In the tablet market, the iPad is still the undisputed leader. One of the strategies that helped Apple to retain that status was this year's introduction of a lower-priced iPad 2. Though its US$400 price tag is still enough to buy two Kindle Fires, it let Cupertino at least approach budget tablet territory. With next week's launch of a smaller iPad, though, we may soon bid farewell to the iPad 2. Read More
As any smartphone aficionado knows, the accelerometer is one of the key sensors within the device – it allows the phone to know when and by how much it’s been moved. Accelerometers also have many other applications, being major components of things like navigation systems, various automotive systems, and image stabilization systems in cameras. Now, researchers from the California Institute of Technology are developing a laser-based accelerometer, that they claim should offer much better performance than is currently possible. Read More
Geostationary satellites cost a fortune and, despite their sophistication, they break down or eventually run out of propellant to keep them oriented. This is unfortunate when the nearest garage is back on Earth, so NASA wants to remedy this with an orbital version of roadside service. The space agency is developing a service robot that can visit ailing satellites and refuel or even repair them on the spot. Read More
A smaller iPad is coming soon. Apple should announce the iPad Mini at an event on October 23, but the actual product launch will be sometime after that. You may now be able to circle your calendar, as multiple sources are pointing to Friday, November 2 as the iPad Mini release date. Read More
Though often associated with exposure to war, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is a severe anxiety disorder which can arise following exposure to any event which has caused psychological trauma. Those who suffer from PTSD are often subjected to re-living the source of their despair through nightmares and flashbacks, and current treatment results in only occasional success. However, researchers at Stanford University appear to have alleviated PTSD in mice while the rodents slept, by using a new technique which may prove applicable for humans in the future. Read More
The Viera folds to create custom furniture
October 19, 2012
Go to almost any public park or college campus, and you're likely to find a large number of people ignoring any benches in favor of lounging around on the grass. Many people enjoy relaxing in an open environment, which is almost impossible to find in a typical apartment or office building. That's why one design team recently set out to recreate that feeling of openness indoors with the Viera concept, a mat of connected cushions that can fold to form multiple places to sit. Read More
This year’s James Dyson Award provided potential entrants with a pretty broad brief – develop a problem solving invention. The international jury has now whittled down the 501 entries received from university students hailing from 18 countries around the world to 15 finalists. We take a look at the projects still in the running to claim a slice of the £20,000+ (US$32,385+) prize pool up for grabs. Read More
B'kid is a wooden bike that grows with your child
By Dave Parrack
October 18, 2012
The rate at which children grow, especially from being new-born to the age of around six-years-old, is scary. One day they're a helpless ball of flesh and bones, the next they're walking, talking, and starting school. This means that new parents have to continually buy new things for their child that may only last them a matter of months. While a bicycle may not be top of the agenda at such a young age, for a child to learn to ride one means buying several different models over the course of just a few years as they first learn, and then master, the art. Which is what led Noelia Vallano Alvaro to design B'kid: one bike designed to last a child from the age of two right through to the age of six. Read More
European astronomers working from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile have discovered a planet slightly more massive than Earth, orbiting a star in the Alpha Centauri triple star system – the nearest stellar system to our planet. Alpha Centauri Bb (as the new exoplanet is called, the star being Alpha Centauri B) is the first Earth-sized body found orbiting a Sun-like star and was discovered by measuring the tiny wobbles of Alpha Centauri B as it moves in response to the gravitational pull of the orbiting planet. It is orbiting Alpha Centauri B every three days and six hours at an orbital radius of six million kilometers (3.7 million miles). The proximity to the star leads to a surface temperature of some 1,500º K (2,250º F/1,232º C) – hot enough to melt granite. Read More
When it comes to martial arts madness, few games can claim the pedigree of the Tekken series. First arriving on the original PlayStation in the mid 90s, Tekken was seen as a genuine threat to Sega's then groundbreakingVirtua Fighter game. Several iterations later and Tekken has emerged as one of the most successful and long lasting beat 'em ups. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 has been released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and we review the Xbox 360 version of the game. Read More
CHEOPS, the first ESA “small mission,” will study super-Earths
By Darren Quick
October 21, 2012
The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to give existing orbiting probes, such as COROT and Kepler, a helping hand in studying super-Earths. Selected from 26 proposals, the CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite) spacecraft is the first S-class (“small”) mission in the ESA’s Science Programme. A partnership between the ESA and the Swiss Space Office, CHEOPS will not seek out new exoplanets, but will instead target nearby, bright stars that are already known to have orbiting planets. Read More
Lomography Belair X 6-12 medium format bellows camera
By Simon Crisp
October 21, 2012
It's easy to think that the future of photography is all about megapixels, RAW files and camera apps, but for some people the future will remain analog. Just ask the good folks at Lomography who continue to come up with intriguing film cameras, like the Spinner, the LOMO LC-Wide, and now the Belair X 6-12, a 6 x 12 film camera, which features collapsible bellows that give the camera a convenient and portable size when not in use. Read More
The internal combustion engine (ICE) has had a remarkably successful century and a half. Unfortunately, it’s notoriously inefficient, wasting anywhere from 30 to 99 percent of the energy it produces and spews unburned fuel into the air. Last week, Gizmag interviewed Dr. Alexander Shkolnik, President and CEO of LiquidPiston, Inc. about its LiquidPiston X2 - a 40-bhp rotary engine that burns a variety of fuels and requires no valves, cooling systems, radiators or mufflers, yet promises a thermodynamic efficiency of 75 percent. Read More
After the birth of a child, many a well-intentioned parent has started to put together a baby memory box or baby journal, filled with keepsakes and mementos from their little-ones first year. But amid a blur of dirty diapers and messy feeds the majority lose momentum, Mementobox is a new iPhone app which it's hoped will see more parents stick with it by digitizing the process. Read More
Like most of Apple's recent products, many of the iPad Mini's details have leaked. It will probably sport a 7.85-inch display with narrow bezels, share many internals with the iPad 2, and be ridiculously light and thin. The biggest remaining question, then, may be the tablet's price. If a new report has any legs, we may now know that too. Read More
Under Armour has a new basketball shoe that looks rather odd, but offers some useful functionality for basketball players. This sneaker, called the UA Charge, offers the feel and flexibility of a low-top sneaker with the ankle support of a high-top thanks to the top of the shoe functioning like an ankle brace. Read More
Review: Polaroid Z2300 digital instant camera
By Ben Coxworth
October 20, 2012
Although most people think of Polaroid instant cameras as retro relics from the 70s and 80s, those cameras did do something that today’s digital models don’t – they provided you with an on-the-spot photographic print. The picture quality wasn’t great, but it was fun to instantly receive that tangible finished product. Polaroid is now trying to recapture a little of that fun, with its new Z2300 digital instant camera. I recently had the chance to try one out for myself. Read More
Wind turbines have the potential to be very useful in providing renewable power to remote communities which have little or no infrastructure. Unfortunately, larger turbines tend to require a relatively involved set-up, with specialist gear needed to construct and maintain the turbines. The Portable Power Center (PPC) by Uprise Energy innovates in this regard by providing a self-contained unit which folds within a shipping container, and can be transported by truck. Read More
Display expert calls Microsoft's bluff on Surface claims
October 20, 2012
With pre-orders underway, there's still a lot we don't know about Microsoft Surface RT. Though the tablet's display resolution looks subpar on paper, Microsoft says that its ClearType tech makes it look sharper than the 3rd gen iPad. What gives? One of the leading experts in display technology weighs in. Read More
Review: STREET by 50 in-ear wired headphones from SMS Audio
By Paul Ridden
October 20, 2012
Dr Dre, Jay-Z and Ludacris aren't the only rappers to have given their names to audio headgear. Record producer, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist 50 Cent has also released some cans through SMS Audio. Earlier this year the existing wired and wireless over-ear headphones were joined by the STREET by 50 in-ear wired headphones and Gizmag has spent some time getting to grips with a pair. SMS Audio says that the main focus when developing the earbud-type earphones "was to create a sound signature that is suitable for many genres of music and not just rap/hip-hop." So how did they shape up? Read More
Curiosity rover takes its first Martian soil samples
By David Szondy
October 22, 2012
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took its first soil sample last week. The unmanned explorer used its robotic arm to scoop up a bit of the Martian surface, which it then sieved. A baby-Aspirin sized portion was subsequently deposited into its internal laboratory for analysis by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument, to determine what minerals it contains. Read More
An important part of any serious videographer's gear is a quality slider. It allows them to get smooth tracking shots, without having to set up railway-like tracks on the ground. Most sliders – such as the mobislyder, GlideTrack,Rhino Slider and RigWheels system – are made from rigid components that can be awkward to carry. AirTracks is designed to combat this issue by offering the same features as other sliders, but in a lightweight, inflatable package. Read More
New software improves measurement of greenhouse gas emissions
October 22, 2012
As the old adage goes, knowledge is power. Following this principle, Arizona State University researchers have developed a computer program called Hestia, that is capable of estimating the greenhouse gas emissions of specific roads and even buildings. With its high level level of detail and accuracy, the software can help cities make more precise calculations about their GHG footprint as well as more informed decisions related to carbon mitigation efforts. Read More
Scientists come a step closer to growing replacement kidneys
By Ben Coxworth
October 22, 2012
While it may not be possible to grow functional human kidneys in a lab just yet, scientists at Italy’s Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research have definitely come a step closer. In a paper published last week, they reported that they have created kidney-like “organoids,” that perform the same functions as kidneys when implanted in rats. Read More
Last week, a post on Google's official blog announced a project that allows users to step inside the private world of its data centers. For the first time, the company's impressive efficiency records and green ethos have been given a face in the form of the stunning photographs by Connie Zhou and the Street View-able hallways of the Lenoir facility in North Carolina. Read More
Local paper the Tribeca Citizen was among those to report that the construction of New York's 56 Leonard Street, apparently increasingly known as the Jenga Building, a forthcoming luxury residential skyscraper, recommenced earlier this month. Read MoreCombat Creatures launches the "Attacknid" toy robot
October 22, 2012
Earlier this year, inventor Jamie Mantzel unveiled a prototype of a remote-controlled robot he had nicknamed "the greatest toy in the universe" in a YouTube video that garnered over 2 million hits in three days. In the video, an exuberant Mantzel demonstrated how the six-legged creation could fire different toy weapons and react to hits when battling another bot. Now, just in time for the holiday season, distributor Wow! Stuff has expanded the idea into a full-fledged toy line, called "Combat Creatures," starting with the inventor's original model, now named the "Attacknid." Read More
A Japanese roboticist that goes by the handle Dr. Guero, famous for programming his hobby robots to ride a miniature bicycle and walk on stilts, has managed to get his robot to balance on a tightrope. His Primer-V4 robot is based on the Kondo KHR-3HV hobby kit (which can be purchased for around US$1,800), but features a few modifications that give it the ability to inch its way along a steel wire just over an eighth of an inch (4 mm) thick. Read More
Belkin has announced the launch of its WeMo Baby device that turns any iOS device into a digital baby monitor. Comprising a Wi-Fi connecting baby monitor and an accompanying iOS app, the WeMo Baby lets anxious parents listen to high-quality audio from their baby’s room whether they're in the next room or the other side of the world … though it's probably not a good idea that the baby is left that unattended. Read More
Just in case you haven't had your fill of PSY's viral K-POP sensation, the researchers at Virginia Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) have put out a new video of their robot dancing Gangnam Style. While the robot named CHARLI-2 doesn't display any fancy footwork in the video, some of its walking and balancing technology is being implemented in the Navy's Autonomous Shipboard Humanoid (ASH). Read More
As illustrated by the recent unveiling of the Autographer, manufacturers are waking up to the idea of a consumer-friendly wearable digital camera that takes photos automatically. The latest device of this type to appear on our radar is Memoto, an intelligent wearable camera that can take up to two day's worth of snaps before requiring a recharge. Read More
If you bought an iPhone 5 or iPod touch 5G, then you've enjoyed the perils and pleasures of the new Lightning connector. The tiny port lets Apple make their new devices so thin, but it also creates annoying costs. A Lightning-to-30-pin adapter costs a whopping US$30. Hardware hackers may have saved the day for Apple's customers, as the Lightning authentication chip has reportedly been cracked. Read MoreVolkswagen unveils Taigun compact SUV concept in Brazil
By Darren Quick
October 22, 2012
Volkswagen has taken the wraps off its latest concept vehicle at the São Paulo International Motor Show in Brazil. Built around the Volkswagen Group’s New Small Family (NSF) platform used on the Volkswagen up!, the Taigun is a compact SUV concept vehicle styled after its bigger brothers, the Tiguan and Touareg. VW plans to gauge public reaction to the Taigun before making a decision on whether to put the vehicle into production. Read More
Shimano's hydration pack crisscrosses the shoulder straps
By C.C. Weiss
October 22, 2012
Shimano is one of the most well known names in cycling thanks to a component line that appears on bicycles around the world. The company is determined to appear on bicycle riders as well. Its new Unzen hydration pack line rethinks pack design in an effort to make it less restrictive and more comfortable. Read More
Apple to release cloud version of iWork suite for iPad?
October 22, 2012
Apple is dead serious about this so-called post-PC era. Productivity - long the biggest argument against tablets replacing traditional PCs - is gradually becoming more at home on the iPad. Apps like OnLive Desktop, Photoshop Touch, and iMovie have filled what were once gaping holes in tablets' capabilities for work. Apple may now be aiming to own a bigger piece of that pie, as it's rumored to be working on a cloud-based rival to Microsoft Office. Read More
Muse lets users monitor their brain waves on mobile devices
By Ben Coxworth
October 22, 2012
Want to know what your brain is up to? Soon, it may be as simple as slipping on a wireless headband, then accessing an app. That’s the idea behind Muse, a wearable device developed by Toronto-based tech companyInteraXon. Essentially a lightweight portable EEG (electroencephalography) machine, it lets users monitor their neural activity in real time via theirmobile device. Read More
Chevy shows off a preview of what's to come at SEMA
By Dave LeClair
October 22, 2012
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) auto show is right around the corner and all the car manufacturers are lining up to showcase their newest pieces of technology, with Chevrolet being no exception. Chevy has already shown off most of its SEMA lineup, although it did leave a couple of surprises for the show, which kicks off on October 30th in Las Vegas. Read More
Cows used to produce milk that protects against HIV
By Ben Coxworth
October 22, 2012
Despite the misgivings that many people have surrounding cow’s milk, it is a good source of nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Now, thanks to scientists at Melbourne University, special milk may also be used to protect people from HIV. Working with the Australian biotechnology company Immuron Ltd, a team led by Dr. Marit Kramski has vaccinated pregnant cows with an HIV protein – the first milk that those animals produced after giving birth contained HIV-disabling antibodies. Read More
For many of us, pointing a device at an object and retrieving data about it has become part of our daily lives. The vast majority of our purchases will sport the ubiquitous barcode; an increasing number of printed magazine adverts, online articles and even television shows are using QR codes for access to more information; and most recently, near field communication technology is opening up new ways to interact with the world around us. A team of researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Heinz College Center for the Future of Work Carnegie Mellon University has been looking into an alternative object tagging system called acoustic barcodes. The system takes the sound of a finger, pen or phone scraping across a series of parallel notches etched, embossed or cut into a surface or object, and converts it into a unique binary ID. Read More
Apple loves education. If you were a child of the 80s or 90s, there's a good chance your school had a healthy supply of Macs or Apple IIs. In recent years, though, many schools have shifted to cheaper Windows PC vendors like Dell and HP. The iPad has given Apple an avenue back into schools, but the company's big return to schools may come from tomorrow's introduction of the iPad Mini. Read More
NASA developing atomic optics to detect gravity waves
By David Szondy
October 23, 2012
Gravity waves are the big ticket item of physics. Predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his general theory of relativity, these waves could help scientists solve many mysteries about the origin of the universe – if they could detect them. In an attempt to do this, researchers at Stanford University and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are developing a new atomic interferometry technique that may be sensitive enough to record gravity waves for the first time. Read More
It's official. At the California Theatre in San Jose, Apple has unveiled the iPad Mini. The smaller iPad marks the first expansion Apple has made to the iconic tablet's product line. As expected, the iPad Mini sports a 7.9-inch 1024x768 display, with narrow bezels on the side. It doesn't quite have cutting edge specs, as its resolution and many of its internals are borrowed from the nearly two-year-old iPad 2. Read More
Apple announces 4th gen iPad with new A6X chip
October 23, 2012
Apple dropped a bit of a surprise by updating its full-sized iPad to the 4th generation. It didn't just add a Lightning connector and keep everything else the same, as many had suspected. Apple is branding this as a full update to the iPad line, but it's more akin to the jump from the iPhone 4 to 4S than a more significant upgrade. Read More
South Korean designer Seungji Mun has continued his trend of animal friendly furniture with his latest “Dog House Sofa” creation. We interviewed Mun in August when his interactive Cat Tunnel Sofa caught our eye, and he has subsequently lived up to his word of creating a design that he hopes will raise awareness about the issue of abandoned dogs. Read More
You know what they say: you come for the iPad Mini, but you stay for the Retina MacBook Pro (or something like that). At today's iPad Mini event in San Jose, Apple pulled back the curtain on a new (smaller) version of its sexiest Mac. Read More
When Canadian inventor Shlomo Shwartz saw his elderly mother perching on a small stool to reach a high kitchen shelf, he was inspired to create something that would make such risky maneuvers unnecessary. The result was the Shelevator – a kitchen shelf insert that can be pulled in and out and lowered up and down, from the floor. Read More
Russia builds its first realistic female android
October 23, 2012
A few months ago, the 2045 Initiative movement (previously known as Russia 2045) unveiled the first realistic Russian android head, based on its founder Dmitry Itskov. He's a big believer in the prophetic technological singularity, and claims that by 2045 we will have developed the means to transplant our minds into computers and android bodies. His android surrogate, built and programmed by Moscow-based Neurobotics, has been dismantled and turned into the country's first female android. Read More
Despite fully embracing Windows Phone 8, and manufacturing the Lumia 910 to best show-off Redmond’s fledgling mobile operating system, Nokia isn’t ready to give up on Windows Phone 7 quite yet. The Lumia 510 (which runs Windows Phone 7.5) is a new budget-friendly cellphone set to appear in emerging markets such as India and China, and it's billed as the company's most affordable Windows Phone Lumia device to date. Read More
An exhibition of rare, soon-to-be-auctioned video game art is on display at London's City Hall this week, as part of this month's London Games Festival. The work, which has been donated by games developers and which is to be sold off in aid of the charity SpecialEffect, includes a number of one-off canvas prints of digital renderings from recent triple-A titles such asBatman: Arkham City, Guild Wars 2 and Dishonored. Concept art and box art from older titles and mobile games are also in evidence. Having dropped in to see the work on show, here are a few of our favorite pieces. Read More
The Hyundai Veloster is a sporty hatch, but it's far from the most aggressive car on the road. Or is it? With a few engine upgrades and new components, Hyundai shows just how mean and race-ready the Veloster can be. Read More
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