After hinting at its new C-X17 concept,
Jaguar has finally taken the lid off of its first sports crossover
concept vehicle at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. This is not only the
first vehicle of its kind to be designed by Jaguar, but it also acts as a
demonstration of a new architecture that will be common in future
Jaguar models as the company seeks to expand into new markets. Read More
Apple has revealing its most colorful of its
smartphones to date: the iPhone 5c. Sporting a look that's nearly
indistinguishable from the previous iPhone 5 – aside from a much broader
color spectrum, that is – Apple's latest smart device was designed
especially with the new iOS 7 in mind and boasts a slew of new features.
Read More
NBA to use motion tracking cameras in all games next season
By Dave LeClair
September 10, 2013
When you combine sports with technology, you can
end up with some serious improvements to the game. The NBA and Stats LLC
is rolling out the SportVU motion tracking system, which uses six
cameras to collect various types of data for the purpose of statistic
tracking. Read More
If you were hoping Apple would break from
tradition with its latest iPhone, well, today wasn't your lucky day. As
expected, the company stuck with its "S-phone every other year" pattern,
and pulled back the curtain on the iPhone 5s. Like previous S-series
entries, the iPhone 5s looks almost exactly like its predecessor,
only with a few upgrades thrown in. Here the big star of the show is
the long-anticipated biometric fingerprint sensor, which Apple branded
as Touch ID. Read More
At long last, Volkswagen has whipped the covers off its e-up! and e-Golf
electric automobiles, at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
Volkswagen claims that the e-up sets a new efficiency standard,
consuming 11.7 kWh of electrical energy every 100 km (62 miles) for a
cost of €3.02 (US$4). The e-Golf isn't far behind, consuming 12.7 kW/h
per 100 km at a cost of €3.28. VW also used the event to unveil its new
flagship Golf, the latest Golf R, as well as its Golf Sportsvan concept.
Read More
MetaboShield, is an innovative intestinal sleeve
that can be lodged permanently in the small intestine via the throat in
an anesthesia-free procedure. Though it is still a prototype, when
developed the sleeve could help people shed unwanted pounds and
potentially help reverse type 2 diabetes. Read More
Brick by name: Massive mobile phone boasts epic standby time
September 10, 2013
In what is surely the mobile phone handset story of the day, UK electronics company Binatone has unveiled the aptly named Brick (strictly speaking, The
Brick) mobile phone which boasts up to 3 months of standby time, 28
hours of talk time and an integrated flashlight, all wrapped up in an
extremely compact form factor … for 1991. Read More
Castrol Rocket prepares for motorcycle land speed record bid
September 9, 2013
All of the two-wheeled machines that have held
the motorcycle land speed record over the past few decades have one
thing in common – they don't look like motorcycles. The latest speedster
to step up to the plate is no exception. The Castrol Rocket is a
1,000-hp jet without wings that's been undergoing testing at the
Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in preparation for a shot at the title of
world's fastest motorcycle. Read More
10 Gbps USB transfer speeds are a
step closer following completion of the new specification by the USB 3.0
Promoter Group. Read More Lauf fork turns over a new leaf in mountain bike suspension
By Ben Coxworth
September 9, 2013
Telescopic suspension forks may have done a lot
to make mountain biking easier and more enjoyable, but they’re not
exactly light or mechanically simple ... at least, not when compared to
rigid forks. Icelandic entrepreneurs Benedikt Skulason and Gudberg
Bjornsson decided to do something about it, and together created the
Lauf leaf-style fork. It has no moving parts, requires no maintenance,
and weighs just 980 grams – a typical suspension fork weighs more in the
neighborhood of 1,400 to 1,900. Read More
Having already seen the pre-show teaser shots,
we had a chance to take a closer look at Kia's vision for the European
B-segment at the Frankfurt Motor Show today – the Niro. Read More
Places like airports and train
stations aren’t known for their tranquility, and that’s largely because
of the constant barrage of loud announcements made over their PA
systems. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, however, have helped
develop a system that may allow those announcements to still be heard,
but at a lower volume. Read More
The smartwatch trend has certainly taken off recently with new wrist-worn tech announced by the likes of Samsung, Sony,
and ... Nissan? Yes, the automobile company is getting in on the action
with a concept for a watch designed exclusively for its Nismo
brand of high-performance cars. Unlike most other smartwatches that
just sync to a person's mobile phone, the planned Nismo Watch will also
connect to a sports car to provide data on its performance in real-time.
Read More
Having already seen the pre-show teaser shots,
we had a chance to take a closer look at Kia's vision for the European
B-segment at the Frankfurt Motor Show today – the Niro. Read More
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S4, which some considered to be a minor update over the Galaxy S3. But Apple's new iPhone 5s
might be an even more iterative update, apart from one or two marquee
features. Which comes out on top? It's too early to say for sure, but we
can start by comparing the specs and features of the companies' two
latest flagships, the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S4. Read More
"Smart" micro student houses set to go ahead in Sweden
September 10, 2013
Swedish architectural firm Tengbom has come up
with a creative new accommodation model that squeezes student living
into a compact 10 sq m footprint. The Smart Student Unit aims to offer
an inexpensive and sustainable housing choice for students in Sweden
that could reduce the current residency rents by half. Read More
Stanford scientists use DNA to assemble graphene transistors
September 10, 2013
A team of Stanford researchers has found a way to
grow graphene nanoribbons using strands of DNA. This important
development could be the key to large-scale production of graphene-based
transistors that are orders of magnitude smaller, faster and less
power-hungry than current silicon technology. Read More
Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid drive debuts in Frankfurt
September 10, 2013
Porsche has debuted the long-awaited production model of its 918 Spyder
at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA). Billed as the "genetic
blueprint for the Porsche sports car of the future," the plug-in hybrid
super sports car is designed to strike a balance between performance and
efficiency, boasting acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 2.8
seconds and a top speed of 211 mph despite miserly fuel consumption
estimated at 3 liters per 100 km (0.8 gallons per 62 miles). Read More
Artificial muscles could allow robots to lift 80 times their own weight
By David Szondy
September 10, 2013
It's a classic science fiction scene: an android
is injured and its human-like exterior is laid bare to reveal the
metallic gears and cables of its true mechanical nature. The future is,
unsurprisingly, not likely to match this scenario as our ability to
mimic biology with innovations like artificial muscles improves. The
latest breakthrough in this field comes from the National University of
Singapore’s Faculty of Engineering where researchers have developed a
“robotic” muscle that extends like real muscle tissue to five times its
original length, has the potential to lift 80 times its own weight and
holds out the promise of smaller, stronger robots capable of more
refined movements. Read More
2X4 Cargo Bike puts the power to both wheels
By Ben Coxworth
September 10, 2013
Cargo bikes are nothing new, nor are electric-assist bikes, nor even two-wheel-drive models. NTS Works’ 2X4 Cargo Bike is definitely unique, however, in the way that it combines all three. Read More
Places like airports and train
stations aren’t known for their tranquility, and that’s largely because
of the constant barrage of loud announcements made over their PA
systems. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, however, have helped
develop a system that may allow those announcements to still be heard,
but at a lower volume. Read More
For fitness enthusiasts wanting to keep track of
performance, or sports professionals looking for real-time information
to help improve their game, the selection of monitoring devices is
pretty good ... if you happen to be a runner or a cyclist. There's even one for kayakers.
If you're a tennis player, however, your options are pretty much
non-existent. Veteran French racket specialist Babolat is looking to
address this shortfall with the release of its Play Pure Drive. The
sensor packed racket collects data on a player's game, which is then
transmitted to a smartphone or tablet running a proprietary app for
analysis. Read More
A new hybrid product by
Belgium-based eTiger combines light and sound for those people who enjoy
playing with atmosphere at home. Cosmic Led is a wireless-enabled
product that combines an audio speaker with a light bulb. All it takes
is plugging it into lamp or overhead ceiling rose connection. Read More
With the unveiling of the Q30 concept, Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan Motors, is clearly seeking to cement its reputation for opulence. Read More
Setting up house is always a pain and when that
house is on Mars, it’s a logistical nightmare. To make things a bit
easier, Dmitry Zhuikov, Arina Ageeva, and Krassimir Krastev of ZA
Architects in Germany have come up with a concept architecture for
future Mars colonies, built underground by robots before the colonists
arrive. Read More
FINDER detects heartbeats beneath 30 feet of rubble
By Ben Coxworth
September 11, 2013
Sniffer dogs and fiber optic cameras may soon be
getting some assistance, when it comes to locating people trapped
beneath debris. The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and
Technology Directorate has joined forces with NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) to create a microwave radar-based system known as
Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response – or FINDER. The
new technology is able to detect a human heartbeat buried up to 30 feet
(9 meters) under assorted rubble. Read More
Wine grapes may soon be joining oranges and strawberries,
on the list of "Fruits That Are Now Inspected and Sorted by Machines."
As part of the Grapesort project, Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for
Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation has helped create
an automated system that not only gives bum grapes the boot, but also
divides up the good ones according to quality. Read More
A new hybrid product by
Belgium-based eTiger combines light and sound for those people who enjoy
playing with atmosphere at home. Cosmic Led is a wireless-enabled
product that combines an audio speaker with a light bulb. All it takes
is plugging it into lamp or overhead ceiling rose connection. Read More Owlet smart sock keeps tabs on your baby's vital signs
September 11, 2013
Can a sock reassure you of a baby's well-being?
Perhaps it can, if it's the Owlet. Created by Owlet baby care, this
sensor-lined sock monitors a baby's vital signs through its foot, and
transmits the data to a smartphone app or internet-based device via
Bluetooth. Parents can check on a baby's skin temperature, heart rate,
blood oxygen levels and sleep quality at a glance, and even be alerted
to the baby rolling over. As a monitoring tool rather than a medical or
diagnostic device, the smart sock aims to help parents be more aware of
potential health-related danger signs so that they can take preemptive
action. Read More
Scientists challenge economics of storing renewable energy
By Heidi Hoopes
September 11, 2013
True or false: solar and wind power are freely
available and clean, and thus should always be stored when they generate
more energy than the grid can use? It's easy to assume that renewable
energy should never be turned off, but scientists at Stanford have done
the math to find the break-even point where storing energy is better
than "wasting," or curtailing, that energy, and their findings aren't
necessarily as you'd think. Read More
Although it’s the major automotive manufacturers
and their no-expense-spared world premieres that dominate IAA, German
company S-Walker is holding a somewhat smaller-scale world premiere for
its S-Walker Board. Combining aspects of a Segway, a skateboard and a
balance board, the two-wheeled electric vehicle is set to hit the
streets in the not-too-distant future. Read More
With the unveiling of the Q30 concept, Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan Motors, is clearly seeking to cement its reputation for opulence. Read More BMW's production i8 hybrid makes world premiere
September 11, 2013
Gizmag has been following the development
of BMW’s forward looking i8 for years. Now the fruits of that
development labor have been revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show
with BMW finally de-cloaking the production version of the futuristic
plug-in hybrid. Read More
New thin film increases efficiency of stacked solar cells
September 11, 2013
Researchers at North Carolina State University
have developed a new system for strengthening the connections between
stacked solar cells which could improve the overall efficiency of
concentrated photovoltaic technology and reduce the cost of solar energy
production. The hardened connections could theoretically enable these
cells to operate at concentrations of up to 70,000 suns while minimizing
wasted energy. Read More
Hyundai’s i10 hatchback has sold
over 450,000 units in Europe since 2007 and this week at the Frankfurt
Motor Show Hyundai officially unveiled its successor. Gizmag was on hand
for the debut of the company's new entry into Europe’s A-segment
market. Read More
Launched in 2005, the Deep Impact unmanned spacecraft has had a long career making flybys of various comets,
but NASA says that mission control lost communications with the probe
on August 8 and has been unable to restore the link. Read More
If Elon Musk's Hyperloop
is to come to fruition, it's going to need passenger terminals. But
where Musk's design proposes terminals with turntables to rotate
transport capsules, industrial designer Serge Roux has come up with an
alternative, and one which lives up to the Hyperloop brand. Roux's idea
is much like a gondola cable car system, involving an endless loop (you
see) to and from which passengers embark and disembark at either end.
Roux maintains that this idea saves time, space, and has fewer parts to
go wrong. Read More
Straight-lining dirt roads at 170 mph,
fishtailing into mountain switchbacks, then rolling up to dinner in the
sportiest, sexiest car in the lot – that's the type of Saturday
afternoon that will be possible if the new Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept
ever hits production. Then on Sunday you can blow away your buddies at
the race track. The second example in a rising trend, the Nanuk is an
off-road-ready supercar. Read More
We've seen flying drones designed to deliver food and even beer
on command, but a new autonomous aircraft from a non-profit
organization in Germany could provide medical equipment to remote areas
in an emergency. The Defikopter is a UAV that can be activated by a
smartphone app to automatically take to the skies and drop a
defibrillator to medical personnel on the ground, shaving precious
seconds off of the time it takes for a person to receive treatment for
cardiac arrest. Read More
US Army rolls out a mobile chemical weapons neutralizer
September 12, 2013
The US Department of Defense recently rolled out a
system to rapidly deploy chemical weapons disposal facilities that
could potentially be used quickly and effectively on foreign shores in
the near future. The Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS) developed
at the US Army's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center in Maryland is
a mobile system designed to destroy chemical warfare agents in bulk.
The FDHS neutralizes chemical agents by mixing them with water and other
reagents like sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite and then heating
them to produce compounds that are "not usable as weapons." This
heating and mixing process to facilitate chemical reactions purportedly
has destruction efficiency of 99.9 percent. Read More
Photoflow concept combines solar power with rainwater collection
By Tim Walker
September 12, 2013
In many countries around the world the supply of
electricity and clean water is often sporadic and of poor quality.
Consulting and design company NOS is looking to address this problem
with PhotoFlow, a two-in-one concept design that combines solar power
generation with water collection and storage. Read More
Hyundai’s i10 hatchback has sold
over 450,000 units in Europe since 2007 and this week at the Frankfurt
Motor Show Hyundai officially unveiled its successor. Gizmag was on hand
for the debut of the company's new entry into Europe’s A-segment
market. Read More
Launched in 2005, the Deep Impact unmanned spacecraft has had a long career making flybys of various comets,
but NASA says that mission control lost communications with the probe
on August 8 and has been unable to restore the link. Read More
Sometimes the rumor mill is a little off the mark. Motorola's Moto X
was originally thought to be a high-powered superphone that would make
geeks salivate. When the phone actually arrived, though, it brought tame
specs and more focus on the user experience. Apple's iPhone 5c
was rumored to be an aggressive play at the budget smartphone market.
What we actually got there, though, was a phone that was only a little
cheaper than Apple's most expensive flagship. Are either of the phones
worth taking a look at? Let Gizmag try to help, as we compare the specs
and features of the iPhone 5c and Moto X. Read More
Promising vaccine candidate could lead to a definitive cure for HIV
September 11, 2013
A very promising vaccine candidate for HIV/AIDS
has shown the ability to completely clear the simian immunodeficiency
virus (SIV), a very aggressive form of HIV that leads to AIDS in
monkeys. Developed at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at the
Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), the vaccine proved
successful in about fifty percent of the subjects tested and could lead
to a human vaccine preventing the onset of HIV/AIDS and even cure
patients currently on anti-retroviral drugs. Read More
When it comes to defining what technology is, you
may have heard people say "Heck, even the shovel is an example of
technology." That may be true, but it's also an example of technology
that has hasn't changed much in a long time. California-based
entrepreneur Stephen Walden, however, wants to change that. After
getting stiff and sore using a conventional shovel, he set about
designing an alternative. The result is his Ergonomic Shovel, that
features a rotating second handle in the middle of the shaft. Read More
It's official: Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space
By David Szondy
September 12, 2013
After a journey of 36 years, NASA has announced
that the Voyager 1 space probe officially left the Solar System on
August 25, 2012. Based on new analysis of data sent by by the unmanned
spacecraft, the space agency has declared that it is now in the first
man-made object to travel into interstellar space, 12 billion miles (19
billion km) from the Sun. Read More
DARPA proposes flexible new unmanned vehicle network
September 12, 2013
DARPA has floated a fascinating new unmanned
systems project that would see undersea motherships launching smaller
submarines and flying vehicles to conduct pop-up surveillance on
pirates, terrorists and hijackers. The Hydra Project, named after the
Greek legend of the multi-headed snake that grew two new heads whenever
one was cut off, looks to provide low cost response to quickly changing
situations on or near the water. Read More
Life would certainly be simpler for bicycle
commuters if they could just leave their lights on their bikes all the
time, but – in most cases – doing so could likely result in the lights
being stolen while the bike was parked on the street. MIT grad Slava
Menn addressed this problem last year, by helping to create the
revolver-like Defender
theft-resistant headlight. Now, he's working on a similarly
street-proof headlight and tail light, that are sleeker than the
Defender but just as hard to steal – or wreck. Read More
Roland releases HandSonic HPD-20 digital hand percussion instrument
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Through many of us may kitchen-top-finger-tap or
office-desk-thumb-drum out of impatience or boredom, folks like Jeremy
Ellis and Wilhelm Grahsl have turned it into an impressive art form,
with a little help from some digital friends. The latest version of the
latter's hand percussion weapon of choice has now been released, the
Roland HandSonic HPD-20. Read More
Sony crams music player and speakers into Walkman WH Series headphones
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Though many smartphones are also very capable
music players, there are some of us who prefer to listen to tunes from a
dedicated device while out and about. Whatever your poison, you'll also
need to carry some headphones, and perhaps even a set of speakers for
those moments when you've just got to share with those around you. Sony
has combined three devices into one to create the new Walkman WH Series
headphones, saving you space in your overloaded backpack and eliminating
the chance of annoying cable snag. Read More
Birò electric car's battery can be removed for charging indoors
By Ben Coxworth
September 12, 2013
Along with the ever-persistent problem of range
anxiety, one of the things that keeps many people from taking electric
cars seriously is the limited number of charging stations. What happens
if your destination doesn't have one, or if you have to park your car
out on the street when you're at home? In the case of some electric
scooters and bicycles, users can remove the vehicle's battery and take
it with them to charge indoors. Now, Italian automaker Estrima is
offering that same feature in its Birò electric car. Read More
Olympus has revealed its new flagship camera, the
OM-D E-M1. While the mirrorless camera builds on the success of the
E-M5, it's actually been designed as the successor to the last DSLR the
firm produced, the E-5. As such, the camera boasts a chunky grip and
manual controls galore. There's also a 16 megapixel sensor with no
optical low-pass filter, a speedy autofocus system and built-in Wi-Fi.
Read More
Running down an alley you make out the low growls
of a zombie approaching distinctly above you and to the right. Touring a
famous city you get lost, happen upon a fascinating art exhibit, and
touch your headphones to find out where you are and what you see.
Intelligent Headset hopes to create these augmented reality scenarios
with its GPS-enabled 3D audio headset and a complementary suite of smart
phone apps that entertain, educate, and always know where you're at.
Read More
The exhibition halls at Messe Frankfurt are a
fertile hunting ground for lovers of concept cars at this time of year,
as automakers unveil vehicles that give a glimpse of possible future
design directions, technologies that might be integrated into
forthcoming production models, or pure flights of fancy. This year
proved no different, with vehicles big and small, practical and absurd,
strutting their stuff on the Frankfurt stage. Read More
Here's a fun little toy that might be of interest
to playful photography enthusiasts and tinkerers. The Enjofer,
described as a "portable smartphone photographic enlarger," is a stand
that lets you create good quality black and white photographic prints
directly from your smartphone, though you'll need your own darkroom set
up to do it. Read More
It's official: Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space
By David Szondy
September 12, 2013
After a journey of 36 years, NASA has announced
that the Voyager 1 space probe officially left the Solar System on
August 25, 2012. Based on new analysis of data sent by by the unmanned
spacecraft, the space agency has declared that it is now in the first
man-made object to travel into interstellar space, 12 billion miles (19
billion km) from the Sun. Read More
DARPA proposes flexible new unmanned vehicle network
September 12, 2013
DARPA has floated a fascinating new unmanned
systems project that would see undersea motherships launching smaller
submarines and flying vehicles to conduct pop-up surveillance on
pirates, terrorists and hijackers. The Hydra Project, named after the
Greek legend of the multi-headed snake that grew two new heads whenever
one was cut off, looks to provide low cost response to quickly changing
situations on or near the water. Read More
Life would certainly be simpler for bicycle
commuters if they could just leave their lights on their bikes all the
time, but – in most cases – doing so could likely result in the lights
being stolen while the bike was parked on the street. MIT grad Slava
Menn addressed this problem last year, by helping to create the
revolver-like Defender
theft-resistant headlight. Now, he's working on a similarly
street-proof headlight and tail light, that are sleeker than the
Defender but just as hard to steal – or wreck. Read More
Roland releases HandSonic HPD-20 digital hand percussion instrument
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Through many of us may kitchen-top-finger-tap or
office-desk-thumb-drum out of impatience or boredom, folks like Jeremy
Ellis and Wilhelm Grahsl have turned it into an impressive art form,
with a little help from some digital friends. The latest version of the
latter's hand percussion weapon of choice has now been released, the
Roland HandSonic HPD-20. Read More
Sony crams music player and speakers into Walkman WH Series headphones
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Though many smartphones are also very capable
music players, there are some of us who prefer to listen to tunes from a
dedicated device while out and about. Whatever your poison, you'll also
need to carry some headphones, and perhaps even a set of speakers for
those moments when you've just got to share with those around you. Sony
has combined three devices into one to create the new Walkman WH Series
headphones, saving you space in your overloaded backpack and eliminating
the chance of annoying cable snag. Read More
Birò electric car's battery can be removed for charging indoors
By Ben Coxworth
September 12, 2013
Along with the ever-persistent problem of range
anxiety, one of the things that keeps many people from taking electric
cars seriously is the limited number of charging stations. What happens
if your destination doesn't have one, or if you have to park your car
out on the street when you're at home? In the case of some electric
scooters and bicycles, users can remove the vehicle's battery and take
it with them to charge indoors. Now, Italian automaker Estrima is
offering that same feature in its Birò electric car. Read More
Olympus has revealed its new flagship camera, the
OM-D E-M1. While the mirrorless camera builds on the success of the
E-M5, it's actually been designed as the successor to the last DSLR the
firm produced, the E-5. As such, the camera boasts a chunky grip and
manual controls galore. There's also a 16 megapixel sensor with no
optical low-pass filter, a speedy autofocus system and built-in Wi-Fi.
Read More
Running down an alley you make out the low growls
of a zombie approaching distinctly above you and to the right. Touring a
famous city you get lost, happen upon a fascinating art exhibit, and
touch your headphones to find out where you are and what you see.
Intelligent Headset hopes to create these augmented reality scenarios
with its GPS-enabled 3D audio headset and a complementary suite of smart
phone apps that entertain, educate, and always know where you're at.
Read More
The exhibition halls at Messe Frankfurt are a
fertile hunting ground for lovers of concept cars at this time of year,
as automakers unveil vehicles that give a glimpse of possible future
design directions, technologies that might be integrated into
forthcoming production models, or pure flights of fancy. This year
proved no different, with vehicles big and small, practical and absurd,
strutting their stuff on the Frankfurt stage. Read More
Here's a fun little toy that might be of interest
to playful photography enthusiasts and tinkerers. The Enjofer,
described as a "portable smartphone photographic enlarger," is a stand
that lets you create good quality black and white photographic prints
directly from your smartphone, though you'll need your own darkroom set
up to do it. Read More
It's official: Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space
By David Szondy
September 12, 2013
After a journey of 36 years, NASA has announced
that the Voyager 1 space probe officially left the Solar System on
August 25, 2012. Based on new analysis of data sent by by the unmanned
spacecraft, the space agency has declared that it is now in the first
man-made object to travel into interstellar space, 12 billion miles (19
billion km) from the Sun. Read More
DARPA proposes flexible new unmanned vehicle network
September 12, 2013
DARPA has floated a fascinating new unmanned
systems project that would see undersea motherships launching smaller
submarines and flying vehicles to conduct pop-up surveillance on
pirates, terrorists and hijackers. The Hydra Project, named after the
Greek legend of the multi-headed snake that grew two new heads whenever
one was cut off, looks to provide low cost response to quickly changing
situations on or near the water. Read More
Life would certainly be simpler for bicycle
commuters if they could just leave their lights on their bikes all the
time, but – in most cases – doing so could likely result in the lights
being stolen while the bike was parked on the street. MIT grad Slava
Menn addressed this problem last year, by helping to create the
revolver-like Defender
theft-resistant headlight. Now, he's working on a similarly
street-proof headlight and tail light, that are sleeker than the
Defender but just as hard to steal – or wreck. Read More
Roland releases HandSonic HPD-20 digital hand percussion instrument
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Through many of us may kitchen-top-finger-tap or
office-desk-thumb-drum out of impatience or boredom, folks like Jeremy
Ellis and Wilhelm Grahsl have turned it into an impressive art form,
with a little help from some digital friends. The latest version of the
latter's hand percussion weapon of choice has now been released, the
Roland HandSonic HPD-20. Read More
Sony crams music player and speakers into Walkman WH Series headphones
By Paul Ridden
September 12, 2013
Though many smartphones are also very capable
music players, there are some of us who prefer to listen to tunes from a
dedicated device while out and about. Whatever your poison, you'll also
need to carry some headphones, and perhaps even a set of speakers for
those moments when you've just got to share with those around you. Sony
has combined three devices into one to create the new Walkman WH Series
headphones, saving you space in your overloaded backpack and eliminating
the chance of annoying cable snag. Read More
Birò electric car's battery can be removed for charging indoors
By Ben Coxworth
September 12, 2013
Along with the ever-persistent problem of range
anxiety, one of the things that keeps many people from taking electric
cars seriously is the limited number of charging stations. What happens
if your destination doesn't have one, or if you have to park your car
out on the street when you're at home? In the case of some electric
scooters and bicycles, users can remove the vehicle's battery and take
it with them to charge indoors. Now, Italian automaker Estrima is
offering that same feature in its Birò electric car. Read More
Olympus has revealed its new flagship camera, the
OM-D E-M1. While the mirrorless camera builds on the success of the
E-M5, it's actually been designed as the successor to the last DSLR the
firm produced, the E-5. As such, the camera boasts a chunky grip and
manual controls galore. There's also a 16 megapixel sensor with no
optical low-pass filter, a speedy autofocus system and built-in Wi-Fi.
Read More
Running down an alley you make out the low growls
of a zombie approaching distinctly above you and to the right. Touring a
famous city you get lost, happen upon a fascinating art exhibit, and
touch your headphones to find out where you are and what you see.
Intelligent Headset hopes to create these augmented reality scenarios
with its GPS-enabled 3D audio headset and a complementary suite of smart
phone apps that entertain, educate, and always know where you're at.
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The exhibition halls at Messe Frankfurt are a
fertile hunting ground for lovers of concept cars at this time of year,
as automakers unveil vehicles that give a glimpse of possible future
design directions, technologies that might be integrated into
forthcoming production models, or pure flights of fancy. This year
proved no different, with vehicles big and small, practical and absurd,
strutting their stuff on the Frankfurt stage. Read More
Here's a fun little toy that might be of interest
to playful photography enthusiasts and tinkerers. The Enjofer,
described as a "portable smartphone photographic enlarger," is a stand
that lets you create good quality black and white photographic prints
directly from your smartphone, though you'll need your own darkroom set
up to do it. Read More
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