About a year ago, HP began working on a ginormous
touchscreen display for their PR firm’s Manhattan offices. The
resulting product, called the Wall of Touch, was such a hit that it has
found its way into the workplaces of other select clients, with more on
the way. Ironically, despite its name, one of the things that makes the
Wall unique is that users don’t have to actually touch it. Read More
The bizarre looking Eigenharp is what you get
when you roll a guitar, saxophone, keyboard and a drum kit into one, and
it's capable of delivering an almost limitless supply of musical
sounds. The unique design of the keys, breath pipe and pedal inputs
allows a musician to easily change scale or key, alter tempo, switch and
layer multiple sounds and play and record loops – all during a live
performance. Will this instrument revolutionize the electronic music
scene? Read More
If you’re like most people, you probably think that 200 megabits per second for wireless data transfer is just too darn slow!
What are we, cavemen? Not anymore, apparently, as electronic
engineering company Siemens just broke their own record by achieving 500
Mbps using white LED light. Read More
Gizmag met with PlasticLogic, the makers of the
QUE ProReader eBook reader/tablet - one of the most versatile and
powerful eReaders to hit the market. The Que ProReader measures the size
of standard piece of office paper (8.5 x 11 inches) and focuses on the
business professional. Though not designed to replace your laptop or
smartphone, it is designed to make paper redundant. Already there are
more than 1 million pieces of online content that can be downloaded and
viewed on the device. Plus you can print from your computer to the QUE
Pro to carry your personal documents with you, or use it as a back-up
device. Connectivity options abound with built-in WiFi, 3G and
Bluetooth. Read More
Apple’s announcement of its tablet computer this
Wednesday will without doubt be the most eagerly anticipated tech news
of 2010. We were all so “over” the speculation at Gizmag.com that we’d
agreed we would not run any “puff” stories guessing the outcome,
functionality or whatever, because no-one really knows. Until now, that
is. Odds on what the name of the device will be have been on offer at
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power this week and when the Economist ran a story
effectively promoting the odds to the wider community, the flow of
money on the name iPad quickly became a torrent, seeing it shorten from
7/4 to 1/3 in a few hours. Accordingly, … Read More
The new Silver Arrows Formula One works team was
presented in Stuttgart today and though there were no surprises, the
line-up was nonetheless formidable. Take a world championship winning
team (Brawn F1 2009), add to it substantial long term sponsorship from
Petronas, the full weight of Mercedes Benz management, finances and
engineering (with the emphasis on engine - the title engine of the last
two years) and then slot in the winningest F1 driver in history, and you
have a pretty impressive line-up. The most ominous aspect of it all
though is that the pairing of Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher is back
together. It won two titles at Benetton, reestablished the Ferrari
dynasty then Brawn created his own history last year. The car remains
under a shroud of secrecy until its track debut next week. Read More
Peugeot’s incredibly frugal electric E-Vivacity scooter
By Gizmag Team
January 25, 2010
Peugeot mass produced the first electric scooter
15 years ago and it’s just about to launch another. Way back in 1996,
the 40 km range of the Peugeot Scoot'Elec produced a chorus of yawns but
when the new E-Vivacity hits showrooms late this year, it will be
greeted by a much wiser and ecologically-aware public. Emissions aside,
the biggest motivating factor behind the E-Vivacity’s likely sales
success will be its remarkably low cost of use. Though its 4kW engine is
the equal of a frugal 50cc scooter, its running costs will be one tenth
as it recharges from a domestic powerpoint at regular tarrifs. In Paris
where its 100 km range will be more than adequate, that will equate to
EUR 0.4 (about US$0.56) per 100 km. So if you cover the yearly average
scooter distance of 4,000 kms, total running costs will be EUR 16
(US$22.67)! Read More
At the North American International Auto Show,
Gizmag’s Noel McKeegan got the lowdown on the Venturi Volage concept
electric sportscar from Venturi’s Clement Dorance. Venturi is the
company responsible for the world’s first production electric sportscar,
the Fetish,
and its latest electric sportscar is the result of collaboration
between Venturi and Michelin. It is one of the first applications of the
Michelin Active Wheel System
that replaces a vehicle’s traditional engine with eight electric motors
located within the wheels. Each wheel contains two motors - one
responsible for the propulsion and the other taking care of the
suspension. As Clement explains this innovative design not only gives
the Volage four-wheel-drive and active suspension, but also provides a
low center of gravity to further enhance the maneuverability and overall
performance of the vehicle. Read More
Synaptics debuts Fuse next-generation mobile phone concept
By Ben Coxworth
January 24, 2010
Last December, the world was introduced to the Synaptics Fuse,
a new concept in mobile communications. The prototype smartphone is the
result of a collaboration between Synaptics, Texas Instruments,
Immersion, TheAlloy and The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). What makes this
phone so special is its user/phone interface. It takes Synaptics’ pioneering touchscreen technology to a whole new level, allowing people to use the phone one-handed, and without having to even see the screen. Read More
The age of unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs
has well and truly dawned but designers aren't resting on their laurels
when it comes to improving the capabilities of these multi-talented
aircraft. One innovation that's come to the fore recently is the use of
an enclosed four rotor platform (see our recent look at the CyberQuad)
which offers a number of advantages including greater stability,
agility, hovering ability and a smaller footprint. This unique new
design from Britain's VTOL Technologies takes this idea a step further,
adding four movable rotors to a single "flying-wing" to create an
aircraft that claims to deliver a higher payload capacity for its size
and up to four times the endurance of current vertical take-off and
landing (VTOL) UAV designs. Read More
0 comments:
Post a Comment