Siemen's smart C-Walker guides the cognitively impaired
January 8, 2014
The C-Walker is a high-tech walking device that
aims to safely guide people with cognitive impairments through public
spaces like airports and shopping centers, reducing their reliance on
visual signboards and avoiding obstacles in their way. Using onboard
sensors, this "cognitive navigation prosthesis" monitors its environment
in real time to figure out a path that poses little risk, actively
re-planning it when it encounters problems like wet floors, or people
dashing about. Aside from aiding senior citizens, the technology is
expected to come in handy in factory settings, helping workers avoid
danger zones and accidental collisions with machines. Read More
US gaming hardware company Razer has chosen CES
2014 to unveil plans for what it calls "the world's most modular gaming
system." Dubbed Project Christine, the desktop gaming PC promises to
unlock the upgradability and performance of a high-end gaming PC, to the
non-geeks among us. Read More
AV design deity Bang & Olufsen has announced
the launch of its BeoSound Essence sound system. The system is aimed at
providing users with a simple means of listening to their digital music
collection and, as ever, it is a thing of beatific beauty. Read More
Epson announces second-gen Moverio smart glasses
By Paul Ridden
January 8, 2014
Epson has announced the follow up to its Moverio BT-100 augmented reality glasses, which were released in Japan
towards the end of 2011. The BT-200 smart glasses are reported to be 60
percent lighter than the previous generation, and include a host of new
features aimed at changing how customers experience the world at large,
and delivered entertainment. Read More
The vegetable milk market could be about to get
more varied with the findings of a new study carried out in Spain. Using
probiotic bacteria obtained from grains and nuts, researchers at the
Universitat Politècnica de València have come up with a range of
fermented products. They hope their findings will increase the choice
and the quality of plant milks for people with allergies, lactose
intolerance, pregnant women and, of course, vegans. Read More
Techno Source and KD Interactive first made waves
in the childrens tablet market by collaborating to produce last year's
Wi-Fi Kurio S Series devices. They have now returned to offer full-time
parental control and connectivity with a CES debut of the Kurio 7x 4G
LTE. Read More
Distraction, disruption, destruction. While
enjoying a ride, you glance down at the gas gauge, or check your six,
and just at that moment an oncoming car decides to make a quick turn
right in your path, or a car comes at speed out of a side road. Proper
gear is important to survive in such situations, but avoiding them is
even better. Enter the Skully AR-1 augmented reality helmet, with a
voice-controlled heads-up display (HUD) that provides rear and side view
video, bike data, GPS instructions, and phone and music utilities. Read More
Sony has crammed a 20.1 Megapixel APS-C image
sensor and Wi-Fi capability into a package weighing only 8 oz (220 g) in
its latest mirrorless camera offering – the Sony α5000. Announced at CES 2014, the camera features the same BIONZ X processor found in the company's α7 and α7R full-frame cameras, giving it ISO sensitivity of up to 16000 for low light shooting. Read More
An international team of scientists
has made a breakthrough in the magnetic manipulation of nanoparticles
that could lead to a big boost for small scale digital storage in
portable devices. Read More Best gadgets and gear for fighting (and embracing) winter
By C.C. Weiss
January 7, 2014
Winter has officially set in across the Northern
Hemisphere, bringing with it feet of snow and record-breaking low
temperatures across the US. That doesn't mean that you have to pen
yourself indoors for the entire season and pray for Punxsutawney Phil to
go blind, however. We've got some of the latest winter gadgets and
gizmos to help you brave the cold, frost and snow. Read More
Portable solar power company Goal
Zero has launched the Rock Out 2 Solar Speaker, a “rugged and
waterproof” portable speaker that is powered by the sun and features
Bluetooth connectivity. Read More
Samsung has added a new bridge
camera boasting a formidable 60x optical zoom to its Smart Camera 3.0
family at CES 2014. Read More
With Bluetooth
connectivity becoming the standard in the world of portable audio
equipment of late, this year's CES was always going to be flooded with wireless speakers of endless shapes and sizes. One looking to float above the competition is NYNE's Aqua waterproof floating speaker. Read More
Ever thought the glowing forests from the movie Avatar
were pretty cool and wanted one yourself? Bioglow is the latest company
to attempt to put such autoluminscent plants in homes with its aptly
named Starlight Avatar. Read More
The Adrenalina hoodie packs two
layers worth of shirt so that surfers, bikers and other athletes can
change comfortably on the go. The upper layer serves as a sort of
"modesty towel," flipping down over the waist and nethers to let you
change your pants on a crowded beach or parking lot. Read More
Cars don't need to have their engines running
when they're stopped at red lights. That's why a number of automakers
have developed start-stop
systems, which stop a car's engine when the vehicle comes to a halt,
and start it again as soon as the gas pedal is pressed. Bosch, however,
is taking things farther. Its new start-stop system shuts the engine off
not only at stops, but also whenever the car is coasting. Read More
Elio Motors is taking the next big step toward
the production of its 84-mpg (2.8 L/100km) tandem three-wheeler. It
won't quite make its original Summer 2014 start, but it plans to get
Elios rolling off the lines next year at the former General Motors
Shreveport Assembly and Stamping Plant in Louisiana. Read More
Volvo has announced a partnership with fellow Swedish company POC,
which specializes in helmets and other protective sports gear. The two
partners will leverage their respective safety design experience toward
developing new concepts in transportation safety. The first order of
business is a car-to-cyclist communication system designed to increase
cooperation between two- and four-wheelers. Read More
Las Vegas got a reminder on Monday that
technology is more than smartphones and tablets, as the Strip echoed to
the whine of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E single-seater, all-electric race
car making its public driving debut. Timed to coincide with the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES), the first-of-its-kind Formula E electric racer
was put through its paces by Brazilian Formula 1 driver Lucas di Grassi
before heading on to Mandalay Bay in the city center. Read More
While we've seen transparent speakers
before, they've usually consisted of regular opaque woofers and
tweeters encased in a see-through body. ClearView Audio's 24-watt Clio
Bluetooth speaker, however, is different. While its base is easy enough
to see, the actual sound-emitting part is composed entirely of clear
acrylic. Read More
Portable solar power company Goal
Zero has launched the Rock Out 2 Solar Speaker, a “rugged and
waterproof” portable speaker that is powered by the sun and features
Bluetooth connectivity. Read More
Los Angeles-based architecture and design studio
Anonymous Architects has completed an unusual property which gives
primacy to the occupant's automobile. Like the firm's Big and Small House,
Car Park House is again a fine example of using a modest-sized plot to
its fullest, but in this case Anonymous Architects took the step of
installing a rooftop-based car port. Read More
The Notch wearable sensor can track the way you move
January 8, 2014
Ever wanted to gauge how much power you can pack
into a right hook? If you could wear a sensor network, capable of
recording, replaying and analyzing how you moved, it would be a simple
thing to figure out. That's what Stepan Boltalin set out to create with
Notch, a sensor that you can attach to your clothes at specific points
to capture your body's movement data in 3D. Read More
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) have created clear, flexible
electronic circuitry that is so thin it can sit upon the surface of a
contact lens, or be wrapped around a human hair. The research, led by
Dr. Giovanni Salvatore, could ultimately be used for implantable medical
devices. One such potential application suggested by the team is a
“smart contact lens” that could monitor intraocular pressure for
glaucoma patients. Read More
Sphero 2B tubular robot toy will reach speeds of 10 mph
By Simon Crisp
January 8, 2014
The Sphero 2B will be the next robot toy from
Orbotix, maker of the Sphero smartphone-controlled balls. A departure
from the ball-like form of its stablemates, the 10 mph (16 km/h) tubular
robot will also use interchangeable parts – with different wheels,
tires and hubcaps designed for different terrain. Read More
The town of Kiruna in Lapland, Sweden, is known
for its Jukkasjärvi Ice Hotel and for hosting the recent Arctic Council
summit. It also sits within the Arctic Circle, on one of the world’s
richest deposits of iron ore. Now in danger of collapse due to extensive
deep mining, the city center is to be relocated in an extensive plan
developed by White Arkitekter, which includes a new town hall by Henning
Larsen. Read More
Following almost 10 years of development, the
Gemini Observatory has debuted an advanced planet imaging instrument and
captured a direct image of exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, signifying a
breakthrough in our ability to analyze extrasolar planets. Called the
Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), the tool uses an advanced optics system with
an infrared spectograph to retrieve direct images of young planets
orbiting distant stars. Read More
Kiwi Move could be the most powerful new wearable
By Eric Mack
January 9, 2014
A burgeoning boom in wearables could be underway
if the assortment of worn gadgets at CES 2014 is any indication. The
most powerful of the batch could be a low profile, thumb-sized piece of
plastic packed with sensors from a little Toronto-based company called
Kiwi. Read More
Panasonic and Mozilla team up to bring Firefox OS to smart TVs
By Dave LeClair
January 8, 2014
Following its planned move into the smartphone arena,
Mozilla has teamed up with Panasonic to bring the Firefox OS to
next-generation smart TVs. The companies say that the open platform,
which is based on HTML5 and other web technologies, will give TV viewers
more personalized and optimized access to web and broadcasting content
and services through the internet. Read More
One of the most popular television add-ons of the
past decade, Roku, now has a TV of its own, thanks to a pair of Chinese
television makers. This week at CES 2014
in Las Vegas, TCL introduced the first-ever TV with Roku built in. I
spent a little hands-on time with the 55-inch version, which simply goes
by the model number 55E4610R. Read More
Samsung has added a new bridge
camera boasting a formidable 60x optical zoom to its Smart Camera 3.0
family at CES 2014. Read More
We've already gone hands (wrists?) on with the Pebble Steel and Neptune Pine smartwatches this week at CES 2014,
but earlier this week we caught up with Martian, makers of an incognito
smartwatch that lets you use Siri and Google Now on your wrist. With
its latest version, the company has added custom vibrations for
notifications, ditched the voice control, and dropped the price. Read
on, as Gizmag checks out the new Martian Notifier. Read More
With Bluetooth
connectivity becoming the standard in the world of portable audio
equipment of late, this year's CES was always going to be flooded with wireless speakers of endless shapes and sizes. One looking to float above the competition is NYNE's Aqua waterproof floating speaker. Read More
NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) may have only come back online last September
after a 31-month hibernation, but it’s already producing results.
According to the space agency, the unmanned spacecraft discovered a
never-before-seen asteroid on December 29 – the first discovery of its
new mission to seek out potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs).
Read More
Ever thought the glowing forests from the movie Avatar
were pretty cool and wanted one yourself? Bioglow is the latest company
to attempt to put such autoluminscent plants in homes with its aptly
named Starlight Avatar. Read More
Following up on a teaser from late last year, Volvo has revealed its Concept XC Coupé
in full. The second of three related concept cars, the XC showcases
sporty, new design language while highlighting the Swedish automaker's
Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). It leaves us wishing for a
similarly styled production crossover or two. Read More
Opinion: Should the ISS be given a new lease on life?
By Brian Dodson
January 9, 2014
The Obama Administration has approved an
extension of the International Space Station (ISS) program from 2020
until at least 2024. This is an unfunded statement of intent, which must
be both approved and funded by the US Congress. Neither NASA nor the
White House have revealed from where the additional US$4 billion per
year of funding for this extended operation will come. At present none
of the ISS international partners have plans to support such an
extension. Is this the best decision for the future of manned space
exploration? Read More
Parrot debuts rolling MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo bot
January 9, 2014
Well-known drone-maker Parrot
has been drawing quite a few onlookers to its booth at CES with two
high-flying additions to its robotic lineup: the MiniDrone and the
Jumping Sumo. The MiniDrone is a small quadcopter that can fly in the
air and roll along the ground using detachable wheels, while the Jumping
Sumo is a remote-controlled ground bot that leaps into the air using a
high-powered piston. Read More
Orbital Sciences Corporation today successfully
launched the first of eight Cygnus cargo supply missions to the
International Space Station (ISS). Orbital's Antares medium-lift rocket
(originally called the Taurus II) carried the Cygnus into an initial
orbit of 135 x 175 miles (220 x 280 km), inclined at 51.6 degrees
relative to the equator. The Cygnus is flying solo now, with full
communications and deployed solar arrays, carrying roughly 2,800 lb
(1,300 kg) of cargo toward a January 12 rendezvous and docking with the
ISS. Read More
Remember back when people carried Sony Discmans
in their cars, and used those cassette adapters to listen to them
through their tape decks? Well, while a lot of those same cars are still
on the road, the Discman has now given way to the MP3 player. That's
why ION Audio has released its Cassette Adapter Bluetooth. Read More
DJI releases mid-priced Phantom 2 and Phantom FC40 quadcopters
By Ben Coxworth
January 9, 2014
Last year right around this time, DJI Innovations released its original Phantom
quadcopter. The fact that the aircraft was designed to carry a GoPro
camera made it quite popular. Then in November, the company started
selling the Phantom 2 Vision
model, which features its own built-in Wi-Fi-controlled HD camera. It's
pretty awesome, but at US$1,199 it's priced $720 more than the base
Phantom. Now, DJI has introduced two new models that occupy the middle
ground between those two price points. Read More
A common strategy for treating tumors is
combining two or more drugs, which has the effect of decreasing toxicity
and increasing the synergistic effects between the drugs. However, the
efficacy of this kind of cocktail treatment suffers when the drugs
require access to different parts of the cell, a bit like fighting a
battle by depositing all your archers on the same spot as your
infantrymen. By making use of nanoparticle-based carriers, researchers
at North Carolina State University are able to transport multiple drugs
into cancerous cells optimally and precisely, in maneuvers that any
field commander would be proud of. Read More
Hands-on: Oculus Rift "Crystal Cove" prototype
January 9, 2014
For the last few decades, gaming has basically
been the same thing. Sit in front of display, hold controller (or mouse
and keyboard), play game. But when you strap on Oculus Rift's virtual
reality headset, you realize that it's something truly different. Read
on, as Gizmag goes heads-on with Oculus Rift's latest prototype, dubbed
Crystal Cove. Read More
Panasonic broke out a couple of new
business-rugged tablets in Las Vegas this week. Looking at the Goliath
end of the equation first, the company has announced a performance
version of the 20-inch high resolution Toughpad monster we caught a glimpse of
at last year's CES. At the other, David, end comes a highly
configurable 7-inch, hard-as-nails mobile workstation which goes by the
name of the FZ-M1. Read More
Matterform 3D to launch "affordable high-resolution 3D scanner"
By Stu Robarts
January 10, 2014
Matterform will launch its long-awaiting 3D
scanner in February. According to Matterform, the scanner is the first
affordable and high-resolution device of its kind. Read More
The new LG G Flex is billed as the "world's first
curved, flexible smartphone," but once you get your hands on one it
becomes clear right away that only half of that line is really true for
practical purposes. It is a beautiful, sleek and powerful phone with an
elegant curve to it, and yes, it does have a flexible display, but that
display has been set in a rigid case that prevents it from actually
flexing. Read More
Hubble images become tactile 3D experience for the blind
By Stu Robarts
January 10, 2014
Scientists have used 3D printing technology to
transform images taken from the Hubble Space Telescope into tactile
"pictures" for the blind. Astronomers Carol Christian and Antonella Nota
of the Space Telescope Science Institute are experimenting with 3D
models as a means of aiding education for people who cannot study visual
images. Read More
Over the past couple of years, Volkswagen has
revealed various Beetle derivatives at major US auto shows, including an
electric Beetle and the new Beetle Convertible.
For this year's North American International Auto Show, it has
something a little more fun and playful in mind. The Beetle Dune is a
rugged, sand-ready Beetle concept. Read More
When someone mentions flying cars it conjures up
images of a sporty little number that takes to the air like something
out of the Jetsons. But what about one that’s a cross between a
4x4, an octocopter, and a Blackhawk helicopter? That’s what Advanced
Tactics of El Segundo, California is seeing with its ambitions to
produce a roadable VTOL aircraft capable of unmanned autonomous
operations as a more flexible way to recover casualties, move supplies,
and support special forces. Read More
Tsunami House built to handle nature's worst
January 9, 2014
From Hurricane Katrina to the Polar Vortex which
has buried large swathes of North America under snow, we're frequently
reminded that when extreme weather hits, the results can be devastating.
Tsunami House, by Designs Northwest Architects, has been built to
withstand the worst nature can throw at it: high winds, storms, and yes,
even a tsunami. Read More
3D Systems cooks up ChefJet 3D printers to print sugary treats
By Darren Quick
January 9, 2014
Last year we reported that Liz and Kyle von Hasseln had modified a 3D printer to churn out custom sugary treats.
The husband and wife team's efforts appear to have caught the eye of 3D
Systems, with the company responsible for the no-assembly-required Cubify and sub-US$1,000 Cube 3
enlisting them to help develop a 3D printer aimed specifically at the
kitchen. The result is the new ChefJet series unveiled at CES, which
swaps plastic prints for custom culinary creations. Read More
Nissan's vision for London’s famous black taxi cabs got a makeover this week as the company unveiled its latest Taxi for London
design. Based on Nissan’s NV200 platform and redesigned by Nissan's
European design center in Paddington, the updated black cabs not only
sport a fresh look, they promise cleaner transport for the city, with
the old diesel engines giving way to 1.6-liter petrol and all-electric
drivetrains. Read More
The Adrenalina hoodie packs two
layers worth of shirt so that surfers, bikers and other athletes can
change comfortably on the go. The upper layer serves as a sort of
"modesty towel," flipping down over the waist and nethers to let you
change your pants on a crowded beach or parking lot. Read More
After first bringing 4K resolution to lounge room walls in 2012 with its VPL-VW1000ES
projector, Sony is making another run at the Ultra HD home theater
market, though this time over a much shorter distance. At CES, the
company is demoing a prototype of its 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector
that has the ability to cast images up to 147-inches in size from a
distance of around 20 in (50 cm). Read More
The Mimo Baby Monitor puts anxious parents at
ease by providing them with a constant stream of data about their little
sweetheart. The sensors embedded in an infant bodysuite, called the
Kimono, monitor the baby’s respiration. The data is passed on to a small
turtle-shaped gizmo, nested in the Kimono, which in turn measures skin
temperature, body position and the activity pattern. All this
information is then relayed via low-power bluetooth to a Wi-Fi enabled
docking station so that parents can access all the details via their
smartphones. Read More
When the original Samsung Galaxy Camera was
released, it was very different to anything else on the market. It
boasted 3G/4G connectivity and ran Android, at a time when most cameras
lacked Wi-Fi. So, while at CES 2014, we were keen to get out hands on
its successor, the Galaxy Camera 2, and see how the latest smart compact
compares. Read More
Perhaps the hottest item of many on display at
Intel's huge booth at CES 2014 was a relatively non-descript convertible
laptop from Asus. The unique selling point for this touchscreen system,
dubbed the Transformer Book Duet, is that it not only runs Windows 8.1
but can also switch over to an Android 4.2.2 mode with just a few clicks
or taps. Read More
SpaceShipTwo sets new altitude and speed records
By Brian Dodson
January 11, 2014
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo (SS2) continues to
inch toward a full suborbital test flight with its third supersonic test
carried out Friday morning. The SS2 rocket engine fired for 20 seconds,
pushing the suborbital spacecraft to an altitude of 71,000 ft (18 km)
and a top speed over Mach 1.4, both of which were new records for SS2.
The Reaction Control System, feather re-entry system, and a thermal
protection coating were successfully tested during the flight. Read More
4K televisions have undergone tremendous progress
this last year, as has been clearly demonstrated at the CES 2014 show.
Both Polaroid and Vizio introduced 50-inch 4K televisions with an MSRP
of US$999.99. But what kind of user can really use a 4K TV today?
High-power computer users, that's who. Read More
Sony is now offering a deluxe version of its Action Cam,
which we spied on the floor of CES this week. Among the new features
are high-speed shooting modes, a splash-proof body and of course, a
nifty white finish. Read More
A hole in the heart is never a good thing, so
when an infant is born with such a defect, doctors have to act quickly
to fix it. Unfortunately, both sutures and staples can damage the heart
tissue, plus it takes too long to apply sutures. Existing surgical
adhesives have their own drawbacks in that they can be toxic, and they
typically become unstuck in wet, dynamic environments such as the heart.
As a result, infants often require subsequent operations to "replug"
the hole. Now, however, scientists have developed a sort of superglue
for the heart, that quickly and securely bonds patches to holes. Read More
When Gizmag wrote about OpenBCI,
a brain-computer interface system with open-source software, the
company was waiting to announce an EEG headset it claimed would be
entirely new. A few days later, the OpenBCI board is fully funded and
we’ve seen how the team will implement a customizable and modular
3D-printed headset with open-source availability. The design not only
showcases the utility of 3D printing, but more importantly demonstrates
the company’s commitment to creating an open community around their
product. Read More
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