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The Zhong group from U-M responsible for pioneering a new graphene-based photodetector (Ph...
Thermal imaging has already found its way onto smartphones, but a team of researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) have gone even further with the creation of an ultrathin graphene-based light detector. Being only slightly thicker than two sheets of graphene, the approach has the potential to put infrared heat detecting technology into a contact lens.  Read More
With a price tag of only $300, The Micro is designed to make 3D printing cheap and user-fr...
After quickly meeting and surpassing its Kickstarter goal, the cheap and highly user-friendly 3D printer "The Micro" is expected to reach the market early next year. At only US$300 and with a highly intuitive user interface, this printer could make the attractive but foreign world of 3D printing much more attractive to consumers around the globe.  Read More
iStrategyLabs has built a mirror that takes photos of people and then posts them to Twitte...
For those who must tear themselves away from gazing into the mirror in order to take a selfie, iStrategyLabs has come up with a solution. SELFIE is a mirror that takes a snap of the user and shares it to Twitter. It is at once a nifty implementation of technology and a humorous comment on society.  Read More
The trends in the photography and 3D printing industry suggest that we may be heading towa...
Diginova, a consortium of European companies and universities, has proposed a roadmap for how the manufacturing industry could fully benefit from the digital era over the next two decades. According to this vision, we are moving toward manufacturing highly customizable, on-demand goods that are locally produced from raw materials and globally distributed digital designs. This could lead to extreme product customization, decentralization of production and, perhaps surprisingly, much lower costs of everyday goods ranging from smartphones to medicine.  Read More
The Lix 3D printing pen is claimed the smallest in the world
As Gizmag discovered when we got to briefly try out the 3Doodler handheld 3D printer back in January, sketching in mid-air can be great fun. You're unlikely to be running off any musical instruments or flying machines, but it is possible to serve up something more elaborate than a squiggle ball with a little practice. If the large novelty pen or jumbo marker form factor of the WobbleWorks device is just a tad on the chunky side for your money, London-based Lix Pen has heard your cry. Its 3D printing pen is claimed the smallest in the world.  Read More
Researchers from Iowa State University are the latest to shift their focus to the area of ...
The advantages of durable, long-lasting electronics are well established and, indeed, desirable in electronic devices large and small. But in what scenario would you want a device to dissolve away leaving no trace? The truth is, from military to medicine, "transient electronics" has a great many potential applications. The latest research team to shift its focus to this emerging field is a group from Iowa State University, which is developing materials that can melt away when remotely triggered.  Read More
The Glowdeck combined wireless charging surface, Bluetooth speaker and mood light has rela...
Last August, Justin Kaufman hit Kickstarter to try and get his intriguing wireless phone charger and Bluetooth speaker system into the hands of mobile music lovers. Sadly, the campaign was not successful. But rather than give up, Glowdeck's creator went back to the drawing board and tweaked the design before trying again. A revamped device has hit the popular crowdfunding portal again, and this time managed to blow past its funding goal in just 3 days. So what's different this time around?  Read More
Israeli startup StoreDot has showcased a prototype of a new smartphone battery that can re...
Today at Microsoft’s Think Next symposium in Tel Aviv, Israeli startup StoreDot has demonstrated the prototype of a nanodot-based smartphone battery it claims can fully charge in just under 30 seconds. With the company having plans for mass production, this technology could change the way we interact with portable electronics, and perhaps even help realize the dream of a fast-charging electric car.  Read More

Wocket wants to replace your wallet

April 2, 2014
Wocket stores electronic versions of your cards, that only you can access
No one wants their credit or debit cards, or even their NFC-enabled smartphone falling into the wrong hands. While there are already various security measures in development, NXT-ID's Wocket is one of the latest. Described as a "smart wallet," it's designed to securely store electronic versions of your various cards, plus it features a swipe-able physical card that can be programmed for single uses.  Read More
Digital Paper features 4 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for additional sto...
Sony has unveiled a new office-orientated tablet which utilizes the E-Ink display to mimic a piece of A4 paper. The electronics giant believes that its Digital Paper will be an instant hit with professionals who are often overwhelmed by the sheer mass of physical paper thrown on their desks each day.  Read More
Three Over Seven manufactures woolen shoes and plans to use 3D scanning and printing to cu...
In the world of fashion, 3D scanning and printing offer the potential for creating made-to-measure clothing. Customers of New Zealand-based footwear firm Three Over Seven will be able to scan their feet with a smartphone app and have a custom pair of shoes produced and delivered.  Read More
Philips has unveiled its OneSpace lighting panel
In his 1964 New York Times article predicting the technologies of the future, Isaac Asimov wrote, "By 2014, electroluminescent panels will be in common use." Lighting panels are indeed used to make ceilings and walls glow as he guessed. The Philips OneSpace is the latest such example of Asimov's projections coming to fruition.  Read More
The MultiTaction iWall offers unlimited multi-touch interactivity, and is just one of the ...
UK-based "tech alchemist" firm Engage yesterday launched its Flux Innovation Lounge. The Lounge is a place to see some of today’s advanced technology put into practical use – and a place for Engage to show off some of its work. Visitors can expect 18-foot (5.5-m) touchscreens, holographic cabinets and immersive environments.  Read More
The MicrobeScope is a mini microscope designed for use with the iPhone
We've seen devices that let you attach your smartphone to a microscope, but they require you to have access to a microscope in the first place. What if you don't? Well, that's where the MicrobeScope comes in. It's a portable 800x microscope that works with newer iPhones – or just with the naked eye.  Read More
DigiGage's infotainment for elevators
Israeli startup DigiGage has created a display system for elevators that shows images and information moving along with viewers as they go up or down. The system is already being used in several countries, including the US and China.  Read More
Gallium nitride transistors enabled the compact design of this 2090 lumen retrofit LED lam...
Although known for long life and low energy consumption, the LED uses a DC power supply, or driver, to overcome its sensitivity to current fluctuations, and it’s the high-frequency, high-speed switching transistors in this driver that’s made the LED so costly for use in large-scale commercial applications dominated by fluorescent and incandescent lighting. But that’s about to change. Fraunhofer researchers are developing a new, more economical means of making the high-performance gallium nitride transistors needed for the LED’s high-efficiency driver.  Read More
hereO has announced a new GPS watch for tracking children
Part of being a kid is playing outside and exploring, so it's impossible to keep an eye on your children at all times. With this in mind, GPS tracking for kids has become increasingly popular. The hereO watch is the latest GPS tracking device aimed at providing parents with peace of mind.  Read More
Microscope photo of tungsten diselenide samples connected to electrodes
Graphene, the two-dimensional lattice of carbon atoms, may be the wonder material du jour, but ultrathin layers of other elements are also proving to be an exciting area of research. One-atom-thick sheets of germanium and tin have shown potential as semiconductors and a topological insulators respectively, and now ultrathin layers of tungsten and selenium have been used to create a diode that could be used in ultrathin, flexible, semi-transparent solar cells.  Read More

Space Replay is a floating sphere that records and replays the sounds around it
A floating sphere called Space Replay has been created that explores unusual sound signatures from transitional public spaces, moving around its space and replaying the sounds it picks up after a short delay.  Read More
Pioneer's DJE-2000 (left) and DJE-1500 (right) inner-ear headphones for DJs
It's not always practical for gigging DJs to wrap a pair of hefty cans around their heads when selecting or preparing tracks on a portable music player, smartphone or tablet, but even high-end earbuds might not cut the mustard when it comes to the specific audio needs of today's digital pancake turner. Pioneer's Professional Sound and Visual Division has developed some enclosed inner-ear headphones specially tuned for mixing and playing on the move.  Read More
This colorful American flag is in reality a functional  and transparent solar cell (Photo:...
A beautiful stained glass installation, a colorful billboard, or rows of windows on an office building ... all as electricity-generating solar cells? New research at the University of Michigan gives a method for creating such transparent and colorful solar cells using a hybrid silicon/organic composition, and furthermore avoids some of the problems of previous colored and transparent solar cells.  Read More
One of four tactile demos on Fujitsu's prototype haptic sensory tablet
Many smartphone or tablet users will already be familiar with receiving vibration feedback when typing on a virtual keyboard, but, though better than nothing, it's not particularly convincing. There have been attempts to make sensory feedback from touchscreens more realistic using electrostatic force, for example, or even creating the sensation of physical buttons by pushing liquid into prearranged tactile pixels, but Fujitsu is claiming to break new ground with its prototype haptic sensory tablet.  Read More
Lulzbot TAZ 3 printers line the cluster room four-deep and three-high
Aleph Objects, maker of the LulzBot line of 3D printers, recently made the switch to a new facility in Colorado, big enough to meet its expanding production needs and designed to add more injection-molded and laser-cut parts to the printers. I toured the massive cluster of 135 operating 3D printers, asked about AO’s upcoming plans for not only new printers but other hardware, learned how customers and community drive innovation, and met a fascinating LulzBot client who’s using the Open Source/Libre technology to jumpstart his vision of the future. If you’ve ever wanted to see 135 3D printers in action simultaneously, look no farther.  Read More
The Atmos system delivers discrete signals to up to 128 simultaneous and lossless audio st...
The name Dolby Laboratories has long been associated with innovative and world-leading sound reproduction. Its latest creation, Atmos, has come at the perfect time to augment the unprecedented immersive experience of big screen 3D stereoscopic images. Since it was first installed in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the release of Pixar’s Brave in 2012, Atmos technology has been embraced by leading film makers and rolled out in hundreds of cinemas out around the globe, launching movie soundtracks into the world of 3D. Gizmag recently attended a demonstration of the Dolby Atmos system to hear what all the fuss is about and speak to the experts about the impact the new technology is having on the way movies are made.  Read More
Lickestra is a musical performance that uses ice cream as the instrument
Playing with your food is generally frowned upon, but very little is said about playing music with your food. Artists Emilie Baltz and Carla Diana are exploring exactly that concept. Their work Lickestra is a musical performance in which ice cream is used as the instrument.  Read More
Garmin has launched an updated version of its fēnix smartwatch with added fitness tracking...
Garmin has released an updated version of its fÄ“nix smartwatch. As well as retaining the navigation functionality of its predecessor, and being positioned at the advanced end of the market, a variety of fitness tracking features have been added to the the fÄ“nix 2.  Read More
Printing life-sized designs with the full-format RepRap-based BigRep ONE
Consumers and small businesses certainly have a handle on using 3D printers to create small mockups of bigger products, but there’s few options for creating true-to-size models or even finished products without having access to an industrial printer. German company BigRep aims to break that boundary with its RepRap-based BigRep ONE 3D printer, which offers over a cubic meter of print space.  Read More
The app-based system determines the shopper's location via the flickering of the overhead ...
Wondering where your local supermarket keeps its whole wheat flour? Soon, an app on your smartphone may be able to guide you to it – with a little help from the store's overhead LED lights, and technology developed by Philips.  Read More

The 'pomegranate' design reduces the surface area of the cluster to one tenth of the sum o...
Though the use of silicon in lithium-ion batteries promises a whole new world of energy storage, it also poses several problems to a battery's durability and overall performance. A new electrode design inspired by clusters of pomegranate seeds and developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) and Stanford University, overcomes some of these obstacles, bringing lighter and more powerful batteries closer to reality.  Read More
Jose Julio has created an air hockey robot
If you hated losing to the computer at Pong, then at least you could console yourself with the knowledge that the computer was on home turf; the contest took place in the computer's ethereal realm of ones and naughts. Now, a project by Spanish tinkerer Jose Julio has given rise to a competitive, merciless air hockey machine that will lay bare your mortal frailties and beat you into submission on your own physical terms. What's more, it's built largely with 3D printer parts.  Read More
The entrance to the new high-tech SportChek flagship store
Every year, IBM releases a list of tech trends that it predicts will have a major affect on our lives over the next five years. In its most recent list, the company made the rather surprising prediction that physical retail shops will become much more popular than internet-based stores. They'll do so utilizing technologies that offer customers a more immersive, interactive shopping experience than they could get simply sitting at their computer. Canada's FGL Sports must be eager to usher in that new age of shopping, as it just opened what it describes as "the most digitally advanced and personalized retail experience in the world." That experience takes the form of the new 80,000 sq ft (7,432 sq m) SportChek sporting goods store, located in Edmonton, Alberta's West Edmonton Mall.  Read More
The new Android version of Ideum's Platform 46 Coffee Table featuring 3M's 60-point simult...
When considering the use of Android smartphone apps on a bigger screen, many of us would probably think no larger than a tablet, or perhaps even an All-in-One. But what if you could play all your favorite games, update your social media profiles, or dive into productivity and lifestyle apps on a 46-inch multi-touch display? With the new Android version of the Platform 46 Coffee Table debuted by Ideum and 3M at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas yesterday, you can do just that.  Read More
Associate Professor John Andrews with an experimental preliminary proof of concept proton ...
Just as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – big and small – start heading to the road, researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have come up with the concept of a proton flow battery that could expand the reach of hydrogen-based electrical energy systems as well as provide a potential alternative to lithium ion batteries.  Read More
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft initially suffered from problems with its lithium-ion b...
Last year, lithium-ion battery fires became a hot topic, pardon the inescapable pun, with both a Tesla automobile and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner succumbing to fires. In cross-disciplinary research at the University of North Carolina (UNC), a compound being studied to prevent marine life from sticking to ships may also be the solvent (and the solution) to keep lithium ion batteries from catching alight when they overheat.  Read More
Tracking both hands independently, MakeVR's motion control allows users to design their 3D...
Though 3D printers themselves are becoming more affordable, the complexities of 3D modeling software have also proven a hurdle to entry to the consumer market. While some companies have sought to enhance their mainstream appeal with catalogs of pre-designed printable objects, others are taking a more hands-on approach. Virtual reality firm Sixense, which this week announced its motion controlled solution for 3D modeling called MakeVR, hopes to make the design process more intuitive and appealing for the average user.  Read More
Headway is a new device that turns a helmet into a wearable speaker
For those who like to listen to music while biking, skiing or snowboarding, Headway aims to satisfy with good vibrations. The device attaches to the outside of a helmet using a magnetic mechanism in combination with a secure mounting system, and turns the whole thing into a wearable speaker. Music is streamed to the system from a smartphone, and controlled using a companion app.  Read More
Able-HD is launching a new version of its portable monitor
Second monitors can be very useful for those who need a bit more screen real estate, such as when switching regularly between programs. Options are limited for mobile workers, but Able-HD is due to begin a Kickstarter campaign within the next week to raise funds for a new version of its portable monitor. The company claims that the Able-HD Plus will be the world's slimmest monitor, and will pack a 1080p HD display.  Read More
Dizmo is raising funds to roll-out out its new multi-touch, multi-device and multitasking ...
Collaboration platforms are generally PC or web-based affairs that are built around office productivity tools, such as word-processing and spreadsheet applications. Swiss tech outfit Dizmo is raising funds to make collaboration a more tactile and versatile experience. Dizmo is an interface that lets users work together across different devices in the same digital space.  Read More

Sols are 3D printed custom insoles
The healthcare industry is already making use of 3D printing technologies to print casts, tracheal splints, ears, prostheses, and even cells. Now, a New York-based company wants to print the insoles in your shoes to reduce foot pain and improve posture. Sols Systems has raised US$1.75 million of seed financing from Lux Capita to bring its custom orthotics to market.  Read More
A close view of the nanomesh (inset)
We're coming just that much closer to electronic devices such as TV screens that can be rolled up in a tube, or phones that can be folded up and stuffed in a pocket. Scientists at the University of Houston have created a gold nanomesh material that is conductive, transparent and flexible – a combination that they claim has never before been achieved.  Read More
The cyberpunk-esque Borderlands rifle
If you're a gamer, then you're no doubt already familiar with the first-person-shooter Borderlands. And if you're a regular Gizmag reader, then you've probably already seen some of the creations of German laser weapons hobbyist Patrick Priebe. Well, he's gone and created a real-life laser sniper rifle, based on the game.  Read More
The Scent Rhythm watch aims to have people smell the passage of time (Photo: Aisen Caro Ch...
Glancing at a clock face in one form or another has been the de facto way to measure the passage of time. Aisen Caro Chacin though, is exploring a different perspective. She wants to give everyone the ability to tell time using their noses. Her chemical-based watch called the Scent Rhythm emits specially-designed fragrances in minute doses, in tune with circadian cycle of the human body. You get a fragrance of coffee in the morning, the smell of money in the afternoon, a relaxing whiskey scent in the evening, and a soothing chamomile fragrance at night. More than being merely pleasant, each chemically-supplemented scent aims to induce action appropriate to the time of day; the caffeine in the coffee scent, for example, aims to trigger the person into being more active.  Read More
The Confession Machine uses UV LEDs to print disapearing messages onto photosensitive pape...
Israeli artist Liat Segal has created a device that uses light to print fading messages onto photosensitive paper. The Confession Machine uses ultraviolet (UV) LEDs that are programmed to switch on and off at certain intervals in order to print people's confessions onto paper coated with a UV sensitive pigment. Then they disappear.  Read More
The Markforged Mark One – the world's first 3D printer capable of printing carbon fiber
Auto and motorcycle enthusiasts with a bit of CAD savvy will soon have access to a remarkably affordable dream machine – the US$5,000 MarkForged Mark One. Touted as the world’s first 3D printer capable of printing in carbon fiber, the device could trigger an avalanche of aftermarket carbon fiber bolt-on parts.  Read More
Fuel3D has released the first images of its 3D scanner
Fuel3D has release the first images of its 3D scanner. The scanner raised over four times its targeted amount in a Kickstarter campaign last year, and was aimed at being the first handheld point-and-shoot color 3D scanner available for under US$1,000 – although that has crept up a touch, to $1,500.  Read More
The scanner scans a cloud comprising millions of points
3D imaging company Faro has a new client that will be using its 3D scanning technology to help solve crimes. The Roswell Police Department has purchased a Faro Focus3D Scanner which allows them to create 3D maps of crime scenes that they can then navigate and study using a computer or mobile device.  Read More
Google has acquired artificial intelligence company DeepMind for US$400 million, according...
According to a report from Re/code, Google has acquired UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepMind Technologies for US$400 million. The acquisition is the latest in a series of purchases by the search giant in the robotics and artificial intelligence arenas.  Read More
Stratasys has launched the Objet500 Connex3
3D printer manufacturer Stratasys has launched what it says is the first 3D printer that can print both in color and with multiple materials. The Objet500 Connex3 combines droplets of three base materials to produce a variety of different material characteristics and colors.  Read More

A group of dancing holographic men (Photo: TeamLab)
As part of the Singapore Biennale 2013, a group of artists has created a maze filled with life-sized, three-dimensional, dancing holograms of people and animals, capable of reacting to a person's presence.  Read More
The Cricut Explore cuts designs from a variety of materials, plus it can draw and write on...
If you're a crafter, then it's quite likely that you spend a lot of time cutting intricate designs out of materials like paper, cloth or poster board. While it certainly adds to the artistic merit of the project if you do everything by hand, the fact is that not everyone has the necessary manual dexterity – or simply the talent. Well, before too long, such people will be able to make use of the Cricut Explore electronic cutting machine.  Read More
The Pegasus Touch uses lasers to print objects
Whether it’s light shows or interplanetary communications, lasers just seem to make things better. And that’s apparently part of the thinking behind Las Vegas-based Full Spectrum Lasers’ (FSL) Pegasus Touch; a desktop 3D printer that uses lasers to print objects faster and in finer detail than most other printers in its price range. Available for as little as US$2,000 via a Kickstarter campaign, its performance is claimed to be comparable to machines costing 50 times more.  Read More
The Solar Cooler from Solar Cool Technologies at CES 2014
In the past, we've seen solar ovens that can whip up a hot meal using only the sun's rays, but Solar Cool Technologies has a new product that harvests that same energy to accomplish just the opposite. We quite literally crossed paths with the Solar Cooler and its designers at a Las Vegas casino during CES where they were showing off the new Solar Cooler. The Solar Cooler, as its name implies, is a portable container for food and drinks that keeps its contents cold using a compact refrigeration system connected to solar panels.  Read More
The Smart Nixie Tube display can be programmed to serve a variety of purposes, from clock ...
Nixie tubes have experienced something of a resurgence in popularity in recent times, as the charm of combining new and old technologies continues to draw in retro-minded designers. ThinkGeek's DIY Nixie Tube Desk clock and the Nixie tube chess set are examples of this, but in applying the smart treatment to the gas-filled display tubes, electrical engineer Tyler Nehowig has truly given them a modern technological makeover.  Read More
Chibitronic stickets lets you add circuitry to art projects creating an interactive greeti...
"Cute circuitry" is not a term you hear often – if at all – but it could be used to describe Chibitronics, which is a crafty merging of electronics and paper. The system combines familiar adhesive stickers with electronic components, such as LEDs, sensor circuits, and even a programmable microcontroller, to create a play set that educates while adding some flash to one’s works of art or otherwise mundane birthday cards.  Read More
Crystal structure of sodium bismuthide (Na3Bi), one of the newly discovered 3D topological...
Exciting times are ahead in the high-tech industries with the discovery by three independent groups that a new class of materials mimic the special electronic properties of graphene in 3D. Research into these superfast massless charge carriers opens up a wide range of potential applications in electronics, including smaller hard drives with more storage capacity, faster transistors and more efficient optical sensors.  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
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
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

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