Entertainment at the wave of a hand - the Gesture Cube
By Paul Ridden
February 14, 2010
The Gesture Cube concept is the first example to
demonstrate the possibilities offered by a new touch-free sensing
technology developed by Ident Technology AG. The design proposes using
the company's GestIC 3D spatial hand movement tracking innovation to
allow users to browse photos, play music, read messages, check the
weather and so on - all with the wave of a hand or the flick of a wrist.
Read More
The 13th Man lets you listen to televised sport in pubs and clubs
By Jeff Salton
February 13, 2010
Even if your lip-reading skills are first-rate
(mine are absolute rubbish) you’ll still struggle to ever comfortably
watch sport on TV in a pub or club if you can’t hear the commentary when
the sound is either turned off because not everyone wants to listen, or
it’s the audio of another sports channel you’re not watching, or the
ambient noise of the venue is drowning out every word. Australian
University of Technology student Tim McBride knows first-hand how
frustrating it can be to sit down to watch your sporting heroes strut
their stuff and not be able to closely follow the game. He invented The
13th Man (an extra, extra man in the game of cricket) that is a personal
wireless speaker unit that sits atop your table and lets you listen to
your favorite game. McBride’s invention is another shortlisted
submission in our ongoing series of the Australian Design Awards - James
Dyson Award 2010. Read More
Mercedes shows pre-production electric Vito Van
By Gizmag Team
February 13, 2010
Mercedes-Benz showed a meeting of European
ministers of economic affairs a prototype electric Vito earlier this
week. The informal EU Competitiveness Council meeting in San Sebastian
was told the experimental vehicle with its Lithium-ion battery and load
capacity of 900 kg would enter limited production this year. Read More
50th Anniversary model of the iconic 1960 Gibson ES-335TD
By Gizmag Team
February 13, 2010
Musical instrument manufacturer Gibson has
released a 50th Anniversary 1960 Gibson ES-335TD, perhaps the most
legendary semi-hollow electric guitar of all. In 1960, the ES-335 was an
instant classic, embraced by blues, rock, country and jazz players the
world over and in one form or another the ES-335TD (and its siblings,
the ES-345 and ES-355) would land in the hands of Eric Clapton, Alvin
Lee, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Larry Carlton, and countless other
groundbreaking guitarists. The Gibson Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960
ES-335TD is the closest today’s player can come to obtaining the look,
feel and tone of an original dot-neck 1960 ES-335TD, short of
remortgaging the house Read More
There’s an old maxim in racing, and it goes along
the lines of “when the flag drops, the bulls**t stops” and after more
three years of legal action and posturing between the teams' billionaire
principals, Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli, it was a much awaited
start in many ways that mercifully kicked off the America’s Cup
yesterday. Just 40 nautical miles (nm) later, the whole event seems all
but over, as BMW Oracle was clearly faster downwind and particularly so
upwind in comparison to the defending champ Alinghi V in conditions
which were expected to favor the Swiss team. The racing was compelling
and very spectacular, but in the best of three series, with the second
race scheduled for Sunday … Read More
In the period prior to WW2, the automobile was
beyond the financial reach of the average family and motorcycles with
sidecars were commonplace as family transport. Enterprising Czech
engineer Albin Liebisch embarked on a different philosophy, creating
three and even four seat motorcycles sold in Germany under the brand
Böhmerland. The 1937 Langtouren (long touring) model pictured is a three
seater with two gearboxes, the second one requiring a passenger to
change gears. The cast wheels were also a first for motorcycles. Read More
Many people want to do their bit to help save the
planet, or to simply get fit, by riding a bike instead of using their
vehicle. However, traveling on the road when the sun goes down can be
off-putting for fear of not being seen by motorists. The Firefly light
has been designed to address this concern by making them more visible.
It uses a passive Infrared sensor to detect traffic approaching from
behind the rider and projects light from flashing LEDs onto the back of
the rider with varying intensity depending on the proximity of the
traffic. The Firefly light is another shortlisted design submission in
our ongoing series of the Australian Design Awards - James Dyson Award
2010. Read More
The Bumpfree Dynamic Speedbump gives drivers a smooth ride
By Jude Garvey
February 11, 2010
The Bumpfree Dynamic Speed Bump concept could
change the way drivers approach a speed deterrent in the future. It will
allow drivers who are traveling at the right speed limit to pass over
the bump without hindrance but will "remind" drivers traveling above the
limit to slow down by creating the same feeling one gets when passing
over a speed-bump - but without the usual speed-bump impact. Read More
Flash-based Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) may have
stolen most of the spotlight in recent years when it comes to data
storage, but the traditional HDD still has some life left in its
platters. For proof of this look no further than Seagate’s new Savvio
10K.4 enterprise hard drive. Seagate bills the new drive as the world’s
highest-capacity, most reliable small form factor enterprise drive with
its 600GB capacity and two million hour mean time before failure (MTBF)
in a 2.5-inch drive. Read More
Is that really decaf? Caffeindicator lets you know for sure
By Ben Coxworth
February 11, 2010
Nobody likes the jittery feelings that come with
too much caffeine, or the insomnia that follows. While it takes a lot of
caffeine to affect most people that way, those of us who are
caffeine-sensitive can get the same feelings from even one cup of
coffee. Other people have medical conditions that make caffeine a big
no-no. In either case, these individuals usually order decaf when
they’re at coffee shops or restaurants, but ... with all the hustle and
bustle in those places, what if they get the coffee pots mixed up? Or
what baristas can't be bothered brewing up a pot of decaf and just serve
up regular coffee and say it’s decaf? It was no doubt that
kind of thinking that led Verification Technology Systems to develop
Caffeindicator, a litmus-like caffeine-testing system that anyone can
use. Read More
As great as advances in mobile technology have
been in recent years, many mobile devices still suffer from
unsatisfactory battery life. Japanese company, Links International, has
created the iCharge in two versions - the standard DX and the smaller
Lite - solar solutions to your mobile power woes. Actually, the devices
are three-way charging system, capable of solar, AC, and USB charging.
Read More
Electric vehicles
promise advantages for the environment in terms of reducing local
emissions along with advantages to the hip-pocket in respect to running
costs. Unfortunately at this stage of the game, the catch is the premium
price tag which places EVs outside the reach of the majority of
drivers. Electric vehicle manufacturer, Green Vehicles is attempting to
address this problem with its US$24,995 TRIAC three-wheeler. Gizmag
recently caught up with Green Vehicles President Mike Ryan to learn
more. Read More
For Tweet’s sake! With Puppy Tweets your pet can Twitter too
By Jude Garvey
February 14, 2010
Mattel's Puppy Tweets is a new gadget that allows
your pet to send you a cutesy tweet via Twitter every time they move,
bark or sleep. The device is pre-loaded with over 500 phrases that are
designed to put an amusing spin on a mundane activity. Your pet barks -
you get a message saying - “I bark because I miss you. There I said it.
Now hurry home.” Read More
New bioactive nanomaterial enables humans to grow new cartilage
February 14, 2010
Sport is tough on the body, and one of the major
health risks from being active is permanent damage to cartilage around
the joints. Humans are unable to regenerate cartilage once they are
adults and often have to live with little relief from painful joints or
osteoarthritis, but researchers at Northwestern University are the first
to design a bio-active nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new
cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Good
new sports fans... Read More
Olympus round-up: New PEN DSLR and Stylus Tough cameras
By Alan Brandon
February 14, 2010
Olympus is starting 2010 with a herd of
first-quarter camera releases including a new PEN DSLR, the E-PL1, and
two new Stylus Tough models, the 8010 and the 6020. All three models
feature one-button HD video capability and image stabilization, plus
additional tweaks and features. In addition, Olympus has also announced
optional underwater cases for each of the cameras. Read More
One of the issues of current chip design is the
excessive power needed to transport and store ever increasing amounts of
data. A possible solution is to use optics not just for sending data,
but also to store information and perform calculations, which would
reduce heat dissipation and increase operating speeds. Disproving
previous beliefs in the matter, MIT researchers have demonstrated the
first laser built from germanium which can perform optical
communications... and it's also cheap to manufacture. Read More
Parents take note! Sneaky brothers and sisters
beware! Soon your every move can be captured by a new kids' toy from
Wild Planet. The Spy Video TRAKR is billed as the first app-enabled,
programmable remote-controlled vehicle that transmits color video, audio
and data, and allows kids to create, download and share custom
programs. Read More
The America’s Cup has been run and won, and will
return to America where it has resided for the vast majority of its
century and a half history. Larry Ellison’s Team BMW Oracle trimaran
trounced the Swiss Alinghi team’s Catamaran as two of the most
technologically advanced boats on water fought out a one-sided event.
Read More
The British Library has announced that users of Amazon's Kindle e-reader
will be able to download more than 65,000 19th century classics for
free this coming spring in a special format that will have the look of a
genuine first edition. Works from famous authors like Charles Dickens,
Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen will be reproduced using the original
typeface and illustrations to add an antique feel to the e-reader
technology. Read More
How many times has this happened to you?
You’re out on the back nine, enjoying a round of golf, when suddenly
you realize that you’ve gotta go Number 1! What are you going to do,
stop everything and trek back to the clubhouse? Go in the trees, like
some kind of uncultured barbarian? Not if Floyd Seskin has anything to
say about it. The Florida urologist would prefer you take his invention,
the UroClub golf club, and pee into it. Read More
Baby Bunk keeps baby conveniently close to you
By Jude Garvey
February 15, 2010
Brand new babies are divine but can be demanding -
with some needing to be fed or comforted every two to three hours.
Whilst the daytime feeds can be OK, it might be more of a struggle to
get out of bed for the night feeds. With the Baby Bunk sleeper you won’t
have to. It’s a cleverly designed co-sleeper that conveniently
positions baby right next to you without having to share your bed. Read More
Today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona,
Spain, 24 of the world’s largest and most influential wireless carriers –
with a combined subscriber base of around 3 billion - have announced
they are joining forces to create the Wholesale Applications Community.
This venture is designed to make it easier for software developers to
write and supply apps for as many phones as possible, regardless of
their platform. Obviously, the group hopes this proposed mega-store will
emulate the likes of Apple and Nokia in the growing app store
marketplace Read More
If you’ve ever tried to get that perfect shot of a
race car, athlete, wild animal, or any other fast-moving subject, you
know how hard it can be - what are the odds that you’ll hit the shutter
release button at just the right instant? You could try videotaping it
and grabbing a still afterward, but chances are it will be grainy and
blurry. It’s a common problem, but it might have just been solved.
Medical researchers have developed a digital photographic technique that
allows users to simultaneously shoot high-speed (slow motion) video and high-resolution stills, via the same sensor on the same camera. Read More
Regenerative Helmet for cyclists fits like a glove
By Jeff Salton
February 15, 2010
In many countries, wearing a bike helmet while
cycling in public places is compulsory because it is proven to have
saved lives. However, anyone who has ever applied one of these helmets
to their heads knows that are definitely not a one-size-fits-all piece
of equipment. An ill-fitting helmet means less protection, but they can
require much trial and error to adjust correctly. The Regenerative
Helmet overcomes this with its hard outer shell and flexible segments
that allow the helmet to contort to provide a better fit. The liner uses
dual density multi-impact foam to provide impact protection for both
low and high speed accidents. Read More
Panasonic has announced a new field-ready
addition to its Toughbook range, the Toughbook H1 Field tablet computer.
Built with highly mobile professionals in mind, the new weatherproof
and shockproof model benefits from a dual battery setup that should help
ensure power is always available, a sunlight-visible touchscreen
interface, reinforced solid state storage and a molded hand grip for
extra comfort. Read More
Nubrella - the hands-free space helmet-like umbrella
By Ben Coxworth
February 15, 2010
There are, admittedly, several problems with
traditional umbrellas. The area of maximum coverage is occupied by the
pole, they have a way of catching the wind and sometimes even popping,
those little metal tips of the ribs could poke someone in the eye,
they’re not great at protecting you from rain that’s slanting in on an
angle and one of your hands is always occupied with holding the handle.
These issues are all squared addressed by the Nubrella, an umbrella that
you wear like a big ol’ space helmet. It’s a good thing that it allows
both your hands to be free, as you’ll need them to wave to all the
gawking onlookers. Read More
Samsung unveiled the Samsung Wave (S8500) in
Barcelona today. The handset is the first to use Samsung’s new, open
mobile platform, Samsung bada, runs a super high quality touch screen
AMOLED 3.3” WVGA (800x480 pixels) display, a Social Hub to integrate
contacts and connections, and TouchWiz 3.0 for an intuitive and hugely
customizable user interface. The Wave runs on a high-speed homegrown
CPU, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi 802.11n, has a 5 mpx camera and will be
available globally from April 2010. Read More
NewCon prototype touch Smartphone with flip QWERTY keyboard
By Jack Martin
February 15, 2010
In 1995 Hans Constin filed a patent for the
Smartphone design of the well known Communicators. He still holds the
worldwide patents today and has now come up with a new and clever
solution for the era of touch smartphones à la iPhone. His NewCon
Smartphone design has a large touch screen but when flipped open and
turned, the compact Smartphone becomes a mini laptop with a full QWERTY
keyboard. As much as we hate the QWERTY layout, it’s a clever design.
Read More
Wally + Hermes = unconventional mega-yacht with space and style
By Gizmag Team
February 15, 2010
Prior to the launching of the outrageous Wally Island megayacht two years ago, Monte Carlo-based Wally Yachts was probably best known for its millennium-award-winning Wallypower 118,
but with the launch of Wally Hermes Yachts (WHY), a joint venture with
French high fashion house Hermes, it will almost certainly be known for
its first WHY Yacht – it’s a multi-story 58 metre-long, 38 metre-wide
floating personal holiday resort with almost an acre of floorspace, an
ultra-stable Norwegian Ramform hull, and an energy efficiency so high
and carbon footprint so low that it can be sailed to the location of
your heart’s desire. It aint fast, but it can cruise at 12 knots in a
Force 4 gale and has enough range to cross the Atlantic four times
without refueling. Read More
Fiber nanogenerators give new meaning to the term 'Power Dressing'
By Darren Quick
February 14, 2010
If engineers at the University of California have
their way, "Power Dressing" could be back in vogue. However, instead of
80’s-style shoulder pads the engineers have been creating
energy-scavenging nanofibers. These nano-sized generators could one day
be woven into clothing and textiles to harness the energy created
through normal body movements to power mobile electronic devices. Read More
Motorola QUENCH with MOTOBLUR and Swype – 50 wpm texting!
By Jeff Salton
February 16, 2010
Motorola has announced a new touchscreen handset, QUENCH (CLIQ XT in the US) with MOTOBLUR,
the company’s Android-powered content delivery service, which organizes
messages and syncs contacts. QUENCH features pinch and zoom and a
touchpad as well as Adobe Flash Lite to make web browsing easier on the
3.1-inch high-resolution display. It has also incorporated Swype -
technology that enables users to input words faster and easier than
other data input methods, claimed at more than 50 words per minute. Read More
Microsoft’s Surface and Ideum’s offering
might have blazed a lightly traveled trail for touch-sensitive
computerized tables, but they seem to have overlooked one important
factor - they are difficult to comfortably use while sitting down due to
their boxy shape. German artist Janis Pönisch has solved this problem
with her design for the outer shell of the Touchy Remix – a multi-touch
table that people can actually sit at. Read More
Not content with a new range of mobile handsets,
Sony Ericsson has announced what it says is its vision for the future of
mobile entertainment - ‘Co-creation’ – using the launch of its new
online platform Creations. The concept behind Co-creation is to create
“a community and a movement where they [consumers, content publishers
and developers] come together to personalize, share and continuously
evolve and co-create mobile content. Read More
Finland's VTT has developed a rapid image
analysis method to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease in just a few
minutes. The accuracy of the analysis is comparable to manual
measurements made by skilled professionals, which are currently
considered the most reliable method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.
The accurate and rapid analysis method is well suited for clinical use.
Read More
U-Boat Worx Caribbean base for private submarine rentals
By Gizmag Team
February 15, 2010
Dutch company U-Boat Worx builds two- and three-person submarines
for private and tourist use and has been doing nice business catering
to the superyacht owners of the world for the last five years.
Recognizing that its aspirations are greater than the number of
independently wealthy superyachters, the company has set up a submarine
center on the Caribbean island of Aruba aiming to “break open the luxury
tourist submarine market.” “By catering to tourism ourselves, we are
showing third parties, such as luxury resorts, hotels and cruise
companies, what the opportunities are", says U-Boat Worx founder Bert
Houtman Read More
3D imagery is one technology that's generating
buzz in 2010, and while it has been around for decades there's now a
strong push to bring it to the everyday consumer. One such company is Fujifilm, who having launched their FinePix 3D REAL W1 digital camera last summer are now poised to follow-up with a 3D printing solution as well. Read More
Sony Ericsson has unveiled two new, compact versions of its Xperia X10 handset at the Mobile World Congress
in Barcelona, Spain. Both the Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro are
smaller than a credit card and will combine the Android platform along
with a version of the company’s UX platform specifically designed for
smaller devices. The X10 mini pro also features a slide out QWERTY
keyboard. Read More
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has unveiled the
Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress 2010, saying it has been
designed for "life in motion". The new phone will bring together Xbox
LIVE games and access Zune music and video for the first time, with
manufacturing partners already building handsets which should be
available in stores by mid-2010. Read More
Airborne laser succeeds in first lethal intercept experiment
By Darren Quick
February 15, 2010
Laser guns have been a staple of science fiction
for decades, but in reality their use is generally restricted to
sighting, ranging and targeting applications. But that is all set to
change. For the first time an airborne laser (ABL) weapon mounted aboard
a modified Boeing 747 has shot down a ballistic missile launched from
an at-sea mobile launch platform off the central California coast. Read More
Cinedeck: portable touchscreen device enables full editing on-site
By Paul Ridden
February 15, 2010
Editing film footage on the go is about to become
less of a physical strain thanks to a new truly portable
camera-mountable recording, monitoring, playback and editing device for
cinematographers. About the same size as a standard on-camera monitor,
the Cinedeck offers all of the features of a full editing suite via a
touchscreen user interface and can produce PC-, Mac- and Linux-friendly
1080p high definition output for storage on solid state drives. Read More
When it comes to teaching children music, getting
the little dears to bash away on a piano or strum away on a guitar
usually isn’t too hard. Teaching classical music notation, however, is a
different prospect entirely. The Noteput table concept from designers
Jonas Heuer and Jürgen Graef attempts to make learning music theory fun,
and also more effective, by combining the senses of hearing, sight and
touch. Read More
Weopia Virtual World: the future of Online Dating?
February 16, 2010
More and more people these days are turning to
online dating to find the love of their life. Practically everyone knows
a couple who met via online dating, but conversely everyone has heard a
dating disaster tale, and for every happy couple there are lots of
hilarious, embarrassing or expensive tales of dating hell. Weopia could
be the answer to all that; a virtual dating experience that allows you
to take a romantic boat ride, watch the sunset and talk in real time to a
prospective date while you sit at home in your pyjamas... Read More
World’s biggest wind turbine to take a spin in Norway
By Darren Quick
February 16, 2010
The world’s biggest wind turbine will be
constructed in Norway. The prototype turbine will stand 162 meters (533
feet) tall and feature a rotor diameter of 145 meters (475 feet). It is
expected to be capable of generating 10-megawatts – enough to power
2,000 homes. The turbine will be tested on land in Øygarden in Hordaland
County, Norway, for two years but is intended for offshore placement,
where the winds are stronger and more consistent, and the concerns of
ruined views and vibrations are removed. Read More
The problem with a heart attack – apart from the
obvious of course – is that you have very little time to get to an
emergency room or doctor. A medical diagnosis in the first few hours -
usually by undergoing an ECG – is critical to determine the severity of
the arrhythmia or ischemia (heart attack) episode. Rather than dealing
with crowded emergency rooms and overstretched MD’s, this simple to use
pocked-sized device can give you an ECG reading on-the-spot. Read More
BMW has introduced a Competition Package for its
class-leading BMW M3 Coupé to enhance the model’s exceptional driving
dynamics. At the same time Auto Start-Stop technology becomes a standard
feature on all versions of the M3, making it the world’s first high
performance car with Auto Start-Stop. Read More
Soon to go to auctioneers hammer is this silver
trophy presented to daredevil and racing legend Sir Malcolm Campbell to
commemorate his first world water speed record (126.33mph) on Lake
Maggiore on September 1, 1937. Campbell is somewhat of a rarity in that
he successfully competed in some of the earliest motorcycle and car
racing events, won Grands Prix, broke the Land Speed Record nine times,
the World Water Speed record four times, and was the first human to
drive over 300 mph, and fought in WW1 in the RAF, yet he died of natural
causes. Few such daredevils escaped death in their pursuits – his son
Donald among their number. Read More
Yes, a motorcycle air conditioner. As you can see
in the picture, though, it’s not as dumb as it sounds. In fact, it’s
pretty clever. Haven’t you ever watched bikers riding around in the
summer heat wearing full leathers, and wondered how they can stand it?
They can’t. They’re boiling to death in there. Some opt to wear shorts
and T-shirts instead, but from a safety standpoint... it’s not a
sensible alternative, let’s put it that way. What is sensible
is a process that pumps cooled air into a vest that the rider wears
under their jacket. And that’s just what the EntroSys Motorcycle Air
Conditioning system is. Read More
Sony Ericsson quick to update Vivaz handset with Vivaz pro
By Jeff Salton
February 16, 2010
Only a month after releasing its flagship Vivaz
handset, Sony Ericsson has upgraded the model with the pro version,
which adds a QWERTY keyboard to the touch screen offering for faster for
messaging and communicating via email, SMS or social networking
updates. The announcement was made at the Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, Spain. Read More
If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint,
replacing traditional fluorescent tube lighting with more
energy-efficient alternatives is a good way to start. And when most of
us think fluorescents, we think ceiling lights. The fact is, though, a
great deal of the world’s fluorescent lights are installed somewhere
else - in grocery store coolers and freezers. The creators of a new
product called Posilight are hoping to replace those tubes with their
own LED-based product that will save power, save money, and save food.
Read More
Strap-on tank converts a car into a true all-terrain vehicle
By Darren Quick
February 16, 2010
If you thought replacing the wheels of a Subaru WRX STi with a Mattracks rubber track system
was impressive, take a look at the strap-on tank that turns your old
rust-bucket into a half tank, half car, true all-terrain vehicle. Read More
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