January 2014 ~ NEW GEN TECH LIFE : new generation technology news

Friday 31 January 2014

New and Emerging Technology News part 133

The Northwestern filter changes color when full of carbon dioxide, then changes back after...
As concerns continue to rise over man-made carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, various groups of scientists have begun developing filters that could remove some or all of the CO2 content from smokestack emissions. Many of these sponge-like filters incorporate porous crystals known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Unfortunately, most MOFs are derived from crude oil, plus some of them contain toxic heavy metals. Researchers from Illinois’ Northwestern University, however, recently announced that their nontoxic MOF sponge – made from sugar, salt and alcohol – is fully capable of capturing and storing CO2. As an added bonus, should you be really hungry, you can eat the thing.  Read More
Samsung has revealed its first smartphone to run Windows Phone 7.5 (a.k.a. Mango), in the ...
Samsung has revealed its first smartphone to run Windows Phone 7.5 (a.k.a. Mango), in the form of the Omnia W. Powered by a 1.4GHz CPU, the Omnia W boasts a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Super AMOLED display and will likely compete with the recently announced Mango-based HTC Radar.  Read More
EV charging network developer 350Green has announced that it will be adding 400 new Charge...
While it still may be some time before all American EV drivers can expect to find charging stations located close to wherever they’re going, things are at least heading more and more in that direction. Late last week, charging network developer 350Green announced that it will be adding 400 new stations to its existing U.S. network, as part of a plan to bring the total number up to 1,000.  Read More
SWYP's touchscreen interface allows users to load an image or document, crop or rotate it,...
With a view to promoting innovation in the desktop printers industry, Artefact design studio has unveiled its See What You Print (or SWYP) concept printer, operated via a touchscreen interface. SWYP aims to simplify and accelerate the task of printing by combining features of simple photo editing and immediate printing in one unit, which enables users to see exactly what the printed page will look like.  Read More
Honda announces next generation motorcycle engines with outstanding fuel economy and useab...
In a raft of announcements, Honda has developed a highly fuel-efficient, very torquey 700cc twin cylinder engine with a second-generation Dual Clutch Transmission which it will show in three different motorcycle designs at the EICMA 2011 International Motorcycle Exhibition in November in Milan, Italy. The motor will also be paired with a manual six-speed transmission in at least one of those bikes and as it delivers better than 3.7 l/100km and its motor is designed for on-road usability, it is almost certainly the first bike designed for western markets to take advantage of the world's coming gas crisis. Also on display will be Honda's new 125 engine which will be used in its 125cc scooters around the world starting next year and contains an idle-stop system and delivers 25% better fuel economy than current generation scooter engines. Both the 700cc and 125cc engines contain considerable technological wizardry to achieve their goals.  Read More
Conceptual image of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration that is designed to incre...
Since the dawn of the space age, NASA has been relying on radio communications technology to send and receive data to and from spacecraft. Although it has developed higher data-rate radio frequency systems, data-compression, and other techniques to boost the amount of data that its current RF systems can handle, they can't keep pace with the projected data needs of advanced instruments and further human exploration. To break this bottleneck, NASA is turning to optical communications technology that would use lasers to increase data rates over existing systems by anywhere from 10 to 100 times.  Read More
Takeo Kikuchi (left), All Nippon Airways' general manager for its Seattle office, shakes h...
Contracts have been signed, funds have been transferred and flight testing is complete. All is in readiness for the hand-over of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner destined for commercial use. Boeing will mark the occasion with a delivery ceremony at its 787 factory in Everett, Washington, this morning before launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) flies its newest acquisition to Tokyo on Tuesday at 6:35 a.m.  Read More
Rimac Concept_One
The all new Concept_One EV we previewed ahead of this month's Frankfurt Motor Show has been revealed. The brainchild of 23-year-old Croatian automotive designer Mate Rimac, the Concept_One backs its sleek design with a cracking spec sheet - 1088 hp, 3,800 Nm of torque, 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds, a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and a 370 mile range (600 km). If those figures translate to the limited-edition production model due in 2013, Concept_One will definitely have earned its "electric supercar" tag.  Read More
The US$750 million UARS satellite is the largest NASA satellite to make an uncontrolled di...
If you've been looking to the skies in the hope of catching a glimpse of the doomed UARS satellite before it plummeted to the Earth's surface ... you missed it. NASA is now reporting that the decommissioned satellite fell back to Earth sometime between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24, making its final dive eastwards over Canada, Africa and finally crashing in the Pacific Ocean. The exact location of the crash has not been officially determined but there are reports that some debris made landfall near Calgary in Canada. NASA says that it is not aware of any reports of injury or property damage.  Read More

T-Mobile has announced its plans to offer the HTC Amaze 4G, featuring 4G network support, ...
T-Mobile has announced that it will soon offer a highly spec'd smartphone with its 4G (HSPA+) network support in the U.S., in the form of the HTC Amaze 4G. Slated for an October 12th release, the Amaze features a 4.3-inch qHD (540x960) touchscreen, along with an 8-megapixel camera equipped with several features tailored for fans of smartphone photography.  Read More
The  spectacular Skipark 360 - set to be the largest indoor ski resort in the world (image...
Sweden's CF Møller Architects has just signed off on the new and spectacular Skipark 360°- set to be the largest indoor ski resort in the world. The winter park will house the only indoor ski slope to meet the requirements for hosting the World Cup, measuring 700 meters (2,297 feet) long and with a drop of 160 meters (525 feet). With an impressive height close to 135 meters (443 feet), the sporting facility will create a striking landmark, positioned in a forest located in Balsta, 45 minutes outside Stockholm.  Read More
Panasonic's new HOSPI-Rimo communication assistance robot
With the aging of populations in many countries around the world, particularly Japan, there are ever increasing numbers of elderly to care for, but relatively fewer younger people to do the job. Robots have long been seen as a means of filling the gap and Panasonic is set to unveil its latest technology designed to do just that. The three robotic devices set to make their debut at the upcoming 38th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.2011) in Tokyo include a communication assistance robot and new models of the company's Hair-Washing Robot and RoboticBed.  Read More
The Delancey Project hopes to create New York's very first subterranean green space (Image...
Three New York entrepreneurs have unveiled plans to turn a long abandoned underground train terminal into a lush and thriving garden. Conceived by architect James Ramsey, VP of the PopTech social innovation network Dan Barasch and money manager R. Boykin Curry IV, the Delancey Underground Project hopes to create New York's first subterranean green space beneath one of the city's least green zones - the Lower East Side - in an unused rail space that stretches over two acres and is nearly the size of Gramercy Park.  Read More
A new flexible film made of copper nanowires and plastic conducts electricity illuminating...
In June of last year we reported on the success by researchers at Duke University in developing a technique capable of producing copper nanowires at a scale that could make them a potential replacement for rare and expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) in touch screens and solar panels. However, the water-based production process resulted in the copper nanowires clumping, which reduced their transparency and prevented the copper from oxidizing, which decreases their conductivity. The researchers have now solved the clumping problem and say that copper nanowires could be appearing in cheaper touch screens, solar cells and flexible electronics in the next few years.  Read More
Logging into Windows 8 with a Windows Live ID will allow users to sync their personal sett...
Most people like to put their personal stamp on their PC with their own desktop wallpaper and settings that have been tweaked just the way they like them. But all that is lost when they log onto a shared PC on which they don’t have an account set up. All that changes with Windows 8, which allows users to enjoy their own profile, settings and Metro style apps on any Windows 8 PC by logging in with their Windows Live ID.  Read More
LEDs embedded in the heads of the wrenches to shed a little light on those hard to reach, ...
Homer Simpson's advice when his brother Herb shows him the baby translator he has invented is that Herb "should have just taken an existing product and put a clock in it or something." These days the "or something" could easily be a light or, more specifically, an LED as their tiny size, low cost and low power needs has seen them wedged inside a plethora of devices ... and not because it necessarily provides any real benefit. However, in the world of LED-embedded devices, this wrench set is far from the worst idea we've seen and could actually come in very handy.  Read More
Telstra has launched a USB 4G mobile broadband modem in Australia
Australians are getting their first taste of LTE (long-term evolution) mobile network speed. Telecommunications provider Telstra launched its USB 4G mobile broadband modem today with the promise of coverage in capital city CBDs and 30 regional and metropolitan centers with download speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 40Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps to 10Mbps.  Read More
A Russian tinkerer has created a typewriter that mixes drinks based on the keys that are p...
Hoo boy, you just know Hunter S. Thompson would have loved this. A Russian tinkerer going by the name of morskoiboy has created a typewriter (?) that squirts a different type of syrup or liqueur into a glass with every keystroke. That same liquid is used in a big single-character LCD-like display, that shows users what letter they’re typing. This means that different cocktails can be created, simply by typing in different words.  Read More
Toyota Industries Corporation recently set a speed record for compressed air cars, by send...
Although battery-powered cars may no longer be considered quirky and weird, automobiles propelled by compressed air are still perhaps thoughts of as a little ... fringy. The MDI Air Car looked promising, although development of the vehicle seems to have been at least temporarily suspended. Toyota Industries Corporation, however, recently brought some attention to the technology. On September 9th, its one-off KU:RIN set a new speed record for compressed air cars, at 129.2 km/h (80.3 mph).  Read More

In addition to docking an iDevice, the iTree is also compatible with a wireless LAN stream...
While you might be tempted to think the Wall of Sound is one of the biggest music player docks you've ever seen, it doesn't quite live up to the huge proportional potential of the iTree iPhone and iPod docking station from Austrian design house KMKG STUDIO. The dock is carved from a simple tree trunk, its rear-mounted speakers are pointed towards a wall to reflect the audio and the wood serves to resonate the sound in a similar fashion to a piano or violin.  Read More
The Kelstone 9-string instrument can be played using both hands, like a piano
It has the look of a lap steel and can certainly be used for playing slide guitar compositions but the relatively low action on the Kelstone 9-string guitar opens up many more opportunities over its 26 frets. Developed by Belgium's Jan Van Kelst, players can strum, pick, hammer-on and pull-off, slide, bend, use both hands like a piano player - or combinations of all such techniques.  Read More
Its creators say the Oronero is the world's first limousine yacht tender with a convertibl...
Yacht tenders are generally open top boats that leave their passengers exposed to the elements, but Alex Pirard Yacht Design has created a more civilized option. Laying claim to the title of the the first yacht tender in the world to feature a convertible and completely automatized hard-top, Pirard's Oronero is designed to ferry its passengers in style regardless of weather conditions.  Read More
Layout of FeTRAM, which combines silicon nanowires with a 'ferroelectric' polymer to creat...
Researchers at Purdue University are developing a new type of computer memory that they claim could be faster than SRAM and use 99 percent less energy than flash memory. Called FeTRAM, for ferroelectric transistor random access memory, the new technology fulfills the three basic functions of computer memory; writing, reading and storing information for a long time. It is also a nonvolatile form of memory, meaning that it retains its data after the computer has been turned off. Its creators claim it has the potential to replace conventional memory systems.  Read More
The SeaTwirl's vertical wind turbine (1), torus ring (2), float assembly (3) and generator...
One of the main drawbacks of wind turbines is the fact that for maximum efficiency, the power that they generate must be fed into the grid right as the wind is blowing and their blades are spinning. While that power can be stored in batteries for later use, some of it will always be lost in the process. Sweden's experimental new SeaTwirl system, however, is designed to kinetically store wind energy until it's required - it's basically a seagoing flywheel.  Read More
The PadPivot features a rounded base suitable for flat and rounded surfaces
While there are plenty of stands for tablets that are designed to sit on a flat surface, such as the TabGrip, what happens when you’re on the bus or reclining on the couch? You’ll have to hold the device in one hand and do all your touching and swiping with the other, right? Well, those days could be over thanks to an innovative multi-purpose tablet stand called the PadPivot. With a curved base that sits as comfortably on a desktop as it does on the tablet user’s thigh, the PadPivot is designed to provide hands-free support to a tablet so users can devote both their hands to the important touchy tasks at hand.  Read More
Apple is expected to showcase its latest iPhone at a press event on October 4th (Pictured ...
The wait will soon be over. Apple has sent out press invitations for an event on October 4th in which it's expected to introduce iPhone 5. Apple's new CEO Tim Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs last month, is likely to preside over the "Let's talk iPhone" gathering and indications are that the killer feature of the new smartphone will be an extensive voice control system called the Assistant.  Read More
The Leaf Grip Remote Controller is an experimental device that users twist or bend to cont...
Why change channels by clicking on buttons, when you could do the same thing by twisting your remote? Japan's Murata Manufacturing Company obviously sees advantages in this approach and has created a prototype dubbed the "Leaf Grip Remote Controller" to showcase the idea. Flexing the battery-less device not only changes TV channels, but it also switches inputs, controls the volume, and turns the power on and off.  Read More
A scanning electron microscope image of the nanowire-alginate composite scaffolds, showing...
Around the world, scientists have been working on ways of replacing the heart tissue that dies when a heart attack occurs. These efforts have resulted in heart "patches" that are made from actual cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells), or that encourage surrounding heart cells to grow into them. One problem with some such patches, however, lies in the fact that that they consist of cardiomyocytes set within a scaffolding of poorly-conductive materials. This means that they are insulated from the electrical signals sent out by the heart, so they don't expand and contract as the heart beats. Scientists at MIT, however, may be on the way to a solution.  Read More
The Acoustic Alarm is a one-off alarm clock, that uses a motorized pic to pluck guitar str...
We’ve heard about alarm clocks that jolt you awake with 113 decibels of sound while shaking your bed, that won’t stop ringing until you’ve done your exercises, or that you have to chase across the room. If you want to be woken in a more civilized, serene fashion, however, you might like the Acoustic Alarm – should it ever become commercially available, that is. Instead of an annoying beep, buzz or radio DJ, the one-off design exercise uses a motorized pic to strum four guitar strings, in order to gently rouse its user.  Read More
Soundmatters' foxLv2 PLATINUM speaker fits in the palm of a hand
Those not willing to compromise on sound quality when out and about have been enjoying the impressive sound and compact form factor of Soundmatters' foxLv2 and foxLv2 Bluetooth portable speakers for over a year. Now the company founded by physicist and former NASA engineer Dr Godehard Guenther has updated foxLv2 line with the upcoming release of the foxLv2 PLATIMUM unit. Along with a new platinum-look finish, the PLATINUM model boasts improved battery life, new audiophile cabling and the inclusion of apt-X audio coding to provide CD quality audio over Bluetooth.  Read More
Entering names and places in the Lonely Planet Offline Translator helps the speech recogni...
Lonely Planet Publications published its first travel guide in 1973 and has been giving travelers a helping hand on their journeys ever since, growing to become the largest travel guide book company in the world. In 2009, the company dropped the “Publications” from its name to reflect the move to digital products, including its website and smartphone apps. Now the company’s wide selection of city guide and phrasebook apps have been joined by a family of translator apps that allow users to obtain written and – thanks to speech recognition technology – spoken translations offline.  Read More
Morphix Technologies' Chameleon chemical detection device can detect up to ten different t...
When it comes to toxic gases, what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you. To improve the safety of military personnel, firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel who are often called into situations where they may be exposed to toxic gases, Morphix Technologies has developed the Chameleon chemical detection device. Designed to be worn on the forearm, the device can hold up to ten disposable cassettes, each of which detects a different toxic gas.  Read More
NASA is planning to demonstrate the largest solar sail ever built, in an upcoming space mi...
NASA's upcoming Technology Demonstration Missions are intended to "transform its space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities." Three project proposals have been selected for these missions, which should be launching in 2015 and 2016. One of those projects, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, we've told you about already. Another, however, will be demonstrating a mission-capable solar sail. While NASA has recently tested a solar sail measuring 100 square feet (9.29 square meters), this one will be the largest ever flown, spanning a whopping 15,543 square feet, or 1,444 square meters.  Read More
Scientists have reversed the aging process in human adult stem cells, which are in turn re...
By now, most people are probably aware of the therapeutic value of stem cells, as they can become any other type of cell in the human body. One of their main duties, in fact, is to replace those other cells as they degrade. Once people reach an advanced age, however, even the stem cells themselves start to get old and nonfunctional - when the cells that are supposed to replace the other cells can't do their job anymore, age-related tissue problems start occurring. A team of researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, however, may be on the way to solving that problem. They have succeeded in reversing the aging process in human adult stem cells.  Read More
Amazon has unveiled its new 7-inch, color touchscreen tablet - the Kindle Fire
Amazon today unveiled its new 7-inch, color touchscreen tablet - the Kindle Fire. The new tablet's display has been chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, features iPad-like IPS (in-plane switching) technology for wide viewing angles, and delivers 16 million colors in high resolution. Amazon's huge digital content coffers are available to users and the Wi-Fi-only, sub-$200 tablet also includes a browser that shares some of the processing power needed to deliver complex web pages with Amazon's Cloud servers.  Read More
Scientists have successfully replaced a rat's cerebellum with a chip programmed to perform...
Two years ago, the director of Switzerland’s Blue Brain Project predicted that an artificial human brain would be possible within ten years. Since then, we have seen examples of artificial synapses and neural networks. In the latest step towards man-made brains, however, scientists from Israel’s Tel Aviv University have restored brain function to a rat by replacing its disabled cerebellum with one that they created.  Read More
Encased in a gamepad-shaped silicone housing, the Nintendo 3DS Deluxe Power Grip doubles t...
Disappointing battery life was one of the flaws indicated in Gizmag's review of the Nintendo 3DS, back in June. Encased in a gamepad-shaped silicone housing, the Nintendo 3DS Deluxe Power Grip from New York-based manufacturer CTA Digital aims at overcoming the battery life issue by offering an extra power supply, while doubling as a stand.  Read More
The MVA-B vaccine draws on the natural capabilities of the human immune system to combat t...
Researchers at the Spanish Superior Scientific Research Council (CSIC) have successfully completed Phase I human clinical trials of a HIV vaccine that came out with top marks after 90% of volunteers developed an immunological response against the virus. The MVA-B vaccine draws on the natural capabilities of the human immune system and “has proven to be as powerful as any other vaccine currently being studied, or even more", says Mariano Esteban, head researcher from CSIC's National Biotech Centre.  Read More
The Coffee car averaged 65 mph during its world record attempt earlier this month
Martin Bacon and his team of Teesdale Conservation Vounteers from Durham, England, must have drank copious amounts of coffee when developing this project. It was definitely a sacrifice worth making though. Their aptly named Coffee Car rose to the challenge and broke the world land speed record for cars powered by organic waste, hitting an average speed of 66.5 mph over two runs on September 14.  Read More
One of the diamond cavities carved by the NIST team
With sizes typically measured in micrometers, Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are already being used in applications such as super-accurate sensors, energy-harvesting devices, and electronic signal amplifiers. Given how difficult it would be to replace such systems' moving parts as they wear out, it would be ideal if those parts could be made from as hard a material as possible. Well, while most MEMS are presently made chiefly of silicon, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are now on their way to making them from diamonds.  Read More
Floxx.com is a new social media site that maps the best looking people in their area, allo...
The team at Floxx Media Group are attempting the unenviable task of trying to crack into the social media market. Recently named in the Real Business Future 50, the young and ambitious company from London's Silicon Roundabout have two apps in the market, its namesake application - Floxx (aka the new FitFinder) and the more recently released MapChat. Does Floxx Media Group have what it takes to crack the seeming impervious social media market held so dominantly by Facebook and the fresh competition of heavyweight Google? Here's a look at what the Group has to offer.  Read More
The International Space Station, with Soyuz-TMA capsules visible (Image: NASA)
It's a challenging time for the International Space Station (ISS). The single most expensive engineering project in human history and one of the most complex pieces of machinery ever assembled, the future of the ISS remains uncertain after the ending of the Space Shuttle program and the grounding of Russia's Soyuz fleet following an accident last month. While the recently announced resumption of manned Soyuz flights means the danger of the station being evacuated and mothballed has receded ... it hasn’t ended.  Read More
Each Griffin Multidock charges and syncs up to ten iDevices
For hospitals, businesses and schools that have kitted their workforces and classrooms out with iPhones, iPads or iPods, keeping the various devices charged and up to date can be a time consuming chore. Griffin Technology has made the task a whole lot easier with the release of its Multidock that charges, syncs and stores up to ten iDevices at once. And if that still isn’t enough, up to three Multidocks can be linked to accommodate up to 30 iDevices.  Read More
The Morgan Aero SuperSports, which will serve as the base for the electric concept
The Morgan Aero SuperSports is a pretty impressive automobile, even in its standard form. It has a lightweight aluminum body, a hardwood and leather cockpit and a top speed of 170 mph (273 km/h). It also has a 4.8 liter BMW V8 engine, although in a project currently being undertaken by the British automaker and Zytek Automotive, that power plant will be replaced with a 70kW electric motor. The result will be known as the Electric Morgan +E. Although only two of them will be made, the company says that if the experience proves favorable, "further developments" could result.  Read More
Toshiba Thrive 7'' tablet
Toshiba has announced that its 10.1-inch Thrive tablet will soon receive a smaller and lighter sibling in the form of Thrive 7''. Weighing in at 399 grams (0.88 lbs) and 11.94 mm (0.47 in) thick, the Android 3.2-based Thrive 7'' tablet is powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform with a dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, has a 1280×800 resolution LED backlit screen and will be offered in 16 and 32GB models.  Read More
The low-cost, high-density energy-storage membrane, created at the National University of ...
Researchers from the National University of Singapore’s Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI) have created what they claim is the world’s first energy-storage membrane. Not only is the material soft and foldable, but it doesn’t incorporate liquid electrolytes that can spill out if it’s damaged, it's more cost-effective than capacitors or traditional batteries, and it's reportedly capable of storing more energy.  Read More
The NIST Dragon is a device that creates burning embers, to test how well building materia...
Thousands of people were left homeless this May, when over 40 percent of the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada was destroyed by a wildfire that started in the adjacent forest. This is just one example of the devastation that can result when fires occur in what is known as the wildland-urban interface. While some buildings are destroyed when the wildfire itself reaches them, others can catch fire due to wind-borne embers from that fire. In an effort to test how well wooden decks are able to resist such embers, America's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created something known as the Dragon - it's a device that sucks in tree mulch, and "breathes" it out as firebrands.  Read More
Ducati bets the farm on its hugely unsuccessful new frame design for new Panigale 1199 V-t...
Ducati's new generation v-twin 1200cc sports bike will be announced at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan this November. What we know for sure is that it will be named the "Ducati 1199 Panigale" and that it will not use the traditional Ducati trellis frame but a roadgoing version of the frameless design which has been raced and evaluated rather unsuccessfully by the world's best rider - Valentino Rossi. It seems like a massive gamble for a company that has traditionally attracted customers with its race-winning superbikes. Rumours suggest that the new road bike will weigh in at 176 kg wet and produce 195 bhp. How well it will handle will be the issue.  Read More