Study of ant necks could help develop stronger robots
By Nick Lavars
February 12, 2014
Though ants have long been known to carry loads
many times their own weight, a new study has cast light on the extent of
this strength and the mechanics responsible for it. Research conducted
by a team from The Ohio State University suggests an ant can lift 5,000
times its own body weight, with its neck bearing most of the load,
providing a potential blueprint for the development of much stronger
robots. Read More
There's an old camping trick, for
people who don't want to bother getting a lantern: just stick a
flashlight up against the bottom of a plastic pop bottle, turn the
flashlight on, then bask in the bottle's glow. Now you can do the same
sort of thing with wine bottles, using suckUK's bottlelight. Read More 
Curiosity Rover has cleared a sand dune that has
barred the mission's progress since January 30th. The dune, roughly
three feet (one meter) in height, stood between two scarps. It
effectively blocked the way forward to Dingo Gap, the Rover's next
immediate destination before proceeding to the drill site designated
KMS-9. Read More
Sony reveals A6000 camera with super-fast autofocus
By Simon Crisp
February 12, 2014
Sony's latest mirrorless interchangeable lens
camera, the Alpha A6000, is no slouch when it comes to speed. Aimed at
hobbyists and photo enthusiasts, the 24.3 megapixel shooter has a
super-fast autofocus system which is said to rival all but the fastest
of professional DSLRs. Read More
The XXII Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, are said
to have cost around US$50 billion, which makes them the most expensive
Games to date. The bill includes many new buildings and the first ever
Winter Olympic Park, planned by stadium designers Populous, who also
created the Fisht stadium, venue for the opening and closing ceremonies.
But the lack of big-name architects is noticeable, as is the fact that
most of the venues are designed for re-use; some will even be dismantled
and moved elsewhere after the Games. Read More
Is Stakes the most portable BBQ in the world?
By Stu Robarts
February 12, 2014
Cooking food when in remote places can mean
having to lug a camping stove along for the journey or trying your hand
at some bushcraft to fashion a rudimentary grill. Israeli designer Roee
Magdassi has created another possibility, however. Stakes is an
ultra-light and ultra-portable grill that weighs just 300 g and takes a
matter of seconds to assemble. Read More
Dupe creates "biological concrete" from sand, bacteria and urine
By Stu Robarts
February 12, 2014
With energy production and raw material shortages
becoming increasingly pertinent issues around the world, designer Peter
Trimble has demonstrated a radical method of manufacture that addresses
both issues. Dupe is a portable machine that uses a mixture of sand,
bacteria and urine to create a material called biostone. The machine is a
proof-of-concept design only and is currently set up to create a small
stool, but the method can be adapted to create just about anything. Read More
Artiphon has launched a limited beta
testing program for its intriguing Instrument 1 for iPhone and iPod
touch, first announced in late 2012. Approved testers will be sent out a pre-production model free of charge. Read More 
The Snore Activated Nudging Pillow
hopes to defuse late-night altercations by automatically delivering a
gentle nudge to snorers when the noise levels start to escalate. Read More X-Jetpacks tweaks the ride of the hydro jetpack
By C.C. Weiss
February 11, 2014
Water-based jetpacking originally looked like an
insane activity for the extremely rich and bored, but it has gradually
gained in popularity. First, we saw the JetLev-Flyer, then the Flyboard,
and now the X-Jetpack H3X Hydro. More than just a "me too" competitor
in the water jetpack market, the H3X offers a few key evolutionary
advantages for novices, families and daredevils alike. Read More
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