new and emerging technology news part 264 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Friday 4 April 2014

new and emerging technology news part 264

Eyelock's myris iris-scanning identity authentication device
myris is a new iris-scanning identity authentication device that promises to improve online security for its users and eliminate the need to remember the myriad of different passwords required for our different digital accounts.  Read More
American web designer Alek Lisefski has recently finished building his very own tiny house...
Following in the footsteps of the Tiny Tack House and Pocket Shelter, American web designer Alek Lisefski has recently finished building his very own tiny house on wheels. After becoming tired of paying high rental costs and with the goal of owning his own home, constructing a micro and mobile house became the perfect solution for Alek and girlfriend Anjali.  Read More
Joy Jackets were built as part of Cadbury's 'Joyville' campaign (Photo: Akio-Style) One of the less practical examples of wearable technology we've seen of late is the "Joy Jacket" – a garment designed to convey a visual statement of happiness when the wearer consumes a certain chocolatier's product.  Read More
The Evolution-Constructed Features algorithm can identify and learn new objects without hu...
Scientists at Brigham Young University have developed an algorithm that can accurately identify objects in images or videos and can learn to recognize new objects on its own. Although other object recognition systems exist, the Evolution-Constructed Features algorithm is notable in that it decides for itself what features of an object are significant for identifying the object and is able to learn new objects without human intervention.  Read More
The Lexus RC F debuted at the Detroit Auto Show
Lexus has unveiled the 2015 Lexus RC F at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Building on the sporty image of the RC coupe unveiled in Tokyo last year, the latest iteration of the four-seater, rear-wheel drive compact executive coupé features a 2UR-GSE V8 engine and other refinements to allow for the larger powertrain.  Read More
The Kodak PixPro smart lens cameras are similar to the Sony QX devices
When Sony launched its quirky QX lens-style cameras last year, they were something of an oddity and very different to anything else on offer. But now other firms are getting in on the action, including JK Imaging, which recently announced a pair of Kodak-branded smart lens cameras that offer 10x and 25x optical zooms.  Read More
Nissan at NAIAS 2014
Nissan turned some heads with its fiery-orange Sport Sedan Concept at the North American International Auto Show this week. Previewing a sporty production sedan largely thought to be the next-generation Maxima, the concept shows a bolder future for the Nissan four-door. The SSC was surrounded by several other intriguing concepts and prototypes on Nissan's podium, including two distinctive small sedans and an autonomous research vehicle.  Read More
FlexSys' variable geometry airfoil, the FlexFoil
If there's one thing that needs to be aerodynamic, it's an airplane wing. Conventional wing designs however, suffer from a glaring weakness in this respect: the joint where the main wing meets the trailing flaps. Michigan-based FlexSys has developed a way to optimize wing aerodynamics with FlexFoil, a seamless variable geometry airfoil system that could deliver fuel savings of up to 12 percent.  Read More
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Samsung Galaxy TabPRO (10.1) and the Apple i...
For the last few years, Samsung's tablets have been aimed squarely at the mid-range. But at CES 2014, the company pulled back the curtain on four new Galaxy tablets that finally put the high-end in their crosshairs. Let's see how one of those new slates, the Galaxy TabPRO 10.1, compares to Apple's iPad Air.  Read More
An injection of polymer nanoparticles could save the lives of heart attack victims (Image:...
After a heart attack has occurred, inflammatory cells known as monocytes rush to the damaged tissue. This causes the heart to swell, reducing its ability to pump blood, and further damaging the tissue – a potentially lethal situation. Now, however, scientists have discovered that injectable microparticles can help stop that from happening.  Read More


A sample of NaCl3, which was considered 'forbidden' in classical chemistry (Photo: Alexand...
In the field of exotic new materials, we've examined one of the strongest ones and another declared to be impossible; scientists now report creating "forbidden" materials, out of ordinary table salt, that violate classical rules of chemistry. Not only does the development challenge the theoretical foundation of known chemistry, but it is also expected to lead to the discovery of new exotic chemical compounds with practical uses and shed light on the composition of early planetary cores.  Read More
The Mk1 cargo trike leans like a bike
Cargo trikes may be very practical, but unfortunately they can also be pretty slow and dumpy. This is particularly noticeable when taking corners, as they can can't lean into the turn like a regular bicycle. The designers at Denmark's Butchers & Bicycles, however, have decided to change that, with their Mk1 leaning cargo trike.  Read More
Gizmag reviews the LG G Pad 8.3, one of the most comfortable tablets we've held
When you talk about tablets, it's easy to think of the iPads, Galaxy tablets, and Kindle Fires of the world. But what about LG? Though the company's mobile devices may not be household names, we've seen some top-notch hardware from the South Korean electronics giant. Is the LG G Pad 8.3 part of that club? Read on, as we review LG's answer to the iPad mini.  Read More
A diagram and a microscope image (inset) of one of the bio-bots
If you were asked to think of something microscopic that moves quickly, chances are that sperm would be the first thing to come to mind. The tiny reproductive cells are able to swim as fast as they do thanks to their long whip-like tails, known as flagella. So, imagine how helpful it might be if sperm-like machines could be used for applications such as delivering medication to targeted areas of the body. Well, that's what scientists at the University of Illinois are in the process of making possible, with the creation of their heart cell-powered "bio-bots."  Read More
The markerless AR system from Cimagine Media
When you want to augment a digital image creation onto the real world, you'll likely need to point your smart device's camera at the kind of markers found in Sony's TV Size Guide tool or on the front cover of magazines like Esquire. IKEA took this idea a step further by making its 2014 catalog the marker, but a new system from Israel's Cimagine Media uses a tablet or smartphone camera and sensors to position the virtual object in a room without the need for physical markers.  Read More
The WunderBar is made up of wireless Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-enabled sensors which can ...
Lack of progress toward an "Internet of Things" has been attributed to a variety of factors. Indeed, enabling devices from different manufacturers to communicate in an effective and useful manner is no simple task. European start-up Relayr believes that its WunderBar, a hardware kit comprised of seven smart modules, could provide app developers with the toolbox to bring networks of interoperating gadgets closer to reality.  Read More
Gizmag met up with Tobii at CES 2014 to see first-hand how the company's eye-tracking tech...
We've been following the development of Tobii's impressive eye-tracking technology for several years now, but it looks like consumers may actually get a chance to try it out for themselves in the not too distant future. Thanks to a partnership with SteelSeries, an eye tracker specifically for gamers is set to hit the market later this year, but that still leaves the question of what the technology can actually bring to video games. Fortunately, we were able to catch up with Tobii CEO Henrik Eskilsson on the CES show floor and try it out for ourselves.  Read More
ION Audio's 200 W Road Warrior Bluetooth speaker
When it comes to streaming music from a smartphone or music player at the beach or patio party, Bluetooth is probably going to be the wireless way to go. Take your source device more than a few feet from the speaker, however, and the grooves start to quickly break up and fade away. ION Audio's forthcoming Road Warrior 200 W Bluetooth speaker boasts over three times the wireless range, giving the party's mobile DJ more room to mingle and mix.  Read More
A new type of carbon nanotube sponge containing sulfur and iron could help clean up oil sp...
A new type of carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge that contains sulfur and iron has been developed and is proving to be more effective at soaking up water contaminants, such as oil, fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, than previously seen. The magnetic properties of these nanosponges also make them easier to retrieve from the environment once the clean-up job is done.  Read More
Artist's concept of Rosetta deploying the Philae lander (Image: ESA)
Like nervous parents, scientists and engineers at ESA are pacing the floor of mission control as they await word of whether or not the Rosetta spacecraft has survived 31 months of hibernation. The unmanned comet chaser was scheduled to reactivate itself today at 10:00 GMT, but the time required to complete the operation and the distance a radio signal must travel back to Earth means that the space agency will not know until at least 17:30 GMT if the probe is operating again or has become deep space scrap.  Read More


The Georgia Tech system is designed to improve the 'intelligence' of human-controlled robo...
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a system that makes a human-controlled robot more "intelligent," and improves the amount of control that a human user has over it. It incorporates a number of sensors that are placed on the user's arm to read muscle information, and help the robot to anticipate the user's intentions. The system has been developed to improve safety and efficiency in manufacturing plants.  Read More
An inbuilt sensor notifies the organization that it's time for a pickup (Photo: SFGoodwill...
Goodwill of San Francisco has launched a smart donation bin called goBin that aims to make donating old clothes and other textiles a snap. Instead of having to make a regular trip to a Goodwill store, the bin will allow residents of apartment towers to donate their stuff from the comfort of their buildings. Developed in collaboration with the global product strategy firm, Frog Design, the high-tech textile-recycling bin is expected to help the city's environmental department reach its goal of making San Francisco a zero waste city by 2020.  Read More
The Antares Auto-Tune for Guitar Custom Installation Kit
The company behind the digital tuning wizardry in Peavey's excellent AT-200 guitar, Antares, has announced the release of the Auto-Tune for Guitar Custom Installation Kits.  Read More
The ARK is a new portable wireless charger from Bezalel
Bezalel, an LA-based design and manufacturing team, has created a portable wireless phone charger called the ARK that's claimed to be faster and more energy efficient than its competitors.  Read More
3D Babies offers 3D-printed figurines of your unborn fetus in three sizes While some expectant parents are happy to conceal the sex until they see their newborn with their own eyes, others just can't wait. We'd guess that by offering 3D-printed figurines modeled on an ultrasound, 3D Babies is targeting the latter group.  Read More
The PLEASED project aims to turn plants into environmental biosensors (Image: Shutterstock...
Many claim that talking to plants helps them grow faster. But what if the plants could talk back? That’s what the EU-funded PLants Employed As SEnsing Devices (PLEASED) project is hoping to achieve by creating plant cyborgs, or "plant-borgs." While this technology won't allow green thumbs to carry on a conversation with their plants, it will provide feedback on their environment by enabling the plants to act as biosensors.  Read More
GameBuddy promises game streaming with almost no latency
We've seen quite a few products with the ability to stream games from one screen to another on a local network – the NVIDIA Shield is one of the devices at the forefront, as is the PlayStation 4 along with a Vita. However, the weakness of all of these is latency, an issue that the creators of the GameBuddy streamer promise to address.  Read More
A team of experts from various fields were able to develop a prosthetic arm that could be ...
While 3D printing technology has emerged to serve a wide variety of purposes, few appear more worthwhile than that of US-based company Not Impossible Labs. Through its Daniel Project, the company has not only provided 3D-printed prosthetic arms for amputees in war-torn Sudan, but empowered the local community to continue the initiative in its absence.  Read More
Artist's impression of Rosetta signalling Earth (Image: ESA)
European Space Agency scientists and engineers started breathing again today as the comet-chasing Rosetta space probe confirmed at 18:28 GMT that it had awoken from its 31-month hibernation. The news was announced via the @ESA_Rosetta twitter account, which tweeted: "Hello, world!"  Read More
The Track N Go system incorporates the vehicle's existing tires
You may think that your 4 x 4 with its lugged tires is pretty good in the snow, but it's never going to match the traction and flotation offered by a tracked vehicle. While systems such as those made by Mattracks allow users to replace their vehicle's wheels with tracks, AD Boivin Inc's Track N Go lets you simply add tracks onto your wheels when needed.  Read More


Some of the big V8s and curvy American bodies on display at this year's North American Int...
One of the themes of this year's North American International Auto Show that we noticed enough to call it a small trend was the prominence of the American super sports car. From established icons, to luxury muscle cars and from muscled-up green cars to radical boutiques, there were a lot of big V8s and curvy American bodies in Detroit.  Read More
Hasselblad's H5D-50c will be the world's first medium format camera to feature a CMOS sens... While most compact cameras have made the switch from CCD to CMOS image sensors in recent years, medium format cameras have been a hold out – until now, that is. Hasselblad has announced its new H5D-50c will be the world's first medium format camera to pack a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor.  Read More
The Ekobrew Elite is a reusable alternative to Keurig's single-use K-Cups Some people sure like their Keurig coffee brewers, although the things are a major steps backwards, environmentally-speaking – for every cup of java that's made, another coffee mix-containing "K-Cup" is used and disposed of. Ekobrew's Stainless Steel Elite K-Cup, however, can be refilled with ground coffee and used over and over.  Read More
The batteries, actually mini fuel cells, could be refilled with sugar as needed (Photo: Sh...
Even today's best rechargeable lithium batteries do lose their ability to hold a charge after a while, and are considered toxic waste once discarded. In just a few years, however, they may be replaced by batteries that are refillable and biodegradable, and that will also have a higher energy density yet a lower price ... and they'll run on sugar.  Read More
A closeup of the tiny thermal PV system, in which a carbon nanotube layer absorbs solar en...
It’s not a new idea to improve upon traditional solar cells by first converting light into heat, then reemitting the energy at specific wavelengths optimally tuned to the requirements of the solar cell, but this method has suffered from low efficiencies. However, new research at MIT using nanoscale materials finally shows how thermophotovoltaics could become competitive with their traditional cousins, and grant benefits such as storing solar energy in the form of heat to postpone conversion into electricity.  Read More
A diagram of the experimental orthotic device
We've recently been hearing a lot about how exoskeletons can be used in rehabilitation, guiding patients' disabled limbs through a normal range of motion in order to develop muscle memory. The problem is, most exoskeletons are rigid, limiting their degrees of freedom to less than those of the body part they're moving. A team of scientists are looking at changing that, with a partial "soft exoskeleton" that replicates the body's own muscles, tendons and ligaments.  Read More
We take a look at some of the most promising PS4 exclusives of 2014
Sony's new console has enjoyed one of the most successful launches ever. Having already shifted more than four million units, the company will have to keep plying the fledgling system with quality titles to carry the momentum well into 2014 and beyond, and exclusive games are key to this. Luckily, we're already aware of a number of promising AAA titles that you can only play on Sony's next-gen console in 2014.  Read More
Designer Sam Matson has created a headset that increases the difficulty of a game the more...
Seattle-based visual designer Sam Matson has created a headset aimed at helping gamers learn to control "gamer rage." The Immersion headset monitors the user's heart rate and increases the difficulty of a game, the less calm they become.  Read More
VTech has unveiled a smartwatch for 6-12 year-old kids
If you needed any further evidence that wearable technology is becoming mainstream, electronic learning toys manufacturer VTech has unveiled a smartwatch for kids at the London Toy Fair. The watch will be part of VTech's Kidizoom range and will be aimed at 6-12 year-olds.  Read More
Cardboard – it can be used for making more than just boxes
Cardboard has long been proven a very flexible material, used to create products as wide-ranging as bicycles, helmets, buildings, and even a car. Join us now, as we celebrate the most innovative uses of the material that we've come across in recent years.  Read More



The Kurio Phone is made for kids – and their parents
KD Interactive recently made the headlines with the debut of its latest child-friendly tablet, the Kurio 7x 4G LTE. The company is now taking on the smartphone market with the launch of the Kurio Phone. It's a high-tech android smartphone designed solely for kids that incorporates enough parental controls and special features, the company claims, to allay any concerns parents might have about its use.  Read More
The PhoneSoap charger sanitizes your phone while charging it
It's no secret that mobile phones are breeding grounds for bacteria. They're touched regularly, spoken into and passed around, as well as being constantly switched on and, therefore, constantly warm. Indeed, a report by the UK's Which magazine suggested that mobile phones can carry up to eighteen times more bacteria than a men's toilet flush. The newly-launched PhoneSoap Charger uses UV light to sanitize your phone while it's charging.  Read More
The Sex with Glass app is designed to record, stream and playback the act of making love
When an app designed to stream porn between Google Glass users appeared in mid-2013, we saw Google move quickly to quash the presence of such content, adjusting its developer policy to read, "We don't allow Glassware content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material." This hasn't been enough to deter a team of London-based developers however, which aims to give wearers a view of their lovemaking from all angles through a Sex with Glass app.  Read More
The My N3RD smart switch from Wild Hare LLC
Opening garage doors using a smartphone is certainly nothing new. Nor, for that matter, is remotely operating a light switch or kitchen appliance. The My N3RD, however, is claimed capable of turning just about any device switch into a smartphone-controlled, user-programmable smart switch.  Read More
Ball lightning appears at the impact point of a lightning strike, and its emission spectru...
A scientific team in China fortuitously recorded the first optical spectrum of an example of ball lightning. The ball lightning, which was accompanied by a cloud to ground lightning strike, appears to have consisted at least partially of vaporized soil from the location of the strike. While ball lightning may result from a variety of sources, this observation provides considerable evidence that the vaporized silicon explanation is valid, although possibly not unique.  Read More
Aquacrafts claims the DinghyGo's sail can be manned singlehandedly with ease
There's a reason that they say the two good days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. In addition to spending thousands on the boat itself, you're looking at dock fees, trailer equipment, boat parking at home, maintenance ... the expenses go on and on. Dutch outfit Aquacrafts employs inflatable design to help cut down on some of those expenses, offering a sailboat that's much easier to transport and store. The 3-in-1 boat can also float under man and motor power.  Read More
Here's your step-by-step guide to rooting the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX and expanding its cap...
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX is the latest in its line of tablets that run a forked and heavily customized version of Android 4.2 which Amazon calls Fire OS 3.0 "Mojito." But if you want to get more out of it, namely installing the full Google Play Store, you'll need to root the device. Here's a step-by-step guide to rooting your Fire HDX and some helpful tips if you run into any difficulties during the process.  Read More
The BMW 2 Series has monoblock headlamps
For ten years, the BMW 1 Series has been the company’s big gun when it comes to luxury compacts. Over the years, it’s gone through a number of variants and iterations, but now BMW is taking the lessons learned from the rear-wheel drive 1 Series, mixing them with its TwinPower Turbo technology, and has come up with the BMW 2 Series Coupé. Harkening back to the BMW 02 range of 45 years ago, the company is aiming to make the 2 Series distinct from its predecessor and able to see off the car maker’s competitors in the luxury compact market.  Read More
The new transparent display developed at MIT offers a wide viewing angle
There are a number of approaches currently used to create transparent displays, such as transparent OLED and LCD displays or simple reflection, however, most are limited in terms of viewing angle. Researchers at MIT have come up with a new system that is low-cost and offers a wide angle of view with the projected image appearing on the transparent material itself.  Read More
The flat-pack wooden Original pin camera aims to combine the educational benefits of pinho...
Pinhole cameras are great for demonstrating the fundamentals of photography. By using film and a small hole as an aperture rather than a lens, they have become a plaything of traditionalists in the age of smartphone cameras and DSLRs. The Original Pin, a flat-pack 35 mm pinhole camera, combines these educational benefits with a durable and practical product.  Read More
 
 

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