Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Renault announces production sites for Z.E. electric cars
By Gizmag Team
23:35 November 8, 2009 PST
Renault's Zero Emissions (Z.E.) range really captured our attention at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show and now the company has confirmed plans to unleash two of the radically designed EVs onto the streets from 2011. Read More
Back in black - Olympus announces new E-P2 camera
By Alan Brandon
22:04 November 8, 2009 PST
Just six months after announcing its first digital PEN camera, the E-P1, Olympus has announced the second model in its Micro Four-Thirds family. The E-P2 offers several features including an accessory port, auto-focus tracking, and two new art filters. Read More
Baby Bjorn goes organic with its new baby gear
By Jude Garvey
21:38 November 8, 2009 PST
There are many ways to transport a baby these days - from baby slings to strollers and clever travel solutions. One baby carrier that has stood the test of time is the Baby Bjorn – a Swedish-designed, hands-free baby carrier that has been used for toting tots since 1973. The Baby Bjorn company has continued to move with the times by releasing a range of baby products made from organically-grown cotton. Read More
Cry Translator iPhone App tells you why your baby is crying
By Paul Lester
21:33 November 8, 2009 PST
Most new parents would agree that working out exactly why a baby is crying and coming up with the right solution can be extremely stressful, so why not turn to the wonderful world of technology to solve the problem? The Cry Translator is an iPhone application that translates a baby’s cries, categorizing them with one of five possible reasons: hungry, sleepy, annoyed, stressed or bored. Read More
Super Talent announces first USB 3.0 Flash Drive
By Paul Ridden
15:48 November 8, 2009 PST
USB 3.0 or SuperSpeed USB offers transfer speeds of up to ten times faster than the widely used Hi-Speed USB. Super Talent has announced the forthcoming availability of the first Flash drive to take advantage of these new speeds - the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAID Drive will be available in three capacity sizes and be backward compatible with earlier USB technologies. Read More
Research reveals the most reliable vehicles
By Gizmag Team
21:53 November 7, 2009 PST
A large percentage of the cars on the road, up to half in some countries, are owned and maintained by fleet management groups rather than individuals. In recent times we’ve seen a number of fleet management companies begin producing statistics on the reliability of their often massive fleets to better inform the public on the reliability of current vehicles. Now U.K. publication Fleet News has conducted research across a number of the major British fleets to produce a reliability survey across more than a million late model vehicles to reveal that the Honda Civic is the UK’s most reliable car and the Ford Transit the most reliable van. Honda snagged three of the top four most reliable cars but got beaten as the most reliable manufacturer. Read More
Spider webs hold the key to stronger bioadhesives
15:45 November 6, 2009 PST
Spiders are remarkable animals: with over 40,000 classified species, they are among the most diverse known to man and can adapt to the most radical climatic conditions. The silky substance they produce to spin webs has been extensively studied and is known to rival steel in strength: a less-known fact, however, is that the "glue" that holds it all together is just as remarkable, and could soon become the key to producing stronger bioadhesives to replace petroleum-based products. Read More
Learn to play harmonica in a Flash
By Paul Ridden
15:00 November 6, 2009 PST
A music teacher from Riverside Illinois has come up with a Flash drive design that's more novel than novelty. Possibly one of the most portable instrument around - the harmonica - and the most portable digital storage solution have been merged into one to produce the FlashHarp. Read More
Sanwa 12-port USB hub is the center of attention
By Darren Quick
00:41 November 6, 2009 PST
The incredible range of USB peripherals available and the shortage of free ports on many machines – particularly laptops – means that a USB hub is practically a necessity if you don’t want to waste precious time plugging and unplugging devices. Sanwa’s 12-port offering doesn’t quite match Brando’s effort in the number of ports, but is definitely the more eye-catching of the two when loaded up with devices. Its circular design might be OK for those rare occasions when you need a high tech table centerpiece, but will likely have cables running every which way on the desk when fully loaded. Read More
The lamp that runs on free electricity – from the phone socket
By Darren Quick
22:54 November 5, 2009 PST
If you’re looking to shave every last cent off your next electricity bill then this gooseneck lamp is for you. The lamp is so energy efficient its eight white LED lights are powered by the trickle of electricity flowing from a RJ11 socket – or garden-variety telephone socket. This means that, even if you’ve fallen behind on your electricity bill and the power has been cut off, you can still enjoy some late night reading. Read More
Boxster Spyder - 166mph Porsche roadster to debut in LA
By Gizmag Team
22:44 November 5, 2009 PST
Porsche will roll out a new incarnation of the Boxter Spyder at the Los Angeles auto show next month. The flagship mid-engined model is the lightest sporstcar in the company's range at 1,275kg and more powerful than the Boxster S, topping 235kW from its direct-injection 3.4-liter flat six-cylinder powerplant. All this adds up a hair-piece destroying top speed of 166mph (267kmh) with the roof open, making it Porsche's fastest Roadster. Read More
Long awaited satellite to monitor water cycle reaches orbit
By Darren Quick
22:43 November 5, 2009 PST
The 658kg (1,450 lb) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) this week is the first ever satellite designed both to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale. The unique radiometer it carries will enable passive surveying of the water cycle between oceans, the atmosphere and land thereby playing a key role in the monitoring of global climate change. Read More
Ford introduces inflatable seat belts
By Darren Quick
20:03 November 5, 2009 PST
Most seat belts are designed to stretch during a crash to reduce the force of impact on the wearer while still preventing contact with the interior of the vehicle. Ford has gone one step further with plans to introduce inflatable seat belts designed to reduce the pressure on the chest and help control head and neck motion in rear seat passengers, spreading the crash force across five times more of the occupant’s torso than conventional seat belts. Read More
Boat tail reduces truck fuel consumption by 7.5 percent
By Darren Quick
18:57 November 5, 2009 PST
European tests have shown that a boat tail – a tapering protrusion mounted on the rear of a truck – leads to fuel savings of 7.5 percent. The fuel savings, which also means a cut in emissions, were realized by the boat tail dramatically reducing the drag caused by the lower-pressure effect that occurs in the wake of a vehicle. Read More
The Tag Heuer Lamborghini phone handset
By Paul Lester
18:27 November 5, 2009 PST
If you're looking for value for money, a sports car-inspired designer mobile phone probably isn't the best place to start. Based on its Meridiist handset, Tag Heuer's latest model is inspired by the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640. We’ve no problem with admitting that it looks the business, but as is strangely typical of these sorts of overpriced phones, it seems to be seriously lacking on the practicality front. Read More
Dell Adamo XPS combines slender profile with smart design
By Gizmag Team
18:18 November 5, 2009 PST
Dell has bettered its wafer-thin Adamo laptop launched in March with the announcement of the 0.4-inch (9.99mm) thin Adamo XPS. Apart from the attention that the label of World's thinnest laptop brings, the XPS has some very appealing design qualities that are nothing to do with its slender profile or 3.2 pound weight. Rather than the conventional hinge, the full-size keyboard folds into the display in such a way that it's raised at the top when it's opened to provide enhanced cooling and there's also a capacitive touch latch mechanism which allows you to pop the unit open with the swipe of a finger. Read More
The award-winning PUYL for cyclists combines a light with a pump
By Paul Lester
15:19 November 5, 2009 PST
Most cyclists would agree that the two most likely things to forget after heading out on a journey are a light and a tire pump. It would make perfect sense, then, to combine the two into one handy accessory, which is exactly what designer Kai Malte Roever has done with the “PUYL”. The bonus is that when you pump up your tires, you're also charging the LED light. Read More
The Wall of Sound: the world's most powerful iPod dock unleashed
By Paul Ridden
02:51 November 5, 2009 PST
In a world where miniaturization rules the roost, it's refreshing to see some things getting bigger and bigger. Just last week we featured Regen's enormous ReVerb iPod dock which stands tall and slim at 35 inches (90cm). Now from Sweden comes the colossal 37.5 x 49 x 12 inch (95cm x 125cm x 30cm) "Wall of Sound", which can boom out 125 Watts of ground-shaking, tube-driven audio from its 28 speakers. Read More
SmartHand brings movement AND touch to amputees
By Darren Quick
02:49 November 5, 2009 PST
Scientists have successfully wired a state-of-the-art artificial hand to existing nerve endings in the stump of a severed arm. Its creators say the device, called “SmartHand,” resembles a real hand in function, sensitivity and appearance. In order to develop such an intelligent artificial prosthetic hand with all the basic features displayed by a real one, the SmartHand team integrated recent advances in nanobioscience, cognitive neuroscience and information technologies. Read More
Green Wavelength unveils bumblebee inspired wind turbine
02:40 November 5, 2009 PST
Gizmag's pages are filled with clever examples of biomimicry, and why not, evolution is after all the biggest, oldest and most successful design house we know of. Today's lesson is being given by insects like bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies, whose efficient wing flapping capabilities are being harnessed by Californian start-up Green Wavelength in an effort to produce more efficient wind turbines. Read More
More robotic fish spawned to monitor water quality
By Darren Quick
23:32 November 4, 2009 PST
Although fish numbers are in decline in oceans all around the globe, the same can’t be said for their robotic brethren. Like the “Robotuna” from MIT and the robots developed by a team at the University of Essex, the latest robotic fish from Michigan State University also take inspiration from nature. The aim is to give researchers more precise data on aquatic conditions and provide a deeper understanding of critical water supplies and habitats... and hopefully help improve the outlook for fish of the biological variety. Read More
TwitterPeek - Tweeting without the bells and whistles
By Gizmag Team
23:21 November 4, 2009 PST
In news for committed Tweeters (at least those without a smartphone), Peek has released what it says is the world’s first dedicated Twitter mobile device. TwitterPeek is the company's third data-only product (following on from the original and Peek Pronto) and like its predecessors, its key selling points are simplicity of function, low-cost and no contracts. Read More
New solar storage solution could be the key to home-brewed electricity
By Darren Quick
22:28 November 4, 2009 PST
Reports of new developments in the area of solar power are an almost daily event here at Gizmag. The main focus of research seems to be on improving the efficiency of solar cells, but others are working at developing an inexpensive method of locally storing the energy generated by solar systems. Because society relies on a continuous energy supply and solar energy is diurnal, storage systems are integral to what some see as an inevitable move towards the era of “personalized solar energy”, in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities. Read More
Take a stroll through virtual reality on the CyberWalk omni-directional treadmill
By Darren Quick
19:02 November 4, 2009 PST
Jogging on the spot has gone high tech thanks to an omni-directional treadmill that allows you to walk in any direction while staying centered on the treadmill. When coupled with virtual reality (VR) technology it offers the potential for truly natural walking and immersion in virtual environments. Read More
ASUS P7P55D-E Premium motherboard supports USB 3.0
18:26 November 4, 2009 PST
Asus has announced the world's first motherboard to support the upcoming USB 3.0 standard, allowing data transfer rates approaching 600MB/s. It also includes the latest generation SATA, which will support transfer speeds of up to 6Gbit/s, and the company has also flagged a cheaper alternative in the form of an add-in card that will offer these two functionalities for motherboards of the same family and will be sold for under US$30. Read More
matthew.rings
- November 9, 2009 @ 01:28 UTC
