Robots are getting down to the size of insects, so it seems only natural that they should be getting insect eyes. A consortium of European researchers has developed the artificial Curved Artificial Compound Eye (CurvACE) which reproduces the architecture of the eyes of insects and other arthropods. The aim isn't just to provide machines with an unnerving bug-eyed stare, but to create a new class of sensors that exploit the wide field of vision and motion detecting properties of the compound eye. Read More
The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is one of the most rugged, off-road-capable pickup trucks out there. In fact, in a showdown of four of the most off-road-savvy pickups on Earth, PickupTrucks.com named the 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor its winner, lauding it for one of the more dominant contest performances of 2012. Hennessey domesticates the four-door SuperCrew cab Raptor just a little, transforming it into the VelociRaptor SUV. Read More
The lifestyle choices parents make easily filter down to their children. If you drive everywhere and do very little in the way of exercise then the chances are your kids will grow up to do the same thing. However, walking is boring, and it's an activity that some kids will avoid if they can possibly help it. Which is where Ziggle may just provide a solution to parents ready to tear their hair out over their offspring's lethargy. Read More
With BMW Motorrad celebrating two significant birthdays this year (90 years since the founding of BMW Motorrad, and 40 years since the launch of the BMW R 90 S), it's understandable that it should produce a tribute motorcycle to the most famous Boxer Twin. Hence, BMW will show the BMW Concept 90 at the famous Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the banks of Lake Como later today. Read More
Quadcopters are becoming more and more popular with radio-controlled model enthusiasts, but sometimes ... sometimes you still just want to remotely-control a car. If that’s the case with you, then UK-based product designer Witold Mielniczek has got you covered. His prototype vehicle, known simply as B, functions as both a quadcopter and an off-road racer. Read More
We already know that smartphones can perform many of the same features as more expensive computers, cameras and other devices. Now, a portable iPhone cradle made up of about US$200 worth of electronics is claimed to be as accurate of a biosensor as a $50,000 spectrophotometer that remains stuck in a lab. Read More
Last week at Google I/O, some had been expecting a brand new Nexus phone or tablet. That didn’t happen. The closest we got was a pure Google version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The next logical question, then, was whether HTC would follow suit. Well, after a week of back-and-forth rumors, it looks like the company is indeed going to join in on the fun with a “Google Edition” version of the popular HTC One. Read More
Samsung Display has chosen Vancouver's Display Week Exhibition hosted by the Society for Information Display to unveil two new Retina-beating display panels. The WQXGA 10.1-inch LCD screen will be used for tablets, while the QHD+ 13.3-inch is destined for notebooks. Details are scant, but we have managed to persuade Samsung to part with a few key specs. Read More
It can’t be easy, being a lifeguard at a pool full of children. The kids that catch your attention are going to be the ones who are splashing and yelling, whereas the ones that you really need to look for could be silently slipping below the surface, where they won’t be seen or heard. North Carolina-based emergency physician Graham Snyder decided that those potential drowning victims needed more attention drawn to their predicament, so he created the Seal system. Read More
UK-based architectural practice Studio RHE was approached by a client who desired the creation of an unusual and ambitious project: to transform the roofs of two adjacent mansion blocks in London’s Notting Hill into one all-glass home, offering stunning views of both the sky at night and the surrounding area. Read More
