If you’re one of those Appleheads who just love
their iPhone, then chances are you want to maximize the number of
places you can use the thing. For instance, do you hate going without it
during your bike commute? Well, now you don’t have to. Dahon, who
brought us the ReeCharge bicycle-mounted electronics charger, also offers the Biologic Bike Mount for iPhone. And no, it’s not intended for web-surfing as you navigate downtown traffic. Read More
In the future, your refrigerator might keep your
food cold by using a magnet. Not only would it use less power and run
quieter than your current fridge, but it also wouldn’t contain any
hydrofluorocarbons, gases which can add tremendously to the greenhouse
effect if not properly disposed of. It all comes down to something
called the magnetocaloric effect, wherein a changing magnetic field
within a material causes it to get colder. It definitely holds promise,
although scientists first have to figure out just how the thing works.
Read More
Cisco
has given an ambitious green city project a huge credibility boost by
agreeing to work with urban-scale sustainable technology company Living
PlanIT on its creation. The new community in Portugal will use the
latest cutting-edge green technology from both companies, and house over
200,000 people with minimal environmental impact. Read More
If stardom is measured by camera time and the
number of drooling onlookers, then the Green Cri was undoubtedly the
star of the recent Paris Green Air Show.
The experimental aerobatic electric aircraft hasn't yet spent any time
in the air, but that didn't seem to matter. Its four engines, gorgeous
smooth lines and intriguing bubble pilot enclosure ensured that it
remained constantly within the camera frames of visitors and journalists
alike. Read More
The next step in the evolution of e-Ink
technology sees 50 per cent better contrast resulting in sharper,
clearer text and crisp, detailed images. Amazon's new graphite Kindle
DX takes full advantage of the new technology, also offering a couple
of new fonts, new security features and social networking integration.
And the new DX comes in at over US$100 cheaper than its predecessor too.
Read More
We last checked in with Jetman Yves Rossy late last year when his attempt to complete the first intercontinental jetpack flight
from Morocco to Spain unfortunately fell short. However, that setback
hasn’t deterred Rossy, who has spent the time since developing and
testing a fast extracting pyrotechnic parachute and a lighter and more
powerful jet-propelled wing. The new “delta wing” is designed to allow
take-off from the ground and provide more freedom to realize aerobatic
maneuvers, which no doubt came in handy on his latest airborne
undertaking – performing some precision formation flying alongside the
Breitling Wingwalkers. Read More
How would you like your body to be disposed of
when you shuffle off this mortal coil? Burial or cremation have long
been the only legal options in many parts of the Western world, however
neither is particularly environmentally friendly. But greener
alternatives that let you make a final environmental statement are on
the rise. Two examples are ecological burial (or corpse composting)
which uses a form of cryogenics and freeze drying, and resomation, which
uses alkaline hydrolysis to break down the body. The end result of both
processes is a fine powder, similar to cremation, and each claims to
lessen the impact on the environment. However, they may make some
traditionalists turn in their graves... Read More
The Audi e-tron
has been at the top of our list of awesome electric car concepts for
some time. Now there's a new contender – the SLS AMG E-CELL.
Mercedes-AMG hinted at the possibility of an electric drive SLS gullwing
last year and has now rolled-out a prototype which looks set for small
series production. Along with a very hard to miss fluorescent "AMG
lumilectric magno" paint job, the prototype features four electric
motors positioned near each of the wheels which produce 392 kW and 880
Nm of instantaneous torque and acceleration of zero to 100 km/h in 4
seconds – just 0.2 seconds under the performance of the 6.3-litre V8 SLS AMG. Read More
Using super-high pressures similar to those found
deep in the Earth or on a giant planet, researchers from Washington
State University (WSU) have created a compact, never-before-seen
material capable of storing vast amounts of energy. Described by one of
the researchers as “the most condensed form of energy storage outside of
nuclear energy,” the material holds potential for creating a new class
of energetic materials or fuels, an energy storage device,
super-oxidizing materials for destroying chemical and biological agents,
and high temperature superconductors. Read More
Toshiba and Intel
have announced a collaborative project to get a new tablet computer
into Japanese schools. The Atom-powered CM1 notebook/tablet will have a
rotating touchscreen display and enjoy wireless connectivity to
electronic blackboards and classroom projectors. Read More
At the 3D and VR Expo in Tokyo, Japanese company
Forum8 demonstrated the company's UC-win/Road Drive Simulator software.
The software allows for custom maps and environments to be created
according to your specifications. You can control the environment and
location, the terrain and street layout. You can even adjust the
traffic, weather conditions, and even time of day. The minute details in
the graphics are impressive, even showing barely noticeable elements
such as the signal lights on individual vehicles. Read More
There was a time, not so very long ago, when
high-resolution video cameras, non-linear editing suites and the ability
to reach millions of potential viewers were exclusively the domain of
TV stations. All that has changed, of course, in the past decade or so.
What many New Media on-camera personalities still lack, however, is the
smooth, polished delivery of professional TV hosts. Is that because the
Big Boys and Girls have journalism degrees and years of experience?
Perhaps partly, but it’s also because they have a teleprompter feeding
them their lines. Now, you can have yours fed to you too, by getting a
Prompt-it - a gizmo that turns your iPhone into a
teleprompter-on-a-budget. Take that, Oprah Winfrey! Read More
North American readers over a certain age may recall a time when Fiats
were available at local auto dealers. Even though some people joked
about their reliability at the time (“What does FIAT stand for? Fix It
Again, Tony!”), the chic, zippy little Italian cars definitely had their
admirers. Unfortunately, after the 1970’s oil crisis subsided, small
cars weren’t so popular anymore, and what market remained was heavily
dominated by Japanese automakers. Thus it was that in 1984, Fiat decided
to stop selling cars in North America. Flash-forward to fuel-conscious
2010, and Fiat is now the sixth-largest car company in the world, and
owner of the US-based Chrysler Group. This week, it was announced that
separate and distinct Fiat dealerships will be selling the company's
compact 500 model in the United States. Read More
So what can you do these days to make the humble
MP3 player a little more interesting? Surely just about every design
variation imaginable has been tried. Well, not quite. Designer Jia Peng
has proposed a whole new level of player interaction by including a
roll-out, 48-key piano keyboard in his Piano's Silhouette MP3 player
concept. Read More
Whether it's reaching orbit, landing on the moon, building more efficient cars or speeding up human genome sequencing,
the X PRIZE has become synonymous with driving innovation. Now there's
another scenario that's crying out for the kind of radical breakthrough
theses prizes are designed to achieve – the oil spill crisis in the Gulf
of Mexico. The X PRIZE Foundation is planning to answer this call with a
new prize aimed at incentivizing privately-funded methods to quickly
clean up crude oil from the ocean and coastlines around the spill. Read More
The Zero Race
will see contestants dash around the globe in 80 days in zero emission,
electric powered vehicles... and one of the most distinctive entries is
the Zerotracer. Designed by a group of engineers from Winterthur,
Switzerland, the Zerotracer is an electric motorcycle that encloses its
two occupants in a Kevlar shell and is capable of a top speed of 250
km/h (155 mph) and a range of 350 km (217 miles) on a single charge.
Read More
Ricoh has now announced the availability of a new lens kit for the modular GXR digital camera system.
The 10 megapixel S10 wide-angle zoom lens unit features a
high-sensitivity image sensor, technology to help prevent blurred images
and the ability to fill the frame with an up close and personal subject
from less than half an inch away. Read More
We’ve all done it – swung too fast onto a freeway
ramp and then suddenly had to yank on the steering wheel for control of
the vehicle. It’s not fun, and reportedly loosing control on a bend
accounts for about 50,000 crashes every year in the U.S. alone. That’s
why Ford is introducing Curve Control on its 2011 Explorer and on 90
percent of its crossovers, SUVs, trucks and vans by 2015. The system
senses when you’re entering a curve too quickly, and automatically slows
your speed by up to 10mph in approximately one second. Read More
One of the more remarkable technological
innovations amongst hundreds currently on display at World Expo 2010 in
Shanghai can be found in the Japanese Pavilion where major sponsors
Canon, Panasonic and Toyota are all showing their visions of the future.
Most of it we’ve seen before, but Canon’s “Wonder Camera Concept” is
entirely new – it’s the camera of the future as visualized twenty years
hence by the world’s largest camera company and it is incredibly
thought-provoking. Read More
Next January, before the Rolex 24 auto race at
Daytona International Speedway, a Ford Escape will drive around part of
the course. The catch: its driver will be blind. The event will be a
demonstration of technology developed by the US National Federation of
the Blind (NFB) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech).
Three years ago, Virginia Tech accepted the NFB’s Blind Driver Challenge
(BDC), in which engineering schools were invited to design non-visual
interfaces that would allow blind people to drive. From the sounds of
things, the Rolex 24 demo could be just the tip of the iceberg. Read More
What do you do if you want to draw attention to
the threats faced by the world’s oceans, in particular the huge amount
of plastic waste
that ends up in them? Easy, you sail across the Pacific Ocean, visiting
and documenting environmental hot spots along the way. That, at least,
is what the crew of the Plastiki are in the process of doing. The group
of six adventurers set out from San Francisco on March 20th, with
Sydney, Australia as their final destination. Three and a half months
into the 11,000 nautical mile journey, they’re currently about 4,000
miles from the finish line. What makes their odyssey particularly
remarkable is their sailboat, the Plastiki – a craft made almost
entirely from recycled and/or recyclable plastic that gets the majority
of its flotation from approximately 12,500 two-liter plastic bottles.
Read More
If you’re a guy who shaves in the shower, you no
doubt know the frustration of trying to keep your shaving mirror
fog-free. In some bathrooms, even just the installation of such a mirror
can be tricky, as can positioning yourself to use it. Squarely
addressing these conundrums is the Reflect, a combination showerhead and
non-fogging mirror. Read More
Many of the exhibitors we encountered at the Paris Green Air Show
were showing off aircraft that ran on electricity, alternative fuels,
or that reduced the consumption of fossil fuels. One booth, however, was
displaying a different sort of green aviation product – a low-impact,
natural cork composite called AEROCORK, intended to replace PVC foam and
other petroleum-based building materials in aircraft. It is the result
of a collaboration between three Portuguese tech companies. Read More
Pranav Mistry, Pattie Maes and Liyan Chang from
MIT's Media Lab have managed to create an invisible computer mouse for
just a few dollars. Using an Infrared laser and tracking camera, the
Mouseless system registers and interprets a user's hand movement and
translates it into onscreen actions such as cursor movement and button
clicking. Read More
Thermal management innovator Asetek has created a
24 inch liquid-cooled all-in-one computer powered by a high-end Intel
Core processor, with graphics support from NVIDIA. The near-silent
operation AIO prototype offers all the performance benefits of the best
performing desktop systems in a space-saving 2.28 inch thick form
factor. Read More
The German arm of Internet Service Provider and
Web Host 1&1 has unveiled its own 7 inch tablet computer. The
ARM-powered, Android SmartPad comes with WiFi connectivity, a gigabyte
of internal storage and some custom apps. There's an optional docking
station and the ability to turn it into a remote control for home
entertainment systems too. Read More
Although much of the focus of pollution from
automobiles centers on carbon emissions, there are other airborne
nasties spewing from the tailpipes of fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
These include nitrogen oxides (NOx). In the form of nitrogen dioxide it
reacts with chemicals produced by sunlight to form nitric acid – a major
constituent of acid rain – and also reacts with sunlight, leading to
the formation of ozone and smog. Everyone is exposed to small amounts of
nitrogen oxides in ambient air, but exposure to higher amounts, in
areas of heavy traffic for example, can damage respiratory airways.
Testing has shown that surfacing roads with air purifying concrete could
make a big contribution to local air purity by reducing the
concentration of nitrogen oxides by 25 to 45 percent. Read More
The benefits of car night vision systems
that enable drivers to see people or animals more clearly on dark,
unlit roads have already started appearing in luxury cars. But these
systems rely on near-infrared (NIR) radiation, which requires the cars
to be fitted with infrared headlights to illuminate the road ahead.
Falling into the “thermal imaging region”, Long-wavelength (LWIR)
cameras require no such external light source but the sensors require
constant cooling, adding to the cost and complexity of such devices.
Researchers have now developed a new type of detector which functions at
room temperature allowing it to be used in cars and other mobile
applications. Read More
With almost three quarters of the world's
population predicted to live in cities by 2050, it's no surprise that
the shape of urban transport is set for a radical change. BMW is looking
to stake its claim on this brave new world of zero emissions personal
motoring with the Megacity Vehicle (MCV). Based on a totally new vehicle
architecture dubbed "LifeDrive", the concept is made up of of two
independent modules - a Drive module which contains the battery and
drive system, and a Life module which houses a lightweight passenger
cell made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). While the
development of the concept has been discussed for some time, the big
news from BMW this week is that we can expect to see the MCV enter the
market in 2013. Read More
Projecting images onto water surfaces is the
latest display technology to get a 3D makeover. With its ability to
target light onto and between individual water droplets the AquaLux 3D
can display text, video and other moving or still images on layers of
falling water. In contrast to existing technologies for projecting
images onto water surfaces, AquaLux 3D makes it possible to create 3D
images by using multiple layers of precisely controlled water droplets.
Read More
Bored with your plain old ceiling fan, with its
old school, conservative straight blades? Perhaps what you need is the
Ribbon. A one-off exercise from Australian industrial designer Ben
McMahon, the Ribbon not only looks radically different than traditional
fans, but is also claimed to be much more effective at air circulation.
The designer obviously believes his invention has potential, as he has
entered it in this year’s James Dyson Awards. Read More
It’s a frustrating situation. You’re aimlessly
circling the blocks, hoping to stumble across a free parking space, but
with no clue as to where such a space might be. Well, as we so often
like to say here at Gizmag, “A new invention could change that.”
Researchers from Spain’s Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have
helped develop a system that detects free parking spots, then guides
drivers to the closest ones using a process that’s reportedly better
than GPS. Read More
Accidentally spilling a cup of coffee over a
power strip will, at best, probably cause the connected equipment to
stop working. On the other hand, such water-related electrical mishaps
could lead to serious injury or even be fatal for the user. Wet Circuits
has introduced a water resistant power strip that looks to avoid such
situations by protecting internal wiring and minimizing the flow of
electricity upon contact with water. Read More
At the end of 2009, Nikon managed to secure a
nice little order from NASA for a bunch of D3S digital cameras and seven
of its AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses. These were destined to be
whisked off into space for photographic documentation. Now, humble
earthlings are being given the chance to have a look at some of the
rather spectacular images taken by astronauts on the International Space
Station. To date, NASA has captured more than 700,000 images with its
own Nikon equipment, showing off the D3S’ noise suppression features and
how well it’s able to cope with the low-light conditions of space. Read More
Here it is – the new ZX-10R. The bike that lured
MotoGP race-winner Chris Vermeulen into the worst team in the WSBK
paddock; the bike that both Vermeulen and Kawasaki believe will put
Kawasaki back at the front of the Superbike grid. All we have at this
stage is a few photos of the race Superbike version and a teaser video,
but expectation has been building that the new Ninja could be the first
Japanese bike to take it to the amazing new BMW S1000RR. Numbers like
200 brake horsepower and a wet weight under 200kg have been floating
around for the streetbike version. We know that there's going to be some
form of traction control, which puts the Kwaka into a small but growing
class of sports machines, and most interestingly, patents have been
spotted that indicate that Kawasaki is thinking about running a proper
long-bang style engine configuration, complete with an additional
electric motor to keep the crank spinning in between pulses at lower
speeds. Certainly, upon its release this will be Kawasaki's most
significant motorcycle in many years. Read More
Coming hot on the heels of a firmware upgrade that brought 3D capability to its NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras,
Sony has announced it will add 3D capability to its point-and-shoot
Cyber-shot digital still camera range with the introduction of the
Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 and DSC-WX5. The new cameras will be the first
compact digital still cameras capable of capturing panoramic photos in
3D with Sony’s 3D Sweep Panorama function. Read More
Biofuels are seen as a more environmentally
friendly fuel source than petroleum-based fuels, but transporting the
bulky biomass used to produce them is expensive because of their volume.
It’s much more economical to transport the liquid fuel after it has
been processed but this isn’t possible if the processing facilities are
located far from the source of the biomass. A new method to process
agricultural waste and other biomass could enable the creation of mobile
processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce fuels where
the biomass is sourced. Read More
With oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig
continuing to spew into the Gulf of Mexico researchers from the School
of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of
Hawaii at Manoa have produced an animated computer simulation that shows
the potential spread of the oil over a period of 360 days from when the
spill started. To calculate the particle dispersal the researchers used
ocean flow data from simulations conducted with the high-resolution
Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator (OFES). Read More
Aimed at the global defense industry, Mercedes
unveiled the Light Armored Patrol Vehicle 6.X Concept at the recent
Eurosatory 2010 defense industry trade show in Paris, France. Based on
Mercedes’ G-Glass the LAPV 6.X boasts greater agility, higher protection
and a greater payload capacity than its cousin, the LAPV 5.4. Read More
In these days of PhotoShop and its brethren, it’s
becoming almost impossible to tell whether or not an image has been
digitally manipulated. While some ‘shopping is done simply for whimsical
reasons (see picture above), the matter becomes a bit more serious when
things such as military images are altered. Visible watermarks are
sometimes overlaid on digital photos, but these permanently alter and
obscure that copy of the picture. Recently, however, researchers in
India came up with a system for verifying a photo’s authenticity,
without altering it in any way. Read More
The Lens-in-a-Cap stereo lens system from Loreo
mounts to the front of a digital SLR body to allow users to take
side-by-side 3D photographic images. Mounts are available for a host of
popular digital SLR cameras and the system will automatically adjust
image pitch to suit subject distance. Subsequent images can then be
printed out or viewed on a computer screen via a cheap cardboard
parallel format viewer. Read More
OK, first of all, what’s a light mill? It’s a
simple rotary motor consisting of four flat vanes mounted to a central
axis, which spins when subjected to light. Light mills have been around
since 1873, mostly just as novelty items, and have pretty much always
been at least a few inches tall. Less than a week ago, however,
scientists at California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
announced the creation of a light mill just 100 nanometers in size.
Unlike its bigger brothers, this tiny device might actually have some
very practical applications. Read More
Passengers boarding either a Cathay Pacific
Airways or Dragonair jet in 2012 will be able to make use of broadband
connectivity. This week, the airline confirmed an agreement with
Panasonic Avionics Corporation to provide broadband access across its
entire fleet with download speeds of up to 50Mbps (to the aircraft – not
individual passengers), as well as call and data access for cell
phones. Read More
Renault’s Z.E. range
of electric vehicles turned a few heads at last year’s Frankfurt Motor
Show but the company’s new electric concept car, the DeZir, is more
likely give passersby a case of whiplash. The DeZir is a two-seater
coupé that Renault says stands out as an illustration of the company’s
commitment to more emotional styling. With its sports car looks and
ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in five seconds, or 0
to 50 km/h in just two seconds, it’s hard to disagree. Read More
Journeys from home to the nearest bus stop, train
station or news stand may well prove too far for walking, but not
really far enough to justify the expense of getting in the car. For
those in-between journeys, you need a lightweight personal transport
solution. Maybe something like the Treadway Mobility which has been
entered into this year's James Dyson Awards competition. Designed to
strap over existing footwear or to step into, the wearable motorized
shoes could just be geeky enough for tech fans and cool enough for
thrill-seeking teenagers. But not just yet. Read More
Heat pumps provide heating in winter and cooling
in summer. While they’re OK for moderate climates, they are not
efficient in extreme cold climates. Building on work that began five
years ago, researchers at Purdue University are developing a new type of
heat pump that is much more efficient and could allow residents in cold
climates to cut their heating bills in half. Read More
Electric vehicles face a road block in the form
of battery technology and we can expect to see lots of news in this
space in coming years as huge companies throw resources into finding a
solution to battery range and recharging times. One of the promising
candidates for improving battery performance is Toshiba's SCiB technology.
The company has now announced that it's working with Mitsubishi Motors
to fast track the development of these batteries for EV applications.
Read More
A plane powered entirely by the sun that flies at night. It sounds improbable, but Solar Impulse has just proven that it can be done. Following on from its maiden flight
in April, the solar plane flew through the night in the skies above
Switzerland this week, passing another important milestone on a journey
that has already lasted seven years and is set to culminate in an
attempt to fly around the world non-stop in 2012. Read More
Research efforts to find individual antibodies
that can neutralize HIV strains have been difficult because the virus
continuously changes its surface proteins to evade recognition by the
immune system. As a consequence of these changes, an enormous number of
HIV variants exist worldwide. However, there are a few surface areas
that remain nearly constant across all variants of HIV and scientists
have now discovered two potent human antibodies that attach to one of
these sites and can stop more than 90 percent of known global HIV
strains from infecting human cells in the laboratory. Read More
After much anticipation, UK-based Gordon Murray Design
has finally unveiled the full, complete versions of its two microcars,
the T.25 and the T.27. The three-seater combustion-engined T.25
got its first public exposure last week at Smith School’s World Forum
on Enterprise and the Environment, in Oxford. Details of the T.27,
essentially an all-electric version of the T.25, have recently been
published on the company's website. Besides looking dead sexy, the
little auto has been promoted as “the world’s most efficient electric
car.” Read More
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