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Jeff Salton
Nanotech battlefield treatment to ease pain and limit dangerous side effects
By Jeff Salton
00:59 September 28, 2009 PDT
The threat of injury and even death hangs over the head of most active men and women in the armed forces. However, the treatment for some injuries can be life-threatening as well. Soldiers unfortunate enough to be injured in the line of duty are usually given morphine for pain relief in the field. However, morphine also depresses normal breathing and blood pressure, sometimes to near-fatal levels. So medics need a short-acting drug that aids normal respiration and heart beat, but in doses that still allow effective morphine pain relief. It’s a bit like a dangerous ‘balancing act’, made worse because it’s often performed under extreme circumstances. Using nanotechnology, University of Michigan (U-M) scientists have developed a combination drug that promises a safer, more precise way for medics and fellow soldiers in battle situations to give a fallen soldier morphine, together with a drug that limits morphine’s dangerous side effects. Read More
BUB 7 Streamliner motorcycle breaks 367mph for new world record
By Jeff Salton
20:00 September 27, 2009 PDT
Looking more like a long, blurred, red flash than a motorcycle, the BUB 7 Streamliner is now the fastest motorcycle on earth (pending FIM verification) after Chris Carr set a new FIM world record and AMA national record at 367.382mph (591.244kmh) through the mile - and an exit speed of 372.534mph (599.534kmh) - at the Cook Private Meet at the Bonneville Salt Flats Utah. It probably also makes Carr one of the bravest men on the planet. BUB 7 beat the previous record of 360.913mph (580.833kmh), set by Team Ack Attack last year. We originally covered the BUB 7 when it broke through the 350mph (563km) barrier back in 2006. Read More
Time to relax with the StressWatch
By Jeff Salton
19:10 September 27, 2009 PDT
Most of us need a little bit of stress in our lives to operate effectively - the saying: “if it wasn’t for the 11th hour I'd never get anything done” rings true for many of us. But those with highly demanding jobs, or who live in stressful environments, know how damaging long-term exposure to stress can be. The StressWatch concept is intended as a stress-reducing device that provides a visual alarm for those sufferers who want to reduce the impact stress has on their health. In the past, Gizmag has witnessed a few stress-relieving devices like the HeartMath emwave PSR and the 'stress sensor vest' - it seems stress just won't leave us alone, so we better learn to deal with it. Read More
Scientists block insects' sense of smell to protect crops
By Jeff Salton
15:00 September 27, 2009 PDT
Good news for crop farmers this week with UK scientists discovering molecules they hope will confuse insects’ sense of smell and therefore their ability to detect plants – and each other. The researchers believe this could reduce the damage insects cause to crops and lead to better food security. Roughly one-quarter of the world’s crops are lost annually to pests and disease. Read More
Audiovox entertains backseat passengers with PS2 games and video
By Jeff Salton
00:45 September 25, 2009 PDT
When I was growing up, entertainment in the backseat of a car had a whole different meaning to what it does today. Presently, backseat entertainment is geared at a much younger audience. Audiovox’s in-car VOD10PS2 Mobile Video PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system would appear to have heaps of appeal to both bored backseat youngsters and drivers who appreciate peace and quiet from passengers. This mobile video system is an all-in-one, overhead, drop-down that combines the Audiovox's overhead unit with one of the gaming industry's best-selling systems, the PlayStation 2. Read More
Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor - fastest ever laptop chips
By Jeff Salton
20:34 September 24, 2009 PDT
Intel says processing power that was reserved for desktop computing can now be conducted on laptops equipped with its new Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor and Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition. Using its award-winning and super-fast Nehalem microarchitecture, along with the new Intel PM55 Express Chipset, gamers, photographers, digital music mixers, movie-makers, etc, will no longer have to be anchored to a desktop computer to access the processing power they need. Read More
DEMO: Xerox 'Color By Words' uses simple language to get great pictures
By Jeff Salton
19:22 September 24, 2009 PDT
If you’re not a graphic designer, you may have struggled in the past to get your personal photos looking their best when relying on your printer’s color adjustment settings. Complex color wheels, sliders, brightness and contrast editors, and highlight tools all look handy – until you try to use them. Xerox has devised Natural Language Color Editing technology that allows you to adjust the colors in your printed documents by accessing plain English phrases. A drop-down Color By Words menu on your computer offers phrases like: ‘Make the blues a lot more vibrant’, which will then do just that across the entire document or image. Combining words can form thousands of different phrases to deliver the results you want. You can watch the demo video below or test drive the technology for yourself via the link at the end of this story. Read More
Fraunhofer slims down its ultra flat loudspeakers to less than one inch
By Jeff Salton
18:20 September 24, 2009 PDT
It seems the world has become obsessed with ‘skinny’ – watch your diet, exercise more and aspire to be ‘model thin’. But skinny isn't always better when it comes to speakers – good sound reproduction needs room to vibrate. However, at IFA, Fraunhofer scientists (in cooperation with Sennheiser electronic) presented a completely new concept for ultra-flat loudspeakers that still deliver full sound reproduction. What’s more, these speakers can be integrated inconspicuously on walls or in furniture because they're only 24mm thick (0.94-inch). Read More
'Green roofs' prove even more effective in fighting global warming than first thought
By Jeff Salton
01:30 September 24, 2009 PDT
‘Green roofs’- urban rooftops covered with plants - are gaining in popularity to help buildings reduce their reliance on air conditioning, and now scientists in Michigan are reporting they could also help fight global warming by eliminating carbon dioxide in cities, more effectively than was first thought. Read More
Keeping hybrids cool under the bonnet reaches boiling point
By Jeff Salton
23:50 September 23, 2009 PDT
As an increasing number of hybrid-powered vehicles move from concept to completion, technology is battling to keep pace with some of the less-publicized technical challenges found among the complex electronics aboard these land- and air-based vehicles, computers and other devices. For instance, how do you effectively cool the electronics in a high-power electric motor that propels a passenger car from 0-60mph in under 10 seconds and uses regenerative braking to stop? Researchers in the U.S. believe the secret may lie in understanding precisely how fluid boils in tiny ‘microchannels’, which has led them to develop formulas and models that will help engineers design unique systems to cool high-power electronics found in today’s and tomorrow’s devices. Read More
Volksgarden is a hi-tech hydroponics ferris wheel
By Jeff Salton
22:26 September 23, 2009 PDT
Veggie and flower-lovers who don’t have much garden space, or whose gardens are deprived of necessary available sunlight, can use the Volksgarden to enjoy simple, clean and effective hydroponics gardening indoors. It’s like a never-ending ferris wheel ride for your plants. The Volksgarden unit has space to grow up to 80 plants at once. Herbs, vegetables, fruits and grains can be harvested easily and continuously without the need for a degree in horticulture. The Volksgarden manufacturers say yields from their product are much greater than other hydroponics methods because plants rotate around the growth-optimizing light source – once every 45 minutes, 24 hours a day. Read More
New computer tool could lead to better crops and safer pesticides
By Jeff Salton
21:11 September 23, 2009 PDT
Researchers engaged in developing new strains of crops, such as drought-resistant wheat and new pesticides that are more environmentally-friendly, are also creating a computing tool that could help scientists predict how plants will react to different environmental conditions. It’s hoped their findings will help create better crops, such as tastier and longer-lasting tomatoes. Read More
DRIVSCO ‘learning vehicles’ alert their drivers to dangers
By Jeff Salton
01:48 September 23, 2009 PDT
Scientists from six European countries have collaborated to develop a new computer system that enables vehicles to recognize their drivers’ normal behavior and therefore avoid accidents caused by unusual behavior. The DRIVSCO system detects the anomalies, often caused by inattention or poor visibility, and signals an alarm that warns drivers to beware early enough to give them time to react. Read More
myPANTONE App puts color library in your iPhone
By Jeff Salton
19:23 September 22, 2009 PDT
The release of a new iPhone App is sure to please graphic designers, decorators and artists who work with Pantone colors. Pantone has been the industry standard in color for many years, but carrying around a Pantone book full of color palettes hasn’t always been practical. And they’re expensive books to lose, too. Pantone LLC has launched myPANTONE, a digital app for iPhones that gives designers more flexibility when choosing and working with Pantone palettes. Read More
Pure Sensia DAB/WiFi touchscreen radio
By Jeff Salton
00:08 September 22, 2009 PDT
Not long ago, radio manufacturers had only to worry about the basic look of their devices. Rarely were new stations added, reception methods hadn’t changed in a long time and, generally, smaller was better. Sure, they had to combine an alarm clock in some models, but that wasn’t too difficult. Now a radio has to be a veritable Swiss army knife of appliances, and this is where the new Sensia from Pure excels. Its list of features includes a large color touch screen display, DAB, FM stereo and digital radio with full Band III, wireless media streaming, input from iPods/iPhones and MP3 players, and Pure Apps that let you connect with Facebook, Twitter, Picasa and thousands of podcasts. Read More
Nullarbor fireball cameras lead scientists to location of rare meteorite
By Jeff Salton
17:12 September 21, 2009 PDT
Not long ago, Gizmag featured an article about scientists capturing a rare image of upwards lightning. Now a different set of ‘men in white coats’ has taken shots of fireballs streaking across the night sky that then led to the discovery of a tiny and extremely rare meteorite in Australia’s vast Nullarbor Plain. Not only that, the group also traced the meteorite’s roots back to its orbit and the asteroid from where it came. Read More
PortiloBox - changes from bike rack to extra boot in seconds
By Jeff Salton
00:08 September 21, 2009 PDT
Westfalia-Automotive has created a towbar-mounted bicycle rack that, in a matter of seconds, converts into an extra boot by attaching a cleverly-designed waterproof lid. Portilo – the bike rack – is built to hold two bicycles in stands, rather than hang them from the frame (which is becoming increasingly difficult these days, given the variation in frame sizes between brands). The PortiloBox fits the Portilo easily with no tools needed to secure it. It’s only small but, if you just need that little bit of extra space, it’s ideal. Read More
Nachteule makes night-time reading more 'enlightening'
By Jeff Salton
20:14 September 20, 2009 PDT
Reading at night can be problematic. Firstly, there can be arguments in bed between partners – one who wants to sleep with the light off, the other who wants to read with a light on. Then there’s the issue of inadequate bedside lighting or the shadows on your pages cast by an overhead light. Well, if you wear glasses, the Nachteule (night owl) light may help solve your night-time reading problems. Read More
Swift snaps our best-ever ultraviolet image of neighboring Andromeda Galaxy
By Jeff Salton
18:51 September 20, 2009 PDT
In a galaxy far, far away … about 2.5 million light years, in fact, lie approximately 20,000 hot, young stars and dense clusters that comprise the Andromeda Galaxy. The galaxy, known as M31 in the constellation Andromeda, was recently captured by an ultraviolet optical telescope aboard NASA’s Swift satellite, and delivers the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet. Read More
Parrot RKi8400 car stereo designed with iPhone in mind
By Jeff Salton
22:25 September 17, 2009 PDT
Parrot has released a car stereo at IAA designed for iPhones and iPods. The Rki8400 uses Bluetooth, has a USB port for hard drives or USB keys, SD Card reader and a double line-in socket for analogue sources. It provides hands-free telephony functions and another great feature is a storage compartment behind the removable front panel that hides and recharges your iPod or iPhone. That means no more cords tangling around gear shifts, or iPhones sliding around the vehicle during braking or cornering maneuvers. Plus, of course, a bit of extra security. Read More
Rome can be rebuilt in a day – digitally
By Jeff Salton
23:06 September 16, 2009 PDT
A rebuilding exercise is underway in Rome, but it’s not one that uses bricks and mortar, rather, it uses digital images – maybe even ones you provided unwittingly. A team from the University of Washington (UW) has developed a new computer algorithm that uses hundreds of thousands of tourist photos to automatically reconstruct an entire city in about a day. It’s thought that one use for the technology could be to provide visitors with an on-line virtual-reality 3-D tour of cities they visit. Read More
Lexus LF-Ch full hybrid concept debuts at IAA Frankfurt
By Jeff Salton
00:45 September 16, 2009 PDT
Back in August we told you that Toyota would be releasing its Lexus hybrid concept car at IAA Frankfurt, and here it is – in the flesh. Our team of journalists on the ground captured these images of the LF-Ch (Compact hybrid) as soon as the wraps came off at its world debut. Set to rival the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, the vehicle is the first Lexus full hybrid in the European premium compact segment – one that’s sure to be bursting with quality competition. If you thought hybrids and luxury didn’t mix, think again. And if you thought Lexus was a brand just for the over-50s, look closer. Read More
Canon VB-C500VD vandal resistant mini dome network camera has you covered
By Jeff Salton
21:30 September 15, 2009 PDT
Unfortunately for society today, there is an increasing need for quality surveillance - it’s almost mandatory that businesses incorporate security into their list of ‘must haves’. Canon’s new VB-C500VD vandal-resistant mini dome network camera is suited to a wide variety of applications where discreet high quality surveillance over a network is needed, and its wide angle lens means it’s ideal for positioning in tight places, like around ATMs, schools, lobbies, and shopping malls. If set to motion-activation mode, this PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) camera can send emails or cell phone messages instantly, and being a PoE (power over Ethernet) device, it uses a single LAN cable to power the camera and transfer video and audio data when connected to a PoE switch, saving on installation costs. Read More
Heart of research lies in Xbox 360 chip
By Jeff Salton
21:27 September 15, 2009 PDT
Finally, video-gamers whose parents told them that playing games would never help them get a job can point to research that proves them wrong – well, sort of, anyway. A new study by a University of Warwick researcher has demonstrated that scientists trying to model a range of processes could ‘borrow’ an Xbox chip to get all the power and capabilities they need, saving thousands of dollars on parallel processing hardware and/or countless man-hours. Read More
EDAG ‘Light Car – Open Source’ updates to be presented at IAA in Frankfurt
By Jeff Salton
00:26 September 15, 2009 PDT
At Gizmag we’ve given EDAG some well-warranted attention over the years and, if you take a look at the company’s latest offering, you’ll understand why. The EDAG Light Car – Open Source is a collaboration of talented companies brought together by EDAG, all contributing to the one project in much the same way that Open Source works in the IT realm. The EDAG vehicle concept vision was first presented at this year’s 79th Geneva Motor Show in March and the company says further development of the project will be unveiled at the Frankfurt IAA show in a couple of days. A test vehicle is hoped to be ready for next year's Geneva Motor Show. Read More
John M
- November 25, 2009 @ 17:19 UTC
