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Energy-generating sOccket soccer ball scores a goal in off-grid villages
By Jeff Salton
21:08 February 8, 2010 PST
What kid doesn’t like kicking around a soccer ball? Imagine if this fun activity could also provide enough energy to power something useful in a modest off-grid African village, like a reliable light to cook by or an emergency mobile phone. The sOccket is a prototype soccer ball that captures kinetic energy when it is kicked or thrown, stores it in an internal battery and makes that energy available for a myriad of small but useful purposes. In other words, it’s a fun, portable energy-harvesting power source that is designed to take a kicking. Read More
Hi-Fido speaker - its bark is worse than its bite
By Darren Quick
20:48 February 8, 2010 PST
Product designer Matteo Cibic has come up with a very distinctive desktop speaker in the aptly named Hi-Fido. Shaped like a headless dog wearing an Elizabethan collar, Hi-Fido sports a 150-watt speaker that “uses the acoustic properties of ceramic to diffuse the high quality sound with a bass reflex system”. Read More
PrePeat inkless printer reuses sheets up to 1000 times
By Jude Garvey
20:09 February 8, 2010 PST
Wouldn’t you love a dollar for every time you heard the phrase “paperless office” being bandied about during the 90s? Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen, did it? On the contrary - as computer and printer technology continued to evolve and printing emails or web pages became quicker and easier - paper use rapidly increased. Manufacturers are coming up with some very clever ideas to reduce ink and paper costs. We’ve seen portable printers that use zero-ink technology and now there’s PrePeat – an innovative office printer that not only uses no ink or toner, it reuses paper. Read More
Porsche announces 530hp 911 Turbo S - 0-200kmh in 10.8sec
By Jeff Salton
19:23 February 8, 2010 PST
The timeless beauty of the Porsche 911 range continues with the upcoming release of the new top-of-the-line 911 Turbo S at the Geneva Motor Show (4-14 March). But don’t be deceived by its good looks alone – this new model (the first in five years) has a 30hp increase over the 911 Turbo (up from 500hp to 530hp or 390kW) and maximum torque is rated at 700Nm (516lb-ft). This impressive set of figures are delivered via a six-cylinder “boxer” engine boosted by two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry. The 911 Turbo S reaches 100kmh (62mph) in 3.3 seconds and hits 200kmh (124mph) in 10.8 seconds with a top speed of 315kmh (196mph). Even with its power upgrade, the 911 Turbo S achieves the identical fuel consumption as the regular Porsche 911 Turbo – 24.8mpg (11.4l/100km) which, Porsche says, makes it by far the most efficient in its class. Read More
iPhone app 'Pollen Radar' gives you the pollen forecast
By Rick Martin
19:03 February 8, 2010 PST
Japanese company Up-Frontier has developed an iPhone application that will provide a pollen forecast for individuals prone to allergies and hay fever. Through working with the Japan Weather Association and their Weather API, the application can access the latest pollen count on their iPhone. Read More
Cat owners are smarter than dog owners
16:06 February 8, 2010 PST
It's been a while since there was a dog and cat census in the UK - about three cat years or twenty human years in fact. They've gone undetected, hidden behind the sofa, curled up in the laundry, and therefore not considered much of a subject for scientific peer-reviewed journals. So for all this time it's escaped our notice that numbers of domestic dogs and cats are increasing, and while cats and dogs are owned by people with similar characteristics, cat owners are more likely to be qualified to degree level. Read More
Magic Wand portable scanner PDS-ST410-VP from VuPoint Solutions
By Jeff Salton
15:59 February 8, 2010 PST
Taking around four seconds to scan an A4-size document in B&W, this portable wand-type scanner from VuPoint Solutions is designed for copying images from books or documents with thick or fragile spines that don’t allow them to be folded back for placement on a flatbed scanner. It's also useful for scanning pages that are located a long way from your office. Read More
Hasselblad H4D-40 available now
By Paul Ridden
14:24 February 8, 2010 PST
Following last September's announcement of new 50 megapixel and 60 megapixel H4D medium format cameras, Hasselblad has now announced the immediate availability of the H4D-40 DSLR camera system. The 40 of course signifies the number of megapixels, but the camera also benefits from up to four minute exposure times, faster capture rates and higher ISO ratings as well as an improved auto focus mechanism. Read More
Robonaut 2 ready to give astronauts a helping hand
By Darren Quick
22:21 February 7, 2010 PST
NASA and General Motors have teamed up to build a new robot dexterous enough to use the same tools as humans, allowing them to work safely alongside humans on Earth or in space. The two organizations aim to develop the next generation of robots and robotic technologies that use leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, to assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. Read More
Robotic Audi TTS to tackle Pikes Peak at race speed - without a driver
By Jeff Salton
21:59 February 7, 2010 PST
The team at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS) are aiming to send a specially-equipped robotic Audi at break-neck speed up the tight bends that lead to Pikes Peak without a driver … something that hasn’t been done before. Read More
Dream boat: Schopfer Yachts 300ft Infinitas
By Jeff Salton
21:40 February 7, 2010 PST
Schöpfer Yachts has launched its second stunning design – the Infinitas – and while at this stage it only appears on paper, we would really love to see this one on the water. Aside from the glass floored "sky-bridge", on-board elevator and front helipad, the standout design element is the carved out stern and mid section, which gives the 300ft (91.5m) yacht its radical dinosaur-skull-like profile. Read More
Leev's Mantys electric vehicle makes any round of golf fun
By Jeff Salton
21:21 February 7, 2010 PST
To some, golf is a good walk ruined. But why walk when you can ride … get on board the latest mobility offering from Leev – the Mantys. It’s a bit like a four-wheel version of a Segway that holds your golf clubs up front and can go for 36 holes before it needs recharging. Weighing just 88lbs, it folds down to fit in your trunk next to your golf bag. It steers by transferring your weight either left or right, has a top speed of 11mph and can climb most inclines found on a golf course. Read More
Future cars: Auto bodywork composite doubles as a battery
18:41 February 7, 2010 PST
The problem is clear. Hybrid cars and EVs rely on batteries for power, but batteries are bulky and heavy, causing the car to use up more energy. But what if a car's bodywork was made of a strong, lightweight material that could store and discharge electrical energy just as a conventional battery does? In pursuing this goal, researchers at the Imperial College London are developing a key building block for the hybrid car of the future, and the implications go way beyond automobiles - think wafer thin mobile phones and laptops that don't need a separate battery because they draw power from their casing. Read More
Mason bees fly to the rescue of failing orchards
By Ben Coxworth
17:53 February 7, 2010 PST
Many readers would already be familiar with Colony Collapse Disorder and the mysterious worldwide disappearance of honeybees. Everything from mites to viruses to electromagnetic radiation are suspected as its cause and it is potentially disastrous for crops that rely on the bees for pollination. Well, on a small scale at least, help is on the way - some fruit growers in North America are now turning to the indigenous mason bee as an orchard-pollinator. Not only are mason bees not affected by CCD, but they're better at pollinating than honeybees, you need less of them, and they have a more laidback personality, meaning less of those nasty stings. Read More
WowWee Paper Jamz - easy play guitars and drums for budding rockstars
By Jeff Salton
17:42 February 7, 2010 PST
Most times when budding rockstars pick up a guitar and start to play for the first time, it sounds like they’re stepping on a cat – well, to everyone else in the room, anyway. If you are the parent of one of these musicians you might want to introduce them to Paper Jamz, an affordable and innovative play instrument that provides an instant rock star experience and open-ended play, say its makers, WowWee Toys. The one-inch thick stringless guitars (slightly thicker drums) are touch-sensitive, which means you only have to the strum or tap the special circuit-embedded paper on the surface to get a professional sound. Rock on! Read More
iSOCO electronic invoicing exchange could save 30 percent of processing costs
17:25 February 7, 2010 PST
It's a universal problem - one you may be surprised to hear we still face in today's technological age: you send me an invoice with your software, my software can't read it so I waste time and money interpreting it. iSOCO promises to change all that with its new prototype i20nt. This system aspires to become the first to exchange electronic invoices between companies transparently and regardless of their originating format and system, saving up to 30% of the total invoice processing costs. Read More
Wattbox: Habit-learning device to lower energy bills
By Jeff Salton
16:42 February 7, 2010 PST
The adage “less is more” rings true when discussing energy usage - as energy costs rise, using less saves you more money each year. And studies have shown that householders who know how much energy they use on a daily basis tend to use significantly less. A new device called the Wattbox - a smart control unit for central heating and hot water heaters that learns householders' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption - could deliver home energy savings of up to 20 percent without compromising comfort say UK researchers. A great feature of the Wattbox is that it is retrofittable, meaning it’s suitable for all houses, not just new ones. Read More
Tech firm InteraXon to transmit brain waves across Canada
By Ben Coxworth
15:44 February 7, 2010 PST
If you’re attending the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia this month, you’ll have the chance to transmit your brain waves across Canada. When they reach their destination, the province of Ontario, they'll produce a custom light show on one of three prominent Ontario landmarks - presumably to the amazement of thousands of onlookers. While this might sound like technology straight out of an X-Men movie, it is in fact the latest accomplishment of Toronto-based tech firm InteraXon... and it could be just the tip of the iceberg in the field of thought-controlled computing. Read More
Historical WWII imagery now available in Google Earth
15:32 February 7, 2010 PST
When reconnaissance pilots brought back precious surveillance photos during World War II (WWII) they could not have imagined that they would one day be comparable with the cityscape seen from satellite 50 years into the future, and available around the world at the touch of a button. Google has made this possible with new functionality for Google Earth - historical WWII imagery - giving people a unique opportunity to see the effect of past events using today's mapping technology. Read More
World's most precise clock keeps time to 1 second in 3.7 billion years
By Darren Quick
23:27 February 4, 2010 PST
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built an enhanced version of an experimental atomic clock based on a single aluminum atom that would neither gain nor lose one second in about 3.7 billion years. That makes it the world’s most precise clock, more than twice as precise as the previous pacesetter based on a mercury atom. Read More
First glimpse of Boeing 787 Dreamliner interior
By Gizmag Team
23:26 February 4, 2010 PST
The Dreamliner successfully completed its maiden test flight in December and now the interior design of Boeing's next-gen aircraft has been revealed. The officially released photo shows the partially decked-out interior featured on the third of six flight test airplanes. While certainly sleek, at first glance there's nothing overly radical about the layout, though Boeing says it will give passengers greater comfort with its "dynamic lighting, larger lavatories, more spacious luggage bins and electronic window shades whose transparency they can change during flight." Read More
Ice Ball Machine - the next round of drinks
By Darren Quick
23:20 February 4, 2010 PST
Ice cubes are so passé. We’ve already seen them challenged in their drink cooling duties by Sippin’ Rocks and now there's a new threat looming. The Ice Ball Mold transforms an irregular shaped chunk of ice into an icy sphere, which its proponents say are more desirable than cubes because they melt more slowly due to their smaller surface area - thereby keeping your drink cooler and less diluted for longer. Read More
Stem cell elimination offers ovarian cancer breakthrough
By Jeff Salton
23:03 February 4, 2010 PST
The medical profession has experienced much difficulty and frustration in detecting and treating ovarian cancer, but researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut, believe they have made a major breakthrough. They say eliminating cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor could hold the key to successful treatments. Read More
The tot-toting Ride On Carry On chair takes a load off traveling parents
By Darren Quick
23:03 February 4, 2010 PST
Traveling with children is never an easy task. Balancing a kid on one hip while dragging around your carry-on luggage can be a tiring backbreaking chore. Sure, you could opt for a trunki if your kids are tired, but what if your kids are tired AND hungry? The Ride On Carry On addresses this problem by attaching to a rolling suitcase to form a chair where your pride and joy can not only be safely carried as you traverse the seemingly endless miles of airport, it also provides a place to sit and play while enduring the long waits that have become standard for airline passengers. Read More
Unfair advantage? Team BMW Oracle Racing takes 'wind mapping' technology to the America's Cup
By Loz Blain
20:31 February 4, 2010 PST
Imagine you're a competitive sailboat racer, about to go into the richest and most storied of all sailing races with a squillion-dollar boat and a razor-sharp crew. Now imagine somebody hands you a device that can quite literally map out the wind activity up to a kilometre out in front of you, showing wind speed, direction and turbulence - and giving you the almost superatural ability to adjust your sails and take maximal advantage of a wind pattern before you even reach it. It's almost an unfair advantage, isn't it? Well, this is the situation that BMW Oracle Racing's Russell Coutts finds himself in as the team gears up to take on defending champions Alinghi in the 2010 America's Cup. The device is called a Racer's Edge laser wind sensor, and it's built around a technology base that's being used to optimise wind power generators. We caught up with Phil Rogers, CEO of Catch the Wind, Inc, to find out more. Read More
Rod
- February 9, 2010 @ 04:17 UTC
