The dramatic increase in the number of devices finding their way into people’s homes has made the humble electrical outlet hot property, with all manner of power-hungry hardware and proprietary port-packing mobile gizmos clamoring for attention. The PowerBrick universal charger from Feligan aims to be your one-stop electricity outlet by virtue of its ability to simultaneously power 11 devices. Read More

While there are plenty of ways to make carbon-based products from CO₂, these methods usually require a lot of energy because the CO₂ molecules are so stable. If the energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels, then the net result will be more CO₂ entering the atmosphere. Now a material scientist at Michigan Technological University has discovered a chemical reaction that not only soaks up CO₂, but also produces useful chemicals along with significant amounts of energy. Read More

One of the myriad of hurdles premature babies must overcome after entering the world too soon is learning how to suck and feed. To address this problem and get premature babies feeding and out of the hospital sooner, Florida State University (FSU) professor Jayne Standley has developed a pacifier that provides musical reinforcement every time the baby sucks on it correctly. Read More

Regular readers might remember the robotic universal gripper that can pick up a wide variety of objects thanks to an elastic membrane filled with coffee grounds. Earlier this year, the developers revealed they had given their versatile gripper the ability to “shoot” objects some distance, and now a team at MIT has “extended” the technology to create a robotic arm that can twist, flex and grip in a way not dissimilar to an elephant’s trunk. Read More

With both gasoline and diesel engines having their own particular advantages and disadvantages, automotive component manufacturer Delphi is looking for a best-of-both-worlds solution with a gasoline-powered engine that uses diesel engine-like technology for increased fuel efficiency. According to MIT’s Technology Review, such an engine has the potential to increase the fuel economy of gasoline-powered cars by 50 percent and give hybrid vehicles a run for their money in the fuel economy stakes. Read More

It's been a good news week for those suffering debilitating spinal injuries. First we looked at a breakthrough that enables quadriplegic patients to move robotic arms using just their thoughts and now, in related news, surgeons at the Washington University School of Medicine have reported the successful rerouting of working nerves in the upper arms of a quadriplegic patient, restoring some hand function. Read More

Last year, a team of U.S. researchers applied the pruning shears to computer chips to trim away rarely used portions of digital circuits. The result was chips that made the occasional mistake, but were twice as fast, used half as much energy, and were half the size of the original. Now, building on the same “less is more” idea, the researchers have built an “inexact” prototype silicon chip they claim is at least 15 times more efficient than current technology in terms of speed, energy consumption and size. Read More

If you find standing up in the shower just too strenuous then the Horizontal Shower from German company Dornbracht could be just the thing for your bathroom. It features an array of six “Water Bar” showerheads built into a horizontal platform that is attached to the wall, with another platform below on which to recline. Read More

Laptop computers have come a long since the heady days of the early 80’s when carting around a “portable computer” could significantly increase your risk of developing a hernia. Thankfully, laptops these days are much thinner and lighter, making portable computing a much less physically strenuous activity. A perfect case in point is Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a 14-inch Ultrabook that tips the scales at less than three pounds (1.3 kg). Read More