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Karen Sprey
CLUE murder mysteries join the txting age
By Karen Sprey
18:24 March 1, 2009 PST
Hasbro’s classic murder mystery game has been brought into the present day with the introduction of real-time clues via text in the new CLUE: Secrets & Spies edition. Read More
Shenzhen's solar-and-wind-powered skyscraper
By Karen Sprey
17:24 March 1, 2009 PST
Traditional architecture has been swept away and replaced by skyscrapers in China’s bid to modernize its cities and house its huge population and thriving business interests. Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province has grown from a fishing village in the 1970s to a vibrant economic and financial centre - one of China’s most successful special economic zones. Now its skyline will be graced with a 49-storey solar-and-wind-powered tower designed by Austrian architecture firm Coop Himmelblau. The second skin of the building will be lined with photovoltaic cells and feature mechanisms to provide natural ventilation, reduce wind pressure, shade the interior from sun and display multimedia banners. Read More
IBM Innov8 v.2: serious gaming helps tomorrow’s business leaders
By Karen Sprey
04:14 February 26, 2009 PST
Pilots, the military and emergency services have been using simulations for years to teach skills in a risk-free environment where otherwise lives might be lost. Video gaming isn’t new either - the CEOs of many of today’s big names such as Yahoo and Google grew up on a diet of avatars and role-playing. But it’s only recently that business simulators and advanced video gaming have merged to form ‘serious games’ like IBM's Innov8. IBM has announced v.2, a new version that helps students and professionals hone their business and technology skills in a compelling, familiar video game format. Read More
Febot uses wind power to recharge batteries
By Karen Sprey
15:08 February 23, 2009 PST
We're always on the lookout for new, ‘greener’ ways of saving or renewing energy. South Korean designers Ji-yun Kim, Soon-young Yang and Hwan-ju Jeon have developed the Febot, a small, easily-assembled portable battery charger concept that harnesses the power of the wind rather than using electricity. Place a rechargeable battery inside the Febot and stick it on the outside of a window or wall, or any other outdoor surface, using the suction cap at the base of the unit. Read More
The drive in, drive out Touchless Car Cover
By Karen Sprey
21:48 February 19, 2009 PST
Keeping your just-washed-and-polished car looking good longer and protecting it from the elements is a problem faced by motoring enthusiasts the world over. Enter the Touchless Car Cover: a ‘drive in, drive out’ cover that takes less than a minute to set-up and helps protect your car from rain, sun, dirt and mildew without, as the name suggests, sitting directly on your paintwork like standard covers which tend to trap moisture. Read More
Digital Foci Photo Book: a portable, digital photo album
By Karen Sprey
20:04 February 19, 2009 PST
Digital Foci has released the Photo Book, a portable digital photo album in a leather-like case that lets you show off your photos and videos in a more elegant and versatile way compared with using a fiddly device like a mobile phone. The Photo Book has an 8-inch 800 x 600 LCD screen, 4GB internal memory, 2.5 hours of battery life and supports RAW format. Read More
Smart Lite CFL replaces the bulbs not the ballast
By Karen Sprey
21:42 February 17, 2009 PST
Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are a smaller version of their long established big brothers which, despite some drawbacks such as a small amount of mercury content, have gained serious ground in recent years as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional incandescent globes. CFLs reduce carbon emissions because they convert electricity into light more efficiently and also last up to ten times longer, but the globe still reaches its used by date long before the base (ballast) section that connects it to the power socket. 3E Technologies has identified this as another wasteful aspect of the process that could be eliminated and its solution is the Smart Lite - a two-piece CFL which allows the bulb to be removed from the ballast and replaced with a simple ‘insert and twist’ operation. Read More
Young inventor's solar-powered fridge changes lives in Africa
By Karen Sprey
17:31 February 16, 2009 PST
Solar powered devices aren’t new, but English student Emily Cummins has developed a way of using the sun’s power to help impoverished communities in Africa. Her eco-friendly, sustainable fridge is based on a simple principle: it uses the sun’s rays to evaporate water, which in turn keeps the contents cool. Read More
Atlantis Dubai: the luxury resort that's home to 65,000 marine animals
By Karen Sprey
00:48 February 16, 2009 PST
The recently-launched luxury Atlantis hotel rises towards the sky from the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah, but unlike it’s mysterious namesake, this Atlantis is unlikely to get ‘lost’. The ocean-and-aquatic themed resort is impressive, and not surprisingly everything about it is big - from the development price of US$1.5 billion to its size (it's spread over 46 hectares of reclaimed land) and its 1, 539 rooms. It also features a massive 17 hectares of water park activities and an 11 million liter marine habitat that is home to more than 65,000 marine animals. Read More
Sam Munro
- November 26, 2009 @ 08:08 UTC
