Hey, you like really big engines? Well,
here’s one that’s not going to fit under the hood of your F-150. This
30-ton (27-tonne) Type 9 V.O.S. engine is one of just three built by the
French company Duvant in 1962. It’s over 18 feet (5.5 meters) long, 11
feet (3.4 m) tall, and gulps down 350 liters (92.5 US gallons) of diesel
fuel per hour. With its four valves per cylinder and turbocompressor,
it is capable of producing 1600 horsepower. Best of all, should you
happen to be in Paris this week, you can see the thing running. Read More
Scientists have developed a new material that can
slowly release medication over a period of several months. It's hoped
that the "superhydrophobic material" may one day lead to implants that
would assist in the treatment of chronic pain, and in the prevention of
recurring cancer tumors, by gradually releasing medication over a period
of months. The team of scientists is now planning in vivo experiments to gauge the effectiveness of the material in living organisms. Read More
Miller Beer may have announced its plans to do so
several years ago, but now someone else is actually going through with
it ... releasing a beverage in a self-chilling can, that is. At the end
of the first quarter of this year, Joseph Company International will be
launching its West Coast Chill all-natural energy drink, which will come
in the company's patented Chill Can. When buyers press a tab on the
can, the temperature of the liquid inside will decrease by 30ºF within
three minutes. Read More
I can't help but wonder whether Nikon has been
waiting for temperatures in my part of the northern hemisphere to dip
below zero before announcing additions to its appropriately-named
COOLPIX range of compact digital cameras. Probably not, but all nine
models are released this month and include a new line aimed at today's
family, some with built-in GPS, and a powerful new ultra-zoom. Read More
125 MW solar power plant to land in Arizona by end of 2013
February 2, 2012
Maricopa County, Arizona is set to play host to a
125 MW photovoltaic solar power plant, according to an announcement on
Tuesday from Fluor Corporation. The company has won the separate
contracts to build and maintain the facility, which upon completion will
fleetingly join the ranks of the the world's largest photovoltaic solar
farms. The project, known as Arlington Valley Solar Energy II (AVSE II)
will be built on 1.8 square miles (4.7 sq. km) near to the Arlington
Valley Combined Cycle Facility, a 577 MW natural gas plant also designed
and built by Fluor. Read More
"Garden and the Tower" is Atelier Thomas Pucher's
winning design for the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation to be built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The design is envisaged
as "a global sign, made of light." The tower, very much the centerpiece
of the design, will have a textile skin which, if we understand the
design intent, will not only let sunlight and daylight in by day (an
environmentally friendly way of illuminating the interior) but
intentionally let artificial light out by night, to dramatic effect
should the visualizations prove remotely accurate. The designers'
approach to managing heat gain suggests that there's beauty in the
function too. Read More
Charge your phone using pedal power with the K-TOR Power Box
By C.C. Weiss
February 2, 2012
K-TOR has added a new portable charging device to
its lineup. The new Power Box puts your legs to work toward converting
kinetic energy to electricity. Use it enough and you might just get your
weekly workout. It is quite simply a pedal-powered generator equipped
with a dual-pronged outlet so that you can plug in an AC adapter and
charge your device directly from your leg power. The box works for
devices rated 20W and below, including low-power netbooks, tablets,
smartphones, video devices and portable game systems. Read More
While bike helmets have become lighter and more
comfortable to wear in the last couple of decades, their shape has
remained largely unchanged. Not surprising when you consider the shape
of people's heads hasn't really changed that much recently. As a result
helmets are as awkward to carry around and take up just as much space in
a bag as they ever did. Unfortunately, this leads many to risk their
safety by just leaving the things at home rather than deal with the
hassle. Not content with this state of affairs, designer Patrick
Jouffret and engineer Philippe Arrouart came up with a bike helmet
design that folds down to a much more convenient size when not on your
noggin. Read More
IBEX space probe provides a peek at interstellar material
By Darren Quick
February 1, 2012
Over the course of a year, NASA's Interstellar
Boundary Explorer (IBEX) scans the entire sky. During February, its
instruments are aligned in the correct direction to intercept atoms that
have crossed the boundary from interstellar space into our solar
system, become caught by the Sun's gravity and slung around the star.
This has now allowed IBEX to capture the most complete glimpse of the
material that travels in the galactic wind in the space between star
systems. The results indicate this material doesn't look like the same
material that makes up our solar system. Read More
UPenn's GRASP lab unleashes a swarm of Nano Quadrotors
February 1, 2012
Remote-controlled quadrotor robots have been
around for some time, but in the following video just released by a
research team at the University of Pennsylvania's General Robotics,
Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab, science fiction edges
much closer to science fact. Displaying complex autonomous swarm
behavior, the miniature craft perform some astounding maneuvers and
provide an interesting glimpse into what the future may hold for
surveillance, search and rescue, light construction and warfare. Read More
The Fiat 500 dynasty is expanding
once more. Recent additions include the Abarth and Cabrio versions, and
now the 500L (the L stands for Large) is something completely different
again. It's a compact five-seat people carrier, combining the passenger
space of an MPV with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the
restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car. The 500L will
debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and will hit European markets in
late 2012, with a choice of two petrol engines and the 1.3 liter
MultiJet II turbodiesel engine. Read More
Mercedes-Benz is to launch a new
urban delivery van later this year named the Citan (“city” and “titan”) -
the little brother to the Sprinter and Vito. The Citan will be first
seen at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover in September. The new
van will be available with petrol, diesel and electric drivetrains, and
with panelvan, crewbus and mixed use bodies, and in a variety of
lengths and weights. My bet is that there's an ideal base for a small
campervan there too. Read More
Nissan's next mainstream B-segment
contender will be previewed at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show, in the
form of the Invitation Concept. The sleek hatchback will hit showrooms
in 2013. Read More
Visitors to Tokyo's Shinjuku ward my find
themselves figuratively transported to the uncanny valley, if they take a
stroll past Takashimaya department store, that is. Until Valentine's
Day, a prominent display window there will play glassy prison cell to
the impressive and unnerving Geminoid-F android. Geminoid-F is so
strikingly lifelike in appearance, yet so thoroughly inhuman in many
respects (head and eye movement among them), that it can only be the
work of that master of the uncanny, Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro. Read More
The Fiat 500 dynasty is expanding
once more. Recent additions include the Abarth and Cabrio versions, and
now the 500L (the L stands for Large) is something completely different
again. It's a compact five-seat people carrier, combining the passenger
space of an MPV with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the
restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car. The 500L will
debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and will hit European markets in
late 2012, with a choice of two petrol engines and the 1.3 liter
MultiJet II turbodiesel engine. Read More Mitsubishi develops ultra-high-speed elevator technology
By Darren Quick
February 3, 2012
Due to the number of stairs that needed to be
climbed to reach the top, buildings of over six storys were a rarity
until the 19th century when the development of passenger elevators -
along with advances in building materials and techniques - enabled the
construction of taller and taller buildings. As skyscrapers continue to
reach ever higher, elevators are required to carry more people further,
faster. Mitsubishi already has the first problem licked with the
development of elevators able to carry 80 people at once.
Now it has tackled speed with technologies that enable ultra-high-speed
elevators to travel at more than 60 km/h (37 mph or 1,000 meters a
minute). Read More
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team combines
the strong driver pairing of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton for the
third year running in 2012, along with a substantially revised car to
meet the FIA's rule changes. The most noticeable change between last
year and the new MP4-27 is at the rear, where tighter rear carbon-fiber
composite body shaping has been designed to meet the new-for-2012
exhaust rules, whilst smoothing airflow to and from the coolant and oil
radiators. Read More
Despite criticism in the U.S. regarding
escalating costs, which has seen the Pentagon’s bill for a planned 2,443
F-35s going from US$233 billion to $385 billion, Lockheed Martin is
pressing ahead with tests of the world’s only fifth generation jet
fighter. It’s been over six years since the first F-35 took to the air for the first time and one and a half years since the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant broke the sound barrier
for the first time. Now the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing
(CTOL) variant has completed the first night flight in the history of
the F-35 program. Read More
Facebook has filed an S-1 document with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission announcing its
intention to sell shares to the public. The eagerly anticipated move by
the world’s dominant social networking site sees Facebook’s books open
to potential investors – and the just plain curious - for the first
time. Although the IPO will mean the internet giant will answer to
shareholders and a board, the stock structure will see Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg controlling 57 percent of voting shares. Read More
Wenger HypeX pendants: Survival tools you can wear
By C.C. Weiss
February 2, 2012
Wenger is one of the two recognizable brand names
behind the iconic Swiss Army knife. Ordinarily the brand is content in
updating its timeless knife line with a new implement or grip material,
but this time it aims to create a whole new category of outdoor
preparedness equipment. You can call it toolery or wearable survival
gear, but Wenger calls it HypeX. Read More
Maserati is swapping the bitumen for the deep
blue by backing an attempt to set a new record for a trans-Atlantic
crossing. A crew of seven, skippered by Giovanni Soldini, has set sail
from the port of Cadiz in southwestern Spain in a super maxi yacht named
after the Italian supercar manufacturer. They are headed for San
Salvador in the Bahamas on a 3,884 nautical miles (4,469 miles/7,193 km)
journey. Read More
Action cams have become a ubiquitous part of ski
resorts everywhere. They're great for catching your best on-slope
moments and sharing them with the world, but they can be a little bit
bulky and awkward to use with gloves. The Zeal iON goggles solve this
problem by integrating the HD camera right into the goggle frame. Read More
Swap-O-Matic is a vending machine for trading your stuff
By Ben Coxworth
February 2, 2012
How many times have you heard someone lament “We
live in a throw-away society”? Certainly, the world would no doubt be a
better place if people threw less items in the garbage, and reused
products more. Well, that’s what Brooklyn designer Lina Fenequito is
trying to encourage with her Swap-O-Matic vending machine. Instead of
dispensing mass-produced snacks with wrappers that end up in landfills,
it plunks out second-hand belongings that need a new owner. Read More
The L and R labels on your headphones serve a
purpose, and it isn't just about fit. The audio source - whether it's a
receiver, PC or MP3 player - sends left- and right-channel sounds to the
appropriate earbud. While it might seem minor, this can be a difference
between a disjointed experience listening to music, movies and other
video, to a fuller experience that connects sight (in the case of video)
and sound - with sound coming from the direction it's intended. There's
no chance of a mix-up with the Universal Earphones being developed by
Igarashi Design Interfaces Project in Tokyo - the headphones decide for
themselves which ear they are in, and send sound to the each channel
accordingly. Read More
MicroOLED introduces 5.4 million pixel camera display
By Paul Ridden
February 5, 2012
Digital camera technology has just taken a huge
leap forward with the development of a microdisplay panel that's
millions of pixels beyond what is currently used in the highly detailed
electronic viewfinders of Fujifilm's most recent X-series cameras (X-S1/X-Pro1), and more than double the panels in Sony's latest alpha and NEX
cameras. MicroOLED's new bright and detailed, low power OLED panel has
been viewed by a number of industry pundits as the final nail in the
coffin of the optical viewfinder. Read More
Mercedes-Benz is to launch a new
urban delivery van later this year named the Citan (“city” and “titan”) -
the little brother to the Sprinter and Vito. The Citan will be first
seen at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover in September. The new
van will be available with petrol, diesel and electric drivetrains, and
with panelvan, crewbus and mixed use bodies, and in a variety of
lengths and weights. My bet is that there's an ideal base for a small
campervan there too. Read More
When you want to isolate communications between
two devices or locations, a fiber optic link is one of the best ways to
go. Under some circumstances, however, you might also want to isolate
the transmission of power – in situations where traditional copper wire
might prove unsafe or impractical, for instance. That’s why researchers
at Sandia National Laboratories are developing a power-over-fiber (PoF)
communications cable. It carries not only data, but also optical power.
Read More
Head patch measures blood flow in stroke patients' brains
By Ben Coxworth
February 3, 2012
Approximately one third of stroke patients
experience another stroke while they’re still in the hospital. Nurses
therefore keep a close eye on them, and arrange for them to be taken for
tests if a subsequent stroke is suspected. Unfortunately these tests
can be invasive, and in some cases are even potentially harmful to the
patient. A new device being developed at the Mayo Clinic in Florida,
however, could watch for strokes simply by shining light onto a
patient’s forehead. Read More
South Korea opens a Kinect-powered theme park
February 3, 2012
New media entertainment company, d'strict, is
pushing the concept of virtual reality to a new level with the "Live
Park 4D World Tour," a new theme park that recently opened in South
Korea. The park is comprised of 65 different attractions over a 10,000
sq. foot (929 sq m) space, which houses several large interactive
displays as well as some installation art pieces. Visitors wear RFID
wristbands that allow the displays to identify them, while Kinect
sensors detect their movements, voices, and faces. Many of the
attractions center around having users create an avatar of themselves
that they can interact with and take on a virtual adventure, which is
portrayed using 3D video, holograms, and augmented reality technology.
Read More
Buhel Speakgoggle lets you talk through your nose bones
By C.C. Weiss
February 3, 2012
Traditionally just big, goofy optics designed to
protect your eyes from cold, snow and bright light, ski goggles have
taken all kinds of new roles over the past few winters. Some goggles track your speed and vertical and some capture video. The Buhel Speakgoggle provides a seamless, vibration-based communications mechanism to keep you in touch with your crew. Read More
Humpback whales inspire better helicopter rotor blades
By Ben Coxworth
February 3, 2012
Oh, those humpback whales and their weird fins. First, they inspired more efficient wind turbines. Next, their unique qualities were copied by undersea turbines
used to harness tidal flow energy. Now, they’ve led to rotor blades
that allow helicopters to be more maneuverable. It all comes down to
bumps along their leading edge, known as tubercles. Read More
A heart-powered pacemaker may sound
counter-intuitive, but in essence this is precisely what aerospace
engineers from the University of Michigan are proposing. The engineers
have come up with a prototype powered by vibrations in the chest cavity -
vibrations which are caused mainly by the beating of the heart. Read More
An intriguing bamboo mobile phone named ADzero is
set to launch in the UK before the year is out following a positive
response to the design, which was originally intended for the Chinese
market. Though the intention is that the phone will run Android,
relatively little is known about the phone itself. ADzero's Jerry Lao
indicated to Gizmag that the designers are leaving all hardware options
on the table until production is ready to roll. Read More
What the schools of the future could look like
February 6, 2012
Here at Gizmag we are always keeping an eye on
innovative solutions for schooling and education. We've covered the solar powered mobile computer classroom project and the AIRchitecture flying classrooms of the future,
but now we're excited about these proposals from architects all over
the world, who recently submitted their ideas for what schools of the
future could look like. Read More
Nissan's next mainstream B-segment
contender will be previewed at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show, in the
form of the Invitation Concept. The sleek hatchback will hit showrooms
in 2013. Read More
A team of scientists led by the Max Planck
Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) has produced the highest resolution map
of the Milky Way's magnetic field ever produced. The map pools over
41,000 measurements from across 26 projects. "The resulting database is
equivalent to peppering the entire sky with sources separated by an
angular distance of two full moons," said Dr. Tracy Clarke of the Naval
Research Laboratory. Read More
New bonsai 100 bhp Hybrid Synergy Drive for Toyota Yaris
By Gizmag Team
February 6, 2012
The littlest Toyota, the Yaris, is about to
become hybridized too, and the engineering job to reduce the size of
its Hybrid Synergy Drive system for the diminutive car is worth a look.
The system uses a new 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine that weighs
16.5kg less and is 10 per cent more compact than the 1.8-litre unit
used in the Prius and Auris. Likewise, other major components such as
the electric motor, power control unit and transaxle were also made
lighter and smaller, but the power has remained robust at 99 bhp (74 kW)
- most importantly, the hybrid Yaris will go on sale mid-year with very
low fuel consumption, emissions, and ownership costs. Read More
A new Kickstarter product to address that First
Worldiest of First World problems, errant electronics cables, is off to a
flying start. Since launching the project page, the Recoil Winder
family of spring-loaded, self-winding cable holders has attracted five
times the starting goal of US$10,000, and with 19 days to go. Seeing a
Winder in action, it isn't hard to see why. The spring-loaded mechanism
appears to be very quick and easy to use, and the result is so neat it's
hard to watch one in action without imagining a future free of boxes,
drawers and cupboards full of entwined masses of seemingly self-tangling
cables. Read More
Honda's much-awaited 1000cc MotoGP contender, the
RC213V, was unveiled at a Repsol Honda news conference last week prior
to three days of official testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The
RC213V replaces its 800cc predecessor, the 2011 championship-winning RC212V, with much riding on the shoulders of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa for the new season. Read More
Cryoscope gives users a feel for tomorrow's weather
By Darren Quick
February 5, 2012
Given that touch is generally the best way to determine how hot or cold something is - as long as it's not too
hot or cold - Rob Godshaw has come up with a device that could provide a
more immediately understandable representation of tomorrow's weather
than the traditional abstract number coupled with simplified symbols
seen on the nightly news. His invention is an aluminum cube called the
Cryoscope that adds some haptic feedback to the daily weather forecast
by letting users physically feel tomorrow's temperature - at least in
their fingertips. Read More
New "Super-Earth" discovered only 22 light years away
February 5, 2012
An international team of scientists led by
Professors Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Paul Butler from the Carnegie
Institution for Science in the U.S. has discovered a potentially
habitable Super-Earth that's "just" 22 light years away. The new
Super-Earth has a mass that is 4.5 times larger than that of our planet
and it revolves around its parent star in 28 days - a star that is
significantly smaller than ours. This remarkable new discovery suggests
that habitable planets could exist in a wider variety of environments
than previously believed. Read More
SpaceX Dragon's ultimate mission is Mars colonization
By David Szondy
February 5, 2012
The private spaceflight company SpaceX declared
that 2012 would be the "Year of the Dragon" - a play on the current
cycle of the Chinese calendar and the upcoming tests of SpaceX's Dragon space capsule.
For a time, it seemed as if SpaceX was regretting that slogan. Dragon
was chosen as one of five competitors for NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) contest to develop a cargo/passenger
craft to service the International Space Station. The Dragon program had
enjoyed considerable success and was scheduled to be the first private
spacecraft to visit and, if all went well, dock with the International
Space Station (ISS). Unfortunately, with the need for more testing of
the Dragon capsule delaying the launch from its original February 7,
2012 date to late March or even into April, it looked as though the Year
of the Dragon was starting a bit late. Read More
MIT envisions DIY solar cells made from grass clippings
February 5, 2012
Research scientist Andreas Mershin has a dream to
bring inexpensive solar power to the masses, especially those in
developing countries. After years of research, he and his team at MIT's
Center for Bits and Atoms, along with University of Tennessee biochemist
Barry Bruce, have worked out a process that extracts functional
photosynthetic molecules from common yard and agricultural waste. If all
goes well, in a few years it should be possible to gather up a pile of
grass clippings, mix it with a blend of cheap chemicals, paint it on
your roof and begin producing electricity. Talk about redefining green
power plants! Read More
Ferrari launches 2012 Formula One tilt with F2012
By Martin Hone
February 6, 2012
With the northern Italian town of Maranello
draped in snow, Ferrari Scuderia's launch of its 2012 F1 contender - the
F2012 - had to rely on the internet. It may not have had the same
pizzazz, but the show did go on. Along with repositioned radiators, the
most obvious change is to the rear, where exhaust flows, both engine,
radiator as well as aerodynamic air flows have been impacted by the new
regulations that stipulate the exhausts must now exit within a very
tight space at the rear of the car in order to minimize their
aerodynamic influence. Read More
Pureflame lets you hang a fireplace on your wall
By Ben Coxworth
February 6, 2012
At this time of year, many of us living in the
upper reaches of the Northern Hemisphere start wishing that we had a
fireplace in our home. Unfortunately, installing a fireplace and chimney
in a house that doesn't already have them is quite an involved and
expensive process. Here's a solution in the form of a functioning
fireplace that you simply hang on the wall like a picture - it's made by
a company called Pureflame. Read More
The greatest obstacle standing in the way of
electric-vehicle adoption - besides crafty, deceitful right wingers - is
limited range. Electric vehicles can only travel 100 miles (161 km) on
their best day. Because of the lack of electric charging stations and
the amount of time involved in charging a battery, they just can't go as
far as gas vehicles. A team of researchers at Stanford University
recently made an important discovery in wireless charging technology.
Their work could one day help solve the limited-range dilemma. Read More
VITAband is a cash/I.D. combo you wear on your wrist
By Ben Coxworth
February 6, 2012
There’s one thing that everyone should have on
their person when they venture off on solo outdoor activities – their
I.D. That way, should they end up injured and unable to communicate,
first responders will know who they are, and who to contact. While the
various cards kept in one’s wallet are a good form of identification, a
lot of people don’t want to lug a bulky wallet around in their pocket
while doing things like running or rock-climbing. That’s where the
VITAband comes in. Not only does the waterproof bracelet provide a link
to its wearer’s full Emergency Response Profile, but it also allows them
to make cash-free purchases. Read More
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are definitely a handy way of tracking shipments.
Instead of simply crossing their fingers and hoping for the best,
importers and exporters can check the location and condition of shipped
items in real time, by remotely accessing the data being transmitted by
RFID tags attached to those items. Unfortunately, many such tags don't
work on metal objects such as shipping containers or oil drums, as the
metal interferes with the functioning of the tags' antennas. A new tag
developed at North Dakota State University gets around that limitation,
however - it uses the metal object as its antenna. Read More
Outdoor chefs that are looking for a little extra
searing power may want to consider the Cook-Air grill, which calls
itself the world's most powerful portable BBQ. The Cook-Air gives you
more than 1,000ºF and the equivalent of 65,000 BTUs of wood-fire power.
Its small, portable design lets you take it nearly anywhere - from the
backyard to the campground to the weekend tailgate. Read More
I don't know about other people, but when I
was a child, I was inventing things such as a musical instrument made
out of a folded piece of cardboard and some rubber bands. Ten year-old
Clara Lazen, however, has done something a little more noteworthy. The
fifth-grader from Kansas City, Missouri, built a model of a molecule
that is new to science. If the molecule itself were to actually be
created, it could possibly be used for energy storage, or in explosives.
Read More
Pentax Ricoh and acclaimed designer Marc Newson
have joined forces to create a new 16 megapixel mirrorless camera and a
new pancake lens that's claimed to be the world's thinnest
interchangeable lens. The Pentax K-01 interchangeable lens camera
(pronounced "kay zero one") is also said to be compatible with over 25
million previously-produced Pentax K-mount lenses. Read More
Airbags for motorcyclists, whether built into the vehicle (a la Honda) or the rider's apparel (like the D-Air, Spidi and Hit-Air), are not a new idea. But Canadian inventor Rejean Neron's Safety Sphere concept has to be the most, well, all-encompassing
of those we've seen. Described as an "inflatable crash garment for
non-enclosed vehicle riders", Safety Sphere isn't so much built into the
rider's suit as it is the rider's suit. In the event of an
accident, the intended results are nothing if not dramatic, as the CG
video promo ably illustrates. Read More
Update Twitter in Morse Code with the Tworsekey
By Paul Ridden
February 6, 2012
Urgent messages sent using Morse Code via radio
waves or by electrical telegraphy are, by necessity, quite short - after
all, you don't want to spend all day dotting and dashing your way
through War and Peace. These days, of course, if you want to
send the latest piece of gossip or news to those near and dear there are
quite a few quicker options - from email to instant messaging and
Facebook to Twitter. For users of the latter networking platform who are
looking for a novel way to merge the old with the new, Martin
Kaltenbrummer's open source Tworsekey Morse Code interface can deliver
messages direct to the Twitter API via Ethernet LAN. Read More
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