The Faraday Porteur electric bicycle stole hearts when it won the Oregon
Manifest bicycle competition last year for IDEO and Rock Lobster, but
was never intended to be sold. However, lead IDEO designer Adam Vollmer
was so enamored with the fruit of his labor that he founded Faraday
Bicycles in order to bring the Porteur to market. Read More
Storing data for longer than a few years is tricky enough with rapidly advancing technology,
so what are you supposed to do if you need to store data for thousands
or even millions of years? That's just the problem facing nuclear waste management companies,
who need a way to warn future civilizations of hazardous sites that
will withstand the test of time. Luckily a recent proposal may have the
solution with a sapphire disk etched in platinum that could survive
longer than humanity itself. Read More
For many people, the onset of warmer weather can mean pulling out the ol' scrubbing brush
and getting to work on the slimy film of moss, algae, fungi and
bacteria that has built up on the garden furniture over the colder
months. But we may soon be able to say goodbye to this tiresome chore
thanks to researchers at Fraunhofer who are developing coatings that
would be activated by the sun’s rays to destroy organic substances
attaching themselves to various surfaces. Read More
Drawn from a pool of over 400,000
who had competed for a spot through Gran Turismo 5, 32 virtual racers
battled it out this week at Jolt’n Joe’s Restaurant in San Diego
in the GT Academy North American finals. The top 16 will now move onto
the final phase of the competition at Silverstone racing circuit in the
U.K., where they'll no doubt be looking to emulate the success of 2008
GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez. Read More 
Researchers at Drexel University
are developing an electrochemical flow capacitor (EFC) that combines
the storage capabilities of batteries with the much longer cycle life
and power output of supercapacitors. The team's goal is to improve the
stability of the energy grid and ease the integration of renewable
energy sources. Read More
Why carry two pieces of gear into
the backcountry when you can carry one? That's the question that Vargo
answers with the new Titanium BOT. The vessel combines two backcountry
essentials - cooking pot and water bottle - into a single, lightweight
package. Read More 
We've been tracking spnKiX motorized skates
here at Gizmag since 2010 when they existed as nothing but a concept.
Then in 2011, after more than thirty prototypes were rejected, a final
version made it onto Kickstarter
and the product was successfully funded to the tune of US$120,000. Now
spnKiX are available for anyone to buy ... but they're not cheap. Read More
Researchers at Georgia Tech have seen an
improvement in sensation and movement in the hands of people with
paralyzing spinal cord injury (SCI) after wearing a glove that helps
them learn to play piano. The Mobile Music Touch (MMT) is a glove that
helps them learn to play different songs by vibrating the wearer’s
fingers to tell them which keys on a piano keyboard to play. The fact
the improved sensation and motor skills occurred in individuals that had
sustained their injury more than a year before the study is encouraging
as most rehab patients see little improvement after such a period. Read More
Secure Tips offer a simple solution
to a common problem - earphones that won't stay in your ears. Built
specifically for stock Apple headphones, this silicon rubber hook-like
attachment sits over the earphone in order to fix them securely and
comfortably inside your ears. Read More 
We all know that you need to exercise if you want
to develop your muscles. As it turns out, however, exercise also makes
lab-grown muscle implants more effective when introduced to the body.
Scientists from North Carolina’s Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have
discovered that after being gently expanded and contracted, implants
placed in lab animals were better able to stimulate new muscle growth
than implants that were left “unexercised.” Read More
As one or two readers may recall, SpaceX made history this May, when its Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to reach the International Space Station.
Although various snippets of video were released at the time, today the
company released a “highlight reel” of the mission, which includes some
pretty compelling footage. Read More
Each time the door of a fridge is
opened, cool air escapes and ambient air sneaks in. As its name might
well give away, LG's new Door-in-Door French-door refrigerator has a
storage compartment in the door itself, allowing users to retrieve most
commonly needed items without affecting the temperature of the main
storage space. Read More
A new prototype wind turbine, 30
years in the making, and designed for flat-pack shipping and easy
assembly, has been erected at Keele University in the UK. Read More
As our cities become more crowded, with people being crammed into ever-tighter communities, living space
is at an absolute premium. With that in mind, furniture that either
fulfills more than one purpose or which takes up very little room will
be very much in demand. Klapptischbank Up Up Up, which literally
translates into Folding Table Bench Up Up Up, is one possible solution
to this problem. Read More
While an increasing number of mountain bikers are shooting first-person cycling videos using helmet-mounted actioncams,
attaching such a camera to one’s helmet can still be a rather tricky,
inexact process. That’s why gear company Kali Protectives created the
AMARA CAM helmet – it features a built-in mounting point, that accepts a
number of popular actioncams and headlamps. Read More
With skin cancer the most common form of cancer
in the U.S., most people have got the message and will have had a skin cancer screening
at the doctor at some point. But how many actually receive check-ups
with the frequency necessary to catch harmful lesions forming on the
skin before they become lethal? Scientists at the University of Michigan
have created an app called UMSkinCheck that directs users to take
photos of themselves in order to perform self-checks for different forms
of skin cancer. Read More
Sous-vide cooking is one of the crown jewels of
molecular gastronomy. Far from "boil-in-a-bag," sous-vide cooking holds
ingredients sealed within a plastic pouch
at a truly constant (and low) temperature for hours or days. The
resulting food is tender, moist, and other-worldly delicious.
Unfortunately, this technique has long been priced out of the home kitchen
market, with professional units starting around US$1,500 and from there
going into the stratosphere. The Nomiku company changes all that,
providing a sous-vide accessory about the size of a hand blender. The
price? US$359 retail. Read More
So, you think that a Ferrari, Smart fortwo or Mini
are all unlikely choices for limousine conversions? Well, how about the
current poster car for green transportation, the all-electric Nissan Leaf?
Missouri-based Imperial LimoLand recently created such a beast, for use
by the Embassy Suites Nashville South hotel. The staff at the hotel
claim that it is “the world’s first road-worthy, licensed, street legal
electric limousine.” Read More
The automotive world is full of interesting optional equipment - everything from ornate removable timepieces to cigar humidors have been built into cars and concepts. Heck, even whale penis leather
was a thing for a while - a very short while. Despite all that, Fiat
has still managed to turn heads and inspire headlines with an option
offered on a fairly modest car. The new 500L can be fitted with an integrated espresso machine. Read More
As one or two readers may recall, SpaceX made history this May, when its Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to reach the International Space Station.
Although various snippets of video were released at the time, today the
company released a “highlight reel” of the mission, which includes some
pretty compelling footage. Read More
An updated version of the OWLE Bubo,
the Phocus is a versatile photography accessory for the iPhone 4/4S.
Essentially, it's a heavy-duty case designed to optimize the iPhone's
photographic capabilities. It provides users with up to three lens
choices, as well as the option to purchase an adapter that allows for
the use of standard DSLR lenses. Read More
Each time the door of a fridge is
opened, cool air escapes and ambient air sneaks in. As its name might
well give away, LG's new Door-in-Door French-door refrigerator has a
storage compartment in the door itself, allowing users to retrieve most
commonly needed items without affecting the temperature of the main
storage space. Read More
Although water is the world’s most precious
commodity, an astounding amount of it is wasted by industries.
Fortunately, water treatment and recovery has become the focus of
several technology companies, including GE, which recently demonstrated a
water treatment technology that virtually eliminates losses at bottling
plants and other water-related operations. The pilot study of GE’s
AquaSel, a non-thermal brine concentrator technology, took place at the
plant of a leading beverage company in Asia. GE says costs were greatly
reduced and there was almost no liquid discharge. Read More
A new prototype wind turbine, 30
years in the making, and designed for flat-pack shipping and easy
assembly, has been erected at Keele University in the UK. Read More
Ask people to list their own personal bêtes
noires of 21st century living and airport waiting times are bound to
come up. Between the queue at security and the uncomfortably
metaphorical never-endingness of the baggage carousel, we seem to spend
an increasing proportion of our "travel" time doing quite the opposite.
The new sleeveless Stuffa Jacket, from UK-based designer Sandro Cafasso,
aims to lessen the hassle of getting from A to B, reducing the need for
luggage by incorporating storage compartments into the jacket itself.
Gizmag spent some hands-on time with a pre-launch prototype to put the
Stuffa through its paces. Read More
On July 15th, the world’s first SolarKiosk was
officially opened near Lake Langano, Ethiopia. The portable solar shop
was designed in Germany by Graft architects and provides an “autonomous
business unit” that sells energy, products, tools and services. With
approximately 1.5 billion people around the globe who remain without
access to a stable source of light, the SolarKiosk is intended to
provide a safe and affordable solution for inhabitants in off-the-grid
areas. Read More
As our cities become more crowded, with people being crammed into ever-tighter communities, living space
is at an absolute premium. With that in mind, furniture that either
fulfills more than one purpose or which takes up very little room will
be very much in demand. Klapptischbank Up Up Up, which literally
translates into Folding Table Bench Up Up Up, is one possible solution
to this problem. Read More
While much of the developed world has grown used
to high-speed internet access, the majority of the African continent
remains without reliable and affordable internet, placing modern
communication staples like email firmly out of reach to most. However,
Google has recently announced Gmail SMS, a new service available in
Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya, which brings Gmail to all cellphones capable
of sending SMS text messages - no data connection required. Read More
We're smack in the middle of summer, which means
there are plenty of blockbuster movies to choose from in theaters right
now. If you're deaf, though, a trip to the movies can be frustrating.
Not many theaters screen movies with closed captions, since most people
without hearing problems would rather not see them. The only other
option is usually to have a special ear piece on, but that only works if
a person has any of their hearing left. Fortunately, Sony is outfitting
certain theaters with its new Entertainment Access Glasses, which can
display captions right in front of the wearer's eye that no one else can
see. Read More
UK-based Trekmates offers a unique way to cook in
the outdoors. Its Flamless Cook System eliminates the need to carry a
stove or fuel canister and cooks your meals without fire. As such, it
doesn't release any dangerous gas and can be used inside a tent. Read More
Nordic skiing on the street with Skike bike-skates
By C.C. Weiss
July 19, 2012
When we first saw the term "Skike," we
immediately thought "skate bike" (i.e. a scooter-like contraption
combining bike components with skating action). We were probably
thinking of the similarly named Trikke and its brother the Skki.
The Skike does combine biking and skating, but it's a different kind of
skating and a different kind of skate-bike. Essentially a roller skate
with biking influences, the Skike is a tool for asphalt cross country
skiing. Read More
Pluto may no longer be classified as a planet,
but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still getting its fair share of
attention. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is currently making its way to
the icy dwarf planet to study it and its moons. To search for potential
hazards to the spacecraft and help plan a safer trajectory before its
scheduled arrival in 2015, a team of astronomers has trained the eye of
the Hubble Space Telescope on the system and discovered a fifth,
previously unknown moon orbiting the planet. Read More
When it comes to real world action shooters, the Tom Clancy Ghost Recon
series has stood head and shoulders above many of its contemporaries.
Tense tactical squad based combat where your demise is one ricochet
away, is what this series has always been about. Following its release
on PS3 and Xbox 360 in May, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier has landed on PC and the third person tactical shooter hits the bulls eye more often than not. Read More
As Douglas Adams said, “Space is Big. Really
Big." And that’s the major obstacle for travelling between the stars.
But a new proposal published in the Journal of the British
Interplanetary Society promises to shrink that distance just a bit.
Physics and technology consultant Richard Obousy claims that an
antimatter starship that creates its own fuel from the vacuum of space
itself would be capable of making a return journey to the nearest star
and back within one lifetime. Read More
Barnes & Noble has introduced Nook for Web,
which lets users access new digital content as well as their previously
purchased eBooks on all PC and Mac-supported Web browsers. No sign-in or
software download is required for Nook for Web, which is hosted on
Barnes and Noble's library sites. Now readers without a Nook eReader can browse, sample, or purchase the millions of titles in Barnes & Noble's range. Read More
The stuffing of a very large engine into the front of a compact car
body has always been a recipe for automotive desirability. If the
chassis can actually handle the power and weight while maintaining
stability and poise then motoring nirvana beckons. Add the option of a
stowable roof to allow sunbathing, sightseeing, and posing in equal
measure and you surely have a winner. The only question that remains is
why it took Aston Martin so long to launch this obvious extension to the
range. Read More
While an increasing number of mountain bikers are shooting first-person cycling videos using helmet-mounted actioncams,
attaching such a camera to one’s helmet can still be a rather tricky,
inexact process. That’s why gear company Kali Protectives created the
AMARA CAM helmet – it features a built-in mounting point, that accepts a
number of popular actioncams and headlamps. Read More
The purveyors of fine nanotech-enabled
lightweight boats at Zyvex Technologies have been in touch to tell
Gizmag about their latest creation, the LRV-17, developed to combat piracy off the coast of Africa. At 17.35 m (57 ft), the LRV-17 is a slightly bigger boat than Zyvex's unmanned Piranha USV,
but unlike its piscine predecessor the LRV-17 can support of a crew of
six for up to five days. Thanks to its weight, Zyvex claims its 1500 nautical mile
(2778 km) range can outdistance other boats of its size by a factor of
three - hence LRV, which stands for long-range vessel. Read More
The striking Aspid GT-21 Invictus is a new sports coupe
design with roots in Spain. It combines BMW power, lightweight
components and unique looks into a driver-oriented package designed to
scream around the track like a real race car. Read More
At least 25-30 million people worldwide have age-related macular degeneration
(AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness in middle-aged and older
adults. The Israeli start-up Nano Retina has announced their new
Bio-Retina, a tiny array of photodetectors which can be implanted
directly on the retinal surface. Ready to enter clinical trials in 2013,
the Bio-Retina restores vision to AMD sufferers almost immediately
following the simple implantation process. Read More
We got to do some fun things at last month’s Go Further With Ford conference, such as test-driving the new Mustang and the purpose-built Police Interceptor.
On the final night of the event, however, us conference-goers really
got to enjoy ourselves – we got to make stuff, at the Detroit branch of
TechShop. In business since 2006, the company now has five shops located
across the U.S., all of which provide inventors and other people with
access to advanced tools and know-how. We spoke to CEO Mark Hatch to
learn more about what the group has to offer, and to whom. Read More
Panasonic has recently announced a selection of
six new cameras for 2012, with the compact for enthusiasts, the LX7, and
the mirrorless G5 being the most news-worthy. The LX7 (which replaces
the LX5) boasts an F1.4 maximum aperture and a newly designed 10.1-megapixel MOS sensor, while the G5 (replacing the G3) has a 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor and an ISO range of up to 12,800. Read More
According to just about every consumer
electronics manufacturer on the planet, 3D TV is on its way to becoming
mainstream – perhaps ultimately even ending up as the norm. That’s not
good news for people who experience headaches or motion sickness when
watching 3D video, or who simply don’t want to put on a pair of glasses
every time they watch TV. Help may be on the way, however ...
researchers have now devised a system known as “Backward-compatible
Stereo 3D.” It allows some people to put on glasses and watch 3D video
in its intended three-dimensional format, while others can watch that
same video at the same time, in distortion-free 2D. Read More
The water bottle holder and hydration pack are
two common ways of staying hydrated on your bicycle. The H2bike system,
from Israeli company BlueDesert, combines them into one streamlined
device for easier sipping. Read More
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