Joining the ranks of homes built with edible materials, such as the Tourner autour du Ried, made using corn cobs, and the Mushroom Tiny House,
built with (you guessed it) mushroom-based products, is the Modern
Seaweed House. Located on the small island of Læso in Denmark, the house
features a simple wooden structure covered with an insulating layer of
seaweed. Read More
With plenty of sun-drenched, wide open spaces,
Australia is an obvious place for large-scale solar power plants. It
would seem that large reserves of coal, oil and natural gas, have on the
other hand made it difficult for the country to wean itself off fossil
fuels. But renewable energy is getting a boost down-under with the
announcement of two solar projects, one of which will be the largest
solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Southern Hemisphere. Read More
As someone who lives in the UK and can therefore
count the number of hot days a year on one hand, the idea of having a
permanent outdoor shower is rather novel. However, in countries where
scorching summers are par for the course they're a common sight, but
require plumbing and a dedicated space. The Viteo Shower avoids both
these problems by literally turning the outdoor shower design on its
head. Read More
Thanks to research being conducted at the
California Institute of Technology, regular microscopes could soon be
capable of much higher-resolution imaging. Instead of making changes to
the microscopes’ optics, the Caltech researchers are instead focusing on
using a computer program to process and combine images from the
devices. Read More
Generally, when we think of advancements in the
headphone space, we think of better noise cancellation, improved sound
depth, and the like. Well, a new company called MUZIK is aiming to push
the market forward, but not in the traditional way. Instead, it's
launching a line of connected headphones that allows users to share what
they are listening to with the touch of a button. Read More
Like a lot of things, bone cells grow and
reproduce quicker on textured surfaces than on smooth ones. With that in
mind, a team of scientists from Ohio State University are developing a
new coating that could allow implants such as artificial hips to bond
with bones faster. That coating is described as “a microscopic shag
carpet made of tiny metal oxide wires.” Read More
When people grumble about how they
think the US isn’t as technologically advanced as it should be, they
like to bring up bullet trains – Europe and Asia have them, so why
doesn’t America? Well, it’s getting one. Work is starting this summer on
a high-speed rail line running from San Francisco to Los Angeles, that
will carry a passenger train traveling at over 200 mph (322 km/h). Read More 
By far the quickest way to uniformly raise the
pitch of all strings on a guitar is to plonk a capo on the neck. Even
then, some songs call for a bit of tricky tuning to get things just
right, which means diving into the gig bag only to find that you've left
your faithful tuner at home. Editors Keys has combined capo and tuner
for the Tapo, which can be clamped across the strings to check the
tuning in the newly-chosen key, or positioned at the head for open
reference tuning. Read More
Space communications have relied on radio since
the first Sputnik in 1957. It’s a mature, reliable technology, but it’s
reaching its limits. The amount of data sent has increased exponentially
for decades and NASA expects the trend to continue. The current
communications systems are reaching their limits, so NASA and ESA are
going beyond radio as a solution. As part of this effort, ESA has
finished tests of part of a new communications system, in preparations
for a demonstration in October in which it will receive a laser data
download from a NASA lunar orbiter. Read More
At this year's recent Dwell on Design event,
LivingHomes unveiled its newly updated C6 series of prefabricated
sustainable dwellings. Each of the three homes that comprise the C6
series are capable of achieving LEED Platinum certification, and can be
outfitted with various optional extras to suit budget and needs. Read More
We’ve seen big glass speakers and we’ve seen smaller models,
but Trash Amps’ Jam takes the whole glass speaker thing down to a new
level – it’s a speaker and amplifier, housed in a Mason jar. Read More
Electric aircraft company GreenWing
International has announced the release of its first 50 eSpyder
single-seat electric planes, which will be sold as build-it-yourself
kits for for under US$40,000. Read More
Removing weeds can be annoying,
especially in an area with a lot of plants. Ring Weeder slips over the
user's index finger and allows for precision weed pulling all the way
down to the root. Read More
Designed by Chilean architect
Gonzalo Mardones Viviani to serve as family home to compatriot and
former tennis star Marcelo Rios, House RP features a futuristic-looking
design that would look right at home in George Lucas sci-fi movie THX 1138. Read More
Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel boring machine
(TBM), started digging under Seattle on Tuesday as it chewed through
the north wall of the 80-ft (24.3 m) deep trench where it was assembled
after being shipped in pieces from its manufacturer in Japan. Designed
to bore a 1.7 mi (2.7 km) tunnel for State Route 99 (SR 99) under the
Seattle city center to replace the old viaduct, the machine will both
dig out soil and lay a concrete tunnel wall as it goes. Read More
Google-owned Motorola is going after the middle
of the smartphone market in a big way with its new Android flagship, the
Moto X. Check out the features that it hopes to win you over with. Read More
We’ve seen big glass speakers and we’ve seen smaller models,
but Trash Amps’ Jam takes the whole glass speaker thing down to a new
level – it’s a speaker and amplifier, housed in a Mason jar. Read More
Smartphone cameras are great for capturing that
spur of the moment memory, but even with a built-in flash, after-dark
snaps can look pretty grim. The iblazr team out of the Ukraine has
developed a fully synchronized LED flash module that plugs into the
audio jack of a phone or tablet. It's been designed to eliminate the
white- or red-eye effect, and packs its own battery so it won't leech
from the host device. Read More
With some help from a robotic fish, scientists
have discovered that zebrafish are much like humans in at least one way –
they get reckless when they get drunk. OK, “drunk” might not be
technically accurate, but when exposed to alcohol, the fish show no fear
of a robotic version of one of their natural predators, the Indian leaf
fish. When they’re “sober,” they avoid the thing like crazy. The
researchers believe that the experiments indicate a promising future for
robots in behavioral studies. Read More
The Andromeda galaxy is one of the most commonly
studied objects in the sky. It's just 2.5 million light years from
Earth, is visible to the naked eye on a moonless night and has been
imaged countless times. Japan's Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam
(HSC) has provided the latest snap of the popular object, showing our
neighboring galaxy in a spectacular new light. Read More
Motorola's first Android phone designed under the
control of Google is official, and the big deal is its touchless,
always-listening voice control system. Read More
Similar in size to Boston Dynamics' BigDog,
the HyQ hydraulically-actuated quadruped robot can walk, trot, kick,
and jump, but its reflexes need an upgrade before it can move from flat
ground to more challenging terrain. To that end, researchers from the
Italian Institute of Technology's (IIT) have developed an animal-like
step reflex algorithm that quickly detects when the robot's feet run
into obstacles, preventing trips and falls. Read More
Crowdfunding has come to the small wind
generation field with an Indiegogo campaign intended for an interesting
target niche: a small wind generator designed to be clipped onto solar
panels. According to his pitch, Michael Ring has not only created a
prototype, but calculated possible energy returns, targeted a price
point and lined up suppliers for initial deliveries and has turned to
Indeigogo to get his small startup off the launch pad. Read More
There's plenty of excitement out there about Google's US$35 Chromecast
that allows you to stream digital media to your HDTV. So much so that
at the time of this writing there's a three to four week waiting period
for the device. But, if you have a Roku, Apple TV, Xbox 360, PlayStation
3, select Smart TVs or other UPnP or DLNA compliant device connected to
your HDTV, you can already stream digital content to them from your
Android device with an app. We show you how. Read More
Spanish architectural studio ÁBATON has developed
the ÁPH80: a prefabricated, portable micro-home, which is envisioned as
the first in a series of upcoming similar dwellings suitable for up to
two people. The wood used to construct ÁPH80 is sourced responsibly, and
the house can be erected in just a day. Read More
Got a Kinect and a laptop? Get ready to 3D print
August 2, 2013
Scanning and 3D printing an object could become
much simpler if 3D printing company Volumental is successful in
crowdfunding the development of a web app which would allow users to
scan and print 3D objects using nothing more than a Kinect sensor and a
web browser. Read More
Electric aircraft company GreenWing
International has announced the release of its first 50 eSpyder
single-seat electric planes, which will be sold as build-it-yourself
kits for for under US$40,000. Read More
Photography group 360Cities seems determined to
capture every major city in the world in as much detail as possible.
Shortly after putting together a 360-degree panorama of London
and breaking the record for world's largest photo in the process, the
group's founder Jeffrey Martin set his sights on Tokyo for his next
project. This latest panorama may not trump his old record, but at 180
gigapixels, it's still the second largest photo ever taken. Read More
Nature has been the source of inspiration for a
variety of different forms of robotic locomotion. Yet another example is
the STAR, a 3D-printed robot modeled after an insect's ability to
squeeze into even the tiniest spaces. Developed by students at UC
Berkeley's Biomimetic Millisystems Lab the STAR, which stands for Sprawl
Tuned Autonomous Robot, is able to flatten its legs down to slip under a
small gap and then raise them up again to climb over larger obstacles.
Read More
Phytokinetic adds a touch of green to public transport
August 2, 2013
In an effort to bring a dash of green to gray
concrete jungles, Catalan landscape artist Marc Grañén teamed up with
green wall and roof designer Alex Puig.Grañén to perfect his
Phytokinetic concept. Similar to the bus-top garden concept
dreamed up by NYU graduate student Marco Castro Cosio, Phytokinetic is a
mobile garden designed to be installed atop public transport vehicles.
Read More
Does a smartphone market dominated by Apple and
Samsung have room for a third major player? That's what Google-owned
Motorola is hoping for, with the new Moto X.
The phone is reportedly going to have an insane half a billion dollar
marketing budget, but does it have the goods to back that up? Let's try
to get an idea, as we compare it to Samsung's Galaxy S4. Read More
Lamborghini has announced that the latest model
in its Gallardo line-up will make its world premiere at the 2013
Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo track cars,
the new LP 570-4 Squadra Corse sports a 570 hp, V10 engine that will
launch it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a prompt 3.4 seconds before
hitting a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph). Read More
Inception: Artificial memories implanted in mice
By Brian Dodson
August 1, 2013
An ongoing collaboration between the Japanese
Riken Brain Science Institute and MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning
and Memory has resulted in the discovery of how to plant specific false
memories into the brains of mice. The breakthrough significantly extends
our understanding of memory and expands the experimental reach of the
new field of optogenetics. Read More
A new toilet-training device developed by
researchers at the University of Rochester combines a wearable sensor
pad, Bluetooth technology, an iOS device and accompanying app to help
toilet train intellectually disabled children. Rather than just
providing entertainment like the iPotty,
the Quick Trainer issues an alert the moment the child starts to pee,
so adults can take them to the toilet and encourage them to use it. If
all goes well, they are rewarded with treats to encourage them to head
to the toilet the next time the need arises. Read More
It is essential for travelers to
keep their valuables close at all times, and where could be better to
store your worldly possessions than in your underwear. Armed with merino
wool and polyethylene, Adventure Underwear has taken on this brief.
Read More
Ever fancied yourself a budding
Frank Lloyd Wright, but don't much relish the prospect of undertaking
years of hard study learning the trade? Of course you have, and of
course you don't. LEGO knows this, so has produced the Architecture
Studio Kit to save you the trouble. Read More
Graphene-based supercapacitors have already proven the equal of conventional supercapacitors – in the lab.
But now researchers at Melbourne’s Monash University claim to have
developed of a new scalable and cost-effective technique to engineer
graphene-based supercapacitors that brings them a step closer to
commercial development. Read More
It is essential for travelers to
keep their valuables close at all times, and where could be better to
store your worldly possessions than in your underwear. Armed with merino
wool and polyethylene, Adventure Underwear has taken on this brief.
Read More
Soft robotics is a quickly emerging field that
takes a lot of inspiration from marine creatures like squids and
starfish. A light-controlled hydrogel
was recently developed that could be used for control of these new
robotic devices, but now researchers at North Carolina State University
are taking the development of soft robotic devices to a new level with
electrically-charged hydrogels. Read More
Tooth fillings acting as radio receivers may be
nothing more than a myth, but scientists at the National Taiwan
University are developing an artificial tooth that would send rather
than receive transmissions. They’re working on embedding a sensor in a
tooth to keep an eye on oral goings on, along with a Bluetooth
transmitter to transmit the data and tell your doctor what your mouth's
been up to. Read More
Given that icebreakers clear a path for other ships by traveling through the ice head-on (or sometimes butt-on),
then in order for one of them to clear a wider path, it would have to
be wider and thus larger overall ... right? Well, Finland’s Arctech
Helsinki Shipyard is taking a different, more efficient approach. It’s
in the process of building an asymmetric-hulled icebreaker that can
increase its frontal area, by making its way through the ice at an angle
of up to 30 degrees. Read More
If you keep getting your gadgets wet because you
can’t part with them while taking a bath, maybe it’s time for you to
reevaluate your options. As it turns out, it only takes a Kinect camera,
a projector, some waterproofed speakers, half a year of coding and an
enormous amount of ingenuity to turn a regular bath into an interactive
entertainment hub. And that’s exactly what a group of researchers from
Koike Laboratory at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications have
done as part of their quest to explore the field of natural user
interface design. Their AquaTop Display takes immersive entertainment to
a whole new level, unattainable with regular, impenetrable touch
displays. Read More
Panasonic has revealed its latest retro-styled
mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the Lumix DMC-GX7. As well as
making some detail and color saturation improvements to its
newly-redesigned Live MOS sensor, the company has also treated the new
addition to built-in Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities, in-body image
stabilization, and a silent shooting mode. Stealing the show, however,
are the Live Viewfinder and the rear display panel – both of which tilt.
Read More
Ever fancied yourself a budding
Frank Lloyd Wright, but don't much relish the prospect of undertaking
years of hard study learning the trade? Of course you have, and of
course you don't. LEGO knows this, so has produced the Architecture
Studio Kit to save you the trouble. Read More
The burgeoning product category of video camera
stabilizers is set to get a little more crowded, as Polish engineers
Jack Iwaniec and Max Salamonowicz are currently proving very successful
in the crowdfunding of their new rig, the BeSteady One. Similar in
principal to the MoVI M10 and Ghost,
it basically consists of a horizontal crossbar with handles at either
end, which the camera hangs below on a gimbal-mounted platform –
although the rig can also be used with the camera sitting above the crossbar. Read More
The Google Play store is full of third-party apps
that will let you find a lost or stolen phone. Until now, though, there
wasn't an official solution from Google. Well, apparently Larry Page
and company decided it was about time, and we'll soon see the fruits of
that, in the form of the Android Device Manager. Read More
Researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH
Zurich have designed a sophisticated computer system that is comparable
in size, speed and energy consumption to the human brain. Based on the
development of neuromorphic microchips that mimic the properties of
biological neurons, the research is seen as an important step in
understanding how the human brain processes information and opens the
door to fast, extremely low-power electronic systems that can assimilate
sensory input and perform user-defined tasks in real time. Read More
A new technique developed by a University of
Colorado Boulder team converts sunshine and water directly into usable
fuel. The technique involves concentrating sunlight in a solar tower to
achieve temperatures high enough to drive chemical reactions that split
water into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen molecules. In this way,
the team says it should be able to cheaply produce massive amounts of
hydrogen fuel. Read More
As of this Tuesday (August 6th) the South Korean
city of Gumi’s transit system will see the addition of two electric
buses that draw their power from the road. It’s the latest step in the
development of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's
(KAIST's) Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) system, in which electric
cables embedded in the asphalt provide power to vehicles traveling on
its surface. Read More
When it comes to gaming laptops, the era of
two-inch-thick, weighty monstrosities is truly over. Systems such as Razer's Blade
and Blade Pro have carved out a decidedly more pleasing form-factor for
the category, and with the GS70, MSI is ready to stake its claim at the
top of the market. The new system is particularly thin for its category
and packs some high-end hardware within its svelte body. Read More
If you're buying a smartphone, do you look for
the most cutting-edge specs or do you prioritize overall experience? In
many ways, this question has defined the battle between Android and iOS.
Apple traditionally worships at the altar of experience, while Android
phone makers more often squeeze in the latest-and-greatest components.
But in Motorola's Moto X,
we have one of the best examples of a marquee Android phone offering an
Apple-like focus on experience. Let's throw the two into our magical
comparison machine and see what happens. Read More
Wherever you weigh in on the global warming
debate, it would seem that folks are hotter than ever this year. Misting
and cooling products have been a trend over the past few months, with
launches of products like the Aquabot and Q-FOG.
The self-assigned leader in cooling products has decided to get in on
the action with its own twist on the theme. It's incorporated a misting
system into a line of hydration packs, so the reservoir of water on your
back can both quench and cool. Read More
It's been an exceedingly ugly fortnight on
Twitter. Following a successful campaign orchestrated by journalist and
feminist Caroline Criado-Perez to have a woman reinstated on Bank of
England banknotes, she has been subjected to a relentless campaign of
harassment, with rape and death threats being received by Criado-Perez
at a rate of nearly one per minute on July 24, the day it was confirmed
that her campaign had been a success. After being the platform for
sustained threats and abuse for almost two weeks, Twitter has finally
begun to act. Read More
Removing weeds can be annoying,
especially in an area with a lot of plants. Ring Weeder slips over the
user's index finger and allows for precision weed pulling all the way
down to the root. Read More
A dozen inventors have received a chance to
demonstrate the potential for their pet space projects as winners of
NASA's 2013 Innovative Advanced Concepts Program Phase I awards. The
award winners were chosen based on their potential to transform future
aerospace missions by enabling either breakthroughs in aerospace
capabilities or entirely new missions. Read on for a closer look at some
of the most promising proposals with a view to how they would work, and
where the tricky bits might be hiding. Read More
Designed by Chilean architect
Gonzalo Mardones Viviani to serve as family home to compatriot and
former tennis star Marcelo Rios, House RP features a futuristic-looking
design that would look right at home in George Lucas sci-fi movie THX 1138. Read More 
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