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Good Thinking
Nemorelax targets personal tranquility amid airport mayhem
22:46 February 4, 2008 PST
February 5, 2008 Finding a quiet space to de-stress, phone home, check emails or catch a quick, comfortable nap in the middle of a busy airport is a challenge that's nigh-on impossible at the best of times. While airport lounges offer some comfort to the weary traveler, the Nemorelaxer aims to take this to a whole new level by providing a fully-connected personal oasis where users can watch films, access wi-fi Internet, make calls, listen to music or just recline for a well earned nap without fear of interruption. The staffed service, to be sold in 30 minute time-blocks, also incorporates wake–up calls, a luggage lock-up facility and the free loan of a laptop. Read More
Datamatic demonstrate Remote Shutoff Valve system for water utilities
21:25 January 23, 2008 PST
January 24, 2008 Water utility companies waste significant labor resources each year as staff try to overcome irate customers, vicious canines and difficult to access properties in an effort to disconnect or reconnect water services. Datamatic Ltd. has developed a solution to this problem in the form of its radio-frequency operated RSV™ Remote Shutoff Valve - a system that by-passes the need for physical access to properties, thereby reducing field service costs and preventing theft from inactive services. Read More
Loc8tor ‘Lite’ makes losing your keys a thing of the past
By Darren Quick
23:40 January 22, 2008 PST
January 23, 2008 Loc8tor Ltd has released a new addition to its personal homing device range. Significantly smaller and lighter than previous models, the credit card sized Loc8tor Lite helps to find any lost or mislaid possessions and fits easily into a wallet or purse. Dubbed the Loc8tor Lite, the 6mm thick device, uses active RFID technology to guide users to within an inch of any tagged item using audio and visual cues to point users in the right direction. The unit can help locate lost possessions that are within 400ft (122 meters). Read More
Communications “Gizmo” to aid emergency response
By Jude Garvey
17:46 December 18, 2007 PST
December 19, 2007 It may look like just another remote-controlled toy truck, but this "Gizmo" has the potential to save lives in disaster response situations. Javier Rodriguez Molina, a 24 year old electrical engineering graduate student and programmer analyst at the UC San Diego's California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), is designing an advanced mobile, wireless communications machine that can venture into environments too dangerous for humans and collect and transmit critical information to emergency personnel. It is hoped that the design platform - which is will not be limited to its current toy-truck guise - can provide real-time assistance in emergency situations such as terrorist attacks, building collapses or hurricanes. Read More
The Top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas
By Emily Clark
22:04 December 16, 2007 PST
December 17, 2007 Earlier this month we brought you a list of the most desirable items that will almost certainly not appear under the tree this year. Now with the final rush towards the holiday season upon us, here's our pick of
standout products that are more likely to be within reach of the average consumer and - if you're lucky - just might show up in your stocking. So, chosen by virtue of their technological prowess, style , sheer inventiveness or simply because they promise heaps of fun, here's Gizmag's selection of the top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas in 2008. Read More
Pedal-powered supercomputer: MIT Cycling team sets new record
By Emily Clark
18:07 December 14, 2007 PST
December 15, 2007 Cyclists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have set a new world record in Human Powered Computation (HPC). The team of 10 used bicycles to power a SiCortex SC648 supercomputer drawing 1.2 kilowatts of electricity, riding non-stop for 20 minutes to achieve the feat of the largest HPC in history. Read More
The Top 10 things you CAN'T have for Christmas
16:18 November 29, 2007 PST
The holiday season is fast approaching, meaning it's time to start racking your brain for the ideal gift for that someone special. If this sounds like you, we're afraid the following selection will be of no help whatsoever, unless of course you have remarkably deep-pockets... and in some instances, even that wont help. The team at Gizmag has scoured the archives to assemble a list of the ten most desirable luxury items that you wont find under the tree... from million dollar laptops to ultra-exclusive supercars and outlandish personal aircraft. So forget the Christmas list for a moment and check out our pick of the ultimate in what high-end technology has to offer. Read More
Solar powered road studs offer 10-fold visibility improvement
17:16 November 20, 2007 PST
November 21, 2007 As drivers we tend to ignore "cat's eyes" until we strike inclement weather or unfamiliar roads at night, at which point their safety value in showing us the road ahead comes very much to the fore. Standard reflective road studs rely on illumination from the headlight beams of the approaching vehicle and are effective to a distance of up to 90 meters, a situation that is being greatly improved by the application of solar power to the create stand-alone, self-powered illumination devices. The latest generation of solar road studs has just been announced by pioneering British company Astucia - the SolarLite™ “smart” road stud uses stored solar power to run built-in Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), providing an effective guide for drivers at up to a distance of 900 meters and extending reaction times from 3.2 to over 30 seconds when driving at 60mph. Read More
CFX: tiny compressed-air foam firefighting system
By Loz Blain
02:20 November 2, 2007 PDT
November 2, 2007 This simple but revolutionary firefighting system features what its inventor claims is the smallest, lightest and most inexpensive Compressed Air Foam System on the market. Mounted on a small utility vehicle, the CFX system can get firefighting foam into restricted and difficult areas a firetruck can’t reach. Read More
New technology helping the blind to “see” images
By Emily Clark
20:04 October 30, 2007 PDT
October 31, 2007 A recently completed licensing agreement for two new technologies may help bring affordable graphic reading systems for the blind and visually impaired to market. The two systems bring electronic images to life in the same way that Braille makes words readable. Read More
Wine bottle USB key opens the door to the château
By Emily Clark
22:36 October 28, 2007 PDT
October 29, 2007 If sniffing, swirling and sipping isn’t enough to cure your craving for wine, perhaps this novel new USB key is. Loaded with information about the Grand Cru Classé winery in Bordeaux, the USB key comes in the shape of a bottle of the vineyard’s Pontet-Canet. Read More
CEO IQ’s rCard now available
19:01 October 27, 2007 PDT
October 28, 2007 Gizmag first encountered the rCard – a device about the size of a business card with an interactive screen that displays text, graphics, photos, and slide shows – back in late 2005, and now this novel new technology that lends itself to countless business applications is hitting the market at a cost of around USD$40. Read More
TV remote and hands-free phone combo to aid vision impaired
By Emily Clark
22:01 October 24, 2007 PDT
A decline in her mother’s eyesight was the catalyst for Catherine Crichton to turn her hand to inventing and as result, the TeleMax® III was born - a universal TV remote control and hands free phone for people with vision impairment or disabilities. Read More
World-first technology combines payment card and authentication in a single device
00:43 October 24, 2007 PDT
October 24, 2007 A next-generation credit card that incorporates a 12-button keyboard, a microprocessor and an embedded alphanumeric display promises to provide unprecedented security in phone and online banking transactions. Read More
Sky Garage: off-street parking for the upwardly mobile
By Emily Clark
20:40 October 22, 2007 PDT
October 23, 2007 Parking is the cause of much stress in any major city around the world and New York is definitely no exception. The tiny island of Manhattan has a land area of just 22.96 square miles (59.47 km²) but is home to more than 1.5 million people. With limited space and residents needing somewhere to park their cars, one property developer is planning to take to the sky to accommodate residents. Read More
HTI's revolutionary forward osmosis filtration system
By Darren Quick
22:17 October 14, 2007 PDT
October 15, 2007 On any given day, over one billion people lack access to clean drinking water and over 50% of hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from water-borne diseases. In the face of these facts it is clear that any technological innovation that can help combat this problem is a worthy one, with water filtration systems such as the LifeStraw and the LIFESAVER bottle having recently grabbed our attention. Now new technology developed by Hydration Technologies (HTI) has become available that allows the user to create a safe, clean diluted sports drink from any contaminated (even sewage-like) groundwater source without the use of power, pumping or chemicals. Read More
Revolution Money offers online payment alternative
By Emily Clark
22:07 October 11, 2007 PDT
October 12, 2007 Online shopping has become a way of life for many consumers with 39 per cent of adults in the US reportedly making a monthly purchase online according to a study from icrossing. With the advancements in technology has come increased security risks and fees, opening up a market for new approaches to online financial transactions. One of the newest players in this field is Revolution Money - a company founded by the co-creator of the AOL Internet service, Steve Case, that claims to have developed a better way of managing money in cyberspace. Read More
Gunshot location system boosts city surveillance
By Kyle Sherer
17:10 October 11, 2007 PDT
October 12, 2007 When battling gun related crime, police are often faced with the problem of being unable to pinpoint the direction or proximity of overheard gunfire. In order to combat this issue over a wide area, the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System uses acoustical triangulation to accurately detect incidences of gunfire and combines this with an integrated camera network to provide law enforcement with instant situation reports. After its celebrated role in capturing the Columbus sniper of 2003/2004, 20 major US cities, most recently Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have adopted the ShotSpotter GLS as a tool to combat gun related crime and as a deterrent against future crimes. Read More
Micro-adjustable Branie sports belt
By Emily Clark
20:32 October 4, 2007 PDT
October 5, 2007 Designed for outdoor sports and sailing, the Branie belt features a ratcheted closure system similar to that used on ski boots which allows adjustments in micro increments of 2 millimeters. The durable belt is also 100% waterproof and recyclable, making it a practical and eco-friendly option. Read More
Visa Micro Tag contactless payment device
By Emily Clark
18:09 October 4, 2007 PDT
October 5, 2007 Designed to allow customers to make small purchases without swiping, signing or PINs, the keychain-sized Micro Tag is Visa's smallest payment device to-date. To be issued as a companion device to existing credit, debit and prepaid cards, the Micro Tag enables payment by waving the device in front of a contactless payment terminal. Read More
World’s largest outdoor ads to target airline passengers
By Emily Clark
18:01 September 26, 2007 PDT
September 27, 2007 Fledgling company Ad-Air has announced plans to target airline passengers with enormous flight path ads at the world’s busiest airports. The first of its kind project will see digitally printed ad skins of 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) – that twice the size of London’s Trafalgar Square – placed within view of window seat passengers. Read More
Inkless magic: the pen that never runs out
By Emily Clark
20:27 September 20, 2007 PDT
September 21, 2007 While most pen designs are getting more complex, this inkless metal pen takes inspiration from the past for its simple design and functionality. Though not likely to usurp the ballpoint, the novel pen made from stainless steel contains no ink yet is able to write on any most types of paper without ever needing a refill. Read More
Satellite imagery used for sales lead generation
By Emily Clark
23:21 September 19, 2007 PDT
September 20, 2007 Part of the fascination with emerging technologies is wondering just where they will take us, and when the application of new ideas is given a dose of lateral thinking the results are often surprising. This new service from Geosemble is a case in point. Making traditional telemarketing look about as sophisticated as two tin cans with string, GeoPrism is the first sales lead generation service using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to automatically generate sales leads based on satellite imagery (think Google Earth). Read More
Lifesaver: all-in-one water filtration bottle removes pathogens without the use of chemicals
21:09 September 18, 2007 PDT
September 19, 2007 Estimates put the number of people without access to safe drinking water at a staggering one billion, and with thousands – most of them children - dying daily from the risks associated with waterborne disease there is no doubting the significance of this new all-in one ultra filtration water bottle. The LIFESAVER bottle is a World first breakthrough for access to clean drinking water that removes waterborne pathogens without the use of expensive overheads or chemicals. The device has huge potential to save lives in humanitarian and disaster relief operations as well in military situations where its pressurized system also allows it to be used as a sterile wound wash. Read More
Don’t wash your dishes…recycle them!
By Emily Clark
22:45 September 12, 2007 PDT
September 13, 2007 This household appliance concept from the ever-ingenious researchers at MIT would inevitably put a stop to a lot of after dinner arguments were it ever to make it to market. The DishMaker concept would enable users to create dishes on demand and then recycle them after use. No washing, no storage. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
