New and Emerging Technology News part 236 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Wednesday 26 March 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 236

The Mitsubishi Outlander Winter Edition is ready for the slopes and backcountry
Giving a little competition to BMW and its Concept Powder Ride and Concept Active Tourer Outdoor, Mitsubishi has its own ideas of what SUVs specially outfitted for winter and summer sports should look like. It has revealed those ideas in two new concept cars designed in cooperation with H360 Group. The Outlander Sport Summer Edition opens the door up for all kinds of adventure and fitness, while the Outlander Winter Edition is all about shredding snow.  Read More
The Shipping Gallery was open for fifty years (Image: ScanLAB Projects Ltd)
At least one writer at Gizmag was saddened when the Science Museum in London removed its famous Shipping Gallery. Closed in May 2012, the venue of many a childhood rainy Sunday will be replaced by the new Information Age exhibit, which opens in September 2014. However, though the Shipping Gallery is gone, it’s also, paradoxically, still with us. That’s because the Science Museum, with the help of the University College London and ScanLAB, has created a virtual version of the gallery to make the exhibit available to future generations.  Read More
Mockup of the Gyromatic Go2X Gimbal Stabilizer for the GoPro
Action shots used to be hard to acquire, with camcorders and digital cameras not exactly up to the task. Now, with the rise in popularity of cameras like the GoPro, anyone can get the shots they want with minimal effort. Though these cameras are good at capturing action, some shots are still difficult to acquire and keep stable, and that's where the Gyromatic Go2X Gimbal Stabilizer comes into play, as it keeps those shots clean and smooth.  Read More
Moto X or Nexus 4? Let Gizmag help you make up your mind
The Moto X is, of course, a Motorola product. But as it's the first Motorola phone designed under Google ownership, many consider it to be an unofficial Google phone. How does it compare to the last official Google phone, the LG Nexus 4? And does the Nexus 4's recent US$100 price drop change anything? Read on, as Gizmag compares the specs and features of the Moto X and Nexus 4.  Read More
The Pino Porter at Eurobike 2013
Germany’s Hase Bikes has already seen a fair bit of success with its Pino tandem bicycle, in which the front rider is recumbent while the rear rider sits upright – this arrangement allows both riders to have an unobstructed view of their surroundings. This week, however, a new version of the Pino was awarded the Eurobike 2013 Award for Special Purpose Bike. The new bike is known as the Pino Porter, and it can be configured for a variety of cargo-hauling options.  Read More
Titan Aerospace's Solara in flight
Conventional satellites may be decent at their jobs, but they do have some drawbacks – the spacecraft themselves are quite expensive, getting them into orbit is also a costly process, and they can’t be reclaimed once they’re in use. Titan Aerospace, however, is offering an alternative that should have none of those problems. The company’s Solara unmanned high-altitude aircraft is intended to serve as an “atmospheric satellite,” autonomously flying in the sky’s upper reaches for as long as five years continuously.  Read More
The basic Asetniop key map has been programmed into the Haptix system
By effectively turning any flat surface into a multitouch user interface, Haptix has the potential to consign the humble computer mouse to the IO history books. Now the development team has announced plans that could kill off the physical keyboard too. Ractiv has partnered with Asetniop creator Zack Dennis to bring his chorded virtual keying concept to life.  Read More
Pressy adds another physical button to Android devices
With the meteoric rise in popularity of the touchscreen, something people tend to forget is the importance of physical buttons. Nimrod Back and his team are not among those who have forgotten, and they are looking to add an extra button to Android devices with an interesting new product called Pressy. It plugs into the headphone port, and adds all kinds of quick-access functions.  Read More
UCLA's new portable testing kit for kidney problems
People who suffer with diabetes and chronic kidney problems may soon have a new, portable device to help them self-monitor their health with less hassle. Researchers at the University of California have developed a smartphone peripheral that carries out tests and transmits data without constant visits to a clinic, which is a daily routine for some patients.  Read More
The BigFish Line+ E-bike, folded down and ready to tote
The BigFish Line+ E-bike is one of those electric bikes that's designed to make you swoon at the press of a button. One of the stars of the recent Eurobike 2013 show, this bike's button-operated folding system has the bike collapsing in seconds into a compact package that can be pulled in trolley fashion or wheeled around. In fact, it's so portable that it's possible to squeeze two of them into the boot of most standard cars.  Read More

Software being developed at ETH Zurich isolates the foreground image and tilts the face to...
Skype has been around for ten years now. Once a science fiction dream, the video calling service has 300 million users making two billion minutes of video calls a day. The only problem is, most of them can't look each other in the eye. Claudia Kuster, a doctoral student at the Computer Graphics Laboratory ETH Zurich, and her team are developing a way to bring eye contact to Skype and similar video services with software that alters the caller's on-screen image to give the illusion that they’re looking straight at the camera.  Read More
Varibike aims to raise the road racing credentials of its arm- and leg-powered bike Speaking to Gizmag at Eurobike 2013, Varibike managing director Martin Kraiss has revealed a couple of tweaks to the arm- and leg-propelled bicycle that are aimed at raising its road touring credentials.  Read More
Infiniti say its new Q30 Concept challenges categorisation – 'not a coupe, not a hatch and... With less than two weeks before the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show kicks-off, Infiniti has joined the ranks of manufacturers offering a glimpse of what's in store with its Q30 concept – a "unique fusion of body styles" that merges crossover, coupe and hatch.  Read More
Casco's SPEEDmask mechanism (left) and the slider mechanism from ABUS (right)
The old adage that there’s more than one way to skin a cat was borne out at Eurobike 2013 with two companies showing racing helmets that each take a slightly different approach to integrating visors. Both systems allow the visor to be moved out of the way while riding, but one flips out of the way, while the second retracts into the helmet.  Read More
Did life as we know it originate on Mars? (Image: Shutterstock)
New evidence presented by Prof. Steven Benner at The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Florida suggests that, billions of years ago, Mars was a much better place for the first cells to have formed compared to Earth. This gives more weight to the theory that life may have started on the Red Planet and then found its way to Earth aboard a meteorite.  Read More
Kyocera's 'Smart Sonic Sound' lightweight piezo film speaker (the medium-size model pictur...
Japan's Kyocera Corporation has combined a piezoelectric actuator with a special resin film to produce a proprietary, piezo film speaker that is considerably thinner and lighter than conventional electromagnetic speakers, while boasting similar audio levels. The Smart Sonic Sound already provides the audio for LG's 55-inch curved-screen OLED TV and the company hopes it will give designers of future TVs, computers and tablets more scope to place speakers on the front face of products, enabling an overall size reduction and expanding design options.  Read More
The LG G Pad 8.3 at IFA 2013
Tired of waiting for that long-rumored iPad mini with Retina Display? Well, don't look now, but LG just introduced the LG G Pad 8.3. We don't know whether it will fare better than LG's last tablet, 2011's Optimus Pad, but the G Pad's status as the (supposed) first 8-inch tablet with a full HD display can't hurt its chances.  Read More
The Dolry Hi-Fi Stone from C4 Electronics
When Apple first introduced the Lightning connector with the launch of the iPhone 5 in September 2012, 30-pin to Lightning adapters were also announced. This gave folks who'd just spent a wad of cash on quality speaker docks from the likes of Bowers & Wilkins a way to avoid expensive upgrades, or helped prevent the forced retirement of old favorites like the Bose SoundDock 10. Music lovers could also choose to go wireless with a 30-pin Bluetooth receiver and enjoy fairly decent fidelity, so long as they didn't wander too far off the beaten track and go out of range. Now Sweden's C4 Electronics has released the Dolry Stone, a cute little device that's claimed to be the world's first 30-pin adapter compatible with Apple AirPlay, DLNA, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct. Read on for our hands-on review.  Read More
Its makers claim that Sprayable Energy will provide a gradual hit of caffeine through the ... Some people cannot function in the morning without a shot of caffeine to kick start their day, and though caffeine dependency isn't a good thing, the makers of a new product called Sprayable Energy, billed as "the world's first caffeine based topical energy spray" think there could be a market out there open to a new way of getting its fix.  Read More
Artist Josef Kristofoletti designed and executed this magnificent mural adorning the ATLAS...
The largest single piece of experimental scientific apparatus is currently the Large Hadron Collider bridging the border of France and Switzerland. The control building of the ATLAS detector, one of two general purpose particle detectors built with the LHC, has found itself adorned with a magnificent mural. The story of how the mural came about provides a fascinating glimpse at the crossroads of art and science.  Read More
 
The ThinkPad T440s Ultrabook is among a number of new business Ultrabooks announced by Len...
Lenovo has taken the wraps off some new Windows 8 business class Ultrabooks ahead of an IFA 2013 debut. Though all of the new additions take advantage of the performance improvements and energy efficiency offered by Intel's Haswell processors, the new T and X Series models also feature something called Power Bridge technology that allows users to swap out the second battery without having to power down first. Lighter and thinner than previous ThinkPads, the new laptops all feature a large trackpad to support Windows 8 gesture controls, and come in both touch-enabled and non-touch display panel flavors.  Read More
Risto Siilasmaa (left) who will become Nokia's interim CEO, with Steve Ballmer and Stephen... Nokia has announced that it will sell "substantially all of its Devices & Services business and license its patents to Microsoft." The €5.44 billion (US$7.17 billion) deal is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2014.  Read More
HIH researchers have found that suppressing the expression of a single gene in mice extend...
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that suppressing the expression of a single gene in mice extends their average lifespan by about 20 percent – the equivalent of humans living an average of 95 years. While modification of the so-called mTOR gene may not lead to the fountain of youth, further study could open up a path to keeping us healthier and more alert in our old age.  Read More
The Acer Liquid S2 will probably be just the first phablet announced this week that has 4K...
Did you spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a 4K TV, only to find yourself wondering why your smartphone couldn't record video that takes full advantage of all those pixels? No? Well, in case you ever do travel down that road, Acer just announced a smartphone that can help you out. It's called the Liquid S2, and 4K video recording is the biggest trick it has up its sleeve.  Read More
The B25 from Klever Mobility took out an e-bike/pedelec award at Eurobike 2013
After taking out a 2013 Red Dot product design award in March for its first e-bike, the S25, Klever Mobilty has added another award to its trophy cabinet by claiming an e-bike/pedelec award at Eurobike 2013 for its B25 model. Both the S25 and B25 were on show alongside the S45 and B45 models, which got their first public airing at the show. While the S25 and B25 are aimed at the urban commuter market, the S45 and B45 up the speed for those hitting the open road.  Read More
Gizmag comes over all submarinal (Image: U-Boat Worx/Gizmag)
Unless you're a submarine pilot, it isn't every day you get to pilot a submarine, and so I'm in Malta to test drive U-Boat Worx' C-Explorer 2. The 2 isn't a version number, but denotes that this is a two-seater submarine. Coincidentally, it also denotes roughly the number of millions of euros you'd need to buy one. It's a millionaires' plaything designed for exploring under the sea to depths between 100 m (328 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft), depending on the spec. My mission: to explore a wreck at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Equipped with U-Boat Worx' GoPro video cameras in and outside the sub, my trusty point and shoot camera and a dictaphone smartphone app, I'm as ready as I'll ever be for my appointment at the seabed.  Read More
SpiderFab construction of starshade (Photo: TUI)
SpiderFab, a series of technologies under development by Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI), combines 3D printing and robotic assembly to build and create spaceship components and structures in orbit. The groundbreaking systems are being designed to enable on-orbit construction of antennas, booms, solar arrays, trusses and other multifunctional components, ten to hundreds of times larger than currently possible with existing technology.  Read More
Dune House is located on the crest of a sand dune in North Holland (Photo: Erik Boschman)
Owners of Dutch architecture firm Min2, Jetty and Maarten Min, decided to build themselves a new combined house and studio. Since architecture is the pair's trade, you'd expect the resulting property to impress, and this indeed transpired: Dune House combines an attractive blend of traditional and modern Dutch styling with a measured approach to energy-efficiency, which includes a smart ventilation system, and energy usage monitor.  Read More
Iconic American manufacturer Harley-Davidson is releasing a 500cc v-twin learner motorcycl...
Just checking … no, it's not April 1. During its 110-year anniversary celebrations, iconic American manufacturer Harley-Davidson has dropped a couple of brand-twisting bombshells – firstly that it's building a 500cc learner bike, and secondly that an electric Harley is under serious consideration.  Read More
Jaguar will turn the lights on the reveal its C-X17 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show th... Teaser images are, well, a bit of a tease and Jaguar is definitely teasing today with this image of its C-X17 Concept – a study design set to be unveiled on September 9 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.  Read More

Some of the research team, with the SAGIV prototype
Although the administering of fluids to patients via an intravenous (IV) line may be commonplace, what many people may not realize is that getting the needle into a vein can be quite a tricky process – often several failed attempts are required before success is achieved. That’s why a group of students and staff from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a robotic gadget to do the job.  Read More
Pump House, by Branch Studio Architects, was completed this May (Photo: Branch Studio Arch... It's an obvious point, but it's easy to forget that the most appealing homes don't have to be the most expensive or imposing. We're reminded of this yet again by Pump House – a basic but idyllic weekend retreat designed by Australian firm Branch Studio Architects (BSA). It was built with a modest budget, and boasts the advantage of operating off-the-grid.  Read More
What's wrong with this picture? Well, the cyclist is actually moving ahead by pedaling in ...
Although cycling is a great form of exercise, it does involve simply doing one thing over and over – rotating the legs forward. Bicycles like the Varibike have attempted to turn it into more of an overall workout, by getting the rider’s arms in on the action. biXe Italia, however, is taking another approach. Its namesake device reportedly allows riders to work different muscle groups, by pedaling forwards or backwards in order to move the bike forward.  Read More
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is a child-friendly Android tablet
Samsung has announced the launch of a kid-friendly variant of its Galaxy Tab 3, the unimaginatively named Galaxy Tab 3 Kids. The new tablet will be basically the same as the original 7-inch tablet, but with a bright yellow makeover, a designed-for-kids skin running on Android 4.1, parental controls and chunky easy-to-grip cases.  Read More
After the device's details were (apparently) accidentally leaked, Amazon made the 2013 edi...
It's no surprise to see new Amazon Kindles launching around this time of year. What is surprising is that the company would announce the newest version of its frontlit eReader without any event or fanfare. You can probably chalk that up to today's accidental publication of the device's landing page, followed by a "hell, let's just make it official" decision. Either way, we now have the official scoop on Amazon's 2013 update to the Kindle Paperwhite.  Read More
Light reflected from an 37-story skyscraper under-construction in London could be to blame... According to a report by the BBC, light reflected from an 37-story skyscraper under-construction in London could be responsible for melting parts of a Jaguar parked nearby.  Read More
Gizmag recently sat down with Microsoft's Xbox Sports team to break down some of the deals... When you think of the Xbox, you probably picture things like Halo, Fable, and Call of Duty. But with the upcoming Xbox One, Microsoft is trying to expand beyond just gaming, and become your go-to living room companion. And what's a bigger mainstay of weekend couch-surfing than sports? Gizmag recently sat down with Microsoft to chat about some deals the company inked to help bring your home sports entertainment into the 21st century.  Read More
Can a professional-grade player health tracking app help NFL teams to cut down on head tra...
In the NFL, head trauma and other injuries are no joke. How does a team's medical staff know which call to make after a nasty blow? Can technology help them to know whether it's best to leave a player in the game or send him to the showers? Microsoft believes that a new enterprise app for Surface could play a role in helping teams to answer those tough questions. As part of a broader Surface on the Sidelines initiative, the X2 app is one of the best examples we've seen of how a professional-focused PC like the Surface Pro could potentially be used to actually change the way people work.  Read More
A special polymer material created by UCLA professor Vijay Gupta has been found to reduce ...
One of the most feared football-related injuries is concussion. With the new NFL and NCAA college seasons just about to kick off, fans will be praying that none of their team suffers any serious impact collisions that could end their season or result in memory loss or depression later in life. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) biomechanical engineering professor, Vijay Gupta, is testing a special polymer material that when applied to the inside of helmets, can reduce G-force impact by 25 percent.  Read More
The Astronaut 4  robot milker is designed so that the cow doesn't need to turn or back up
If cow milking recalls a bucolic image of a farmer strolling out to the barn with a bucket and stool, then the 21st century will be a disappointment to those raised on James Herriot stories. A case in point is the Astronaut 4 from Dutch agricultural firm Lely. With this robotic milker, the farmer needn't come any closer to the action than a readout on a smartphone, leaving the cows to get on with the milking themselves.  Read More

The T 8881 S EcoComfort is billed as the 'world's only' solar-powered dryer (Photo: Miele)
German domestic appliances manufacturer Miele has taken to IFA's stage and unveiled what the company cites as the "world's only" solar-powered tumble dryer, the T 8881 S EcoComfort.  Read More
Siemen’s KG38QAL30 Freshness Center features a vacuum drawer to keep food fresher, longer
Siemens got the ball rolling at the 2013 IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin today, using the first press conference of the event to unveil a new model that features “vacuumTechnology.” There are no prizes for guessing that this involves using a vacuum to keep food fresher, longer.  Read More
The 'world's thinnest' touch-sensitive surface from Cambridge Silicon Radio
Scientists at Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) have developed a flexible computer keyboard that is paper thin and is claimed capable of transforming any area into a touch-sensitive surface. The company describes its creation as the world's thinnest wireless touch surface at 0.5 mm thick, and offers consumers a low-power Bluetooth technology featuring "the latest in printable, flexible electronics and touch screen sensing."  Read More
The Nymi bracelet uses the wearers EKG for identification
If someone says that they want to steal your heart, be careful. They may be trying to get into your computer files. The Toronto-based biometrics company Bionym wants to replace old-fashioned passwords with Nymi; a bracelet that uses the wearer’s heartbeat in place of passwords. According to the developers, the system delivers a secure and convenient means of identification that also provides the potential to control devices using gestures.  Read More
Vehicles of sport
Back in February, Gizmag scoured the many halls of the ISPO Munich 2013 sports show for the latest and greatest in action, outdoor and snow sports gear. Recently we did the same at one of ISPO's American counterparts: Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Along the way we found numerous interesting, innovative and downright odd vehicles, vessels and machines designed for those specialist, sporty uses where standard equipment just doesn't cut it. With the summer winding down toward cooler weather (or vice versa for our southern readers), we thought it the perfect time to share this mix of snow, street, air and water gear.  Read More
Honda's DSRC safety system warns the driver their path is about to intersect with a motorc...
Here's a term almost all motorcyclists run across in their first couple of years on the road: SMIDSY. It stands for "sorry mate, I didn't see you" and it's the standard apology we get when we're sprawled across the bonnet of a car after its driver has pulled out in front of us. Bikes are tougher to see on the road for a number of reasons, so Honda is looking into the idea of using Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) to give drivers advance warning when a SMIDSY situation could be coming up.  Read More
The Ring Clock is a watch that you wear as a ring rather than a bracelet
Pocket-watch, wrist-watch, finger-watch? Is this the evolutionary path for time-telling devices? The team behind The Ring Clock hopes so, and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring the idea to market.  Read More
The HelmetHub dispenses and receives bike helmets
Bike-sharing programs are a good idea, particularly for people who occasionally find themselves in need of some last-mile transportation. It’s pretty doubtful, however, that such people are always going to be packing a bike helmet. That’s why the HelmetHub helmet vending machine was invented.  Read More
Countervail was recently introduced in Bianchi’s Infinito CV road bike High-end road bikes may offer a crisp, responsive ride, but they also have a way of transmitting every little vibration from the asphalt up into the rider’s hands, feet and butt. As we recently saw at Eurobike 2013, however, Bianchi is now offering a solution in the form of its Countervail integrated vibration canceling system.  Read More
Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
In what's now becoming something of a tradition, Sony has announced the next generation of its head-mounted personal 3D video viewer ahead of IFA 2013. Though the HMZ-T3 retains the same display resolution as both of its predecessors, image quality has been improved. The slightly lighter headset also benefits from better audio and a more comfortable fit. The biggest news this time around, though, is the addition of a wireless version ... sort of.  Read More

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