New and Emerging Technology News part 231 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Monday 24 March 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 231

The two-wheeled and fully hackable Arduino Robot
Arduino has made quite a name for itself over the past several years, with its single-board microcontrollers making their way into a wide variety of DIY electronic devices. Given that many of those devices have been robots, the company has now taken the next logical step forward – it’s released its first-ever complete robot.  Read More
Artist's impression of the Curiosity landing (Image: NASA)
Today, NASA paid tribute to its Curiosity rover, which has completed its first year exploring the planet Mars. On August 6, 2012 (August 5, PDT), the unmanned explorer landed on the Red Planet as the start of a two-year mission to seek out areas where life might have once, or could still exist. To commemorate this event, the space agency broadcast reminiscences by Curiosity team members from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. What follows is our own look at the top 10 milestones of Curiosity’s first year.  Read More
Harvest Dome 2.0 (Photo: Andreas Symietz) Take a pleasure cruise up the Harlem River this month and you surely won't miss the 24-ft diameter Harvest Dome 2.0 which floats on the waters near Spuyten Duyvil Creek at the north tip of Manhattan, New York. Built to draw eyes to the city's watercourses, the dome is built from 450 discarded and broken umbrellas support by a floating ring made from 128 2-liter drinks bottles.  Read More
Does water hold the key to more efficient windows? (Photo: Nathan Larkin)
Researchers at the University of Toronto say they can improve the energy of efficiency buildings by fitting window panes with tiny channels of water. The scientists says that these channels, inspired by vascular systems in nature such as the network of blood vessels in the human body, can provide 7º to 9º C of cooling in the summer, and reduce heat loss during winter.  Read More
Metabolix is genetically engineering switchgrass to produce bioplastic and chemicals.
Petroleum-based plastic may be fantastic, but due to the durability that makes the material so popular it may take hundreds of years to break down. Plastic made from renewable biomass, known as bioplastic, is a biodegradable alternative to fossil fuel versions. A company called Metabolix, based in Cambridge (MA), has been working on a technology to genetically engineer plants such as switchgrass to create a biodegradable polymer that can be extracted directly from the plant.  Read More
HOT Watch is a new smartwatch with a directional speaker and microphone embedded in the wr...
The smartwatch market is barely in its infancy, but it's already feeling a bit crowded. With crowdfunding success stories like the Pebble and the Agent rubbing shoulders with juggernauts like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, a new smartwatch has to bring something truly innovative to the table in order to stand out. PH Technical Labs seems prepared to do just that with the HOT Watch, which has a directional speaker and microphone embedded in the wrist, allowing the wearer to answer phone calls just by cupping their hand to their ear.  Read More
View from the aircraft testing the Ultraviolet 'Light Detection and Ranging' (LIDAR) instr...
For most air travelers, turbulence provides nothing more serious than the odd moment of extreme panic, but it costs airlines hundreds of millions of dollars each year in injury compensation and aircraft damage. There are various different types of turbulence, but the most dangerous, because it is invisible and extremely difficult to detect, is clear-air turbulence (CAT). A new CAT detection technology that could help pilots choose a smoother route is now being tested as part of a European joint project called DELICAT (Demonstration of LIDAR based CAT detection).  Read More
The love hormone has a dark side (Photo: Shutterstock)
Often called the love hormone, oxytocin has shown the ability to enhance social bonding, decrease anxiety and encourage an overall feeling of satisfaction with life. A new study out of Northwestern University, however, finds that this ancient hormone has a dark side, and is capable of strengthening unpleasant memories, fear, and anxiety. This Jeckyll and Hyde behavior results from the fact that oxytocin has a general strengthening effect on social memories, without regard to their polarity.  Read More
CreepyDOL is a new personal tracking system that allows a user to track, locate, and break...
Brendan O'Connor is an unabashed hacker who has worked for DARPA and taught at the US military's cybersecurity school. CreepyDOL (Creepy Distributed Object Locator), his new personal tracking system, allows a user to track, locate, and break into an individual's smartphone. "For a few hundred dollars," he says, "I can track your every movement, activity, and interaction, until I find whatever it takes to blackmail you."  Read More
The lab-grown burger was served with the usual trappings for presentation purposes
If Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University ever opens a burger bar, you might want to take a close look at the prices before you order. On Monday, at a press conference in London, a burger made by Post and his team was served that cost a cool €250,000 (about US$330,000). The reason? The beef that went into making it never saw a pasture and the people in the white coats who handed it to the chef weren't butchers, but bioengineers.  Read More

The tablet-programmed LA300, being hand-launched
Last November, we heard about Lehmann Aviation’s LA100, a small and fully autonomous UAV designed to capture aerial images with a user-supplied GoPro camera. Now the French company is offering two new models that go farther and stay in the air longer. As with the LA100, both of the new models are designed for use by people with little or no remote piloting experience.  Read More
The Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (Photo: Perkins+Will) Architectural firm Perkins+Will has designed a new research campus for the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Completed in December, 2012, at a cost of US$31 million, the 54-acre (22-hectare) plot overlooks the ocean in East Boothbay, Maine, and has been awarded LEED Platinum status.  Read More
Gizmag compares the specs and features of the Moto X and the HTC One. Does Motorola's new ...
This year is shaping up to be a great one for Android phones. We've already seen several flagships that you could argue are among the best smartphones ever made. How does the Moto X, Motorola's first phone created from start to finish under Google's ownership, fit in with the pack? Let's compare its specs and features with the HTC One, which we already know is one of the best smartphones of 2013.  Read More
Harvard researchers have found a way to create 3D images by juxtaposing two images taken f...
A team at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has come up with a promising new way to create 3D images from a stationary camera or microscope with a single lens. Rather than expensive hardware, the technique uses a mathematical model to generate images with depth and could find use in a wide range of applications, from creating more compelling microscopy imaging to a more immersive experience in movie theaters.  Read More
DefCon and Black Hat highlight the fact that companies often seem more concerned about the...
The cyber security convention DefCon and its corporate counterpart, Black Hat, that are held annually in Las Vegas present a unique tableau where the traditional (and traditionally overstated) conflict between underground hacking culture and corporate and government security professionals is suspended with the goal of openness and education. If you enjoy and own technology and gadgets of any kind, the conferences highlight a looming security crossroads that affects every layperson. Gizmag takes a look at some of the more important hacks from this year.  Read More
A ScanEagle in service with the US Army (Image: Boeing)
Despite being constantly in the news, UAVs haven’t been seen much in the skies of the US except in military training areas or by law enforcement agencies. That’s beginning to change, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcing that is has issued operating permits for a pair of civilian unmanned aircraft to a company based in Alaska. The two unmanned aircraft are the AeroVironment Puma, which is a hand-launched, battery powered UAV that uses an electro-optical and infrared video camera for surveillance, and the other is the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle; a small, long-endurance craft based on a fish-spotting design.  Read More
The StyleShoots system in use
When incorporating photographs of products into catalogs or websites, it’s always helpful if those photos have a digitally-transparent background. This means that a computer working with the photo will allow the user to add in whatever background they wish behind the product – or give it no background at all – instead of being stuck with the background against which it was originally shot. In the past, creating such an image has often required graphic artists to manually cut the product out of the shot, using a program such as Photoshop. Now, however, the StyleShoots system is able to create product shots with transparent backgrounds within seconds, as the photos are being taken.  Read More
The 100-lumen Cree LED has three settings
A solution for athletes that hike or run at night, and get thirsty while doing so, the new GoMotion Synergy Hydration LightVest offers a unique blend of LED lighting and storage. The chest-mounted light is designed to provide a more comfortable beam than the headlamp, while the greater pack offers space for water and more.  Read More
Professor Jennifer Curtis 'painting' the 30-micron Mini Lisa
Arguably the world’s most famous painting, da Vinci's Mona Lisa has now been copied onto the world’s smallest canvas at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Associate Professor Jennifer Curtis' "Mini Lisa" is one-third the width of a human hair, with details as small as one-eighth of a micron. Mini Lisa demonstrates the flexibility of a new nanolithography technique that can vary the surface concentration of molecules on very small portions of a substrate.  Read More
The Glowdeck Bluetooth speaker wirelessly charges a smartphone
Smartphone users on the lookout for battery-powered wireless chargers, Bluetooth music players, and funky smart lights that bop to the beat will likely have to settle for a small collection of separates. There are devices that tick a couple of boxes, such as the Black Diamond III or TDK's Wireless Charging Speaker, but good luck finding one unit that does it all. If Justin Kaufman's new crowdfunding endeavor is successful, however, your quest might well be an easier one. The upper surface of his Glowdeck Bluetooth speaker system can charge the battery of any Qi-compatible device placed upon it using its own powerful battery or via a wall outlet, while the lights at the bottom flash to notify users of incoming calls or texts, or sync to the music being thrown out of the front-facing speakers.  Read More
 
Amongst the Vixia mini's features are a built-in adjustable stand
Although Canon’s line of Vixia camcorders has been quite popular for some time now, not everyone wants to cart around a full-sized video camera – even a relatively small consumer model. For those folks, Canon has now introduced the Vixia mini compact personal camcorder. It still shoots 1080p HD video like its larger siblings, but also offers features such as multiple shooting modes and Wi-Fi connectivity.  Read More
Prawns raised on the Novacq fish-free feed additive (Photo: CSIRO)
When it comes to commercial aquaculture, a lot of people have some legitimate concerns – fish farms can introduce antibiotics, anti-algal chemicals and concentrated fish waste into the ocean; escaped fish can upset the local ecological balance; and wild fish still need to be caught in large numbers, as a food source for some species of farmed fish. While there have been recent efforts to address the first two concerns, the fish-in-the-fish-food problem is now being taken on in two different research projects. These are aimed at replacing the fish content in fish feed with more sustainable ingredients.  Read More
Today in New York, LG unveiled its latest flagship, the G2
In a crowded smartphone market full of Samsungs, Apples, HTCs, and even Motorolas, it's almost easy to forget about LG. But the company has a few ideas about how to get your attention, and it crammed them all into the design of its next flagship that it unveiled today, the LG G2.  Read More
Philips' colorful hue LED light bulb has new friends
Philips has announced a new range of color-change LED products designed to coexist peacefully with its chameleonesque iPhone-controlled hue light bulb. The Friends of hue range is open to independent product developers, but is being ushered in with two new Philips creations, LivingColors Bloom and LightStrips.  Read More
Christchurch's new temporary cathedral (Photo: Shigeru Ban Architects) Work has been completed on Christchurch's temporary Cardboard Cathedral designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.  Read More
The SOL is a Ubuntu laptop equipped with a detachable solar panel, which the developers cl...
In the Western world, we tend to take for granted some pretty basic amenities, like reliable electricity. For people living in those corners of the globe where electricity can be scarce, WeWi Telecommunications, Inc. has developed the SOL, a rugged laptop that doesn't rely on a power socket to stay charged. The Ubuntu Linux-powered computer is instead equipped with a detachable solar panel, which the developers claim will provide up to 10 hours of battery life after just two hours in the sun.  Read More
SnappyCam Pro - Key features
High speed full-frame continuous shooting is one of the key pillars of photography, especially where action is concerned. It is a core technology of professional DSLRs enhancing their ability to capture decisive moments in challenging environments. In what looks like a groundbreaking development for iPhone photography, the developer of the latest version of SnappyCam Pro claims that it can produce high-quality 8 MP images shooting at 20 full-sensor pictures/sec on your iPhone 5 and significant speed improvements on older models and other iOS devices. Can it?  Read More
Time exposure of the 2007 Perseids (Image: NASA)
Early August always brings with it the promise of a spectacular show in the form of the Perseid meteor shower. This shower, which peaks August 11-13, is one of the most reliable and active meteor displays throughout the year. A new NASA study also shows that more Perseid meteors are fireballs (averaging over 100 per year) than in any other meteor shower.  Read More
The Coarvin 1000 allows you to pour a glass of wine without removing the cork
Remember the time you had a glass of your US$1,300 bottle of Chateau Latour Pauillac 2005, only to find that it had gone vinegary in the fridge when you went back for another a week later? We've all been there. Coravin, LLC of Burlington, Massachusetts makes having a glass from the dustier end of the wine rack a bit less expensive with its Coravin 1000 Wine Access System, which allows you to pour a glass out of a bottle without having to finish the lot, watching it go off, or even removing the cork.  Read More
Researchers have found a simple way to preserve broccoli’s cancer-fighting properties afte...
Broccoli is one of those foods we’re told to eat as youngsters because it’s good for us. Unfortunately, researchers at the University of Illinois (U of I) found some of that goodness, namely the vegetable’s cancer-protective benefits, doesn’t survive the process its subjected to before reaching the freezers at supermarkets. Thankfully, the researchers followed up their initial research and found a simple way to preserve broccoli’s cancer-fighting properties.  Read More
Amongst the Vixia mini's features are a built-in adjustable stand
Although Canon’s line of Vixia camcorders has been quite popular for some time now, not everyone wants to cart around a full-sized video camera – even a relatively small consumer model. For those folks, Canon has now introduced the Vixia mini compact personal camcorder. It still shoots 1080p HD video like its larger siblings, but also offers features such as multiple shooting modes and Wi-Fi connectivity.  Read More
Prawns raised on the Novacq fish-free feed additive (Photo: CSIRO)
When it comes to commercial aquaculture, a lot of people have some legitimate concerns – fish farms can introduce antibiotics, anti-algal chemicals and concentrated fish waste into the ocean; escaped fish can upset the local ecological balance; and wild fish still need to be caught in large numbers, as a food source for some species of farmed fish. While there have been recent efforts to address the first two concerns, the fish-in-the-fish-food problem is now being taken on in two different research projects. These are aimed at replacing the fish content in fish feed with more sustainable ingredients.  Read More
Today in New York, LG unveiled its latest flagship, the G2
In a crowded smartphone market full of Samsungs, Apples, HTCs, and even Motorolas, it's almost easy to forget about LG. But the company has a few ideas about how to get your attention, and it crammed them all into the design of its next flagship that it unveiled today, the LG G2.  Read More
Philips' colorful hue LED light bulb has new friends
Philips has announced a new range of color-change LED products designed to coexist peacefully with its chameleonesque iPhone-controlled hue light bulb. The Friends of hue range is open to independent product developers, but is being ushered in with two new Philips creations, LivingColors Bloom and LightStrips.  Read More
Christchurch's new temporary cathedral (Photo: Shigeru Ban Architects) Work has been completed on Christchurch's temporary Cardboard Cathedral designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.  Read More
The SOL is a Ubuntu laptop equipped with a detachable solar panel, which the developers cl...
In the Western world, we tend to take for granted some pretty basic amenities, like reliable electricity. For people living in those corners of the globe where electricity can be scarce, WeWi Telecommunications, Inc. has developed the SOL, a rugged laptop that doesn't rely on a power socket to stay charged. The Ubuntu Linux-powered computer is instead equipped with a detachable solar panel, which the developers claim will provide up to 10 hours of battery life after just two hours in the sun.  Read More
SnappyCam Pro - Key features
High speed full-frame continuous shooting is one of the key pillars of photography, especially where action is concerned. It is a core technology of professional DSLRs enhancing their ability to capture decisive moments in challenging environments. In what looks like a groundbreaking development for iPhone photography, the developer of the latest version of SnappyCam Pro claims that it can produce high-quality 8 MP images shooting at 20 full-sensor pictures/sec on your iPhone 5 and significant speed improvements on older models and other iOS devices. Can it?  Read More
Time exposure of the 2007 Perseids (Image: NASA)
Early August always brings with it the promise of a spectacular show in the form of the Perseid meteor shower. This shower, which peaks August 11-13, is one of the most reliable and active meteor displays throughout the year. A new NASA study also shows that more Perseid meteors are fireballs (averaging over 100 per year) than in any other meteor shower.  Read More
The Coarvin 1000 allows you to pour a glass of wine without removing the cork
Remember the time you had a glass of your US$1,300 bottle of Chateau Latour Pauillac 2005, only to find that it had gone vinegary in the fridge when you went back for another a week later? We've all been there. Coravin, LLC of Burlington, Massachusetts makes having a glass from the dustier end of the wine rack a bit less expensive with its Coravin 1000 Wine Access System, which allows you to pour a glass out of a bottle without having to finish the lot, watching it go off, or even removing the cork.  Read More
Researchers have found a simple way to preserve broccoli’s cancer-fighting properties afte...
Broccoli is one of those foods we’re told to eat as youngsters because it’s good for us. Unfortunately, researchers at the University of Illinois (U of I) found some of that goodness, namely the vegetable’s cancer-protective benefits, doesn’t survive the process its subjected to before reaching the freezers at supermarkets. Thankfully, the researchers followed up their initial research and found a simple way to preserve broccoli’s cancer-fighting properties.  Read More

The Tsinghua University (Beijing) successfully completed the 2013 IARC Mission Six (Photo:...
For the past 23 years, the International Aerial Robotics Competition has challenged college teams with missions requiring complex autonomous robotic behaviors that are often beyond the capabilities of even the most sophisticated military robots. This year's competition, which was held in China and the United States over the past week, saw the team from Tsinghua University in Beijing successfully complete the current mission – an elaborate espionage operation known as Mission Six that was first proposed in 2010.  Read More
ScanEagles can provide real time telemetry for prolonged periods (Image: Boeing)
Radio has come a long way since Marconi bashed a telegraph key and radar is a miracle compared to when it was just a squiggle on a cathode tube, but despite a century of advances, they’re still prone to the same problems as the first pioneers encountered. For five days in July, the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Research Vessel (R/V) Knorr made a survey in the waters off Virginia Beach, Virginia using ScanEagle UAVs to study the effect of oceanic and atmospheric changes on radar and radio waves with the aim of producing more secure military communications and improve the ability of radar to detect hostile craft.  Read More
Gizmag compares the specs and features of LG's new G2, with its 'innovative' back buttons,...
The high-end of the smartphone market isn't an easy fortress to penetrate. LG has made some solid phones through the years, including the fraternal twins known as the Nexus 4 and Optimus G. But the company isn't usually mentioned in the same breath as Samsung or Apple. Will any amount of hardware or software features be able to change that? Let's try to find out, as we compare the new LG G2 to the Samsung Galaxy S4.  Read More
The Floating Cinema projects films from the barge onto an exterior fixed surface, allowing... Duggan Morris Architects has joined forces with British arts organization, UP Projects to launch this year’s "Floating Cinema," which will be gracing the waterways of East London until the end of September. For the project, Duggan Morris created an award winning design that converted a barge into a floating cinema.  Read More
The Moto X doesn't sport smoking specs, just a few killer features
Motorola's first phone designed and brought to market since becoming a wholly owned part of Google, the Moto X, is finally here. I've had one in my hands for almost a week now since snagging a loaner to review for Gizmag at Motorola's press event in New York City. It's traveled with me from the Big Apple back to the American Southwest and on a short road trip through Colorado's southern Rockies in that time, and as I've grown more familiar with what it can do across such varied geography, I can comfortably say that although the Moto X might not be a revolution, it is quite an impressive step forward.  Read More
Windows 8.1 will be arriving soon and we have a look at what's new and some helpful tips t...
When Windows 8 was released last October it didn't receive a lot of fanfare. But this year Microsoft is making several changes to the operating system with version 8.1 and a lot of them are for the better. While it's not a complete overhaul, there are some subtle changes that should make it easier for new users to learn and use. Here's a look at some tips and tricks for using new features in Windows 8.1.  Read More
Vibram shows its Concept Smart Sole at Outdoor Retailer
Vibram recently exhibited its Smart Concept Sole to give some insight as to the company's ideas for the future of sneaker technology. Along with a remote controlled LED lighting system that allows the soles to illuminate the ground ahead, Vibram anticipates the soles in future footwear to be embedded with sensors to warn the wearer of invisible environmental hazards.  Read More
The Spine digital music instrument (Photo: Vanessa Yaremchuk)
For the last three years, a small research team at McGill University has been working with a choreographer, a composer, dancers and musicians on a project named Instrumented Bodies. Three groups of sensor-packed, internally-lit digital music controllers that attach to a dancer's costume have been developed, each capable of wirelessly triggering synthesized music as the performer moves around the stage. Sounds are produced by tapping or stroking transparent Ribs or Visors, or by twisting, turning or moving Spines. Though work on the project continues, the instruments have already been used in a performance piece called Les Gestes which toured Canada and Europe during March and April.  Read More
One of the prototype ulcer-healing patches
Venous ulcers are nasty things, often found on the lower extremities of elderly or inactive people. They occur when high blood pressure causes the skin adjacent to the affected veins to break down, leaving open wounds that take months or even years to heal. Standard treatments include compression bandages, infection control and standard wound dressings, although these approaches don’t work in all cases. Now, however, scientists are getting good results using band-aid-like patches that emit ultrasound into the ulcers.  Read More
Glassified's clear graphics display allows augmented reality interaction with your drawing... A team of researchers from the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT Media Lab has created a truly useful bit of DIY technology in the form of Glassified – a modified ruler that does far more than just allow you to draw straight lines.  Read More

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