Top Stories

Can’t decide between a laptop and a tablet? According to the folks at Lenovo, you soon won’t have to. On the eve of CES 2011 at a press event in Las Vegas, company reps were on hand to present the updated and ready-for-sale IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, which combines a Windows-running laptop with an Android 2.2-running LePad tablet. In laptop mode, the LePad serves as the screen for the laptop. If you want to do some tablet computing, however, you just pull the LePad off and use it on its own. We reported on a previous incarnation of the system a year ago, but this time we got the chance to see it up close and personal.  Read More

If you’re looking for a car that doesn’t mind getting its feet wet then you might want to head over to eBay before January 13 where this one-of-a-kind amphibious vehicle is up for sale. The Dobbertin HydroCar was designed and built by Rick Dobbertin and changes shape at the flip of a switch, transforming from land mode to water mode in a matter of seconds. Although Dobbertin says his HydroCar is fully functional, it hasn’t been fully tested, so he recommends the vehicle as more of a collector car rather than a daily driver.  Read More

Gizmag is no stranger to USB storage innovations from LaCie so we took the opportunity to have a closer look at the company's FastKey drive on display at CES. The combination of USB 3.0 and SSD technology in a palm-sized form factor is claimed to result in a drive that can transfer small files up to 100 times faster than a hard disk drive connected via Hi-Speed USB.  Read More

If there’s one thing that’s bound to be prominent at CES 2011, it’s tablet devices. ASUS is getting the ball rolling with four new tablets – each of which offers something different for users. The 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO is designed for taking handwritten notes with its included stylus, the 10.1-inch Eee Pad Transformer offers the capabilities of a fully-fledged notebook thanks to an optional docking station, while the Eee Slate EP121 is a 12.1-inch tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 dual-core processor. However, it is the 10.1-inch Eee Pad Slider that really stands out with the inclusion of a unique full QWERTY sliding keyboard design.  Read More

Since its launch in 2007, Bombardier Recreational Products’ (BRP) Can-Am Spyder roadster has carved a unique place for itself with its distinctive Y-architecture – two wheels in the front and one in the back – which gives the vehicle the open-air exhilaration of a motorbike combined with the stability of a four-wheeled vehicle. We were duly impressed by our first test ride on the three-wheeler back in 2008, but now a new take on the Spyder is on the horizon. As part of the Canadian government’s efforts to boost that country’s automotive research and development, a project is underway to develop a hybrid version which aims to equal the performance of the current Rotax 998cc V-Twin powered model.  Read More

With the NAIAS 2011 in Detroit less than a week away various automakers are looking to get in first with numerous pre-show announcements continuing to trickle in. Ford has decided to beat them all to the punch by taking the unusual step of unveiling its new all-electric Focus at CES 2011, rather than the seemingly more appropriate NAIAS only days later.  Read More

Earlier this year Sauter Carbon Offset Design unveiled its Super Nova 60 megayacht – a design which harnesses energy from a variety of sustainable sources including solar, wind and waves to produce "the world’s first carbon neutral megayacht." Now the company has gone one step further with plans for its Ocean Empire Life Support Vessel (LSV). This 144-foot Catamaran design adds hydroponic farming to its array of sustainable technologies making it, according to the designers, the world’s first totally self-sufficient zero carbon LSV ... meaning it could theoretically stay at sea indefinitely.  Read More

This one-size-fits-all packaging concept delivers an efficient way to send an item by reducing bulk and cost while keeping your goods safe from bumps and scrapes in transit. The clever Universal Packaging System (UPACKS) system – not be confused with UPS (United Parcel Service) – from designer Patrick Sung uses perforated sheets made from recyclable corrugated cardboard that can snugly pack almost any shaped item, whilst reducing the need to pad-out empty spaces.  Read More

While greenhouses allow certain crops to be grown throughout the year, excess temperature, solar radiation and high vapor pressure deficit can cause problems during the summer months. With conventional solutions, such as shade screens, often being labor intensive and reducing the quality of light within the growing space, Canadian company Sunarc has a developed a new liquid foam shading system that mimics cloud cover to automatically shade greenhouses. As the liquid foam filters the sunlight, it reduces solar radiation and controls temperature, but doesn’t deprive the plants of vital light spectra they require for photosynthesis.  Read More