Tilting 'bullet-proof’ 150mph 3-wheel EV … Urban Jet or urban myth?
By Jeff Salton
22:36 February 2, 2010 PST
The race to produce a narrow, tilting, hybrid motorcycle/car/EV continues with another boutique manufacturer throwing its hat into the ring. This time, its Cherban who has released plans of its concept Urban Jet, a 150mph three-wheeler EV that is said to be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 3.5 seconds. It’s a two-seater (bobsled style – though hopefully not as scary) that leans up to 45° into corners, and is reminiscent of the Dutch Carver (see it briefly in our video on the Nissan Landglider and other narrow track vehicles). Read More
Has the human gekko's time finally come?
By Darren Quick
22:33 February 2, 2010 PST
Researchers at Cornell University have created a palm-sized device that uses water tension as a switchable adhesive bond and can support many times its own weight. The device could usher in a whole new generation of superheroes by allowing shoes or gloves that stick and unstick to walls on command, or see the creation of Post-It notes that can bear loads. Read More
World record 1 megajoule laser shot hits target
By Darren Quick
21:16 February 2, 2010 PST
In their quest to be the first to trigger a nuclear fusion reaction using lasers scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have delivered more than one megajoule of laser energy to a target. The peak power of the laser light, which was delivered within a few billionths of a second, was about 500 times that used by the United States at any given time and demonstrates the target drive conditions required to achieve fusion ignition. Read More
Turn waste office paper into toilet paper
By Rick Martin
21:07 February 2, 2010 PST
While many environmentalists hope that we can eventually have a paperless office, one company in Japan has developed a machine that shreds paper and then converts the waste into readily usable toilet paper. Read More
Castor & Chouca’s convertible baby bed: from bassinet to bed to table
By Jude Garvey
19:09 February 2, 2010 PST
Realizing that little ones grow up so fast designers are increasingly creating innovative baby products that are designed to last. The Soleil 1,2,3 baby bed from Castor & Chouca, is a case in point. Made from eco-friendly, recyclable materials - it starts off as a baby bassinet, it then transforms into a child’s bed and finally, a child’s desk. This is one clever and functional piece of furniture that can be used long after your child has grown out of diapers. Read More
Panasonic reveals DMC-ZR3 super slim versatile compact
By Paul Ridden
18:26 February 2, 2010 PST
Panasonic has revealed a new addition to its LUMIX family of cameras, the DMC-ZR3 slim compact digital. The successor to the ZR1, optical zoom has been boosted to eight times, the addition of AVCHD Lite video should extend recording time, the pixel count now stands at 14 megapixels and it supports the new SDXC card format. Read More
Wearable wireless health sensor for remote bio-monitoring
By Rick Martin
17:07 February 2, 2010 PST
With it's rapidly aging population, few countries stand to gain as much from developments in the remote monitoring of bio-signals as Japan. As a culture that reveres the elderly it's likely that the Japanese will be one of the countries leading the charge in the growing field of bio-signal telemetry. Just one example is the HRS-I, or the human recorder system, that gathers health-related information and transmits it wirelessly to a mobile phone or PC. Read More
The $100,000 Dynasty billiard table
By Mick Webb
17:04 February 2, 2010 PST
The Dynasty is a very 21st Century take on a gaming platform that's been with us for more than 500 years - the billiard table. The US$100,000 Dynasty features sculptured metal, slate pockets, and neon–look LED under lighting. Add to that a host of other top of the line fittings and you have yourself one very sharp looking centerpiece for the games room. The owner of the first known indoor billiard table - King Louis XI of France (1461–1483) - would surely approve. Read More
IsoTruss-tubed Delta 7 bikes look funny, but boast high strength to weight ratio
By Ben Coxworth
16:29 February 2, 2010 PST
Go ahead, stare. It’s OK, they want you to. Delta 7 Bikes currently manufactures two of the most unusual-looking bicycles on the market, the Arantix hardtail mountain bike and the Ascend road bike. Their open-lattice spider-web tubes incorporate patented IsoTruss geometric design, wherein carbon fiber and Kevlar are woven into a network of isosceles triangles. The triangles join together to form pyramid-shaped trusses, which provide incredible structural support while using a minimum of material. If you’re a bicycle-maker looking for something with a great strength-to-weight ratio, it’s hard to beat. Read More
Wacom’s Intuos4 Wireless cuts the USB cable
By Darren Quick
23:30 February 1, 2010 PST
Wacom has set professional digital doodlers free with its updated Intuos4 professional pen tablet now featuring Bluetooth wireless technology. Wacom says removing the USB cable shackles makes the Intuos4 Wireless an ideal choice for collaborative work sessions, client presentations or use in a seminar setting such as an art class or photography seminar. Read More
Honda's next gen solar-powered hydrogen fuel cell station for home use
By Jeff Salton
23:28 February 1, 2010 PST
Honda has begun work on a smaller solar hydrogen station prototype intended for use as a home refueling appliance. Capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles it is designed to be a single, integrated unit that will fit in the user's garage. Honda's next generation Solar Hydrogen Station, though not as big as the previous systems, will still produce enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an eight-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle. Read More
Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 Keyboard ain’t afraid of no ghosting
By Darren Quick
23:19 February 1, 2010 PST
While it might not be ideal for fighting apparitions of the dearly departed, Microsoft claims its latest keyboard boasts the most advanced anti-ghosting technology ever to grace a keyboard. The ghosting being referred to is when multiple keys are pressed on a keyboard simultaneously result in the incorrect key signal being sent to the PC, or some of the key presses being ignored altogether. To combat this Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 Keyboard can detect up to 26 key presses at once, which is sure to appeal to hard-core gamers and 26 fingered typists alike. Read More
Scala rider G4 headset lets bikers be heard
By Darren Quick
23:09 February 1, 2010 PST
Making oneself heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine can be difficult at the best of times. But being heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine when tearing down the highway with your head encased in a helmet is downright impossible. Naturally technology has come to the rescue in the form of Bluetooth enabled helmets and helmet-to-helmet communication systems. The latest solution to keep chatty bikers happy is the scala rider G4 bike-to-bike Bluetooth headset that offers group intercom between up to three riders at distances of up to one mile (1.6km). Read More
Unique three-layered snail shell could lead to tougher body armor
23:06 February 1, 2010 PST
They say life imitates art, but any scientist knows that the best designs imitate life. Researchers from the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) are drawing new biomimicry inspiration for body armor design from a hardy ocean snail that boasts a shell structure unlike anything else seen in nature... or in material research labs. Read More
Hitachi to build tower to demonstrate fastest-ever elevator - 40.26mph
By Jeff Salton
22:14 February 1, 2010 PST
If you’re claustrophobic you probably want to spend as little time as possible in an elevator. Therefore, sufferers will no doubt rejoice at the news that Hitachi is undertaking to create the largest high-speed, high-capacity people-movers by completing the world’s tallest elevator research tower (213m). Named the "G1Tower", it will reside at the company’s elevator R&D and manufacturing base in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and is due for completion in April this year. Prior to this, the company used a 90m tower built in 1967 for its research. Hitachi says it will use the new tower to conduct verification tests on the world's fastest elevator, which has an ear-popping rated speed of 1,080m/min (40.26mph). Read More
The self-folding Origami stroller: a cool name for a compact kid carrier
By Jude Garvey
20:24 February 1, 2010 PST
When did baby strollers get so high-tech? The Origami stroller power-folds itself open and shut at the touch of a button and has a built-in generator that charges the battery with every step you take. You can even choose to add options like powered speakers for your MP3 player, daytime running lights, or an adapter to charge your mobile phone. You want more features? Well read on… Read More
Earthquake tactlile transducers give gamers and movie buffs good vibrations
By Jeff Salton
18:25 February 1, 2010 PST
For home theater enthusiasts or gamers who enjoy the deep thud of a good subwoofer but want a little more “jolt” without the extra noise, Earthquake Sound Corp. has added to its range of tactile transducers with the Q10B and MQB-1 that, when fitted to a theater chair or platform, can virtually loosen your fillings. Along with visualizing and hearing, low frequency sound adds a third sense which brings people further into the realm of virtual reality of movies and games. Read More
Calera and Novacem use concrete to capture CO2
By Ben Coxworth
14:54 February 1, 2010 PST
Concrete seems pretty inoffensive. It just looks like mud, and appears to do nothing except sit there and harden. The fact is, though, concrete is the world's third-largest source of man-made carbon dioxide. Its production process accounts for at least 5% of the CO2 our species pumps into the atmosphere annually. Apparently, however, it doesn't have to be that way. Two companies are now using different technologies that not only make concrete carbon-neutral, they actually make it carbon-negative. Read More
Armatrix SmartGun safety system uses wristwatch to authenticate weapons
By Darren Quick
04:03 February 1, 2010 PST
Stopping weapons from falling into the wrong hands is a major problem for law enforcement agencies all over the world. But if keeping weapons out of the clutches of the criminal element proves too difficult, the next best thing is ensuring that such weapons can’t be used if they do. That’s just what the Armatix SmartGun concept does by disabling the pistol unless it's in the hands of someone wearing a custom wristwatch that sends a signal to arm the gun. Read More
This car sold for US$360,000 in this condition ... and will not be restored
By Mike Hanlon
02:03 February 1, 2010 PST
An archeological find of some magnitude went under the hammer this week, when a rusted 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia that has spent the last three quarters of a century at the bottom of a lake in North Italy was auctioned. When found and raised, it validated a legend that had circulated for 70 years. Mercifully, it will not be restored, but will live on in an American museum in its partially reclaimed glory as living proof of the craftsmanship of the era in general, and the Bugatti marque in particular. The Italian legend fetched a staggering EUR 260,500 - US$360,000. They do not make 'em like this any more. Read More
Gizcast #13: discussion - Apple iPad, new-age sex toys and the virtual minefield
By Loz Blain
22:39 January 31, 2010 PST
This week, Loz Blain and Mike Hanlon agree to disagree on the upcoming iPad, we take a look at a couple of upcoming stories on next-gen sex toys, check out the Metal Storm virtual minefield and look at how Thailand is moving to prevent petrol fraud. Read More
Archipod's Pod is an energy efficient, eco-friendly garden office
By Jude Garvey
22:36 January 31, 2010 PST
Are you sick and tired of spending valuable time commuting to work and enduring peak-hour traffic and road rage? Well now that most people have access to mobile phones, email, video conferencing and the Internet - the dream of trading in an office job for working from home can become a reality. However, separating work from home life can sometimes be difficult. That’s where the Pod comes in – it might look like an enormous coconut has landed in your garden, but this is a unique garden office that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, plus it gives you a designated space in which to work. Read More
Necker Nymph: underwater flying becomes Virgin territory
21:51 January 31, 2010 PST
It seems that Sir Richard Branson's quest to conquer unexplored frontiers isn't limited to space tourism.The Virgin boss's latest acquisition is a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine that "flies" through the briny deep using the positive buoyancy system developed by Graham Hawkes. Christened Necker Nymph, the flying sub will find a home on Branson's 74 acre private island in the British Virgin Islands where it will launch from shore as well as operating from the luxury 105 foot catamaran Necker Belle - just add a quiet US$25,000 to the weekly hire price tag. Read More
Better hearing via your teeth
By Darren Quick
21:36 January 31, 2010 PST
Just as people with sight in only one eye have problems with depth perception, those with impaired hearing in one ear, known as unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD), face difficulty in localizing sound. Addressing the problem with a hearing aid worn in the mouth might not sound like a logical solution, but that’s just what medical device company Sonitus Medical is doing with SoundBite - a hearing system that transmits sound to the inner ear via the teeth. Read More
Pressure sensitive technology set to bring 3D capability to touchscreens
By Darren Quick
18:55 January 31, 2010 PST
Touchscreens found in most mobile devices today use capacitance or resistance technology - fine for detecting input from a finger, but not so great when it comes to detecting how much pressure that finger is applying. However, this limitation could be about to change with news that Japanese touch screen manufacturer, Nissha, has licensed new technology that allows a touchscreen to detect pressure, even from a finger. This adds a third dimension to touchscreen interaction and opens up a raft of potential applications. Read More
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