NVIRONMENT
We first covered the Hövding airbag collar
in 2010 when it was originally shown off to the world by its inventors,
industrial designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin. At the time it was
available to pre-order but it has now officially gone on sale. Read More
Released two years ago, the ReWalk
powered exoskeleton allows wheelchair users to walk upright again –
albeit with the additional help of a pair of crutches. This past Sunday
(Nov. 17), a group of ReWalk users from around the world got together in
New York City, where they used their exoskeletons to take part in a
5-kilometer (3.1-mile) charity walk. Read More
Spectrolab beats its own solar cell efficiency world record
By Darren Quick
November 19, 2013
Spectrolab has set a new solar cell efficiency
record of 38.8 percent for a ground-based multi-junction solar cell. The
new world record doesn't exactly smash the previous mark of 37.8 percent, which was also set by Spectrolab, but is welcome news in a field where every percentage point counts. Read More
VIA Motors unveils solar range-extending tonneau cover
By Darren Quick
November 19, 2013
Although the production launch of his company's
line of extended range electric pickup trucks and vans will likely be
the focus of VIA Motors' Chairman Bob Lutz at the LA Auto Show later
this week, one optional extra has already caught our eye. The company
has revealed a solar panel tonneau cover that is claimed to add an extra
10 miles (16 km) of range to its eREV40 electric pickup truck. Read More
Outdoor torch manufacturer Light & Motion is taking its line of multifunctional lights
to the next level. The all-new GoBe is a lightweight handheld that's
compatible with half a dozen different lighting elements. Purchase all
six screw-on heads and you create six different lights off of one
platform for diving, biking, trekking and more. Read More
There’s nothing that ruins going to work like
having your tires shot out with a .50 caliber machine gun round. If that
happens to you a lot, and your commute is across open fields and
through the woods, you might want to consider the Polaris Sportsman
WV850 HO with Terrain Armor. This military-grade All-Terrain Vehicle
(ATV) abandons traditional inflatable tires for Non-Pneumatic Tires
(NPT) that feature a flexible polymer honeycomb. Read More
We first covered the Hövding airbag collar
in 2010 when it was originally shown off to the world by its inventors,
industrial designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin. At the time it was
available to pre-order but it has now officially gone on sale. Read More Blackbird launches the Clara plant-fiber composite ukulele
By Paul Ridden
November 19, 2013
The stork flew over San Francisco today and
delivered a new baby to the workshop of Blackbird Guitars. Unlike its
stablemates, such as the gorgeous Rider,
the Clara concert-level ukulele is not made from carbon fiber. It's
made from a newly-developed sustainable material called Ekoa, which is
said to give the instrument the strength and durability of the company's
usual material of choice and the tone of vintage wood. Read More
HydroBee wants to be your personal hydroelectric generator
By Ben Coxworth
November 19, 2013
There are already plenty of gadgets that allow
people to charge their mobile devices while off the grid. Most of those
products utilize solar power, while a few have gone the thermoelectric
route. The HydroBee, however, generates electricity using the power of
flowing water – think of it as a portable hydroelectric station. Read More
Joby introduces GoPro-friendly actioncam mounts
By Ben Coxworth
November 19, 2013
While GoPro has become the best-known name in actioncams, Joby's GorillaPod
is likely the most popular "do-anything" tripod out there. It shouldn't
come as a surprise, then, to hear that Joby has just announced three
new products, designed specifically with the GoPro HERO in mind. Read More
Released two years ago, the ReWalk
powered exoskeleton allows wheelchair users to walk upright again –
albeit with the additional help of a pair of crutches. This past Sunday
(Nov. 17), a group of ReWalk users from around the world got together in
New York City, where they used their exoskeletons to take part in a
5-kilometer (3.1-mile) charity walk. Read More
If you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on a
smartwatch, what's the most important feature you'd want it to have?
Notifications? Fitness tracking? Or maybe you just want some rock-solid
voice control? If you want to talk to your watch like Dick Tracy, then
you'll want to read on, as Gizmag reviews the Martian Watch: a device
that puts Siri and Google Now on your wrist. Read More
Lit Motors is definitely best-known for its C1
– a self-balancing, fully-enclosed electric motorcycle, that's still in
development. The company has also been quietly working on another
vehicle, however, known as the kubo. It's an electric cargo scooter, in
which the payload is carried inside the frame. It's ready to go into
production, so its makers have turned to Kickstarter for funding. Read More
An ambitious new concept by Los
Angeles-based design studio M-Rad envisions shipping container-based
structures, sustainable technology, and extreme sports coming together
in one place. Read More
The ubiquitous office cubicle has
redefined how much privacy pencil-pushers can expect during their daily
grind, but a new office block in downtown Shanghai by AIM Architecture
goes much further than this. The futuristic-looking workplace sports
glass walls and mirrored ceilings throughout to stunning effect. Read More
When you think of Bridgestone, you
probably think of tires. The fact is, though, the company also makes
bicycles, golf equipment, and has tried its hand at motorcycles.
Bridgestone designer Shungo Fujita decided to combine all three things
in one stunning concept vehicle – a pedal-electric trike that can carry a
set of golf clubs. Read More
In the end, the ultimate goal of
advertising is to get customers to remember and ultimately purchase a
product or service. However, the simple goal doesn't mean the journey to
it can't be a little more creative. British Airways is taking this to
heart with its new billboard that actually identifies its planes as they
fly over it. Read More
With the 50th anniversary of the "timeless" TV series Doctor Who
taking place this weekend, Bonhams auction house in the UK has
announced its upcoming sale of memorabilia from all five decades of the
program. On December 18th, participants in the Entertainment Memorabilia
sale will be able to bid on items such as a destroyed Dalek, a Cyberman
costume, and scripts from various episodes. Read More
While smartphones, tablets, and
ultra-portable laptops have made it possible to work anywhere and
everywhere, some privacy has been lost in the process. La Fonction No.1,
a briefcase which transforms into a miniature mobile cubicle, is one
attempt to bring an element of privacy back to the new work-on-the-go
ethic. Read More
Singapore-based designer Dymitr
Malcew has conceived a series of mobile furniture modules that can be
joined together to create a "house" within a house, or be used
independently to create private recreational zones. Read More
What's cooler than a boom box for loads of street
cred? A boom box powered with solar energy, of course. Aron Zingman, a
designer from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has created just that – an
updated version of the 80s music-playing icon. He named the unit after
himself (ZingBox), which should make him quite popular in the outdoor
party circuit. Read More
Roadie handheld robotic tuner (almost) ready to rock
By Paul Ridden
November 20, 2013
All manner of integrated and external gadgetry
has been introduced over the years to help newbies or seasoned
guitarists achieve and maintain pitch perfection with little effort.
Rather than requiring players to swap out stock tuning heads for some
robotic assistance, like with the TronicalTune system, or buy into the digital manipulation of output from folks like Antares,
the Roadie Tuner slips over each machine head, one at a time, and works
with a smartphone to bring an instrument to tune. Read More
Spruce Stove burns one long log, a bit at a time
By Ben Coxworth
November 20, 2013
I speak from experience when I say that it's
actually fun to go into the woods, saw up fallen trees, then bring the
wood home to burn over the winter. What isn't so much fun is
subsequently sawing the logs into stove-length pieces. With the Spruce
Stove, however, you don't have to – you just continuously feed one long
log in as it burns, sort of like feeding a pencil into a pencil
sharpener. Read More
Lit Motors is definitely best-known for its C1
– a self-balancing, fully-enclosed electric motorcycle, that's still in
development. The company has also been quietly working on another
vehicle, however, known as the kubo. It's an electric cargo scooter, in
which the payload is carried inside the frame. It's ready to go into
production, so its makers have turned to Kickstarter for funding. Read More S3tr prototype provides fold-up answer to the Segway
November 20, 2013
At first glance, you might think the S3tr (which
is apparently pronounced Streeter) is a knockdown answer to the Segway
PT. Like the PT, the S3tr is a compact one-person vehicle driven by a
standing rider who balances on a wheeled base and steers with the aid of
an upright column. The S3tr has three wheels to the PT's two, but its
main advantage is that it folds up, in theory making it more easy to
take aboard public transport, or stowing under a desk at work. Read More
Mitsubishi adapts EV batteries for Super Giraffe robot
November 20, 2013
While the world watches anxiously as the Tokyo
Electric Power Company (TEPCO) begins its most dangerous operation yet
in the ongoing clean-up of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant,
large Japanese corporations continue to design and build robots to help
go where people cannot. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has built a
new remote-controlled robot called the MHI-Super Giraffe, which has an
extendable arm capable of reaching up to 8 m (26 ft), and borrows
battery technology from Mitsubishi Motor's electric vehicles. Read More
An ambitious new concept by Los
Angeles-based design studio M-Rad envisions shipping container-based
structures, sustainable technology, and extreme sports coming together
in one place. Read More
Underwater accommodations seem to have become a trend
among hotels in recent years, but a resort off the coast of Tanzania is
now putting a unique spin on the concept. The Manta Resort recently
unveiled its Underwater Room, a three-floor suite that floats beside a
thriving coral reef and boasts a submerged master bedroom surrounded by
windows to view the local sea life. Read More
Kawasaki shows variable-architecture three wheeler EV concept
November 19, 2013
The once clear delineation between the car and
motorcycle has become somewhat muddied in recent times with the
emergence of an array of narrow tracked vehicle designs
sporting two, three and four wheels. Kawasaki threw another fascinating
oddity into the ring at the Tokyo Motor Show today with the unveiling
of the outlandish, shape-shifting "J" 3-wheel electric vehicle concept.
Read More
In some ways, the Mini Cooper is a bit like a
dog. Most people who remember it as a puppy are rather surprised at how
big it has grown. On Monday, at its Oxford plant, BMW presented the
world premiere of new Mini line to show off the model’s latest growth
spurt and the new technology hidden inside. Read More
The ubiquitous office cubicle has
redefined how much privacy pencil-pushers can expect during their daily
grind, but a new office block in downtown Shanghai by AIM Architecture
goes much further than this. The futuristic-looking workplace sports
glass walls and mirrored ceilings throughout to stunning effect. Read More Volkswagen's 214 mpg Twin Up! concept debuts in Tokyo
November 21, 2013
Earlier this year Volkswagen announced production of its 261 mpg hyper-efficient XL1,
but with an estimated $145,000 price tag it’s unlikely the hybrid will
become a common fixture on most streets. The company’s Twin Up! hybrid
concept, which made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday, could
however become a more reasonable option for the masses. Read More
Access to rare fossils is limited, potentially
putting a go-slow on their study, while sharing them around increases
the risk of damaging them. Researchers at Berlin's Charité Campus Mitte
have combined data from computed tomography (CT) scans with 3D printing
technology to make it possible to print any number of accurate 3D
reproductions of fossilized bones, without any adverse effect on the
originals. Read More
Do the largest structures in the Universe actually exist?
By Brian Dodson
November 20, 2013
Our knowledge of the large-scale structure of the
Universe is gradually taking shape. However, our improved vision is
mostly being statistically squeezed from huge data sets. Working
backward from a statistical analysis to a putative fact about the
(singular) Universe, to which statistics do not apply on a cosmological
scale, is a dicey business. A case in point is a recent look at the
biggest known structures in the Universe – large quasar groups. Read More
Ever since the Porsche 918 Spyder debuted as a might-never-be concept
at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, we knew it was quick. But we didn't know
just how quick. In preparation of the first 918 deliveries, Porsche has
announced that the hybrid supercar outperforms the company's previous,
already-impressive performance estimates. Read More
Logitech gets into the game with PowerShell Controller + Battery
By Darren Quick
November 20, 2013
In just five years, Apple has established iOS as a
major gaming platform. Games is the most popular category on the App
Store, with over 175,000 of the 975,000+ apps currently available
falling within it. Although many games are designed specifically for
touchscreen input, there are still plenty that are better suited to a
conventional controller. That's where devices such as the new PowerShell
Controller from Logitech come in. Read More
UNStudio completes new breed of luxury tower in Singapore
November 20, 2013
The 36-story Ardmore Residence in Singapore
designed by Dutch firm UNStudio heralds a "new breed" of residential
skyscraper for the region. Employing an innovative inter-locking system
of construction, the building features a distinctive,
organically-inspired facade and a design concept focused on the natural
landscape of the Garden City of Singapore. Read More
Drift Innovation first brought us the HD170 actioncam, followed by the smaller Drift HD, and then the upgraded Drift HD Ghost. Now it's taken another step forward, with the Drift Ghost-S. Read More
Yamaha and Gordon Murray to produce MOTIV.e City Cars
By Mike Hanlon
November 20, 2013
Yamaha Motor Corporation moved into the
automotive business this afternoon in one of the shock announcements of
the Tokyo Motor Show. Yamaha’s partner in the four-wheeled endeavor is
none other than Gordon Murray Design. The new four-wheeled Yamaha
MOTIV.e range of four-wheelers will be based on Gordon Murray’s
much-vaunted City Car design,
and will include a range of bodies, and a range of engines, including a
25 kW electric vehicle, and a one liter, three-cylinder engine likely
to produce well over 100 bhp. Read More
Hammerhead UAV takes to the skies over Italy
November 21, 2013
There was an unusual shape in the skies over
Italy last week as the Piaggio Aero Company and Selex ES successfully
completed the first flight of the aptly-named Hammerhead UAV on
Thursday, November 14, near the Trapini Air Force Base. The aircraft was
remotely controlled from the ground, with no crew on board, while two
chase planes kept the UAV in sight during the flight. Read More
To make a three-dimensional color statue of
yourself, you could grab a chunk of marble and enlist the services of a
sculptor and a painter, or you could take the simple approach and use a
3D scanner and a 3D full-spectrum multicolor printer. Since the first
option is expensive and time-consuming and very few of us have access to
the equipment for the second, Shapify has launched a service that lets
users scan themselves at home, using a Kinect. Read More
Suzuki's Recursion – a Buell by any other name
By Mike Hanlon
November 21, 2013
Suzuki's Recursion concept shown at the Tokyo Motor Show
yesterday looks very much like it has taken a leaf from the Erik Buell
book of motorcycle design – light weight, mass centralization, broad
usable power, and minimalism. While the underslung muffler is
reminiscent, you might be excused in missing other similarities, as the
forced induction 600cc parallel-twin engine is at first glance quite
different to the big 1200cc V-twin of a Buell. In actual fact, it's not.
Read the figures and you get a very similar powerband to the Buell of
yore with its Harley Davidson motor. Read More
E-volo’s 18-rotor electric Volocopter makes maiden flight
By Heidi Hoopes
November 21, 2013
E-volo recently celebrated the maiden launch of
its electric two-passenger, 18-rotor VC200 "Volocopter," touting the
vehicle's safety and simplicity after an indoor flight inside the
Dm-arena in Karlsruhe, Germany on November 17. While the copter is
similar in form to both quadcopters and helicopters, the company resists
the helicopter label, pointing out the numerous radically different
safety and design choices that set the vehicle apart. Read More
Ultrasound pulses could replace daily injections for diabetics
By Ben Coxworth
November 21, 2013
There could be hope for diabetics who are tired
of giving themselves insulin injections on a daily basis. Researchers at
North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill are developing a system in which a single injection of
nanoparticles could deliver insulin internally for days at a time – with
a little help from pulses of ultrasound. Read More
Yamaha joins the three-wheel motorcycle trend with the Tricity
By Paul Ridden
November 21, 2013
If personal experience is anything to go by,
Europeans love their scooters. One seems to zoom past every few seconds
where I live, and a good many of those are three-wheelers from the likes
of Peugeot and Piaggio.
Yamaha is looking to grab a slice of the action with a Leaning
Multi-Wheel concept named Tricity. Debuted earlier this month at EICMA
in Milan, Italy, the company sees the three-wheel, tilting scooter
becoming the standard city commuter when it's released next
year. Gizmag caught up with the sporty little number at the Tokyo Motor
Show. Read More
BikeBeatz combines a rear rack and a big ol' stereo
By Ben Coxworth
November 21, 2013
We've already seen bike stereos that mount in the water bottle cage, in the helmet, and on the handlebars. BikeBeatz, however, sits over the back wheel on an included rear rack. Also making it unique are the facts that it's huge, and damn loud. Read More
Giphoscope combines technology from the 19th and 21st centuries
By Dave LeClair
November 21, 2013
What happens when old meets slightly less old?
You end up with a product that brings animated GIFs out of the computer
monitor and into the 3D world. We actually just covered Gifpop,
a product that uses lenticular printing to bring GIFs out, and now the
Giphoscope does something similar, but with a hand crank instead. Read More
When you think of Bridgestone, you
probably think of tires. The fact is, though, the company also makes
bicycles, golf equipment, and has tried its hand at motorcycles.
Bridgestone designer Shungo Fujita decided to combine all three things
in one stunning concept vehicle – a pedal-electric trike that can carry a
set of golf clubs. Read More
The holiday shopping season is here, and that
means we'll be seeing a lot of deals on smartphones. If you're going to
upgrade, which handsets are the best? Let Gizmag lend a hand, as we
compare the features and specs of the top smartphones of 2013. Read More
While most of us know Yamaha for its motorcycles
or snowmobiles, the company has also been working on pedal-electric
bicycles for the past 20 years, as part of its PAS project. Marking that
anniversary, Yamaha produced the eye-catching one-off YPJ-01, which we
recently spied at the Tokyo Motor Show. Read More
In the end, the ultimate goal of
advertising is to get customers to remember and ultimately purchase a
product or service. However, the simple goal doesn't mean the journey to
it can't be a little more creative. British Airways is taking this to
heart with its new billboard that actually identifies its planes as they
fly over it. Read More
With the 50th anniversary of the "timeless" TV series Doctor Who
taking place this weekend, Bonhams auction house in the UK has
announced its upcoming sale of memorabilia from all five decades of the
program. On December 18th, participants in the Entertainment Memorabilia
sale will be able to bid on items such as a destroyed Dalek, a Cyberman
costume, and scripts from various episodes. Read More Exhibit features cheese made from human bacteria
November 22, 2013
We're no strangers
to unusual food here at Gizmag, but this latest culinary masterpiece is
probably the most unappealing treat we've yet come across. Dubbed
Selfmade, the cheese in question is made from human bacteria which
derives from samples taken from people's armpits, toes, and noses. Read More
Planetary Resources partners with NASA to crowdsource asteroid detection
By Brian Dodson
November 22, 2013
We are continually being surprised by new
discoveries of near-Earth asteroids and comets, often noticing them only
after they have completed a close approach. Only one asteroid
has ever been found and projected to impact prior to its actually doing
so. With that in mind, NASA, Planetary Resources, and Zooniverse have
formed a collaboration to use citizen scientists to detect members of
the vast swarm of near-Earth objects not yet recognized or mapped. Read More
Taizhou Bridge awarded supreme structural engineering gong
November 22, 2013
The 2,940-m long Taizhou Bridge has won the
Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence at this year's
Structural Awards. The event gives the nod to a variety of structures
across numerous categories, but it was the three-tower, long-span
suspension bridge, the first of its kind, which received the overall
"Supreme" gong. Read more about the project and the individual category
winners after the cut. Read More
While smartphones, tablets, and
ultra-portable laptops have made it possible to work anywhere and
everywhere, some privacy has been lost in the process. La Fonction No.1,
a briefcase which transforms into a miniature mobile cubicle, is one
attempt to bring an element of privacy back to the new work-on-the-go
ethic. Read More
Zee.Aero, a small company located near the
GooglePlex, home to Google, is working on a flying car concept that can
take off and land vertically using a plethora of small electric motors
turning four-bladed propellers. According to illustrations included with
the patent filings, one version of the vehicle is narrow enough to fit
into a standard shopping center parking space. Read More
Transparent HeadsUP! display puts smartphone apps in your face
By Nick Lavars
November 21, 2013
Smartphone heads-up display systems
that project navigation and other information onto car windshields are
seen as a way to reduce driver distraction. The HeadsUP! from tech
start-up NeXt takes a different approach. Rather than relying on
projection, this system is based around a transparent display mounted in
front of the windshield that gives drivers control of their most
commonly used phone applications without taking their eyes off the road.
Read More
Singapore-based designer Dymitr
Malcew has conceived a series of mobile furniture modules that can be
joined together to create a "house" within a house, or be used
independently to create private recreational zones. Read More 
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