gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Gordon Murray's T.25 car reaches halfway development milestone

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:32:05 +1000

Gordon Murray Design’s T.25 concept car has reached the halfway point in development, with the first prototype build scheduled to begin in early 2009. Though Murray, (the brains behind the McLaren F1 road car), has remained tight-lipped about the specifics, he is adamant about delivering a small car that will be more cost-effective at every stage: cheaper to produce, purchase and run. ..

Tags: Concept Cars, Emissions Control

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Acer claims world’s first 50000:1 contrast ratio HD LCD monitor with the G24

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:33:11 +1000

July 6, 2008 Acer’s new G24 LCD monitor is the first in the world to claim a 50000:1 contrast ratio courtesy of Acer’s Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM), which Acer claims produces dramatic improvements in gradation and detail, especially for dimmer and brighter scenes as well as enabling the G24 to use less power. Designed to entice PC gamers, the G24 supports high-definition (HD) graphics in a high contrast orange-black colored package that matches the Aspire Predator desktop PC. ..

Tags: gaming, High Definition, LCD, Personal Computers

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Pangaea - the world's largest, cleanest expeditionary sailing ship

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:46:30 +1000

The 35-meter two master PANGAEA is the largest and most flexible polar expedition sailboat ever built. It can navigate through tropics and rivers as easily as it can through polar regions, and will travel to five continents, including the North and South Pole...

Tags: Boating, Climate Change, Emissions Control, Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, Sailing, Yacht

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Motorola Blaze to enter the touchscreen phone arena

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:01:29 +1000

June 6, 2008 Motorola’s yet-to-be-released iPhone competitor is the Motorola Blaze, which boasts a haptic-feedback touchscreen with a protective flip top transparent plastic cover which also allows for the unit to be used with the cover closed. The phone also sports a 2 megapixel camera, EV-DO, GPS, Bluetooth and MobileTV. ..

Tags: GPS, haptics, iPhone, Mobile Phone, Motorola

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Geared Turbofan engine cuts emissions and running costs

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:07:41 +1000

July 6, 2008 Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has been cleared for flight-testing. By incorporating a gearbox system into the engine, aircraft can achieve a 12% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, a 50% reduction in NOx emissions, and a 50% reduction in engine noise. The GTF engine has been chosen by Mitsubishi to power the company’s Regional Jet (scheduled to enter service in 2013), and the upcoming Bombardier CSeries...

Tags: Aeroplanes, Emissions Control, Engine Technologies, Pratt & Whitney

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New BMW 7 series gets pedestrian recognition

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:33:07 +1000

The launch of the fifth generation of the BMW 7 Series will include several technical innovation firsts, including the World’s first Night Vision system with individual pedestrian recognition, the first production car with front side view camera, the first BMW Saloon with speed-related Integral Active Steering and the first BMW with Lane Change Warning. It will go on sale later this year. ..

Tags: BMW

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Toyota’s premium ultra-compact iQ concept becomes a reality

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:18:18 +1000

July 6, 2008 Toyota showed its iQ Concept at last year’s motorshows, creating a new class of premium ultra-compact vehicle, capable of carrying three adults plus a child in comfort. Now, in a move that foretells a coming era of much smaller cars, the iQ is set for production in 2008 and availability in 2009. The iQ was a sensation, proving emphatically that small does not mean basic, and drawing huge crowds – the message sunk in quickly, and now the production version (pictured) offers a completely new proposition for urban motoring that is stylish, sophisticated, technically advanced and kinder to the environment...

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DNA Barcode initiative

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:59:37 +1000

July 6, 2008 Barcoding is little more than half a century old, yet it has permeated every corner of civilisation. Barcodes enabled machines to recognise objects, and was the first viable technology for enabling computers to track vast systems. Barcodes saved money and time in every area of logistics, but more importantly brought order so that we could measure and analyse very large and complex systems. Now, in an ambitious initiative scientists want to apply this concept to life by using DNA - nature's unique barcode of every species of animal, plant and microbe - to create a vast library of every living organism on the planet. Such a global DNA barcode database would prove invaluable in numerous ways, from identifying new species of organism and monitoring biodiversity to detecting fraud...

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Holy Cow – the Batcycle becomes the Batpod

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:33:19 +1000

Comic book hero Batman has been with us for 70 years next year, becoming one of the most popular fictional characters of all time. Along the way, Batman became more technologically savvy, using wondrous gadgets such as the bat-car, bat-computer, bat-cave, bat-signal, bat-radar, bat-camera and bat-cycle to fight an array of adversaries such as the Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin, Two-Face, the Riddler, and Scarecrow. With the latest celluloid interpretation of the Batman character set for global release next week (The Dark Knight), we’re about to see another interpretation of the Bat-cycle – the Batpod...

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Banana Guard – protecting your banana

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:08:23 +1000

Bananas have been one of the world’s staple foods for at least 7000 years and remain popular due to their nutritional value and instant energy boost. Sadly, for all their virtues, bananas don’t travel well and just aren’t as appetizing when they’re squashed. Now you can carry and store your banana safely in a backpack, pocket, school bag or sports bag...

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Fusion Motion Capture set to revolutionise biomechanical analysis

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:46:59 +1000

The development of Fusion Motion Capture (FMC) by Massey University PhD student Matthew Brodie has some broad implications for sport. Though initially focussed on enabling biomechanical analysis of ski racing, Brodie’s FMC system is worn by the athlete and promises much for the understanding of many sports. Unlike traditional biomechanical analysis which uses video cameras, FMC, using a range of inertial sensors, pressure pads and GPS attached to the athlete’s limbs, helmet and feet to generate raw data from the athlete’s movement. The numbers are then crunched by a computer to produce accurate estimates of the position, velocity and acceleration of the limb segments. Indeed, FMC can be reasonably expected to eventually offer a much deeper understanding of biomechanics for any sport, with particular benefits for sports such as long distance running, cycling, rowing, mountain biking, yachting, skating and even to analyse movements that are normally hidden from view, such as behaviour inside a rugby scrum. FMC almost certainly has other applications, such as postural and gait analysis, an interface for computer games, motion capture for the film and games industry and to provide a visual biomechanical analysis of an athlete playing any sport to enhance the experience of the television audience. Click here for a simple video explanation of FMC...

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Anaconda aims for affordable wave power

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:17:51 +1000

A giant rubber tube known as the “Anaconda” may present an viable solution to the challenge of generating electricity from the power of ocean waves. Under development in the UK, the simple design means it would be cheap to manufacture and maintain, resulting in clean electricity at a lower cost than other types of wave based energy production...

Tags: Alternative Energy Sources, Renewable Energy, Tidal Energy, Underwater

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Nike’s USA Track and Field uniforms unveiled

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:54:19 +1000

Shaving milliseconds of personal best times could mean the difference between gold and silver at the forthcoming Beijing Olympics - and once again high-tech clothing is seen as one way of finding that extra yard. Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuit has already had a record run since its release in February and now it's Nike's turn to bask in the Olympic spotlight with the unveiling of its new ultra-lightweight uniforms for the USA’s 2008 Track and Field team (USATF). ..

Tags: Sports

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The Grab-it Pack

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:17:18 +1000

With the plethora of digital cameras, PDS, phones, digital media players adding to the physical burden we carry every day, sometimes it gets to be a real problem just dealing with the load. Fanny packs and back packs are potential answers to the problem, as was the Quickdraw Clip System we covered earlier this week, but now there’s another player in the mix that is worthy of consideration – the GRABIT PACK. It’s a simple but ingenious invention and the work of former stuntman Louis Kiss who recognised the need for carrying capacity that offers “fast access while not getting in the way”. It’s more accessible than a sling bag and ideal for the user Louis envisaged - photographers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, Police Officers, Paramedics, messengers, landscapers, and Film Industry “grips” and makeup artists...

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Tesla to build new all-electric car in California

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:08:33 +1000

Tesla Motors will build the follow up vehicle to the Tesla Roadster in California. The plan to manufacture the 4-door, 5-passenger sedan was announced earlier this week by Ze’ev Drori, CEO of Tesla Motors, and California Governor Schwarzenegger..

Tags: Automotive, Battery Electric Vehicles, Emissions Control, Tesla

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The Godfather Collection gets release date for Blu-ray

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:47:37 +1000

The original Godfather film is widely regarded as one of the best films ever, with a #1 position on the top lists of both IMDB and Metacritic - and now it's coming to Blu-ray bundled with its two younger brothers. ..

Tags: Blu-ray, Home Entertainment

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The Overfinch Country Pursuits Concept Car

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:51:32 +1000

Making its debut today at Salon Prive Luxury and Supercar Show at the Hurlingham Club in London is the Country Pursuits Concept (CPC) car from Overfinch Bespoke Vehicles – an extensively modified Range Rover aimed at the upper echelons of sports-loving society. The no-expense-spared CPC comes with a 470 bhp 4.2 litre engine and an enhanced suspension system to lower the car 20cm at speed or raise it 25cm under extreme off road conditions. There’s also a fully integrated fridge and the pictured Olive Ash removable gun box with three sliding drawers which will hold a bespoke gun case, cartridges and crystal glass drinking set...

Tags: Overfinch

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AwareSpot location based alert system for mobile phones

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:41:55 +1000

Developed by the makers of the Trapster, AwareSpot is a new location based service for mobile phone users with a variety of applications. The free service is designed so that police, public safety and community service organizations, media, clubs, businesses, and more can quickly and easily set up community alert broadcast channels that deliver location based, relevant, timely information to their audiences...

Tags: GPS, Mapping, Mobile Phone

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Self-powered knee sensor for surgery

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:52:09 +1000

A researcher at the University of Southampton in the UK has developed a new self-powered sensor that would allow surgeons to monitor progress during knee operations. The Serial In-vivo Transducer (SIT) uses thick film technology and could measure tendon force during Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction; a common procedure among athletes...

Tags: Medical, research watch

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The Quick Draw Clip System for personal organisation

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:40:04 +1000

For most people, the mobile telephone is their principal business tool. It needs to be conveniently accessible wherever they are for optimum productivity. If you move beyond your desk regularly, that means carrying it with you without losing that accessibility. The Quick Draw Clip System offers an instant, accessible and secure way to carry cell phones, iPods, GPS, gloves, cameras, tools, keys, two-way radios or anything else you can come up with!..

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Global PC Installed base passes 1 Billion

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:02:38 +1000

For all the talk of convergence centered on the computer, it is lagging far behind the mobile phone as the world’s go-to information machine for the masses. We reported a few months ago that half the world’s humans now carry a mobile phone and soon the number of active mobile services in the world will touch 4 billion. Gartner’s latest figures put the number of installed PCs worldwide as just having surpassed 1 billion units and at a growth rate of just under 12 percent annually, will surpass 2 billion units by early 2014. ..

Tags: Mobile Phone, Personal Computers

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Man vs Machine foosball table

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:32:09 +1000

Up until now foosball aficionados have had to find another living, breathing human being to engage in rod spinning combat. Not anymore, thanks to a highly competitive automated foosball table capable kicking human opposition ‘off the park’. ..

Tags: gaming, Home Entertainment

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A.M.P. – the dancing, mobile, robot boombox

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:41:53 +1000

The semi-autonomous robotic boombox the Miuro has a new big brother. Tiger Electronics, a division of Hasbro Inc. has teamed up with Japanese distributor SEGA Toys to introduce the Automated Music Personality (A.M.P), a 2.4 feet (73 cm) tall black robot that can be hooked up to an MP3 player or iPod and bobs its head and dances while red LED lights on its head flash. The A.M.P. pumps out 12 watts of stereo sound through a 5" mid-range speaker and two high output tweeters while more boom can be added to any song with the dedicated bass boost button. The A.M.P. also features two turntable shaped hands that allow users to be the DJ and use A.M.P. as a virtual mixing deck. The touch pad hands serve as a way to layer different sound effects and scratches over the music with the left touch pad used to add music effects and the right touch pad controlling the audio...

Tags: Audio, iPod, MP3, Robot, Speakers

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Flash file format becomes indexable

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:07:10 +1000

In a move that will inevitably lead to a richer user experience on the internet, Adobe is teaming up with Google and Yahoo! to enhance search engine indexing of the Flash file format (SWF). This will dramatically improve search results of dynamic Web content and rich Internet applications (RIAs) because for the first time they will be discoverable by search engines. ..

Tags: Adobe

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Evergreen Supertanker: the world's largest firefighting aircraft

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:46:44 +1000

As global temperatures slowly increase, a number of nations, including the USA, are finding themselves battling widespread droughts and huge, devastating wildfires that threaten properties, lives, infrastructure and ecosystems alike. Whatever the causes, new tools are clearly required to help subdue the massive bushfires that have destroyed an area the size of Oregon over the last 18 years. Aerial fire suppressant drops are sometimes the only way to effectively fight huge firefronts, and Evergreen's new Boeing 747-based Supertanker promises to be the daddy of them all, carrying seven times more drop capacity than most dedicated firefighting aircraft. Evergreen expect the Supertanker to be a quicker, cheaper, safer and more effective aerial firefighting tool than anything else on the market - and its 747 base platform gives it the ability to operate throughout the USA and around the world wherever it's needed...

Tags: Aeroplanes, Firefighting

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