Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Wattbox: Habit-learning device to lower energy bills

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:42:54 -0600

The adage “less is more” rings true when discussing energy usage - as energy costs rise, using less saves you more money each year. And studies have shown that householders who know how much energy they use on a daily basis tend to use significantly less. A new device called the Wattbox - a smart control unit for central heating and hot water heaters that learns householders' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption - could deliver home energy savings of up to 20 percent without compromising comfort say UK researchers. A great feature of the Wattbox is that it is retrofittable, meaning it’s suitable for all houses, not just new ones...

Tags: Automatic, Consumption, Controller, Electrical, Energy, Energy-saving, Heat, Home, Thermostat

Related Articles:

Tech firm InteraXon to transmit brain waves across Canada

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:44:56 -0600

If you’re attending the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia this month, you’ll have the chance to transmit your brain waves across Canada. When they reach their destination, the province of Ontario, they'll produce a custom light show on one of three prominent Ontario landmarks - presumably to the amazement of thousands of onlookers. While this might sound like technology straight out of an X-Men movie, it is in fact the latest accomplishment of Toronto-based tech firm InteraXon... and it could be just the tip of the iceberg in the field of thought-controlled computing...

Tags: Brain, Concept, Headset, Olympic, Research, Software, Technology

Related Articles:

Historical WWII imagery now available in Google Earth

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:32:32 -0600

When reconnaissance pilots brought back precious surveillance photos during World War II (WWII) they could not have imagined that they would one day be comparable with the cityscape seen from satellite 50 years into the future, and available around the world at the touch of a button. Google has made this possible with new functionality for Google Earth - historical WWII imagery - giving people a unique opportunity to see the effect of past events using today's mapping technology. ..

Tags: Clock, Google, Historic, Mapping, Reconnaissance, Satellite

Related Articles:

World's most precise clock keeps time to 1 second in 3.7 billion years

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:27:06 -0600

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built an enhanced version of an experimental atomic clock based on a single aluminum atom that would neither gain nor lose one second in about 3.7 billion years. That makes it the world’s most precise clock, more than twice as precise as the previous pacesetter based on a mercury atom...

Tags: atoms, Clock, Quantum, Time

Related Articles:

First glimpse of Boeing 787 Dreamliner interior

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:26:25 -0600

The 787 Dreamliner successfully completed its maiden test flight in December and now the interior design of Boeing's next-gen aircraft has been revealed. The officially released photo shows the partially decked-out interior featured on the third of six flight test airplanes. While certainly sleek, at first glance there's nothing overly radical about the layout, though Boeing says it will give passengers greater comfort with its "dynamic lighting, larger lavatories, more spacious luggage bins and electronic window shades whose transparency they can change during flight."..

Tags: 787, Aircraft, Boeing, Rolls-Royce

Related Articles:

Ice Ball Machine - the next round of drinks

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:20:33 -0600

Ice cubes are so passé. We’ve already seen them challenged in their drink cooling duties by Sippin’ Rocks and now there's a new threat looming. The Ice Ball Mold transforms an irregular shaped chunk of ice into an icy sphere, which its proponents say are more desirable than cubes because they melt more slowly due to their smaller surface area - thereby keeping your drink cooler and less diluted for longer...

Tags: Aluminum, Ice, scotch, Whisky

Related Articles:

Stem cell elimination offers ovarian cancer breakthrough

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:03:59 -0600

The medical profession has experienced much difficulty and frustration in detecting and treating ovarian cancer, but researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut, believe they have made a major breakthrough. They say eliminating cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor could hold the key to successful treatments...

Tags: Cancer, Information, Medical, Ovarian, Research, Stem Cells, Treatment, Tumor, Women

Related Articles:

The tot-toting Ride On Carry On chair takes a load off traveling parents

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:03:37 -0600

Traveling with children is never an easy task. Balancing a kid on one hip while dragging around your carry-on luggage can be a tiring backbreaking chore. Sure, you could opt for a trunki if your kids are tired, but what if your kids are tired AND hungry? The Ride On Carry On addresses this problem by attaching to a rolling suitcase to form a chair where your pride and joy can not only be safely carried as you traverse the seemingly endless miles of airport, it also provides a place to sit and play while enduring the long waits that have become standard for airline passengers...

Tags: Adjustable, Chair, Kids, Luggage, Seat

Related Articles:

Unfair advantage? Team BMW Oracle Racing takes 'wind mapping' technology to the America's Cup

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:31:19 -0600

Imagine you're a competitive sailboat racer, about to go into the richest and most storied of all sailing races with a squillion-dollar boat and a razor-sharp crew. Now imagine somebody hands you a device that can quite literally map out the wind activity up to a kilometre out in front of you, showing wind speed, direction and turbulence - and giving you the almost superatural ability to adjust your sails and take maximal advantage of a wind pattern before you even reach it. It's almost an unfair advantage, isn't it? Well, this is the situation that BMW Oracle Racing's Russell Coutts finds himself in as the team gears up to take on defending champions Alinghi in the 2010 America's Cup. The device is called a Racer's Edge laser wind sensor, and it's built around a technology base that's being used to optimise wind power generators. We caught up with Phil Rogers, CEO of Catch the Wind, Inc, to find out more...

Tags: BMW, Laser, Racing, Sailors, Wind, Wind Power

Related Articles:

Symbian, the world’s most widely used smartphone platform, is now open source

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:48:43 -0600

When Nokia acquired the former Symbian Software Limited in 2008 a new independent non-profit organization called the Symbian Foundation was established. One of its main goals was to create the Symbian platform used on more than 330 million mobile phones worldwide as a royalty-free, open source software. Now, less than two full years later and four months ahead of schedule that goal has become a reality with the foundation announcing the completed open source release of the Symbian platform source code...

Tags: Nokia, Open Source, Smartphone, Software, Symbian

Related Articles:

Solar Decathlon hits the road to catch some Spanish sun

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:05:44 -0600

Madrid will host the first European version of the Solar Decathlon competition this summer which sees teams from universities throughout the world designing, building and displaying efficient and sustainable solar homes. The overall competition winner being decided after the completion of ten trials aimed at gauging each entry's energy efficiency and sustainability credentials...

Tags: Architecture, Climate, Competition, Decathlon, Design, Efficiency, Europe, Exhibition, Housing, Photovoltaic, Prototype, Solar, Sustainable, Technology

Related Articles:

Displax 'skin' turns virtually any surface into multi-touch display

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:45:32 -0600

Portuguese company Displax has announced the development of a “skin” that can turn virtually any surface into a multi-touch display. Based on capacitive technology, the “skin” is developed on a thinner-than-paper polymer film that turns a surface, be it glass, plastic or wood, curved or flat, into an interactive touch screen. The interface is so sensitive that it even detects when you blow on it, registering both the intensity and direction of the air flow...

Tags: Display, Interactive, Multi touch, Nanotechnology, Thin, Touch Screen

Related Articles:

Panasonic toughens up ruggedized LUMIX DMC-TS2

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:57:33 -0600

Panasonic has announced significant improvements in the toughness department with its new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-TS2. It's now waterproof to even greater depths, can survive being dropped from a height of six feet and winter sports enthusiasts will no doubt be pleased to hear that it can also withstand some seriously chilly temperatures...

Tags: Camera, Compact, High Definition, Lumix, Panasonic, Photo, Rugged, Sdxc, Shockproof, Sports, Temperature, tough, Waterproof

Related Articles:

Geocentric concept watch puts an orrery on your wrist

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:33:25 -0600

When it comes to timepieces I’m firmly in the camp that thinks the digital watch is the pinnacle of time telling technology. It imparts its information at a glance with no need to waste time adding or subtracting minutes in multiples of five, or estimating if the big hand is two or three minutes between markers – if there are markers at all. I will concede, however, that for many people watches are as much a fashion statement as a means to tell time and as such designers are always looking to redefine the humble watch in different and interesting ways. The latest eye-catching timepiece to catch our eye is the Geocentric concept watch that uses a motion similar to planets rotating around a sun to tell time...

Tags: Concept, Mechanical, Time, Watch

Related Articles:

Vapur - the reusable, flexible water bottle

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:47:46 -0600

Personally, I’m not a fan of bottled water. Firstly, tap water in many parts of the world is safe, tastes fine, and it's free. Then there's the waste that bottled water causes – an enormous amount of energy is consumed in manufacture and most bottles end up in landfill. So when I see a product like the Vapur, I instantly warm to it. It’s a flexible, reusable water container that rolls up like a tube of toothpaste when it's empty to fit in your pocket, purse or backpack – then in the dishwasher, not in the trash...

Tags: Bottled, Bottles, Drink, Recycling, Water

Related Articles:

Running barefoot lessens impact - but don't throw your shoes away just yet

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:16:36 -0600

New research has backed up the findings of another study we covered recently on Gizmag which found the average modern running shoe causes significant damage to the knees, hips and ankles compared to running barefoot. The new study found that people who run barefoot land on the ball or middle of the foot. This mitigates the potentially damaging impacts that can be equivalent to two or three times their body weight that shoe-wearing runners, who generally land on their heels, subject their bodies to...

Tags: harvard, Impact, Research, Shoes

Related Articles:

Roxxxy the US$7,000 companion/sex robot (NSFW)

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:09:06 -0600

When it comes to technology, the sex industry is no laggard, and as robotics become more human-like in their appearance and abilities, US-based company TrueCompany is poised to launch Roxxxy – the world’s first "sex robot" that has many more capabilities than your average sex doll. Apart from having better defined physical features than previous dolls, Roxxxy has been programmed with her own personality and her manufacturers say she can listen, talk, carry on a conversation, feel your touch and respond to it, as well as move her private areas inside when she is being “utilized” to deliver an unforgettable erotic experience. There are even plans for a male version - Rocky the Robot...

Tags: Doll, Girlfriend, Robot, Robotics, Sex, Wireless

Related Articles:

Modular SunSine solar panels from GreenRay will generate AC power

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:53:39 -0600

Solar power start-up GreenRay Inc. has developed the SunSine AC “solar appliance” that integrates the complex components of conventional solar power systems into modular, plug-and-play panels for easier installation, reduced cost, and increased safety. GreenRay designed the SunSine AC to produce standard alternating current (AC) electricity that is suitable for use in homes and small businesses, and the company hopes that by simplifying the technology and making it more affordable, it can make solar power more accessible to homeowners...

Tags: Electric, Energy, green, GreenRay, Modular, Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, Solar, SunSine

Related Articles:

Transfer cutting board keeps kitchen benchtops clean

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:50:30 -0600

I’m not sure about TV celebrity chefs any more…nothing personal, but they have really raised the bar when it comes to preparing food for guests. Are we expected to smear, tower or stack all our food - or do we just arrange it in one messy heap? Who knows? However, if you do want to look like a professional - the Transfer board could help. Its simple but clever design helps you move chopped food to a single plate quickly and effortlessly - which will make it easier to cook…and to impress...

Tags: Design, food, Kitchen

Related Articles:

Russia announces test-flight of fifth generation fighter aircraft

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:11:33 -0600

Russia has reportedly successfully test-flown its first fifth generation fighter jet prototype. Formally known as the Prospective Aircraft Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK-FA), the craft made its 47 minute maiden voyage on 29th January. Manufactured by the Russian state owned Sukhoi Aircraft Corporation, the development of this tactical frontline stealth fighter jet is being seen as a significant milestone in the efforts of the country to modernize its post Soviet–era military technology. ..

Tags: air, Aircraft, Aviation, Design, Fighter, Jets, Military, Prototype, Radar, Reconnaissance, Stealth, Surveillance, Technology, Test

Related Articles:

Solar glazing chases sun from dawn until dusk

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:49:34 -0600

In the age of green energy we are seeing interesting new developments that marry building materials with the capacity to harness renewable power sources. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) or concentrating PV technologies aren't new, but the ability to concentrate and maximize the capture of energy by tracking sunlight from dawn to dusk is. The Center for Architectural Science and Ecology CASE has unveiled a new Integrated Concentrating (IC) Dynamic Solar Facade which does just that - and it looks great!..

Tags: Building, Efficiency, Electricity, Energy, Glass, Light, Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology

Related Articles:

Review: iXpand 3G iPhone and iPod Touch charger

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:04:35 -0600

A new snap-on battery that can extend the talk time and power on an iPhone 3G, 3GS or iPod Touch 2G device by around three hours (up to 100 hours standby) has been released by Ethereal Home Theater. "No bulky or clumsy cords, and designed to look like an extension to a 3G iPhone, this is one of the better-looking spare batteries going around," says Gizmag's Jeff Salton, who's been putting the unit to the test...

Tags: Apple, Battery, Charger, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod, iPod touch, iTunes, USB

Related Articles:

Honda aerodynamic scooter conversion results in 214 mpg

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:50:12 -0600

Adding a self-built aerodynamic outer shell to a brand new Honda Innova 125i big-wheeled, step through scooter has resulted in its already pretty impressive fuel efficiency being improved considerably. Experienced Dutch cycle designer Allert Jacobs has spent the last couple of years designing, building and tweaking his machine before hitting the road recently for the all important road test...

Tags: Aerodynamics, Conversion, Design, Fuel efficiency, Honda, Motorcycle, recumbent, Scooter

Related Articles:

Project Natal to ship in 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:14:19 -0600

Microsoft has announced that its controller-less accessory for the Xbox 360, dubbed Project Natal, will ship by the end of 2010. Unveiled in June 2009, Project Natal is the Redmond company’s attempt to out-Wii the Wii. Instead of a hand-held controller, wireless or otherwise, Project Natal uses a 3D sensing unit on top of your TV to read your gestures, recognize your face or other objects, and even respond to your voice. Project Natal is among the latest examples of devices that are controlled by so-called “natural user interfaces”...

Tags: 3D, CES 2010, Gaming, Gestures, Microsoft, natural user interface, NUI, Xbox 360

Related Articles:

Tilting 'bullet-proof’ 150mph 3-wheel EV … Urban Jet or urban myth?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:36:11 -0600

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)...

Tags: Bike, Electric vehicle, Hybrid, Motorcycle, Three-wheeler, Tilting

Related Articles: