Neutrino observatory under Antarctic ice nearing completion
By Ben Coxworth
September 1, 2010
After two decades of planning, the world’s first
kilometer-scale neutrino observatory should finally be completed by this
December. Named IceCube, it will consist of an array of 5,160 optical
sensors embedded within one cubic kilometer of the Antarctic ice shelf –
to put the accomplishment in perspective, one of the next-largest such
observatories is just 40 cubic meters in size. Its main purpose will be
to try to establish, once and for all, the source of cosmic rays. Read More
Apple updates iPod lineup and adds social networking to iTunes
By Darren Quick
September 1, 2010
Apple’s September 1 event saw the announcement of updates to the entire iPod line with the sole exception of the iPod Classic. The iPod touch
gains the same high resolution Retina display and A4 chip found on the
iPhone 4, along with FaceTime video calling, HD video recording, 3-axis
gyro and iOS 4.1, all packed into a new slimmer, lighter form factor.
There’s also a completely redesigned square-shaped iPod nano with a multi-touch interface and a redesigned iPod shuffle that sees the reintroduction of clickable “ring” buttons. Read More
Einstein's prediction finally witnessed one century later
September 1, 2010
Einstein said it couldn't be done. But more than
one hundred years later physicists at the University of Texas at Austin
have finally found a way to witness “Brownian motion”; the instantaneous
velocity of tiny particles as they vibrate. The “equipartition theorem”
states that a particle's kinetic energy, that due to motion, is
determined only by its temperature and not its size or mass, and in 1907
Einstein proposed a test to observe the velocity of Brownian motion but
gave up, saying the experiment would never be possible – not so. Read More
Smaller, lighter NuVinci bicycle transmission revealed
By Ben Coxworth
September 1, 2010
Three years ago, Fallbrook Technologies introduced its NuVinci Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) N170 transmission for bicycles.
The device created something of a stir in the cycling community, as it
replaces traditional derailleurs with a rear hub containing metal
spheres, plus it also replaces distinct gears with a continuously
variable system of transmitting mechanical power – kind of like
comparing a three-setting desk lamp to one with a dimmer switch. Riders
can change gears even when not pedaling, they don’t need to worry about
improper chainring/cog combinations, and the fiddly bits aren’t out in
the open where the dirt can get at them. The N170 is heavier than a
conventional derailleur system, which is why you don’t see it much on
bikes other than cruisers. That could change, however, with this
Wednesday’s announcement of the NuVinci N360 transmission. Fallbrook
claims it has all the good points of the N170, but is 30 percent lighter
and 17 percent smaller. Read More
Apple unveils new slimmed down, streaming-focused Apple TV
By Darren Quick
September 1, 2010
The “one more thing” at Apple’s September 1 event
was an updated Apple TV. Apple has certainly cranked up the ol’ shrink
ray for a form factor that is 80 percent smaller than the previous
generation. The rumored addition
of apps didn’t eventuate nor did the rebranding to “iTV” but, as
predicted, the update sees the device sporting an A4 chip and it will
only be able to handle a maximum resolution of 720p. Because the new
Apple TV does away with local storage altogether in favor of cloud-based
storage and streaming of content, Apple says the choice of 720p was
more a balance between quality and bandwidth than any rumored
difficulties the A4 chip may have with Full HD content. Read More
Innergie's super compact mCube Slim universal power adapter
By Mike Hanlon
September 1, 2010
Power supplies are the bane of the regular
business traveler. They're all different, heavy and if you have a few
electronic items in your kit, they clutter your baggage and eat heavily
into your increasingly stringently-policed baggage allowance. Innergie
showed a new addition to its range of mCube universal adapters at IFA
today which goes a long way to overcoming all these problems. The mCube
slim weighs just 150g, is smaller than an iPhone, can charge two
devices simultaneously, fits all common notebooks and will charge almost
every other portable device. Read More
Ford unveils first-ever Police Interceptor SUV for North America
By Ben Coxworth
September 1, 2010
Ford Motor Company has revealed its new Police Interceptor utility. The SUV, along with the new Taurus-based Interceptor sedan
that Ford unveiled earlier this year, will replace the Crown Victoria
Interceptor sedan when it ceases production in late 2011. The utility
reportedly gets at least 20 percent better fuel economy than the Crown
Vic, and sports a variety of other features that Ford hopes will make it
the vehicle of choice for car-shopping police forces. Read More
ARCHOS announces five new Android tablet computers
By Paul Ridden
September 1, 2010
Apple has pretty much defined what many of us now
consider to be a tablet computer. When the term is used, we
automatically think of a 9.56 x 7.47-inch (242.8 x 189.7mm) iPad. Now,
French consumer electronics company Archos is about to have us question
that perception with the announcement of five new internet tablets with
screen sizes ranging from 2.8-inches (71mm) diagonally across to
10.1-inches (257mm). The new devices will all run on Android 2.2 (Froyo)
with support for Adobe's Flash 10.1 player, be powered by either 800MHz
or 1GHz processors and sport built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Read More
One of the biggest challenges in creating a
better light-emitting diode (LED) is the search for a way to efficiently
extract the light generated in the semiconductor device into the
surrounding air, while avoiding the internal light reflection that is
cause for a considerable waste of energy. A team of Japanese researchers
have recently managed to achieve just that, in what is believed to be a
huge step toward significantly more energy-efficient LEDs. Read More
Miele has announced its new smart grid ready domestic appliances at IFA 2010.
These appliances have been designed to start automatically when
electricity is cheapest, offering consumers energy savings. The first
two appliances featuring smart-grid functionality will be a washing
machine and a tumble dryer. The models can also be fitted with Miele’s
gateway communication module, providing access to the appliances through
a PC and the ability to monitor electricity rates. Read More
Somewhere between what we've come to know as a
tablet computer and a smartphone sits ViewSonic's new Viewpad 7. You
might already guess from the name that this portable tablet with phone
functionality sports a 7-inch touchscreen display. It runs on Android
2.2, has both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, and cameras at the back and
front. The device is currently on show at ViewSonic's stand at IFA 2010 in Berlin, but for those not lucky enough to be in Germany this week, here's a brief summary of what's on offer. Read More
Scientists from the Georgia Institute of
Technology have documented a major breakthrough in the production of
nanocircuitry on graphene, a material that many envision as the
successor of silicon for our electronics needs. Using thermochemical
nanolithography (TCNL), the team found that the electrical properties of
reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be easily tuned to reliably produce
nanoscale circuits in a single, quick step. Read More
Reducing your power bill with Microsoft's Hohm
September 2, 2010
For a lot of people, the electricity bill is an
unwanted piece of paper printed with angular graphs and big dollar
signs, but with the rising cost of power in today's energy-conscious
society it's becoming more important to understand exactly what all
those lines and numbers mean. Microsoft's Hohm website aims to make
sense of the jargon by providing personalized data on consumers' home
energy consumption, and offering recommendations on how to save energy
and reduce those bills. Read More
Tuner manufacturing veteran Peterson
Electro-Musical Products has been helping musicians keep their
instruments in check since 1948, and introduced the first true bypass
strobe tuner in 2004. Responding to requests from players for a snap-on
tuner, the company has announced the StroboClip. The handy tuner
benefits from 0.1 cent accuracy, exclusive presets for a variety of
stringed and non-stringed instruments, a sturdy, road-friendly design
and a pivoted clear screen that makes for easy viewing. Read More
Eye-controlled earphones let you pick up phone calls with a glance
September 2, 2010
The Japanese wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo has
recently developed and demonstrated a peculiar pair of headphones that
can precisely detect a user's eye movements without a camera, and use
those movements to control electronic devices such as mobile phones and
portable music players. DoCoMo started working on this idea back in 2008
by adapting an electrooculogram (EOG), a medical device used for
measuring eye response, to their purposes. An EOG works on the principle
that the human cornea has a positive electrical charge. As the user
looks to the left or right, the charge shifts in the space between the
user's ears – a change that can be easily detected by appropriate
sensors. Read More
Since introducing its eneloop
rechargeable battery technology in 2005, Sanyo is reported to have
shipped over 130 million cells. Now the company has announced some new
additions to its eneloop universe series which provide a power boost to a
host of mobile devices including Apple's iPad, Sony's Xperia smartphone
and Nintendo's DS series portable gaming devices. Read More
Apple has defined the market for tablet computers with its iPad
and every new release since has inevitably drawn the question – is this
an iPad killer? By the looks of things, Samsung's first tablet offering
– the Galaxy Tab – could well be. The device trumps its rival on three
key points. It's significantly smaller, lighter and more portable, it
includes a camera and it works as a phone. We got our hands on the
Galaxy Tab during the official launch at IFA today. Read More
Amongst the plethora of displays out to tempt our eyeballs at IFA 2010
in Berlin were some nice looking new release plasmas from Panasonic.
There was the 42-inch TX-P42GT20 that marks the addition of yet another
series to the company’s 3D VIERA line-up, along with two new 3D plasmas
to join its high-end VT20 series. The new 42-inch and 46-inch models,
the TX-P46VT20 and TX-P42VT20, sees the VT20 line-up expand to cover the
gamut of 42- to 65-inch screen sizes. The new 42-inch models also mark a
world first for 3D plasmas. Read More
James Bond, Evelyn Salt, Jason Bourne... One
thing you'll notice about all secret agents (at least, the ones worthy
of Hollywood franchise love) is that if they need to get the hell outta
Dodge, ANY vehicle will do. These super-spies are just as comfortable
behind the controls of a jet plane, a submarine, a tank or a jetpack as
you or I are cruising around in an automatic car. Why let them have all
the fun? Here's a 5-minute hi-def primer on the basics of flying a
helicopter, so you'll know what you're doing next time you 'jack an
Apache. Read More
Sony continued to build out its entire 3D
ecosystem at IFA in Berlin last evening when it showed a number of new
3D capable devices, including plans for a 3D IPTV network, a new 3D Home
Projector (VPL-VW90ES) and three new network-capable, 3D-ready AV
receivers. The biggest hoohah from the media though was undoubtedly a 3D
VAIO laptop prototype which will become available in spring 2011, only
six months from now. Read More
Cancer is an insidious disease, paying no heed to
when, where or whom it might strike. But scientists continue to wage a
war against it, hoping to claim the ultimate prize – a cure. Latest
research from chemists at the University of Florida suggests a new
technique using near infrared light could help scientists to view and
photograph lysosomes – sac-like structures within cells – that are
linked to cancer and other diseases. Read More
End-stage renal disease, or chronic kidney
failure, affects more than 500,000 people per year in the U.S. alone,
and currently is only fully treated with a kidney transplant. That
number has been rising between five to seven percent per year and with
just 17,000 donated kidneys available for transplant last year the
waiting list currently exceeds 85,000, according to the Organ
Procurement and Transplant Network. Those who can’t secure a kidney for
transplant are left reliant on kidney dialysis. An expensive and time
consuming process that typically requires three sessions per week, for
three to five hours per session, in which blood is pumped through an
external circuit for filtration. In a development that could one day
eliminate the need for dialysis, researchers have unveiled a prototype
model of the first implantable artificial kidney. Read More
One of the downsides of the lithium-ion battery systems used in electric vehicles
is that their performance, reliability, safety and durability can be
negatively affected by extreme temperatures. When the all-new Ford Focus
Electric debuts later this year in the U.S. it will be powered by a
lithium-ion battery – no news there. What is interesting, however, is
that the battery system will use cooled and heated liquid to regulate
battery temperature, which should extend battery life and maximize
driving range. Read More
Are you the sort of person who loves touch screen
technology but yearns for the mechanical feel and security of a real
keyboard? You may be interested to hear that Toshiba’s Libretto w100
dual touch-screen mini notebook will be the first device to hit the
market that incorporates Immersion Corporation’s TouchSense 2500
solution that provides touch feedback effects when hitting keys. The
haptic effects help to minimize the chance of mis-keying, provide
immediate tactile response and allow you to get all touchy and feely at
the same time. Read More
Burning Man, the popular desert music festival,
is this year featuring a free, solar powered cellular network for the
duration of the festival which winds up on Monday. The open source
software, OpenBTS (Open Base Transceiver Station) is a low-cost
replacement for traditional cell networks. It allows mobile phones to
connect to each other if they're all within range of the transceiver, or
to connect with any other phones with Internet connection. It utilizes a
Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) to create a GSM air
interface on any standard GSM mobile phone. The founders of Burning Man,
which began this week in Black Rock City, Nevada, have decided to trial
the system by allowing the 50,000 or so attendees free access to the
network. Read More
New tech allows 'memory materials' to store multiple memorized shapes
By Ben Coxworth
September 2, 2010
They’re known as smart materials, memory
materials or shape memory alloys, but it all boils down to the same
thing: materials that hold one shape, but then take on another at a
certain temperature. Such substances have been around for decades, but
now researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo have taken them to a
new level. Using a patent-pending process, they can embed multiple shape
memories in one object – in other words, while memory materials can
presently take on only two shapes, going from one to the other at just
one temperature, using the new process they could take on several shapes
at several temperatures. The Multiple Memory Material Technology (MMMT)
is said to work with virtually any memory material. Read More
The Rydeen GCOM701 tablet/GPS navigation hybrid device
September 2, 2010
Integrated silicon solutions company, Marvell
along with Rydeen Mobile Electronics have announced the Rydeen GCOM701, a
new Android™
tablet. The GCOM701 features built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth
capability, removable memory, a front-facing camera and easy
connectivity for jump drives, along with an internal microphone and
speaker, enabling the use of Internet-based communications services such
as Skype. A 7 inch TFT touch panel with 800x480 pixel resolution, which
also provides ability to surf the web, read e-books and view photos or
videos. Whilst on the road, the GCOM701 functions as a portable
navigation device, including four million points of interest. The 7.4
volt battery provides considerable standby time and 6 hours of
operational time. Read More
Two years ago, Chinese scientists coated one side
of a flag with a thin sheet of nanotubes, then played a song using the
flapping sheet-coated flag as a speaker. It was a demonstration of
flexible speaker technology, in which nanotubes can be made to generate
sound waves via a thermoacoustic effect – every time an electrical pulse
is sent through the microscopic layer of nanotubes, it causes the air
around them to heat up, which in turn creates a sound wave. Now, an
American scientist has taken that technology underwater, where he claims
it could allow submariners to detect other submarines, and to remain
hidden themselves. Read More
Samsung's tilting lens full HD camcorder saves aching arms
By Darren Quick
September 2, 2010
Tilting LCD screens that let users keep an eye on
the action when holding a camcorder up high or down low are pretty much
standard nowadays, but they don’t help reduce the arm and wrist fatigue
that results when holding the device in such positions. The new HMX-T10
camcorder unveiled by Samsung at IFA 2010
does, however, by featuring a Slanted lens that tilts 20 degrees to
allow users to keep their desired subject in frame, while holding the
camera in a more comfortable position. Read More
Philips debuts the Airfryer – crispy fries without the fat
By Ben Coxworth
September 2, 2010
Fried food without oil... is such a thing possible? According to Philips electronics, the answer is yes. Philips recently unveiled their Airfryer at the IFA consumer electronics show
in Berlin, where we were on hand to check the device out. It’s still
early to be making any sweeping statements, but this product could have a huge impact on the developed world’s obesity epidemic. Read More
Not so long ago, Sony took its original Bloggie
pocket video camera and placed a 270 degrees swivel lens at the top that
was said to cater for those spontaneous moments. Now the next
generation of Bloggie has been revealed and the swivel lens has gone. In
its place is a fixed F2.8 wide angle, auto-focus lens with 4x digital
zoom. The new MHS-TS20 and MHS-TS10 Bloggie Touch pocket camcorders have
a 3-inch touchscreen display, can shoot up to full 1080p high
definition video and are capable of snapping 12.8 megapixel still
images. Read More
Soladey Ionic toothbrush heads for new markets
By Ben Coxworth
September 4, 2010
In Japan and much of Europe, the Soladey
toothbrush is nothing new. It was invented 20 years ago, and is
currently used by over 16 million people – you may now pause to make a
joke about 16 million people all using the same toothbrush. Just
recently, however, it has become available in the U.K., U.S. and Canada.
What makes it special is the fact that it uses nothing but light and
water to clean your teeth. Read More
Miniature auto differential created for tiny flying robots
By Ben Coxworth
September 3, 2010
Micro Air Vehicles
(MAVs) are in development at various research institutes and aerospace
firms worldwide, with an eye toward someday being used in applications
such as search and rescue operations, environmental monitoring, or
exploration of hazardous environments... or spying, as seems to be the
case with all things micro. Like insects, many of these MAVs fly by
flapping a set of wings, so they need to be designed to cope with
crosswinds or potential wing damage. Engineers at Harvard University
have created a tiny automobile-style differential, to keep the two
wings generating the same amount of torque. The device is literally one one-millionth the size of what you’d find in your car. Read More
In an effort to explore what is perhaps the last
salient region of our solar system yet to be visited by a spacecraft,
NASA has announced Solar Probe Plus, a mission that will launch a probe
directly into the sun's atmosphere. The mission will seek to answer some
of the outstanding questions about the nature of our very own star,
while helping to understand and forecast the radiation environment in
which future space explorers will be living and operating. Read More
UK's Royal Mail brings the postage stamp into the 21st Century
By Paul Ridden
September 3, 2010
Nestled amongst a set of postage stamps
celebrating Great British Railways is a world's first. The UK's Royal
Mail calls it an "intelligent stamp" and pointing a smartphone camera at
it delivers exclusive online content to the screen. The first piece of
enhanced content features a special poetry reading by actor Bernard
Cribbins. Read More
When Gizmag paid a visit to the Paris Green Air Show
in June, there was one craft on display that seemed to steal the show.
The Green Cri aerobatic electric airplane hadn't even left terra firma,
yet was surrounded by eager onlookers for much of the time it was there.
Now the four-engined prototype has returned to Le Bourget airfield for
its maiden flight in the sunny skies above Paris. Read More
Toshiba unveils Folio 100 media tablet at IFA
By Paul Ridden
September 3, 2010
Toshiba Europe has chosen the IFA consumer electronics show
to unveil its 10.1-inch Android media tablet powered by NVIDIA's Tegra
II processor. The Folio 100 features an onboard camera, Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth (with a 3G model in the pipeline) and a HDMI port for viewing
content on a big screen television. The company has also announced the
development of an one-stop portal to access and share online content
over numerous device formats. We couldn't resist the opportunity to take
a closer look. Read More
Adopting a new, highly automated and reconfigurable approach to hardware acceleration, researchers at the University of California, San Diego
(UCSD) have come up with a way to harness the unused silicon real
estate in smartphones – the so-called "dark silicon" – as
special-purpose processors dynamically optimized to perform the most
common tasks in an efficient way. Read More
With over a million sales notched up, Roland has
announced that the next generation of Cube amplifiers is ready to be let
loose. The Cube XL series is available in four sizes, starting at the
practice 15W version right up to a gig-worthy 80W model. The amps all
feature a host of tones and effects and an auxiliary input to allow a
portable music player to provide backing tracks. Features on offer from
the new range include amp modeling, channel-switching and a
strange-sounding power squeeze function. Roland has also unleashed a
couple of BOSS guitar effects pedals – one that offers the player pitch
control and voice harmony possibilities and the other squeezing some
tube amp sounds into a palm-sized stomp box. Read More
Now here's something we've never seen before – a
rechargeable lightglobe. Chinese company Magic Bulb has patented a new
type of device which incorporates a battery and LED lightblobe to
produce a lightglobe which uses only 4 watts but produces the equivalent
light of a traditional 50W globe. If the power fails, the globe will
keep running for around three hours or it can be screwed out of its
socket and the handle extended to turn it into a bright torch. Read More
P5 headphones from Bowers and Wilkins set new benchmark
By Darren Quick
September 5, 2010
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), the company that boasts the distinctive Zeppelin iPod dock, Nautilus and Panorama
amongst its line of high-end speakers, has made its first foray into
the headphone market with its P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones. With a slim
design and great sound reproduction that provides warm bass and stunning
clarity through the mid-range and high-end, these headphones would have
to be the most comfortable – and amongst the most impressive –
headphones I’ve ever wrapped around my noggin. Read More
Making the most of it: Sony turns music player defeat into PR win
By Rick Martin
September 5, 2010
Leading up to Apple's big iPod
refresh last week, Sony managed to steal some spotlight as headlines
around the Internet proclaimed how the company's Walkman had outsold the
iPod for the month of August in Japan. According to a market survey
from BCN Ranking, the Walkman holds a 47.8 percent market share, with the iPod now suddenly trailing at 44 percent. Read More
The SD Association is celebrating ten years this
year and it used Europe's largest consumer electronics show – IFA – to
announce a new, dual-row pin memory card design with data transfer
speeds of up to 300 megabytes per second for SDXC and SDHC devices and
memory cards. It is fully backwards compatible, allowing equipped
devices full use of any SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards and will be part of the forthcoming SD 4.0 specification, expected in early 2011. Read More
Telefunken evaluating electric bicycle prototypes
By Gizmag Team
September 5, 2010
If there’s an interesting aspect to the rise and
rise of electric mobility devices, it’s the number of companies that
were once associated with vastly different fields which are now
investigating the arena of electric bicycles.
At SinoCES in China last month we saw a white goods manufacturer
proudly showing a new range of electric scooters alongside its new range
of washing machines. At IFA today we spied yet another big name on two
electric bicycles – 107 year-old German electronics company Telefunken.
Read More
Amiga All-in-One is next in line for Commodore USA release
By Paul Ridden
September 5, 2010
Only a few short days ago, Commodore USA announced its intention to launch a modern version of the legendary C64
all-in-one keyboard computer. Now the company has revealed an exclusive
licensing agreement with Amiga Inc. that should result in the company
releasing upgraded Amiga-branded machines. As well as a technical
overhaul, the new computers are to be fully compatible with the updated
version of the AmigaOS operating system. Read More
If you've ever imagined the song you'd like to be
played at your funeral or you imagine it to be the send-off of the
year, then you might be interested in And Vinyly. This UK-based company
will press your cremated ashes into a vinyl playing a track of your
choice or a vocal message for your friends and family to enjoy and
remember you by. Hmmm. Read More
Microsoft has revealed the next stage in the development of its Arc Mouse,
the Arc Touch. As the name implies, the company has incorporated some
touch sensitivity into its upper surface and also designed it to flatten
out at the touch of a finger, for convenient transport while not in
use. Its wireless USB transceiver also fits snuggly in the peripheral's
underside to help ensure that everything you need is in one place when
you're on the road. Read More
UM develops lasers to defend helicopters against missile attacks
By Ben Coxworth
September 4, 2010
Researchers at the University of Michigan are
developing laser systems for protecting military helicopters from
heat-seeking missiles. The lasers wouldn’t shoot down the missiles, but
would instead jam their sensors, essentially blinding them. This isn’t the first time that laser systems have been used for this purpose, but the creators of this system claim that it is better suited to helicopters than anything that has come before. Read More
With its retro good looks and smooth lines, the SmarSofa from Gorenje wouldn’t look out of place on an Austin Powers movie set. On display at IFA 2010,
the SmarSofa is not just a convertible lounge. It includes a fully
integrated fridge which contains remote-controlled, rotating cooling
platters. At the touch of a button the platters containing ready-to-eat
dishes can be lifted and lowered to the desired height. How’s that for
groovy? Read More
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