Australia

Japanese solar car wins 2009 Global Green Challenge

By Noel McKeegan

00:28 October 28, 2009 PDT

Japan's Tokai Challenger solar vehicle has taken victory against a strong international field in the 2009 Global Green Challenge. After covering almost 1860 miles (3000km) in four days across Australia's baking red center, the entry from Japan's Tokai University crossed the finish line at 3.39pm local time. The team's run was nearly flawless, reporting only a single flat tire with just over 100 miles of the course to race and the win breaks a string of four consecutive victories by the Dutch Nuon team, which is currently battling it out for second place against University of Michigan Solar Car Team. Read More

Global Green Challenge kicks off later this month

By Alan Brandon

06:28 October 10, 2009 PDT

This month dozens of competitors will gather in Darwin, Australia, for the start of the Global Green Challenge. This 1860 mile (3000km) showcase of state-of-the-art transport technologies pits environmentally friendly vehicles against the heart of the Outback as they race south towards the finish line in Adelaide. The event has evolved from the famous World Solar Challenge and now includes two classes: one for solar-powered vehicles and an "Eco Challenge" for other types of electric, hybrid and alternative fuel production and experimental vehicles. Read More

The Finger Hinge prevents fingers being caught in the door

By Jude Garvey

11:20 October 8, 2009 PDT

Children and adults can suffer painful injuries, or even risk amputation, from getting their fingers caught between a door and the door jamb. A unique door-hinge design from an Australian inventor could prevent these injuries from occurring. The Finger Hinge is a full-length door hinge that completely eliminates the gap between the door and the wall and therefore removes any possibility of getting crushed fingers when the door is closing. 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

The coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth

By Darren Quick

01:30 September 1, 2009 PDT

When you’re planning your next holiday, a site known as Ridge A that sits 4,053m (2.5 miles) high up on the Antarctic Plateau, will probably be one of the first places to strike off the list. Although the research team that discovered it says it could be the calmest place on Earth, it is also thought to be the coldest and driest. A joint U.S.-Australian team pinpointed the site by combining data from satellites, ground stations and climate models in an attempt to find the best observatory site in the world by assessing the many factors that affect astronomy, such as cloud cover, temperature, sky-brightness, water vapor, wind speeds and atmospheric turbulence. Read More

To the Bat Cave ... for a unique home theater experience

By Jeff Salton

00:28 August 20, 2009 PDT

Ever wanted to say: “To the Bat Cave …” but felt a bit of joker uttering those words out loud? Well, riddle me this … how does a home entertainment enthusiast 'Down Under' in Melbourne, Australia, get away with saying it? Holy Bat Cave replica Batman, he built his own … sock, biff, pow! Read More

Mobile Exchange on Wheels to bolster telecommunications in disaster areas

By Jeff Salton

19:42 July 27, 2009 PDT

Devastating wildfires are burning around the Mediterranean this summer and down south, Australia is still recovering from its worst wildfire season in history in which more than 150 lives and 1800 homes were lost on ‘Black Saturday’. Telecommunications are paramount to helping save lives and direct fire-fighting efforts in wildfires but unfortunately, infrastructure such as mobile and fixed line phones and Internet services are often early casualties in fire ravaged areas. The country’s major telco, Telstra, has launched a portable solution to this issue with the unveiling of a AUD$200,000 Mobile Exchange on Wheels (MEOW) which can be quickly deployed to provide temporary fixed-line communications including broadband. Read More

Calling all cars – futuristic cop cruiser takes to LA streets

By Darren Quick

21:41 July 7, 2009 PDT

A new vehicle billed as the most technologically advanced police car in the world is due to begin testing in the US. Based on the Australian-built Holden Commodore, which were rebadged as Pontiac G8s in the US, the car aims to turn a standard vehicle into a ‘virtual office’ for emergency services personnel. It replaces the cluttered, cockpit-style gadgets that abound in current police cars with a large single touchscreen display embedded in the passenger dash and throws in some Bond style crime fighting gear like an air gun that fires a laser guided GPS tracking device onto fleeing vehicles. Read More

Pixel building aims to be world's first carbon neutral office development

By Paul Best

23:57 May 3, 2009 PDT

Australian developer Grocon plans to build the country’s first carbon neutral office building on a former brewery site in the city of Melbourne – and possibly the first of its kind in the world. According to the developer, the $6 million, four-storey building has been designed to generate more energy on the site than it uses, offsetting the carbon emissions produced to operate it – and, in time, the greenhouse gases generated in making and installing the construction materials. Read More

Today on The Mobiler

By Tim Hanlon

05:32 April 6, 2009 PDT

Over at The Mobiler today we've covered an OS X app called DemoGod, which displays a feed of your iPhone screen on your desktop, next-gen iPhone rumors regarding 802.11n support and a 3.2 megapixel camera, tentative HTC Touch Pro2 and Blade Sidekick release dates from a leaked T-Mobile roadmap, Deutsche Telekom trying to stop Skype for iPhone, code names and specs of three upcoming BlackBerry devices, T-Mobile planning several Android-based devices including a home phone, Vodafone Australia getting into a spin over their iPhone plans, and Cell Phone Recycling Week which kicks off today. Read More

LG's 2009 Audio/Visual range: connectivity, convergence and clean, clear interfaces

By Loz Blain

23:16 April 2, 2009 PDT

LG's latest Audio/Visual offerings are moving down the path of connectivity and convergence, and delivering some very nice user interfaces. LG's new "Technology Design Centre" made its debut at the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix on the weekend where the Korean company introduced its PS80 big-screen plasma "Time Machine" TV, with built-in hard drive and digital video recording, its YouTube-capable super-fast BD370 Blu-ray player, its HB954WA 1000w home theatre 5.1 system, tuned by Mark Levinson and featuring wireless rear speakers, and the LH50, an ultra-quick 200hz LED-backlit LCD TV that intelligently adjusts picture controls according to the ambient light conditions in the room. Read More

Kogan launches 10-inch Agora netbook series in Australia

By Tim Hanlon

23:32 March 16, 2009 PDT

Kogan Technologies today launched the Agora netbook series, featuring the Agora and the Agora Pro. The 1.6GHz Atom based netbooks are the cheapest available in Australia, starting at AUD$499. Both models come preloaded with the gOS operating system, a variant of Ubuntu Linux, but in an interesting move, Kogan's support team is offering to guide customers through the process of installing other supported operating systems including Windows XP and Windows 7. Read More

Kogan announces Kevin37 HDTV to coincide with economic stimulus package

By Tim Hanlon

17:15 March 4, 2009 PST

Like many governments around the world, Australia's leaders are pouring taxpayer dollars into the economy via stimulus packages designed to counter the effects of the global economic downturn. In Australia, this translates to tax-free payments of AUD$900 destined for the bank accounts of those who earned under AUD$100,000 in the 07-08 financial year. The idea is for consumers to spend the money, and Kogan has cleverly capitalized on what's been dubbed the "flat-screen TV bonus" with the announcement of their "High Definition Stimulus" - a $900, 37-inch 720p HDTV called "Kevin37". Read More

Internode offers 100 Mbps fiber to the home

By Darren Quick

13:42 February 26, 2009 PST

When it comes to the Internet there is no such thing as too fast, and while Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology is becoming more and more popular internationally with stats showing more than 13 million FTTH-connected homes in Japan, six million in the US, a similar number in China and nearly two million FTTH subscribers in Europe, it's only just reaching countries with lower population densities like Australia. Read More

Flexible Thin Film Solar Cells to be printed like money

By Paul Evans

20:37 February 23, 2009 PST

Scientists developing flexible, large area, cost-effective, reel-to-reel printable plastic solar cells have announced that trials have commenced which promise a new era of solar cells that are printed like money. These printable solar cells offer advantages over traditional solar technology because of the potential to mass produce the cells cheaply using polymer printing technology, a process which has already been used in banknotes in more than 20 countries. Read More

Outback Australian town to run on solar power 24 hours a day

By Paul Evans

17:32 February 22, 2009 PST

If ever there was a perfect candidate for solar power, the north-west Australian town of Cloncurry is it. The town has long claimed the title of Australia's hottest recorded day - 53 degrees Celsius in the shade in 1889 - and is now is gearing up to produce solar thermal power capable of supplying all of ts electricity needs, 24-hours a day. The system will use up to 8000 mirrors will reflect sunlight onto graphite blocks through which water will be pumped to generate steam that will operate a conventional steam turbine electricity generator. Because heat stays in the graphite, the system will work through the night and on overcast days. Read More

Australian telco declares world record network speed of 21Mbps

By Darren Quick

01:12 February 17, 2009 PST

Australia’s Telstra was tooting its horn last night at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with news its Telstra Next G network was declared the world’s fastest national mobile broadband network by the Guinness World Records with speeds of 21Mbps. Read More

Scientists developing spray-on solar panels

By Paul Evans

18:24 February 6, 2009 PST

Researchers in Australia have started a three-year project to develop a spray-on coating for solar panels and more efficient cells that are less costly than today's PV. Australian National University (ANU) is working with new Australian solar company Spark Solar and Finnish materials company Braggone Oy on the method, which could be commercially available by 2011. Read More

Coaxial Rotor System: the future of helicopter design?

By Darren Quick

03:03 October 28, 2008 PDT

Helicopters featuring coaxial rotor designs are not exactly new. The co-axial design of a pair of rotors mounted on the same mast and with the same axis of rotation, but turning in different directions, has been utilized on a number of military helicopters for around half a century, most notably those produced by the Russian Kamov helicopter design bureau. The coaxial design offers a number of advantages over the traditional helicopter designs, which makes it difficult to understand why we haven’t seen co-axial rotor designs taking to the skies for civilian uses. Now Australian based Wieland Helicopter Technologies (WHT) is hoping to change that by designing and manufacturing a range of new coaxial rotor system small format helicopters for commercial markets. Read More

Sushi that you sit on

By Emily Clark

21:32 October 23, 2008 PDT

SUSHI is a multifunctional furniture design that doubles as both a sofa and a stool from Australian University student Winaya Suwarnaga Kamaputri. The elegantly simple and ergonomic concept uses a high gloss finished fiber glass base with fine fabric upholstery and its unique pattern was created using a laser cutting technique. Read More

SharePort enables D-Link customers to share USB devices over their wireless networks

By Kate Seamer

19:49 October 6, 2008 PDT

D-link have provided a firmware upgrade to enable printer and hard drive sharing from the USB port on their Xtreme N family of routers. This new USB over TCP/IP technology is called SharePort, and is available for the DIR-628, DIR-655, DIR-825, DIR-855 and DGL-4500 models. Read More

Smart Lid a winner at packaging awards

By Emily Clark

00:38 May 15, 2008 PDT

In 2005 Gizmag reported on an innovative way to warn caffeine-addicts when their coffee too hot to drink, by changing the color of the takeaway cup lid. The Smart Lid has now been awarded ‘Best of Show’ at the AmeriStar Award hosted by the Institute of Packaging Professionals. Read More

Designer Wellies: fashion meets function for the farm or play time

By Emily Clark

16:14 January 3, 2008 PST

January 4, 2007 Most commonly women’s footwear falls into two categories – fashionable or functional – with precious little overlap. In the spirit of modern fashion, Rosie Roo from Australia is bringing a change to functional women’s wet weather footwear with their spunky new wellies/gumboots/galoshes (depending on what part of the world you’re from). Read More

Wee Target zeros-in on toilet training

By Jude Garvey

17:00 January 2, 2008 PST

January 3, 2007 Desperate parents resort to any number of incentives to encourage their kid to “use the potty”- special underpants, reward charts and for parents of boys, even floating toys in the toilet bowl for target practice! Inventor Joanna Haymes, a mother of three boys, took the latter idea further and developed the “Wee Target”. Inspired by heat sensitive ink on a packet of batteries and driven to help her boys aim in the right direction, she designed a “target”- a black circle made of heat sensitive ink which is fixed temporarily inside the toilet bowl. When the target is hit by urine, the circle fades and a surprise picture appears. Read More

The V-Rex dreambike - they built it

By Mike Hanlon

March 4, 2007 This is a story of two men, one a dreamer, and the other a mechanical genius, from opposite sides of the globe joining forces to bring something new and astounding to the streets of America. It starts back in December of 2003, in Sydney, Australia when 3D designer Tim Cameron sketched a cruiser motorcycle on a scrap of paper. A pure flight of fancy, Cameron drew out an aggressively poised, extreme, low- riding design. As an out-of-hours project, using his 3D computer modelling skills, Cameron began to build what he called his ‘dream bike’ in the only place he thought it could ever exist, the self-contained virtual 3D world inside his computer. He spent 2 months ‘building’ the design in 3D down to the bolt heads, in a type of program normally used for Hollywood-type special effects, to create photo-realistic images of the bike so convincing that the average person would be hard pressed to pick them from the real thing. These images attracted the interest of an Australian custom bike magazine, Ozbike, and became the basis for an 8-page cover story. This story in turn generated interest internationally and the images went on to be published by leading motorcycle magazines in 10 different countries around the world. This all by itself was a satisfying result for Cameron, but pales considerably in comparison with what was about to happen next! Read More