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Exclusive pics: Mavizen TTX02 electric superbike
18:17 November 10, 2009 PST
We've long argued that electric motorbikes make sense - low-emissions, quiet operation, instant torque and hardly any maintenance compared with their gas-guzzling cousins. The sluggish reaction of the established industry players to this e-revolution has created an opportunity for names like Brammo, Vectrix and Zero to try their hand, and now a brand that dares to put the words "electric" and "superbike" in the same sentence. Launched last week in Las Vegas, the 130+ mph, GBP25,000 Mavizen TTX02 is based around a KTM RC8 frame, ships with two Agni motors and boasts a hot-swappable battery and drivetrain architecture. Born from, and bred for, the world's first electric GP, the bike is a "laptop on wheels" that runs on the Linux OS, comes with with integrated IP connectivity and a USB based system bus for open source engine management, and although it's not being sold as a street legal machine, TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain says the package can still provide a pathway from the racetrack to the road. Read More
Ricoh GXR - the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera
By Paul Ridden
15:10 November 10, 2009 PST
After weeks of speculation and the accidental pre-announcement release of a demonstration video, the Ricoh GXR digital camera system has finally been officially announced. Not only is it claimed to be the smallest and lightest digital camera that allows lenses to be changed, but as the lens and sensor comprise one interchangeable unit, photographers can now choose different sensor/lens combinations for different photographic conditions. Read More
Hydrogen fuel cell buses trial set for China's streets
By Jeff Salton
00:56 November 10, 2009 PST
A team of researchers aims to educate people about the possibilities of hydrogen as a fuel by demonstrating the efficiency of fuel cells in two public transport buses that will operate in China’s North East. The University of Sunderland, UK, has joined forces with Shanghai’s Shen Li High Technology and local experts ComeSys Europe and AVID sustainable vehicles from Cramlington (Northumberland, England) to create ECO2Trans - the region’s first petrol-free passenger buses that will run on a fuel cell, battery and capacitor combination. Read More
Pureray ultraviolet baby bottle sterilization concept
By Jude Garvey
00:54 November 10, 2009 PST
There’s been a lot of focus over the years on the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles, which is understandable given that baby safety is foremost in parents’ minds. So what would a safety-conscious parent think of the Pureray ultraviolet baby bottle concept – a bottle with an inbuilt ultraviolet lamp that's supposed to kill nasty germs and bugs? Read More
'Fluid' the floating expo center - coming to a port near you?
By Jeff Salton
18:02 November 9, 2009 PST
A futuristic adaptable living building called “Fluid – Amphibian Pavilion” has been proposed by architects Peddle Thorp as an exhibition center for the World Expo 2012 to be held in Yeosu, Korea. Apart from its unique design, the building has a low impact on the environment because, when the Expo finishes, this floating exhibition space can be “unhooked” and sailed away to its next location. Read More
OpenOfficeMouse promises to be quite a handful
By Jeff Salton
17:49 November 9, 2009 PST
WarMouse is to release an 18-button mouse with an analog joystick which the company says supports up to 52 key commands. The OpenOfficeMouse, billed as the first multi-button application mouse designed for a wide variety of software applications, including Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and OpenOffice.org 3.1 (plus a few games), is intended to provide a faster and more efficient user interface for many common complex software applications than the conventional icons, pull-down menus and hotkeys. Read More
Ants inspire military strategy software
By Gizmag Team
17:45 November 9, 2009 PST
Ant colonies aren't called superorganisms for nothing. In some species, millions of individuals can act as a single entity to protect and feed the colony. This behavior has led to over 200 different species being called "Army Ants", so in a way it's no surprise that these mechanisms have been used for the basis of new software that helps troops to define the best path within a battle field. Read More
Paramount and Kingston to offer movies on a Flash drive
By Paul Ridden
15:40 November 9, 2009 PST
If you buy Kingston Flash memory in the near future you might just get a little more than a way to store your digital media. Paramount Digital Entertainment has teamed up with Kingston to offer full-length movies on Flash memory cards. Read More
The Labyrinth Aquarium - we're a bit lost
By Jude Garvey
15:36 November 9, 2009 PST
We’ve shown you the washbasin aquarium, a fish-n-flush toilet and some designer wall-mounted fish tanks. Now there's the Labyrinth Aquarium - a maze of interconnecting aquarium bowls with which to confuse your fishy friends and bemuse your human ones. Read More
Renault announces production sites for Z.E. electric cars
By Gizmag Team
23:35 November 8, 2009 PST
Renault's Zero Emissions (Z.E.) range really captured our attention at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show and now the company has confirmed plans to unleash two of the radically designed EVs onto the streets from 2011. Read More
Back in black - Olympus announces new E-P2 camera
By Alan Brandon
22:04 November 8, 2009 PST
Just six months after announcing its first digital PEN camera, the E-P1, Olympus has announced the second model in its Micro Four-Thirds family. The E-P2 offers several features including an accessory port, auto-focus tracking, and two new art filters. Read More
Baby Bjorn goes organic with its new baby gear
By Jude Garvey
21:38 November 8, 2009 PST
There are many ways to transport a baby these days - from baby slings to strollers and clever travel solutions. One baby carrier that has stood the test of time is the Baby Bjorn – a Swedish-designed, hands-free baby carrier that has been used for toting tots since 1973. The Baby Bjorn company has continued to move with the times by releasing a range of baby products made from organically-grown cotton. Read More
Cry Translator iPhone App tells you why your baby is crying
By Paul Lester
21:33 November 8, 2009 PST
Most new parents would agree that working out exactly why a baby is crying and coming up with the right solution can be extremely stressful, so why not turn to the wonderful world of technology to solve the problem? The Cry Translator is an iPhone application that translates a baby’s cries, categorizing them with one of five possible reasons: hungry, sleepy, annoyed, stressed or bored. Read More
Super Talent announces first USB 3.0 Flash Drive
By Paul Ridden
15:48 November 8, 2009 PST
USB 3.0 or SuperSpeed USB offers transfer speeds of up to ten times faster than the widely used Hi-Speed USB. Super Talent has announced the forthcoming availability of the first Flash drive to take advantage of these new speeds - the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAID Drive will be available in three capacity sizes and be backward compatible with earlier USB technologies. Read More
Research reveals the most reliable vehicles
By Gizmag Team
21:53 November 7, 2009 PST
A large percentage of the cars on the road, up to half in some countries, are owned and maintained by fleet management groups rather than individuals. In recent times we’ve seen a number of fleet management companies begin producing statistics on the reliability of their often massive fleets to better inform the public on the reliability of current vehicles. Now U.K. publication Fleet News has conducted research across a number of the major British fleets to produce a reliability survey across more than a million late model vehicles to reveal that the Honda Civic is the UK’s most reliable car and the Ford Transit the most reliable van. Honda snagged three of the top four most reliable cars but got beaten as the most reliable manufacturer. Read More
Spider webs hold the key to stronger bioadhesives
15:45 November 6, 2009 PST
Spiders are remarkable animals: with over 40,000 classified species, they are among the most diverse known to man and can adapt to the most radical climatic conditions. The silky substance they produce to spin webs has been extensively studied and is known to rival steel in strength: a less-known fact, however, is that the "glue" that holds it all together is just as remarkable, and could soon become the key to producing stronger bioadhesives to replace petroleum-based products. Read More
Learn to play harmonica in a Flash
By Paul Ridden
15:00 November 6, 2009 PST
A music teacher from Riverside Illinois has come up with a Flash drive design that's more novel than novelty. Possibly one of the most portable instrument around - the harmonica - and the most portable digital storage solution have been merged into one to produce the FlashHarp. Read More
Sanwa 12-port USB hub is the center of attention
By Darren Quick
00:41 November 6, 2009 PST
The incredible range of USB peripherals available and the shortage of free ports on many machines – particularly laptops – means that a USB hub is practically a necessity if you don’t want to waste precious time plugging and unplugging devices. Sanwa’s 12-port offering doesn’t quite match Brando’s effort in the number of ports, but is definitely the more eye-catching of the two when loaded up with devices. Its circular design might be OK for those rare occasions when you need a high tech table centerpiece, but will likely have cables running every which way on the desk when fully loaded. Read More
The lamp that runs on free electricity – from the phone socket
By Darren Quick
22:54 November 5, 2009 PST
If you’re looking to shave every last cent off your next electricity bill then this gooseneck lamp is for you. The lamp is so energy efficient its eight white LED lights are powered by the trickle of electricity flowing from a RJ11 socket – or garden-variety telephone socket. This means that, even if you’ve fallen behind on your electricity bill and the power has been cut off, you can still enjoy some late night reading. Read More
Boxster Spyder - 166mph Porsche roadster to debut in LA
By Gizmag Team
22:44 November 5, 2009 PST
Porsche will roll out a new incarnation of the Boxter Spyder at the Los Angeles auto show next month. The flagship mid-engined model is the lightest sporstcar in the company's range at 1,275kg and more powerful than the Boxster S, topping 235kW from its direct-injection 3.4-liter flat six-cylinder powerplant. All this adds up a hair-piece destroying top speed of 166mph (267kmh) with the roof open, making it Porsche's fastest Roadster. Read More
Long awaited satellite to monitor water cycle reaches orbit
By Darren Quick
22:43 November 5, 2009 PST
The 658kg (1,450 lb) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) this week is the first ever satellite designed both to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale. The unique radiometer it carries will enable passive surveying of the water cycle between oceans, the atmosphere and land thereby playing a key role in the monitoring of global climate change. Read More
Ford introduces inflatable seat belts
By Darren Quick
20:03 November 5, 2009 PST
Most seat belts are designed to stretch during a crash to reduce the force of impact on the wearer while still preventing contact with the interior of the vehicle. Ford has gone one step further with plans to introduce inflatable seat belts designed to reduce the pressure on the chest and help control head and neck motion in rear seat passengers, spreading the crash force across five times more of the occupant’s torso than conventional seat belts. Read More
Boat tail reduces truck fuel consumption by 7.5 percent
By Darren Quick
18:57 November 5, 2009 PST
European tests have shown that a boat tail – a tapering protrusion mounted on the rear of a truck – leads to fuel savings of 7.5 percent. The fuel savings, which also means a cut in emissions, were realized by the boat tail dramatically reducing the drag caused by the lower-pressure effect that occurs in the wake of a vehicle. Read More
The Tag Heuer Lamborghini phone handset
By Paul Lester
18:27 November 5, 2009 PST
If you're looking for value for money, a sports car-inspired designer mobile phone probably isn't the best place to start. Based on its Meridiist handset, Tag Heuer's latest model is inspired by the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640. We’ve no problem with admitting that it looks the business, but as is strangely typical of these sorts of overpriced phones, it seems to be seriously lacking on the practicality front. Read More
Dell Adamo XPS combines slender profile with smart design
By Gizmag Team
18:18 November 5, 2009 PST
Dell has bettered its wafer-thin Adamo laptop launched in March with the announcement of the 0.4-inch (9.99mm) thin Adamo XPS. Apart from the attention that the label of World's thinnest laptop brings, the XPS has some very appealing design qualities that are nothing to do with its slender profile or 3.2 pound weight. Rather than the conventional hinge, the full-size keyboard folds into the display in such a way that it's raised at the top when it's opened to provide enhanced cooling and there's also a capacitive touch latch mechanism which allows you to pop the unit open with the swipe of a finger. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
