Since creating the first contact-free palm vein
authentication sensor in 2003, Fujitsu's biometric security solution has
been getting smaller and smaller. Now, the company has developed a new
system that's half the thickness of current offerings yet retains the
same performance and accuracy levels as the latest
commercially-available PalmSecure designs. The Japanese tech giant is
claiming the title of the world's smallest and slimmest palm vein
authentication sensor for its new creation and says that it will likely
be headed for use in mobile products such as tablet computers, although
there's currently no indication as to when that might be. Read More
While we wait for the official Fiat 500 electric
- a car that makes all kinds of sense given the 500's small, fuel
efficient build - two German manufacturers have teamed up to give us an
alternative. The 500 E from Karabag and Linde trades its gas engine for
an electric forklift motor. Read More
If you’re a fan of things retro and
an electronics do-it-youselfer, this might might be just the thing for
you – it’s a kit that lets you built your own clock, that displays the
time using wonderfully outdated nixie tubes. Read More
It may look nothing more than an
oddly shaped greenhouse, but the "Globe (hedron)" is a concept for a
rooftop aquaponics dome that Urban Farmers hopes will help address
global food security. Read More
If you were using a smartphone projector to shine
an image onto an uneven surface, or onto a flat surface but at a
diagonal angle, parts of the image would end up out of focus ... unless,
that is, your phone featured a new prototype LED projector developed by
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision
Engineering. Inspired by the compound eyes of insects, the device can
reportedly display crisp, bright, distortion-free visuals onto irregular
surfaces, and at non-perpendicular angles. Additionally, users can
manipulate that display by reaching in and touching the projection
surface. Read More
While we wait for the official Fiat 500 electric
- a car that makes all kinds of sense given the 500's small, fuel
efficient build - two German manufacturers have teamed up to give us an
alternative. The 500 E from Karabag and Linde trades its gas engine for
an electric forklift motor. Read More
If you’re a fan of things retro and
an electronics do-it-youselfer, this might might be just the thing for
you – it’s a kit that lets you built your own clock, that displays the
time using wonderfully outdated nixie tubes. Read More
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected
infrared light emanating from 55 Cancri e, a dark, blazing-hot planet
only twice the size of Earth and eight times as heavy. This marks the
first time that light has been detected from a planet of such a small
size, and the find is telling astrophysicists where to look in their
search for signs of life on planets beyond our own. Read More
Peavey Electronics and Muse Research have
partnered to develop the MuseBox, a rather nifty software-powered,
digital sound module, vocal processor, guitar processor and effects
processor all-in-one. The half-rack-sized unit features a mind-boggling
number of presets, comes supplied with a software package valued at over
US$900 and benefits from two pro-grade guitar/mic inputs at the front
of the unit with phantom power, stereo, 24-bit, 48 kHz 0.25-inch
rear-panel inputs and outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, full-size 5-pin DIN
MIDI and four USB 2.0 ports. Read More
When an anesthetized obese patient is lying on
their back on an operating table, the weight of their abdominal fat can
make it difficult for them to breathe. It can also press down on and
displace their organs, making certain procedures more challenging. Mehdi
Razavi, director of electrophysiology clinical research at the Texas
Heart Institute, had encountered such problems first-hand, with patients
of his own. He decided to turn to Houston’s Rice University, to see if
its students could come up with a solution. In response, a group of
bioengineering seniors created something called the R-Aide, which uses
vacuum-powered suction cups to lift up patients’ bellies. Read More
Imagine if you could accompany all those cool new moves you've just learned from Mortal Combat
or reruns of Bruce Lee's finest celluloid moments with some genuine
sound effects ... it would be like actually being in the game or movie.
With a Dragon Grip in your Fist of Fury, that's precisely
what's on offer. The joystick-like device is pre-loaded with fighting
sounds inspired by the cheesy-but-classic kung fu movies of the 1970s
like Enter the Dragon, that had all the kids in our
neighborhood running around barefoot and shirtless with red lipstick
wounds painted across their chests. Read More
If you're on a cycling holiday where you spend
all day in the saddle, there's nothing like getting back to your
accommodation and flopping down in front of the TV for a well deserved
rest. But for guests at one UK bed and breakfast, it really is nothing
like that ... because Cottage Lodge in Brockenhurst has installed a
bicycle-powered television in one of its rooms. Read More
It may look nothing more than an
oddly shaped greenhouse, but the "Globe (hedron)" is a concept for a
rooftop aquaponics dome that Urban Farmers hopes will help address
global food security. Read More
Following Gizmag's coverage of GE Lighting's 27 W Energy Smart and Switch Lighting's 100 W-replacement
LED light bulbs, Osram Sylvania has been in touch to tell us about its
100 W-replacement LED light bulb, joining its Sylvania Ultra series: a
20 W, 1600 lumen light bulb with a warm, "incandescenty" color
appearance of 2700 K. With Philips also to release a 100-W equivalent
this means the big three manufacturers of light sources are joining
Switch Lighting in offering high-output LED light bulbs for the home,
but all things considered, Osram Sylvania's may prove the pick of the
bunch. Read More
Olympus has proved the rumor mill to be right
once again, by detailing its new TG-1 iHS compact after it was
accidentally leaked across the web last week. The new king of the TOUGH
Series of cameras more than lives up to its hard-as-nails moniker, being
waterproof to 40 feet (12 meters), shockproof to 6.6 feet (2 meters),
able to operate in temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C) and capable of
withstanding a crushing weight of up to 220 pounds (100kgf). In spite of
all this rugged muscle, the new model's most impressive feature is its
f2.0 - f4.9 aperture lens. Read More
As forecast when we broke the news of the caterpillar-driven Iguana 29 amphibious vehicle last year, Iguana has released details of a smaller Iguana 24. Read More 
In a world where every automaker has or wants to
have at least one crossover or SUV, sometimes they have to do something a
little extra to set their model apart from the pack. Bentley's EXP 9 F does it with its signature interior; Lamborghini's Urus concept
does it with its supercar styling and hot red paint; and Opel now does
it with an innovative accessory - a bike carrier that's integrated into
the bumper. Opel claims it's the only car maker to offer a fully
integrated bicycle carrier that is always on board. Read More
While breast cancer screening tests are accepted
as safe – and we definitely wouldn’t want to scare anyone off from a
potentially life-saving test – they do have some risks associated with
them. The most obvious being the exposure to low doses of ionizing
radiation, which in itself is a risk factor for breast cancer. X-ray
mammography can also give false positive and negative results. In the
quest for a safer, more accurate alternative, Dutch researchers have
provided proof of concept that photoacoustic imaging can be used to
detect and visualize breast tumors. Read More
Apparently not happy with collecting over 40 world driving fuel economy records, the husband and wife team of John and Helen Taylor
– also known as “the world’s most fuel efficient couple” – have been
back on the road to claim the world record for the longest distance
traveled on a single tank of fuel. The record 1,626.1 mile (2,616.95 km)
journey was achieved in a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat powered by a
2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel inline four-cylinder engine with a six-speed
manual transmission. Read More
A group of researchers at MIT and Georgia Tech
has built a robotic arm that can automate whole-cell patch clamping, a
complicated technique that normally requires great manual dexterity and
takes researchers months to master. Once streamlined, this technology
will monitor and record the electrical signals generated by the neurons
in a living brain, to help uncover the secret inner workings of the
human mind - or at least, in the not-so-distant future, of a lab rat's.
Read More
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) have built a quantum simulator that contains
hundreds of qubits - quite a jump from the the 2-8 qubits found in
state-of-the-art digital quantum computers. The simulator has passed a
series of important benchmarking tests and scientists are poised to
study problems in material science that are impossible to model using
classical computers. Read More
While there seems to be an unending stream of
wireless speakers designed primarily to stream audio from iOS or Android
mobile devices using AirPlay or Bluetooth,
Oregon-based Aperion Audio is showing Windows-using music fans some
love with the ARIS wireless speaker. The unit is designed to work with
Windows 7’s “Play To” feature that makes it easy to stream content from a
PC over a home network. Read More
SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace (BA)
have joined forces in an attempt to woo international customers looking
to enjoy some extended periods of microgravity. The joint marketing
effort will push trips to orbiting Bigelow habitats on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft using the Falcon launch vehicle. Read More
In a deal announced this week,
American high-end retailer Brookstone will become the first seller of a
portable fuel cell made by MIT spin-off company Lilliputian Systems Inc
(LSI). Described as a “plug-less charger,” it will allow users to
recharge their electronic devices’ batteries wherever they are – as long
as they’ve stocked up on butane. Read More
The annual reenactment of the Mille
Miglia 1000 mile road race on public roads gets underway on Wednesday,
with Jaguar Heritage Racing involved in the event to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of developing the disc brake. Read More
It hasn't been around long, but the
sixth (F30) generation of BMW's 3 series is already regarded as a
stand-out version of the perennial top-seller. Hence the first release
of images and details of the new Touring estate version will no doubt
interest a lot of people seeking a practical compact executive car.
Highlights include a full-color Heads-Up Display, twin turbo engine,
automatic stop-start, and optional eight-speed automatic gearbox and M
Sport package. Read More
The MINI John Cooper Works GP will
be unveiled at the MINI United festival in France later today. The
limited edition (2000 only) will be the fastest MINI ever, capable of
lapping the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 8 min 23 seconds. Read More
With the World Superbike Championship
celebrating its 25th year in 2012, it is an ideal time to reflect on
the profound influence the series has had on the development of the
everyday motorcycle. The production-based World Superbike Championship
Series is now unquestionably the most important global race series in
terms of influencing buyer decision of sports motorcycles and
performance accessories but as our research shows, it appears to be even
more influential than that. Statistics sourced from lap-times and speed
traps over the last decade indicate the rapid rate road-going sports
motorcycles are improving racetrack laptimes. Indeed, today's showroom
models on road tires, are now quicker than the fastest factory
superbikes of just five years ago. Read More
As great a convenience as they are, headphones
and earbuds appear destined to forever plague active music listeners.
First, there are the annoying, dangling cords smacking you in the face.
Then, there's your complete obliviousness to the outside world. For the
former, we have inventive storage systems like Cordcrunchers and Hoodiebuddies. For the latter, AIRbudz. Read More
Scientists at Singapore's Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) have created a "magnetic-like" coating that traps and
destroys 99 percent of the bacteria and fungi that it encounters. The antibacterial coating
has been shown to be effective against superbugs like Staphylococcus
aureus and is already being used in the manufacture of contact lenses.
As well as finding numerous biomedical and household applications, the
research could lead to new wound treatments and even be used to target
bacterial infections inside the body without the use of conventional
antibiotics. Read More
SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace (BA)
have joined forces in an attempt to woo international customers looking
to enjoy some extended periods of microgravity. The joint marketing
effort will push trips to orbiting Bigelow habitats on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft using the Falcon launch vehicle. Read More
Instagram is enjoying a wealth of success right now, particularly after being picked up by Facebook
last month for a cool US$1 billion. The photo-sharing network's social
apps have become some of the most popular in the world, and one design
studio in Italy is wondering what it would look like if the company
decided to make its own hardware as well. ADR Studio has put together a
fairly detailed concept for just such a device, called the "Instagram
Socialmatic," which merges online photo-sharing with instant
Polaroid-like prints for sharing in the offline world. Read More
Alongside the smart fortwo electric drive
coupé and convertible that appeared at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, smart
also unveiled a couple of two-wheeled electric vehicle concepts, the smart ebike and smart escooter. With the ebike having already having received the production nod in 2011 and now nearing its scheduled mid-2012 release, smart has announced plans to bring its smart escooter to market with a planned 2014 launch. Read More
Still think hybrids and green cars are meek and
hipsterish? Plant your eyes on the US Army's Fuel Efficient ground
vehicle Demonstrator Bravo. It's one of the burliest vehicles you've
likely seen in years, and it's all hybrid underneath its rugged sheet
metal. Read More
When it comes to spacecraft that may take the
place of the now-defunct space shuttle, it would probably be fair to say
that most people probably think of the SpaceX
Dragon. It’s sometimes easy to forget, however, that SpaceX is a
private company, competing against others for NASA’s business. One of
those competitors is Washington state-based Blue Origin, established by
Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos (SpaceX was co-founded by Elon Musk, of
PayPal fame). Although the company has been rather secretive about the
space vehicle that it’s developing, it recently announced that the
design has done well in a series of wind tunnel tests. Read More
Hovering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – most
of which take the form of quadrocopters – are currently being developed
for a wide range of applications. Some of these include the delivery of supplies to remote locations, urban reconnaissance, and military operations. Whether they’re flying solo or in organized swarms,
however, they constantly need to be aware of potential collision
hazards, both mobile and stationary. While various technologies are
already being utilized for this purpose, Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute
for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems has developed a new 3D CMOS
sensor, that promises particularly good performance. Read More
In a deal announced this week,
American high-end retailer Brookstone will become the first seller of a
portable fuel cell made by MIT spin-off company Lilliputian Systems Inc
(LSI). Described as a “plug-less charger,” it will allow users to
recharge their electronic devices’ batteries wherever they are – as long
as they’ve stocked up on butane. Read More
The Autospense vending machine by a Californian
company Dispense Labs LLC is designed to allow easy access to medical
marijuana for those who need it, while keeping it safely out of reach of
those who merely want it. This machine is far more sophisticated than
your average snack dispenser though - locks, cameras, sensors and
proprietary software all add up to a high-security turnkey solution for
dispensing, tracking and managing medical marijuana. Read More
The annual reenactment of the Mille
Miglia 1000 mile road race on public roads gets underway on Wednesday,
with Jaguar Heritage Racing involved in the event to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of developing the disc brake. Read More
Audi has announced that it will debut a new
performance e-bike prototype at next week's Wörthersee Tour car show in
the picturesque village of Reifnitz, Austria. Described as a high-end
pedelec for sport, fun and tricks, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee features a
futuristic carbon fiber frame that houses an onboard computer and a
Li-ion battery pack, and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels -
both designed to keep the weight down. The prototype offers five travel
modes, ranging from pedal-power to electric-only, and inclusive of two
"Wheelie" modes where the power is automatically controlled to assist
the rider while the front wheel grabs some air. Read More
The Nike Pro TurboSpeed is, as the name vividly
suggests, a track uniform that offers professional athletes an advantage
over their rivals. Through the clever use of aerodynamic techniques
more commonly found on golf balls, the company has found a way to shave
milliseconds off a sprinter's time. Or at least that's the bold claim
Nike is making. Read More
With wireless home networks becoming increasingly
crowded as more and more mobile devices appear under our roofs jostling
for bandwidth, many will be pleased to see the upcoming 802.11ac WiFi
standard stepping out from the planning meetings and laboratories and
into the real world. Both Netgear and Belkin have announced plans to
release dual-band routers supporting the new 5G WiFi standard that will
boast speeds of up to 1,300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 450 Mbps on 2.4
GHz. Read More
The keyring is a true nemesis for those of us
with short nails - such a simple contraption capable of bringing such
deep frustration and resentment. Two innovative redesigns improve upon
the traditional keyring, making keys easy to organize for all. The
Freekey lets you pop it open with a push and the Carabiner Key gets rid
of it completely. Read More
When you think of Leica, you probably think of
cameras which are built like a tank and feature that famous red dot. But
if you were to take a photo of the iconic red logo with the latest
rangefinder camera from the German firm, it might not come out as you'd
expect … because the Leica M-Monochrom is the world’s first digital
rangefinder which only shoots in black and white. Read More
It hasn't been around long, but the
sixth (F30) generation of BMW's 3 series is already regarded as a
stand-out version of the perennial top-seller. Hence the first release
of images and details of the new Touring estate version will no doubt
interest a lot of people seeking a practical compact executive car.
Highlights include a full-color Heads-Up Display, twin turbo engine,
automatic stop-start, and optional eight-speed automatic gearbox and M
Sport package. Read More
The MINI John Cooper Works GP will
be unveiled at the MINI United festival in France later today. The
limited edition (2000 only) will be the fastest MINI ever, capable of
lapping the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 8 min 23 seconds. Read More
Automotive legend Carroll Hall Shelby passed away
yesterday at age 89. Born in Texas on January 11, 1923, Shelby was a
leading race car driver, then race and performance car designer who
became a household name for his exploits. Read More
Although you may have seen plenty of
underwater videos shot using the GoPro HERO actioncam, its lens was
never really designed for underwater videography – as we previously
illustrated in a video report,
the footage sometimes looks a little fuzzy. As of today, however,
would-be Jaques Cousteaus can now purchase a dive-specific GoPro
housing, that promises sharp images. Read More
The Viennese WestLicht Photographica
Auction House continued its stellar run of success with its 21st Camera
auction in just its eleventh year as an auction house, when it recently
broke its own world record for the fifth consecutive time by selling
one of the original Leica 0-series cameras for €2,160,000 (US$2.77
million), including the buyer’s premium. Read More
Designed by Mieke Meijer, this lamp, simply called Balance, is a wooden LED floor or table lamp that only illuminates when perfectly balanced. Read More
A host of unusual firearms have been
floated and (mostly) abandoned over the two centuries of largely
trial-and-error design. After our recent coverage of Arsenal Firearm's AF2011-a1 double barrel semiautomatic pistol, we wondered if more extreme versions of multi-barrel repeating handguns existed. The outlandish Pistola con Caricato three-barreled revolver is a definite candidate. Read More
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Standards Association has announced the
publication of the fourth revision to the 15 year-old 802.11 Wireless
LAN Standard, upon which protocols like Wireless-N and 802.11ac
are based. More commonly known as Wi-Fi, the latest revision brings
together the base standard and the various technical updates and
enhancements published in the last five years into a single document.
Additions include much higher throughputs up to a maximum of 600Mbps,
support for faster and more secure devices and networks, mesh networking
and improved cellular network hand-off. Read More
Although you may have seen plenty of
underwater videos shot using the GoPro HERO actioncam, its lens was
never really designed for underwater videography – as we previously
illustrated in a video report,
the footage sometimes looks a little fuzzy. As of today, however,
would-be Jaques Cousteaus can now purchase a dive-specific GoPro
housing, that promises sharp images. Read More
Practical laser weapons came another step closer
to reality recently as defense contractor Northrop Grumman tested the
latest version of its Firestrike solid-state lasers. On May 1st, the
company announced that it had completed trials at its Redondo Beach
laboratory of a more powerful and rugged generation of its slab lasers,
that combine with improved sensor capacities to create a general laser
component that can provide the military with a wide range of greatly
enhanced defensive and offensive laser capabilities. Read More
Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, whose body of
work is mostly based on light installations, last week presented a small
solar powered light during the World Economic Forum in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. Olafur collaborated with engineer Frederik Ottesen to create
Little Sun, which they hope can help bring indoor lighting to those
people who lack access in developing countries. Read More
The Viennese WestLicht Photographica
Auction House continued its stellar run of success with its 21st Camera
auction in just its eleventh year as an auction house, when it recently
broke its own world record for the fifth consecutive time by selling
one of the original Leica 0-series cameras for €2,160,000 (US$2.77
million), including the buyer’s premium. Read More
Designed by Mieke Meijer, this lamp, simply called Balance, is a wooden LED floor or table lamp that only illuminates when perfectly balanced. Read More
An anonymous electrical and systems engineer
going only by the moniker BTE-Dan has posted surprisingly detailed plans
for a full-scale, functioning Starship Enterprise that he claims could
be built in 20 years. Though it may be tempting to scoff at such lofty
ambition, the Build the Enterprise website (up all of one week) includes
specifications, costs, mission plan and funding strategies, all
suggesting that a serious amount of thought has gone into creating a
real world counterpart to the icon spaceship of the TV and movie series,
Star Trek. Read More
Foodies who've ever dreamed of having
superhero-style vision that could analyze what they are about to eat
should keep an eye on the upcoming Sensor+Trade fair in Nuremberg.
Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute of Photonic Microsystems (IPMS)
will be exhibiting a tiny prototype spectrometer that can measure
factors such as water and protein level in foods, meaning you won't make
the mistake of buying fruit that looks good on the outside but is
rotten at its core. Read More
A host of unusual firearms have been
floated and (mostly) abandoned over the two centuries of largely
trial-and-error design. After our recent coverage of Arsenal Firearm's AF2011-a1 double barrel semiautomatic pistol, we wondered if more extreme versions of multi-barrel repeating handguns existed. The outlandish Pistola con Caricato three-barreled revolver is a definite candidate. Read More
Even those of us who live for new technology and
the wonders it brings cannot escape the power of nostalgia. Being
reminded of a toy that fascinated us as children can snap us back to
those heady days when stress meant not getting everything you asked for
from Santa. This is the feeling that the people behind Etcher are hoping
to capitalize on - it's an Etch A Sketch for the iPad. Read More
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