFC that
could revolutionize naval energy use by converting decomposed marine
organisms into electricity. Read More
The Attach-a-tag is a clever way to label
clothes. It consists of an applicator and a small button (or tag) that
is laser-etched with the garment owner’s name. The tag is attached to a
seam or brand label by the ergonomic hand-held applicator using a push
and twist movement. The laser-etching is clear, resists fading and wear
and can withstand industrial washing temperatures and dry cleaning. The
tags can also be easily removed if the clothing is worn out or if your
child has a (another!) growth spurt. Read More
Mother Earth's favorite timepiece - the Sprout watch
By Ben Coxworth
April 20, 2010
Sporting a Rolex watch is certainly an effective
way of showing off your wealth, but what if you want to show off your environmental consciousness?
What timepiece would let you do that? It would have to be something
that incorporates low-impact, sustainable and biodegradable materials,
that doesn’t contain hazardous substances, and that supports recycling. A good “green” name would help too… a name like Sprout. Read More
Ever wanted to feel like you live on the moon? Or
imagined your house at the bottom of the sea? The Winscape application
from Rational Craft will turn two plasma TVs into virtual windows and
give you a realistic interactive view of Earth from space, an underwater
aquarium, or simply footage of the Golden Gate Bridge as you move
around the room. Read More
Driving is a sight-response game and as the line
between robots and cars begins to blur, cars will develop ever more
advanced vision systems. Subaru began fitting a stereoscopic “EyeSight”
system to some Japanese market cars nearly two years ago and has just
announced a major upgrade. It's reportedly a major improvement, but it's
worth thinking about the issues associated with becoming reliant upon
systems which take over the responsibility for driving your car. Read More
No matter how big Nikon and Canon make their rear
body LCDs, you can never quite beat the control you have when shooting
tethered. SmallHD’s DP-SLR external monitor for DSLRs offers up a good
solution for previewing 1280 x 800 resolution images on a
hotshoe-mountable, hand-sized screen which boasts the title of the
world’s smallest HD monitor. Priced at US$1199 for the model with all
the bells and whistles, it will also be available without the 3G/HD/SDI
inputs to keep the cost down to $899. Read More
Researchers at the California Institute of
Technology (Caltech) have built a device that produces highly focused,
high-amplitude acoustic signals dubbed "sound bullets." Called a
nonlinear acoustic lens, the device could produce acoustic images
superior to conventional medical ultrasound imaging, probe for damage in
the interior of nontransparent objects like bridges, ship hulls, and
airplane wings, and be used to develop non-invasive scalpels – although
there’s no word on whether it will enable the development of sonic
screwdrivers. Read More
According to the Neil Young album title, rust
never sleeps. In construction, rust damage can be insidious – especially
in infrastructure like concrete bridges where rust can have fatal
consequences if the steel in bridges fails. But detecting rust before
it’s too late has been an ongoing challenge for engineers and
scientists. Experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic
Circuits and Systems IMS have developed an early-warning system for
rust. By installing sensor-transponders into in the concrete to measure
the extent of corrosion, engineers are being given a vital heads-up.
Read More
With the devastation in Haiti still fresh in our
everyone’s minds a team at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
(UPC) is working on a system to better protect buildings, infrastructure
and sensitive equipment from seismic activity. The roll-n-cage (RNC) is
an anti-vibration device that is positioned between the building and
the ground so that when the ground moves, the supported building
doesn’t. Read More
New US$100 bill includes enhanced security features
By Gizmag Team
April 22, 2010
The U.S. Government has unveiled the new design
for the $100 note. Due to enter circulation on February 10, 2011, the
note includes two new security features to combat counterfeiting - a
blue 3-D Security Ribbon and a "Bell in the Inkwell" which changes color
from copper to green when the note is tilted. Read More
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has
unveiled more information about its forthcoming Bluetooth Core
Specification 4.0 that is expected to start appearing in devices late
this year or early in 2011. Central to the new spec, which will replace
the Bluetooth v3.0 + HS standard
that was officially adopted on April 21, 2009, is a low energy mode
designed to enable the expansion of Bluetooth technology into a range of
low power devices, such as watches, remote controls, and a variety of
medical and in-home sensors. Read More
Robot floor cleaners designed to free us from the drudgery of keeping the house clean are nothing new. Robotic vacuum cleaners, such as the Roomba, Electrolux Trilobite and Neato XV-11,
have already found a place patrolling the carpet in many homes, and now
the Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner that was first announced at CES in
January is nearly ready to report for duty on hard surface floors. Read More
MiLi's sleek Power Skin doubles iPhone battery life
By Gizmag Team
April 21, 2010
MiLi has added to its iPhone accessory line-up with the release of what it bills as the "world’s thinnest external battery and protective case for iPhone
3G and 3GS." The slender MiLi Power Skin has a 1,200 mAH battery
capacity which can provide up to double the battery life of the iPhone, a
pass-through USB/mini-USB for syncing and charging without removing the
case and is designed to be easily removed for docking. Read More
They say money can't buy you happiness, but if
your money is spent on 'experiential purchases' and not consumer goods,
then perhaps it can. Research from Cornell University has found that
spending money on material goods only brings short term happiness, while
experiences provide greater satisfaction long term. Read More
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