New and Emerging Technology News part 245 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Saturday 29 March 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 245

Prof. Mo Rastgaar (left) and PhD student Evandro Ficanha, with the leg and its testing rig...
Although computer-controlled artificial legs have been around for a few years now, they generally still feature an ankle joint that only allows the foot to tilt along a toe-up/toe-down axis. That's fine for walking in a straight line, but what happens when users want to turn a corner, or walk over uneven terrain? Well, in some cases, they end up falling down. That's why researchers at Michigan Technological University are now developing a microprocessor-controlled leg with an ankle that also lets the foot roll from side to side.  Read More
LEAPrus 3912 was constructed for the North Caucasus Mountain Club, and opened for business...
Italian architectural firm LEAPfactory has constructed a new energy-efficient hotel on the southern glacier of Mount Elbrus, in Russia's Caucasus mountain range. Generally considered the highest peak in Europe, Mount Elbrus has a summit of 5,642 m (18,510 ft). The hotel in question is located 3,912 m (12,834 ft) above sea level, hence its name: LEAPrus 3912.  Read More
Experiments suggest that electrodes implanted in the sensory cortex of the brain can simul...
It's something most of us take for granted, but our sense of touch is every bit as useful to us as our sight and hearing. Though it seems simple, picking up and holding an object requires nearly instantaneous sensation in the parts of our hands and fingers in contact with the desired object, as well as a sense of the pressure we're applying. Many experimental efforts to simulate a sense of touch in amputees fitted with prosthetics require the subject to learn new associations between touching an object and some abstract sensation. But new research at the University of Chicago suggests that it is possible to map the individual finger pads of a prosthetic hand to the corresponding parts of the brain. In other words, prosthetic hands which offer a realistic sense of touch may theoretically be possible.  Read More
The Rescue makes easy work of deep, sticky mud
For rescue outfits that think the ARGO 8x8 XTI is a little too small and weak, the massive, Earth-roaming Rescue from Romanian off-road manufacturer Ghe-O Motors should provide an attractive alternative. This fearless vessel carries up to 11 people through mud, snow, water and anything that's in their way.  Read More
The Lamborghini Riva Aquarama is the fastest Aquarama built
When you hear the word “Lamborghini,” you tend to think of land, not water, yet the car maker has a page in one of the most famous chapters of boat design. After a three-year effort, Dutch Riva has announced the successful restoration of a piece of maritime history: Ferrucio Lamborghini's Riva Aquarama speedboat.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the HTC One max and Galaxy Note 3 phablets
It seems like everyone is making a phablet these days. HTC is the latest to get in on the super-sizing action, with its humongous version of the HTC One, the One max. How does it compare to the current phablet prototype, the Galaxy Note 3? Read on, as Gizmag compares the latest giant-sized phones from HTC and Samsung.  Read More
The ELR debuted at the 2013 North American International Auto Show
A journey that began in 2009 with the Converj concept will reach its peak this upcoming January. That's when Cadillac plans to launch the ELR plug-in hybrid in major cities around the US. The luxury Volt will cost well more than expected, with a base price just under US$76,000.  Read More
Ivan Tulupov with Desperado In many parts of the world, electric bikes are limited to a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) – any higher, and they'd no longer be legally classified as bicycles. While that may keep the speed down on commercially-produced e-bikes, such is not the case with one-offs. A case in point is Russian blogger Ivan Tulupov's twin-motored Desperado.  Read More
The Mollii garment helps keep muscle spasms and tension under control
The painful and crippling muscle spasms caused by brain injuries or neurological disorders are typically controlled using medication or even surgery. Soon, however, it may be possible for sufferers to get their muscles under control just by wearing what looks like a high-tech union suit. Known as the Mollii garment, it reportedly produces no side effects, and doesn't have to be worn all the time.  Read More
Land Rover's Silk Road 2013 expedition
Hours after introducing its first-ever hybrid model back in August, Land Rover set out on a 10,472-mile (16,853-km) expedition across Europe and Asia. Fifty-three days later, the company is pleased to report that its world-first hybrid journey along the Silk Trail was successful.  Read More

Stuart Fyfe with Flossie in the early 1970s (Image: The National Museum of Computing)
What weighs 5 tons and has less computing power than your watch? A pioneering piece of computing history call "Flossie," the last operating ICT 1301 mainframe. The National Museum of Computing recently took delivery of the dismantled computer, which needed three moving vans to bring it to the museum’s storage facility in Milton Keynes, UK.  Read More
 2,000 shipping containers are planned to be transformed into water purifying stations
Joining forces with engineering firm Deka R&D, Coca-Cola has launched a project which will see the transformation of approximately 2,000 shipping containers into water purifying stations. Dubbed Ekocenter, the shipping container module has been designed to provide isolated and developing communities with facilities to produce safe drinking water, as well as access to wireless internet technology and solar powered charging.  Read More
The new skateboard from Hydroflex uses a honeycomb design and construction process borrowe...
Surfboard manufacturer Hydroflex is turning its expertise to the creation of boards intended for surfing the streets. What started out as using the leftover materials from the surfboard building process to create composite skateboards for the Hydroflex team is now expanding with the company aiming to bring its honeycomb skateboard to the market.  Read More
The Kisai Quasar hides time behind a pulsing geometric pattern The latest odd-ball timepiece from Tokyoflash, the Kisai Quasar, features a pulsing display that hides the time behind a geometric pattern, at least for those who don't know what to look for and where to look for it.  Read More
Double the battery, double the range
In addition to a new off-road model, German trike manufacturer HP Velotechnik plans to launch a new dual-battery option on its entire e-trike line next month. Double the battery will mean double the range.  Read More
Adidas just announced the miCoach Smart Run, a touchscreen smartwatch with a heart monitor...
It looks like the early smartwatches have been split into two camps. On one hand, we have watches like the Galaxy Gear and Pebble that aim, with varying degrees of success, to put basic smartphone features on your wrist. Then we have wearable fitness trackers that are gradually sprouting screens and becoming more like those straightforward smartwatches. Today Adidas added to that list with one of the smartest fitness watches to date, the miCoach Smart Run.  Read More
The BitLock is a smartphone-activated bike lock
Consumers now have their choice of several smartphone-controlled door locks, which allow users to grant access to select people, and that automatically cause the door to unlock when a user approaches. San Francisco-based startup Mesh Motion has taken those same ideas, and applied them to a bicycle security device known as the BitLock.  Read More
Neurio is designed to cut energy consumption by monitoring home appliances
A new product called Neurio has been designed to help people better control their domestic energy usage by monitoring home appliances. The product also allows users to be reminded of domestic tasks involving appliances. In cases of smart appliances, Neurio can detect behavior patterns and program appliances to meet specific requirements.  Read More
Swarms of remote-control cockroaches could be used to map hazardous environments for first...
Living remote-control cockroaches are now a thing. They actually exist. Besides wowing people and sparking ethics debates, however, the cyborg insects may ultimately have some very worthwhile applications. A team led by North Carolina State University's Dr. Edgar Lobaton has brought one of those applications a step closer to reality, by developing software that would allow "swarms" of the cockroaches to map hazardous environments such as collapsed buildings.  Read More

The AMAZE logo printed in metal using an additive manufacturing 3D printing technique that...
3D printers have already migrated from factories to the home and are now set to journey into space, where the cost of delivering replacement tools, components and structures can cost in the millions. The AMAZE (Additive Manufacturing Aiming Towards Zero Waste & Efficient Production of High-Tech Metal Products) from the ESA and the European Commission aims to deliver the first 3D metal printer to the International Space Station (ISS) to allow astronauts to print custom objects on demand.  Read More
Gizmag takes a second look at the PS Vita, a top-notch portable gaming machine with a scan...
It's hard to believe that it's been been almost two years since the PlayStation Vita launched. When we reviewed Sony's next-gen portable in 2012, we found it to be just about the ideal portable gaming console. But how does it hold up today? Has competition from smartphones and tablets stuck a knife in the Vita, or does its recent price drop warrant a second look? Read on, as Gizmag revisits an old favorite, the PS Vita.  Read More
Artist's conception of exoplanet PSO J318.5-22, which was discovered floating through inte...
If you think being stuck in a strange town late at night after the last bus has gone is lonely, then give a thought for the exoplanet PSO J318.5-22. Discovered this year by astronomers at the University of Hawaii, this planet was found floating through interstellar space without a parent star and is one of the smallest free-floating objects seen outside of the Solar System.  Read More
An LCD built into the driver's windshield allows them to 'see through' the bus that they'r...
Nobody likes being stuck behind a large, slow-moving vehicle on the highway. Not only does it hold you up, but it's also difficult to see around, in order to check whether or not it's safe to pass. Prof. Michel Ferreira and his team from Portugal's University of Porto, however, have come up with what could someday be a solution to that problem. It's an augmented reality system that lets drivers see right through the vehicle that they're following.  Read More
One advantage the KneeFlyer has over standing up on a snowboard is you can use your hands ...
Texas-based start-up KneeFlyer has put a new spin on board sports by designing a sort of board booster seat. The add-on allows snowboarders and skaters to kneel or sit on their boards, lowering their centers of gravity and making it easier to balance and turn.  Read More
The Nanostim pacemaker, with a Euro coin for scale
Ordinarily, a pacemaker is surgically implanted below the collarbone, where it sits in a sizable pocket under the skin. Electrical leads run from it to the heart, allowing it to monitor the rhythm of the heartbeat, and deliver electrical pulses to adjust that rhythm as needed. Now, however, Minnesota-based St. Jude Medical has announced upcoming availability of "the world’s first and only commercially available leadless pacemaker." Known as the Nanostim, it's reportedly less than 10 percent the size of a regular pacemaker, and is inserted directly into the heart via a minimally-invasive procedure.  Read More
The Sonos Play:1 compact wireless speaker
I think it's fair to say that not all wireless music systems are created equal. One of the best streaming speakers I've heard is the Play:5 from Sonos (formerly the Zoneplayer S5), but at US$400 a pop, a multi-room setup can get very expensive, very quickly. Sonos is now offering a cheaper way to enter its world of Hi-Fi audio streaming with the introduction of the Play:1 compact wireless speaker.  Read More
iRiver's On audio headset
A lot of people like to monitor personal stats such as their heart rate while exercising, plus they also like listening to music at the same time. Usually, doing both involves wearing at least a couple of devices at once. iRiver's new On audio headset, however, plays back music and gathers biometric data ... in both cases, through the user's ear.  Read More
Zaha Hadid's master concept
Her work may have its critics, but you can't fault the consistency of her design language. Even those with the most fleeting of interests in architecture and design cannot fail to recognize that this yacht design for Blohm+Voss has Zaha Hadid written all over it.  Read More
The Miix2 8-inch tablet from Lenovo Lenovo's Miix multi-mode tablet is about to be joined by a baby brother. The new Miix2 is the company's first 8-inch tablet, and features a latest generation Intel quad-core processor, runs Windows 8.1 and is available with an optional stylus.  Read More
 
 
Briggo's Coffee Haus is now in use at the University of Texas at Austin
Do you like visiting with that cute barista at the local coffee shop? Well, she/he may be on their way to being replaced by a machine ... maybe. This July, Texas-based company Briggo announced the installation of its first "intelligent" Coffee Haus on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The machine grinds and brews espressos, mochas and other specialty coffees on the spot, to the exact specifications of the customer.  Read More
Doctoral student Vinay Pagay holds one of the chips
Whether you're growing wine grapes or mixing cement, there are some situations in which it's vitally important to monitor moisture content. Normally water sensors are used, although these can be both large and expensive. Now, however, a team from Cornell University has created a water-sensing silicon chip that's not only tiny, but is also reportedly "a hundred times more sensitive than current devices." What's more, the chips might be possible to mass-produce for just $5 a pop.  Read More
Modern e-bike engineering meets classic styling
Back in their earliest days, motorcycles were little more than bicycles with engines. Italian manufacturer Lampociclo is trying to bring that simple, timeless style back for the modern day e-bike market. Its bikes combine the latest technology with styling cues from a time gone by.  Read More
A Flirtey UAV near the Sydney Opera House
University textbooks can be quite expensive to purchase, so Australian startup Zookal now offers an increasingly popular option – textbook rentals. The problem is, some of the money that students save by renting just goes into shipping charges for the rented books. That's why Zookal has joined with another Ozzie startup, Flirtey, to offer free textbook delivery by drone.  Read More
Gizmag presents a look at five of our favorite passively-cooled homes
Home air-conditioning offers near-instant relief from hot weather but is both expensive and resource-heavy to run. Gizmag picks five of our current favorite passively-cooled homes that are environmentally responsible to keep comfortably cool, and – perhaps just as importantly – very desirable to live in.  Read More
Artificial shells for hermit crabs by Aki Inomata (© AKI INOMATA)
About this time two years ago, we looked at the efforts of Miles Lightwood and the Thingiverse community to 3D print shells for hermit crabs, but Tokyo-born artist Aki Inomata has been creating artificial shells for hermit crabs since 2009. Her most recent efforts are intricate and ornate, incorporating ideas on the theme of national identity through depictions of city skylines and vernacular architecture. The hermit crabs seem to like them too.  Read More
The O bridge concept
Three guess how this novel design for a footbridge to be built in Salford, UK got its name: the O. Its distinctive ring provides support for the walkway it surrounds. In a sense this is two bridges in one. Two thirds of the bridge is suspended in order to span the entire width of the River Irwell, while the final third is supported by columns.  Read More
Carbon fiber composite panels infused with nano-batteries and super capacitors could repla...
For automobile manufacturers, the electric elephant in the room continues to be bulky and weighty battery packs. This week, Volvo unveiled an innovative potential solution to the problem that it has been working on for the past three and a half years with other European partners; replace steel body panels with carbon fiber composite panels infused with nano-batteries and super capacitors.  Read More
The Aeromobil flying car designed by Stefan Klein takes to the skies for the first time
There is a saying in flying: “If it looks good, it will fly well.” Stefan Klein, a designer from the Slovak Republic, has announced the first flight of his Aeromobil Version 2.5, a flying car prototype he has been developing over the last 20 years. This vehicle is a strikingly beautiful design with folding wings and a propeller in the tail. But will its flight capabilities match its looks?  Read More
The Eyes-Free Yoga software relies on the Kinect's skeletal tracking capabilities to provi...
Conventional yoga classes with an instructor up front demonstrating positions to the class aren't generally a viable option for the visually impaired, but a team of computer scientists from the University of Washington (UW) is set to open this healthy activity up to such users with the help of a Microsoft's Kinect.  Read More

0 comments:

Post a Comment