Apple has confirmed its press event on March 2
will be about the next iPad, inviting journos to "come see what 2011
will be the year of". There's no shortage of rumors
about what we'll see tomorrow, from the prerequisite (smaller and
lighter) to the plain hopeful (Retina Display) - but that's boring. We
want to know what would make existing iPad owners upgrade, and what
would make the holdouts decide to jump in. Let us know in the comments.
Read More
Mortars have existed for hundreds of years,
proving extremely useful in World War I where the high angle of flight
of the shells made them an ideal weapon for the muddy trenches of the
Western Front. The weapon’s simplicity coupled with the ease with which
it can be transported and operated means mortars are still in common use
today but, although methods of calculating azimuth and elevation angles
for targeting have improved, their greatest weakness still remains
their lack of accuracy. Mortars are now moving into the 21st Century
with U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan set to receive a first-of-its-kind,
GPS-guided 120mm mortar munition that can pinpoint targets at ranges of
up to 6,300 m (20,669 ft). Read More
If you remember the MASH episode where
Hawkeye and BJ got the Korean fix-it guy to build them a one-of-a-kind
vein clamp, then you will understand the importance of custom-designed
surgical tools – surgery is definitely not a field in which
people should just make do with the next-best thing. Unfortunately, the
production of some types of instruments can be quite involved, meaning
they can't always be created quickly or cheaply. At this month's MEDTEC
Europe trade show, however, researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer
Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials will be
demonstrating new technology that uses a laser melting process to easily create pretty much any surgical instrument imaginable ... or so they claim. Read More
CeBIT 2011
is near enough home turf for Hamburg's gaming specialist ROCCAT, so
it's no surprise that the company has a new product to show off. As the
name suggests, the Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard features 123 medium
height, back-illuminated keys for ease of use in low lighting (or in the
dark) gaming. The keyboard also offers new gaming possibilities with
some wizardry that allows it to communicate with a mouse and technology
that can double up certain keys for even more functionality. Read More
In order to detect the presence of nearby
females, the male silk moth utilizes an oily coating on his antennae.
Any female pheromone molecules that are in the air will stick to that
coating, which then guides them through nanotunnels in the insect's
exoskeleton, and ultimately to nerve cells that alert Mr. Moth to the
fact that there are ladies in the area. It's a clever enough system that
scientists from the University of Michigan have copied it, in hopes of
better understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Read More
Although HP
and others are breaking new ground in notebook battery life, there are
times when you might find yourself away from the grid for a bit longer
than your laptop battery can last. A mobile energy storage unit like
Yill, from Germany's Younicos, is said to be capable of autonomously
meeting the power needs of a computer workstation for between two and
three days on a single charge of its own quick-charge batteries.
Deployment of the drum-like power houses throughout an office could even
help save energy bills. Read More
Fiber optic cables can transmit over a terabyte
of information per second – but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t room
for improvement. One of those improvements, which was officially
announced today, involves replacing the silica glass core of fiber optic
strands with semiconductive zinc selenide. This new class of fiber
optics, invented and created at Penn State University, is said to “allow
for a more effective and liberal manipulation of light.” The technology
could have applications in the fields of medicine, defense, and
environmental monitoring. Read More
Although I live by a river, I don't own a boat so
am not faced with having to drag a trailer down to the water's edge and
unload my dinghy every time I want to cross the great expanse. I might
just be persuaded to spend more time on the water, though, if there was
something like the Manta waiting outside my front door. The
sporty-looking three-wheeler concept is designed to be run on twin
electric motors, with the rear wheels taking care of propulsion on water
as well as on the road. The design is amongst the entries chosen by
this year's Michelin Challenge Design judges for display at the recent North American International Auto Show. Read More
Electrifying the Rolls-Royce was no simple matter.
Luxury vehicle buyers in the EUR200,000 ++ segment know what they want –
sumptuous comfort and effortless acceleration. Retaining Rolls Royce
clientele is obviously paramount, so as the first pure electric car in
the top-shelf segment, it's interesting to see what a brand with such
stellar values has done. An aluminium space frame keeps weight down and
the biggest automobile battery pack ever – 71 kWh – still only offers a
range of 200 kilometers. Twin watercooled 145 kW electric motors offer a
total 290 kW, which is less than the 338 kW Phantom 6.75-litre V12, but
with even nicer power characteristics – a flat 800 Nm mid-range versus
the peak 720Nm @3500 rpm of the V12. The range could be the limiting
factor because everything else looks excellent. Read More
Many of us can now wirelessly stream images from a
computer to a screen over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without too much trouble,
but the display is still inevitably powered by cables. At CeBIT 2011,
Fujitsu is showing off a working prototype of a 22-inch computer
display that receives both images and power wirelessly. The power
transfer is made possible by magnetic induction technology – similar to Powermat chargers – that's concentrated into hotspots built into office furniture or conference tables. Read More
Given his recent health-related leave of absence,
it was refreshing to see that Steve Jobs took the stage at today's
Apple event to announce the forthcoming arrival of the iPad 2. It's
lighter and thinner than the original, but packs in more features and
more processing power. New additions include rear and front-facing
cameras, an iOS update, smart covers, and a built-in gyroscope. Sadly,
the only advancement on the connectivity front was the addition of HDMI
via an optional adapter, and the carbon-fiber housing rumor looks to
have been just that, a rumor. Read More
Just last month, GoPro introduced the long-awaited LCD screen module for its viewfinder-less HERO HD
actioncam. At the time, the company stated that the module was the
first in a series of BacPac accessories, designed to extend the
capabilities of the 1080p high-def camera. Now, the next of those
accessories has been released, in the form of the Battery BacPac. It
allows an included 1100mAh lithium-ion battery to be mounted onto the
back of the camera (which already has its own identical battery),
potentially doubling its run time. Read More
The cyclecar was a cross between a motorcycle and
a car that popular a 100 years ago, mainly because the extremely light
weight and powerful big V-twin motorcycle engine gave it sporting
performance. Only one of the original cyclecar manufacturers still
exists today – Morgan – and in a remarkable announcement, the entire concept has been updated
and will sell for GBP25,000 powered by a big 115 bhp S&S V-twin, a
five-speed Mazda gearbox and a cockpit modeled on a WW1 fighter plane.
Read More
Do you remember those colored building blocks you
would use to learn words and numbers, or just construct mighty castles
to keep your enemies outside? Well, they've now received a 21st Century
update in the form of the Cubelets system. Currently made up of 20
colored blocks that snap together with the help of magnets, each one has
a little computer inside which gives it different functionality to the
others. One might be a sensor, another have wheels and another sport a
potentiometer. The fun starts when you put them together. The behavior
of the resulting robot depends on how the blocks talk to each other.
Sweet. Read More
Volkswagen has had two of the most loved models
in the history of the automobile, both originally built on the same
chassis. It's not surprising then, that the company keeps reprising
them, bringing their relevance into focus. The latest evolution of the
iconic Microbus/Kombi wagon surfaced in Geneva.
The new 'Bulli' concept offers a flexible layout, seating for six, a 40
kWh lithium-ion battery, an 85 kW electric motor with 260 Nm torque,140
km/h (87 mph) top speed and a range of 300 km (186 miles). There's
still not enough range just yet for a serious escape vehicle – if
there's no electricity available where you're going, you're on a 90 mile
leash – but suitable as an urban electric all-purpose vehicle. Read More
Growing Indian powerhouse Tata emphatically announced itself a player in European personal mobility at the Geneva Motor Show when it announced the Tata Pixel, a car built for European cities based on the Tata Nano.
Tata claims the Pixel to be "the most package efficient four-seater in
the world". The company's use of high-tech in the new vehicle includes
connected services and Tata's own human-machine interface (HMI) concept,
an infinitely variable transmission from Torotrak and a 1.2 liter turbo
diesel offering 3.4 l/100km, but its biggest point-of-difference is
that it is ultra maneuverable thanks to moveable wheels which give it a
turning circle of just 2.6 meters. Read More
How many times when you were a kid complaining
about doing something boring were you told to make a game of it? If your
parents and teachers were anything like mine, probably quite a few.
Looks like the folks behind Green Goose might have copped the same
treatment – they have come up with a system that turns boring tasks like
brushing your teeth and exercising into a game that awards the 'player'
with lifestyle points for completing various everyday tasks, in much
the same way as players earn experience points in role playing games.
Read More
It only takes a glance at Lamborghini's Aventador
to know it's a Lambo. In fact, it inherits from the long-toothed Murcielago
the mantle of top-bull in Italian marque's lineup. And with it, beneath
the latest interpretation of Lambo's hallmark body origami – yes, the
scissor doors remain – comes the technical shiz it needs to fill such a
spot. Engine, transmission, suspension, bodywork – it's completely
clean-sheet new. All up, they conspire to put the Aventador at the
pointy end of the performance spectrum – the first
anything-like-mainstream car to kiss 100 km/h in less than three seconds
(we're not counting its step-sibling, the Bugatti Veyron, in its class). Read More
As science continues to unravel the mysteries of
ourselves and the world around us at a furious pace, it can sometimes
feel like the boffins are proving things that many of us feel we already
know or take for granted. This interesting example comes from the
Stanford University School of Medicine, where scientists have found that
intense feelings of love are as effective at relieving pain as
painkillers or even illicit drugs. Read More
During the first decade of the 21st century,
information and communication technologies (ICTs) came within reach of
most of the world's people. As part of World Statistics Day, the United
Nations commissioned the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
for current data and statistics on ICTs. The resulting report: The World In 2010: ICT Facts and Figures provides an insight into just how phenomenal the growth of ICTs have been over the past few years. Read More
It would be scary to be chased by a military
robot. It would also be scary to be chased by a cheetah. So, imagine
what it would be like to have a military robotic cheetah sprinting after
you. Such a scenario could one day be possible, as robotics company Boston Dynamics recently announced that America’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
has awarded it a contract to design and build such a ... critter. The
contract also includes the creation of an agile, bipedal humanoid robot.
It’s hard to say which one might ultimately be creepier. Read More
Everyone who has ever played a video game knows
that the skills required for success are essentially the same as a
racing driver. Anyone who has raced knows different. So setting up the
Nissan/Playstation GT Academy was bound to yield some interesting
results. Essentially, they run a national contest and the best guys get
tested in real cars and given an intensive program and then given a
chance at the real thing, at a very high level. This is the inevitable
fairy story – a fellow who played Playstation for fun until May 2008 has
since established a successful international racing career entirely due
to the series. Every time Lucas Ordoñez
has been given the opportunity, he has performed, and his international
racing career is living proof that you can turn virtual racing into the
real deal. Read More
In the 1970's, top of the line in-car
entertainment systems consisted of a quadraphonic eight-track audio
system pumping out music stored on cartridges – and maybe a strobe
light. Since then, CD, DVD and Blu-ray players,
touchscreens, integrated smartphone connectivity, GPS systems and more
have all found their way into automobiles to provide increasingly
powerful in-car infotainment systems. Saab
is now looking to bring the versatility and personalization
capabilities of Google's Android operating system to its vehicles with
the development of its IQon infotainment concept that will allow users
to download applications, online services and multi-media functions
through a Saab IQon store. Read More
If you're going to be an early adopter and get yourself an electric motorcycle,
one thing you'll need to get used to is charging the bike more or less
whenever you're not riding it. If there's power outlets where you park,
or the boss lets you bring the bike into the office, that's no problem –
but if not, you might struggle to find an accessible spot to plug in.
Which is where the latest addition to the Zero Motorcycles
2011 lineup could come in very handy; the Zero XU is the first Zero
streetbike (and one of the only electric commuters we've seen) that
allows you to quickly remove the battery and charge it away from the
bike. Great idea, but we wonder how it will work in practice. Read More
Unless you're a music lover who lives alone,
you'll likely own a set of headphones for some private sonic enjoyment.
As such, you'll appreciate that wearing cans for extended periods isn't
always the most comfortable of experiences. Sony is looking to address
this with a new range of headphones and earbuds which give comfort just
as much importance as sound quality. Read More
When you explore haunted houses or search for
sacred artifacts in ancient temples, the cobwebs that you brush out of
your way may seem fairly flimsy and inconsequential. For their size,
however, spider silk fibers are incredibly strong – enough so that
scientists have long been trying to figure out what their secret is, so
it can be applied to man-made materials. In a recently-published paper,
German scientists claim to have gotten closer to the answer. Read More
Eye-tracking and control technology manufacturer Tobii Technology has teamed up with Lenovo
to produce a prototype notebook which the user can control with the
blink of an eye. The integrated eye control technology allows the eyes
to point at, select and scroll icons or objects on the screen, or can be
used in conjunction with more familiar input methods to enhance the
user experience or increase productivity. The company is currently
demonstrating one of the 20 fully functional conceptual prototypes at
CeBIT 2011, along with other eye-tracking examples from its portfolio.
Read More
Scientists from the University of Manchester have
announced the development of the world's most powerful optical
microscope. Called the "microsphere nanoscope," the device captures
non-diffracted near-field virtual images that are amplified via silica
glass microspheres, which are tiny optically-transparent spherical
particles. Those images are then relayed and further amplified by a
standard optical microscope. The nanoscope reportedly allows users to
see objects as small as 50 nanometers under normal lighting – this is 20
times smaller than what conventional optical microscopes can manage,
and is in fact said to be beyond the theoretical limits of optical
microscopy. Read More
Like many other regions of the world, Brazil has a
transport congestion problem. Once seen as a city issue, traffic jams
have spread to smaller and smaller towns. The designers of the OU
concept propose a possible solution where existing roadways have rails
installed and drivers of specially kitted-out vehicles can join road
trains to flow through otherwise congested areas at a constant pace. The
electric OU vehicle's wheels would operate in either an open
configuration – for normal driving – or closed, for rail travel. Read More
The new Optio S1 brings High Dynamic Range
functionality to a Pentax compact snapper for the first time. The pocket
camera also features a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, wide-angle optical zoom
lens and high sensitivity. You'll also get high definition video
recording with a dedicated movie button, translucent control buttons,
and a selection of modes and settings designed to help users get the
best shot with ease. The best news, though, is that all of this compact
power comes under the US$200 radar. Read More
We’ve seen it in numerous TV shows and movies –
the witness to a crime looks through a book of mug shots, then works
with a police sketch artist to come up with a likeness of the nasty
person they saw. After looking through hundreds of mug shots, however,
it’s possible that the tired-brained witness could look right at a photo
of the guilty party and not recognize them. It’s also possible that
there is a mug shot of the criminal on a database somewhere out
there, but that this particular witness will never see it. A computer
system being pioneered at Michigan State University, however, could be
the solution to such problems – it automatically matches faces in police
sketches to mug shots. Read More
A research team from the Missouri University of
Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) has succeeded in creating a
portable scanning system that's capable of looking inside objects or
structures and revealing hidden secrets. Using technology similar to
that used for full body scans at airports, the new transmission mode
camera system can detect, collect, process and display millimeter-wave
and microwave signal information in real time and at adjustable focus
points between the transmitter and collector aperture. The whole setup
is powered by a single laptop-sized battery, with the results being
displayed on a notebook screen. Read More
Personally, the most interesting part of the announcement of the new iPad
on March 2 was GarageBand for iPad. Sure, the cool-looking drum kit and
dynamic piano are worth a passing mention but my weapon of choice is
the guitar. But rather than tap onto the touchscreen's virtual
instrument I would prefer to plug in my own. The new JAM input from
Apogee will allow me to do just that. Read More
In an activity that for many of its participants is akin to a religion, the merging of surfing
and technology might seem a bit like blasphemy. But while surfing is
still about lifestyle for many of us, these days it's also a competitive
sport offering huge amounts of prize money, so it's no surprise to see
the emergence of boards packing more than just polyurethane within their
fiberglass shells. With the aim of "turning feelings into facts and
figures", research company Tecnalia and Spanish surfboard manufacturer
Pukas have teamed up to create a surfboard that packs a gyroscope,
accelerometer, GPS compass, pressure sensors and strain gauges to
measure the flex of the board – but no headlights. Read More
Well, it may not be able to fly, but it is nonetheless a car with wings ... or in this case, winglets. Unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show,
the Saab PhoeniX concept car pays homage to the automaker's roots in
aviation with roof-mounted winglets designed to channel airflow from the
sides of the car and across its rear deck, thereby reducing lift forces
without increasing drag. Other notable features include butterfly
opening doors, stalk-mounted rearward cameras, an electrically-driven
rear axle and Saab's new upgradable Android-based IQon entertainment and communications system. Read More
Any regular reader of this site will be aware of the huge potential of graphene
– the chicken-wire-like lattice of carbon atoms arranged in thin sheets
a single atomic layer thick that promises to revolutionize the fields
of data storage, energy storage and computer chips,
just to name a few. But for this potential to be fully realized,
meaningful quantities of the material need to be produced economically
and at a consistent quality. Current graphene manufacturing processes
are complicated and generally offer unpredictable results regarding the
material’s quality. Now a research team from the University of
Pennsylvania has succeeded in creating high quality graphene using
readily available materials and manufacturing processes that can be
scaled up to industrial levels. Read More
Adventurous and sporty types looking for a camera
which can cope with extreme conditions may be interested to learn of a
new rugged compact from Olympus.
Not only is the 14 megapixel Tough TG-810 snapper waterproof,
dustproof, shockproof and able to operate in sub-zero conditions ... but
it's also crushproof. Read More
Arguments still rage on, but it's generally
accepted that we need to roll out more sustainable power solutions and
break away from our reliance on fuels that are going to disappear one
day. As advances in solar, wave and wind technologies gather pace, Dutch
design house NL Architects has been looking at ways to bring wind
turbines closer to where the power they produce is needed, instead of
being located on remote hillsides. Inspired by a vertical-axis turbine
called Eddy, the team thinks the answer may lie in tree-like creations
named Power Flowers. Read More
Most of us living in the upper reaches of North
America are getting pretty tired of winter by now, but for one Minnesota
resident, the arrival of spring will mean the destruction of his
incredible work of art. Software engineer Roger Hanson uses water from
his home’s geothermal heating system, along with a half-inch rebar
framing system and a computer-controlled robotic sprayer, to create
gigantic free-form ice sculptures in his backyard. His current
masterpiece is 85 feet (26 meters) wide and 64 feet (19.5 meters) tall –
although winter’s not over yet. Read More
With the Nintendo 3DS
release date fast approaching, Nintendo's keynote address at the Game
Developers Conference in San Francisco was an opportunity to showcase
more of what we can expect from the new handheld. The most connected
Nintendo device ever released according to company President Satoru
Iwata, the 3DS will incorporate Netflix video streaming and gain access
to over 10000 AT&T wireless hot spots across the United States. Read More
There was also a time when wood was relatively
cheap and plentiful in much of the world thanks to the number of trees
just standing around waiting to be turned into useful things like
floorboards. Unfortunately wood is neither as cheap nor plentiful as it
once was, so it’s important to make the most of every tree. Instead of
following the traditional line of straight-edged floorboards, Dutch
company Bolefloor maximizes the coverage area of floorboards made from a
particular tree by following the tree's natural curves. Read More
Thousands of organizations around the world are
working towards protection of ecosystems, yet the sharing of data is
extremely limited and often localized – swathes of information that
could be important are unknown, unpublicized and from a global
perspective, wasted. The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA),
developed by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), could
pave the way for a new era of understanding. It aims to bring together
multidisciplinary data allowing researchers and decision-makers the
means to assess, monitor and forecast protected areas globally. Read More
We’re a little non-plussed on Porsche’s
announcement of a reconstructed Semper Vivus, which it is claiming was
presented at the Paris Show of 1900. There’s a video of the construction
of the vehicle, but the scant info available is at odds with previous
Porsche historic information on the Lohner Porsche
and the normally fastidious Porsche press department hasn’t issued any
details of the Semper Vivus yet. The Semper Vivus was a series electric
hybrid with its two engines charging the batteries and Porsche electric
hub motors delivering the power. It must be said the Porsche execs
looked anything but comfortable driving the Semper on stage. Read More
Christian von Koenigsegg has once again created a
hypercar of the highest order – the new Agera R is capable of
approaching 400 km/h and features so much innovation that we’re not
going to even attempt to squeeze it all into the introductory paragraph.
The 5 litre V8 bi-turbo engine is the lightest and most compact
hypercar engine in the world, and produces 1100 hp on E85 bio fuel with
peak torque of 1200 Nm spread over over a 3300 rpm rev range. It’s most
notable feature though, is a Thule Roof Box which ensures you can take
all your gear as well as having a show car with the standard roof when
you get there. Read More
One of the most remarkable things we’ve seen in a
long time is this deconstructed 2010 F1 car on display at Mercedes-Benz
World in Surrey, UK. The Mercedes GP Petronas F1 comprises 3200
components and every one of them is hung in the display. The display
itself was arranged by Dutch artist Paul Veroude and definitely fits
into the “how can you do that?” category. Its subject is equally as
fascinating, accounting for 90,000 man hours of design time, 200,000 man
hours of manufacturing manifested as 600 kg finished form manufactured
to the most exacting tolerances of the world’s most exotic substances -
carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum and magnesium. To look at, the car is
predominantly carbon fiber (85% by volume) but it’s so light that it
accounts for only 30% of the mass. Read More
There is no greater accolade than to be judged
the finest by your peers. This year the car design fraternity has
delivered an overwhelming verdict for the concept design of the year to
the Pininfarina – 40% of all the voters (all car designers) voted for
the Pininfarina 2uettottanta ahead of some quite outstanding competition
in the form of the Jaguar C-X75 and Renault DeZir. The Car Design of the Year 2010 Production category gong went to Range Rover's Evoque ahead of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Audi A7. Read More
As the Missing Persons song goes, “nobody walks
in LA.” But with the release of the 2010 Los Angeles Bicycle Plan, the
city hopes to make it easier to ride there. As part of the city’s
commitment to transform LA from an auto-centric metropolis to a city
with a multi-modal transportation system, the City of Los Angeles has
released the draft 2010 Los Angeles Bicycle Plan, which designates 1680
miles (2700 km) of bikeway facilities and proposes three new bicycle
networks that will crisscross the city. Read More
ASUS Republic of Gamers came out in force at CeBIT 2011
to launch some new additions to its gaming range. On show were some new
notebooks, a couple of motherboards, graphics cards, a 3D monitor, a
router and some headsets. Features of note include a wide-viewing-angle,
glasses-free 3D experience from one of the notebooks, XONAR audio and
802.11n on a Black Edition mainboard, and a Wireless-N router that can
support simultaneous connections for lag-free, online gaming. Read More
We can’t say we weren’t warned. Last August,
Japan’s Eager Co. Ltd. announced that it was planning to begin sales of
the Telenoid R1
telepresence robot in October. The toddler-sized ghostly-looking robot
is intended to be a physical stand-in for a remote user during internet
communications, mirroring that person’s movements via real-time face
tracking software on their computer – their voice also comes out of the
device. Well, Telenoid now has a little sibling. The Elfoid P1, as it’s
called, was unveiled at a press conference yesterday in Japan, and is
intended to serve as a combination mobile phone and mini telepresence
robot. Read More
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