Olympus announces Stylus 1 premium compact superzoom
By Paul Ridden
November 1, 2013
Should you find yourself wondering what would
happen if the OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds camera and the XZ-2 compact
had a baby, the answer from Olympus is the 12 MP Stylus 1 premium
compact superzoom. Combining DSLR-like operation and performance and
compact camera portability, the prothusiast camera features a 300-mm
constant aperture zoom lens (with the option to extend the telephoto end
via an adapter and add-on lens), a tilting touchscreen display and an
electronic viewfinder, and built-in Wi-Fi. Read More
Development company for Hyperloop emerges from stealth mode
By Brian Dodson
November 1, 2013
Well, Elon Musk can relax now. Having previously announced his intention to at least build a Hyperloop demonstrator,
he now appears relieved to leave that task to HTT (Hyperloop
Transportation Technologies, Inc). HTT is an engineering startup company
operating under the wing of California-based JumpStartFund. It has
developed basic organization and operational plans, as well as having
established key partnerships to help navigate a path to a working
Hyperloop. Read More
Morpher bike helmet folds flat when you aren't wearing it
By Ben Coxworth
November 1, 2013
Although it's entirely possible that a bicycle
helmet could save your life one day, that still doesn't change the fact
that the things take up a lot of space when carried in a bag. The
Morpher helmet, however, folds completely flat when not in use. Read More
One year after Hurricane Sandy swept the New York
coastal area of Queens, Swedish firm White Arkitekter were named as the
winners of a two-phase international competition dubbed FAR ROC ("For a
Resilient Rockaway") with a scheme that addresses severe weather,
sustainability and social integration. Read More
Livescribe launches sleek new Bluetooth-enabled smartpen
By Darren Quick
November 1, 2013
Since the launch of the Pulse
in 2008, Livescribe has continued to improve upon its paper-based
smartpen technology in subsequent models. The Echo in 2010 brought a
rounder shape and micro-USB connectivity and Wi-Fi connectivity was
incorporated in the Sky
in 2012. The latest addition to the line is the Livescribe 3, which
boasts Bluetooth connectivity and iOS device support through a companion
app. Read More
Gizmag made a pilgrimage to the House of the
Raging Bull as part of this year's 50th Anniversary celebrations. The
Lamborghini Museum, near Modena in Italy, houses a collection of modern
and historic supercars, including a few that rocked the motoring world
to its very core. Here are our five favorites! Read More
Transporter Sync puts external HDDs in your own private cloud
By Stu Robarts
October 31, 2013
The market for cloud storage has ballooned rather
quickly. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that SkyDrive had hit
the 250 million user mark and that was followed not long after by
Dropbox announcing its 175 millionth user. The explosion in popularity
of cloud storage has naturally led to increased concerns about security,
however, creating an opportunity that Connected Data gladly exploited
with its Transporter device and, now, the Transporter Sync. Read More
Be-Bound is a new mobile app for
Android that uses text messaging as the means by which to provide
internet access at very low bandwidths to mobile devices when there is
little or no data connectivity available through a Wi-Fi or 3G
connection. Read MoreAMBER 2 bipedal robot mimics humans for a more natural gait
By Heidi Hoopes
November 3, 2013
Bipedal robots have proved a challenging frontier
for roboticists, with styles ranging from clunkers to lurchers to those
seemingly falling over drunk. However, the AMBER lab at Texas A&M
University has created universal mathematical functions of walking
derived from human data and optimized for robotic systems. Their own
proof of concept robots have strikingly human gaits and react
appropriately to disturbances. Furthermore, the system has the potential
to be applied to other bipedal robots to similarly upgrade their
stride. Read More
London-based creative design and invention studio
Dentaku has developed a small device that allows users to create their
own musical instruments out of everyday items. The Ototo is a simple
printed circuit board (PCB) synthesizer that combines sensors, inputs
and touchpads as a means of producing sounds. The device can be used as a
keyboard straight out of the box or can be attached to conductive
materials using crocodile clips to create entirely new instruments. Read More
As anyone who has ever found sticky little
fingerprints on their tablet will know, kids love touchscreen
technology. But while you can appease them by installing apps on your device,
the time will come when they will want one of their own. With this in
mind, (and with Christmas fast approaching) here's the Gizmag guide to
the best tablets for kids. Read More
When Google's Chromecast launched
in July, it was announced that Pandora would soon be joining the
handful of launch apps officially supported by the dongle. That day has
arrived with the release of version 5.0 of the Pandora app. Read More FAA relaxes rules on in-flight use of electronic devices
By David Szondy
November 3, 2013
On Thursday, the US Department of
Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) eased regulations
against airline passengers using their Personal Electronic Devices
(PED) during the flight. On Friday at 4:30 PM EDT, only 15 minutes after
receiving FAA approval for the regulation change, JetBlue’s Flight 2302
from New York's JFK to Buffalo became the first commercial flight to
allow passengers to use their PEDs gate-to-gate. Read More
After over a year on Mars, NASA's Curiosity
rover has pretty much run through its list of firsts. As it continues
its “long trek” to Mount Sharp, however, it’s still showing a few
surprises. This week, NASA announced that Curiosity picked up the pace
of its travels by completing its first two-day autonomous drive, in
which the unmanned explorer did one leg of an autonomous drive on
Sunday, then completed it on Monday. Read More
Lockheed Martin developing successor to the SR-71 Blackbird
By David Szondy
November 2, 2013
When the last SR-71 Blackbird was grounded in
1998 it was a double blow. Not only did aviation lose one of the most
advanced aircraft ever built, but also one of the most beautiful.
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has now revealed that it is building a
successor to the Blackbird: the SR-72. Using a new hypersonic engine
design that combines turbines and ramjets, the company says that the
unmanned SR-72 will be twice as fast as its predecessor with a cruising
speed of Mach 6. Read More
Porsche adds extra edge to Panamera with new Turbo S
By C.C. Weiss
November 1, 2013
Porsche revealed the updated 2014 Panamera and
Panamera Turbo at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year and it's
rounding off the line-up with the range-topping Turbo S. The automaker
has previewed the new S variant before its official debut at the Tokyo
Motor Show. This upgraded trim level follows the usual "S" format of
bolstering power and increasing performance. Read More
Last year's 4th-generation iPad was such a minor update, there was little reason for iPad 3 owners to consider taking the plunge. But this year, the iPad Air
marks the biggest physical redesign the tablet has ever seen. Is it
worth the upgrade? Read on, as we share our initial impressions of the
lighter, thinner iPad Air. Read More
When people make improvised explosive devices
(IEDs), many of the waste products end up simply going down the drain.
With that in mind, the European Union-funded EMPHASIS consortium is now
developing technology to track those chemicals within the waste stream,
so that their point of origin can be located. Read More
In the wake of the Gulfstream G650
claiming a new around-the-world speed record for a certified civilian
aircraft, Cessna is signaling that the record will be short lived. On
its way to certification, Cessna's Citation X
recently wound up all high-speed certification flights with the FAA,
which confirmed the aircraft as the fastest civilian aircraft in the
world. Read More
Electric school buses set to roll in California
By Ben Coxworth
November 4, 2013
No, an electric school bus isn't as exciting as an electric Porsche or Lotus,
but in the grand scheme of things, it's probably a lot more important.
Case in point – a fleet of such buses are scheduled to hit the road in
California next year, with each vehicle saving its school district a
claimed 16 gallons (60.5 L) of fuel per day, adding up to US$11,000 in
fuel savings per year. Read More
Nintendo announces $99 Wii Mini for US release
By Dave LeClair
November 4, 2013
Nintendo recently announced that it was ceasing
all production of its original Wii video game console. It seemed as if
the console had run its course, and Nintendo was shifting 100 percent of
its focus to the floundering Wii U. Turns out, the Japanese company had
other plans, announcing that its previously Canada-exclusive US$99 Wii
Mini is making its way to US shores. Read More
Ford takes us on and off the grid with customized trucks
By C.C. Weiss
November 4, 2013
Ford is planning on hitting this week's SEMA Show
with a full slate of pimped-out vehicles. Its fleet of customized
trucks includes a long-range, overland survivalist shelter, several
tamer, outdoor-specific F150s, and a Super Duty "High Roller" that would
fit naturally in any valet parking lot. Read More
Unbeatable rock-paper-scissors robot gets even faster
November 4, 2013
Remember that high speed robot from last year,
that could beat humans at rock, paper, scissors? Since then, researchers
at the University of Tokyo's Ishikawa Oku Lab have continued to work on
it. The result? Well, they couldn't really improve its accuracy beyond
100 percent, so instead they made it faster. Read More
Hudway app turns your phone into a head-up display
By Ben Coxworth
November 4, 2013
It was just this July that we heard about Garmin's HUD.
It's a portable device that sits on the dashboard of the user's car,
working with their smartphone to project a head-up display (HUD) onto
the inside of their windshield. Russian startup Hudway has taken that
same basic approach with its self-named free app, except that it
utilizes just the phone – no projector is required. Read More
Driblet smart water meter harvests its own energy
November 4, 2013
Here's a crowd-funding campaign that probably
deserves to be doing better than it is. Driblet is a smart water meter
that connects to a water pipe to track use. Best of all, once it's
installed, you don't need to worry about it running out of energy. Read More
Maiden flight of next-gen MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter
By Darren Quick
November 3, 2013
The next-generation MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned
helicopter has taken to the air for the first time at Naval Base Ventura
County in California. Built by Northrop Grumman around a Bell 407
helicopter, the MQ-8C is designed to boast twice the endurance and three
times the payload capacity of the MQ-8B variant that has clocked up over 5,000 flight hours in Afghanistan. Read More
India has started the clock on its most ambitious
space project to date. On Sunday at 6:08 IST, the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) began the countdown for its Mars Orbiter Mission
(MOM). If all goes to schedule, the unmanned probe will lift off on
Tuesday from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
(SHAR), on the island of Sriharikota at 2:38 pm IST atop a Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25), marking the point where India hopes
to launch itself into the space-faring big leagues. Read More
Late last month, as a definitely
unique way of celebrating Hallowe'en, Bristol-based specialty ice
cream-maker Charlie Harry Francis unveiled what is probably the world's
first-ever glow-in-the-dark ice cream. His secret ingredient? Jellyfish
protein. Read More
Amongst the fawning and feting
around the launch of the first Apple iPad in 2010, there were murmured
questions about just what niche and purpose the device would fulfill.
Turn the clock forward to 2013 and those murmurs have long since ceased,
with the latest research from Gartner suggesting that the upward
trajectory of the tablet market could see the number of units shipped
overtake PCs in 2015. Read More
ALARMclock might look like a simple
wooden alarm clock, but its meek exterior hides its true raison d'etre,
which is to energize each morning by shocking users awake with facts and
figures highlighting the harsh realities of life. Read More
Nikon has revealed its latest full-frame camera,
the Nikon Df. The new DSLR boasts the same 16.2-megapixel FX sensor as
the flagship D4,
but in a much smaller and retro-styled body. Aimed squarely at
photography enthusiasts and purists, it's been designed to pay homage to
the Nikon F, F3 and FM/FE series of 35mm film cameras and features
mechanical control dials galore. Read More
Late last month, as a definitely
unique way of celebrating Hallowe'en, Bristol-based specialty ice
cream-maker Charlie Harry Francis unveiled what is probably the world's
first-ever glow-in-the-dark ice cream. His secret ingredient? Jellyfish
protein. Read More
Killzone Shadow Fall developer Guerrilla has released a short gameplay clip from the multiplayer segment of the upcoming PlayStation 4
launch title. Unlike previous looks at the game's impressive visuals,
which were made widely available through sites such as YouTube, the new
clip is only available as a download. Read More
Toyota has released details of its most
futuristic concept car yet. More robot than car, the tilting 4-wheel FV2
is designed to explore the physical and emotional interface between
humans and machines with elements like an augmented reality windshield,
an exterior that's one big display and a steering system controlled by
body movement. Read More
For the last couple of years, you could argue that Google Now
was a big advantage that Android had over iOS. Its predictive
capabilities and speedy voice search made it much more than just another
Siri rival. But with today's update to the Google Search app for iPhone
and iPad, Google Now is just about as handy there as it is on Android,
with new features that fill in most of the missing pieces. Read More
It won first prize in the Affordability category of the 2011 Solar Decathlon,
and in December of 2012 Empowerhouse became Washington DC’s first
Passive House. In a video interview just released by the US Department
of Energy, its new owner describes how the house's energy-saving design
means a brighter future for her family. Read More
In what at first glance seems like a terrible
sense of direction, in March students from the University of Washington
fired rockets from kites and balloons at an altitude of 3,000 ft (914 m)
straight into the ground at Black Rock, Nevada: a dry lake bed in the
desert 100 mi (160 km) north of Reno. This may seem like the ultimate in
larking about, but it's actually a serious effort to develop new ways
of collecting samples from asteroids. Read More
Thanks to the trusty rumor mill, we knew long ago
that Apple's next full-sized iPad would borrow heavily from the iPad
mini. But now that it's here, does the iPad Air live up to the hype? And
is it worth the upgrade from an older iPad? Let Gizmag help out, as we
review the new lighter and thinner iPad Air. Read More
It is generally believed that aggregations of
proteins are responsible for brain disorders such as Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, the difficulty has
been in detecting the aggregates responsible and removing them from the
brain. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and
Polish Wroclaw University of Technology have found a potential solution
using lasers. Read More
Amongst the fawning and feting
around the launch of the first Apple iPad in 2010, there were murmured
questions about just what niche and purpose the device would fulfill.
Turn the clock forward to 2013 and those murmurs have long since ceased,
with the latest research from Gartner suggesting that the upward
trajectory of the tablet market could see the number of units shipped
overtake PCs in 2015. Read More Roadless wheel concept adjusts to all terrains
By Brian Dodson
November 6, 2013
Graduate student Ackeem Ngwenya has combined the
6000 year-old wheel with modern materials to develop a new type of
all-terrain wheel assembly that switches from narrow to wide tread at
the turn of a screw. His Roadless wheel system, while envisioned for
rural applications in his native Malawi, has the potential to be as big a
change to road (and off-road) transport as was the introduction of
anti-lock braking. Read More
Lasers point to the future of uranium enrichment
By Brian Dodson
November 5, 2013
With the world’s first laser enrichment plant
having received a construction and operating license from the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission in 2012, the stage has been set for a radical
change in the industry. So how does laser enrichment work, and what
commercial benefits, along with proliferation concerns, does this new
process present compared to current methods? Read More
ALARMclock might look like a simple
wooden alarm clock, but its meek exterior hides its true raison d'etre,
which is to energize each morning by shocking users awake with facts and
figures highlighting the harsh realities of life. Read More
Bookmakers may be revising their odds on the
question of us being alone in the Universe after scientists revealed
that our galaxy could hold billions of habitable worlds. University of
California Berkeley and University of Hawaii (UH) astronomers carried
out a study using data from NASA’s Kepler
space telescope to provide part of the answer to the question, “How
many of the 200 billion stars in our galaxy have potentially habitable
planets?” The answer they got back was that one in five sun-like stars
may have Earth-size planets that could support life. Read More
Sony is doing its best to revitalize its struggling PlayStation Vita portable with two new models,
and now it's bringing back its first attempt at a portable gaming
console, the PocktStation, in app form. The app, which will be free
until December 3rd for Japanese PS Plus subscribers who own a PS Vita,
will restore the PocketStation functionality that has been missing in
around 70 PlayStation games available on its digital store. Read More
Lexus is looking to become a little sportier, and
the vehicle it hopes will get there is the new RC coupe. This week,
prior to its public world debut at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show later this
month, the luxury marque revealed the sporty, new production 2+2 that
will be offered in both V6 and hybrid versions. Read More
Up, up and away with HGST's 6 TB helium-filled HDD
By Darren Quick
November 5, 2013
Last year, Western Digital subsidiary HGST announced the development of a helium-filled hard drive
that would offer increased storage capacity and a reduction in power
consumption compared to its air-filled cousins. The company has now
delivered on its promise of a 2013 release by beginning shipments of
what the company is trumpeting as the world's highest capacity HDD, the 6
TB Ultrastar He6. Read More
The pressurized acetylene and propane gas used in
brazing and related tasks is highly flammable, and thus very dangerous.
You know what isn't flammable, though? Water. Bearing that in mind, the
European Union-funded SafeFlame consortium has developed a torch system
that generates a flame using nothing but H2O and electricity. Read More
New flexible batteries could be made by users at home
By Ben Coxworth
November 5, 2013
Scientists at the New Jersey Institute of Technology have joined the ranks of those from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Stanford University and LG,
by creating prototype flexible batteries. Designed for use in
electronic devices with flexible displays, they could conceivably be
manufactured in any size or shape, or even made at home. Read More
India's Mars Orbiter Mission launches successfully
By David Szondy
November 5, 2013
Today at 2:38 PM IST, India made its bid to join
the elite rank of interplanetary space-faring nations with the
successful launch of its unmanned Mars Orbiter Mission
(MOM) from the First Launch Pad at the Indian Space Research
Organisation’s (IRSO) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) on the island of
Sriharikota, atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25). Read More
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