New and Emerging Technology News part 240 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Thursday 27 March 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 240

Scramspace crashed into the North Sea
The University of Queensland’s Scramspace hypersonic experiment ended in failure today as the unmanned spacecraft plummeted into the North Sea off the coast of Norway. After a successful launch atop a rocket from the Andøya Rocket Range at 3 PM CEDT, Scramspace failed to reach the required altitude to begin the hypersonic flight experiment.  Read More
The RearViz at Interbike 2013 There’s no doubt that using a rear-view mirror makes it safer to cycle on public roads. That said, some riders may feel that a bike-mounted mirror is just one more bit of handlebar clutter. The RearViz mirror offers an alternative – it mounts on the rider’s arm.  Read More
One of Alter Cycles' hybrid bikes, on display at Interbike 2013
If you make hybrid bicycles, how do you get yours to stand out from the kazillion others currently on the market? Well, as with anything, it helps if customers can customize it. That’s the approach that Alter Cycles is taking, with its new commuter bikes. By swapping in different down tubes, the stiffness of the ride can be altered to suit the rider.  Read More
The Nikon 1 AW1 is the world's first digital compact system camera which is waterproof, sh...
Photographers who want to shoot while snorkeling, rafting, skiing, or just splashing about in the water, are normally limited to using a tough compact camera, or shelling out for an expensive underwater-housing for their DSLR. The Nikon 1 AW1 has been designed to change that. It's claimed to be the world's first commercially available digital interchangeable lens camera which is waterproof and shockproof.  Read More
An IR remote control prototype with RevoTouch technology that turns the circular direction...
Even before the addition of touchpads, remote controls were pushing the boundaries in terms of size as more and more features were crammed into home entertainment devices and more and more buttons were needed to deal with them. Philips’ remote control division has come up with a way to keep the size of touch-capable remotes down by making the buttons touch sensitive.  Read More
Hexoskin is a sensor-packed T-shirt and companion device for measuring body metrics in rea...
The wearable sensor market looks set to expand with a new sensor-fitted T-shirt and companion device currently being developed in Canada. The Hexoskin system analyzes movement, breathing and heart activity, then sends the data to an online account via a smartphone. It is also designed to make life easier for sports professionals who need to manage teams.  Read More
The CSIRO's scan of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was completed in under 20 minutes
Researchers at Australia's national science agency, the CSIRO, have developed Zebedee, a spring-mounted 3D laser scanner and mapper capable of scanning complicated interiors in double-quick time. The researchers were able to scan the "cramped and complex" interior of the Leaning Tower of Pisa which, the CSIRO claims, has not been possible with previous 3D scanning technology. But more significantly, the researchers were able to complete the scan in under 20 minutes.  Read More
'With some longer term, moonshot thinking around healthcare and biotechnology, I believe w... Never one to shy away from big challenges, Google has announced the formation of a new company aimed at tackling major health and wellbeing issues with a "particular focus on aging and associated diseases."  Read More
Developed by Zeepro, the Zim is one of the few pre-assembled 3D printers that offers dual ...
With easy-to-use devices like the Buccaneer and the Cube hitting the market, we're beginning to see a growing trend of 3D printers aimed squarely at the average consumer. Now Zeepro, a design team spread across Switzerland, France, and the US, is adding another desktop printer into the mix that promises to give users an even more elaborate set of tools to work with. The Zim is one of the few pre-assembled 3D printers that offers dual print heads and a low layer resolution to create more complex objects, as well as a camera to monitor print jobs through a smartphone.  Read More
The Swarm constellation will provide the most accurate survey of the Earth's magnetic fiel...
The first of three satellites designed to undertake a comprehensive study the Earth’s magnetic field left Munich airport on Tuesday aboard an Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft bound for Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. This first Swarm satellite will be followed by two identical craft and more than 60 tons of support equipment before all three are launched into polar orbit in November.  Read More

Artist's concept of the XS-1 spaceplane
Currently, launching satellites is an involved and expensive process. DARPA’s Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program hopes to make this a thing of the past, by developing a shuttle-like resuable launch system that can turn around from landing to relaunch in one day, and bring down the cost of launching by a factor of 10.  Read More
The dual-suspension Hard Enduro mountain bike has two rear shocks ... although one of them...
When Gizmag was poking around at Interbike 2013 earlier this week, we were particularly interested in finding unique products that would catch the eye of even non-cyclists. Well, when we saw Scurra's Hard Enduro mountain bike, we knew we'd hit pay dirt. The bizarre-looking bike forgoes a traditional telescopic suspension fork, and instead uses a linkage combined with a rear shock for its front suspension. The setup allows for seven inches (178 mm) of travel, along with some other claimed benefits.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Compare any two high-end smartphones, and chances are they'll have a lot in common. There's usually a lot of overlap in screen size, internal components, and feature lists. But the new iPhone 5s and Galaxy Note 3 are about as different as two top-tier "phones" (if you can even call them both that) can be. Let's put the two side-by-side, compare their features and specs, and see what happens.  Read More
Kinetic's Rock and Roll cycle trainer, spotted by Gizmag at Interbike 2013 Ordinarily when you prop a bicycle onto a trainer, you're in for an experience akin to riding an exercise bike. But with its new Rock and Roll trainer, Kinetic is aiming to give riders a more authentic experience when riding, with its frame that allows the bicycle to sway as the rider trains.  Read More
Gizmag takes a first look at Fairphone (Photo: Gizmag)
Gizmag first took a look at the Fairphone in June during its successful crowdfunding campaign. For those not familiar, Fairphone aims to be the most ethical smartphone on the market. The company chose London Design Week to give backers a first look at a working prototype, and Gizmag popped into the company's pop-up shop in Soho, London to take a look. There are early signs that Fairphone may be as friendly as it is ethical.  Read More
Gizmag looks in detail at the trials and tribulations of using a 3D printer at home
For the last week, I've been living with a 3D printer – one of the cheapest on the market: the Flashforge Creator Dual. After 30 or so prints, I've discovered some of the foibles of home 3D printing, and some of the work-arounds. Is this a glimpse into the future of home fabrication, or a niche hobby piece? Grab some hairspray (seriously) and dive in as Gizmag reviews the FlashForge Creator 3D and, more importantly, takes a detailed look at the practicalities of 3D printing at home.  Read More
The Scorpion fs Enduro from HP Velotechnik on display at Interbike 2013
Germany's HP Velotechnik (HPV) is adding a new special edition off road trike to its Scorpion fs range that caters for riders who want to sit back and enjoy the forest scenery from a different perspective, while also promising to serve up enough thrills to keep more aggressive trail-blazers happy. Currently being shown off at Interbike 2013 ahead of an October US release, the Scorpion fs Enduro features chunky tires, full suspension, disc braking and 27 gears.  Read More
 British industrial designer, Benjamin Hubert has created 'the world’s lightest timber tab...
British industrial designer Benjamin Hubert has created what is claimed to be the world’s lightest timber table. Dubbed Ripple, the two and half meter long table is made from 0.8mm thick Canadian Spruce aircraft plywood and weighs in at an incredible 9 kilograms.  Read More
Artist's impression of a robot snake and a rover on Mars (Image: James Steidl/Shutterstock...
Mars is essentially one big desert, and what do you tend to find in deserts? Snakes. There’s a reason for this, so the European Space Agency-funded SERPEX project is conducting a feasibility study on how robot snakes could one day be used to explore the Red Planet.  Read More
Artist's concept of the XS-1 spaceplane
Currently, launching satellites is an involved and expensive process. DARPA’s Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program hopes to make this a thing of the past, by developing a shuttle-like resuable launch system that can turn around from landing to relaunch in one day, and bring down the cost of launching by a factor of 10.  Read More
The dual-suspension Hard Enduro mountain bike has two rear shocks ... although one of them...
When Gizmag was poking around at Interbike 2013 earlier this week, we were particularly interested in finding unique products that would catch the eye of even non-cyclists. Well, when we saw Scurra's Hard Enduro mountain bike, we knew we'd hit pay dirt. The bizarre-looking bike forgoes a traditional telescopic suspension fork, and instead uses a linkage combined with a rear shock for its front suspension. The setup allows for seven inches (178 mm) of travel, along with some other claimed benefits.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Compare any two high-end smartphones, and chances are they'll have a lot in common. There's usually a lot of overlap in screen size, internal components, and feature lists. But the new iPhone 5s and Galaxy Note 3 are about as different as two top-tier "phones" (if you can even call them both that) can be. Let's put the two side-by-side, compare their features and specs, and see what happens.  Read More
Kinetic's Rock and Roll cycle trainer, spotted by Gizmag at Interbike 2013 Ordinarily when you prop a bicycle onto a trainer, you're in for an experience akin to riding an exercise bike. But with its new Rock and Roll trainer, Kinetic is aiming to give riders a more authentic experience when riding, with its frame that allows the bicycle to sway as the rider trains.  Read More
Gizmag takes a first look at Fairphone (Photo: Gizmag)
Gizmag first took a look at the Fairphone in June during its successful crowdfunding campaign. For those not familiar, Fairphone aims to be the most ethical smartphone on the market. The company chose London Design Week to give backers a first look at a working prototype, and Gizmag popped into the company's pop-up shop in Soho, London to take a look. There are early signs that Fairphone may be as friendly as it is ethical.  Read More
Gizmag looks in detail at the trials and tribulations of using a 3D printer at home
For the last week, I've been living with a 3D printer – one of the cheapest on the market: the Flashforge Creator Dual. After 30 or so prints, I've discovered some of the foibles of home 3D printing, and some of the work-arounds. Is this a glimpse into the future of home fabrication, or a niche hobby piece? Grab some hairspray (seriously) and dive in as Gizmag reviews the FlashForge Creator 3D and, more importantly, takes a detailed look at the practicalities of 3D printing at home.  Read More
The Scorpion fs Enduro from HP Velotechnik on display at Interbike 2013
Germany's HP Velotechnik (HPV) is adding a new special edition off road trike to its Scorpion fs range that caters for riders who want to sit back and enjoy the forest scenery from a different perspective, while also promising to serve up enough thrills to keep more aggressive trail-blazers happy. Currently being shown off at Interbike 2013 ahead of an October US release, the Scorpion fs Enduro features chunky tires, full suspension, disc braking and 27 gears.  Read More
 British industrial designer, Benjamin Hubert has created 'the world’s lightest timber tab...
British industrial designer Benjamin Hubert has created what is claimed to be the world’s lightest timber table. Dubbed Ripple, the two and half meter long table is made from 0.8mm thick Canadian Spruce aircraft plywood and weighs in at an incredible 9 kilograms.  Read More
Artist's impression of a robot snake and a rover on Mars (Image: James Steidl/Shutterstock...
Mars is essentially one big desert, and what do you tend to find in deserts? Snakes. There’s a reason for this, so the European Space Agency-funded SERPEX project is conducting a feasibility study on how robot snakes could one day be used to explore the Red Planet.  Read More
Artist's concept of the XS-1 spaceplane
Currently, launching satellites is an involved and expensive process. DARPA’s Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program hopes to make this a thing of the past, by developing a shuttle-like resuable launch system that can turn around from landing to relaunch in one day, and bring down the cost of launching by a factor of 10.  Read More
The dual-suspension Hard Enduro mountain bike has two rear shocks ... although one of them...
When Gizmag was poking around at Interbike 2013 earlier this week, we were particularly interested in finding unique products that would catch the eye of even non-cyclists. Well, when we saw Scurra's Hard Enduro mountain bike, we knew we'd hit pay dirt. The bizarre-looking bike forgoes a traditional telescopic suspension fork, and instead uses a linkage combined with a rear shock for its front suspension. The setup allows for seven inches (178 mm) of travel, along with some other claimed benefits.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Compare any two high-end smartphones, and chances are they'll have a lot in common. There's usually a lot of overlap in screen size, internal components, and feature lists. But the new iPhone 5s and Galaxy Note 3 are about as different as two top-tier "phones" (if you can even call them both that) can be. Let's put the two side-by-side, compare their features and specs, and see what happens.  Read More
Kinetic's Rock and Roll cycle trainer, spotted by Gizmag at Interbike 2013 Ordinarily when you prop a bicycle onto a trainer, you're in for an experience akin to riding an exercise bike. But with its new Rock and Roll trainer, Kinetic is aiming to give riders a more authentic experience when riding, with its frame that allows the bicycle to sway as the rider trains.  Read More
Gizmag takes a first look at Fairphone (Photo: Gizmag)
Gizmag first took a look at the Fairphone in June during its successful crowdfunding campaign. For those not familiar, Fairphone aims to be the most ethical smartphone on the market. The company chose London Design Week to give backers a first look at a working prototype, and Gizmag popped into the company's pop-up shop in Soho, London to take a look. There are early signs that Fairphone may be as friendly as it is ethical.  Read More
Gizmag looks in detail at the trials and tribulations of using a 3D printer at home
For the last week, I've been living with a 3D printer – one of the cheapest on the market: the Flashforge Creator Dual. After 30 or so prints, I've discovered some of the foibles of home 3D printing, and some of the work-arounds. Is this a glimpse into the future of home fabrication, or a niche hobby piece? Grab some hairspray (seriously) and dive in as Gizmag reviews the FlashForge Creator 3D and, more importantly, takes a detailed look at the practicalities of 3D printing at home.  Read More
The Scorpion fs Enduro from HP Velotechnik on display at Interbike 2013
Germany's HP Velotechnik (HPV) is adding a new special edition off road trike to its Scorpion fs range that caters for riders who want to sit back and enjoy the forest scenery from a different perspective, while also promising to serve up enough thrills to keep more aggressive trail-blazers happy. Currently being shown off at Interbike 2013 ahead of an October US release, the Scorpion fs Enduro features chunky tires, full suspension, disc braking and 27 gears.  Read More
 British industrial designer, Benjamin Hubert has created 'the world’s lightest timber tab...
British industrial designer Benjamin Hubert has created what is claimed to be the world’s lightest timber table. Dubbed Ripple, the two and half meter long table is made from 0.8mm thick Canadian Spruce aircraft plywood and weighs in at an incredible 9 kilograms.  Read More
Artist's impression of a robot snake and a rover on Mars (Image: James Steidl/Shutterstock...
Mars is essentially one big desert, and what do you tend to find in deserts? Snakes. There’s a reason for this, so the European Space Agency-funded SERPEX project is conducting a feasibility study on how robot snakes could one day be used to explore the Red Planet.  Read More
Artist's concept of the XS-1 spaceplane
Currently, launching satellites is an involved and expensive process. DARPA’s Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program hopes to make this a thing of the past, by developing a shuttle-like resuable launch system that can turn around from landing to relaunch in one day, and bring down the cost of launching by a factor of 10.  Read More
The dual-suspension Hard Enduro mountain bike has two rear shocks ... although one of them...
When Gizmag was poking around at Interbike 2013 earlier this week, we were particularly interested in finding unique products that would catch the eye of even non-cyclists. Well, when we saw Scurra's Hard Enduro mountain bike, we knew we'd hit pay dirt. The bizarre-looking bike forgoes a traditional telescopic suspension fork, and instead uses a linkage combined with a rear shock for its front suspension. The setup allows for seven inches (178 mm) of travel, along with some other claimed benefits.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Compare any two high-end smartphones, and chances are they'll have a lot in common. There's usually a lot of overlap in screen size, internal components, and feature lists. But the new iPhone 5s and Galaxy Note 3 are about as different as two top-tier "phones" (if you can even call them both that) can be. Let's put the two side-by-side, compare their features and specs, and see what happens.  Read More
Kinetic's Rock and Roll cycle trainer, spotted by Gizmag at Interbike 2013 Ordinarily when you prop a bicycle onto a trainer, you're in for an experience akin to riding an exercise bike. But with its new Rock and Roll trainer, Kinetic is aiming to give riders a more authentic experience when riding, with its frame that allows the bicycle to sway as the rider trains.  Read More
Gizmag takes a first look at Fairphone (Photo: Gizmag)
Gizmag first took a look at the Fairphone in June during its successful crowdfunding campaign. For those not familiar, Fairphone aims to be the most ethical smartphone on the market. The company chose London Design Week to give backers a first look at a working prototype, and Gizmag popped into the company's pop-up shop in Soho, London to take a look. There are early signs that Fairphone may be as friendly as it is ethical.  Read More
Gizmag looks in detail at the trials and tribulations of using a 3D printer at home
For the last week, I've been living with a 3D printer – one of the cheapest on the market: the Flashforge Creator Dual. After 30 or so prints, I've discovered some of the foibles of home 3D printing, and some of the work-arounds. Is this a glimpse into the future of home fabrication, or a niche hobby piece? Grab some hairspray (seriously) and dive in as Gizmag reviews the FlashForge Creator 3D and, more importantly, takes a detailed look at the practicalities of 3D printing at home.  Read More
The Scorpion fs Enduro from HP Velotechnik on display at Interbike 2013
Germany's HP Velotechnik (HPV) is adding a new special edition off road trike to its Scorpion fs range that caters for riders who want to sit back and enjoy the forest scenery from a different perspective, while also promising to serve up enough thrills to keep more aggressive trail-blazers happy. Currently being shown off at Interbike 2013 ahead of an October US release, the Scorpion fs Enduro features chunky tires, full suspension, disc braking and 27 gears.  Read More
 British industrial designer, Benjamin Hubert has created 'the world’s lightest timber tab...
British industrial designer Benjamin Hubert has created what is claimed to be the world’s lightest timber table. Dubbed Ripple, the two and half meter long table is made from 0.8mm thick Canadian Spruce aircraft plywood and weighs in at an incredible 9 kilograms.  Read More
Artist's impression of a robot snake and a rover on Mars (Image: James Steidl/Shutterstock...
Mars is essentially one big desert, and what do you tend to find in deserts? Snakes. There’s a reason for this, so the European Space Agency-funded SERPEX project is conducting a feasibility study on how robot snakes could one day be used to explore the Red Planet.  Read More

The iPhone 5's display is twice as responsive as those in non-Apple handsets, new benchmar...
Conscious that the world of mobile devices lacks benchmarking tests to measure the responsiveness of touchscreen displays, app-streaming company Agawi has developed the TouchMarks benchmark to measure touchscreen latency. In a company blog post published last Thursday, the company reveals that, according to its tests, Apple's year-old iPhone 5 screen response time is more than twice as fast as the best Android phone tested, the Samsung Galaxy S4. The iPhone 4, released June 2010, was also significantly faster than the non-Apple handsets tested.  Read More
The 7-in Hudl
UK supermarket giant Tesco has announced that it is to enter the tablet computing market place later this month with the launch of its 7-inch Android slab, Hudl. Tesco says the device has been designed with "accessibility and convenience" in mind, and its £119 price tag is competitive for its able specification.  Read More
A European Southern Observatory simulation of gas cloud G2 threading through the local sta...
As you read this, the eyes of the astrophysical world are focused on about one-trillionth of the sky, watching as the calm existence of G2, a three-Earth mass gas cloud near the galactic center, is viciously disrupted by a close encounter with Sagittarius A*, the galaxy's supermassive black hole. Careful observation of this rare event is expected to provide an enormous amount of information on the environment of the central light month (about 6,000 AU) immediately surrounding the black hole.  Read More
A sketch from the book 21st Century Robot which is being used as a vehicle for the open-so... Intel's Futurist and Director of Future Casting, Brian David Johnson, was at this week's Maker Faire in New York City to introduce an open source, 3D printed companion robot called Jimmie.  Read More
Here's how to get more out of your Chromecast with the Chrome browser Google's Chromecast currently doesn't have a whole lot of options beyond its handful of officially supported apps. Here's how to get a little more out of Chromecast, from mirroring your desktop to playing your own video files.  Read More
New research has provided 'strong hope' of finding a drug to combat Alzheimer’s (Image: Sh...
A team of researchers at Yale University has completed a molecular model for Alzheimer's disease by identifying a protein that plays a key role in its onset. Promisingly, the study showed that when the activity of this protein is blocked by an existing drug, mice engineered as models for human AD recover their memories.  Read More
James serving a customer
Meet James. He’s a barman with a cheery disposition, is quick with your order, and doesn't tolerate queue jumping. He’s also a one-armed robot with a tablet for a head. But the really curious thing about James is that he can read your body language to find out whether or not you want to order a drink.  Read More
Artist's impression of Deep Impact (Image: NASA) NASA has officially abandoned its attempts to regain contact with the Deep Impact comet probe, declaring the mission over. The space agency lost contact with the unmanned spacecraft in August and repeated attempts to reestablish the link have failed.  Read More
The Autobike Evolution at Interbike 2013
One of the things that keeps some people from cycling more often is the gears – although they need the gears to manage hills and headwinds, they're never sure which one they should be in. If that sounds like you, then you might like the Autobike. It shifts gears automatically based on the rider's cadence, and manages to do so without a battery.  Read More
The iSketchnote lets you create a digital copy of your physical scribblings
Many people are now using an iPad or other brand of tablet as a tool for writing notes and drawing sketches. Doing so makes a lot of sense as the form factor is built with such tasks in mind. It isn't perfect, however, and some of us are resistant to the move from physical to digital. If that describes you, or you simply need a physical copy of your work as well as a digital copy, then the iSketchnote could be just the ticket.  Read More
 

The Caterham AeroSeven Concept is the first Caterham with traction control
The thing about Caterhams is that they’re wonderfully bonkers little cars that beg to be driven. Now the automotive company has taken its Seven CSR chassis and turned it into the Caterham AeroSeven Concept. Unveiled last week at the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, it uses technologies not found previously in a Caterham and is intended to give the public an idea of the design of future models.  Read More
Leatherman Grind and Jam skate tools Continuing its ongoing trend towards targeting specific user groups, Leatherman is extending its line of multi-tools with two new action sports models designed for surfers and skaters.  Read More
Hackers demonstrate a workaround to Apple's touted Touch ID system (photo from Starbug's v... Hackers claim to have already found a workaround to the iPhone 5s' Touch ID system, allowing them to unlock the phone with a dummy fingerprint obtained from a real fingerprint.  Read More
In the CastAR system, glasses project light onto a retro-reflective screen to create a 3D ...
Imagine a multi-user augmented reality experience that feels natural and can scale to any size you want, without common pitfalls like dizziness or an expensive price tag. That's what hardware hacker Jeri Ellsworth and her team at Technical Illusions are shooting for with CastAR. Gizmag snatched a chance to play with the system at World Maker Faire 2013, where it won the Editor’s Choice and Educator’s Choice awards.  Read More
The Bulb Flashlight is a light bulb that converts into a flashlight when needed It's highly possible that you may own one of those rechargeable flashlights, that sits plugged into an outlet when not in use. While you may not have to worry about its batteries being dead when you finally need to use it, it does spend most of its time occupying an outlet, doing nothing. MoMA's Bulb Flashlight, on the other hand, doubles as an LED light bulb.  Read More
Slidepad uses the rear brake to activate the front brake
Despite the fact that the majority of a bicycle's stopping power comes from the front brake, many novice and casual riders worry that if they apply that brake too hard, they'll go flying over the handlebars. As a result, to be on the safe side, they often only use the rear brake. It was for cyclists such as these that the Slidepad system was created. It allows both brakes to be applied with the squeeze of a single lever, in such a way that the front brake will never lock up on its own.  Read More
The Rogue Safari Pop-Up Flash Booster greatly extends the range of a DSLR flash When you buy a high-end DSLR, it usually includes a device called a hot shoe, which allows you to add all kinds of high-powered flashes. However, for mid-range DSLRs, pop-up flashes are generally installed, which greatly limits the flexibility of the flash. A new device called the Rogue Safari Pop-Up Flash Booster adds a high-powered flash to cameras of this type, greatly increasing the range of the flash.  Read More
The Stigo folding electric scooter in Paris
After spending five years in development, a new Estonian-designed electric scooter was launched on September 20 at the 1,000 Pionniers event in Paris. The Stigo has a top speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) and a range of up to 40 km (25 miles) per charge, and is folded up and ready to roll in just two seconds.  Read More
Triggertrap Mobile 2 features 14 smart ways to trigger the shutter of a DSLR or advanced c...
The Triggertrap camera trigger has come a long way since we first saw it in its sensor-packed-box form. First, it moved to being a smartphone app, then it gained wireless capabilities. Now, with the release of the Triggertrap Mobile 2 app, it's been rebuilt from the ground up with a simplified interface to offer photographers a more intuitive experience.  Read More
The Surface 2 now comes in silver, but it still runs the limited Windows RT
The original Surface was Microsoft's first big attempt to marry its own sexy hardware to Windows 8 software. Neither the Surface RT or Surface Pro, however, appeared to sell well at all, with the company ultimately writing off US$900 million in unsold Surface stock. How do you recover from such a setback? Well, if you're Microsoft, you wash, rinse, and repeat the same thing all over again, as the company today announced a second batch of Surfaces with some much-needed upgrades.  Read More
The Caterham AeroSeven Concept is the first Caterham with traction control
The thing about Caterhams is that they’re wonderfully bonkers little cars that beg to be driven. Now the automotive company has taken its Seven CSR chassis and turned it into the Caterham AeroSeven Concept. Unveiled last week at the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, it uses technologies not found previously in a Caterham and is intended to give the public an idea of the design of future models.  Read More
Leatherman Grind and Jam skate tools Continuing its ongoing trend towards targeting specific user groups, Leatherman is extending its line of multi-tools with two new action sports models designed for surfers and skaters.  Read More
Hackers demonstrate a workaround to Apple's touted Touch ID system (photo from Starbug's v... Hackers claim to have already found a workaround to the iPhone 5s' Touch ID system, allowing them to unlock the phone with a dummy fingerprint obtained from a real fingerprint.  Read More
In the CastAR system, glasses project light onto a retro-reflective screen to create a 3D ...
Imagine a multi-user augmented reality experience that feels natural and can scale to any size you want, without common pitfalls like dizziness or an expensive price tag. That's what hardware hacker Jeri Ellsworth and her team at Technical Illusions are shooting for with CastAR. Gizmag snatched a chance to play with the system at World Maker Faire 2013, where it won the Editor’s Choice and Educator’s Choice awards.  Read More
The Bulb Flashlight is a light bulb that converts into a flashlight when needed It's highly possible that you may own one of those rechargeable flashlights, that sits plugged into an outlet when not in use. While you may not have to worry about its batteries being dead when you finally need to use it, it does spend most of its time occupying an outlet, doing nothing. MoMA's Bulb Flashlight, on the other hand, doubles as an LED light bulb.  Read More
Slidepad uses the rear brake to activate the front brake
Despite the fact that the majority of a bicycle's stopping power comes from the front brake, many novice and casual riders worry that if they apply that brake too hard, they'll go flying over the handlebars. As a result, to be on the safe side, they often only use the rear brake. It was for cyclists such as these that the Slidepad system was created. It allows both brakes to be applied with the squeeze of a single lever, in such a way that the front brake will never lock up on its own.  Read More
The Rogue Safari Pop-Up Flash Booster greatly extends the range of a DSLR flash When you buy a high-end DSLR, it usually includes a device called a hot shoe, which allows you to add all kinds of high-powered flashes. However, for mid-range DSLRs, pop-up flashes are generally installed, which greatly limits the flexibility of the flash. A new device called the Rogue Safari Pop-Up Flash Booster adds a high-powered flash to cameras of this type, greatly increasing the range of the flash.  Read More
The Stigo folding electric scooter in Paris
After spending five years in development, a new Estonian-designed electric scooter was launched on September 20 at the 1,000 Pionniers event in Paris. The Stigo has a top speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) and a range of up to 40 km (25 miles) per charge, and is folded up and ready to roll in just two seconds.  Read More
Triggertrap Mobile 2 features 14 smart ways to trigger the shutter of a DSLR or advanced c...
The Triggertrap camera trigger has come a long way since we first saw it in its sensor-packed-box form. First, it moved to being a smartphone app, then it gained wireless capabilities. Now, with the release of the Triggertrap Mobile 2 app, it's been rebuilt from the ground up with a simplified interface to offer photographers a more intuitive experience.  Read More
The Surface 2 now comes in silver, but it still runs the limited Windows RT
The original Surface was Microsoft's first big attempt to marry its own sexy hardware to Windows 8 software. Neither the Surface RT or Surface Pro, however, appeared to sell well at all, with the company ultimately writing off US$900 million in unsold Surface stock. How do you recover from such a setback? Well, if you're Microsoft, you wash, rinse, and repeat the same thing all over again, as the company today announced a second batch of Surfaces with some much-needed upgrades.  Read More

Kickr is designed to add an electric motor to any longboard
Longboards are a great way to get around for many people, but kicking on the flats can be rather tiring. That's where motorized options like the LaGrange L1 truck come into play. Now, a new option called Kickr offers an electric motor without requiring the user to change trucks.  Read More
SolidRun's new CuBox-i mini-computer
Israel's SolidRun has announced the second generation of its tiny fanless computer system, the CuBox-i. Available in red or black, the Series starts with the CuBox-i1, which is able to run Android Jelly Bean or Linux, and packs a 1 GHz processor, 3D graphics and 512 MB of RAM. Not too shabby for just under US$45.  Read More
Apple quietly gave its iMac line an internal update today, guiding them into the land of H...
It looks like Apple wasn't quite able to squeeze all of its new products into that iPhone event earlier this month. Today Apple announced an update to the iMac that brings it up to speed with Intel's latest 4th-generation Haswell processors.  Read More
Jobs involving cognitive tasks are among those under threat, according to the study (Photo...

Almost 47 percent of US jobs could be computerized within one or two decades according to a recent study that attempts to gauge the growing impact of computers on the job market. It isn't only manual labor jobs that could be affected: The study reveals a trend of computers taking over many cognitive tasks thanks to the availability of big data. It suggests two waves of computerization, with the first substituting computers for people in logistics, transportation, administrative and office support and the second affecting jobs depending on how well engineers crack computing problems associated with human perception, creative and social intelligence.
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SteamOS

Given Gabe Newell's description of Windows 8 as both a "catastrophe" and a "giant sadness," it come as no surprise that his company, Valve, which distributes computer games to millions of players through its online distribution network, Steam, has gradually shifted emphasis to the open source operating system Linux. But the company has gone one further with the announcement of SteamOS, its own Linux-based operating system catered to living room PCs.
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Gizmag takes a stroll through the woods with the latest in naturally inclined technology
We may be surrounded by gadgetry clad in shiny aluminum and gaudy plastic, but there's still a place left in the digital age for the comfort, simplicity and beauty of wood. Perhaps its the trend towards a "green" aesthetic or some deeper drive to get back to nature, but we've noticed a growing number of consumer electronics offerings in recent times that mesh circuit boards and synthetics with the wonders of wood. With this in mind, we've scoured our resources to come up with this list of Gizmag's top ten wooden gadgets.  Read More
Lab demonstration of the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has detected no methane on Mars after more than a year of extensive testing of the Martian atmosphere using the robot explorer’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory. Since methane is a key indicator for the presence of biological activity, its absence throws into question the notion that there may be life on Mars today.  Read More
GDS Architects has received the green light for its award winning 450 meter (1,476 ft) hig...
Korean architectural studio GDS Architects has received the green light for its award winning 450 meter high Tower Infinity design. To be built near the Incheon International Airport just outside of Seoul, Tower Infinity will become the "world's first invisible tower" and third highest observation deck.  Read More
Gizmag reviews Apple's iPhone 5s, the latest iterative 'S-series' update out of Cupertino
Apple has settled into a pattern. While most smartphone makers try to blow our minds once a year with eye-catching new designs, shapes, and sizes, Apple has stuck to its guns: a redesigned iPhone one year, an almost identical-looking iPhone with upgraded internals the next. Is the latest iterative update, the iPhone 5s, worth jumping on? Or is this the year to hold off, or maybe test the Android waters? Let Gizmag try to answer, as we put the new iPhone 5s through the paces.  Read More
The Ocean Cleanup Project hopes to utilize the oceans' gyres as a means to collect plastic...
Boyan Slat, an aerospace engineering student at the Delft University of Technology, is working to combine environmentalism, technology, and his creative outlook to rid our oceans of plastic debris. His Ocean Cleanup Project aims to utilize the oceans’ natural gyres (five circular currents in the oceans around the world – two in the Atlantic, two in the Pacific, and one in the Indian) to collect plastic waste.  Read More
 





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