New and Emerging Technology News part 224 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Friday 21 March 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 224

The Nourishmat is designed to let inexperienced gardeners grow their own vegetables in sma...
If you have a green thumb, then you probably don’t think it’s all that difficult to plant and tend a vegetable garden. That said, there are many people who would like to grow their own veggies, but are intimidated by things like watering, weeding, choosing the correct plants, along with getting the spacing and planting-depth of the seeds right. It’s for these aspiring gardeners that San Francisco-based company Earth Starter has created the Nourishmat.  Read More
Another leak is pointing to a redesigned iPad launching around September
Common sense tells us that a new iPad isn't far away. With last November's 4th-generation model being little more than a minor spec-bump, we're going on 16 months since the last significant update to the 9.7-inch iPad. Previous rumors have given us a pretty clear idea of what the next model will look like, and now we may also have a clearer idea of when Apple will announce it.  Read More
A titanium dioxide nanofiber viewed under electron microscope (Photo: Kunal Mukherjee)
In what they're calling a breakthrough discovery, UCL researchers studying the properties of titanium dioxide catalysts, which are widely used in self-cleaning products and materials, claim to have challenged the accepted view of how mixed-phase samples of the material actually behave.  Read More
A school girl wearing Sagawa Electronics' Power Jacket MK3 stands above a grown man
In recent years Japan has erected life-sized statues of giant robots like Tetsujin-28 go (Gigantor) and a Gundam mobile suit, but statues can't defend the island nation from kaiju attack. Perhaps that is why Sagawa Electronics is bridging the gap between fantasy and reality with a working robotic exoskeleton it calls the Power Jacket MK3 that mimics your every move. And it says it will produce up to five of them for about US$123,000 apiece.  Read More
The SpaceX Grashopper on its most recent test flight
Back in June, SpaceX's Grasshopper reusable VTOL rocket was flown to an altitude of 325 meters (1,066 feet) before landing on its original launch pad. The video of the flight (taken by a hexacopter drone hovering at 325 meters) has now been made available. The purpose of the flight was to test Grasshopper's full navigation sensor suite with the F9-R closed loop control flight algorithms to improve the precision of its landings. Grasshopper is designed to develop and test the technologies needed to return a reusable rocket from space missions. (There is no word on whether the cowboy mannequin was carried along by Grasshopper on this flight.)  Read More
The YAK01 house makes use of a pool for passive cooling (Photo: Piyawut Srisakul)
If you're lucky enough to own a swimming pool, you already know they offer a great opportunity to relax, exercise, and perhaps throw the occasional pool party, too. However, the recently-completed Bangkok-based YAK01 house by architecture firm AAd goes further than this, by making use of a pool for passive cooling.  Read More
Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology produces sheet metal prototypes in hours instead of d...
Stamping sheet metal is an efficient form of manufacturing, capable of cranking hundreds or thousands of items an hour. The annoying thing is that making new stamping dies is a long, costly process. This is bad enough when it comes to retooling a factory, but creating prototypes for new products can leave designers waiting weeks. The Ford Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan has taken a page from the 3D printing handbook and is developing a new way of forming sheet metal that allows designers to create prototypes in hours instead of weeks.  Read More
Two-photon photoactivator/photoinhibitor allows fabrication of polymer structures one hund...
Data storage and preservation are no longer restricted to the needs of individual users, or even of companies or governments large and small. Instead they are the only remaining approach to preserving the history associated with the evolution of the digital age, and possibly the post-human era to follow. A research team headed by Prof. Min Gu of Swinburne University of Technology has developed a new data storage method that may be of considerable use for such civilization-sized concerns by putting a petabyte of information on a DVD-sized polymer disk.  Read More
The Kinograph utilizes 3D-printed rollers to create an affordable system for digitizing 35...
As the Raspberry Pi Foundation (RPF) has worked to make computing more accessible, it has helped pioneer new ways of using technology. We've seen the versatile, board-based Raspberry Pi enabling everything from robotic bartenders to doggie treat dispensers. The latest project featuring the Pi comes from Matthew Epler, whose Pi-powered Kinogarph digitizes old film stock at a fraction of the cost of conventional off-the-shelf systems.  Read More
Rosphere uses a pendulum for locomotion and steering
If you see what looks like a hamster ball rolling around a cornfield, it doesn’t mean that someone’s pet is incredibly lost. It may be an experimental robot developed by the Robotics and Cybernetics Research Group at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) called Rosphere. The spherical robot can propel itself over uneven ground and may one day be rolling up for work in fields to monitor and tend crops.  Read More

The DIFIS system dome deployed
When ships sink, as well as the loss of property (and very possibly life), there’s the danger of environmental damage. An oil tanker breaking up is a disaster, but even a cargo ship going down can mean oil leaking from fuel bunkers. Double Inverted Funnel for Intervention on Shipwrecks (DIFIS) is an EU project coordinated by Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) that uses a passive system to catch oil as it leaks out of a wreck on the ocean floor.  Read More
A newly developed optical transistor could be the key to higher-performance CPUs and a lea...
Researchers at MIT, Harvard and the Vienna University of Technology have developed a proof-of-concept optical switch that can be controlled by a single photon and is the equivalent of a transistor in an electronic circuit. The advance could improve power consumption in standard computers and have important repercussions for the development of an effective quantum computer.  Read More
GROVER on the move during a sustained test of the power consumption (Photo: NASA Goddard/M...
NASA scientists have unleashed a new robot on the arctic terrain of Greenland to demonstrate that its ability to operate with complete autonomy in one of Earth's harshest environments. Named GROVER, which stands for both Greenland Rover and Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research, the polar robotic ranger carries ground-penetrating radar for analysis of snow and ice, and an autonomous control system. All of that is placed between two solar panels and two snowmobile tracks.  Read More
Artist's impression of Curiosity (Image: NASA) After over six months exploring the Glenelg area of Gale Crater on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover is on the move. The nuclear-powered robot began a months-long drive on July 4, which will take it to Mount Sharp to fulfill the major part of its its two-year mission to seek out areas where life could have, or still could, exist on the Red Planet.  Read More
Resolution is a departure from the “tabletop” look of most other solar cars
A group of engineering students from the University of Cambridge is hoping to become the first British team to take home the World Solar Challenge crown with a new solar car dubbed "Resolution." The vehicle, which the team claims "rewrites the rulebook for green vehicles," features solar panels that will move to track the sun as it makes the 3,000 km (1,864 mi) journey across the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.  Read More
With a bubble-like urban design, the i3 includes copious amounts of glass and light-weight...
When the i3 concept was unveiled alongside the i8 coupe concept back in 2011, it was the i8 that hogged the spotlight in commercials and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. But BMW engineers were hard at work in Germany developing real world production plans for the i3 and BMW is now set to put its first fully electric vehicle into mass production by the end of 2013. But the wee urban EV plays only a small part in BMW’s overall sustainability program.  Read More
The Codlo is a kitchen device that allows you to use your existing slow cooker or rice coo...
Sous-vide is a French style of cooking that involves using water to precisely heat food sealed in plastic bags, for long periods of time – the resulting dishes are said to be very tender, not to mention delicious. While it has previously been the exclusive domain of top chefs in restaurant kitchens, recently devices such as the SousVide Supreme Demi and the Nomiku have been developed for home users. The Codlo is another such gadget, although it lets you use your existing water-filled slow cooker or rice cooker.  Read More
Vauxhall CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, with the Monza Concept
At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, UK-based General Motors subsidiary Vauxhall will reveal a concept that it promises will be forward-looking and groundbreaking. The Monza Concept will preview the future of the brand, including connectivity that represents a "quantum leap in the development of infotainment systems."  Read More
E. coli are reportedly no match for Corning's antimicrobial glass (Image: Shutterstock) According to a study conducted for Which? magazine in 2010, the surface of the average mobile phone contains 18 times the amount of harmful bacteria as a flush lever in a mens’ public toilet. Other studies have come up with other numbers, but the phone always comes out the dirtier of the two. To that end, Corning is now developing antimicrobial glass, which may be killing germs on your phone’s display within two years.  Read More
Garmin's portable HUD displays navigation information from a wirelessly linked smartphone ...
While many high-end modern cars are now coming with a sophisticated Head-Up-Display (HUD) built in, owners of older (or cheaper) models are stuck with a dedicated navigation device or cradled smartphone blurting out directions and pointing the way. If you're feeling adventurous, you may be able to shoe-horn a retrofit kit into your old jalopy, or you could take the plunge and stump up for a new car, but navigation veteran Garmin has another option. Its new pocket-sized, portable HUD wirelessly connects to a smartphone running a navigation app, and throws directions and useful information onto the inside of the windshield.  Read More
The DIFIS system dome deployed
When ships sink, as well as the loss of property (and very possibly life), there’s the danger of environmental damage. An oil tanker breaking up is a disaster, but even a cargo ship going down can mean oil leaking from fuel bunkers. Double Inverted Funnel for Intervention on Shipwrecks (DIFIS) is an EU project coordinated by Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) that uses a passive system to catch oil as it leaks out of a wreck on the ocean floor.  Read More
A newly developed optical transistor could be the key to higher-performance CPUs and a lea...
Researchers at MIT, Harvard and the Vienna University of Technology have developed a proof-of-concept optical switch that can be controlled by a single photon and is the equivalent of a transistor in an electronic circuit. The advance could improve power consumption in standard computers and have important repercussions for the development of an effective quantum computer.  Read More
GROVER on the move during a sustained test of the power consumption (Photo: NASA Goddard/M...
NASA scientists have unleashed a new robot on the arctic terrain of Greenland to demonstrate that its ability to operate with complete autonomy in one of Earth's harshest environments. Named GROVER, which stands for both Greenland Rover and Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research, the polar robotic ranger carries ground-penetrating radar for analysis of snow and ice, and an autonomous control system. All of that is placed between two solar panels and two snowmobile tracks.  Read More
Artist's impression of Curiosity (Image: NASA) After over six months exploring the Glenelg area of Gale Crater on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover is on the move. The nuclear-powered robot began a months-long drive on July 4, which will take it to Mount Sharp to fulfill the major part of its its two-year mission to seek out areas where life could have, or still could, exist on the Red Planet.  Read More
Resolution is a departure from the “tabletop” look of most other solar cars
A group of engineering students from the University of Cambridge is hoping to become the first British team to take home the World Solar Challenge crown with a new solar car dubbed "Resolution." The vehicle, which the team claims "rewrites the rulebook for green vehicles," features solar panels that will move to track the sun as it makes the 3,000 km (1,864 mi) journey across the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.  Read More
With a bubble-like urban design, the i3 includes copious amounts of glass and light-weight...
When the i3 concept was unveiled alongside the i8 coupe concept back in 2011, it was the i8 that hogged the spotlight in commercials and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. But BMW engineers were hard at work in Germany developing real world production plans for the i3 and BMW is now set to put its first fully electric vehicle into mass production by the end of 2013. But the wee urban EV plays only a small part in BMW’s overall sustainability program.  Read More
The Codlo is a kitchen device that allows you to use your existing slow cooker or rice coo...
Sous-vide is a French style of cooking that involves using water to precisely heat food sealed in plastic bags, for long periods of time – the resulting dishes are said to be very tender, not to mention delicious. While it has previously been the exclusive domain of top chefs in restaurant kitchens, recently devices such as the SousVide Supreme Demi and the Nomiku have been developed for home users. The Codlo is another such gadget, although it lets you use your existing water-filled slow cooker or rice cooker.  Read More
Vauxhall CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, with the Monza Concept
At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, UK-based General Motors subsidiary Vauxhall will reveal a concept that it promises will be forward-looking and groundbreaking. The Monza Concept will preview the future of the brand, including connectivity that represents a "quantum leap in the development of infotainment systems."  Read More
E. coli are reportedly no match for Corning's antimicrobial glass (Image: Shutterstock) According to a study conducted for Which? magazine in 2010, the surface of the average mobile phone contains 18 times the amount of harmful bacteria as a flush lever in a mens’ public toilet. Other studies have come up with other numbers, but the phone always comes out the dirtier of the two. To that end, Corning is now developing antimicrobial glass, which may be killing germs on your phone’s display within two years.  Read More
Garmin's portable HUD displays navigation information from a wirelessly linked smartphone ...
While many high-end modern cars are now coming with a sophisticated Head-Up-Display (HUD) built in, owners of older (or cheaper) models are stuck with a dedicated navigation device or cradled smartphone blurting out directions and pointing the way. If you're feeling adventurous, you may be able to shoe-horn a retrofit kit into your old jalopy, or you could take the plunge and stump up for a new car, but navigation veteran Garmin has another option. Its new pocket-sized, portable HUD wirelessly connects to a smartphone running a navigation app, and throws directions and useful information onto the inside of the windshield.  Read More

The sensor could be embedded in artificial skin for richer sensing (Image: Technion-Israel...
Using gold nanoparticles on top of a PVC substrate, researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have built a new type of cheap, flexible sensor that simultaneously detects pressure, humidity and temperature with surprising accuracy. The sensor could be used to monitor cracks in bridges, create a better artificial skin to benefit amputees, or even to give robots that special "human touch."  Read More
The 2013 Kindle Fire tablets will reportedly sport displays with resolution much sharper t...
It's a no-brainer that Amazon will announce new Kindle Fires later this year. The company unveiled new tablets at around the same time the last two years, so we'd be shocked not to see an upgraded lineup at around the same time in 2013. A new report, however, claims to shed some light on the details of those upcoming Kindle Fire tablets.  Read More
map2 is a paper map that allows users to zoom in on sections of the city, through a unique... One of the advantages of map apps over traditional paper maps is the fact that with an app, the user can zoom in on one area of a map – no having to spread a whole paper map out just to look at one part of the city. British product designer Anne Stauche decided to level the playing field a little, with her map2 zoomable paper map.  Read More
Jasper van Loenen's Drone It Yourself turns everyday objects into flying quadrotor UAVs (V...
If, like me, you've always felt that your books, record collection and years' of otherwise accumulated matter was lacking flight capability, you might be interested in Jasper van Loenen's Drone It Yourself project which turns more or less anything into a quadrotor drone with addition of a few motors and a control unit.  Read More
Léo Marius' 3D printable OpenReflex SLR camera
Further evidence that the list of things yet to be 3D printed is shrinking by the minute, Léo Marius has come up with a 3D printable SLR camera. Named OpenReflex, the camera includes a mirror viewfinder and a mechanical shutter release button. By using custom ring mounts, Marius says that more or less any lens can be attached.  Read More
Alex Holland's Shed of the Year 2013 (Photo: Readersheds.co.uk)
Gizmag sends out its heartfelt congratulations to Alex Holland, winner of this year's coveted Shed of the Year award for his solar-powered nautically-themed shed built almost entirely from salvaged materials. The crowning glory is a 14-ft boat which has been left whole and inverted to form the roof. A 20-W solar panel powers the creature comforts inside.  Read More
The Duo separates into two cameras with synchronized shutters to capture a moment from mor...
A quick flick through most digital photo albums will reveal that there's usually one person missing from the majority of snapshots. Designer Chin-Wei Liao's recently crafted a concept that makes it possible for the photographer to get in the frame, too. The Duo breaks apart into two cameras to take a picture from different angles at the same time.  Read More
Isowalk is a new walking cane with cutting edge design and wireless
The project does not exactly reinvent the wheel, but it sets out to improve on a device that is almost as old. The traditional walking cane is undergoing a design revolution that draws inspiration from the latest developments in ergonomics and even aerospace engineering. Isowalk, currently fundraising on Indiegogo, is a new design aimed at taking the walking cane to a new level of sophistication, besides making it more user-friendly and safer. Its designer also wants to enable it with wireless technology and create different models for different needs.  Read More
Wimoto's Growmote ... obviously
Wimoto has turned to crowdfunfing website Indiegogo to finance the first run of its range of small sensors designed to work remotely with mobile devices and computers. Sensors which monitor weather, soil conditions (for the green fingered) and water levels are available for under US$40 each, and are due to hit doormats this September.  Read More
Michigan's proposed 3U CubeSat interplanetary spacecraft (Photo: University of Michigan)
CubeSats are one of the wonders of our day. They allow projects with small budgets and smaller equipment to access low Earth orbit (LEO) at achievable costs. Seeing greater potential for these miniaturized modular satellites, Professor Benjamin Longmire of the University of Michigan is heading a team to install a miniature plasma thruster system into a 3U CubeSat, enabling the vehicle to leave LEO and cruise much of the Solar System. Funding for the project is being sought through Kickstarter.  Read More
The sensor could be embedded in artificial skin for richer sensing (Image: Technion-Israel...
Using gold nanoparticles on top of a PVC substrate, researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have built a new type of cheap, flexible sensor that simultaneously detects pressure, humidity and temperature with surprising accuracy. The sensor could be used to monitor cracks in bridges, create a better artificial skin to benefit amputees, or even to give robots that special "human touch."  Read More
The 2013 Kindle Fire tablets will reportedly sport displays with resolution much sharper t...
It's a no-brainer that Amazon will announce new Kindle Fires later this year. The company unveiled new tablets at around the same time the last two years, so we'd be shocked not to see an upgraded lineup at around the same time in 2013. A new report, however, claims to shed some light on the details of those upcoming Kindle Fire tablets.  Read More
map2 is a paper map that allows users to zoom in on sections of the city, through a unique... One of the advantages of map apps over traditional paper maps is the fact that with an app, the user can zoom in on one area of a map – no having to spread a whole paper map out just to look at one part of the city. British product designer Anne Stauche decided to level the playing field a little, with her map2 zoomable paper map.  Read More
Jasper van Loenen's Drone It Yourself turns everyday objects into flying quadrotor UAVs (V...
If, like me, you've always felt that your books, record collection and years' of otherwise accumulated matter was lacking flight capability, you might be interested in Jasper van Loenen's Drone It Yourself project which turns more or less anything into a quadrotor drone with addition of a few motors and a control unit.  Read More
Léo Marius' 3D printable OpenReflex SLR camera
Further evidence that the list of things yet to be 3D printed is shrinking by the minute, Léo Marius has come up with a 3D printable SLR camera. Named OpenReflex, the camera includes a mirror viewfinder and a mechanical shutter release button. By using custom ring mounts, Marius says that more or less any lens can be attached.  Read More
Alex Holland's Shed of the Year 2013 (Photo: Readersheds.co.uk)
Gizmag sends out its heartfelt congratulations to Alex Holland, winner of this year's coveted Shed of the Year award for his solar-powered nautically-themed shed built almost entirely from salvaged materials. The crowning glory is a 14-ft boat which has been left whole and inverted to form the roof. A 20-W solar panel powers the creature comforts inside.  Read More
The Duo separates into two cameras with synchronized shutters to capture a moment from mor...
A quick flick through most digital photo albums will reveal that there's usually one person missing from the majority of snapshots. Designer Chin-Wei Liao's recently crafted a concept that makes it possible for the photographer to get in the frame, too. The Duo breaks apart into two cameras to take a picture from different angles at the same time.  Read More
Isowalk is a new walking cane with cutting edge design and wireless
The project does not exactly reinvent the wheel, but it sets out to improve on a device that is almost as old. The traditional walking cane is undergoing a design revolution that draws inspiration from the latest developments in ergonomics and even aerospace engineering. Isowalk, currently fundraising on Indiegogo, is a new design aimed at taking the walking cane to a new level of sophistication, besides making it more user-friendly and safer. Its designer also wants to enable it with wireless technology and create different models for different needs.  Read More
Wimoto's Growmote ... obviously
Wimoto has turned to crowdfunfing website Indiegogo to finance the first run of its range of small sensors designed to work remotely with mobile devices and computers. Sensors which monitor weather, soil conditions (for the green fingered) and water levels are available for under US$40 each, and are due to hit doormats this September.  Read More
Michigan's proposed 3U CubeSat interplanetary spacecraft (Photo: University of Michigan)
CubeSats are one of the wonders of our day. They allow projects with small budgets and smaller equipment to access low Earth orbit (LEO) at achievable costs. Seeing greater potential for these miniaturized modular satellites, Professor Benjamin Longmire of the University of Michigan is heading a team to install a miniature plasma thruster system into a 3U CubeSat, enabling the vehicle to leave LEO and cruise much of the Solar System. Funding for the project is being sought through Kickstarter.  Read More

 

 
Carnegie Mellon University's Biorobotics Lab developed this modular snake robot to perform...
Several snake-like robots have been developed around the world, and while we keep hearing about their potential applications few have managed to slither outside of their research labs. Earlier this year Carnegie Mellon University's Biorobotics Lab put its modular snake robot's practicality to the test in an abandoned nuclear power plant, where it provided clear, well-lit images from the inside of pipes.  Read More
The +Pool concept
Though an apparently madcap idea, the early involvement of engineers at Arup suggested that the +Pool concept, to float a cross-shaped swimming pool in one of New York's rivers, might just become a reality. Now its designers at Family and PlayLab have launched a Kickstarter campaign to let backers buy pieces of the pool a tile at a time.  Read More
The BMW i8 (left) and i3 are just two concept cars that are set to go into production in t...
The recent rumor about a possible production version of the Pininfarina Sergio concept got us thinking: What other wild, stylish, high-tech concept cars are coming to market in the near future? Turns out, a lot. In fact, 2013-2014 may very well prove one of the best time periods in history for for recent cutting-edge concept vehicles to make the leap from concept to production. From electric and hybrid hypercars to reinvented daily drivers, these concept cars will soon be all over our highways and country roads.  Read More
Researchers have developed 3D printing technology and techniques to create free-standing s...
3D printing has started to involve everything from custom plastic casts to duck's feet. Now, researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a 3D printing technique that can create a variety of stable free-standing structures from liquid metal at room temperature.  Read More
Gizmag reviews the Lenovo Yoga 11S, the flexible PC that now comes in a smaller package
It's no secret that Windows 8 hasn't exactly struck a chord with every desktop user. It makes sense, though, that the dual-natured operating system would be much more at home on dual-natured devices. You know, the kind that sit at the intersection of the desktop and mobile, like the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga. Join Gizmag as we put the new 11-inch model, the Yoga 11S, through its paces.  Read More
The next-generation First Class seats puts a premium on comfort and privacy
Flying coach may make one understand what life is like for a battery hen, but not everyone who travels by air has it so bad. If you have the ticket fare, from this September you’ll be able to enjoy Singapore Airlines' next-generation First Class seats. These “luxury islands” with living-room ambiance were designed by the BMW Group DesignworksUSA and are being installed on the new Boeing 777-300ER for selected flights between Singapore and London.  Read More
The Fly, in scooter mode
So, let’s see. We’ve already got a suitcase with a built-in scooter, and a bike that can be carried in its own backpack, so that would leave ... a backpack with an integrated scooter? Anyhow, that’s just what the Glyde Gear’s Fly is.  Read More
TMI's split Bluetooth speakers
Though wireless speakers are certainly suggestive of music enjoyment in glorious stereo without getting tangled up in cables, the reality is often less than satisfactory. Take my trusty JBL Jembe Wireless speakers, for instance. Although Bluetooth-enabled, the two speakers are connected to each other by a cable, and there's yet another for power. There are speakers like the Dash 7 which pack a battery to offer extended periods of cable-free use, but such units house all of the speakers in one block. The TMI Stereo Speakers from Too Much Innovation take the best bits of both systems for what are claimed to be the only split wireless Bluetooth speakers (shortly to be) available.  Read More
Samples of North Carolina State University's metallic bubble wrap
Chances are that you wouldn’t use ordinary plastic bubble wrap in a helmet, automobile body panel, airplane wing edge or computer case. However, those are some of the applications that are being suggested for a new type of bubble wrap – one that’s made from metal. It’s reportedly lighter and stronger than regular sheet metal, so don’t go expecting to pop it with your fingers.  Read More
NuOffice scored 94 points in LEED's Core and Shell category (Photo: Haupt Immobilien)
A recently-completed Munich-based commercial property, dubbed NuOffice, is being hailed as the world's most sustainable office building. Commissioned by Haupt Immobilien, and created with the help of both European-funded research group DIRECTION and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, NuOffice breezed through LEED Platinum certification. It snagged the highest rating ever issued by the body for a building of its type.  Read More

The X-47B making the first UAV arrested carrier landing
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator put another page in the history books on Wednesday with its first unmanned arrested-wire carrier landing. The drone flew 35 minutes from Patuxent River Naval Air Station to the carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia, where is landed at about 145 knots (167 mph, 268 km/h) with an arresting wire catching its tail hook and bringing it to a stop in 350 ft (107 m).  Read More
Global PC shipments dropped to 76 million units in the second quarter, which marks the fif...
Here's one trend that's showing no signs of slowing down. The global PC market, which had already been in decline for four straight quarters, has now dropped for a fifth consecutive quarter. Will the bleeding stop? Or are we permanently shifting to an iPad-centric world of computing?  Read More
The Ghost is a new motorized video camera stabilizing rig
When it comes to consumer/prosumer video camera stabilizing rigs, they fall into two main camps. You get the cheaper, purely-manual models like the Steadicam Smoothee, or more expensive, motorized units like the MōVI M10. Another product may soon be added to the latter group, in the form of Montana film-maker Jesse Spaulding’s creation, The Ghost.  Read More
One of the planned EV charging stations If all goes according to plan, in two years The Netherlands will have the world’s largest nationwide network of EV fast-charging stations. It was announced this week that by 2015, there should be over 200 such stations along Dutch highways, leaving no resident farther than 50 km (31 miles) from a charge-up at any time.  Read More
Negobot at work, pretending to be a gullible young girl
For a number of years now, police forces around the world have enlisted officers to pose as kids in online chat rooms, in an attempt to draw out pedophiles and track them down. Researchers at Spain’s University of Deusto are now hoping to free those cops up for other duties, and to catch more offenders, via a chatbot that they’ve created. Its name is Negobot, and it plays the part of a 14 year-old girl.  Read More
Electrolyte's Strassenfeger II
We've looked at a surplus of electric bicycle designs over the years, and while we'd be hard-pressed to call any particular design "usual" in this diverse category, a common feature shared by many is a frame-integrated battery pack. German manufacturer Electrolyte dismisses that common element, integrating the battery, motor and controller of its pedelec bikes into a single fork shaft assembly.  Read More
The OnBeat headphones feature photovoltaic cells on the headband and hinges to charge buil...
The rain-soaked streets of Glasgow have provided the unlikely backdrop for the development of the PV-packing OnBeat Solar Headphones. As the sun beats down on these on-ear cans, custom-molded polycrystalline silicon photovoltaics on the headband and side hinges harvest its energy to charge up powerful batteries within the housing. A charging cable connected to the USB port on the right cup can be plugged into your smartphone or digital music player, topping up your device while you listen to some cool tunes.  Read More
The Next-Generation Canadarm (NGC) facility provides a suite of robotic systems with the c...
The Space Shuttle may be gone, but one part of it is still going strong. The Canadian-built Canadarm robotic arm first flew on the Shuttle in 1981 and its successor, Canadarm2, is still working on the International Space Station (ISS) helping with experiments, supporting space-walking astronauts, and aiding unmanned cargo ships to dock. Not content to rest on its laurels, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is working on the Next Generation Canadarm (NGC). More flexible and compact than its predecessor, it’s part of a new 5-part system designed to fulfill the need for robotic arms to help with satellite repair and refueling.  Read More
Telus Sky Tower is scheduled for completion in late 2017 (Image: BIG) Danish architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has announced it is planning to build a new tower block in downtown Calgary, Canada. The Telus Sky Tower, which BIG intends to have LEED Platinum certified, will feature a mixture of residential, office, and retail spaces, spread over 750,000 sq ft (70,000 sq m).  Read More
HeadSense says it has an alternative to invasive procedures to monitor pressure in the sku...
An Israeli startup called HeadSense has developed a pair of earbuds which it claims can monitor pressure inside the human skull. It hopes its product could negate invasive alternatives, which involve drilling a hole in the skull (a process known as trepanning) and inserting a catheter to monitor intracranial pressure (ICP).  Read More
 

0 comments:

Post a Comment