Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept surfs into Detroit
By Ben Coxworth
January 13, 2014
Last week, Volkswagen released a sketch of its 2014 Beetle Dune
concept, which it promised to show "in the flesh" at the North American
International Auto Show. Well, that event is now in progress, and we
did indeed spot the car on the tradeshow floor in Detroit. Here are some
more details on VW's one-off dune buggy version of the Beetle. Read More
In a clear statement that it believes the future
of the home is a connected one, Google today announced its acquisition
of smart device company Nest for US$3.2 billion. Following the success
of its Learning Thermostat in 2011, Nest introduced its Protect smoke alarm last year, resulting in a line of products that has caught the eye of Google CEO Larry Page. Read More
Last week at CES 2014, we saw one of the most intriguing smartwatches to date. The Pebble Steel takes the guts of the original Pebble
and puts them in a snazzy-looking watch that could be right at home
sitting next to a Rolex. Read on, as we compare its features and specs
to those of the Samsung Galaxy Gear. Read More
Coffee-filled robotic gripper becomes a commercial product
By Ben Coxworth
January 13, 2014
Back in 2010, we first heard about a clever device known as the robotic universal jamming gripper.
With its business end composed of a party balloon filled with coffee
grounds, it could form a secure grip around objects of varying sizes and
shapes. Now, that device has been commercialized – although
incorporating higher-tech materials than balloons and coffee. Read More
World's smallest windmills to power cell phones
By Brian Dodson
January 13, 2014
Professor J.C. Chiao and his postdoc Dr. Smitha
Rao of the University of Texas at Arlington have developed a MEMS-based
nickel alloy windmill so small that 10 could be mounted on a single
grain of rice. Aimed at very-small-scale energy harvesting applications,
these windmills could recharge batteries for smartphones, and directly
power ultra-low-power electronic devices. Read More
Studio Octopi proposes River Thames swimming pools
By Stu Robarts
January 13, 2014
London architecture firm Studio Octopi has
designed concepts for the creation of natural swimming pools in the
River Thames. The designs were a response to "London As It Could Be
Now," an open call ideas project developed by The Architecture
Foundation with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and the Royal Academy of
Arts. Participants were asked explore ideas that raised awareness of
the Thames and increased people’s interaction with it. Read More
At CES 2014, Samsung introduced three new version
of its Galaxy Tab with business users in mind. The Galaxy TabPRO comes
in 12.2, 10.1 and 8.4-inch versions with a host of new features and
software aimed at boosting how productive a tablet can be. Read More
Riide e-bike weighs 35 pounds and is priced under $2,000
By Ben Coxworth
January 13, 2014
One of the main advantages that e-bikes have over
electric scooters is the fact that you can choose to propel them by
human power only, reserving motor power for those times when you really
need it. However, if that bike weighs 40 or 50 pounds or so (18 to 23
kg), then you probably won't want to "pedal only" it much.
While some significantly lighter models do exist, their prices can range
up to several thousand bucks. That's where the Riide e-bike comes in.
It weighs 35 lb (16 kg), and has a planned price of US$1,799. Read More
Vuzix is looking to add to the functionality of its M100 Smart Glasses, teaming up with Nuance to incorporate voice recognition technology for a 2.0 OS release. Read More 
Sony has followed the launch of its first 4K Handycam at IFA 2013,
with a much handier UHD Handycam, the compact FDR-AX100 camcorder.
Reported to be 74 percent smaller and 66 percent lighter than the now
available FDR-AX1, and a good deal cheaper to boot, the AX100 features a
bigger sensor than many similarly-sized cams, a new 29 mm wide-angle
Zeiss lens, a high resolution touch panel, built-in wireless
capabilities and NFC. Read More
Although golfers who use golf carts (or the various powered alternatives) do
miss out on a good source of exercise, walking from hole to hole can
indeed get monotonous. It was with this paradox in mind that the Golf
Bike was created. Read More
Over the past few years, we've heard
about "green" airliners running on a mixture of jet fuel and biofuels
made from things like plants and recycled cooking oil. Now, Boeing is looking at blending jet fuel with green diesel, which is already used to fuel trucks. Read More
Japanese design studio Nendo has
launched a range of stationery with innovative twists on traditional
ideas for its "by | n" brand. The range was conceived by Nendo founder
Oki Sato, and includes a pen that becomes a tablet stylus, a ruler with
graded markings for visibility on dark or light surfaces, and a
rethought "cubic" rubber band that's easier to pick up and maintains a
better grip on rolled documents. Read More
As the North American International Auto Show
(NAIAS) ramps up, a number of manufacturers are back with subtle
variations on previous ideas. Audi’s Allroad shooting brake concept is
the latest e-tron concept to make its way to the show circuit, this time
in the form of a 408 hp AWD hybrid crossover. Gizmag was there for its
debut. Read More
The Rolls-Royce Ghost has a reputation as a
luxury car that's a bit coy. When it first appeared, it was a few vague
sketches and a code name of RR4. Even as the lid was lifted off in 2009,
things like specifications or even what it looked like were hard to
come by. Fast forward to 2014, and last week, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
announced the launch of its Ghost V-Specification; a limited series of
Ghost and Ghost Extended Wheelbase that takes the more, relatively
speaking, affordable Rolls-Royce and stirs in a bit more power and
styling. Read More
Haloband brings smartphone functions to the wrist
By Nick Lavars
January 13, 2014
From lifestyle monitors to UV detectors,
recently we have seen an array of connected wristbands emerge to serve a
variety of purposes. In a similar vein, the Haloband is designed to put
the convenience of technology within arms reach, but does so by
extending the functionality of a smartphone to your wrist. Read More
European researchers have announced a
breakthrough in the development of artificial bone marrow which expands
the ability of scientists to reproduce stem cells in the lab and could
lead to increased availability of treatment for leukemia sufferers. Read More
FLIR Systems, Inc. announced two new products at
CES designed to put thermal imaging into the hands of consumers. The
first is a new, consumer-level infrared thermal camera sensor, while the
second is a slide-on attachment for Apple iPhone 5 or 5s smartphones
that makes use of said sensor. Both could be used to locate lost pets in
the dark, look for energy leaking from your house, or to watch for
wildlife. Read More
Porsche brought a dash of retro styling to this
week's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with
the world premiere of the new 911 Targa. Echoing back to the first
Porsche 911 Targa with its roll bar in place of the B-pillars,
wrap-around rear window, and movable roof section, the new edition
combines the the classic 60's look with state-of-the-art roof
technology. Read More
What is Apple's iCloud Keychain and how do I use it?
January 13, 2014
Apple’s iCloud Keychain feature is the company's
attempt to make a basic level of password management available in its iOS 7
mobile OS. It’s a convenient feature that keeps your account names,
passwords, and credit card numbers stored in iCloud. Here's a look at
what it is and how to use it. Read More
LG had plenty of eye-catching gadgets at this year's CES, from a massive 105-inch curved 4K display to the bendable G Flex
mobile phone, but probably one of the most intriguing new innovations
it revealed was the upcoming HomeChat service. LG HomeChat will allow
users to issue commands and receive status updates from their smart
appliances by texting them and using simple, conversational language.
According to the company, you will literally be able to ask your washer
"What're you doing?" or your fridge “Do we have beer?” and they will
respond just as a person would. Read More
Torque, torque, torque. One of GM’s greatest
gifts to man has always been bountiful offerings of torque. Nowhere in
its vehicle line-up has torque been more plentiful than in the Z
Corvettes. Now with the new 2015 Z06 unveiled at NAIAS 2014 in Detroit,
torque junkies are set to truly get their 635 lb-ft (816 Nm) fix on.
Read More
If you were to take a look at many publications'
"Biggest Fail of the 2013" award, it's quite likely that EA's SimCity
will be listed near the top. After all, the online-only game made one of
the worst launches in video game history with servers that were plagued
with problems, and a change to the SimCity formula that, by and large,
most players hated. Now, after almost a year after the initial release,
the company is finally doing away with one of players' biggest problems,
the online requirement. Read More
Rawlemon's beautiful, spherical solar energy generators
By Stu Robarts
January 14, 2014
Despite their noble cause of harnessing clean,
renewable energy from the sun, solar panels tend to be aesthetically
uninspiring. Solar start-up Rawlemon aims to change all that with a new,
and undeniably beautiful, take on concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology. Read More
From the street, Audi’s A8 L Security Sedan looks
like any other no-nonsense vehicle out of Germany. Professionally
serious with sedate, yet luxurious design elements, the A8 L Security is
anything but flashy. However, upon closer inspection the new 500-hp
luxury bulletproof sedan is anything but your average grocery getter.
Read More
Aerial drones to help protect endangered species of rhino
By Nick Lavars
January 14, 2014
Aerial drones, whether they be dropping bombs, books or burritos,
have attracted a certain degree of controversy in recent times. While
the potential of the technology is plain to see, many aren't convinced
that the benefits will outweigh the risks associated with unmanned
vehicles zipping about in the sky above. With its recent field testing
of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to protect an ailing rhino
population, Airware are determined to help the industry shed some of
these negative connotations. Read More
Hijacking sperm cells to create little robots
might seem far out, but that's exactly what researchers from the Dresden
Institute for Integrative Nanosciences have done. Their "spermbots"
consist of live sperm cells in little tubes, that can be magnetically
controlled to move in a desired direction until they reach their
destination and do their job – they're currently robust enough to even
guide a specific sperm cell to an egg cell. The scientists hope that
further development will allow the technology to offer a viable
alternative to parents trying to have a child through in-vitro
fertilization. When perfected, the spermbots could also be used as a
safe means for drug delivery and gene manipulation. Read More
Researchers at Harvard have developed an
inexpensive, high capacity, organic battery that uses carbon-based
materials as electrolytes rather than metals. The researchers say the
technology stands to be a game-changer in renewable energy storage by
solving the intermittent generation problems faced by renewable sources,
such as wind and solar. The battery offers large volume electricity
storage not possible with solid-state batteries and at a fraction of the
cost of existing flow battery technology. Read More
Although golfers who use golf carts (or the various powered alternatives) do
miss out on a good source of exercise, walking from hole to hole can
indeed get monotonous. It was with this paradox in mind that the Golf
Bike was created. Read More
The original DJI Phantom
quadcopter is now priced below US$500, and it's designed to carry a
GoPro camera. However, while the copter could conceivably be stuffed
into a backpack, doing so might be a little ... awkward. That's why the
guys at San Diego-based AirDroids created the Pocket Drone. It squeaks
in under the $500 mark and is made to carry a GoPro, but it also folds
down for easy transport. What's more, its battery runtime is about twice
that of the Phantom. Read More
Lenovo's first 8-inch business tablet also
happens to be its thinnest and lightest ThinkPad. The new ThinkPad 8
features a high resolution IPS display panel that supports up to 10
simultaneous touch points. It runs Windows 8.1 Professional, is powered
by a 2.4 GHz Bay Trail processor from Intel and has a battery that
should be good for a full day's work before needing to hit the wall
outlet. Read More
At CES 2014, Samsung unveiled a business-centered
version of its Galaxy Tabs, the Galaxy TabPRO, which is available in
three sizes. But the new slate the company seemed most amped to promote
is the companion Galaxy NotePRO, which comes only with a 12.2-inch
display. The Samsung S Pen stylus is also included, along with a suite
of productivity apps and features designed to take advantage of the
combination of a stylus and the NotePRO's 2560x1600 resolution screen.
Read More
The TIWAL 3.2 is an inflatable sailing dinghy
that can be assembled or packed down into two bags in a little under 20
minutes. According to its creators, the dinghy is a "high performance"
sailing vessel with a multi-purpose design that not only allows families
and first time sailors to experience the joys of sailing in calm
weather, but also lets expert sailors test their limits. Read More
Thousands of Australian bees are getting tagged for research
By Ben Coxworth
January 15, 2014
Bees are integral to the pollination of major
crops around the world, so the more that we understand how they go about
their business, the better we can facilitate the process and thereby
boost yields. With this in mind, scientists from Australia's
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) are
taking the unprecedented step of equipping up to 5,000 honeybees with
RFID (radio frequency identification) tags. Read More
BeLuvv turns Guardian child-tracking tech to pets
By Dave LeClair
January 15, 2014
Over the past few years, we've heard
about "green" airliners running on a mixture of jet fuel and biofuels
made from things like plants and recycled cooking oil. Now, Boeing is looking at blending jet fuel with green diesel, which is already used to fuel trucks. Read More
London architect Asif Khan's 2,000 square-meter
(21,500 sq ft) pavilion has been called the “Mount Rushmore of the
digital age,” and its aim is to “make people the face of the Olympics.”
The façade of the pavilion, sponsored by MegaFon, contains 10,000
actuators (or giant pins), which will create a changing display of
three-dimensional portraits. Read More
ModCubes: The LEGO bricks of modular furniture
By Dave Parrack
January 15, 2014
Modular furniture – that is, furniture than can
be adapted to suit changing needs – is becoming an increasingly common
concept. One company has gone right back to basics, and designed
building blocks for an extensive range of modular furniture. These
building blocks are called ModCubes, and when combined together they
form pieces of furniture known as ModRoomz. The word LEGO is nowhere to
be seen, but the Danish toy company deserves at least a small nod of
appreciation. Read More
Japanese design studio Nendo has
launched a range of stationery with innovative twists on traditional
ideas for its "by | n" brand. The range was conceived by Nendo founder
Oki Sato, and includes a pen that becomes a tablet stylus, a ruler with
graded markings for visibility on dark or light surfaces, and a
rethought "cubic" rubber band that's easier to pick up and maintains a
better grip on rolled documents. Read More
Scientists in Guangdong Province, Southern China,
have created piglets that glow green under a black-light. The glow is
caused by a fluorescent protein from jellyfish DNA that was transferred
into the embryos within the sow, as a marker to show that the transfer
of genetic material had been successful. Read More
DriveSafe App brings drowsiness detection to Google Glass
By Nick Lavars
January 15, 2014
A pertinent question regarding Google Glass
that is so far unanswered is whether it will be legal to use while
driving. The prospect of having the distraction of email, messaging and
social media apps in your line of vision when behind the wheel has
raised concerns over the safety of the eyewear for drivers. Poised to
play some sort of role in this debate is DriveSafe, an app for Google
Glass that alerts drivers to when they are getting sleepy. Read More
Graphene-based solar cell hits record 15.6 percent efficiency
By Darren Quick
January 14, 2014
In 2012, researchers from the University of Florida reported a record efficiency of 8.6 percent
for a prototype solar cell consisting of a wafer of silicon coated with
a layer of graphene doped with trifluoromethanesulfonyl-amide (TFSA).
Now another team is claiming a new record efficiency of 15.6 percent for
a graphene-based solar cell by ditching the silicon all together. Read More
Kia shows a sportier look with GT4 Stinger concept
By David Szondy
January 14, 2014
To be honest, when somebody says “sports car,”
the word “Kia” doesn’t leap first to mind. However, the South Korean car
maker wants to rectify that and after dropping a trail of hints, Kia’s GT4 Stinger concept got its world première on Monday at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Read More
Previously, chemists have managed to create artificial cell walls and developed synthetic DNA
to produce self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cells. Now, for the
first time, researchers have used polymers to produce an artificial
eukaryotic cell capable of undertaking multiple chemical reactions
through working organelles. Read More
Leddar, short for LED Detection and Ranging, is a
new type of detection and ranging sensor that uses LEDs to detect
objects and determine their distance. While the Leddar is low
resolution, it is also low cost, and it may find new applications in
vehicles, traffic management, robotics and safety. Read on for our
hands-on review. Read More
PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland's historic theater
district is erecting what is claimed as the world's largest outdoor
crystal chandelier. With a height of 20 ft (6 m) and comprising some
4,200 crystal pieces, the biggest surprise is that General Electric,
which is designing the chandelier, believes it will stand up to
Cleveland's extreme weather. Read More
Disorientation inside smoke-filled and unfamiliar
buildings can be a major obstacle for firefighters – and it's not as if
they don't have enough to worry about already. Researchers at KTH Royal
Institute of Technology in Stockholm have addressed this problem by
developing fancy footwear that allows firefighters to be tracked in
places where GPS fails, including up to 25 m below ground. Read More
Toyota previews some future aggression with the FT-1 concept
By C.C. Weiss
January 15, 2014
Easily one of the wildest concept cars at the
North American International Auto Show, the Toyota FT-1 bridges Toyota's
sporty past with what the company promises will be a daring and
aggressive future. The "spiritual pace car for a changing, evolving
Toyota" previews what Toyota hopes is its most exciting generation of
vehicles ever. Put simply, the FT-1 is the Future of Toyota, example
Number 1. Read More
The challenge of keeping an indoor cat occupied
while its owners are away during the day has certainly produced some
interesting efforts. The Solar Chaser uses the power of the sun to form a perpetually bobbing kitty toy, while the Cat DJ Scratching Deck
serves as a potential launching pad for your feline's highly
anticipated music career. The team behind Egg, a "cat companion" that
mimics a small animal's movements, has hatched a different sort of plan.
Read More
A vertical garden covering 1492m2
has been created in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The garden, which adorns
the the Palacio de Congresos Europa (Palace of Congresses Europe) and
incorporates over 33,000 individual plants, was designed by
Alicante-based sustainable architecture firm Urbanarbolismo. Read More
While news of smartphone hacks, data sniffing,
and government intrusion has regrettably become commonplace, it’s also
had the consequence of raising public awareness of privacy risks which
used to be solely the domain of security geeks. In this climate of
readiness, Blackphone is launching a smartphone it says will be both
secure and user-friendly, developed as a partnership between founders of
the encryption firm Silent Circle and phone manufacturer Geeksphone.
Read More
Researchers have discovered a new way to increase
plant growth by suppressing the natural response to environmental
stress. The scientists have found a modifier protein that can be used to
interfere with the plant's growth repression proteins independently of
the previously identified hormone Gibberellin. They believe this will
lead to higher crop yields, even in unfavorable conditions. Read More
meMINI lets you capture the action after it happens
By Ben Coxworth
January 15, 2014
They say that nothing takes you out of a fun
situation quite like filming it – you stop being a participant, and
start being an observer. That said, people still like their home videos.
Small wearable camcorders
are one solution to the problem, although users are left with a ton of
raw footage to sift through. The meMINI offers an alternative. It
"rewrites" a continuous loop of video, but will save the previous few
minutes of footage whenever the user presses its one button. Read More
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