Darren Quick

It’s a general rule with technology that as time goes on, features increase and size and price decrease, and so it is with the announcement from DXG USA that they will debut their DXG-566V HD camcorder with a retail price of USD$149.99 at CES. The DXG-566V HD is a 5 megapixel digital camcorder that records video in H.264, MOV file format with an HD video resolution of up to 1280 x 720 at 30fps and D1 resolution of 720 x 480 at 30fps. It features a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3-inch TFT LCD screen, 2X digital zoom and support for high capacity SD cards to increase recording time once the unit’s 32MB onboard memory is full.  Read More

Millennium Cell Inc. and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies have announced the completion of a pre-production version of the HydroPak portable power generator that incorporates a unique water-activated cartridge system. The HydroPak product combines Horizon’s fuel cells with Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand storage technology to offer a clean and quiet power generator for use by consumers and professionals for emergency and recreational purposes.  Read More

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports that research conducted in conjunction with partners at Microcontinuum Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri is promising a method for developing cheap solar energy technology that could be imprinted on flexible materials and still draw energy after the sun has set. The technology uses a special manufacturing process to stamp tiny square spirals, or “nanoantennas”, of conduction metal onto a sheet of plastic and the team estimates individual nanoantennas can absorb close to 80 percent of the available energy in comparison to current commercial solar panels which usually transform less that 20 percent of the usable energy that strikes them into electricity – this is even more impressive than the 30% conversion rate offered by the recently discussed development of nano flakes.  Read More

While the development of Flash based USB drives have enabled people to store increasing amounts of data on ever smaller devices, they have also increased the risk of misplacing data in the event that these diminutive drives disappear. Recognizing this SanDisk has announced the Cruzer Titanium Plus, a 4GB capacity USB flash drive that offers automatic online backup for every file copied to the drive. In the event that the drive is lost, stolen or if users simply forget to bring the drive with them, quick access is provided to their backed-up files through a personal password-protected online account on any computer connected to the Internet.  Read More

Now available in a range of audio systems, JVC wood cone speakers deliver acoustic characteristics unavailable with other materials by utilizing the combination of high sound propagation speed and natural vibration attenuation (internal loss) that enable the speakers to naturally reproduce a wide frequency range. While conventional paper cones spread sound at the same speed in all directions, causing unnatural resonant points with limited frequency response, wood cones produce few resonant points because of the grain, so frequency response is improved and sound quality is enhanced.  Read More

UK electric vehicle retailer GoinGreen has announced the release of the latest incarnation of its G-Wiz range. Known as G-Wiz i, the emission free electric vehicle (EV) that has a certified top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 48 miles per charge and improved acceleration to 30mph. Extra torque enables the G-Wiz i to easily keep up with city traffic and to cope with hills, but the most attractive feature is sure to be running costs with the fuel bill for a year’s electricity costing less than the price of a tank of petrol.  Read More

Chevrolet has announced details of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 with the promise of an American supercar that will establish new benchmarks for production-based power and performance. Coming almost two decades after the official launch of the Corvette ZR1 at the Geneva Auto Show way back in 1989, the 2009 ZR1 features a long list of specialized components that include extensive use of carbon-fiber paneling and an all-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 that's expected to punch out 620 horsepower (462 kW) with around 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm). Though full performance specs will not be released until the summer 2008 launch draws closer, predictions are that the new ZR1 will be the first production Corvette to achieve a top speed of at least 200 mph, making it the the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors and giving it the muscle to claim dominance over international competition like the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640.  Read More

Zipit Wireless, Inc. has announced it will begin offering SMS text messaging to users of the Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 (Z2), providing the ability to communicate with mobile phones, other Zipit devices and PC's.  Read More

Commercial space services provider SPACEHAB has announced the success of a mid air retrieval demonstration test performed as part of its Advanced Research and Conventional Technology Utilization Spacecraft (ARCTUS) Program. ARCTUS represents a low-cost, low-risk Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS) solution for cargo delivery to the International Space Station (ISS). The ARCTUS Program will support NASA’s requirement to fill the International Space Station (ISS) cargo supply gap between the space shuttle’s planned retirement in 2010 and the replacement Orion program scheduled to be operational in 2015.  Read More