When a new game console launches, there's
naturally a lot of focus on the features of the system itself, like
graphics, raw horsepower, and motion control. But you can't forget about
the part that's going to sit in your hand for hours on end: the
controller. Microsoft doesn't want us to forget that either, as we can
see in this 7-minute video detailing the "40+ improvements" to the Xbox One's controller. Read More
The 2014 Ford F-150 gets compressed natural gas option
By C.C. Weiss
August 12, 2013
Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles don't get
quite as much attention as flashier battery electrics, fuel cell cars
and plug-in hybrids, but they are a compelling alternative-fuel option
that is available right now. They become even more compelling when they
offer dual fuel capabilities. Ford has equipped the 2014 F-150 with such
capabilities, calling it the only half-ton pickup truck of its kind.
Read More
Early in 2010, Gizmag caught up with software engineer Michael Zarimis and learned a little about his new Misa Digital Guitar. Renamed the Kitara
and launched at CES 2011, the instrument had a built-in synthesizer, a
neck packed with low profile buttons, and a touchscreen in the body that
combined to offer the player an impressive arsenal of futuristic sounds
and effects. The Kitarist was also given precision control over
numerous parameters, and could use the device as a MIDI controller.
Despite being well received, Zarimis has now retired the digital guitar
in favor of something he's calling the tri-bass. Despite its name, the
new device has not been designed to lurk only in the lower frequencies.
In fact, it doesn't make any sounds on its own, but requires cabled
connection to MIDI synths or third party software running on a computer.
Read More
Generally, when you think of headphones, you
imagine small speakers that either sit in or over your ear. The Sound
Band is different, as it doesn't feature any speakers at all. Instead,
it uses surface sound technology, which means the user's ears are left
open to take in the sounds around them. Read More
We first reported on Renew's recycling bins
with integrated display screens back in February, 2012. Though at the
time these were spun as benevolent information-imparting godsends, as
Gizmag readers noted it was always on the cards that they would be used
for advertising – reportedly 95 percent of the time, it turns out.
However, in recent days it has emerged that Renew has kitted out 12 of
its bins with technology that allows it to detect the smartphones of
passers by, and potentially target ads accordingly. Today the City of
London asked Renew to stop using the tracking technology. Read More
Recently unveiled by Australian
design collective Sibling, Walking Shelter is a sort of tent designed to
be stowed away in netted compartments on the backs of your shoes. Read More 
When it comes to camping in comfort, sleeping in a
hammock usually beats the cold ground, but you tend to lose the
protection from the elements that a full tent normally provides. We've
seen some suspended tents that address this problem before, like the Exped Ergo Combi and the Stingray,
but a new product from Sierra Madre Research may have them beat in
terms of all-around usefulness. The Nube attaches to any camping hammock
to form a completely enclosed shelter that keeps you and your gear off
the ground. Read More
For Microsoft, the Xbox and Xbox 360 were always
about more than games. They were seen as a way for the company to move
out of the study and stake a claim on the living room. The Xbox 360 has
been a bona fide hit in that regard but is still largely considered a
games machine. The company is hoping to attract a wider audience with
the forthcoming Xbox One,
which is being positioned as an all-in-one entertainment box with new
features for TV viewing, streaming video and lots more. In light of
this, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the company's
previous assaults on the living room that never quite took off. Read More
After many months of rumors and
speculations, it appears we finally have an arrival date for the next
iPhone. AllThingsD reports that sources have told it to expect Apple to
introduce the follow-up to the iPhone 5 at a special event on September
10. Read More 
Owning a smartphone is a bit like being a kid who
got too many toys for his birthday. No matter how many apps you have,
you still want it to do something more. Imagination Farm USA LLC, based
in Houston, Texas, decided that the something more was the Holho
“hologram generator,” which uses a set of mirrors perched on a
smartphone or tablet to produce the illusion of a moving 3D image. Read More
For so-called “crane shots,” film
and video crews often actually use what’s known as a jib arm – a
manually-operated device that can set you back more than a few bucks,
and is a hassle to set up and tear down. Videographer Gert Wagner’s
hipjib is designed to make things easier, by letting your tripod double
as a jib arm. Read More
Bucharest-based architectural studio
Amarada has unveiled a new skyscraper concept. Dubbed Avis Magica, the
futuristic building features a vertical aquarium, and produces its own
electricity via novel wind-harnessing "feathers." Read More
Located on the edge of a forest near
Budapest, the prefabricated Black Magic House by T2.a Architects is, as
its name suggests, both black and a house. The "magic" part? The home's
basic structure was built in just two days, and the entire process –
from sending off the digital plans to receiving the prefab parts and
completing the structure – took only a week. Read More
Florida Keys authorities are turning
to unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with infrared cameras in their
ongoing battle to control mosquitos. Read More
Nic Wallenberg's The Human Speaker
is a curious electrical collar that allows you to vocalize electronic
sounds without using your voicebox. Read More
Pleygo is to Lego what Netflix is to movies
August 13, 2013
If you're a regular reader of Gizmag, then you've probably noticed that we're avid fans of Lego and the many amazing contraptions
often created with them. But as much fun as these little plastic bricks
can be, high price tags make it difficult for many people to build the
more elaborate Lego models they really want. With Pleygo, people can pay
a much cheaper monthly fee to rent numerous Lego sets one at a time,
much as Netflix rents out movies. Read More
Eureka! X-rays detect gold faster and more accurately
By Darren Quick
August 13, 2013
Every year, Australian mining companies discard
hundred of millions of dollars worth of gold. They're not doing it on
purpose, it’s just that the standard industry technique of scanning
mineral samples isn’t sensitive enough to detect small traces of the
precious metal. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Canadian company Mevex have tested a
new technique using powerful X-rays that can detect these small trace
amounts quickly and accurately. Read More
Jupiter bound: Juno probe passes halfway mark
By David Szondy
August 12, 2013
NASA announced on Monday that its Juno
space probe has reached the halfway mark on its voyage to Jupiter after
covering a distance of 879 million miles. This seems odd when you
consider that Juno will pass just 347 miles (559 km) from Earth in
October. Why both of these facts are true is due to the complex orbit
that Juno is following in order to reach its destination. Read More
Trimble TopoCharger converts an iPhone into an outdoor GPS
By C.C. Weiss
August 12, 2013
Smartphones have all but replaced standalone GPS
units for basic car and foot navigation in cities and on highways, but
without apps like the ViewRanger,
they aren't equipped to guide you around forests, mountains and trails.
The new Trimble TopoCharger brings another such app, along with a full
set of topographical maps and a full-sized back-up battery. Pop this
case on, and the iPhone transforms into an outdoor GPS. Read More
For so-called “crane shots,” film
and video crews often actually use what’s known as a jib arm – a
manually-operated device that can set you back more than a few bucks,
and is a hassle to set up and tear down. Videographer Gert Wagner’s
hipjib is designed to make things easier, by letting your tripod double
as a jib arm. Read More
What do electronic signatures, fingerprint scans
and touch-sensitive robot skin have in common? All three technologies
may soon be advancing, thanks to a new system that turns an array of
zinc oxide nanowires into tiny LEDs. Each wire illuminates in response
to externally-applied mechanical pressure. By analyzing the resulting
mosaic of miniscule points of light, a computer is able to produce a
high-resolution map of the pressure-applying surface. Read More
He may be the man behind PayPal, Tesla Motors and
SpaceX, but Elon Musk has been garnering more attention lately for his
proposed Hyperloop
transit system. Although virtually no details had previously been
announced, Musk has stated that it would serve as a much faster, more
efficient alternative to traditional passenger rail transport – more
specifically, it would allow passengers to travel the 350 miles (563 km)
from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 30 minutes. Well, this
afternoon (as promised) he finally let everyone in on just what it would be, and how it would work. Read More
You probably don't have Google Glass.
Very few people who aren't developing software for the upcoming device
do. But even though the big update that's about to roll out to early
adopters may not apply to you, it does give us a better idea of the
kinds of things we'll be able to do with the search giant's specs once
they're released to the general public. Read More
If you’re old enough to remember rabbit ears,
you've probably told your kids how hard you had it because your old
television had dials. Now LG Electronics is bringing back a whiff of
those ancient days with its distinctly retro Classic TV (Model
32LN630R). The South Korean electronics firm didn't just swap out the
ubiquitous black case for creamy white, the company also added real
channel and volume knobs to appeal to those more interested in classic
Scandinavian style rather than bleeding-edge design. Read More
Bucharest-based architectural studio
Amarada has unveiled a new skyscraper concept. Dubbed Avis Magica, the
futuristic building features a vertical aquarium, and produces its own
electricity via novel wind-harnessing "feathers." Read More
In a telephone press conference this morning,
Elon Musk, the many-faceted founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX,
expanded his earlier Hyperloop reveal
by announcing that he will develop and construct a Hyperloop
demonstrator. He believes that a properly funded consortium would take
about seven years to build a commercial Hyperloop. Read More
P-MOB electric car travels 20 km on solar power alone
By Ben Coxworth
August 13, 2013
One of the criticisms made about electric
vehicles is that they’re only as “green” as the source of the
electricity used to charge their batteries. A Tesla Model S may not emit
any carbon, for instance, but the coal-burning power plant that allows
it to recharge certainly does. In order to be truly carbon-neutral, EVs
need to be able to run completely on electricity derived from clean
sources. Well, that’s just what the P-MOB prototype car does ... as long
as you don’t need to take it too far. Read More
Researchers at the Technische Universität
Darmstadt in Germany have managed to stop light for up to one minute
inside a crystal and store digitally-encoded information inside it. The
technique shatters previous records and could prove very useful in
developing faster and highly-efficient quantum and optical computers.
Read More
These days, spur of the moment memories will
probably be captured for posterity (or Facebook) using a smartphone
camera, but there are still a few of us who prefer to carry a compact
camera around. If your interest in photography extends to learning what
goes on under the hood of a modern camera, however, options are limited,
and will likely void any warranties should you take the DIY route. The
Bigshot camera has been developed precisely with inquisitive youngsters
and aging tinkerers in mind. It's shipped as a self-build kit that
includes everything needed to make a fully working camera, by following
step-by-step online instructions. Read More
Smartphone batteries contain tiny temperature
sensors, designed to keep the phone from overheating. While those
sensors do measure the heat generated within the phone, their readings
are also affected by the temperature of the phone’s external
environment. With that in mind, British app developer OpenSignal has
created a system that allows multiple users’ phones to provide
real-time, location-specific weather reports. Read More
Located on the edge of a forest near
Budapest, the prefabricated Black Magic House by T2.a Architects is, as
its name suggests, both black and a house. The "magic" part? The home's
basic structure was built in just two days, and the entire process –
from sending off the digital plans to receiving the prefab parts and
completing the structure – took only a week. Read More
Advanced prosthetics have come a long way in the
last few years, but the costs have also skyrocketed. A cheaper
alternative may be on its way thanks to Easton LaChappelle, a 17-year
old high school student from Colorado, who is using free online
resources and the boom in inexpensive 3D printers to develop a
functional prosthetic arm and hand. His projects have already earned him
an invitation to the White House, and he's now working at NASA on the Robonaut team. Read More
Florida Keys authorities are turning
to unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with infrared cameras in their
ongoing battle to control mosquitos. Read More
Nic Wallenberg's The Human Speaker
is a curious electrical collar that allows you to vocalize electronic
sounds without using your voicebox. Read More
A vaccine against malaria currently being
developed in the US offers new hope to fight the infectious disease that
enters the body through a mosquito bite. According to the World Health
Organization, malaria killed 660,000 people in 2010. The intravenous
vaccine currently being developed by Sanaria and the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has produced promising
results in volunteers who received a high dose the vaccine. Read More
Located on the edge of a forest near
Budapest, the prefabricated Black Magic House by T2.a Architects is, as
its name suggests, both black and a house. The "magic" part? The home's
basic structure was built in just two days, and the entire process –
from sending off the digital plans to receiving the prefab parts and
completing the structure – took only a week. Read More
Florida Keys authorities are turning
to unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with infrared cameras in their
ongoing battle to control mosquitos. Read More
Nic Wallenberg's The Human Speaker
is a curious electrical collar that allows you to vocalize electronic
sounds without using your voicebox. Read More
In a telephone press conference this morning,
Elon Musk, the many-faceted founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX,
expanded his earlier Hyperloop reveal
by announcing that he will develop and construct a Hyperloop
demonstrator. He believes that a properly funded consortium would take
about seven years to build a commercial Hyperloop. Read More
P-MOB electric car travels 20 km on solar power alone
By Ben Coxworth
August 13, 2013
One of the criticisms made about electric
vehicles is that they’re only as “green” as the source of the
electricity used to charge their batteries. A Tesla Model S may not emit
any carbon, for instance, but the coal-burning power plant that allows
it to recharge certainly does. In order to be truly carbon-neutral, EVs
need to be able to run completely on electricity derived from clean
sources. Well, that’s just what the P-MOB prototype car does ... as long
as you don’t need to take it too far. Read More
Researchers at the Technische Universität
Darmstadt in Germany have managed to stop light for up to one minute
inside a crystal and store digitally-encoded information inside it. The
technique shatters previous records and could prove very useful in
developing faster and highly-efficient quantum and optical computers.
Read More
These days, spur of the moment memories will
probably be captured for posterity (or Facebook) using a smartphone
camera, but there are still a few of us who prefer to carry a compact
camera around. If your interest in photography extends to learning what
goes on under the hood of a modern camera, however, options are limited,
and will likely void any warranties should you take the DIY route. The
Bigshot camera has been developed precisely with inquisitive youngsters
and aging tinkerers in mind. It's shipped as a self-build kit that
includes everything needed to make a fully working camera, by following
step-by-step online instructions. Read More
Smartphone batteries contain tiny temperature
sensors, designed to keep the phone from overheating. While those
sensors do measure the heat generated within the phone, their readings
are also affected by the temperature of the phone’s external
environment. With that in mind, British app developer OpenSignal has
created a system that allows multiple users’ phones to provide
real-time, location-specific weather reports. Read More
Located on the edge of a forest near
Budapest, the prefabricated Black Magic House by T2.a Architects is, as
its name suggests, both black and a house. The "magic" part? The home's
basic structure was built in just two days, and the entire process –
from sending off the digital plans to receiving the prefab parts and
completing the structure – took only a week. Read More
Advanced prosthetics have come a long way in the
last few years, but the costs have also skyrocketed. A cheaper
alternative may be on its way thanks to Easton LaChappelle, a 17-year
old high school student from Colorado, who is using free online
resources and the boom in inexpensive 3D printers to develop a
functional prosthetic arm and hand. His projects have already earned him
an invitation to the White House, and he's now working at NASA on the Robonaut team. Read More
Florida Keys authorities are turning
to unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with infrared cameras in their
ongoing battle to control mosquitos. Read More
Nic Wallenberg's The Human Speaker
is a curious electrical collar that allows you to vocalize electronic
sounds without using your voicebox. Read More
A vaccine against malaria currently being
developed in the US offers new hope to fight the infectious disease that
enters the body through a mosquito bite. According to the World Health
Organization, malaria killed 660,000 people in 2010. The intravenous
vaccine currently being developed by Sanaria and the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has produced promising
results in volunteers who received a high dose the vaccine. Read More
Parrot, a company known for its high-end audio devices, has released a new entry in its Zikmu
line of wireless speakers. The new model, called the Zikmu Solo,
features a 2.1 configuration, which is designed to generate
high-performance sound quality without the need for two separate
speakers. Read More
A solar-powered variant of
AeroVironment’s hand-launched Puma AE small UAS has matched the
continuous flight time of over nine hours attained by a hybrid fuel cell-powered model in 2008. Read More
Doubling another person on your bike
isn’t always the easiest (or safest, or most legal) thing to do,
particularly if you have them perching on the handlebars, or sitting on
the saddle while you stand up and pedal. Things are somewhat easier if
they sit on your rear rack, but that’s not what it’s designed for. The
Companion Bike Seat, however, is designed for just that purpose. Read More
For those readers who haven’t been following its progress, SpaceX’s Grasshopper
is a prototype reusable launch vehicle that’s designed to perform a
vertical landing back on Earth after delivering its payload into space.
While it’s already managed a few low-altitude test hops, yesterday (Aug.
13) it reached a new milestone by performing a “lateral divert test.”
Read More
You say quadcopter, I say quadrotor, let's just
agree that under no circumstances is it quadrocopter. Whatever they're
called, here's another one. It's called Spiri, it's designed to be
rather more fun than your average drone, and is designed to be both
programmable and capable of running downloaded apps. After 13 months of
development Canadian quadcopticist Patrick Edwards-Daugherty has
launched a Kickstarter campaign to help bring it to market. Read More
Parrot, a company known for its high-end audio devices, has released a new entry in its Zikmu
line of wireless speakers. The new model, called the Zikmu Solo,
features a 2.1 configuration, which is designed to generate
high-performance sound quality without the need for two separate
speakers. Read More
If you've invested in a specific interchangeable
lens camera system, but want to change your photographic allegiance to
another brand, you're normally stuck with the prospect of selling your
current lenses to fund replacements. Sigma hopes to make switching
camera brands easier with the launch of a mount conversion service,
which will adapt its lenses to work on your new camera of choice. Read More
The internet and smartphones have made it much
easier to converse with people who speak different languages to you,
with services using these technologies providing both instant
text-to-speech and speech-to-speech translation options. Sigmo, a simple
Bluetooth device which uses existing online translation services to
translate from one language to the other and back again in real-time, is
designed to be the middleman in the equation, thus removing the need to
constantly shove your smartphone in people's faces. Read More
"There was a full team of farmyard animals came
through, and they murdered everything they saw." Meet Dave Leadbetter
and Drew Hobbs of IRL Shooter, an Australian company that's blurring the
boundaries between video games, live action role playing and laser tag.
In 2012 these guys launched Patient Zero, a story-driven real life
zombie shooter game in an outer suburb of Melbourne. Gizmag caught up
with the pair as they prepare to bring the show to Sydney and beyond in
2014. (Editor's note: contains strong language.) Read More
Computer graphics researchers crack realistic fabric
August 14, 2013
Computer scientists have come up with a new
simple, accurate way to simulate the appearance of fabric that could
change the way artists and animators in the film and computer game
industries go about the business of rendering computer-generated
clothing and other materials. Read More
A solar-powered variant of
AeroVironment’s hand-launched Puma AE small UAS has matched the
continuous flight time of over nine hours attained by a hybrid fuel cell-powered model in 2008. Read More 3D printing to help Bloodhound SSC break 1,000 mph
August 13, 2013
The Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) team from the
UK is continuing its journey towards claiming the world land speed
record. After testing its rocket engine
last year, the team has turned to 3D printing technology for another
critical part of the high speed vehicle – a tip that, if all goes well,
will be the first part of the car to break through the 1,000 mph (1,610
km/h) mark in 2015. Read More
There are those for whom ditching the modern
comforts of home and roughing it is one of the main attractions of
camping. For such people, the traditional tent will likely do. But there
is another breed of campers that can’t stand to be separated from their
technology, be it digital music, videos, tablet computers, drink
blenders, etc. For them, there's a new generation of high-tech tents
wired to power all the latest portable gadgetry. Read More
If you want your child to gain an appreciation for custom automotive bodywork, the Toyota Camette concept
was designed with you in mind. But if you want your child to develop a
connoisseur-like appreciation of classic cars, you might want to step up
to the new child-size Shelby Cobra 427. Read More
Heart transplants have given new life to
thousands, but are only an unfulfilled hope to thousands more due to a
shortage of donor organs. With the goal of meeting this shortfall,
scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have
bioengineered a mouse heart in the lab that beats on its own. The mouse
heart had its cells replaced with human cells, offering the potential of
growing custom replacement hearts that wouldn't be rejected by the
recipient. Read More
Touted as a simpler, subscription-free
alternative to the Delorme inReach, the Text Anywhere is a portable,
satellite-powered hot spot that adds virtually unlimited text-messaging
range to your phone. If your work or play takes you to remote regions of
the world out of mobile phone range, this device can keep you in touch
with the folks back in civilization. Read More
The miniaturization of electronics continues to revolutionize the medical industry with tiny, swallowable devices and minuscule, implanted sensors.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have kept the ball rolling
with the development of a new micro-printing process that allows the
production of flexible and energy-efficient microelectromechanical
(MEMS) devices that can be safely used in the human body. Read More
Next month's Frankfurt Motor Show is approaching
quickly, and automakers around the world are providing a glimpse at what
we can expect. Among Toyota's offerings will be a new hybrid concept
that applies race technology to the streets through a combination of
fuel savings and performance punch – the Hybrid-R. Read More
In order for the Internet of Things to become a reality, devices will need to be able to communicate with the internet and
with one another. If they have to be powered up in order to so,
however, a lot of electricity is going to be wasted. That’s where a new
technology known as “ambient backscatter” comes into the picture.
Developed by engineers at the University of Washington, it uses
ever-present existing TV and cellular signals to provide the power and
medium for battery-less communications. Read More
Playing video games and feeling virtuous may seem
almost like a contradiction in terms, but the Sainsbury Laboratory in
Norwich, UK has turned gaming into a way to advance science and help
protect the environment. The Fraxinus game is a Facebook app that uses
player participation to figure out the structure of a fungus genome, as
part of a crowdsourcing effort to combat a disease that threatens
Britain and Europe’s ash trees. Read More
The next generation of powerful sunscreens may
have their roots in some unlikely sources – corals from the Great
Barrier Reef and bacteria found in the Trondheim Fjord in Norway. When
developed, these new sunscreens could offer protection across a wider
band of ultraviolet (UV) radiation suspected to cause deadly forms of
skin cancer, which current sunscreens don't protect against. The
discoveries represent huge breakthroughs, made possible by harnessing
the natural sunscreen abilities that these life forms have developed
over millions of years to survive the harsh UV radiation in their
respective environments. Read More
Doubling another person on your bike
isn’t always the easiest (or safest, or most legal) thing to do,
particularly if you have them perching on the handlebars, or sitting on
the saddle while you stand up and pedal. Things are somewhat easier if
they sit on your rear rack, but that’s not what it’s designed for. The
Companion Bike Seat, however, is designed for just that purpose. Read More
Even when you're armed with precise measurements,
trying to imagine exactly how that stunning new sofa will look in your
living room is not an easy task. It will therefore come as no surprise
that leading retailer IKEA has found that 14 percent of its customers
end up taking home furniture which turns out to be the wrong size for
its intended location. Thanks to augmented reality, customers of the
Swedish home furnishings giant can now try out select products in their
homes with the help of a printed catalog, a mobile app and a smartphone
or tablet. Read More
For those readers who haven’t been following its progress, SpaceX’s Grasshopper
is a prototype reusable launch vehicle that’s designed to perform a
vertical landing back on Earth after delivering its payload into space.
While it’s already managed a few low-altitude test hops, yesterday (Aug.
13) it reached a new milestone by performing a “lateral divert test.”
Read More 
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