When any two compounds are combined, the
resulting chemical reaction shows up as a specific color when natural
sunlight reflects off the area where that reaction is occurring.
Therefore, by assessing the colors of an object, material or
environment, it is possible to determine what compounds are present
within it. Unfortunately, many of those colors fall outside the mere
three bands of light (red, green and blue) visible to the human eye.
Spectral analysis equipment can detect a much wider range of
light, but it is typically located in labs, which samples must be
transported to. Now, however, a scientist from Israel’s Tel Aviv
University (TAU) has created a portable hyperspectral sensor, that can
“see” over 1,000 colors – this means that it could be used to detect
pollutants in the environment, on location and in real time. Read More
New Omni-Crawler can move in all directions
November 4, 2011
When the need to move super-heavy objects arises,
short, squat crawlers are usually deployed to get the job done.
Unfortunately, that heavy lifting ability comes at the sacrifice of
mobility (no sideways motion), so maneuvering objects into place can be a
lengthy process. Recently, researchers from Japan's Osaka University
(OU) rolled out an innovative battery-powered, remotely controlled
prototype crawler that incorporates properties from an omni-directional
wheel, the Omni-Ball (also designed by the OU team), to travel in
virtually any direction desired with minimal energy loss. They dubbed it
the Omni-Crawler and it's likely to change the way things are moved
from now on. Read More
One thing you can say about smartphones: their
limitations have opened the door for all sorts of new inventions. Among
those limitations are the facts that many phones lack a tripod mount,
and require a model-specific cover/kickstand if you wish to prop them
up. That's where Adewale Adelusi-Adeluyi and Bojan Smiljanic's
invention, called Capta, comes in. It's a universal stand, tripod mount
and cable management system, that works with any make or model of
smartphone, or other mobile device. Read More
HTC and Verizon Wireless have announced a new
Beats Audio-integrated Android 2.3.4-based smartphone, the HTC Rezound.
The new Verizon-exclusive droid supports the LTE network and will be
HTC's first Beats Audio-improved offering in the U.S. market. It's also
the company's first smartphone to incorporate a 1280 x 720 (720p)
resolution screen. Read More
Hobbyist builds wrist-mounted, laser-sighted crossbow
By Ben Coxworth
November 4, 2011
A lot of people think crossbows are pretty cool.
Lasers, miniaturized things, and wearable devices also tend to rate
pretty high on the neat-o-meter. It goes to follow, therefore, that a
small wrist-mounted laser-sighted crossbow should have a lot of
admirers. Well, laser hobbyist Patrick Priebe built just such a device,
and his video of it in action has already racked up over 100,000 hits in
just four days. As it turns out, the "WristBow" is just the latest of
his cyberpunk-esque creations. Read More
New York based electrical engineer and designer
Scott Amron has come up with an idea that could transform the way
industries label fruit and vegetables. You may not pay much attention to
that fruit sticker on your apple or orange - though it's often
frustrating to remove - and it usually just ends up in the trash.
However, Amron is a man who has put considerable thought into that
sticker, creating the Fruitwash label. Just as the name suggests, the
new label dissolves into organic fruit soap that helps remove
water-resistant wax, pesticides and fungicides. Read More
It would be hard to imagine a greater contrast between today's launch by Canon of its EOS C300
digital cinema camera and the launch of RED's long-awaited Scarlet.
Canon's event was huge and long-winded with a string of cinematography
heavyweights on stage. At the RED gathering half an hour later, an ad
hoc bunch of the faithful turned up at RED studios, ostensibly just to
watch the same web page update as the rest of the world. Alas it didn't
quite work out like that. Read More
The world's industrial robotics industry will get
considerably larger in the near future as Taiwan-registered Hon Hai
Precision Industry Co (best known as Foxconn) has announced plans to
begin building industrial robots. Its initial plans of building one
million industrial robots for its own purposes will nearly double the
number of industrial robots in the world (currently The International Federation of Robotics
puts that number at 1,095,000). Foxconn is best known as the largest
exporter in China, the assembler/manufacturer of Apple's iPad and iPhone
and for the extraordinarily high suicide rate of its employees. Read More
Ford begins taking orders for 2012 Focus Electric
By Darren Quick
November 3, 2011
Ford has started taking reservations for its 2012
Focus Electric ahead of initial deliveries to dealers in California,
New York and New Jersey. The vehicle is Ford’s first all-electric
passenger car and the first of five all-electric vehicles the company
has planned for the next three years. With a 23 kWh lithium-ion battery
pack powering a 130 kW (130 hp) permanent–magnet electric motor
producing 181 lb-ft of torque (245 N-m), the Focus Electric boasts a
range of up to 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge and a top speed of
84 mph (135 km/h). Read More
The fact that Canon chose to release its new
camera on the Paramount lot in Hollywood should be a big clue as to how
it is positioning it's new baby. Scorsese was there! Ron Howard was
there! Though it records to the same video codec as previous Canon
cameras (50Mbps 4:2:2 Canon XF) 'video camera' would be a misnomer.
Digital cinema camera would be more appropriate with the S35-sized 4K
sensor designed to appeal to budget film makers and episodic TV
producers. Canon sees an opportunity to sell the equivalent of an Arri
Alexa for a third of the price and compete with Sony's CineAlta F3 large
sensor offering. Of course Canon has a bit of a psychological advantage
in this regard. Read More
Panasonic has announced a new addition to its
LUMIX family, the 3D1 compact camera. It's a point-and-shoot snapper
featuring a couple of 25mm ultra-wide-angle lenses, that allow users to
shoot both stills and videos in 3D. The twin-lens system can also shoot
2D stills and videos simultaneously. Read More
Over the past ten years, scientists at the University of Sussex have been developing electric potential sensors,
that could detect minute voltage changes in electrical fields from a
distance. This October, England’s Plessey Semiconductors began shipping
demo units of the commercialized product. Called the Electric Potential
Integrated Circuit (EPIC) sensor, the device has several potential
applications, not the least of which is its ability to deliver
electrocardiogram (ECG) readings much less obtrusively than is currently
possible. Read More
Software seeks out child abuse photos on hard drives
By Paul Ridden
November 7, 2011
Surely one of the greatest fears of modern
parents is that their child will fall prey to an online sexual predator.
It's estimated that there are over 15 million photographs of child
abuse victims in circulation online, and the very nature of the internet
makes stemming the spread of such material a difficult and laborious
task for criminal investigators. The development of an automated
assistance system for image and video evaluation by Fraunhofer
researchers is set to make that task a little easier, and a lot quicker.
The desCRY software uses complex algorithms to determine if an image or
video from a suspect's confiscated storage medium depicts child abuse,
in a fraction of the time currently taken to manually trawl through the
hundreds of thousands of files often stored on a typical computer's hard
drive. Read More
SRAM pART PROJECT auctioning off bicycle part art
By Ben Coxworth
November 7, 2011
If you're a cycling enthusiast, you've probably
seen plenty of bracelets made from bike chains, clocks made from chain
rings, or other items constructed by local hobbyists from cast-off
components. Fun as those kind of curios may be, imagine what you might
get if you took 46 established artists from across the U.S., gave each
of them a box of 100 brand-new bike components, and asked them to make
those into whatever they wanted. Well, that was the idea behind the SRAM
pART PROJECT. The resulting sculptures have been shown at the Interbike
trade show in Las Vegas, will go on display in a juried exhibition at a
gallery in Chicago, and are about to be put up for auction online. Read More
NASA is looking to turn another staple of science
fiction to practical use by studying ways to make “tractor beams” a
reality. While none of the technologies under the microscope will be
able to transport anything the size of a modified YT-1300 Corellian
freighter – at least in the short term – the researchers will examine if
it is possible to trap and move planetary or atmospheric particles
using laser light so they can be delivered to a robotic rover or
orbiting spacecraft for analysis. Read More
Jawbone has expanded its product offerings beyond Bluetooth headsets and portable speakers
with the release of UP - a stylish, wrist-worn monitor that tracks your
activity, sleep and nutrition with the aim of inspiring you to make
healthier lifestyle choices. Read More
Subaru's biggest announcement for next month's
Tokyo Motor Show was expected to be the BRZ sports car, but now news has
arrived that it will also show an “Advanced Tourer Concept” powered by
its trademark horizontally-opposed engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel
Drive (AWD), but with turbocharging and direct fuel injection, plus a
single-motor hybrid system, all driving through a Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT). Paradoxically Subaru has fitted the car with its EyeSight
driver assist system, and a steering wheel which incorporates a “large
monitor” for access to “maps, television and internet services.” Perhaps
news about the carnage resulting from distracted driving hasn't reached
Japan yet. Read More
As is so often the case these days for those
searching for a better way to stick stuff together, researchers from the
Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel in Germany have turned
to the biology of gravity-defying ceiling walkers, such as geckos and
insects. These creatures served as inspiration for a new dry adhesive
tape that not only boasts impressive bonding strength, but can also be
attached and detached thousands of times without losing its adhesive
properties. Read More
If the horse is not humanity's favorite animal,
it should be, as it has served us far better than any other domesticated
animal. It has been the predominant form of personal transport for the
last millennia, has done more work for us than any animal, and its
mastery became the fundamental military technology which helped Genghis
Khan build the biggest empire in history. The notion of using advanced
technologies to replicate and extend the personality and functionality
of the horse gave Honda a wonderful platform to explore in its latest
design concept. Part sci-fi and part technology-crystal-ball-gazing,
here's what a synthetic Horse V 2.0 might look like 200 years hence.
Read More
Whether it's cars, clothing
or - in this case - guitars, there's something instantly appealing
about Italian design. Combining the well-known tonal properties of
aluminum and hardwoods like mahogany and rosewood, the hand-crafted Di
Donato guitar is the brainchild of Edoardo DiDonato, who has applied
traditional luthier skills used to craft violins, violas and cellos to
create an instrument that is both modern and classic at the same time.
Read More
If you really want to minimize the amount of
toxins that you put into the environment, use rechargeable batteries.
Disposable and rechargeable batteries can contain heavy metals
such as mercury, lead, and cadmium, and with an estimated 3 billion
batteries a year being discarded in the U.S. alone, the sometimes small
amounts in each battery can really add up. Using rechargeables greatly
reduces the number of batteries entering landfills, but many people
don't bother buying them, or the chargers that they require. That's
where earthCell batteries come in. They can be used like disposables,
except that users send them away for for recharging or recycling when
they're dead. Read More
New tech tracks and identifies multiple athletes at once
By Ben Coxworth
November 8, 2011
Even for diehard sports fanatics, it can
sometimes be quite difficult to tell which player is which, when
watching a field, court or rink full of team athletes. While this can be
merely frustrating for fans, it can have larger ramifications for
referees or coaches, whose jobs depend on being able to know which
players are doing what, at what time. Scientists from Switzerland’s
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have devised what could
be a solution to that problem – it’s a system that continuously tracks
each player, superimposing their number and jersey color over top of
their image, on a computer screen. Read More
Microsoft built a six-story Windows Phone in New
York's Herald Square to launch a batch of new HTC and Samsung phones
running on the Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) operating system. The Big
Windows Phone structure featured two stage areas in between the huge
screens - one to demonstrate the Music+ Video Hub with a live
performance from electro hip hop group Far East Movement and the other to represent the Xbox LIVE gaming experience with a game of Plants vs Zombies
using real people as the characters. As for the phones themselves -
HTC's Radar 4G is available now on T-Mobile, while HTC's TITAN and
Samsung's Focus S and Focus Flash head for AT&T. Read More
Ask anyone what their favorite real-life robot
is, and chances are the majority will say “That one made by Honda, that
looks like an astronaut.” They will be referring, of course, to ASIMO.
The self-balancing, walking bipedal robot is actually the latest in a
long line of similar Honda robots, that began in 1986 with one named EO.
The company has also created several versions of ASIMO itself, along
with multiple copies of each, to the point that there are currently over
100 individual ASIMO robots in existence. Well, as of today, none of
those can any longer be considered state-of-the-art. The newly-named
Honda Robotics group has unveiled the latest and greatest ASIMO, that
sports several new features over its predecessors – including the
ability to act autonomously. Read More
Developing true robot surrogates that allow you
to be in two places at once means duplicating all of our movements and
senses in machine form. Given you can now make a video call on your
phone, it's fair to say we have the sight and sound aspects pretty well
covered, but the challenge of adding touch to the equation is
formidable. The TELESAR V Robot Avatar shows just how far we've come in
turning into telepresence into telexistence - it's a humanoid remotely
controlled robot that boasts a wide range of movement along with the
ability to transmit sight, hearing and touch sensations to its operator via a set of sensors and 3D head mounted display. Read More
YouProve software verifies the authenticity of online images and audio
By Darren Quick
November 7, 2011
From nude pictures of celebrities to politicians
caught in compromising positions, verifying the authenticity of images
online is often no easy task. To address this problem, a team at Duke
University looking has developed software called YouProve that can be
integrated into the Android operating system to track changes made to
images or audio captured on an Android smartphone. The software then
produces a non-forgeable "fidelity certificate" that uses a "heat-map"
to summarize the degree to which various regions of the media have been
modified compared to the original image. Read More
Boeing to construct CST-100 spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center
By Darren Quick
November 7, 2011
Turns out NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida won’t be gathering dust following the end of the Space Shuttle Program
earlier this year. Providing a glimpse of how the NASA facilities will
be used in the future, Boeing has signed an agreement with NASA and
Space Florida that will see it using the Orbiter Processing Facility-3
(OPF-3) to manufacture, assemble and test its CST-100 (Crew Space Transportation-100) spacecraft. Read More
City lights may aid in search for extraterrestrial life
November 7, 2011
It's difficult to look at the night sky and not
wonder whether intelligent life exists out there. Indeed, the odds are
very much in favor of there being countless civilizations scattered
throughout the heavens, but the challenge remains in proving it.
Recently, two scientists hit upon the novel but common-sense idea of
searching for city lights on the dark side of distant worlds- a task
advanced next-gen earth and space-based telescopes will likely be able
to tackle in the not-too-distant future. Read More
Mask-bot takes a new approach to giving robots a human face
By Darren Quick
November 7, 2011
While great strides have been made in the development of humanoid robots, such as Honda's ASIMO, giving robots a human face with natural expressions and movement has proven a difficult task. While some look to create lifelike faces and expressions
with motors under artificial skin replicating the function of facial
muscles, German and Japanese researchers have joined forces to come up
with a different solution called Mask-bot that sees a 3D image of a
human face projected onto the back of a plastic mask. Read More
New Philips product promises instant water disinfection
By Ben Coxworth
November 7, 2011
There are presently a number of products
available that use ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms in drinking
water. Many of these are used on the water after it has been dispensed,
requiring users to wait before drinking it. Others are fairly large, or
require the water to be within a certain temperature range. Philips
Lighting, however, has just released a compact UV water disinfection
device known as InstantTrust. It is said to kill bacteria instantly, at
the point of use, and at any temperature. Read More
Laser "sound visualizer" may lead to better loudspeakers
November 9, 2011
We've been following the quest for the world's best speakers
for some time but remarkably, there's still room for improvement. A
key issue that plagues proper sound reproduction (and thus its perceived
quality) is a phenomenon known as deconstructive interference.
This occurs when audio signals overlap and cancel one another out,
creating dead spots which, until recently, have been very difficult to
track. Now, a team from Britain's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has
figured out a clever way to make speaker sound "visible" - and they do
it with laser light. Read More
Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 projects 50-inch images
By Pawel Piejko
November 9, 2011
Not so long ago, it seemed that a projector might
become a standard feature on smartphones, like GPS or a camera. LG and Samsung
released projector-equipped devices, but many manufacturers – including
Apple – have not followed this path so far. If you need a projector in
your iPhone though, it is now possible via a dedicated accessory, such
as the Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 from Texas Instruments and
Brookstone. Read More
For the past couple of years, the only major
bicycle parts manufacturer to offer electronic gear shifting has been
Shimano, with its Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain.
That changed this Monday, however, as renowned Italian components-maker
Campagnolo launched electronic versions of its two highest-end
shifter/derailleur groups. The new products are called Record EPS and
Super Record EPS, with the tacked-on acronym standing for Electronic
Power Shift. Read More
KKL readies Gocycle G2 for March 2012 release
By Paul Ridden
November 9, 2011
When the very last model of the award-winning first generation Gocycle electric bicycle
was sold in February of this year, Karbon Kinetics Limited immediately
announced plans to develop an updated version. The technical
specifications have now been finalized and a manufacturing partner
secured - so let's have a closer look at the upcoming Gocycle G2. Read More
When it comes to gathering measurements of
objects so distant in the universe that they can no longer be seen in
visible light, the smallest amount of stray light can play havoc with
the sensitive detectors and other instrument components used by
astronomers. Currently, instrument developers use black paint on baffles
and other components to help prevent stray light ricocheting off
surfaces, but the paint absorbs only 90 percent of the light that
strikes it. NASA engineers have now developed a nanotech-based coating
that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet,
visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it, making it
promising for a variety of space- and Earth-bound applications. Read More
When we first took the Zero S electric motorcycle for a spin
our verdict was that while great fun to ride, impending advances in
battery technology will mean that this - and other electric bikes - will
only to get better from here ... and they are. Zero Motorcycles has
announced a complete overhaul of every model in its 2012 range of
electric two-wheelers with new powertrains and upgraded power packs that
promise greater longevity, speeds of up to 88 mph (142 km/h) and a
significantly improved range in excess of 100 miles (160 km) for the
street-oriented models. Read More
The World Diabetes Foundation estimated that some
285 million people, or around 6 percent of the world's adult
population, were living with diabetes in 2010. For type 1 diabetics and
up to 27 percent of type 2 diabetics, that means daily insulin
injections, which can be uncomfortable and inconvenient. Since most
people would rather pop a pill than get a shot, researchers have been
trying to develop an oral form of insulin. However, this has proven
difficult because insulin is a protein that is broken down in the
stomach and gut. Now a team of researchers from Australia's Curtin
University has found an insulin substitute to treat diabetes orally that
they hope could help take the needle out of diabetes for many people.
Read More
Ballistic Clipboard holds papers, stops bullets
By Ben Coxworth
November 8, 2011
Although police officers in most countries are
issued bulletproof vests, they don’t necessarily wear them at all times –
would you want to heave one of those things around for an
entire shift? What they do often carry, however, are clipboards. Taking
the “every little bit helps” approach, Ohio’s IMPACT Armor Technologies
has put two and two together, and come up with something that should
actually offer some protection – a Ballistic Clipboard. Read More
Third iteration of Nissan PIVO EV concept headed for Tokyo
By Darren Quick
November 8, 2011
Nissan is the latest auto manufacturer to declare
its hand in the lead up to the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show with the
announcement that a new version of the PIVO electric concept car will
take center stage. The PIVO 3 will be joined at the Nissan stand by two
other concept electric vehicles, a light commercial van prototype and
smart house technology that allows a Nissan LEAF's batteries to supply a
home with electricity. Read More
Epson launches the Moverio transparent head-mounted display
By Pawel Piejko
November 10, 2011
Recently in Japan, Epson showed off its new
head-mounted display, the Moverio - billed as world's first transparent
video eyewear. Users wearing the Moverio can see images displayed on a
background of the real world, which could be particularly useful when
using the glasses in public spaces, such as trains or planes. Read More
Honda has finally added electric propulsion to
one of its most enduring and successful commuter vehicles – the
Japan-only three-wheeled scooter. Used extensively throughout Japan's
congested urban environment as a commuter and delivery vehicle with a
50cc four-stroke motor, the Honda Canopy (aka Gyro) delivers 100 mpg.
Converting the well-protected three wheeler, with its capacious cargo
space, to an electric-only vehicle is a no-brainer and is certain to
create an insatiable demand in non-domestic markets everywhere. Read More
At long last, the world's largest and most
influential motorcycle manufacturer appears to be getting serious about
electric motorcycles, announcing it will be showing a supersports
motorcycle concept at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. Named the RC-E,
the images released by Honda indicate a a super sports motorcycle
designed solely for the "the joy of riding." Read More
Fisker Karma gets 51.6-mile range in electric mode in TUV tests
By Darren Quick
November 9, 2011
Having received certification, a 10 out of 10
fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions rating and an electric-only
range of 32 miles (51.5 km) from the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) last month,
Europe’s independent regulatory body, the Technischer Ueberwachungs
Verein (or Technical Inspection Association in English) has given the
Fisker Karma a more impressive 51.6 mile (83 km) range in electric mode.
Read More
You can take your light therapy, and stick it in your ear
By Ben Coxworth
November 9, 2011
Many readers in the Northern Hemisphere are
likely already starting to experience seasonal affective disorder,
appropriately enough known as SAD. For those people fortunate enough not
to be familiar with it, SAD is a mood disorder that is brought on by
the shorter day-length experienced in winter – less sunlight results in
gloomier people. One of the most common treatments involves regular
exposure to bright artificial lights, that appear to psychologically
serve the same purpose as sunlight. Now, one might assume that such
light therapy would require that people see the light.
According to the Finnish designers of the Valkee device, however, light
also does the trick if you shine it up your ears. Read More
Oregon was the first state in the U.S. to trial
the postal vote back in 1981 and ultimately the first to conduct a
federal election primarily by postal-vote. This week, the State is
trialing another electoral innovation by using iPads to make voting
easier for individuals with physical disabilities. Read More
NVIDIA has been promising to put some impressive
processing power in the palm of our hands with its Tegra 3 processor –
previously known as Kal-El – for a while now. Teasing us with demos of dynamic lighting enabled by the chip’s quad-cores and impressive energy efficiency statistics
made possible by a fifth “companion core.” While ASUS led us to believe
that it would be launching the first tablet to be powered by the Tegra 3
– the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime - on November 9, it appears we’ll
have to wait just a little bit longer. ASUS has, however, provided the
remaining details on the tablet to tide us over until the tablet’s
worldwide launch in December. Read More
The collapse of honey-bee colonies is bad
news. Seventy-four out of 100 different crop types that account for 90
percent of the global food output are pollinated by bees, but the direct
cause of the phenomenon called the Colony Collapse Disorder remains
unknown. Efforts are being made to bring the bee population back to a
healthy level with city councils around the world encouraging the 3000
year old practice of keeping bees in cities. While not proclaiming to
solve large scale crop pollination problems, Philips has turned its
know-how to the equation with this futuristic concept catering for the
needs of the urban beekeeper. Read More
Fitted Fashion using 3D scanners to make custom-fit jeans
By Ben Coxworth
November 9, 2011
By now, you may be familiar with body-scanning
systems that take peoples’ measurements, so those people know what size
of clothes to shop for. Such systems include the recently-launched Bodymetrics, along with the more-established Intellifit.
Well, startup company Fitted Fashion is taking the concept a step
farther. Not only would each client get scanned to obtain their precise
measurements, but the company would then make each client one or more
pairs of custom-fit jeans, and mail those to their home. Read More
Hollywood is not only famous for movies, but for
showing us motor cars as they should be. James Bond's gadget-laden Aston
Martin DB5, the magical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bullitt's
indestructible Ford Mustang, Marty McFly's time-traveling Delorean and
all of the incarnations of the Batmobile - these are the cars we walk
into the dealer's showroom hoping to see, but never do. They exist
nowhere except on the screen or as movie props. So what will become
"Hollywood's hottest new movie car"? That's the question posed to
automotive designers in the 2011 L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge.
Drawing on the latest technology, decades of design experience and a
healthy dose of imagination, here's how designers from major car
companies have met this cinematic challenge. Read More
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