Electronics

Recently in Japan, Epson showed off its new head-mounted display, the Moverio - billed as world's first transparent video eyewear. Users wearing the Moverio can see images displayed on a background of the real world, which could be particularly useful when using the glasses in public spaces, such as trains or planes. Read More

Detecting explosives is a vital task both on the battlefield and off, but it requires equipment that, if sensitive enough to detect explosives traces in small quantities, is often expensive, delicate and difficult to construct. Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute have developed a method of manufacturing highly sensitive explosives detectors incorporating RF components using Ink-jet printers. This holds the promise of producing large numbers of detectors at lower cost using local resources. Read More

London-based Bodymetrics and 3D machine vision company PrimeSense have developed a full 3D body scanner that is designed to make finding the perfect pair of jeans a whole lot easier. Its "Body Mapping" platform uses eight PrimeSense 3D sensors to take all of a client's necessary measurements and map their body shape. This data is then accessed by retailers, to find the clothes which best fit that client. Initially the scanner is going to be used by Bodymetrics "Fit Stylists" to suggest the best-fitting jeans for female customers. The next step is to revolutionize the online clothing retail market. Read More

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has developed a highly flexible electronic paper that's both re-writable and re-usable, and like the Boogie Board electronic memo pads, the technology doesn't need electricity to retain the screen image. The institute is currently in licensing talks with manufacturers at home and in the U.S., and has taken first prize in the Materials and Basic Science and Technology category of the Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Awards. Read More

Since its discovery in 2004, the two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms known as graphene has promised to revolutionize materials science, enabling flexible, transparent touch displays, lighter aircraft, cheaper batteries and faster, smaller electronic devices. Now in what could be a key step towards replacing silicon chips in computers, researchers at the University of Manchester have sandwiched two sheets of graphene with another two-dimensional material, boron nitride, to create what they have dubbed a graphene "Big Mac". Read More

For those of us with iPhones, there are currently various apps that allow us to receive internet radio on our devices, but ... what if you’re one of those people who usually only listens to the radio while you’re driving? If your car has an auxiliary-in jack, of course, you can just run your phone into that. For the many cars that lack such a feature, however, now there’s Livio Radio’s Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit. Acting as a bridge between your iPhone and your automobile, it wirelessly receives an internet radio signal from your phone, then relays it onto the FM receiver of your car stereo. Read More

Kodak has expanded its pocket camcorder lineup with the announcement of the water-, dust- and shock-resistant cousin of the Playfull camera, the Kodak Playfull Waterproof Camera. Coming with a lower price tag than the Kodak Playsport actioncams, the new arrival can be immersed to a maximum depth of 10 feet (3 m) for up to two hours and records videos in 720p (1280 x 720) resolution. Read More

Perhaps you’ve encountered a travel scenario like this before ... you arrive at your hotel room and go to plug in your mobile phone, only to discover that the bedside lamp and clock radio are already occupying both plug-ins of the most conveniently-located AC wall outlet. While there might be room on another outlet, it could involve your having to squeeze in behind the TV, or leaving your phone someplace where you might forget it. If you had a Flipit USB charger, however, you could draw power from that first outlet, while still leaving the light and the radio plugged in. Read More

With sizes typically measured in micrometers, Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are already being used in applications such as super-accurate sensors, energy-harvesting devices, and electronic signal amplifiers. Given how difficult it would be to replace such systems' moving parts as they wear out, it would be ideal if those parts could be made from as hard a material as possible. Well, while most MEMS are presently made chiefly of silicon, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are now on their way to making them from diamonds. Read More