Who needs face detection when your car can know
who's sitting in it based on their rear-end? A group of Japanese
researchers at the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology (AIIT)
have developed a car seat that can identify drivers while they're
sitting down. The way the technology works is pretty simple. The seat is
retrofitted with 360 different sensors. Those sensors take into account
things like your weight, the highest value of pressure on the seat, and
where you come in contact with the seat. The idea is that we all sit in
car seats relatively the same way each time, so the seat should be able
to tell who is sitting in it, ensuring that the person is the owner of
the car rather than a car thief. Read More
US$25 Raspberry Pi personal computer nears launch date
December 26, 2011
Budding computer hackers/scientists are about to
get a welcome gift, albeit a bit late for Christmas 2011. The non-profit
Raspberry Pi Foundation (RPF) is nearing the release date of its
surprisingly powerful and remarkably affordable Raspberry Pi line of
bare-bones machines that have been developed in an effort to broaden
kids' access to computers in the UK and abroad. How affordable? The
figure above was no typo. Read on to learn just what US$25 will get you
when these nifty, fully-assembled, credit-card sized computers go on
sale next month (sorry, case, monitor, keyboard and mouse not included
... we did say bare bones). Read More
Samsung adds Wi-Fi-packing DV300F to DualView lineup
By Darren Quick
January 2, 2012
Samsung has unveiled its latest DualView compact camera. The range, which kicked-off in 2009 with the release of the TL225 and TL220 models,
packs front and rear LCD displays so photographers can get themselves
in the picture without the hit and miss framing that results from
holding the camera at arm's length. The new DV300F is the first in the
DualView line to include Wi-Fi connectivity to allow users to cut out
the middleman and email shots or upload them to their social media site
of choice directly from the camera. Read More
Nasa’s twin GRAIL
(Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory) spacecraft are now in orbit
around the Moon. Having achieved lunar orbit at 2 pm PST on New Year’s
Eve, GRAIL-A was joined by GRAIL-B at 2:43 pm PST on New Year’s Day. The
twin spacecraft are now in a near-polar, elliptical orbit with an
orbital period of approximately 11.5 hours. In readiness for the science
phase of the mission which is due to start in March 2012, both
spacecraft will undergo a series of burns to place them in a near-polar,
near-circular orbit with an altitude of about 34 miles (55 km) and
orbital period of just under two hours. Read More
Each January the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the
venue for consumer electronics companies to unveil their upcoming goods
as well as some milestone products. This year LG Electronics plans to
show the world's largest OLED TV - a 55-inch display that's just 4 mm
thin and weighs a mere 7.5 kg. Read More
What does it really feel like to be 75 years old?
A group of researchers in MIT's Agelab have created a suit to help
people understand what it might be like to navigate the world as a
senior citizen. Called AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System), the suit
replicates what it might be like to be in a 75-year-old body,
replicating dexterity, flexibility, motor, and visual elements into a
suit that can be worn by people of all ages. Read More
Although we have entered 2012 approximately 1.5
billion people around the globe remain without access to a stable or
safe source of light. Commonly in some of the world's poorest regions,
kerosene lanterns are the standard form of night time lighting, which
leads to the possibility of fires, explosions, asphyxiation and toxic
fumes. Cheap, accessible solar lighting presents an obvious solution to
this problem and the latest tilt at making this a reality is WakaWaka - a
solar LED lamp concept that can fit snuggly onto a soda bottle. Read More
Taking an old computer or game console and
modifying it for music isn't very new; it's even spawned its own style
of music called "chiptunes." But most artists that do this end up
standing behind a table while they perform, since that gear can take up
quite a bit of room. So, like the keyboard player who looked at the
guitarist and said, "Hey! I want to do that!" one musician has created a
handheld musical instrument out of a 1970's game console. Australian
chiptune artist, cTrix, crafted together an Atari 2600, some custom
software, and various musical modifiers to build a standalone instrument
that he calls the "gAtari 2600." Read More
Video update: Flying robots build a 6-meter tower
January 1, 2012
We were pretty impressed by the potential of these flying robots
when we first covered this story in late November. Now the FRAC Centre
in Orléans, France has released a video of the robot swarm in action
during its current exhibition. Titled "Flight Assembled Architecture,"
the live installation showcases a fleet of quadrocopters building a six
meter-high tower made up of 1,500 prefabricated polystyrene foam
modules. Read More
For years, environmentalists have warned that
keeping electronics plugged in all the time wastes energy, even when a
device is switched off. Even for less green-conscious consumers this
lost energy can add up on the electric bill each month, so disconnecting
unused devices is really a good habit for anyone to get into. But let's
be honest, it's hard to remember to unplug each gadget every single
time it's used. To help with this, designers have created the PumPing
Tap, a concept electrical socket that can detect an unused power cord
and physically eject it from the wall. Read More
China's state press agency, Xinhua, reports that
the country's largest rail vehicle maker has debuted a six-car train
more than twice as powerful and 200 km/h (124 mph) faster than the
high-speed models currently in service between Beijing and Shanghai. The
new electric test train can draw a maximum of 22,800 kilowatts and is
reportedly capable of reaching speeds as high as 500 km/h (311 mph),
making it one of the fastest trains ever designed for commercial
passenger use. Read More
Scanadu developing a real-life medical tricorder
By Ben Coxworth
December 30, 2011
The future technology depicted in the various Star Trek
TV series and films certainly holds a lot of appeal for many of us –
who wouldn’t want to teleport to Hawaii, live out their fantasies on a
holodeck, or enjoy some instant gourmet chow straight out of a
replicator? It looks like the Star Trek item that we’re the
closest to seeing become a reality, however, is the medical tricorder.
This May, the X-PRIZE Foundation proposed a US$10 million Tricorder
X-PRIZE, with the intention of encouraging the production of consumer
devices that can assess a person’s state of health. The first potential
contestant, which already has a tricorder in the works, is a tech
start-up by the name of Scanadu. Read More
Designers turn a Lexus CT hybrid into clothing
By Emily Price
December 26, 2011
Recycling an old car seems like a reasonable
idea, but what about recycling it into clothes? Lexus recently
challenged four designers to create fashion masterpieces out of a
dismantled Lexus CT hybrid
as part of an advertising campaign. Photos of models wearing the final
products will be pictured in the January 2012 edition Vogue. Read More
Recently, scientists from the Swiss research institute EMPA,
along with colleagues from the University of Basel and the Argonne
National Laboratory in Illinois took a cue from photosynthesis and
discovered that by coupling a light-harvesting plant protein with their
specially designed electrode, they could substantially boost the
efficiency of photo-electrochemical cells used to split water and
produce hydrogen - a huge step forward in the search for clean, truly green power. Read More
AMD has taken the wraps of the Radeon HD 7970
graphics card. Billed as the world's fastest single GPU graphics card
and the only GPU based on 28nm production technology, the new arrival
pushes AMD ahead of NVIDIA in terms of miniaturization. The HD 7970 uses
a new Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture that AMD says results in a
150 percent performance/sq mm jump over the previous 40nm-based
generation, is compatible with PCI Express 3.0 and features 3GB of GDDR5
memory and 925MHz engine clock. It also supports Direct3D 11.1 to be
released with Windows 8. Read More
Tesla announces final pricing and options on Model S
By C.C. Weiss
December 25, 2011
Earlier this week, Tesla announced the final pricing and options on its Model S sedan, which will hit the US market next summer. Unlike Tesla's first vehicle - the Roadster,
the Model S is a practical family car that seats five or seven. It's
also about half the price of the sporty, performance-oriented Roadster.
Read More
Upon completion, Norway's Green Mountain Data
Center will be the world's greenest server farm - according to its
developers, at least. By piping cool water from a nearby fjord into the
mountain halls that will house the server racks, its creators hope to
eliminate the need for the power-hungry electric chillers that the sadly
fjordless majority of the world's data centers require. Read More
Honda's first ever commercial aircraft, appropriately named the HondaJet,
follows in the footsteps of the company's ground-breaking CB750
motorcycle and S600 sports car by aiming to provide superior performance
and value - this time in the light business jet market. Continuing an
intensive flight test regime to meet U.S. Federal Aviation Authority
approval that began one year ago, the latest FAA-conforming test
aircraft known as F2 has now begun flight testing out of the company's
headquarters at Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport. Read More
New diode promises to uncork optical computing bottleneck
By Darren Quick
December 22, 2011
When it comes to speed, photons leave electrons
for dead and have a higher bandwidth, which means optical computers will
be much faster than their current electron-based cousins. While optical
diodes for use in optical information processing systems already exist,
these require external assistance to transmit signals so cannot be
readily integrated into computer chips. Now researchers at Purdue
University have developed a “passive optical diode” that not only
doesn’t require any outside help to transmit signals, but is also so
small that millions would fit on a computer chip, potentially leading to
faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers. Read More
Researchers at the University of Texas say it is
possible to hike the energy yield of solar cells by exploiting what they
call a photon's "shadow state", doubling the number of electrons that
may be harvested in the process. They claim the discovery could up the
theoretical maximum efficiency of silicon solar cells from 31 to 44
percent. Read More
Controversial stealth aircraft canopy for sale on eBay?
By Ben Coxworth
December 28, 2011
Twenty-eight years ago, the United States Navy
decided that it wanted a field replacement for its A-6 Intruder
ground-attack aircraft. A team from McDonnell Douglas and General
Dynamics won the contract to design the plane, which would be an
all-weather, aircraft carrier-based stealth bomber, known as the A-12
Avenger II. Its first flight was planned for December 1990, but
technical difficulties and cost overruns kept the team from meeting that
deadline. By January 1991, in fact, the Secretary of Defense cancelled
the program due to breach of contract. A legal battle between the Navy
and McDonnell Douglas ensued, and continues to this day. Now, however,
it’s possible to own a literal “piece” of the story – a cockpit canopy
reportedly made for the A-12 is for sale on eBay. Read More
Ridekick provides an electric boost to regular bicycles
By Ben Coxworth
December 28, 2011
Although some cycling purists may sneer at them,
electric bicycles certainly do come in handy when hills need to be
climbed on morning commutes, or loads need to be hauled. E-bikes can be
quite expensive, however, plus their motors and batteries make them
heavy and clunky when their electric-assist feature isn’t being used.
That’s where the Ridekick ...well, where it kicks in. The motorized
trailer quickly hooks onto an existing bicycle, pushing it to speeds of
up to 19 mph (30.5 km/h), for a distance of about 12 miles (19 km) per
charge. When you want your regular ol’ human-powered bike back, you just
unhook it and go. Read More
It's probably best to make clear from the outset
that Konkreet Labs' Synth in a Book is, for now, one of a kind. But as a
demonstration of just what can be done with a MeeBlip hackable
synthesizer kit, it may just be the perfect specimen. Though this
particular hack may not be for the faint of heart, MeeBlip's range of
synths include all-in-one kits suitable, MeeBlip says, for everyone.
Read More
Paypal co-founder and billionaire Peter Thiel, who is currently the Seasteading Institute's
"most generous funder" has continued his commitment to creating
floating autonomous states by backing Blueseed. The new initiative hopes
to create a floating "entrepreneurship and technology incubator" off
the coast of San Francisco, allowing the next generation of creative
entrepreneurs to legally develop new technologies without US working
visas. Read More
The scientific formula for predicting a hit song
December 27, 2011
You hear a new song. Will it be a hit or a flop?
Researchers from Bristol University in the U.K. say they can now tell
you - well, sort of. After studying the Top 40 singles charts over the
last 50 years and examining the audio characteristics for hits and
flops, the team has come up with a formula as to what makes for a
successful song and used it to devise software that "predicts" hits. The
next step is a web app to allow budding musicians to score their own
songs. Read More
For people who want portable LED lighting that
mounts just about anywhere, there are already devices such as the Joby Gorillatorch,
most of which are variations on the tried-and-trusted flashlight form
factor. Striker’s new FLEXiT Light takes a bit of a different approach,
however. Instead of incorporating three or so LEDs within one lens, it
utilizes a bendable array of 16 high-output bulbs. Read More
For many people who have suffered from an
arthritic hip, the replacement of their natural hip bone with a
prosthetic implant has meant an end to constant pain, and the
restoration of a normal range of movement. Unfortunately, the
ball-and-socket joints of the prostheses do wear down over time, so
younger patients in need of the implants are typically told to either
wait until they are older, or must face the prospect of someday
requiring repeat surgery to service their device. A recent discovery,
however, could lead to longer-lasting artificial hip joints – this could
in turn allow patients to receive prosthetic hips at a younger age,
without the need for additional surgery when they get older. Read More
We've seen quite a few gadgets made out of gold throughout the years. From a gold-plated USB flash drive to a 24 carat Gold- and Platinum-leafed Aston Martin DB7,
gold has long been a symbol of class and a way to add a little flash to
what might otherwise be an ordinary gadget. Now we can add computer
mice to that long list of fancy gold items, with the new Sphere 2 by Ore
Object. The mouse is made of surgical grade stainless steel with either
a titanium, gold, or platinum finish. Both stain and dirt resistant,
the mouse's surface repels germs, and can be easily sanitized if
necessary. Read More
In my part of the world, quad bikes (or ATVs) are
everywhere. They're great for dropping in and out of the fields to
check the vines, as well as hitting the road or dirt track for a bit of
well-earned fun. Although there are quite powerful examples, for the most part quads are unlikely to generate the same kind of drool as, say, a Ducati superbike.
That's certainly not true of Lazareth's Wazuma V8F - which is built
around a 250 horsepower Ferrari 3 liter V8 engine, features a BMW
gearbox and sports customized Brembo braking and Momo rims. As you've
probably already worked out, though, this unique beast of a quad doesn't
come cheap. Read More
British researchers say they've seen a new
particle using data from the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron
Collider. The chi b(3P) is the first new particle that has been clearly
observed using the LHC, the world's largest particle accelerator, which
is housed in a 17-mile (27-km) long tunnel near the border of
Switzerland and France. Read More
What does it mean when a parking spot is marked
with a wheelchair symbol? If you answered, “It means I can park there as
long as I’m going to be quick,” you’re wrong – yet you’re also far from
alone. Every day in parking lots all over the world, non-disabled
drivers regularly use spaces clearly reserved for the handicapped. They
often get away with it, too, unless an attendant happens to check while
their vehicle is parked there. Thanks to technology recently developed
by New Zealand’s Car Parking Technologies (CPT), however, those
attendants could soon be notified the instant that a handicapped spot is
improperly occupied. Read More
iOS developer exposes security flaw, gets blacklisted
December 29, 2011
Apple has effectively blacklisted respected
security researcher Charlie Miller after he discovered and reported a
potential vulnerability with iOS apps. Exploiting the flaw (subsequently
patched by Apple), Miller created an app that made it possible to steal
data from, and take control of, other iOS devices. Further, Miller
managed to get the app through Apple's approval process. Read More
Snapkeys aims to replace QWERTY keyboards on mobile devices
By Ben Coxworth
December 29, 2011
At next month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES
2012) in Las Vegas, tech start-up Snapkeys will be attempting to break
the Guinness World Record for fastest typing speed. The company will be
making its record attempt using volunteers (who it is currently in the
process of recruiting), and its new 2i typing system for mobile devices.
Unlike traditional systems that utilize a full QWERTY virtual keyboard
that takes up much of the screen, 2i incorporates just four onscreen
keys ... and they’re all invisible. Read More
Music lovers wanting to listen to digital music
files on the move are pretty much spoiled for choice these days, whether
keeping things personal with players like the Cowon C2 I reviewed earlier in the month, or sharing with friends using something like the FoxL v2 wireless loudspeaker.
If commercial designs don't really appeal, though, there is another
route - you could always build your own. Matt Keeter's Fab Boombox is
just such a device, designed and built for a final class project and
featuring laser-cut, snap-together panels housing stereo speakers (said
to be loud in a quiet room and quiet in a noisy room), a custom main
control board with an MP3 decoder and a 9V battery power source. Digital
music is fed into the player via an SD card slot, with the user
controlling playback on a touch-sensitive interface. Read More
China's Beidou satellite navigation system begins operations
By Darren Quick
December 28, 2011
China’s independent Beidou satellite navigation
system has been operating since 2000. Consisting of just three
satellites (and one backup), that first generation system offered only
limited coverage to customers in China and neighboring regions. Now, to
end any reliance on the US-maintained Global Positioning System (GPS),
the second generation of the Beidou system has begun operations. The
system currently consists of 10 satellites and covers the Asia–Pacific
region, with the number of satellites gradually increasing to a total of
35 that will cover the entire globe by 2020. Read More
Two recent patent applications by Apple indicate
the company is looking at developing a hydrogen fuel cell system to
complement the rechargeable batteries in a “portable computing device” –
which could refer to Apple’s range of mobile iDevices, its MacBook
range of notebooks – or both. The applications say the technology could
potentially power portable electronic devices for “days or even weeks,”
which would be sure to silence critics and users who have long
complained about the poor battery life of not just Apple’s, but all
mobile computing devices. Read More
Unlike pretty much every other supercar in the
history of supercars, the Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS has four doors and
four seats. While at first glance this might not sound all that super, a
look at the car's spec sheet reveals that the Netherlands automaker may
have just built a vehicle that earns this epithet. The car is powered
by a 6.2-liter V-8 tuned as high 670 bhp, weighs just 2,820 lbs (1,280
kg) at the curb and while it may still be the most unlikely vehicle
we've seen all year, this supersized-supercar is real and it's soon to
be here. Read More
Once released into the environment from
industrial sources, trace amounts of heavy metals can remain present in
waterways for decades, or even centuries, in concentrations that are
still high enough to pose a health risk. While processes do exist for
removing larger amounts of heavy metals from water, these do not work on
smaller quantities. Now, however, scientists from Rhode Island’s Brown
University have combined two existing methods, to create a new one that
removes even trace amounts of heavy metal from water. Read More
Free Wi-Fi is on its way to some Japanese vending
machines. Working much like a mobile hotspot at your local coffee shop,
people located near the machines would be able to connect to the
internet for 30 minutes at a time and surf the web. The vending machines
are for the drink company Asahi. Connecting to the web using a machine
can be done without any kind of log-in, and if your initial 30-minute
connection to the network expires, you can connect again and keep on
surfing. The service is available to anyone, to use with any smartphone,
tablet, or computer and does not require the purchase of a drink from
the machine. Read More
The unmanned Kaman K-MAX helicopter has made its
first combat resupply mission in Afghanistan. Designed to reduce the
reliance on truck convoys that are often targeted by IED (improvised
explosive device) strikes when resupplying front-line troops in remote
areas and manned aircraft that place their crews in danger, the unmanned
aircraft is a modified K-MAX intermeshing rotor helicopter with the
ability to lift a payload of over 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg). Read More
The closing of the year is a great time to
reflect on recent events. Regular readers will already know that musical
instrument development is a bit of a passion of mine, and 2011 has been
a great year for innovation. Join me, if you will, for a quick
retrospective look at some of the tech we've been treated to during the
last 12 months, ending with a recent take on an old classic - the
Crap-o-Caster. Read More
You may soon be able to put your iPod nano on The Pill
By Ben Coxworth
December 30, 2011
There are currently a plethora of speaker docking
systems out there, for use with iPhones or classic iPods. There have been some solutions created specifically for previous generations of iPod nanos, such as the devices made by Green Power and Dexim,
but the new sixth-generation nanos have a different form factor with
different docking requirements. One of the companies responding to that
change is Singapore’s Gavio, which recently launched a speaker dock
designed specifically for the current incarnation of the nano. It’s
called The Pill, although if you want to get technical, a more accurate
name would have been The Capsule. Read More
LG will be unveiling the “world's largest 3D
Ultra Definition TV” at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.
The 84-inch television has 8 million pixels, giving it four times the
resolution clarity (3840 x 2160) of existing Full HD TVs. The television
also utilizes LG's “Slim and Narrow Bezel Design,” which the company
feels gives viewers “the most convincing 3D viewing experience currently
available outside a movie theater.” Read More
If all goes to plan, tomorrow at 1:21 p.m. PST,
NASA's GRAIL-A spacecraft will enter orbit about the Moon. GRAIL-A is
one of two unmanned orbiters launched in September, with its sibling
GRAIL-B due to enter orbit the following day (New Year's Day) at 2:05
p.m. PST. Together the two craft constitute the GRAIL mission (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory), charged with mapping the Moon's gravitation field. Read More
Hurricanes and typhoons could contribute to other
natural disasters that occur long after the rain and winds subside. A
new study led by University of Miami (UM) scientist Shimon Wdowinski
finds a link between earthquakes and tropical storms, and shows that
they may have actually initiated some major temblors, including the
recent 2010 quakes in Haiti and Taiwan. Read More
60beat GamePad brings console-like controls to iDevices
By Darren Quick
December 29, 2011
While the success of Apple’s iDevices has
prompted a swathe of games perfectly suited to a touchscreen interface,
many types of games suffer when making the transition from a
controller-based interface. As a result we’ve seen a number of
peripherals designed to add a physical controller to iOS devices, such
as the GameBone Pro, iControlPad and low-tech JOYSTICK-IT.
Those looking for a slightly more traditional input device for their
mobile gaming needs now have another product to consider in the form of
the 60beat GamePad. Read More
If the amount of personal submarine stories
crossing our desks in recent years is any indication, recreational
submarines are a burgeoning market. While most personal submarines, such
as U-boat Worx’s offerings,
employ electric motors powered by a rechargeable battery pack, US-based
company AquaVenture has taken a different approach to create what it
says is the fastest personal submersible available. This is because the
SeaBird doesn’t pack a propulsion system of its own, but is instead
towed through the water by a surface vessel. Read More
So you are in holiday mode, probably lounging
down at the beach or by a big open fire with the snow falling outside,
depending on where you live. There’s nothing on TV and you have read all
the books of interest, so now what? Well, if you fancy yourself as an
artist, you might like to enter a competition to design the livery for
the first of the new Pipistrel Panthera aircraft and stand to take home
1,000 euro (approx. US$1,290). You have until January 10, 2012. Read More
Hoodiebuddie combines earbud cords with drawstrings
By Pawel Piejko
December 29, 2011
Working from the premise that very few people use
drawstrings on their hoodies, HB3Labs has developed Hoodiebuddie - a
lineup of garments that integrates earbuds into the end of the
drawstrings and a 3.5 mm headphone jack in front pocket. Read More
The AR.Drone
quadricopter really is quite a nifty toy ... or tool ... or whatever
you want to call it. Up until now, however, it could only be controlled
by an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch, an Android smartphone, or for the people
who have one, a Linux PC. While those options weren’t exactly holding
users back, the folks over at Drone Apps realized that a lot more would
be possible if the aircraft could be piloted through an iMac or Macbook –
most importantly, controllers such as joysticks and gamepads could be
used. The result is an OS X application called Drone Station. Read More
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