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Say you were the third generation of a farming family in the southwest of Scotland, and you intended to build a new farmhouse that made a statement about resource consumption. Building an environmentally conscious house in this climate requires insulation up to the ears. Now let's say this was a sheep farm you were running … well, you would, wouldn't you?  Read More

The nuplug surge protected extension cord offers two outlets and two USB ports, but what makes this device interesting is its ability to attach to beds, couches, workbenches and other convenient locations around the home.  Read More

In the unpleasantness stakes, dropping your smartphone in a bucket or water is right up there with bread landing butter-side down – only much more expensive. Sony has unveiled its Xperia ZR that, if it lives up to expectations, will mean you’ll not only be able to drop it in the pond, but take high-definition videos while doing so.  Read More

Due to their relative faintness compared to their parent stars, most known exoplanets have been discovered using indirect detection methods – that is, detecting the effects they have rather than observing them directly. There are numerous indirect methods that have proven useful in the detection of exoplanets and now yet another, which relies on Einstein’s special theory of relativity, has joined the list with the discovery of an exoplanet known as Kepler-76b.  Read More

Naval aviation history was made today, as an autonomous unmanned aircraft took off from a US Navy nuclear aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia. The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) took to the air from the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and is part of a program to develop carrier-based unmanned combat aircraft capable of carrying out missions according to pre-programmed instructions rather than being under constant control by a ground-based pilot.  Read More

3D printers continue to hit the mainstream as more accessible models are released at lower prices, some even landing in major retail chains. The MakiBox may currently hold the crown for cheapest 3D printer on the market, but Pirate3D's new desktop box could provide similar quality and affordability with much less hassle. The company's flagship printer, the Buccaneer, will come fully assembled out of the box with a price tag of only US$347.  Read More

California-based engineer Faizal Ali was riding his motorcycle on a San Diego freeway one day and downshifted in order to slow for an exit. Because he didn’t actually apply the brakes, however, his brake light didn’t come on. As a result, the following car almost ran into him. That experience prompted him to partner with Jesse Szynal and designer Fausin Mdisa to create Vololights – it’s a rear lighting system that activates no matter what method the rider is using to decelerate.  Read More

After one hundred and forty-four days, 2,336 orbits of the Earth, and hundreds upon hundreds of posts to Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, Commander Chris Hadfield has returned from the International Space Station a household name – arguably space travel's first since the Apollo Moon landings. Gizmag takes a look back at Hadfield's 5-month mission to see how and why Hadfield inspired millions.  Read More

Man has made many attempts at bringing the smooth, Mother Nature-powered flow of surfing to dry land. The ARIS Blade Runner and SurfSkate are two of the attempts that have come to our attention most recently, but there are plenty of others. The big sticking point is that you just can't magically transform hot, cracked asphalt into cool, smooth ocean breaks. But you can ride that asphalt with an actual surfboard, as the Waveskate demonstrates beyond the shadow of all doubt.  Read More