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
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
SELFIE mirror takes photos and posts them to Twitter
By Stu Robarts
April 10, 2014
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
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
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
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
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
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
By Ben Coxworth
April 2, 2014
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
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
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 OneSpace turns the whole ceiling into a light
By Stu Robarts
March 31, 2014
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
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
MicrobeScope combines your iPhone with a microscope
By Ben Coxworth
March 21, 2014
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
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
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
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
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
FOR MORE SEARCH "Electronics".. OR @GIZMAG
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
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
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
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
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
Dolby Atmos: Movie sound takes to the 3D stage
February 26, 2014
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
Artists create ice cream that plays music when licked
By Stu Robarts
February 26, 2014
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 released an updated version of its
fēnix 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 fēnix
2. Read More
BigRep ONE 3D printer creates whole pieces of furniture
By Heidi Hoopes
February 23, 2014
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
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
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
Hacker makes air hockey table from 3D printer parts
By Stu Robarts
February 14, 2014
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
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
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
Proton flow battery simplifies hydrogen power
By Darren Quick
February 12, 2014
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
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
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 turns an entire helmet into a speaker
By Stu Robarts
February 6, 2014
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 launching "world's slimmest portable HD monitor"
By Stu Robarts
February 5, 2014
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
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 scans your feet and creates 3D-printed custom insoles
By Stu Robarts
February 4, 2014
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
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
Hobbyist creates real-world Borderlands laser sniper rifle
By Ben Coxworth
January 29, 2014
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
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
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
US$5,000 for the world’s first 3D carbon fiber printer
By Loz Blain
January 28, 2014
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 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
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 buys artificial intelligence start-up DeepMind Technologies
By Nick Lavars
January 27, 2014
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
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
Teamlab creates a maze of interactive dancing holograms
January 27, 2014
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
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
Pegasus Touch brings lasers to desktop 3D printing
By David Szondy
January 23, 2014
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
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
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
"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
New materials mimic electronic properties of graphene in 3D
By Brian Dodson
January 22, 2014
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
My N3RD: A smartphone-controlled smart switch for gadgets
By Paul Ridden
January 22, 2014
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
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
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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