It’s always a bummer when you take something like
a computer or TV out of its box, and realize that all that Styrofoam is
just going to end up in the landfill. Although it can be
recycled, due to transport costs and lack of market demand, most cities
don’t do so. There’s also the fact that it’s made from petroleum – so
it's a long way from being sustainable. Fortunately, though, an
international team of scientists has recently developed a biodegradable
foam. It’s made from clay and casein, which is a naturally-occurring
protein in cow’s milk. Read More
The release of the latest MacBook Air is the most drool-worthy tech news of the week and the folks at iFixit haven't wasted in any time in unboxing and
unbolting the new 11-inch version of Apple's thinnest ever laptop.
Inside an array of six individual lithium-polymer battery cells is
revealed alongside the tiny SSD that weighs grams and is only 2.45 mm
thick. Read More
Auto designers compete to create 1,000-pound car
By Ben Coxworth
October 21, 2010
For the past six years, the Los Angeles Auto Show
has invited automobile designers to participate in its Design
Challenges. The challenge for this year’s show was to come up with a
design for “a 1,000lb [453.6kg], four-passenger vehicle that is both
comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance
without sacrificing the styling consumers’ demand.” Entries are being
judged not only for meeting the weight constraint (no more than 1,500
pounds/680 kg with passengers), but also for artistic beauty, comfort,
uniqueness of design, roadworthiness, sustainability, performance and
user-friendliness. The winner will be announced at the show, on Nov. 18.
Here’s a look at some of the higher-profile entries... Read More
Last year, Tone Box released a uniquely menacing
overdrive unit shaped like a human skull where red LEDs lit up the orb
sockets. Now the company has announced a new Skull Crusher in steel or
gold finish that's being made available to retail in just ten locations
in the U.S. The latest incarnation retains the useful 10dB signal boost
but now offers an analog preamp that can be used to drive an amplifier
or plugged directly into a recording system or mixing board. And yes,
the LEDs in the eye sockets are still there too. Read More
Confused by that headline? It's simple really –
when drugs and medical devices are tested for contamination, a substance
called Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) is used. LAL is made from the
blood cells of horseshoe crabs, which are caught along the U.S. Atlantic
coast, drained of 30 percent of their blood, then returned to the
water. Although the majority of the crabs survive the process, it has
been estimated that at least 30 percent do not. This, in turn, is
affecting populations of the red knot, a bird that feeds on horseshoe
crab eggs. Now, engineers from Princeton University have discovered that
a substance from the skin of the African clawed frog could be used
instead of the crab blood – with no harm done to the frog. No word on
whether eye of newt or wing of bat would work, too. Read More
Technology is delivering a array of health monitoring systems that can record a person’s blood pressure or perform an ECG
on the go. Now researchers have turned their attention to monitoring
cardiac pressure, an indicator of heart problems that can normally only
be measured using an invasive procedure known as a coronary angiography.
Read More
Speedlink CUE mouse offers Magic Mouse-like experience for PC users
By Paul Ridden
October 21, 2010
As a PC user, I must admit to having suffered from a little Mac envy when Apple let loose its Magic Mouse. So I was pleased when Microsoft announced its new Arc Touch
mouse, at least initially. Now Speedlink is about to introduce its CUE
multi-touch mouse for PC users where the upper surface translates
swipes, strokes and touches into onscreen actions. It also benefits from
a high precision optical sensor and connects wirelessly to a compact
nano receiver from up to 26 feet away. Read More
Marshall amplifiers have been at the center of
rock's universe for nearly five decades. Next month will see the company
take its audio know-how to more personal territory when the first pair
of Marshall Headphones break cover. Instead of sporting Marshall's
trademark distortion crunch, the new cans are promised to "render music
the way it was meant to sound." Read on for what little information has
been revealed and details of how to get access to more... Read More
The new MacBook Air - Apple adds 11-inch model
October 21, 2010
The new MacBook Air has arrived – and it has a
smaller sibling. Apple's update to its ultra-portable notebook range
includes the addition of an 11-inch model alongside the 13-inch, with
both flavors coming in at a slender 0.11-0.68 inches (0.3-1.7 cm) in
height and weighing 2.3 and 2.9 pounds respectively. The top spec
13-inch has a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 256GB of flash
storage, 7 hour battery life, 1440 by 900 resolution screen and, in a
welcome nod to practicality, both models now feature two USB ports. Read More
Much as we might hate having to take our shoes
off when going through airport security, it’s become necessary ever
since a terrorist managed to get a shoe bomb aboard an American Airlines
flight in December of 2001. Unfortunately, the X-raying of shoes is not
enough to detect triacetone triperoxide (TATP). This easily-made
explosive has been used in several bombing attempts, and is very
difficult to detect in an airport environment. It doesn't fluoresce,
absorb ultraviolet light or readily ionize, and can only be detected
with large, expensive equipment and extensive sample preparation. Now,
chemists from the University of Illinois have announced a simple new way
of detecting even minute concentrations of TATP, using a piece of
plastic and a digital camera. Read More
Unhappy with your browser interface? Create your own with Mozilla
By Paul Ridden
October 25, 2010
In the not-too-distant past most of those who
wanted to get online would do so using Internet Explorer. These days
though, we are somewhat spoilt by the number of different browsers on
offer. But for some that's still not enough - we need to personalize our
browser experience. Instead of just skinning a browser to fit in with a
particular style or mood, Mozilla Labs is proposing stripping away the
user interface (UI) layer altogether and replacing it with a flexible
platform where a user can create a new UI using a little web technology
savvy. Read More
Airbags have been cushioning drivers in accidents
since the 1980’s and are now standard equipment on most new cars sold
around the world. With cyclists and motorcyclists being much more
vulnerable on the road than their car-enclosed cousins there have been a
number of devices designed to bring the protection of an airbag to
vehicles of the two-wheeled variety, including the Hit-Air jacket and Honda’s motorcycle airbag.
The latest is an airbag collar aimed at cyclists called the Hövding
that is worn around the neck and inflates to enclose the rider's head in
the event of an accident. Read More
Altanus, a Geneva-based watchmaker better known
for its luxury timepieces made from materials such as steel and gold has
turned to a slightly less traditional material for its PATCH watch –
paper. Described by the company as having zero environmental impact, the
PATCH was inspired by the papier- mâché floats of Italy’s Viareggio
Carnival and is made from biodegradable paper in a range of eye-catching
colors and designs. Read More
A year ago, the twin impacts of NASA’s LCROSS
(Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) spacecraft and a
companion rocket stage into the lunar surface revealed the presence of water on the moon.
Now new data uncovered by LCROSS and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
(LRO) has revealed that the lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in
useful materials, and that the moon is chemically active and has a
water cycle. Read More
Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that
affects about one percent of the U.S. population, and it’s a disabling
condition – attacks of vertigo can occur without warning, requiring
people to lay still for several hours at a time. This ever-present
possibility causes sufferers to avoid certain activities, situations and
even careers. Medication and lifestyle changes often alleviate it, but
if they don’t then surgery is the next step, which typically depletes
the hearing and/or balance functions of the affected ear. Now, a team of
scientists from the University of Washington Medical Center are about
to try out a new cochlear implant on their first human test subject.
Their hope is that it will get rid of his symptoms, while allowing him
to retain full use of both ears. Read More
According to a report from Nikkei, the folks at
Sharp have decided to officially pull the plug on their PC operations.
While this may sound surprising, it's not entirely shocking given that
the company has not released any PCs at all in the past year. Read More
New acoustic early warning system for landslides developed
By Ben Coxworth
October 22, 2010
People living in landslide-prone areas will be
glad to know that a new technology has been developed which monitors
soil acoustics to determine when a landslide is imminent. The system
consists of a network of sensors, buried across a hillside considered a
risk. As soil moves within the hillside, it creates noise – the more the
amount of movement, the louder the noise. When that noise reaches a
threshold level, the system sends a text message warning to local
authorities, that a landslide is about to occur. Read More
Researchers have created bio-compatible LED
arrays that can bend, stretch, and even be implanted under the skin.
While this might cause some people to immediately think “glowing
tattoos!”, the arrays are actually intended for activating drugs,
monitoring medical conditions, or performing other biomedical tasks
within the body. Down the road, however, they could also be incorporated
into consumer goods, robotics, or military/industrial applications.
Read More
New manufacturing method gives shape to carbon nanotubes
By Ben Coxworth
October 21, 2010
Carbon nanotubes, despite all the technological
advances they’re making possible, look pretty boring. When viewed though
a microscope, they are, essentially, just straight tubes. Now
scientists from the University of Michigan have used a process called
“capillary forming” to create nanotubes that resemble twisting spires,
concentric rings, and bending petals. It's not about aesthetics though,
giving nanotubes complex 3D shapes is seen as an important breakthrough
in the development of microdevices and nanomaterials. Read More
Joby is continuing its run of clever designs with the fourth installment in its hands-free torch line-up
– the Gorillatorch Switchback. As anyone who's ever been on an
overnight hike can attest, any practical two-in-one solution that cuts
down on baggage is a bonus, and this one seems to tick the boxes. The
Switchback uses one 130-lumen LED light array as both an LED lantern and
a headlamp, plus the lamp stand doubles as a camera tripod... better
make that three-in-one. Read More
While creating robotic grippers to pick up
objects that are all the same shape and consistency is relatively easy,
difficulties arise when trying to create one versatile enough to handle a
wider variety of objects. The flexibility of the human hand has led
many robotics researchers to borrow the familiar four finger and opposable thumb
template that has served us so well, but getting the robotic hand to
exert enough force to grip a variety of objects without breaking the
more fragile ones is still a difficult task. For this reason a team of
researchers has bypassed the traditional human hand and fingers design
to create a versatile gripper using everyday coffee grounds and a latex
party balloon. Read More
Tablets have become one of the hot topics of the 2010 on the back of Apple's all conquering iPad,
but HP's new entry into the space has come about with next to zero
fanfare. The new Windows-based HP Slate 500 isn't positioned as a rival
to the iPad (in contrast to Samsung's Android-driven Galaxy Tab),
instead it's aimed at "professionals who don’t usually work at a
traditional desk, yet need to stay productive in a secure, familiar
Windows environment." Read More
In figuring out how a molecule called fulvalene
diruthenium works to store and release heat, researchers at MIT may have
paved the way for a rechargeable battery that stores heat instead of
electricity. Although the molecule was discovered in 1996, ruthenium’s
rarity and cost has ruled out it’s widespread use but the researchers
say understanding the fundamental mechanism of how the molecule works
should make it possible to find similar chemicals based on more
abundant, less expensive materials. Read More
Uno motorcycle reconfigures itself on the fly
By Ben Coxworth
October 25, 2010
Bombardier's concept for a one-wheeled self-balancing motorcycle-like vehicle called the EMBRIO
has been a long time Gizmag favorite. It was envisioned as the type of
personal transportation that people might be using 20 years from now.
Well, if 21 year-old inventor Ben Gulak has his way, consumers will be
able to buy a similar vehicle a lot sooner. His battery electric Uno may
look like a regular motorbike at higher speeds, but when it slows down,
the wheels realign themselves into a side-by-side configuration – seen
in profile, it looks like a unicycle. We caught up with Ben to get the
latest news on the project. Read More
Firesheep session hijacking tool makes public Wi-Fi useless
By Darren Quick
October 25, 2010
At the Toorcon 12 hacker conference in San Diego
on Sunday, Seattle programmer Eric Butler introduced his Firesheep
add-on for the Firefox Web browser in an effort to bring attention to
the weakness of open Wi-Fi networks. In a practice known as HTTP session
hijacking (or “sidejacking”) the add-on intercepts browser cookies used
by many sites, including Facebook and Twitter, to identify users and
allows anyone running the program to log in as the legitimate user and
do anything that user can do on a particular website. Read More
Researchers have created a tabletop device that
produces synchrotron X-rays, the energy and image quality of which are
as good as some of the largest, most expensive X-ray facilities on the
planet. It uses a high power laser combined with a tiny jet of helium
gas to produce an ultrashort high energy beam, that could be used for
everything from examining molecules to checking the integrity of
airplane wings. Read More
As a longtime fan of the ThinkPad line, I have to admit to being more than a little curious about Lenovo's
new ThinkCenter M70z just released in Japan. More than a little
clunky-looking, this all-in-one desktop PC is marketed to Enterprise
customers and runs Windows 7. With a multi-touch display, the M70z
invites you to lay your hands all over it. Think of it as iMac's heftier, more promiscuous cousin. Read More
We’ve heard of surgeons using a SpectroPen
during the tumor removal surgeries, but now Californian scientists are
shedding light on cancer, literally, in the hopes to find a new cure for
skin cancer.
The team of scientists from the University of California, Irvine are
currently developing new techniques to image cancerous lesions using LEDs (light emitting diodes) with the hope of then being able to treat skin cancer using photodynamic therapy (PDT). Read More
Advanced fertility system offers money back pregnancy guarantee
By Paul Ridden
October 25, 2010
For an estimated one in six European couples,
trying for a baby proves an often fruitless and frustrating process.
Those wanting to avoid invasive techniques like in vitro fertilization
(IVF) and opting for a more natural approach may find their lives being
taken over by complicated calendar-based calculations or early morning
toilet duties. UK-based Cambridge Temperature Concepts has developed a
sophisticated body temperature measurement system which helps couples
predict the best time to plan for a romantic evening, and is backed by a
money-back guarantee. A wireless sensor stuck under the arm
continuously monitors the minute changes in basal body temperature
indicative of ovulation, and wirelessly sends the results to a hand-held
reader which displays a six day optimum conception forecast. Read More
The Intermot motorcycle and bicycle fair rolled
around in Cologne earlier this month with a lot of focus clearly
beginning to shine on the area of electric bikes, scooters, bicycles and
even smaller devices. Gizmag looks at the 10 kg Yikebike, the world's
fastest electric scooter, Kawasaki's 210 bhp ZX10R, BMW's six cylinder
masterpiece, Horex's V6 and one of the most astounding engines we've yet
seen - the Ducati 868cc V8 of German engineer Dieter
Hartmann-Wirthwein. The layout of his engine (pictured) enables a
compact four cylinder engine to be built on a single cylinder crankcase.
Read More
It has been estimated that in the European Union,
about ten percent of the electricity used in homes and offices goes to
power computers and other electronic devices that are in standby mode.
By 2020, that amount could constitute 49 terawatt hours per year, which
is almost equivalent to the combined annual electrical consumption of
Austria, the Czech Republic and Portugal. The European Union’s
just-announced Steeper research initiative squarely addresses such
concerns. Its aim is to develop electronics that operate on less than
half a volt when in standby, and that are up to ten times more
energy-efficient when active. Read More
If you drive a truck for living, a sat/nav can be
a handy business tool. With most of these units designed for car users,
the market for dedicated trucking units
has expanded in recent times. The latest offering from Cobra
Electronics – the 7750 Platinum – includes a 7-inch screen, 3D maps and
33,000 points of interest targeted at truck drivers and according to
Cobra the industry’s best last-mile routing. Read More
Pretty much since it was announced HTML5 has been
touted by many pundits as signaling the death of Adobe’s Flash. Whether
or not that eventuates, only time will tell but a tool being developed
by Adobe codenamed Edge is only likely to fan the flames for those
predicting Flash’s demise. Still only in prototype form, Edge is an
HTML5 animation tool that makes it easy for web developers and designers
to create animations and transitions without having to slug through
line after line of HTML5 code. Read More
Barnes & Noble has injected a little color into its NOOK
e-reader – 16 million colors that is. The new NOOKcolor ereader sits
somewhere between the familiar e-ink offerings and a full-blown tablet
with its 7-inch, 1024 x 600 color touchscreen, Wi-Fi connectivity, a
slimline design which measures 0.48-inches thick and weighs at under a
pound and a price point which will challenge competitors on both sides
of the fence – US$249. Read More
Although electrical devices have evolved rapidly
over the last few decades, the plants used to generate the electricity
that power these devices are still dominated by the use of steam
turbines that convert thermal energy, usually from the burning of fossil
fuels, into mechanical energy. Even newer solar thermal power plants
concentrate the sun’s rays to heat water into high-pressure steam to
drive a turbine. But with water not always readily available in
locations suited to harnessing solar energy, such as deserts, a new type
of solar thermal field, tower and research facility is being built in
Australia that requires only air and the sun, making it ideal for parts
of the world that receive minimal rainfall. Read More
RM Auctions recently declared James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5
to be “the world’s most famous car,” but there's no doubt another
contender for that title – the Batmobile. One thing that muddies the
waters a bit is the fact that the term “Batmobile” actually describes at
least three different vehicles: the modified Lincoln Futura concept car
from the 60s TV series, the vaguely Corvette-shaped 1989-and-beyond movie cars and now the car from the most recent two movies, the military-spec Tumbler. Michigan-based movie props artist Bob Dullam really likes the Tumbler, so he did what any of us would do in his position – he built one of his own from scratch. Read More
A remodeling tool to green up your house
October 26, 2010
King County in Washington has launched two new
online initiatives to help you make ecologically-informed decisions with
regards to your next home remodel: a virtual home tour with lots of
tips and ideas for greening up your house, and Eco-Cribz, a video diary
of local homeowners as they undertake the green transformation of their
homes. Read More
China recently launched the state-sponsored
Tianditu.cn or "Map World," the country's homegrown answer to Google
Maps. While it's an impressive initial effort, the mapping system does
resemble Google's a little too much, and it also performs poorly once
you navigate outside of Chinese borders. Read More
In a move with major ramifications for the global
automotive industry, BMW has begun a pilot scheme renting its vehicles
on an hourly basis over the internet. Research shows the average car is
parked more than 90% of the time, indicating a terrible waste of our
personal resources to buy and maintain such an underutilized capital
investment. So BMW’s decision to begin renting its entire model range of
premium segment cars (e.g. M and 7 series at EUR32 - US$ 44.60 per hour
including insurance, cleaning and servicing through to 1 Series cars at
half that rate) could accelerate big changes in the way we access and
pay for our personal mobility. The 12 month 'BMW on Demand' pilot
project will begin from BMW Welt Munich, with a second phase seeing the
scheme extended to other locations. Read More
The Rock Lock helps protect your guitar from thieving hands
By Paul Ridden
October 26, 2010
For a good number of years now my trusty
Kensington lock has helped give me peace of mind when out and about with
the laptop. Now Chris Goulet has created a similar safety mechanism for
a guitar – the Rock Lock. Any musician worried about a prized 1959
Fender Strat walking off at a gig or party can loop the heavy duty steel
wire around any fixed structure or heavy equipment and lock the other
end around the neck of the guitar and then go enjoy the after show
party. Read More
Facial detection technology is now pretty common in digital cameras, but has also found its way into things like taps, door locks, televisions and even ice cream machines.
Recently, researchers from the University of Manchester developed
software that allows mobile phones to detect faces too. Unlike some
devices that simply identify faces, however, phones equipped with this
software will be able to continuously track faces in real time. Read More
The US Army’s Nett Warrior program involves
equipping dismounted soldiers with wearable battle tracking electronics
in order to increase situational awareness and reaction time and reduce
the risk of “friendly fire”-related accidents. One Nett Warrior-equipped
Infantry Brigade Combat Team requires a collection of batteries
weighing 155 pounds (70 kg) for one 24-hour mission, and could consume
the power of 140 batteries per day. That’s a lot of gear, and is the
reason why aerospace firm Lockheed Martin first developed the Squad
Mission Support System (SMSS) in 2005. An autonomous all-terrain vehicle
that can follow troops in the field, the SMSS carries batteries, packs
and other gear, and it now also serves as a mobile charging station. Read More
Wi-Fi Direct device-to-device wireless product certification begins
By Paul Ridden
October 27, 2010
Searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot on those increasing
number of occasions when the need to update a Facebook profile while
out and about outweighs all other concerns is much easier than it used
to be, but can still be a trial. But now that the Wi-Fi Alliance has
started certifying products capable of communicating with each other
without the need to join up to a home, office or hotspot network, that
tiresome search may soon be a thing of the past. Read More
Electrolux announces first Vac from the Sea vacuum cleaners
By Paul Ridden
October 27, 2010
Since announcing the Vac from the sea
initiative in June, Electrolux has been busy working with environmental
organizations and concerned individuals to collect plastic debris from
marine environments around the globe. Now the company has announced the
creation of five one-off vacuum cleaner creations manufactured using
waste collected from key areas, including Hawaii, the North Sea and the
Mediterranean. Read More
Kryptonite superglue reduces open chest surgery recovery time
By Karen Sprey
October 27, 2010
Stories about Kryptonite are sure to pique
interest, and this one has both a "super" and a scientific angle.
Canadian researchers are using a super glue called Kryptonite to create a
stronger closure of the breastbone for heart patients after open chest
surgery. This means faster recovery time, fewer complications and less
post-operative pain. Read More
Mushrooms – the new Styrofoam alternative?
October 27, 2010
In an age where many oil fields are in terminal
decline and our dependence on petroleum reaches critical proportions, it
is simply crazy that with every Styrofoam-packaged item consumers
purchase, one cubed foot of Styrofoam representing 1.5 liters of petrol
is thrown away. Moreover, in the U.S., Styrofoam is said to take up 25
percent of the space in landfills. A much better-sounding alternative is
to use naturally-produced EcoCradle. It's created from useless
agricultural by-products and mushroom roots, has all the same properties
as other expandable polystyrenes (EPS), and is fully compostable. Read More
Technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
have set up a live feed webcam inside the clean room of the Mars
Science Laboratory in Pasadena, California. There's no audio but anyone
can tune in and watch them put NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover together. On
those rare occasions when nothing much is going on in the lab, the feed
will be supplemented with interview footage from team members. Read More
The winner of the 36th Nikon Small World
Photomicrography Competition has just been announced. Looking like one
of those visualizations from Windows Media Player, the judges' choice
for the top prize was picked from a field of over 2,000 entries. The
photograph by Jonas King shows anopheles gambiae (mosquito heart)
magnified 100 times and was taken using fluorescence microscopy. Read More
The solar storms that cause the stunning aurora
borealis and aurora australis (or northern and southern polar lights)
also have the potential to knock out telecommunications equipment and
navigational systems and cause blackouts of electrical grids. With the
frequency of the sun’s flares following an 11-year cycle of solar
activity and the next solar maximum expected around 2013, scientists are
bracing for an overdue, once-in-100 year event that could cause
widespread power blackouts and cripple electricity grids around the
world. It sounds like an insurmountable problem but a new NASA project
called “Solar Shield” is working to develop a forecasting system that
can mitigate the impacts of such events and keep the electrons flowing.
Read More
Estonia is not a country known for motorcycles,
but the reemergence of a pre-WW2 motorcycle brandname could change all
that. Tallinn-based Renard Motorcycles will begin production of its GT
next year. The bike's carbon-fiber and Kevlar monocoque chassis weighs
just 11 kg and incorporates the airbox and fuel tank while the metal
components other than the Moto Guzzi 1200cc Quattrovalvole v-twin engine
are all CNC milled from a solid aircraft quality aluminium. The carbon
parallelogram front suspension and design are reminiscent of a
Confederate Wraith, as is the limited edition, stellar price
(EUR75,000), craftsmanship and beauty. Read More
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