Non-invasive infrared scanner to detect deadly melanoma
By Darren Quick
February 28, 2010
Although melanoma is one of the less common types
of skin cancer, it is responsible for the majority (around 75 percent)
of skin cancer related deaths. Part of the problem is that current
diagnoses rely on subjective clues such as size, shape and coloring of a
mole. With the aim of providing an objective measurement as to whether a
lesion may be malignant, researchers at John Hopkins University have
developed a prototype non-invasive infrared scanning system that works
by looking for the tiny temperature difference between healthy tissue
and a growing tumor. Read More
If you’ve ever seen a commercial-scale wind
turbine in real life, then you’ll know that they’re huge – a single
blade can be as long as 60 meters (197 feet). Researchers from Denmark’s
Risoe DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy tell us that such
blades can flex by up to six meters (20 feet) when subjected to strong
wind gusts. Worse yet, the gust load is often not evenly distributed
along the length of the blade, so it doesn’t flex evenly. Fortunately,
the researchers are working on addressing this problem, by attaching
flexible flaps to the trailing edges of the blades. These flaps come in
the form of silicone rubber strips, which run the length of the blade.
The result, we’re told, will be quieter, higher-output turbines. Read More
As Fisker Automotive's Karma plug-in hybrid
moves closer to production the company has turned attention from the
outside to the inside for its Geneva Motor show appearance. Assembled by
Valmet Automotive in Finland, Fisker says the advanced aluminum space
frame incorporates new levels of rigidity and strength to deliver
"world-class ride and handling characteristics". This pic has been
released ahead of the Geneva Auto Show which kicks-off this week. Read More
BarBra takes the breeze off cold-handed cyclists
By Ben Coxworth
February 28, 2010
As someone who has cycled in temperatures down to
-30C (-22F), I can certainly attest to one thing: OK, yes, you have to
be a bit crazy, but also, it’s really hard to keep your hands warm and
dry. If you wear gloves, no matter how well-insulated they are, your
fingers will eventually get cold. This is because they don’t have access
to each other’s body heat, and just don’t generate enough on their own.
Using thick mittens keeps your hands a lot warmer, but often to the
point where they actually start to sweat. And manual dexterity with
mitts? Imagine a lobster trying to ride a bike. Fortunately for us crazy
people, Toronto cyclist Hamish Greenland has addressed this problem
with an invention he calls the BarBra. Read More
The latest in our long list of weird watch designs
is the Aurora Watch concept by designer Jihun Yeom. The watch features a
faceless design that indicates the time using lasers. A red laser
specifies the minutes, while a blue beam indicates the hour. With the
wearer’s hairy arm visible through the watch it means that it’s always a
freckle past a hair until the bevel edge around the watch ring is
tapped to activate the lasers. Read More
Canon recently announced some new additions to
its popular Powershot line of compact cameras. One of them boasts a
respectable 12 megapixel sensor while the other three have been boosted
to 14 megapixels. Optical zoom runs from 4x on the cheaper SD1300 IS and
SD1400 IS models up to 14x on the SX210 IS and the SD3500 IS features a
3.5in 460,000 dot touchscreen LCD display. Read More
There’s no doubt that wearing a motorcycle helmet
is better than not wearing one, but various studies have shown that
there’s one potentially-lethal injury that they don’t protect against -
rotational injury, also known as intracerebral shearing. When a rider’s
helmet hits the road, its rigid shell catches against the pavement and
causes the helmet to very rapidly twist around. The rider’s
head twists with the helmet, but does it so quickly that the brain
doesn’t quite keep up, moving a few milliseconds after the skull it’s
contained in. The result is the shearing of nerves and blood vessels,
resulting in disabilities or even death. Lazer Helmets is now offering
something claimed to reduce the risk of this injury by almost 70% -
helmets with skin. Read More
Pentax has announced that the successor to last year's W80
rugged compact camera not only proudly boasts a new body design but
refinements to its internal mechanisms have granted it a boost in the
bravado department too. The new W90 is now waterproof to greater depths
and can now withstand falls from even greater heights. At the same time,
the company announced a new improved super-zoom compact camera too, the
X90. Read More
Optical system could revolutionize underwater communications
By Ben Coxworth
February 28, 2010
Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) are
at the forefront of new discoveries and important research in the ocean
depths, but they are still hindered by cumbersome cables that connect
them to their support ships at the surface. It brings back memories of
the days before radio-controlled toys, when our remote-control cars had
wires coming out of them that ran up to the controllers in our hands.
Now, thanks to scientists and engineers at Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution (WHOI), ROV’s may soon be set free from their tethers. The
researchers have developed an undersea optical communications system,
which they describe as “a virtual revolution in high-speed undersea data
collection and transmission.” Read More
Gizmag travelled to Phillip Island, Australia for
Yamaha's unveiling of the new Super Tenere 1200 adventure motorcycle -
one of the world's first chances to take a look at this highly
anticipated challenger to BMW's R1200GS. Check out the video after the
jump, as we talk you through the bike's features and specs. Read More
Solid state drives (SSDs) should - theoretically -
offer energy savings compared to the conventional platter-based
variety. They have no moving parts and don’t require the battery
draining spinning of platters that leads to excessive heat generation.
But researchers have found that random thermal fluctuations in magnetic
memory can be harnessed to reduce the energy required to store
information on these drives, offering the prospect of magnetic-based
computer memory that operates at significantly lower power than
platter-based HDDs. Read More
One of the most promising applications in the emerging field of nanomedicine is cancer treatment.
The ability to target individual cells provides safer and more
effective treatment than current approaches like chemotherapy in which
healthy cells become collateral damage in the effort to knock out
cancerous tumors. This potential has again been demonstrated by
scientists at Rice University who have developed a way to "blow up"
individual diseased cells using lasers and gold nanoparticles. Read More
The Pet Pooch Power System is a clever, cordless
vacuum cleaner that deals with your dog’s mess. Its long handle means
you won’t have to bend down to scoop up the waste and once collected,
it’s deposited neatly into a biodegradable plastic bag for easy
disposal. Read More
The trickle down effect has hit Western Digital’s
2.5-inch Passport external drives in the form of an e-paper display.
Customizable always-on e-label smart displays were already available in
some of Western Digital’s 3.5-inch external drives, such as the My Book
Studio, and have now appeared on the company’s new My Passport Studio
portable drive that also features a sleek brushed aluminum appearance
and FireWire 800 to complement the standard USB 2.0 interface. Read More
Guitarists are bound to suffer the occasional
spot of memory loss given the volumes of material they're expected to
remember. Those new to the instrument often have problems keeping up
with all those bothersome chord and key changes. Happily, there is
shortly to be a product released which can help with both issues. The
i-Tab can be mounted on the guitar's headstock or on a mic stand or
cabled up to a TV and will run through the song while you play, acting
as a aide memoire when you find yourself drawing a blank or as a
learning tool for new or unfamiliar songs. Read More
Most of the time people don’t really take notice
of how much power they’re using because the information isn’t readily
available or easy to understand, which is where smart meters
come in. They provide users with up-to-date information about how much
power is being consumed and how much it is costing, thereby providing
the information needed to cut energy usage and save money. Software
currently being developed will make smart meters even smarter and help
consumers make even bigger savings. Read More
Lenovo recently announced half a dozen new
upgrades and additions to its "Think" line, including a smart tablet for
business users, a speedy ultraportable laptop, a cut-price server and a
new version of its "screen and a half" notebook first seen in 2008.
With a lot of interest in dual-screen laptops recently, has Lenovo
seized the opportunity to lead the field? Read More
Set to debut at the 80th International Geneva
Motor Show, the Lotus Evora 414E concept is a hybrid plug-in technology
demonstrator that uses a 1.2 liter, three-cylinder engine and
independent electric motors for each of the rear wheels. The result is
0-60 mph (97 kph) in under 4 seconds and power output of 414 PS (306
kW). The claimed range of over 300 miles (483 km) and glass engine cover
are also impressive, but one of the most interesting aspects of the car
is its sound system. To address concerns about pedestrian safety raised
by the arrival of near silent EVs and hybrids, Lotus has worked with
Harman International to develop "HALOsonic", a "noise solution" that
works externally to alert pedestrians and internally to give you the fun
of real engine sounds. Read More
Weigh To Go helps travelers avoid excess baggage costs
By Darren Quick
February 28, 2010
Now more than ever airlines are charging hefty
penalties for baggage that exceeds the specified weight limit. Weigh To
Go is a combination luggage tag/weighing scale that is designed to help
globetrotters avoid overweight baggage fees. The compact device attaches
to the luggage handle and displays the luggage weight on its small
display. Read More
Praxtour indoor racing bike brings out your inner Lance Armstrong
By Jeff Salton
February 28, 2010
Many of us will have seen spinning classes at
gyms where cyclists pedal imaginary routes up and down mountain trails
and along city paths while looking at a screen. Dutch company Praxtour
believes its virtual biking experience for professional is a cut above,
offering ergonomically-correct training bikes that traverse real time
simulated routes that test even the fittest athlete. An onboard computer
logs all the relevant training data, and resistance and natural scenery
are adapted to how much effort cyclists are putting in. It's probably
the closest thing most riders will get to competing in the Tour de
France without being part of the peleton. Read More
Portable navigation company Mio has announced a
new product at CeBIT 2010 which is set to further blur the boundaries
between GPS navigation, entertainment and Internet devices - the Mio
Moov V780. Not only will users be able to find their way around but with
the flick of a finger they'll be able to scroll through photos, watch
high definition videos or play their favorite music. There's even the
option to view digital TV thanks to an integrated receiver. Read More
Krunk removable surfboard fins - no tools required
By Jeff Salton
March 2, 2010
According to Gerhard Tevini from Krunk Surfing in
Austria, surfers know the scenario all too well – the fins of your
surfboard have to be screwed off when traveling or on the way to the
waves. You hear the surf conditions are ideal so you race to the beach
only to discover that you can’t find your screwdriver to attach your
fins. Everyone else is in the water enjoying the best surf in a long
time while you sit on the beach. So Tevini – with his engineering
background – set about creating the Krunk Fin System (KFS), a tool-less
system for attaching fins to a board. Read More
Renault took the wraps off a ripping pocket
rocket at the Geneva Motor Show - just 3.83 meters long, the WIND
transforms from coupé to roadster in 12 seconds, offering a sports car
that’s practical enough for everyday use as it has a generous 270 dm3
VDA of boot space that is unaffected by the position of the roof. The
Renault Wind will go on sale in Europe this summer with a choice of a
133 horsepower 16-valve 1.6 liter or a 100-horsepower 1.2-liter
turbocharged engine. Read More
Last year Japanese company ZMP Inc delivered a
1/10 scale robot vehicle, the RoboCar, for use in researching autonomous
movement. The car was equipped with features like stereo cameras with
image recognition, WiFi communication, and a gyro sensor to name just a
few. Now ZMP is stepping it up a notch pushing out the RoboCar G, which
unlike its little brother you can actually ride. Read More
We’ve seen bikes with frames made out of aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, and even IsoTruss tubes, but bamboo? Well yes, actually, we saw some here in Gizmag just last May. Back then, we were looking at some fairly basic city bikes
built by Brazilian designer Flavio Deslandes. This time around the
bamboo bikes are decidedly higher-end creations, built by Californian
designer Craig Calfee, of Calfee Design. Although these bikes are
definitely high-end, he’s also working on using bamboo to provide
employment and cheap transportation for the people of Ghana. Read More
French consumer electronics company Archos has
revealed two new additions to its web-enabled multimedia range which are
aimed for use in the home. The Archos 7 and the Archos 8 Home Tablets
both run on Android and are powered by ARM 9 processors. The former is
designed to be of use when a phone's screen is too small but a laptop
just too cumbersome and the latter, having a thick bezel surround, is
geared towards those who want more from their digital photo frames. Read More
Sometimes a laptop just won’t cut it when taking
notes - particularly when jotting down diagrams or hastily scribbling
sketches. Enter the CyberPad A4 from Adesso that converts your
handwritten notes and graphics into usable digital information. Through
the use of the bundled software (Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 for
Windows and 6.0 for Mac OS X), Adesso says it is the only solution that
links handwriting and graphics to the PC, providing a digital
reproduction for future reference. Read More
At first glance it might look a bit like an
elongated pedal car for kids, but its designers are convinced the
HumanCar Imagine PS is a serious player in the search for cleaner,
greener ways to get around. The vehicle converts the rowing motion of
the driver and any passengers into rotational thrust to charge a battery
and power the vehicle in conjunction with an electric motor. So not
only is it healthy for the planet – it is healthy for the occupants too.
And as an added bonus the vehicle can also be used store energy and act
as a backup power generator to provide electricity to the home. Read More
Gizmag recently took part in a virtual round
table with futurist Dr James Canton and prosthetics expert Randall Alley
to look at the role robots - particularly surrogate robots - will play
in mankind’s future. The fascinating discussion ranged from the
technology itself through to security issues and ethics surrounding the
implementation of surrogate robots in our future societies. So when will you be able to send your robotic surrogate-self to the shop for a loaf of bread while you relax in front of the TV? Read More
One thing about soccer that makes it an enjoyable
game for just about any participant is that the round soccer ball is
fairly predictable in the way it behaves when it’s kicked, passed,
headed, thrown, rolled, etc. But how do you sharpen your reflexes,
interception and dribbling skills when you’ve mastered how the round
ball reacts? Unless you want to play on a rock-infested pitch (not good
for your joints or equipment) a new Corpus training ball from
Rasenreicht might be the new training partner you need. Read More
Citroen says it has completely reinterpreted the
idea of a small car by producing the Survolt concept – an electric
vehicle that fits the size parameters of a small car but not the two-box
look of a hatchback. Speaking at the Geneva International Motor Show
this week, the company says its supermini is unconventional,
aggressive, exciting and vibrant and is what the small car sector has
been looking for. Read More
Philips has unveiled its latest 7000, 8000 and
9000 Series TVs for 2010. Although the series offer varying degrees of
technological goodness they do share some things in common. All the new
sets employ LEDs for improved energy efficiency and contrast ratios,
plus a version of Philips’ Ambilight Spectra that projects ambient light
onto the wall behind the TV to match the dominant color onscreen. Also
common across the series is Net TV for accessing Video on Demand content
on the Internet. Read More
In terms of teaching secondary students relevant
and very useful life skills, there could be no better investment at
every secondary school than Honda’s all-new automobile driving
simulator. Honda has been developing bicycle, motorcycle
and car driving simulators solely for the purpose of traffic safety
education for almost a decade, and the this model is completely new from
the ground up, designed specifically to enhance the ability of driver
trainees to recognize, understand and appropriately react to potential
risks. In a world where becoming part of the road toll is a daily risk
we all share, one wonders at just how many lives a US$66,000 machine
like this might save? Read More
Researchers at UC Davis have manufactured a
device that can convert light pulses into electronic signals and back
that is up to 10,000 times faster than existing technologies, leading
the way to ultrafast, high-capacity telecommunication and advanced
three-dimensional imaging systems. Read More
The equipment used for table tennis is so basic,
you would think there was no way of streamlining it further... There’s a
table, a net, a ball and two bare-bones paddles - what could you
possibly get rid of? As it turns out, those paddles don’t really need
their handles. And according to the makers of Brodmann Blades,
eliminating the handle and sticking your hand inside the paddle will make you a better player. Read More
Look! Down on the lake … is it a boat, a plane … it's neither. It’s the “hoverwing”, a hovercraft
that flies. New Zealand mechanic Rudy Heeman spent more than 11 years
of his spare time (and tens of thousands of dollars) building the
hoverwing, a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle
that flies on a cushion of pressurized air created between the wing and
the water's surface. Hoverwing can reach an optimum height is 1.5m
(4-5ft) above the water and has a current top speed of 98kmh (61mph).
Read More
Consumer cameras continue to shrink and now Sanyo
has laid claim to the title of the world's smallest, thinnest and
lightest Full HD consumer video camera with its new VPC-CS1. The camera
is part of Sanyo’s Xacti line
that includes a range of Dual cameras for capturing both video and
still images. With its body measuring just 1.06-inches (2.7cm) thick the
VPC-CS1 is slim enough to stick in your jeans pocket to ensure you’ll
have a camera on hand to capture those unexpected video-worthy moments
in glorious Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. Read More
TricorBraun’s Oil Only Spray System is a new way
to dispense pure cooking oil by using air rather than a propellant. It
uses a special valve system and a unique actuator that is capable of
atomizing 100% pure oil without the need for additives. So you still get
all the benefits of a cooking oil spray without any unwanted chemicals.
Read More
Ferrari has announced at the Geneva Motor Show that its California
model is set to become the first supercar to offer the fuel and
emissions-saving "Stop&Start" engine system. This cuts fuel
consumption by six percent and reduces carbon dioxide emissions to
280g/km - a figure Ferrari says is less than some family cars currently
on the road. The company has also unveiled a concept hybrid - the
HY-KERS based on its 599 GTB Fiorano model. Read More
One of the best-known names in guitars, Gibson,
has released a free iPhone download – the Gibson Guitar App. The App
includes a standard metronome, a versatile tuner, chord charts and
access to video lessons. Read More
Just unwrapped at Geneva is this extraordinary
Porsche 918 Spyder concept car, a mid-engined two-seater combining
supercar performance with just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre emissions and a
fuel consumption of 3.0 litres/100 kilometres (94 mpg imp). Under those
curvaceous lines hides a 500 bhp V8 plus three electric motors
totalling 215 bhp offering a wickedly fast 0-100 km/h time of 3.2
seconds, a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) and it's already done a lap
of the Nordschleife Nurburgring circuit under 7:30 minutes, which is
faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT. Buyers will be queued up around
the block if (or more likely, when) this goes into production. Read More
Zero Motorcycles 2010 line-up packs extra punch
By Darren Quick
March 3, 2010
Things seem to be going well for US-based
electric motorcycle company Zero Motorcycles which has debuted its 2010
lineup consisting of four new bikes at Daytona Bike Week. The new Zero
S, DS, X and MX are equipped with performance enhancements that allow
for higher top speeds and greater acceleration than earlier models and feature enhanced power pack technology. Read More
Five years ago we reported on an ambitious project being undertaken by PlanetSolar
to build a boat capable of traveling around the world using renewable
energy. This dream is now being realized - in a very BIG way. Recently
unveiled at the HDW shipyard in Kiel, the world's largest solar-powered
boat is 31 metres long, 15 metres wide and 7.5 metres high with a
radical multi-hull design that incorporates a massive photovoltaic solar
panel array covering 500m2. Read More
Developed in collaboration with professor Kazuo
Kawasaki, Minebea's new line of input devices are some of the slickest
you'll ever see. Their Cool Leaf series, which includes a keyboard, a
remote control, and a calculator, features flat acrylic mirrored
surfaces with a capacitive touch panel. When turned on the devices
display a backlit input interface, but when turned off the surface looks
just like a regular mirror. Read More
Intel has previewed the latest iteration of its classmate PC which features a convertible clamshell design. As part of the Intel Learning Series
these low-cost PC’s are built to withstand the rigors of school use
while providing educational opportunities to children in developing
countries. Read More
Tesla Motors has rolled put a one-of-a-kind TAG Heuer Roadster
at the Geneva Motor Show. The Roadster's makeover references the red
and green of the TAG logo in its predominately gray exterior and on the
inside, the design by Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen includes
a center console tailored to house a soon to be unveiled TAG concept
watch. Read More
Some people may find it hard to believe but yes,
home phones do still exist. Sure they haven’t undergone the massive
technological advances we've seen in mobile phones in the past decade
but Motorola is looking to make up some ground with one of the first
Android-powered home phones to hit the market - the Motorola HS1001.
Running Android v1.6 the cordless handset features a 2.8-inch
touchscreen with virtual keypad and allows users to surf the web and
check email via a Wi-Fi connection to a home network. Read More
Wireless Catcher converts WiFi signals into music
By Rick Martin
March 3, 2010
Ok well maybe it isn't quite music, but it
certainly sounds interesting. Created by Yoshi Akai, the Wireless
Catcher is a sort of analog synthesizer
that detects nearby WiFi signals and outputs a sound that varies
according to the strength and direction of that signal. It's almost
reminiscent of a theremin in how it created tones without any visible
vibration or physical contact. Read More
Waste-to-Biofuels plant to make gas from garbage
By Ben Coxworth
March 3, 2010
If you’re a fan of the original Back to the Future
movie, then you probably liked the scene at the end where Doc Brown
used some random household waste to fuel his time-traveling deLorean.
Well, we’re now getting a little bit closer to that being a reality...
sort of. While practical flying cars, time travel and cold fusion are
still a ways off, the ability to power your car with garbage isn’t.
Canadian biofuels firm Enerkem is currently working with the city of
Edmonton, Alberta, to convert that city’s municipal waste into ethanol.
This will lower the city’s greenhouse gas output, keep much of its waste
out of the landfill, and produce a “clean” fuel Doc Brown would be
proud of. Read More
Solid State Drives (SSD) have many advantages
over more familiar Hard Disk Drives (HDD) including low power
consumption, silent running and resistance to shock damage but it's when
read/write speeds are compared that HDDs get blown out of the water.
The Team Group has equipped its new Xtreem-S1 SSD with a SandForce
processor to offer the user read speeds of 270Mb/sec and write of
260Mb/sec. Read More
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