LECTRONICS
A facial recognition door entry access system
that also keeps records of people coming and going could be the one
accessory your high-tech home is missing. Or it could be that you run a
business say, without a receptionist, and you want to keep track of
employees’ movements in and out of the front door. With this device you
can even keep out those pesky door-to-door salespeople. The Hanvon
CVJB-G107 Face Recognition Time Attendance System and Access Door Lock
from electronics wholesaler Chinavasion is a cheap solution (under
US$500) and lets you program who gets in and out of your business or
home. Read More
The downside of nanotech: do tiny particles spell big trouble?
By Darren Quick
December 14, 2009
We talk a lot about the wonders of nanotechnology
here at Gizmag. After all it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement
surround the technology when it promises to revolutionize practically
every area of human endeavor. Among its long list of anticipated
benefits are new medical treatments; stronger, lighter materials; improved energy production, storage and transmission; and more effective pollution monitoring
and prevention, just to name a few. But nanotechnology is not just
something set to come about in some far off future – it is happening
now. In fact, the odds are there is a product either containing, or made
using nanoparticles sitting in your house right now. But the big
question is, are they safe? Read More
Rather than using e-paper technology just for
displays, the research arm of Dutch technology company Philips
Electronics has developed a relatively cheap, light, thin and energy
efficient means of turning the whole of the surface of a device into a
digital canvas. E-skin technology could be used to change the color of a
mobile phone when a call comes in, alter the appearance of a kettle
when the water is boiling or even be applied to wallpaper so you can
redecorate your room at the flick of a switch. Read More
The SWAT BOT is what you get when you cross a
paintball gun and pepper spray with a remote-controlled RV whose parents
were a laptop computer and the Road Runner. Designed for law
enforcement situations like riot control, hostage scenarios, building
security, bomb threats or other hostile or covert situations, this
all-aluminum, lithium polymer battery powered unmanned ground vehicle
(UGV) is equipped with a 100-round magazine, wireless barrel-cam and can
fire paint and pepper balls or hardened rubber rounds up to 250ft at a
rate of 20 shots per second as well as travel at speeds in excess of
50mph. Read More
Honda’s new US$900, 110cc, 164mpg CB Twister
By Gizmag Team
December 14, 2009
One of the most important motorcycle launches of
the year happened on Friday though you’re unlikely to read about it in
any of the testosterone-infused websites – it was the Indian unveiling
of Honda’s new fuel-efficient and low maintenance 110cc motorcycle
model, the CB Twister. Honda sells a million motorcycles a year in
India, and next year expects to sell 220,000 Twisters, based on its
similar looks to the company’s CBR1000RR flagship, its low maintenance
and its outrageous fuel economy (164 U.S. mpg and 197 U.K. mpg) and a
price of just US$900. Read More
The Bulbdial Clock is an electronic take on our
oldest way of telling time - the sundial. Instead of relying on shadows
cast by the sun, this timepiece features three layers of colored LEDs
that rotate around the clock face, casting shadows to represent the
hour, minutes and seconds. Read More
Gizmag has written a few pieces about the forthcoming Volvo S60
which is due to be released in 2010. In this installment we look at the
newly-developed pedestrian alert system being incorporated into the
stylish sedan. So, put aside your thoughts on the sleek
Scandanavian-inspired lines, the visionary interior, the comfort and
power - which has been described by Volvo as “a thrilling blend of drama
and sensuality” - and delve into the realm of safety for those in and
around the vehicle. Read More
Gestural interfaces make touch screens look so ‘last year’
By Jeff Salton
December 13, 2009
The gestural interface used by Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report
was based on work by MIT Media Lab’s Hiroshi Ishii, who has already
commercialized similar large-scale gestural interface systems. However,
such systems comprise many expensive cameras or require the user to wear
tracking devices on their fingers. To develop a similar yet cost
effective gestural interface system that is within reach of many more
people other researchers at MIT have instead been working to develop
screens with embedded optical sensors to track the movement of the
user’s fingers that could quickly make touch screens seem outdated. Read More
Recognizing there’s now a sense of urgency in
saving the planet, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) will pilot a program to accelerate the examination of
certain “green” technology patent applications. According to the USPTO
the move is designed to “accelerate development and deployment of green
technology, create green jobs, and promote U.S. competitiveness in this
vital sector.” Read More
REX - robotic beast of burden hits the market
By Mike Hanlon
December 13, 2009
The military potential of robotics has long been
one of the primary driving forces in the funding of research and
development in the field. Aerial UAVs transformed armed conflict so
dramatically that a new wave of robotic military capabilities are being
readied for the battlefield in the hope of providing a similar
competitive edge. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recently began
showing a battery-powered robotic beast of burden which can carry up to
200 kilograms, run three days without a recharge, and follow and respond
to the voice commands of its master. Though designed for use on the
battlefield, REX has myriad commercial applications in agriculture,
manufacturing, and beyond. Read More
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