Futurama

Jay Leno's EcoJet

2009-08-01T23:43:00.003+06:00

We first saw Jay Leno's EcoJet mid-engine turbine coupe at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Leno, with General Motors' Design Chief, Ed Welburn, and Frank Saucedo, who heads the automaker's west coast studio, penned the design concept.

Leno has both a motorcycle and a pickup truck powered by "jet" turbine engines, so the plan was to create an automobile that would run on a similar powerplant fueled by biodiesel.

The EcoJet Leno was initially a static exhibit, but one thing about Jay's Garage is that everything runs. So Jim Hall, Bernard Juchli and the other wizards in the Burbank shop set about to turn the EcoJet Leno from a barely rolling display into a complete running automobile.

What they were mating were a Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine with some 700 bhp and upwards of 500 lb-ft of torque to a GM 4-speed automatic transmission. This driveline was installed amidships in a reworked Corvette aluminum frame surrounded by the carbon fiber body.

Think about the challenge of turning a static show car into a running automobile. Problems like mating the electronics of the turbine to those of the gearbox and then creating a dashboard display so Leno can monitor functions when driving.

Schumacher returns to replace Massa

2009-07-30T15:15:00.003+06:00

In another dramatic twist to the 2009 season, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher will be replacing the injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia. With rumours having circulated since the Brazilian's accident on Saturday, Ferrari confirmed the decision on Wednesday evening.

Eco car by Rome

2009-07-08T16:52:00.006+06:00

Zero-emission Eco car saves on parking expenditures.

With city lanes getting more congested with the increase in the number of cars, a lack of parking space has always been an issue which most drivers have to confront. How about an eco car that serves as a balcony when you’re not driving in it? Obviously the idea hasn’t met realism till date, but electric eco car designer Roman Mistiuk thinks it can very well solve all parking woes. Roman has come up with an electric car dubbed the eco Metromorph, which doesn’t need parking space on the ground, but a window facing the road.

Powered by two in-wheel motors, which are fueled by two battery cases, the eco electric car promises a zero-emission ride as well. The eco futuristic concept can be parked vertically outside your apartment’s window, where it serves as a balcony. Once in balcony mode, the seats of the eco electric car can be adjusted, which allows them to become eco lounge chairs for lying down and relaxing.

F1 racecar replica created from trashed Styrofoam

2009-06-26T20:43:00.000+06:00

Recycled artwork made from used Styrofoam.

We all are quite aware of the fact that just like plastic waste Styrofoam too is extremely harmful for the environment. Being lightweight, cheap and strong, the material is still the most feasible choice for packaging products especially electronic items that require an extra degree of protection. That’s the main reason we often see DIYers trying out their skills with Styrofoam and crafting it into various items that includes chandeliers and even robots.

However, there are some designers who do possess extreme recycling skills and can make stunning pieces of art from materials that not many bother to reuse. Michael Salter is not a new name in the recycling world and there aren’t many designers who can compete with Michael in recycling Styrofoam. The designer is back again and this time with a full scale F1 racecar replica that he crafted from nothing other than trashed Styrofoam.

Bionamic gets powered by millions

2009-06-26T20:34:00.000+06:00

Zero-emission electric car powered by solar energy.

The enhancement in solar technology has made it possible for car designers to incorporate tiny solar modules on the body of the car to generate energy on the move. The Bionamic by Güney Kol is one such car that will use the technology to perfection. The electrically-powered four-wheeler is designed with a stunning visual appeal and an eye toward practicality as well.

Like all electric cars, this one too requires a lightweight yet strong body, which in this case is made from a passive elastic sheathing made of carbon/metal nanotube alloy. Apart from the elastic exterior, the car also carries a tougher layer, which is a carbon nanotube muscle suit. The muscle suit houses millions of tiny solar modules that are precisely positioned to get the most out of the sun.

Apart from the on-board solar electricity generators, the car also makes use of an Ion Intake System that absorbs ions from the environment and converts them into usable energy to propel the car. Instead of a conventional steering wheel, the car is controlled by a pair of joysticks that are placed to make driving easier.

Deltoid Double Energy concept

2009-06-26T19:47:00.000+06:00

The Deltoid double energy concept is a clean, zero emission vehicle running on electricity, or solar power. Its batteries can be recharged through a conventional power socket, or you can park it in the sun and photovoltaic elements in the concept’s roof will charge its batteries. The concept has a wishbone suspension at the front, and depended suspensions for the rear.

The 1+1 seater has chassis comprising a double energy zone system, two horizontal bars are connected to the chassis for increased safety. Rear spoiler on the concept has been fixed with the rear axis, and it generates enough downforce to keep the car stable at high speeds. If you look at the concept from the rear, it actually looks respectable, even good. But its front is a real spoiler; it looks more like Orochimaru’s experiment with some fish, one that went horribly wrong.

Slow Murder of Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T19:12:00.001+06:00

The Slow Murder of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has been living in public since he was ten. He's the prototype for 'The Truman Show.' Imagine going through puberty and adolescence in front of a fleet of cameras. The world gets to see, hear and comment on our sexual awakening and cluelessness, on our bodies going bonkers: zits, voice changing (a singer's voice), too fat, too skinny, nose too big, not nice enough, not down enough, too politically conscious for Young America, too soft for the streets, too black, too white. Too much responsibility. Not enough fun.
The Jackson 5 hit the charts during the chaos of the anti-war movement and the militant phase of the civil rights movement. Michael was too young and too driven by the commercial demands of his family and his mentor/employer Berry Gordy to tap into the political/philosophical side of youth culture -- a rare sliver of time when young people had goals deeper than fun and status. His major breakthrough occurred in the 80's as a solo artist during the Reagan era when our lingering humiliation over Watergate and America's first military defeat sought relief in nostalgia for the certainties of the 50's.
Coupled with the birth of MTV, materialism replaced social consciousness as the reigning aesthetic of youth culture. Artiface and acquisition, vogueing and coke, polyester motorcycle jackets and business suits. Fashion models became superstars just because they were pretty, corporate CEOs because they were rich, and Robin Leach because he publicly swooned over the rich and pretty for our amusement. Jackson was the most famous rich pretty person on earth.
The pressure to stay young and pretty, coupled with the onset of his alleged skin condition (vitiligo, which causes irregularly shaped white blotches on the skin), must have put this hopelessly exposed and fragile man-child into an ongoing dull roar of panic. The extreme nature of his fame, visibility and the pressure to maintain the winning formula in a formula-bound youth culture must have been crushing to a person who had known nothing but pop music success.
The call to surgically derived youth had been answered long before Michael Jackson got to it. But Jackson, unlike his nipped and tucked predecessors, was introduced to the scalpel at a time when the technology of virtual youth offered transformative potential that would have given Mary Shelly the creeps. And few humans of any age had Michael Jackson's enormous wealth with which to indulge surgery to such monstrous ends. Only in horror stories of the "undead" were these transformations previously contemplated: 'Frankenstein,' 'The Island Of Dr. Moreau' and zombie flicks like 'Dawn of The Dead.'
The enormity of his talents has only been surpassed by the depths of his preventive isolation. His pathological drive to stay young for his adolescent market and his lack of intellectual curiosity and maturity precluded evolving into a "mature" artist like Al Green, Sting, Mick Jagger and Robert Plant, whose records are no longer guaranteed to sell multi-platinum but allow for longterm creative careers.
The audience that grew up with Michael Jackson would certainly forgive him for aging along with them. He could have let the teeny boppers serve the teeny boppers. Instead he chose the reality-defying strategy of being a teenager for life. Steven Tyler proved that a popstar could remain a teenager in the head for life. Committing one's body to this goal is a hard wall to bang and Jackson is a banged up old guy for trying.
Fear is a soul-twisting thing; but no fear is as distorting as a generalized fear of reality. The cult of fear and its antidote -- artifice -- leads to a dead end. Artiface is a facsimile of life -- the aesthetic of the "undead." Death metal, fashion models posed and lit to look starved and devoid of consciousness, serial face-lifting that renders a person's face a cadaverous mask, the Tarrantino fetish of graphic violence as comedy.
The eroticism of deadness is everywhere. The punk era popularized the black lipstick and mascara look of a cadaver. A woman's face with so much makeup as to obscure emotional expressiveness is generally associated with sexiness as is the dissipated manequin-chic that typifies so much fashion modeling. The exquisiteness of design and the fact that much of this aesthetic has a nudge-nudge-wink-wink aspect doesn't lighten its weight in the overall cultural lexicon, particularly as it filters down to younger generations who are unaware of the original ironic allusions.
If all of us could afford the excesses of Michael Jackson, how abnormal would he then be? Could I go that far and not know it? That's the scary question we ask ourselves when we rubberneck our tv every time he appears. It's our own cult of necrophilia that causes the air to vibrate when we see that face and hear that voice recite the Peter Pan platitudes in a woozy soprano. We're terrified but can't look away. His music is now merely an asterisk on his resumZ\Z. Removing him is the only way out of our discomforting addiction to sensational coverage his ever-evolving creepiness. And pedophilia is the silver bullet.
Last year I watched the BBC documentary on Jackson. It was a truly repellant experience. The only thing more horrifying was the parade of coverage and commentary that revealed a bizarre giddiness in its malice. Whom did he murder? Whose life savings did he scam? Whose job did he outsource?
Why are so many people so sure he's a pedophile despite the absence of any reported clear evidence? Would we so readily believe Oprah or Derek Jeter to be guilty of pedophilia? We believe what we're comfortable believing. And we want to believe Michael Jackson is guilty. We want to believe that it's impossible for an adult to lie in bed with a child or adolescent without any sexual activity or motivations.

Is it possible that a young kid with cancer who's been told by the medical authorities that he'll soon die has moments of sheer terror? That he's had his youth stolen from him and is alone in the world while other people float outside in a festival of normalcy? Could he have wanted his sympathetic famous benefactor to lie next to him and maybe even rock him to sleep? Is it possible that Michael Jackson knows exactly who this kid is and wants to give him some peace?
I have no way of knowing what Jackson did or didn't do. I do know that our slow collective public murder of this man is one of the ugliest non-military media spectacles I've ever witnessed. If we're not ashamed, then we truly are the undead

Koenigsegg’s Quant Solar Supercar

2009-06-25T12:27:00.001+06:00

Recently supercar company Koenigsegg revealed that it has obtained a controlling interest in Saab, and according to a Swedish website, their plan is to not just keep Saab running, but to use its facilities to manufacture the solar powered Quant supercar in the near future. The Koenigsegg Quant is a fully-electric four person solar powered vehicle with a top speed of 170 mph, and a 0 to 60 speed of around 5.2 seconds. The entire body is covered in a photovoltaic thin-film solar coating designed by NLV that powers the vehicle.

Koenigsegg is currently a small car company with a very limited production - in fact, one of the big issues stopping them from producing cars in large numbers has been their lack of a facility to build them in. Koenigsegg’s deal with Saab suggests that the supercar manufacturer will start rolling out its cars in greater numbers, and we can’t wait to see the vehicles on the horizon.

The most impressive feature of the Koenigsegg Quant is the vehicle’s Flow Accumulator Energy Storage (FAES) system. The FAES has no hazardous materials or heavy metals, and according to NLV in can be charged in just 20 minutes to full capacity. The range of the vehicle is a whopping 500 km.

When we first heard of the Quant, we figured that it was a great concept, but would never really make it into production. Well, if Koenigsegg’s plans for Saab come to fruition, we may actually see this on the streets sometime soon.

Mobile No charging required

2009-06-24T19:53:00.001+06:00

Cellphones charged with ambient RF signals never needs recharging.

In what might seem to be an outrageous statement, Nokia Research Center has stated that the company is working on a prototype device that never needs power from a wall socket, as it gets all the power it needs from ambient radio waves to recharge its built-in battery. A researcher at the research center claims that electromagnetic radiations emitted from Wi-Fi transmitters, cellphone antennas, TV masts and other sources can be converted into electricity provided the system itself doesn’t consume more energy than it generates.

The Nokia prototype device is capable of harnessing about 50mW of power from these ambient radio waves, which is enough to keep the phone running in standby mode for an indefinite period of time. This same charge also tops up the battery, which is great for users who don’t often use their cellphones for long duration calls.

The system works on the same principles as an RFID tag, which is by converting electromagnetic waves into electricity using a low-power circuit. Skeptics believe that harvesting 50mW of electricity from electromagnetic waves alone does seem to be a tough ask. If Nokia is actually developing such a device, it will need a device that can sum up the energy of different frequencies.

Cellphone charger harnesses the change in body temperature for a recharge

2009-06-23T20:09:00.001+06:00

Thermoelectric cellphone concept charger.

Tired of solar and wind-powered recharging solutions for your portable devices? Here is something entirely different – a charger that can be worn on your wrist for a quick cellphone recharge. No, it doesn’t harness the energy of motion, but actually generates electricity from the minor changes in the temperature of your wrist.

Based on the thermoelectric effect, the charger carries an on-board thermocouple that generates electricity by directly converting the temperature differences to electric voltage, which is not as much to give you a shock every now and then, but enough to power your cellphone for a little while when it’s utmost necessary.

Horn Speakers green and luxurious

2009-06-20T13:41:00.000+06:00

Low-power speakers need just 3-50W of amp power.

Gone are the days when good music was accounted mostly to power-sipping amps that consumed hundreds of watts of electricity to generate the lovely sound of a chirping bird. Ferguson Hill is a UK-based company dedicated in making speakers run on low-power amps and still give you unmatched sound quality. The company’s latest system is the FH001, a huge transparent speaker that is green and luxurious at the same time.

Magnet-powered vehicle for hi-tech cities of tomorrow

2009-05-25T23:18:00.000+06:00

Zero emission concept car powered by magnetic field.

With concept designers crafting their fantasies into a consumable form, we believe that the era of tomorrow would be completely different than present days. Harsha Vardhan, a car designer, thinks that apart from the cities, cars too would be completely different and powered by technologies no car manufacturer has tried till date. He fantasizes a car powered by magnetic field generated by on-board electricity powered systems.

The Transporter TW (Twin Wheel) is based around an electric engine which produces a magnetic field to drive the large wheels. The wheel rims are suspended over a superconducting fluid where the changing magnetic field produces the motion needed to propel the vehicle. The power generator and motion is thus smooth, nearly noiseless and green. The occupant of the vehicle sits perched in a cockpit and operates the vehicle. He sits in a swivel seat, and he enters or leaves through a port at the rear of the cockpit.

Are your teenage daughters taking way too long in the shower?

2009-04-23T20:43:00.000+06:00

Teenagers are known for their lavish morning rituals, and lengthy showers. When Australian Trevor Murphy saw his water bill skyrocketing on account of his daughter, he decided to create a device that would stop the shower after a certain amount of water had been used. His ingenious Aqualim requires no electrical parts and can be retrofitted to any existing showerhead.

How much time do you take in the shower? How efficient is your shower head? These are questions that we often ask ourselves when thinking about water conservation. The Aqualim aims to encourage water efficiency by cutting lengthy showers short. After a particular volume of water has been used, the device first reduces the flow, and then shuts it off completely. In case you need more time to finish washing your hair, the Aqualim will reset once it has been shut off.

What is brilliant about the device is that it sets a standard for the amount of water used per shower, and it makes you conscious about that particular water use. Once the shower has been has been shut off, most people are unlikely to keep on showering. The folks behind Aqualim are currently conducting a survey to determine how much water is a reasonable amount to use while showering, so head to their website and let them know.

BIONIC EYE

2009-03-24T14:54:00.000+05:00

Bionic eye man gets camera fitted
Plans to make film about surveillance society

Already this week we've had news of one of the world's first bionic eyes, so we probably shouldn't be too surprised to hear about an artificial eyeball that's actually a video camera.

The amazing device belongs to a Canadian filmmaker who will be using the 'Eyeborg' camera to make a documentary film about the perils of surveillance cameras.

Gun accident

Rob Spence, who lost his right eye in a gun accident as a child, intends to raise awareness of the nature of constantly being watched. He cites the fact that there are 12,000 CCTV cameras in his home city of Toronto.

He explained: "The whole idea was to do a documentary about surveillance. I thought I would become a sort of super hero... fighting for justice against surveillance."

Green Cooling

2009-03-24T14:46:00.000+05:00

Eco Gadgets: Solar-powered AC aims to slash summer electricity bills

Eco Factor: Air conditioning system powered by solar energy.

The increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is not only showing its effect on the temperature of our planet, but is also having a substantial effect on the electricity bills, especially during summer months. Le Lievre, a co-founder and former CEO of Ausra, has formed a new company named Chromasun, which will roll out solar-powered air conditioning systems to reduce the load on the grids and the pockets of a normal urban dweller.

The systems will carry PV and solar thermal technology to harvest sunlight and waste heat to cool down the interiors. While conventional solar cells convert 23% light energy into electricity, this new system will boast an efficiency of over 75%. Measuring 3m X 1.3m, the system will carry mirrors, receivers, a concentrator and silicon-based solar cells. The solar cells used in the AC will use 95% less silicon than a conventional solar panel with the same power rating.

The unit will be best suited to hot and dry climates such as in Australia. If all goes well, Lievre expects to launch commercial versions of the systems in the first quarter of next year.

The Dark Side:

Depending on solar energy the system will not be able to provide enough cooling to chill your interiors in minutes. But considering you’re doing that for the sake of the environment, it might be a little price to pay.

ITS RAInin MAn

2009-03-24T14:31:00.000+05:00

Eco Gadgets: Stunning rainwater harvesting system generates electricity too

Eco Factor: Rainwater harvesting system generates wind energy using a turbine.

Ingenious rainwater harvesting systems are nothing new to us, but we never miss a chance to share the most creative rainwater harvesting systems that can not only provide water for you and your family but also for the plants that you love so much. Julien Bergignat is one such designer who thinks that apart from collection rainwater, his system does generate electricity as well for you to charge your gadgets or perhaps even power your home.

Dubbed the Eol’eau, the system is designed in two modules – the base collects rainwater and keeps it potable, and the other is the wind generator that uses thunder storms to good effect. The base can carry up to 600 liters of water, which can either be purified to drink or used in the garden as it is.

The Dark Side:

The system looks too complex, because if the wind turbine is installed on top of the barrel there is no way rainwater can enter the tank.

TATA to expensive CARS

2009-03-24T14:28:00.000+05:00

Tata Nano: The World's Cheapest Car

NEW DELHI — With crowds jamming the Tata Motors exhibit at the New Delhi Auto Expo three hours before showtime, the Indian automaker's chief, Ratan Tata, drove the highly-anticipated 1-lakh ($2,500) car, named the Nano.

Promised by Ratan Tata as the world's cheapest car and the people's car, the Nano hatchback goes on sale in India later this year. Exports are planned within three years.

The Nano is rear-drive with a rear gas engine, a 34-horsepower 623cc aluminum twin-cylinder. Tata says the Nano, available in standard or "deluxe" trim, achieves fuel economy of about 50 mpg. However, it meets only Euro III emissions standards, which are up to four years behind current European regulations.

Tata says the Nano already has passed India's full-frontal crash tests and is designed to meet international offset and side-impact crash tests. It has no airbags, but Ratan Tata said they could be added for markets outside India.

A Cornell University-trained architect who personally helped design the Nano, Ratan Tata had long vowed he'd develop a car cheap enough so Indians could trade their motorbike in for one.

"A promise is a promise, and that's what we'd like to leave you with," Ratan Tata said at the conclusion of the press conference.

What this means to you: You won't be seeing a 1-lakh car in the U.S. for awhile — if ever. But if you live in India, you can trade up your motorbike for a Nano. — Nick Kurczewski, AutoObserver Correspondent

MILK GLOW

2009-03-24T14:25:00.001+05:00

Green Gifts: Recycled Milk Bottle lamp by Droog Design

The “Milkbottle Lamp” by Droog Design is a stunning piece of art that till now has only been showcased in numerous museum collections including MoMa New York City and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Here’s a chance to make your loved ones feel special and green with this stylish MilkBottle Lamp that has been made from 12 recycled milk bottles, which are sandblasted and topped with chrome. The lamp costs $1691 at Nova68.

GIFT IT

2009-03-24T14:20:00.000+05:00

Green Gifts: Fan Man by Jay Garrison

Instead of gifting a completely new item this Christmas try to gift something that though new, has been made from old and found objects. This amazing Fan Man sculpture has been made by a creative artist, Jay Garrison, using found objects such as CD cases, ceiling fan parts, old Christmas lights and old lamp parts. This is a one-of-a-kind sculpture can be purchased from UnCommonGoods for $490.

ROBOTIC MERMAID

2009-03-24T14:17:00.000+05:00

Eco Tech: Autonomous robotic fish to monitor water pollution in Thames

Eco Factor: Pollutant sniffing robotic fish developed to monitor water pollution.

Marine life is tottering under the heavy burden of toxic waste, which as a result of rapid industrialization is being released into seas and rivers all over the world. Researchers at the University of Essex are working on a new robot, which will be equipped with chemical sensors to sniff out pollutants present in water bodies and relay them to their control centers.

The robots will mimic the movement of fish and as they find possible areas of contamination, they will relay the location to other robots in their vicinity using Wi-Fi. Completely autonomous, the robots will have artificial intelligent software that will enable them to navigate on their own. Using GPS, the robots can also return to the control center to deliver information and also recharge their batteries.

The robots will be released in groups, where each group will consist of five fish robots. For now the robots will be set off free in Thames, where they will produce a 3D pollution map, if the tests are successful, they could be used worldwide.

The Dark Side:

The research and the robots cost too much, with the world battling economic crisis, not many nations would be interesting in purchasing these robots.

LAWN PC

2009-03-24T13:43:00.000+05:00

Eco Gadgets: Lawn PC - Calling sustainable future of computing

Eco Factor: Futuristic solar powered wireless PC concept.
Keeping in mind the green needs of the future, industrial designers are fast changing their mindset to machines that are efficient and reduce the user’s carbon footprint. Designer David Veldkamp is also on the same track that leads to greenery with his futuristic concept PC he calls the LawnPC.

This green machine creates all the power it needs from solar cells that have been embedded in the grass like lawn that sits on top of the PC. The green grass is actually made from natural cotton fabric, which carries inkjet printed solar cells. The use of natural cotton here makes these blades biodegradable. Hundreds of these blades generate all the power the system needs at the rate of about 60 watts per hour.

The energy harnessed by these blades is transferred to the battery plug-in that is provided at the bottom of each blade. This power supplying lawn is removable, so whenever there are major technological upgrades, you can always change the hardware in your system.

The LawnPC is completely wireless, which enables you to do your job wherever you want. Since all the electricity is generated by the machine itself, it also saves a lot of trouble involved in hiding those crappy wires under the carpet. Moreover, the CPU connects wireless to the monitor, which gives you added freedom to place the CPU wherever you want to.

The CPU is made from plastics infused with Bio Batch additives. This material allows the plastic involved to decompose once you plan to finally let this system go after it has completed its life cycle.
This unique concept PC does not need any fan to cool its critical components. The natural air flow in between the lawn is enough to cool down the system. All you have to make sure is to place the system near a window or a vent, where it can get all the light and air it needs. Since the Lawn is removable it can also be used to power other electronic devices in your home such as your LCD TV.

2009-03-19T17:59:00.000+05:00

http://www.time.com/time/video/?bcpid=1485842900&bctid=16824047001

SUIT UP

2009-03-19T15:00:00.001+05:00

	Future Space Fashion?

	Spaceflight attire meets future fashion in this image of one of several clothing designs inspired by space exploration. The impact of space exploration on fashion served as a highlight of December’s Space Base Stockholm in Stockholm, Sweden, which welcomed its first astronaut – Christer Fuglesang – home as a hero last week. As part of Space Base Stockholm, there was the idea to combine the interests of the target group for fashion with space and the special aesthetics of space,” said Johan af Geijerstam, a freelance project and production manager in fashion and public relations, who oversaw project. “What brings space and fashion together? We wanted to find these connections, and see how they have formed over time." Space Base Stockholm was timed to coincide with Fuglesang’s flight as part of the STS-116 construction mission to the International Space Station. This design, photographed by Märta Thisner, and others were among those presented during a Fashion and Design workshop viewed by the public. Invited designers included: Martin Bergström, Bella Rune, Frida Hofslagare, Alice Schulman and Adam Gauffin, with stylist Hanna Kich also participating, according to the European Space Agency (ESA) which released the fashion images Friday. The space-inspired clothing resulted from a challenge that called on established clothing designers and workshop participants to produce futuristic garments from odd bits of material such as bubble plastic or rubber. Schoolchildren were also invited to present their own view of the aesthetic properties of space and spaceflight.

YAMAHA

2009-03-16T14:34:00.000+05:00

Yamaha

Jake Loniak, a student of Art Center Pasadena has crammed the combination of motorcycle and tech-skeleton into an awesome looking Yamaha branded Deus Ex Machina. Jake has beyond his wild imagination to design this concept. The vehicle will be powered by ultra-capacitors and doped nano-phoshpate batteries. Jake believes that this vehicle can achieve a top speed of 75 mph. The recharge time of this vehicle is15 minutes and cycle time is of 1 hour. The qualities are more than the qualities found in hybrid cars. Anyone who uses this vehicle would be protected from any kind of accident. Can’t wait this vehicle to come on roads…!!

FLEX G

2009-03-16T14:32:00.000+05:00

Stylish and Cool “Flex G” Goggles by Ricardo Baiao

Baiao has designed unbreakable goggles feature a great shape and flexibility. These are made from highly durable and virtually unbreakable material providing a modern style to the user. These are available in several colors to go with your personality. The safety frame of these goggles is flexible as you can adjust it according to your face size. Fames are available in urethane rubber, carbone fiber and foam. If you want to look fashionable among your friend’s circle then you add these elegant goggles without sharp edges to your style.

(more…) http://www.tuvie.com/category/sports

HYUANDAI

2009-03-16T14:28:00.000+05:00

GReen Hyundai

With brilliant features and an exceptional look, the final design of Hyundai 2020 City Car has already been exposed by Nicolas Stone. This car is designed to present a new idea of a compact car with a plug-in hybrid, based on the recent revolutionary technology developed by MIT. The exterior shell of this car is shown as latest transparent solar panels that will collect ambient light for generating electricity. This car is powered by a photosynthesis artificial system by utilizing the latest energy model. This super car needs sunlight and water only for its functionality, just like a plant needs.

Nicolas explanations:
Utilizing a new energy model, the vehicle uses the electricity to stimulate a central water tank, splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gets stored in special reserve tanks, while the oxygen gets expelled into the air as exhaust. With this model, the vehicle functions like a plant, only needing the sun and water to create its own fuel. The sleek, mono-volume design allows for optimal interior space and utility. Special design features also include layered body panels, unique headlight/side mirror units, and offset seating to allow elbow room for all occupants.

Since the principle material used to construct the exterior functions by re-directing light to the edges, I wanted to accentuate this feature in the design. To do so, I designed the roof panel to act like a canopy, suspended over the roof pillars mimicking a shade or visor. The rear lights themselves are packed into the edge of the “glass sleeve” composing the exterior, to seem as if the brake lights are being emitted from the glass edges.

Using this technology, there were key issues that had to be solved in the revision stage. While the solar panels use highly saturated dyes, this color cannot be used on the entire exterior because it would disorient the driver. To solve this, I broke up the material into three different shades (clear/smoked/colored) and strategically placed them around the vehicle in order to maximize driver visibility

Technology aside, it was important that I attempt to break the stigma against small cars in North America. To do this, I used long lines that stretch across the form, visually elongating the vehicle and providing an athletic stance. In order to maximize the use of such a small package, I used a mono-volume approach to open-up the interior space as much as possible. Another important feature to small vehicles is character… so besides a traditional “happy face”, I designed the headlights and side mirrors to be integrated into one unit that extends out from the body like eyes.

Sunlight Gadget

2009-03-16T14:20:00.000+05:00

sunLight, a Scaleable Gadget that Generates Power from Solar Energy

The unique product called sunLight is a concept that utilizes the natural energy both for its usage and storage. It is one unit that has all the aspects in one device like generating, storing and consuming the electrical energy. The device designed for a long lifecycle with the same components and no replacement of spares, and even if, there is a need for replacement of spares due to any malfunction, the same can be done without much of an effort and cost. Thus it’s not just environment friendly but quite cost effective as well. All that sunLight needs to work is solar energy - you simply unfold it so that solar cell film is exposed to the sun and the energy will recharge the batteries. Received power can be used in different ways, as a flashlight or for loading up connected gadgets (mobile phones or music players, for example).

Green Hog

2009-03-16T14:00:00.000+05:00

Power Hog : Teach Your Kids How to Conserve Energy

Do you have difficulty in teaching your kids to conserve energy? Or teaching them to save? Here is a good gadget that can help you teach kids to save. It is called Power Hog. As the name suggests, it takes the shape of the famous icon for saving – the pig. It functions as a meter when your kids play video games or watch TV. It uses loose change or coins as “payment” deposited inside it for a set of time to use a game station or the TV. Just simply plug these appliances into the snout of the Power Hog and it will just signal your kid that its time is up. This is also a great gadget to teach your kids discipline.

Facebook in danger

2009-03-13T22:13:00.000+05:00

5 Facebook Scams: Protect Your Profile

Facebook and other social networks can be downright unfriendly when it comes to scam attempts. Here's how to protect yourself and your Facebook friends.
Beny Rubinstein knows computer security. An employee of a Seattle-area tech giant with 20 years of IT experience under his belt, Rubinstein has seen a side of the industry that most people will never know. He holds a degree in computer engineering, and -- oh yeah -- he just got scammed out of $1,100 on Facebook.
Rubinstein's experience isn't entirely uncommon. (We'll get to the specifics in a moment.) What's striking about his story, though, is that it demonstrates how easily anyone -- even a highly trained expert in computer security -- can be ensnared by a seemingly simple social network scam. And all kinds of these scams are on the loose.
More than 20,000 pieces of malware attacked social networks in 2008 alone, estimates the online-security firm Kaspersky Lab. That's no surprise, either: While e-mail is still the most spam-filled medium, researchers suspect that social network cybercrime is growing at a far faster rate.
"People are used to receiving spam malicious messages in their e-mail, but it is much less common on Facebook," says Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant with Sophos, which makes antivirus and anti-spam software. "They are lulled into a false sense of security and act unsafely as a result."
You can avoid becoming one of the many who make that mistake. We've dug up the dirt on five scams currently posing a threat on Facebook. We turned to analysts who study them as well as to users who have fallen for them, all to help spread the word about how these things work and how you can best dodge them. (Facebook representatives did not respond to our request for comment.)
Knowledge is the greatest weapon against becoming a victim. Read on, and arm yourself well.
Scam #1: The Nigerian 419
The scam: It may sound like a hip new emo band (or a somewhat old e-mail scam), but the Nigerian 419 will do more than just offend your ears -- it'll also empty your wallet. The moniker refers to a scam dating back decades that has recently entered the social network scene.
Back to Rubinstein. A couple of months ago, Rubinstein received some alarming Facebook messages from a friend and fellow tech professional.
"[He said] he was in the U.K. and was robbed, and needed $600 to fly back to Seattle," Rubinstein recalls.
The messages came both in Facebook-based IMs and in e-mail. They included details such as family members' names, making the notes appear all the more authentic. It wasn't until two hours and $1,100 later that Rubinstein realized what had happened: Someone had hijacked his buddy's account, contacted his friends and -- at their expense -- made off like a bandit.
"Scammers figured out that even though social networks don't have direct access to money, they have access to information that gives you a good shot at getting someone else's money," says Vicente Silveira, a product management director at VeriSign and a friend of Rubinstein's.
The protection: Before you send cash to a pal who seems to be in trouble, try to contact him or her outside of the social network, either by phone or by external e-mail. Not feasible? Ask an extremely personal question that a hacker couldn't possibly figure out from information within the profile. We'll leave the specifics up to you.

for more read: http://tech.msn.com/security/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=18356911&gt1=40000

Insecta

2009-03-13T13:26:00.000+05:00

The Lamborghini Insecta Car Concept for Extreme Racing

Iulian Bumbu, a Romanian professional car designer, designed The Lamborghini Insecta keeping an extreme racing supercar in mind. The design of this mid-engined 2-seater supercar combines the styling cues of the brand with elements encouraged by insect exoskeletons. The idea was based on introducing more organic and softer lines and combining them into the geometrical approach of Lamborghini. The inspiration mainly came from nature, particularly from the exoskeletons of insects which can be found in the top and back views of the car. Carbon-fiber is the main material of the panels and body structure of the car and powertrain is the same of a Gallardo.

FIPA Women

2009-03-13T13:21:00.000+05:00

Fipa is A Luxury Platinum Cigarette Holder for Women

Fipa is a brand new smoking concept specially designed for women with tasted tobacco in individual units. The main starting point of this business development plan was figuring out a design solution that would give a feel like a woman’s smoking device. This understanding led the founder to develop Fipa as a luxury icon for women. The inspiration came from the women in the golden era from 1940s to 1960s, when using a cigarette holder was a common issue to maintain a decent distance from mouth to cigarette. Lawrence Chu, an exceptionally talented Canadian designer, designed the final form of chromium-platinum Fipa.

“We looked back in history and discovered that until the end of the Victorian period it was quite well accepted for women to smoke pipes in Europe, but due to cultural changes it became unfashionable, thus eventually becoming associated strictly with masculinity over the course of the last century.

The real inspiration came from looking at women in the golden age of smoking, from the 1940s to the 1960s, when it was common to use a cigarette holder to extend the distance from cigarette to mouth to cool the smoke. You can probably guess that this culminated in the iconic image of Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with long black gloves and equally long black cigarette holder.

It was this image that convinced us that, for an object, the secret to feminine elegance is a simple linear slenderness. That’s what we tried to communicate in the fipa.”

Be Straight

2009-03-13T13:19:00.000+05:00

Snooc Wireless Hair Straightener

A high quality hair straightener is always a need for everyone, specifically for the age group of 25 to 35 years. A hair straightener should aim at people who feel young and mobile, always follow the newest trends, want to show up, have a strong feeling for quality and are very much conscious about personal care. Most of the competitive products are pretty conservative as well as low in quality since all of them are basically using the same technology. In this situation, The Snooc is different due to the automotive styling, wireless technology, high quality materials, and the vital spring- system instead of metal, connecting both portions and being gathered in the form.

(more…) http://www.tuvie.com/category/fashions

Diabetes Free

2009-03-13T13:13:00.000+05:00

Diabetes Jewelry
Diabetes jewelry is a neckpiece and rings for administering insulin through the skin via a nano-engineered patch. The Diabetes Neckpiece is a wearable applicator device to apply Nanotechnology Victoria’s NanoMAPs to the skin. NanoMAPs are small (10 x 2mm) circular discs which have an array of micro needles on their surface. They allow for pain-free delivery of insulin to the body, replacing syringes. The Diabetes rings are designed to keep the nano-engineered insulin patches against the skin once they have been applied.

(more…) http://www.tuvie.com/category/fashions

Color Ur Playing

2009-03-13T13:11:00.000+05:00

New PSP Colors Set To Hit Japan In March

Ah yes, the wonderful system that is the PSP. Ever since its release back in 2005, Sony has been steadily gaining ground in the handheld war against Nintendo, especially with such fantastic games like Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty and Vice City Stories, and most recently, the two enhanced ports of the first two Star Oceans. Yet Sony has been hemorrhaging money ever since the release of the PS3, reporting a $2.9 billion annual operating loss over the past fiscal year, and what do they decide is the best option to make that up? Why, color coding the new PSP-3000 model, of course!

Codenamed “The Carnival Colors,” the colors that will be newly available in Japan are aptly named “Radiant Red,” “Vibrant Blue,” “Bright Yellow,” and “Spirited Green.” In addition, each color will have its own accessory bundle, which includes a matching pouch, wrist strap and 4GB memory stick, all in the same hue as the PSP. No word yet if these new colors will eventually make their way stateside, but with Sony’s major losses, you can bet those carnies will show their vibrant selves by the beginning of the summer, if not earlier.

With this being the first “major” release by Sony since it announced the kick in the balls it received from the PS3, It makes me wonder if this was in the company’s best interest. The PSP has been available to the public for four years now, and within those four years, we’ve seen three different hardware releases; PSP-1000, 2000 (slim and lite), and 3000. The 3000 has already seen some colors added to its repertoire, so, why more? And “Carnival Colors?” Seriously? Come on, Sony. Colors aside, I feel as though if you wanted a PSP, you have already bought one, especially since no high profile title has been released since Crisis Core. Sony needs to focus on way to recover from their losses, not simply try to impress us with pretty colors (although a name like spirited green really gets me hot). Maybe Sony should put a little more effort into their PS3, considering the PSP has outsold the PlayStation 3 by nearly double (10.47 million units vs. 5.7 million units). Maybe some carnie-colored PS3s? Or perhaps you should cut your damn prices, maybe people would buy your system and see how truly amazing it can be? Just don’t pull a SEGA, Sony, or I’ll fucking shank you.

Red is PSP

2009-03-13T13:01:00.000+05:00

PSP 4000

Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that the PS3’s quirky, do-it-yourself smash hit LittleBigPlanet will be receiving a second installment, set for release on the PlayStation Portable sometime later in 2009. Sony has been spending ample amounts of time creating a larger buzz around their handheld system, releasing news of a complete aesthetic overhaul in the upcoming PSP-4000 model. It comes as no surprise that Sony, in an effort to lure more gamers to the “dark side” of the handheld market, has other PlayStation 3 franchises making their way to the small screen, with Resistance: Retribution hitting stores March 17th, as well as off-road racer MotorStorm slated for release also in 2009.

I’m all for further installments for popular PS3 franchises - as long as they are not rushed and are designed well enough around the PSP’s limitations. The current PSPs (1000, 2000, or 3000) all lack a second analog stick, which will hinder many gameplay mechanics for any of the PlayStation 3 titles that hope to mimic their success with future releases within their respective series. However, mock-up pictures of the new PSP-4000 model does portray the much needed dual analog sticks, allowing for vast amounts of titles to start making their way to the PSP.

First, I can only hope that if these PSP installments make their way onto the current hardware, that they are designed well enough to manage the system’s physical limitations. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to maim the Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops development team for such a foolhardy camera system. Not only was it annoying, but completely necessary to Snake’s survival. Second, I really hope that the aesthetic overhaul that will be the PSP-4000 will see the light of day before titles like LittleBigPlanet hit the shelves. If these popular titles are forced to cripple themselves just so they may achieve portability, I don’t want ‘em. But with dual analog capability, future installments of PS3 franchises will be welcomed with open arms, and I’m sure Sony will appease; the dark side is strong in that one.

Sky Farming

2009-03-12T17:34:00.000+05:00

Is “Skyscraper Farming” the Future of Farming in the Middle East?

Imagine being able to place an entire farm, complete with crops and livestock, in the same space as is required for one of today’s modern urban skyscrapers. A Columbia University professor, Dickson Despommier, has been involved in such a project that could turn a 30 story glass faced building into a vertical agricultural enterprise capable of feeding 50,000 the year round.
While such an idea may seem a bit far-fetched to some people, to others who live in densely populated areas such as Tokyo, Hong Kong and New York City, see this idea as having great benefit, as well as being much more environmental friendly than standard agricultural practices which contribute greatly to greenhouse gases, and global warming.
Using scientifically developed growing techniques developed by NASA and other bio-technical laboratories, Despommier believes these “green towers” could help solve the world’s food and water shortage problems by growing both food and livestock in controlled environments where the temperature remains a constant 22 to 24 degrees Celsius year round with controlled humidity according to desired needs.
Recycled sewage and other waste water, such as run-off from air conditioning systems, can be used to irrigate crops in these “vertical greenhouses” as well as provide drinking water for both humans and livestock, augmented by recycled carbon dioxide gases which can be turned into water.
The buildings for these projects can be constructed according to need and available space, and will almost eliminate greenhouse gases; weather caused crop failures, diseases from untreated biological wastes, and without the use of pesticides and herbicides. In other words, the growing environment can be completely organic, and scientifically controlled.
With a world population expected to reach 9 billion by the year 2050, such ideas may prove to be mankind’s salvation as otherwise, a land area the size of South America’s largest county, Brazil, will be needed to provide the same foodstuffs to feed such a population, whose growth will be higher in large population areas.
If such novel means of agriculture can be beneficial in densely populated urban areas such as Hong Kong, think of how these skyscraper farms could benefit countries in the Middle East, where some cities like Cairo have some of the highest population densities in the world, along with some of the highest temperature extremes (such as those in the United Arab Emirates) as well as some of the most acute water shortages as those found in countries like Jordan.
Cairo has one of the densest and fastest growing populations in the world, with a metro area population of more than 17 million in a country where 75 million people live mostly on a 20 km strip of land on each side of the River Nile. Population growth estimates in Egypt will be more than 120 million by 2050, putting an impossible load on the country’s agriculture and water resources. Constructing vertical farms in Egypt’s major cities will help considerably towards supplying foodstuffs and potable water to a country with such a fast growing population.
UAE city states, such as Dubai can also benefit greatly by such “sky farms”, for although they do not have such population densities as Egypt, they suffer from acute water shortages as well as intense summer temperatures that often pass the 45 C degree mark. If Dubai, for example, can construct an indoor alpine ski slope, with all the water coming from desalination, they can surely build these vertical farms to provide the food that today has to be almost entirely imported.
Despommier predicts that the first vertical farm will be built within the nest 10 to 15 years. And judging from what already has been built from the sands of Dubai and other similar locations, he believes that same oil wealth money that has already built the futuristic buildings in the UAE could be involved in constructing these sky farms as well.
More on Middle East Cleantech

Black n Green

2009-03-12T17:30:00.000+05:00

Using Black Gold to Build a Greener Future: A Visit to the UAE
Last month, I had the unexpected pleasure of visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, two of the seven tiny kingdoms that together make up the United Arab Emirates. I was there to cover the World Future Energy Summit, an international conference on renewable energy technologies.
This was my first visit to the Emirates, which have a reputation for being a nation of oil-drenched spendthrifts, building surreal fantasy projects unlike anything seen in the West and having a larger ecological footprint per capita than even the US and China. However, I knew that Abu Dhabi was also building Masdar City, an attempt to design a “carbon-neutral” city, while building a new sector of the economy from scratch based on renewable energies.
Building new industries from scratch is nothing new in the UAE – thirty or so years ago there was absolutely nothing there, and now the place is a regional economic powerhouse. But an oil state using its wealth to plan ahead for the post-petroleum world – there was a novel idea.
Below are some impressions from my visit to a land described by one colleague as “the greenest gas guzzler.”

Abu Dhabi is the political capital of the United Arab Emirates, and also the richest of the Emirates. About a million people live in the city of Abu Dhabi, on an island roughly the size of Tel Aviv. The rest of the emirate is harsh desert, of little interest to anyone were it not for the enormous deposits of petroleum stored underground.
A few decades ago, there was very little going on there. Today, Abu Dhabi sports all the trappings of a modern city: sparkling skyscrapers, wide boulevards, manicured promenades and well-watered parks (the abundant water, I was told, comes from desalination). There are all kinds of plans to bring branches of foreign museums and universities to town, as well as attractions such as a Formula One racetrack.
Most of the people who live in Abu Dhabi come from somewhere else; the locals are the minority. Hordes of foreign workers, mostly from South Asia, man the construction and service industries. Young professionals from the Middle East, Europe and North America work there as well, attracted by good salaries, no taxes and a sense of opportunity and appreciation for young talent.
Black Gold
Who hasn’t heard the familiar refrain, “Ah, if only we had oil…” It’s one of those standard axioms in this part of the Middle East – life would be better, if only we had found all that oil, instead of those sheikhs in the Gulf. Last month, I heard a similar line from a Jordanian taxi driver.
Well, now I know the truth: it is indeed good to be a Gulf oil state. Abu Dhabi has just under a tenth the world’s proven oil reserves, and unlike many other oil producing states, their oil fields may continue to produce until the end of the current century.
Oil wealth has its benefits. The local “emiratis” live in huge houses, drive around in shiny SUV’s with tinted windows and sport all sorts of fancy jewelry and the latest electronic accessories. Despite their wealth, however, they are an extremely conservative and traditional people. There are no drugs, drinking is allowed only in hotel bars and the laws governing society are strict. Local women are, for the most part, covered head to toe in flowing black robes, while the men wear traditional white robes and head coverings.
A Green Silicon Valley?
However, Abu Dhabi is not content with being just another OPEC member, and is attempting, at the initiative of the sheikhs who rule the emirate, to reposition itself as a global leader in renewable technologies. In 2006, the Masdar Initiative, a government-owned corporation, was founded with a mandate to create a new domestic renewable energy industry. Through Masdar, the government hopes to leverage its experience at the forefront of the nonrenewable energy industry into a future based on a renewable economy. The annual World Future Energy Summit, founded in 2008, was intended to emphasize to the world Abu Dhabi’s position as a leader in this nascent field.
Members of the press tour a solar panel testing site in Masdar City. A variety of systems are being tried out in local conditions. The best performing panels will be installed on Masdar City’s rooftops.
During the conference this January, which brought together many of the players in the field of renewable energy technologies, the Masdar Initiative announced a slew of new sustainability projects, including a plan to develop renewable energy in Seychelles and a deal with a Spanish engineering firm to build a solar power plant in Spain.
Abu Dhabi also officially announced its goal of producing 7% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. For the emirate’s leaders, renewable energy is an exciting market, and investing in a domestic renewable energy industry makes good business sense.
However, Abu Dhabi is not stopping there. They are also building a futuristic ecological city, Masdar City - probably the world’s most serious attempt yet at green urban design. Designed by Foster + Partners and built by CH2M Hill, Masdar City will be a 6.5 square kilometer, carbon-neutral walled city. Energy use will be way lower than normal cities, shading and wind will be used for cooling (as well as solar-powered air conditioners for the interiors of buildings) and solar panels will sparkle on every roof. Not a single car will travel through the city; instead a light rail and “Personal Rapid Transit” cars will move people around.
All of this is already being built – I visited the building site. Masdar City is supposed to house the pioneering companies and research institutes that will position Abu Dhabi as a global leader in the field.
In addition to all that, Abu Dhabi is investing in “concentrated solar power” technology, factories to produce photovoltaic panels, wind power generation, experimental hydrogen power technologies, and the list goes on. The underlying goal is to move beyond a fossil fuel economy in order to lead the way to the energy economy of the future.
(So imagine my shock when I learned from Abu Dhabi that Israel had apparently struck enough natural gas to last the country for 20 years, off the coast of Haifa! I was not able to read up on the discovery more extensively in the news, since access to Hebrew websites is blocked here. It is still the Middle East, after all.)
An open question is to what extent all of these green initiatives will actually make Abu Dhabi a more sustainable place. Masdar City is one of the most innovative city-building schemes in the world right now, and when it’s built it will surely raise the bar for cities everywhere. But Abu Dhabi, along with the other cities of the Gulf, was designed for cars (every building in downtown Abu Dhabi fronts onto a huge parking lot; in Dubai it’s impossible to get around without a car). The bulk of the economy continues to be based on oil, natural gas and real estate, although there are attempts to develop a green building code and better long-term city planning.
Dubai - Commercial Paradise or Fleeting Mirage?
Dubai, about an hour’s drive north of Abu Dhabi, is in many ways its total opposite. Whereas change in Abu Dhabi is measured, conservative, forward-thinking, Dubai is flamboyant, frenetic and transitory. In the 24 hours that I spent in Dubai, I managed to see the world’s tallest building (162 floors), the indoor ski slope (it’s in a mall), and the palm islands (artificially built and rumored to be sinking already).
Most of the people that I met at the conference in Abu Dhabi actually live and work in Dubai. It’s a fun, flashy place, where for years people have worked hard and played hard, living well beyond their means. Very little thought has ever been devoted to sustainability in Dubai, whether it be ecological, social or economic.
Lately, the whole house of cards seems to be collapsing, with foreigners (who make up something like 90% of the population) losing their jobs and leaving the country, mega-projects grinding to a halt, and ecosystems already showing signs of serious disruption due to the intense development. Many times larger than Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s entire 60km of coastline (about the same length as the stretch of coast between Netanya and Ashdod) is urbanized.
So keep an eye on this part of the Middle East. While Dubai’s star may already be fading, Abu Dhabi is thinking way ahead, and working hard to position itself as a major player in the coming green economy.

Podcar

2009-03-12T17:28:00.000+05:00

Abu Dhabi is Proving Ground for Futuristic Podcar People-Mover

The playground of the rich, Abu Dhabi, is not just a place for playing kick-the-golden-can. Instead of simply finding ways to spend oil-money on futuristic gadgets and grandiose monuments, there is a lot of interest providing proving grounds for sustainable solutions and new urban paradigms.
Personal Rapid Transit: Our very own Jesse Fox is covering the Abu Dhabi World Future Energy Summit for TreeHugger, and reported on an unusual system of mass transit - “podcars”, which serve as a personal units for automatic public transportation. The concept is that small transport units will be available on demand, instead of having to wait for larger, less frequent trains or buses.
For off-peak commuting, this model is reportedly more efficient than having empty buses roaming around, and for peak travel it will provide the comfort of an individual automobile, instead of being crammed into a crowded subway car. According to the designer of the system, Systematica, the pods will be able to travel freely on the shortest route between points, and will not be confined to a rail, thus melding the qualities of taxis and trains.
The podcar system is part of the car-free design of Masdar, a city planned to have a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology. Cars will be parked on the ouskirts of the city, and the residents will rely on walking, cycling and electric public transit - and that’s where the podcars come in, supplemented by electric railways for commuting to the airport or nearby Abu Dhabi city.
Other sustainable features of the city include solar and wind power, and recycling of waste and desalinated water. High density construction will combine living, work and shopping areas, so that all are available within 200 meters, leading to an efficient use of land.
The designs for Masdar are expensive because they are a prototype, but will serve to implement these paradigms and technologies in what is promoted as the world’s first sustainable city. The rest of us who are beginning to promote sustainable development can then observe these principles in action and move them forward.

Superrsmoker

2009-03-12T17:20:00.000+05:00

The Smokeless Cig!

Finally, at long last, an electronic cigarette. Unclear if it's still carcinogenic for the user, but the website contends that there's no second-hand danger to innocent bystanders. Also, dig the blue "gem" that glows at the cig's tip.

SuperSmoker Usability Information
The SuperSmoker has never been proven to be a smoking cessation device, it is simply a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. The SuperSmoker contains no tar or tobacco, it doesn’t burn and can be used anywhere as it doesn’t contain any first or second hand smoke. Plus you can also save on your smoking costs!
One cartridge contains the following milligrammes of nicotine:

Zero
: 0,0 milligrammes nicotine
Light
: 1,8 milligrammes nicotine
Normal
: 2,4 milligrammes nicotine
Menthol
: 2,4 milligrammes nicotine
Each cartridges last for roughly 30 inhalations, which is the equivalent of four cigarettes. Each pack contains 24 cartridges.
SuperSmoker will save you up to 50% of your current 'smoking' costs.
The SuperSmoker is very easy to use. The SuperSmoker has a rechargeable battery which is disguised as the tip of the cigarette. The base is made up of an easy change nicotine cartridge and an evaporation chamber. Once connected, the SuperSmoker will work automatically when the user inhales - there is no on/off button.
SuperSmoker Usability Information
The SuperSmoker has never been proven to be a smoking cessation device, it is simply a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. The SuperSmoker contains no tar or tobacco, it doesn’t burn and can be used anywhere as it doesn’t contain any first or second hand smoke. Plus you can also save on your smoking costs!
One cartridge contains the following milligrammes of nicotine:
Zero
: 0,0 milligrammes nicotine
Light
: 1,8 milligrammes nicotine
Normal
: 2,4 milligrammes nicotine
Menthol
: 2,4 milligrammes nicotine
Each cartridges last for roughly 30 inhalations, which is the equivalent of four cigarettes. Each pack contains 24 cartridges.
SuperSmoker will save you up to 50% of your current 'smoking' costs.
The SuperSmoker is very easy to use. The SuperSmoker has a rechargeable battery which is disguised as the tip of the cigarette. The base is made up of an easy change nicotine cartridge and an evaporation chamber. Once connected, the SuperSmoker will work automatically when the user inhales - there is no on/off button.

for more: http://www.supersmoker.com./

Shuffling 2009

2009-03-12T17:17:00.000+05:00

A New iPod Shuffle Arrives — Minus Steve

With the release today of Apple's "smallest iPod Shuffle ever," the pioneering tech bellwether continues to wean us off its charismatic founder, Steve Jobs. Until recently, the new Shuffle would have been unveiled as an appetizer during a bigger media banquet — one of those wonderful little trinkets that Jobs would show off at the start of, say, a Macworld conference.
But that was then and this is the post-Jobs Apple now.
With the chairman and CEO on sick leave until June, the company has been working hard to carry on with business as usual — a tough trick since business was usually carried on the back of Jobs. He was the front man, the face of Apple, its every innovation incarnate. Even a trifle like the new Shuffle, with its clever way of "speaking" the names of tracks and playlists to ease navigation, would have been his to unveil. Not this morning. The Apple Store went down briefly, then came back up with news of the new, new thing: "The first music player that talks to you." Uncharacteristically, Apple's p.r. folks, normally a reticent bunch, carried out a coordinated media blitz at dawn, offering up Apple execs to reporters for briefings. The scenario was similar to last month's refresh of the company's desktop Macs, which were also announced without the usual fanfare.
The new Shuffle costs $79 and replaces the one that cost $49. That's potentially a big driver to Apple's bottom line. Veteran Apple analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray thinks the higher price tag carries higher margins for Apple, increasing its revenue and profit. That's yet another reason Jobs would have delivered the news and taken the victory lap. Greg Joswiak, who oversees iPod and iPhone marketing for Apple, says the non-Jobsian approach is nothing new. "We've always done a mixture" of product releases, some without a lot of fanfare or big-tent releases, he says. "For this one, it just made sense to do it this way. We've done a lot on our website to make sure customers understand how it works."
It is, of course, entirely possible that even when Jobs returns, this faceless way of doing business makes more sense than the Jobs/Apple way. Apple's stores generate their own buzz, after all, despite these days of economic Armageddon. Besides, Apple's products continue to be so cool, they get us to write about them. Even in the absence of Jobs.

Stress

2009-03-12T17:15:00.000+05:00

Is It Less Stressful to Get Laid Off Than Stay On?

It is a familiar scene these days: employees taking newly laid-off co-workers out for a consolation drink. But which side deserves sympathy more, the jobless or the still employed? On March 6, researchers at a conference at the University of Cambridge heard data suggesting it's the latter: compared with people who are straight-up laid off, those who keep their job but are under a constant threat of losing it suffer a greater decline in mental well-being.
tiiQuigoWriteAd(755774, 1391608, 142, 225, -1);

Brendan Burchell, a Cambridge sociologist, presented his analysis based on various surveys conducted across Europe. The data suggest that employed people who feel insecure in their job display similar levels of anxiety and depression as those who are unemployed. But whereas a newly jobless person's mental health may "bottom out" after about six months, and then even begin to improve, the mental state of people who are perpetually worried about losing their job "just continues to deteriorate, getting worse and worse," Burchell says. (See 150 recession-proof jobs.)
Burchell argues that policymakers and employers should prepare for the fallout from the stress and anxiety that the existing workforce is currently suffering. "From a societal perspective, we can expect worse things to come," he says. "Presently we are going through a 'shock' period." But in a year, Burchell says, the people who have had to endure the ongoing threat of being fired — and deal with the frustration of not being able to plan for their future or feel in control of their life — may begin to suffer severe symptoms of anxiety and depression, such as insomnia, substance abuse and lethargy. (See 25 people to blame for the financial crisis.)
Burchell's conclusions, which he presented at the conference "Credit Crunch: Gender Equality in Hard Times," have been drawn from his study of about 300 British workers as well as various European workforce studies and the British Household Survey of approximately 5,000 people, which has charted the effects of social and economic change on mental health since 1991. Both Burchell's study and the British Household Survey used a 12-item questionnaire — called the GHQ 12 — that is designed to measure symptoms of stress and anxiety with questions like "Have you recently been thinking of yourself as a worthless person?" and "Have you recently been able to concentrate on whatever you are doing?"
Although Burchell's findings may be representative of all societies, the researcher stresses that his study population was based entirely in Europe, which has a more generous welfare program than the U.S., a condition that could have affected data from unemployed respondents. (See pictures of unemployment in Cleveland.)
Burchell's study wasn't designed to offer direct explanations of the data, but there are established psychological patterns that may suggest them. For example, psychologists have documented an "impact bias in affective forecasting," which is the tendency for people to overestimate how strongly they will react to emotional events. One study showed that university professors greatly overestimate the jubilation or depression they would feel after learning whether they had been offered tenure. That may help explain both the depression among the still-employed and the relative well-being of those who lost their job.
Also pertinent is the theory — backed by so-called positive psychologists — that human beings have an inherited base level of happiness that fluctuates only during periods of change. In his book The Happiness Hypothesis, for example, Jonathan Haidt, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, discusses the opposing case studies of winning the lottery and becoming paralyzed. He writes, "It's better to win the lottery than to break your neck, but not by as much as you'd think ... Within a year, lottery winners and paraplegics have both (on average) returned most of the way to their baseline levels of happiness." (See George W. Bush's biggest economic mistakes.)
Evolutionary psychologists support this theory by arguing that human beings feel more stress during times of insecurity because they sense an immediate but hard-to-discern threat — the modern-day equivalent of an unseen predator growling in the trees. Patients have been known to experience higher levels of anxiety, for example, while waiting for biopsy results than knowing the diagnosis — even if the result is cancer. It's better to get the bad news and start doing something about it rather than languish in limbo. When the uncertainty is prolonged, people stay in a sustained "fight or flight" response, which leads to damaging stress.
But not every employee in insecure industries has such a gloomy view, Burchell says. Entrepreneurs seem to thrive. In general, women fare better too. While reporting higher levels of anxiety than men when directly questioned, women scored lower in stress on the GHQ 12, even when they had a job they felt insecure about losing. As Burchell explains, "For women, most studies show that any job — it doesn't matter whether it is secure or insecure — gives psychological improvement over unemployment." Burchell hypothesizes that the difference in men is that they tend to feel pressure not only to be employed, but also to be the primary breadwinner, and that more of a man's self-worth depends on his job. (See pictures of the top 10 scared traders.)
So what nugget of advice can Burchell offer to those lucky millions across the globe who are still employed but are worried about losing their job? After scouring through the surveys in search of the key to an even mental keel, Burchell came up with, "Nothing. Certainly some individuals cope better, but we don't know why. It seems there are just certain things about job insecurity that can't be overcome."

meltdown

2009-03-12T17:11:00.000+05:00

Could Rising Seas Swallow California's Coast?

Imagine San Francisco Airport under water, or Long Beach Harbor in Los Angeles, home to the second busiest port in America, washed away. Picture Orange County's Newport Beach completely submerged under the encroaching ocean.
tiiQuigoWriteAd(755774, 1391608, 142, 225, -1);

That's the soggy future that could be in place for California at the end of this century, if climate change continues unabated. According to the Pacific Institute, an environmental NGO that specializes in water, unchecked global warming may cause the world's seas to rise more than 4.6 feet (1.4 m). The California government commissioned the institute's study released on March 11, one of a number of forthcoming reports on how climate change will affect the coastal state and one of the most detailed analyses yet on the local impact of rising seas.
The Pacific Institute found that by 2100, an estimated 480,000 Californians will be at risk of increased flooding — almost double the number currently living in disaster-prone areas of state — along with roads, schools, hospitals and other low-lying coastal infrastructure. Altogether nearly $100 billion worth of coastal property could be at risk — and the cost to protect that land from flooding will likely be in the billions, even if we do control greenhouse gas emissions. "This change is inevitable, and it's going to alter the character of California's coast," says Heather Cooley, a senior research associate at the Pacific Institute and a co-author of the report.
The report's warnings are so striking in part because the study assumes a much higher sea level rise than past analyses. The 1.4 m figure used in the Pacific Institute study — which comes from research by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography — is considerably higher than the estimates put forth in the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) most recent assessment in 2007, which projected a sea level rise of between 18 to 59 cm by 2100. But the IPCC numbers were based on older data, and took into account only the thermal expansion of the seas. (Water expands as it heats, so warmer seas will rise.) The IPCC did not factor in the potentially far greater impact of melting ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica — Greenland alone has enough frozen ice to raise sea levels more than 20 feet. At the time of the IPCC report, the polar ice sheets were clearly melting, but it wasn't clear how fast they were going or how they would respond to rising temperatures in the future.
New research is clarifying the ice cap question — and the results are sobering. Scientists at the Climate Change Congress in Copenhagen this week presented a study estimating that sea levels could rise globally by 1 m or more by the end of the century, with large regional differences around the world. At the lower end of the estimate, scientists say it's unlikely that seas will rise less than 50 cm even if we can get a grip on carbon emissions. The revised predictions are due to better data on melting in Greenland, Antarctica and other glaciers around the world, which is currently pouring water into the oceans and causing them to rise. Altogether up to 600 million people in coastal areas around the world could be at increased risk for flooding. "Unless we take urgent and significant mitigation actions, the climate could cross a threshold during the 21st century committing the world to a sea level rise of meters," said John Church, an oceanographer a the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research and one of the study's co-authors.
The Pacific Institute report takes that abstract number and shows what it will mean for the cities, streets, bridges, beaches and power plants in America's most populous — and vulnerable — state. Nearly half a million people will be at risk for what's called a 100-year flood event. That doesn't mean a flood that happens once a century, but rather a disaster that has a 1% of happening every year — which means it has a 26% chance of happening over the life of an average 30-year mortgage. The vulnerability is concentrated along the coastline of the San Francisco Bay area, where large parts of both San Francisco and Oakland could be threatened with extreme flooding by the end of the century. Even parts of the Pacific coastline that may be shielded from flooding could be at risk for increased erosion. Worse, as with Hurricane Katrina, it will be the poor and those without insurance who will likely bear the brunt of the flooding damage. "There's this notion that those living on the coast are all rich with insurance," says Cooley. "But in fact these populations are often poor, and they will be particularly vulnerable."
The best way to protect California's coasts would be to sharply reduce carbon emissions now and hope to avert the worst of the warming. But even if we do cut carbon soon, we've locked in sea level rise, and we need to begin protecting sensitive coastlines better than we did in New Orleans. The Pacific Institute study suggests that some 1,100 miles of improved coastal defenses — including dunes and seawalls — would be needed to protect against a 1.4 m sea rise. It won't be cheap — the cost will be at least $14 billion up front according to the Pacific Institute, with an additional $1.4 billion a year in maintenance costs. But even that might not be enough. "Eventually you could see phased abandonment of certain areas that would experience flooding a lot," says Cooley. We're used to controlling the effects of nature, but if we fail to control climate change, we may have to surrender.

Sony Ericsson

2009-03-12T15:12:00.000+05:00

Sony Ericsson C903 review: Slider-shot

Inspired by the Sony T-series point-and-shoot digcams with an elegant lens cover, the Sony Ericsson C903 is a compact and attractive cameraphone. The C903 is packed with features you'd expect of a high-end phone and it behaves like one as well. A GPS-enabled 5 MP slider with a nice large display, nifty feature-phone interface and friendly size is a welcome addition to the company portfolio. And yes, we think the Glamour Red version will be a favorite with the ladies.
The C903 official announcement served the humble purpose of warming the crowd up for the Sony Ericsson deployment at this year's MWC. Obviously no match for the Idou and Hikaru, the C903 simply completes the Cyber-shot lineup of the house featuring some welcome upgrades over the C902 like screen size and GPS. There's a distinctive design highlight too and the Sony T-series digicam back styling may as well be a strong selling point.
Sony Ericsson C903 Lacquer Black and Glamour Red
Key features:
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band HSDPA/ tri-band HSDPA in US version
5 MP AF camera with dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, active lens cover
Built-in GPS with A-GPS support, Wayfinder Navigator software, geotagging
Dedicated camera mode switch and gallery keys
Scratch resistant 2.4" 256K-color TFT display
Backlit D-pad shortcuts in camera mode
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0
FM radio with RDS and enhanced TrackID, YouTube client
Threaded conversations in messaging
Smart dialing
Main disadvantages:
Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 15fps
M2 card slot under the battery cover
Camera key has almost no feedback at full press
The glossy surface is a fingerprint nightmare
No cover for the USB port
No office document viewer
Sony Ericsson C903 has its candybar counterpart in the face of the C901. Presented in a joint launch last month, the two handsets are trying to meet a diverse mix of cameraphone demand in the higher-midrange.
Form factor aside, the major differences boil down to GPS and the camera flash solution. We can't help but note that xenon could've been more at home in the T-series-inspired C903. But no sir, Sony Ericsson C903 is GPS-enabled instead while the more conservative C901 bar flaunts the better camera flash.
The lengthy spec sheet of the C903 only omits Wi-Fi support, while everything else is on board: GPS with Wayfinder 7 software, 5 megapixel AF camera with dedicated setup keys, a large 2.4" display and accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate.
Sony Ericsson C903 at ours
Now then, we're all set for a closer look at the C903, so buckle up and hit the jump.

Magnet RAM

2009-03-11T17:02:00.000+05:00

Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM)

Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is a revolutionary memory technology that can replace many of today’s semiconductor memory technologies. MRAM combines the speed of eSRAM and the non–volatility of Flash onto a single chip. MRAM uses magnetic moments, rather than an electric charge, to determine the on–off state of the memory bit cell. It allows a single memory solution to replace multiple memory options within one chip—helping to enable faster, more cost–effective solutions for next-generation memory–intensive products.

More on: http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/nanotech/

Blackstone

2009-03-11T16:54:00.000+05:00

45 per cent of world wealth destroyed: Blackstone CEO

NEW YORK: Private equity company Blackstone Group LP CEO Stephen Schwarzman said on Tuesday that up to 45 percent of the world’s wealth has been destroyed by the global credit crisis.

‘Between 40 and 45 percent of the world’s wealth has been destroyed in little less than a year and a half,’ Schwarzman told an audience at the Japan Society. ‘This is absolutely unprecedented in our lifetime.’ But the US government is committed to the preservation of financial institutions, he said, and will do whatever it takes to restart the economy.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plans to unfreeze credit markets through a new program that will combine public and private capital in a fund that would buy bank toxic assets of up to $1 trillion.

‘In all likelihood, that will have the private sector buy troubled assets to clean the banks out in terms of providing leverage...so that we can get more money back into the banking system,’ Schwarzman said.

He expects the private sector to end up making ‘some good money doing that,’ but added there were complex issues on how to price toxic assets.

He put part of the blame for the financial crisis to credit rating agencies. ‘What’s pretty clear is that, if you were looking for one culprit out of the many, many, many culprits, you have to point your finger at the rating agencies,’ he said.

Rating companies have been the focus of intense criticism for their role in granting top ‘AAA’ ratings for complex bonds that later plummeted in value, resulting in subsequent rating cuts, in many cases to junk status.

Schwarzman said problems were then exacerbated by mark-to-market accounting rules. Those rules ask banks and other financial institutions to price assets at a value related to how they would be sold in the open market.

Blackstone reported a quarterly loss in February after writing down the value of its portfolio and eliminated its fourth-quarter dividend.

Asked what a good place to invest was, Schwarzman said it made sense to buy cyclical names, which are less exposed to the economic cycles.

3 dimensional

2009-03-11T16:48:00.000+05:00

Photosynth from Microsoft

Photosynth is an amazing new technology from Microsoft Live Labs that will change the way you think about digital photos forever. Photosynth takes a large collection of photos of a place or object, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed 3-Dimensional space.

PC on ur wrist

2009-03-11T16:46:00.000+05:00

WWPC Wrist-Worn Personal Computer from Eurotech

The wearable PC that revolutionize the way we use computers Wearable technologies represent the latest evolution in computing, and Eurotech Group has made such devices more flexible and pervasive than ever before to address users’ needs and improve their quality of life. Wearable PCs are chiefly characterized by their ability to integrate into users’ personal space and provide immediate computing and multimedia capabilities without monopolizing the users’ attentionContinue Reading@http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/software/

Single view

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000+05:00

Single page graphical View

See all the contents in only one page is widely used for statistics in the form of the so famous cake/Pie view or the chartsbar. there are books and many other stats view techniques but the way it is used on websites or to see the contents of your files and folders in only 1 page is reather difficult to achive. News Maps Visually analyze the current headlines in an easy to use single graphical view » Continue Reading@http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/software/

faceoff

2009-03-11T16:43:00.001+05:00

Physical Interaction Design

Physical Interaction Design” involves the design of objects for sensing (usually humans) and displaying information (to all our senses). It involves making new devices with embedded sensors, electronics, microcontrollers and communication. We believe that the best way to do Physical Interaction Design is with rapid iteration of working prototypes.
» Continue Reading@http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/software/

Blue faster

2009-03-11T16:40:00.000+05:00

Bluetooth 3.0 launched

Recently announced, Bluetooth 3.0 is the new Bluetooth wireless standard currently in development by the Bluetooth SIG and Wi-Media Alliance. The new standard is reportedly up to 130 times as fast as current Bluetooth wireless transfer speeds, and builds upon the previous standards. Though we most likely won’t see any of these devices on the shelves until early 2008, the technology has the potential to revolutionize the consumer electronics industry. » Continue Reading@http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/software/

Filter urine

2009-03-11T16:39:00.000+05:00

Purified urine to be astronauts’ drinking water

CAPE CANAVERAL: As NASA prepares to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing may do more for crew bonding than a machine being launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on Friday.

It's a water-recycling device that will process the crew's urine for communal consumption.

‘We did blind taste tests of the water,’ said NASA's Bob Bagdigian, the system's lead engineer. ‘Nobody had any strong objections. Other than a faint taste of iodine, it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water.’

‘I've got some in my fridge,’ he added. ‘It tastes fine to me.’

Delivery of the $250 million wastewater recycling gear is among the primary goals of NASA's 124th shuttle mission, which is due to launch at 7:55 p.m. EST on Friday (0055 GMT on Saturday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Meteorologists predicted a 70 per cent chance the weather would be suitable for launch. If the shuttle lifts off on time, it would arrive at the space station on Sunday so astronauts could begin 11 to 12 days of home improvements.

In addition to the water recycler, Endeavour carries two small bedrooms, the station's first refrigerator, new exercise gear, and perhaps most important for a growing crew — a second toilet.

‘With six people you really do need to have a two-bathroom house. It's a lot more convenient and a lot more efficient,’ said Endeavour astronaut Sandra Magnus, who will take over as a space station flight engineer from Greg Chamitoff.

Chamitoff has been aboard the outpost since the last shuttle flight in June.

NASA wants to make sure the water recycling system is working well before adding another three astronauts to the station's crew.

Shuttle supplies drying up

Reusing water will become essential once NASA retires its space shuttles, which produce water as a byproduct of their electrical systems. Rather than dumping the water overboard, NASA has been transferring it to the space station.

But the shuttle's days are numbered. Only 10 flights remain, including a final servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA is preparing to end the program in 2010.

‘We can't be delivering water all the time for six crew,’ said space station flight director Ron Spencer. ‘Recycling is a must.’

NASA expects to process about six gallons (23 litres) of water per day with the new device. The goal is to recover about 92 per cent of the water from the crew's urine and moisture in the air.

The wastewater is processed using an extensive series of purification techniques, including distillation — which is somewhat tricky in microgravity — filtration, oxidation, and ionization.

The final step is the addition of iodine to control microbial growth, Bagdigian said.
The device is intended to process a full day's worth of wastewater in less than 24 hours.

‘Today's drinking water was yesterday's waste,’ Bagdigian said.

Ipic

2009-03-11T16:34:00.000+05:00

IPic - Smallest Web server in the world

Believed to be the world’s tiniest implementation of a TCP/IP stack and a HTTP web-server the iPic Web Server is a complete micro-computer on a single chip. And at less than $1, it seems poised to get your next toaster talking to you through the internet. Using very carefully hand-packed TCP/IP code of about 256 bytes and a HTTP 1.0 compliant

for more : http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/software/

Virtual Piano

2009-03-11T16:31:00.000+05:00

Virtual Piano from DID Japan

Digital Information Development (DID) has developed a highly portable virtual piano that is played with a keyboard consisting of projected laser beams. The box-shaped device measures about 10 x 3 x 3 cm (4 x 1 x 1 in.) and weighs about 100 grams (3.5 oz.). Using a red semiconductor laser module and holographic optical element, the device projects

for more: http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/lightning/

Color ur emotions

2009-03-11T16:30:00.000+05:00

SKIN Project from Philips -visual representation of emotions

Philips Design announced today that it has developed a seriesof dynamic garments as part of the ongoing SKIN exploration research into the area known as ‘emotional sensing’. The garments, which are intended for demonstration purposes only, demonstrate how electronics can be incorporated into fabrics and garments in order to express the emotions and personality of the wearer.
The marvelously intricate wearable prototypes include ‘Bubelle’, a dress surrounded by a delicate ‘bubble’ illuminated by patterns that changed dependent on skin contact- and ‘Frison’, a body suit that reacts to being blown on by igniting a private constellation of tiny LEDs.

Liftoff

2009-03-11T16:16:00.000+05:00

Discovery set for liftoff on Wednesday: NASA

An American flag flies near the Space Shuttle Discovery as it is prepared for launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The US space shuttle Discovery is set to launch as scheduled on Wednesday on its voyage to the International Space Station, NASA mission managers said on Tuesday.

Weather forecasts predicted a 90 percent chance that conditions would be ‘acceptable’ for the launch, planned for 9:20 pm Wednesday (0120 Thursday GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US space agency officials said.

‘We have no real concerns and we are ready for the exciting mission that lies ahead of us,’ said NASA test director Steve Payne.

The shuttle’s crew of seven arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday evening to prepare for their 14-day mission to deliver and install a fourth pair of solar panels to the International Space Station.

The panels are to supply power for onboard laboratories and more power for the station's crew, which will double from three to six in May.

Installing the panels, the final piece of a 100 billion dollar project, will take a two-astronaut team four space walks of more than six hours each to complete, NASA said.

Discovery is expected to return to earth March 25 at 19:27 GMT.

The launch, originally set for February 12, was delayed four times due to problems with control valves, which channel gaseous hydrogen from the shuttle's three main engines.

Three of the valves were replaced with newer ones. NASA engineers said the delays were implemented as a precaution to test the valves, which had come under close scrutiny after a valve aboard space shuttle Endeavour was found to be damaged during its mission to the space station in November.

Discovery’s astronauts include Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, who will become the first Japanese station crew member.

After Discovery docks, Wakata will stay aboard the station, while US astronaut Sandy Magnus -- who arrived at the ISS aboard the shuttle Endeavour in November 2008 -- will return home.

Super bus

2009-03-11T16:11:00.000+05:00

Superbus - New concept of public transport

Dutch working on superbus - aerodynamic bus that can also be a high speed train It is an electric bus designed to be able to switch seamlessly between ordinary roads and dedicated “supertracks”, on which it can reach speeds of 250kph (155mph). It could thus present an alternative to much more expensive magnetic-levitation trains. It is as wide and long as a standard city bus, the Superbus is only 1.7 metres high,

for more: http://www.futuristics.eu/news/archives/category/all-posts/living/

Engine on a chip

2009-03-11T16:09:00.000+05:00

Engine On A Chip Promises To Best The Battery

MIT researchers are putting a tiny gas-turbine engine inside a silicon chip about the size of a quarter. The resulting device could run 10 times longer than a battery of the same weight can, powering laptops, cell phones, radios and other electronic devices.

for more: http://futuristics.eu/news/

Huge Ring

2009-03-11T15:14:00.001+05:00

Huge ‘launch ring’ to fling satellites into orbit

Previous studies have investigated the use of magnets to accelerate satellites to the high speeds required for launch. But most have focused on straight tracks, which have to gather speed in one quick burst. Supplying the huge spike of energy needed for this method has proven difficult. The advantage of a circular track is that the satellite can be gradually accelerated over a period of several hours.

Glossy feets

2009-03-11T15:12:00.000+05:00

Shoes with integrated online services

Platforms, the latest series of work in The Aphrodite Project, is a pair of sandals that are both a conceptual homage to Aphrodite and her prostitute-priestesses as well as a practical object for the contemporary sex worker. An integrated system of shoes and online services, Platforms uses the latest technology to bring sex workers on par with other public workers, whose lives are valued highly because they work in dangerous professions that serve the needs of the community.

for more: http://futuristics.eu/news/

Heat the colors

2009-03-11T15:10:00.000+05:00

Heat activated color changing paint

Eclipse is a single event heat reactive basecoat that changes from Black to White or from Blue to White. Eclipse can be sprayed through any standard paint equipment. For the most brilliant white change, Eclipse should be applied over a white base. Paint your car in Black and when the weather is hot you will drive with a white color car .

for more: http://futuristics.eu/news/

Renoir

2009-03-09T15:12:00.000+05:00

LG KC910i Renoir

General	2G Network	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, February
	Status	Coming soon

Size	Dimensions	107.8 x 55.9 x 14 mm
Size	Weight	114 g

Display	Type	TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors
	Size	240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
		- Flash UI - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate - Downloadable wallpapers

Sound	Alert	Vibration; Downloadable Polyphonic(64), MP3 ringtones, composer
	Speakerphone	Yes

Memory	Phonebook	Yes, Photocall
	Call records	40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
	Internal	1 GB/2 GB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB (verified)

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	No
	EDGE	Yes
	3G	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0

Camera	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, auto/manual focus, xenon flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection, touch focus, image stabilization
	Video	Yes, VGA 30fps, QVGA@120fps
	Secondary	VGA videocall camera

Features	Messaging	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Push Email
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	FM radio
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Black
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- MP3/MPEG4/AAC/DivX/Xvid player - Organizer - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - TV-out - Voice memo - Built-in handsfree - T9

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 264 h
	Talk time	Up to 3 h

new movies

2009-03-09T15:11:00.000+05:00

When Spectrobes came out for the DS in 2007, it was something of a sleeper hit. Make a Pokemon-style game and set it in space and you’re onto a winner, it seems.

Anyway, the sequel’s on its way this Friday (nearly five months after it was released in the States) and Disney has released an anime-inspired cartoon series to coincide with it. Here are the first two episodes – we’ll be adding another two every day for the next week on the MSN Video channel.

Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals
Webisode 1
Webisode 2

RED HOT

2009-03-09T15:10:00.000+05:00

Limited edition red Xbox 360

When the long-awaited Resident Evil 5 arrives on March 13, it will be the first game in the legendary Resident Evil series to hit the Xbox 360.

Duly excited by the prospect of their first Resident Evil title, the Xbox folks have announced a limited edition red version of their console to celebrate the incoming zombie shooter.

On the same day that Resident Evil 5 launches, fans will be able to pick up* the game as part of a bundle including the crimson console with 120GB hard drive, a matching red wireless controller and a (disappointingly) black headset.

Software-wise, buyers of the special edition machine will also get an "exclusive premium" Resident Evil 5 theme and a code for downloading Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, another Capcom title.

The bright and bloody hue of this commemorative Xbox 360 won't be to everyone's taste. The classic white and black models do a better job of blending with the average home entertainment set-up, after all. But fans of faceplates might be tempted to trade up.

What do you make of this oh-so-red Xbox 360? Would you prefer another colour? And shouldn't a Resident Evil 5 special edition model have some kind of zombie design on it?

(*Supplies apparently "very limited", pre-ordering advised. GAME is taking pre-orders for the bundle, priced at £229.99.)

xbox

2009-03-09T15:06:00.000+05:00

New movies on Xbox Live

Today Xbox Live announced an agreement with Universal Pictures to bring new movie downloads to the Xbox Live Marketplace: 30 films at first, and more over time.

Highlights of the new movie rental line-up include Hellboy II, Shaun of the Dead and The Bourne Supremacy. These join a mixed bag of older favourites (The Blues Brothers, Scarface), horror classics (Child's Play 2 and 3, Village of the Damned) and stoner flicks (How High, Cheech and Chong's Next Movie).

At the announcement, Neil Thompson, head of Xbox in the UK and Ireland, declared that the new Universal deal was merely part of the grander plan for Xbox 360 as an online multimedia entertainment hub for which the console was intended and apparently named: "360-degree entertainment that would be continuous and ongoing," in Thompson's words.

Comparing the new rentals from Universal to the videos already available from Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros, we're not looking at a massive diversification from existing Xbox Live fare (blockbusters, slashers, teen comedies) - but a new studio from which to draw ongoing content can only be a good thing.

The new films will be available immediately from 250 points (about £2) a pop for standard definition and 380 points (about £3) for HD. The videos are accessible for 24 hours after downloading and beginning playback.

Twittering

2009-03-09T15:02:00.000+05:00

Celebs on Twitter

There's no better indication of how popular Twitter has become than the fact it's been swamped by celebrities.

Would-be stalkers have it easy these days, as every celeb worth his or her salt has their own Twitter page where they post every detail of their day-to-day lives.

Of course, things aren't always what they seem. It's so easy to set up an account, that 'celebrity' tweeters are often exposed as imposters.

But with that in mind, we're taking a look at some of the more interesting famous Twitter users - including some who turned out to be not all they claimed.

Take a look at our pick of famous Twitter folk.

Current affairs

2009-03-09T15:01:00.000+05:00

Class-action Settlement Makes Toshiba Pay For Faulty DLP TV Lamps

Last week, a federal district court in New York approved a settlement declaring that people who bought certain models of rear-projection DLP TVs from Toshiba between January 1, 2004, and September 18, 2008, are eligible for cash refunds.

The class-action lawsuit, Ersler v. Toshiba of America Inc., had a claim that Toshiba 'knowingly misrepresented the life span of the bulbs in the lamps contained in the lamp assembly component of its 2004 and 2005 DLP television models.' If true, this would mean the sale of the TVs had brought about a 'breach of express and implied warranties,' and a violation of the State's consumer Fraud Act.

In DLP TVs, the lamp provides the light source, and is placed in between the DMD chip and the color wheel to create images.

During sales, Toshiba had estimated the life of the bulbs to last almost 8,000 hours. Instead, many people found them to burn out after only 300 hours, about 4% of the estimated life, or two months of normal use.

That had to be truly infuriating for many, since the sets at that time were seen as a fairly good deal, at a price of about $2,500 for a 50-inch set. Apparently, the replacement bulbs cost about $300 each.

By settling in court, Toshiba has agreed to provide six-month warranty extension for replacement bulbs to anyone that purchased a 2004 or 2005 model Toshiba DLP television in the U.S. If anyone that owned this TV had to go out and buy replacement bulbs in order to extend the life of the TV, they are also eligible to submit a claim for cash refunds.

If you own one of the TVs and know have the right to the claim, you can go to the site created for the settlement at www.dlplampsettlement.com, or you can call the toll-free 1-800-894-1766.

It's easy to forget how popular DLP TVs were early in the decade, especially since they were overtaken by Plasma TVs and then LCDs in the last five or six years.

For many, DLPs TVs were the best large screen TVs available for the best price early in the decade and Toshiba, Panasonic, and Hitachi were among the leaders. By the first quarter of last year, though, they were hardly moving: only 124,000 rear-projection TVs were sold worldwide, a pittance compared to LCDs, which sold over 20 million units in that quarter alone.

By the start of this year, Toshiba was no longer selling rear-projection TVs and neither, it seemed, was anyone else. The only company currently selling rear-projectioners is Mitsubishi, with its newfangled Laser technology that is quite different and more highly developed than the old DLPs from the mid-2000s.

Check out all of the models eligible for the Toshiba refund after the jump:

Continue reading "Class-action Settlement Makes Toshiba Pay For Faulty DLP TV Lamps" »

EARTH Buzzing

2009-03-09T15:00:00.000+05:00

Asteroid 'just buzzed Earth'

Asteroid 'just buzzed Earth'

pa.press.net

An asteroid about the size of one that levelled more than 800 square miles of forest in Siberia a century ago just buzzed Earth, Nasa said.

The asteroid, named 2009 DD45, was about 48,800 miles from Earth when it zipped past early on Monday, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported.

That is just twice as high as the orbits of some telecommunications satellites and about a fifth of the distance to the Moon.

"This was pretty darn close," astronomer Timothy Spahr of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics said.

But not as close as the tiny meteoroid 2004 FU162, which came within 4,000 miles in 2004.

The space rock measured between 69 and 154 feet in diameter. The Planetary Society said that made it about the same size as the asteroid that exploded over Siberia in 1908.

Scientists at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia spotted 2009 DD45 and began tracking it in late February when it was about one million miles away.

Mr Spahr said he knew within an hour of that discovery that it would pose no threat to Earth.

Of the known space rocks, the next time an object will get closer to Earth will be in 2029 when an 885ft asteroid called 99942 Apophis comes within 20,000 miles, says Donald Yeomans of Nasa's Near-Earth Object Programme at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Last year, the asteroid 2008 TC3 harmlessly burned up in Earth's atmosphere over Africa 19 hours after it was discovered. Astronomers gave a six-hour notice warning of that fiery plunge.

NEW FACEBOOK

2009-03-09T14:54:00.000+05:00

Facebook's new look and layout unveiled

The world's number one social-networking site, Facebook, has announced that more changes to its look are afoot – news that will no doubt bring with it a barrage of complaints from users.

Although the new layout is not that much of a significant departure, when Facebook went through its first makeover the site's forums were alight with vitriol.

Freudian changes

Noticeable changes of the homepage include the 'What are you doing right now?' bar changing to the rather Freudian 'What's on your mind?'.

The readability of Events has improved as well, with birthdays and upcoming events shunted to the top. What is noticeable is that the advertising on the right-hand side has increased significantly.

The left-hand side of the page is actually being used now for Filters, so you can categorise your friends as school mates, work colleagues and so on.

The main stream of information that got so many users backs up when it was first introduced can now be cut down even more, which should reduce the amount of traffic received from those who have a lot of 'friends'.

Coming soon

There's no word on when the changes will take place, but Facebook is giving people plenty of warning by posting a 'Changes to the Home page are coming soon' banner on the site right now.

touch

2009-03-09T14:51:00.001+05:00

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH preview: First look

Known as Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH or simply Tocco Ultra depending on the market, the latest touch phone by Samsung comes in the slider form factor. Beside the killer looks and slim profile of only 12.7mm, the specs sheet of the Samsung S8300 continues with a 2.8" capacitive OLED touchscreen, 8 megapixel camera and a GPS-receiver with Route 66 navigation.

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH a.k.a. Tocco Ultra at a glance:

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Form factor: Classy touchscreen slider with an alphanumeric keypad
Dimensions: 110 x 51.5 x 12.7 mm
Display: 2.8-inch 16M color OLED touchscreen, WQVGA resolution (400 x 240), tempered glass for scratch resistance
Memory: 80MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB), 2GB card supplied
OS: Proprietary Samsung Touch UI, latest version of TouchWiz UI (1.5)
Camera: 8 megapixel auto focus camera with dual PowerLED flash, Face detection, Smile Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and VGA video@30 fps
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and optional Samsung Mobile Navigator by Route66
Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for auto screen turn-off, Anti-scratch screen surface, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support
Battery: 880 mAh battery

It's been exactly one year since the first time one of the big-five phone manufacturers announced a fully touch-operated slider. The Samsung S8300 takes over from where the LG KF700 left off and attempts a huge leap forward.

While the LG KF700 wasn't that popular, the Samsung S8300 seems ready to go that extra length. It is the key product for Samsung for the first half of this year and we are almost as curious as you are to see if it appeals to the phone-buying public.

Samsung S8300 all over

The Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH looks quite nice in the flesh and we have to admit that we are rather fond of the metallic frame around the display.

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH next to LG KC910 Renoir and Samsung i8510 INNOV8

Join us on the next page for a detailed check of the device's ergonomics.

GEOSYNC

2009-03-09T14:44:00.000+05:00

Geosynchronous Satellite – as imagined by Arthur C Clarke in ‘Extra-Terrestrial Relays’ Wireless World magazine (1945)

Arthur C. Clarke came up with one of the most astoundingly accurate predictions of our time when he postulated that a network of geosynchronous satellites that revolved at the same speed as the earth and therefore remained in the same position over it, could make global communication possible. Hermann Oberth in his 1920 book ‘Die Rakete zu den Planetenraumen’ and John R. Pierce also have claims to have come up with the idea. Although this idea was not first published in a fictional context but in a scientific forum, Clarke also used the idea in his books.

SCi fi

2009-03-09T14:41:00.000+05:00

Amazing Sci-Fi Predictions

A network of machines that allow people to talk to each other over continents, cameras that record your every movement and portable media players you carry around with you. Sound familiar? Of course they do because they are part of our everyday life, and yet all of these remarkable gadgets and technologies were mooted a long time before they ever existed by some of the world’s most famous science fiction writers.

The likes of Isaac Asimov, HG Wells and George Orwell inspired generations of inventors, and some of their fictional devices are eerily similar to real life innovations.

MSN tech & gadgets looks at a selection of common technologies, and tells you how their existence was predicted by some of the world’s most famous authors.

Robotic

2009-03-09T14:40:00.001+05:00

Robot Roundup

The Boston Globe's Big Picture is probably one of last year's best new blogs, featuring in-depth galleries of news events. The twist is that the photos are huge (you'll be hitting the maximize button on your browser window) and that the picture editors choose some exquisite images.

Normally the Gadget Lab has had no reason to mention the Big Picture. Until now, that is. The site has a fascinating gallery of robots, from all around the world (although mostly from Japan). You'll find cute robotic baby seals designed for clubbing practice (kidding! They're for use as pets in hospitals), creepy military robots (including the ever-spooky Big Dog) and, possibly best of all, the Governator face-to-face with a giant robot hand. In fact, there are quite a lot of "robot meets politician" pictures over there.

We chose the picture at the top of this post, though, because of our love of the home made. In it you see the creation of Chinese farmer Wu Yulu, taking his robot-pulled rickshaw for a spin. The robot is made entirely from trash -- "wire, metal, screws and nails found in rubbish sites". It's amazingly impractical, and we love it.

Its Magic

2009-03-09T14:33:00.000+05:00

HTC Magic coming to Vodafone as soon as this April

Tags: HTC, Android, Touch UI, Vodafone

It's known under many names - HTC Sapphire, HTC Magic, even the G2. Android's second coming is going to be in April when the HTC Magic will be available through Vodafone.

The official announcement of the HTC Magic was only this February and it's already set to launch in April.

There have been a lot of rumors floating around the Internet regarding a successor to the T-Mobile G1 - and a lot of them turned out to be false. There are also photos of a T-Mobile branded Magic, though there's nothing official just yet. Chances are that it will be sold in the US as the T-Mobile G2, but Vodafone will retain exclusivity over the Android device on the Old Continent.

HTC Magic

The HTC Magic is very similar to the HTC Dream, the most obvious difference being the lack of hardware keyboard. This means less weight - the HTC Magic has shed a good 40 grams, and it's thinner too. Other, less obvious but welcome changes, are the improved battery life (just over two hours of talk time more), twice the ROM (it's now 512 MB) and an extra HSDPA band (900 in addition to 2100).

The pricing of the new Vodafone HTC Magic is not yet announced but we won't have to wait too long to find that out. While you wait, you can check our overview of what HTC presented at the 2009 MWC, complete with live photos.

Cyber playing

2009-03-08T02:22:00.000+05:00

Sony Ericsson W995 review: Ready, set, play

Convergence is the buzzword and the Cyber-shot Walkman affair-turned-marriage is busy producing offspring. And hey, the young Sony Ericsson W995 sure makes the first-born W902 look like a helpless orphan.

Easily the best equipped feature phone of the house, Sony Ericsson W995, still more popular as Hikaru, packs in all there is to find at the top of the company portfolio. The full set of connectivity options, the biggest screen on a Sony Ericsson feature phone to date, GPS, Wi-Fi and the great user interface make a sweet enough package on their own.

But in the case of W995 they're just the perfect background for the unprecedented blend of music and imaging. The Cyber-shot line is graciously lending its 8 megapixel triumph, while the music dowry includes the latest Walkman 4.0 player, with all the bare Walkman necessities such as Shake control and SensMe. And there's more to make it even sweeter. We called it a marriage and Sony Ericsson have taken due care of the wedding presents. We don't know what else to call the kickstand and the on-board 3.5 mm audio jack.

So Sony Ericsson W995 has it all, doesn't it? Now let's see if it gives it all.

Sony Ericsson W995 official photos

Key Features:

Brushed metal body parts
Quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA
2.6" 256K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection
WQVGA video recording at 30fps
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
Wi-Fi with DLNA support
Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0
Accelerometer sensor
118MB of internal memory and M2 memory expansion (8GB card included)
Stereo speakers
3.5 mm audio jack
Kickstand
Walkman 4.0 music player with Shake control and SensMe
FM radio with RDS
Multi-tasking support
Smart dialing
Comfortable keypad, nice sliding mechanism

Main disadvantages:

Video recording limited to WQVGA
No lens protection
No DivX/XviD video support (though it's touted as a video-centric phone)
Kickstand construction could've been more reliable
No office document viewer

Sony Ericsson W995 at ours

Since the phone is expected to hit the market by Q2 2009 (which is just around the corner) and Sony Ericsson didn't mention any price, we can only guess how much it will sell for. It's fair to expect a price tag around the same as the similarly equipped Nokia N86 8MP, which will start shipping at the same time at an estimated 375 euro (before taxes and subsidies).

As we said, the Nokia N86 8MP offers almost the same features. Almost. The camera is 8.1-megapixel and sports autofocus, but it also comes with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash (W995 has a single-LED) and the exciting wide-angle lens and variable aperture.

The N86's screen is also 2.6" but it's based on AMOLED technology (not TFT) and shines with 16M colors (not just 256K). Both devices have kickstands but the one on the N86 seems more reliable based on what we saw at the MWC.

And last but not least, let's not forget that the N86 8MP is a Symbian smartphone with all the possibilities for expansion this entails. It's in the best interests of the W995 that we don't extend this comparison any further!

Nokia N86 8MP

Another competitor of the SE W995 is the smart Samsung i8510 INNOV8, which packs all the Sony Ericsson W995 does, but adds some extra features on top which are well worth checking out. Follow the link to our in-depth review of the INNOV8.

Samsung i8510 INNOV8

It seems that the Sony Ericsson W995 has some pretty strong competition so the decision about which to choose ain't gonna be easy.

More details on: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_w995-review-329.php

Messenger wears prada

2009-03-08T02:19:00.000+05:00

For the original LG Prada the best way to travel in style was to travel light. But this time around it's carrying a full QWERTY suitcase packed with goodies. Top of the line functionality and an updated interface sound just the right kind of luggage to us. But good enough won't do if it's not glam enough. The new LG KF900 Prada may seem like the missing link between the techie high end and exclusive fashionware. But will HSDPA, Wi-Fi, QWERTY and DivX ring the right bell with the target audience?

Last week we saw Samsung ride on the Emporio Armani youth appeal and now we're back by the catwalk with the more moderate, perhaps even conservative, but nonetheless attractive, new Prada phone by LG.

Official photos of LG KF900 Prada

And we've got loads to cover. Are the changed form factor and the QWERTY keyboard likely to backfire, and will performance ever be make or break for the fashion savvy? Rarely has a designer package promised so much action, so let's roll.

Key features:

3-inch 262K-color capacitive touchscreen display of WQVGA resolution
Comfortable QWERTY keyboard
5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
D1 (720x480) resolution video recording at 30fps
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Dual band 3G with HSDPA support
Wi-Fi
Responsive Flash-based interface with multi-touch support
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB v2.0
Stylish and generous retail package
microSD memory card slot (verified to work with 16GB cards)
FM radio with RDS
Accelerometer sensor for screen auto rotate
TV-out
Office document viewer
DivX video support
Fashion-related content preloaded

Main disadvantages:

Two-year-old design
The large waistline doesn't match the fashionable image (but is OK for a QWERTY messenger)
Plastic build
No GPS (LG Renoir has it)
No XviD video support (LG Renoir has it)
Multi-touch has rather limited use
No Flash support in the web browser
Video recording is a letdown
High cost-to-features ratio (but OK for a premium fashion handset)

It was about time the first Prada phone by LG got an update, no doubt about that. Data transfers, connectivity, multimedia and user interface upgrades are spot on, but a hardware QWERTY keyboard was hardly essential. It's the Prada phone after all, and it probably needs all those buttons as much as the Sonim rugged phones need a Dolce & Gabbana carrying case.

Oh well, all-in-one QWERTY touchscreens are obviously the new black. Or so the LG KF900 Prada believes. Keen to find a niche within the niche, it lands right in the middle of not so friendly smartphone crowd. It's got the features to stand up to the XPERIA, HTC and the likes but it's kinda hard to imagine the ruthless WinMo machine melting with pity for the adorable, helpless, irresistible Prada.

Anyway, we think we'd be better off skipping our traditional round of window shopping this time. After all comparing the Prada to the smart messengers running Symbian or Windows Mobile will be irrelevant and unfair. There will be of course references to equally equipped messengers as we go, for both performance and looks, but that will be all.

Meet the new Prada

We couldn't find any other handset willing to embrace the LG KF900 Prada concept. The QWERTY touchscreen all-in-one segment is a small niche to begin with, and the haute-couture label narrows it down even further. The new Prada phone by LG finds itself in a difficult position so let's see if it's got what it takes to make the best of it.

Join us on the next page, as we explore the exterior and ergonomics.

For more: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_kf900_prada-review-311.php

Omnia bomb

2009-03-08T02:10:00.000+05:00

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD preview: First look

Now that's a big one - the handset with one of the longest spec sheets we've ever seen has just dropped on us like a bomb. The Omnia HD is Samsung's go at touch-taming the Symbian S60 and is introducing truly revolutionary stuff.

A 3.7" OLED capacitive touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera that should be able to humble even some digicams and of course the HD video recording - does it really get any sweeter? Geeks have been warned - continue reading this preview at your own risk. We are not to be held responsible for sleep disorders or compulsive spending.

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD official photos

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD is surely one of the most interesting packages to look out for at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. With a specs sheet like that it's hardly a surprise but we cannot quite get Samsung's choice of name. There was nothing wrong with the original Omnia but reusing a name is not exactly suggestive of revolutionary. Oh, and don't get us started on the superscript. It may look cool and all, but just go ahead and google OmniaHD.

With the following preview we did our best to provide you with as much information as possible for the very short time we spent with the handset. Since our unit is at the very early stages of development we would focus mainly on the hardware and ergonomics as the software is well in need of getting polished. By the way, we've already reviewed the Symbian S60 5th edition touch user interface with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, so you should already know the basics.

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD at a glance:

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 12, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Form factor: Touchscreen bar
Dimensions: 123 x 58 x 12.9 mm
Display: 3.7-inch 16M color OLED touchscreen, 640 x 360 pixels
Memory: 8/16GB integrated memory, non-hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
OS: Symbian S60 5th edition
Camera: 8 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, Face detection, Smile Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and HD video recording at 24 fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and optional Samsung Mobile Navigator by Route66, HDMI (dongle needed)
Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for auto screen turn-off, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support
Battery: 1500 mAh battery

For starters here is a bunch of photos of the i8910 - while certainly not as sleek as the Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH, the handset spells multimedia and that is enough of an attraction to a lot of people.

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD

For more: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8910_omnia_hd-review-317.php

Water Power

2009-03-08T02:07:00.000+05:00

Alarm clock powered by water battery

Most of the times the excuses people come up with for being late, for example, are lame. They are aware of the fact that they wouldn’t believe their own words even if they would be begged to, but a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, right? This means they have to try, no matter the consequences.

Imagine how you would laugh if someone told you that the reason he was late for an important meeting is nothing but the fact that he forgot to pour some water in his alarm clock. It would make you splitting with laughter, wouldn’t it? Or, in the worst case, it would get on your nerves because telling you such nonsense means that he/she thinks you’re fool enough to swallow it.

But you’d better believe it, because the Water Powered Alarm Clock is actually powered by… water, which makes an eco-friendly device perfect for you, if you’re into the green mood these days! This means that you need no electricity or batteries in order to make it work, just water. Pour some water and the alarm clock will wake you up in the morning at the precise hour that you want to be woken up.

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But how does this thing work? Well, it seems that the result of the evaporation is a constant amount of energy that is based on an electrochemical reaction that takes place between the electrodes and the water. Therefore, the only thing you have to do is to provide the alarm clock with water every three months. It’s something like a water battery.

The device not only tells you the time, but it also gives you information about temperature and features time and date display. The Water Powered Alarm Clock measures 9.5 x 9.5 x 5.0 centimeters and weighs approximately 0.2 kilograms.

If you’re interested in the device, you can go grab it from Gadgetshop for £19.99

Smart driving

2009-03-08T02:05:00.000+05:00

Attention Assist says “Pause” whenever you’re dead sleepy

I was 18 years old when I first drove a car as I decided it was time for me to get my driving license. Even if I was never very much into cars and driving them has never been a hobby of mine, I can’t say that the lack of interest I’ve always proven concerning this area was somehow a disadvantage and I was never afraid of driving. My only fear was related to other people and their driving skills. You can never know the crazy people one can “intersect” on road.

The worst thing that can happen to someone is to fall asleep while driving, which is the cause of so many accidents nowadays. Fortunately for those who are bold enough to drive a car when being so very tired, the Mercedes E-class is smart enough to know when you’re on the point of closing your eyes and to attempt to wake you up. It sounds like a fairytale, isn’t it? Not to mention the fact that the car will also make a very strong suggestion to the exhausted driver: to make a pause and drink a cup of coffee.

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The guys over Mercedes worked hard on Attention Assist, an impressive program which is based on numerous studies, meticulously concretized in conclusions that are meant to help people whenever they need. They studied the connection between the brainwaves of sleepy individuals who dare to drive their cars and their physical behavior. This way, they managed to develop a car that is able to know when you’re on the point to fall asleep at the wheel.

The sensors placed in the steering wheel helps the system notice when something like this happens and a noisy alarm will immediately bring you back to reality. Then, as you can see in the picture above, the “pause” message will appear on the display, so you’ll know that is time for a coffee break.

This means that if you’re one of those who can hardly wait for the new E-class, which is expected to come out in 2009, you will most probably be among the fortunate ones to drive a smart car equipped with the Attention Assist. Let’s just hope that it won’t be smarter than the driver.

View the mystery

2009-03-08T02:03:00.000+05:00

The first ever Canon waterproof camera – the PowerShot D10

Preparing itself for the Photo Marketing Association trade show (also known as PMA), which is to take place in Las Vegas, March 3-5, Canon announced an impressive number of cameras that are to be launched in the market. Impressive, the number of devices, this isn’t something we can say about the devices themselves.

The only one which stands out is the Canon PowerShot D10, which is the first waterproof digital compact camera, equipped with an impressive 12.1 megapixel resolution. The camera was designed for all those who live an adventurous life, who have the most active lifestyles possible and combines tough qualities with outstanding image quality. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you’re surfing, skiing, snorkeling or mountaineering, because the PowerShot D10 is the perfect companion.

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The features it comes equipped with include: the 12.1 megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom provided with optical Image Stabilizer, resistance to water (up to 10 meters), shocks (1.22 meters), freeze (-10 degrees Celsius) and to dust, Smart Auto mode with Scene Detection Technology, DIGIC 4 for ultra-fast response, IS and Motion Detection Technology (meant for combating blur), Face Detection Technology, Face Select, Track and Blink Detection, 30 frames per second VGA movies and the special 2.5” PureColor LCD II protected by a 2 millimeters protective shield.

If you want to keep your camera safe in all sorts of “dangerous” environments, Canon comes with a special offer consisting of protective accessories like a soft case, shoulder, neck and carabiner straps.

A great thing about this Canon waterproof camera is the fact that it gives users the possibility to increase the capacity storage with SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus and HC MMCplus card formats.

“The PowerShot D10 is a boundary-breaking camera”, said Rainer Fuehres, head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. In addition, he said that “it brings the hallmarks of the PowerShot range – exceptional imaging and ease of use – to places where many other cameras simply cannot go”.

The $329.99 camera is expected to become available sometime in May 2009.

Get hotter

2009-03-08T02:02:00.000+05:00

Heated pants for cold winters

None of my friends believed me when I decided to share with them the most exciting news ever; my first trip to the mountains during the winter time ended in a unique experience: I’ve glided down the track with the skis on my feet. It wasn’t the smoothest slide over the snow in the history, not the most impressive, artistically speaking, but I’m quite proud of myself.

The trip turned into a pleasant memory, but the only thing I didn’t enjoyed was the fact that I wasn’t prepared for such an adventure. This is why I had to bear a frosty weather that didn’t allow me to feel my feet for a couple of days. In addition, it got me a cold that I still have to fight.

Speaking of that, one of the worst nightmares of my life is being cold. I hate it. I hate so very much and I don’t know whether there’s something for me to do in order to solve this problem. I’m always cold, no matter what, even when the thermometer shows 30 degrees Celsius. It’s only then that I start feeling… comfortable. But no more than that.

In the given context, the Burton Women’s LTD Heated Mighty Pants would have been just what the doctor ordered for me during the trip I had. Even if it sounds unbelievable, the pants you see in the picture above are aimed at women. Yes, I also found it difficult to “swallow”, but you shouldn’t blame me! Blame the designer if you like, not me! But, on the other hand, you shouldn’t look spectacular on the track! You should feel warm and cozy.

Anyway, the heated pants are such a blessing for your legs, as they will feel like being wrapped in an electric blanket. As a matter of fact, there’s an entirely safe current that heats the Thermo-Tex ink-printed liner the pants are provided with. What’s very important is that you have total control over the temperature, which can be adjusted with a tiny rechargeable battery pack. And if you’re worried about heating too much, then you should know that this problem was also taken care of with the mesh-lined vents that eliminate the excess heat.

Available in two color versions: Shark and True Black Plaid, the heated pants can be purchased for $121.48 from Dogfunk.com.

Goldylockes

2009-03-08T01:50:00.000+05:00

NamFleG Concept Phone, the new rival for Vertu

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Vertu, the British-based manufacturer and retailer of luxury mobile phones, should fear, as it could easily become “last year” when consumers’ eyes meet this gorgeous concept phone designed by Russian Marat Kudryavtsev which is bearing the name of NamFleG. This is a luxury handset, with an attractive curve and gold highlights.

Following the unimpressive wake of the Vertu Void concept phone, which some referred to as a “celebration of empty space”, the Russian designer has developed a staggeringly beautiful handset that is a real treat for the eyes of behold thanks to the lustrous finish, sleek lines and the black and gold highlights. These highlights render a delicate sense of elegance which is enhanced by solar motifs around the navigation buttons.

With a touch of just enough embellishment, this beautiful concept phone seems to have a camera on its back. Yes, I agree, the design might have been a bit better without the thick edges surrounding its screen, but be that as it may, the phone is still a vision of sparkling beauty and grace.

Up until now, the NamFleG seems to be a great rival for the Vertu handsets. If you are interested, on the other hand, in finding out the technical features this device is equipped with, you should forget about them, because, in this case, beauty is everything. And because we’re talking about a concept phone, pricing and availability of the NamFleG are not known at this moment. Still, you can check out Marat Kudryavtsev’s portofolio at Behance network, to see what the designer will come up with in the future.

for more cellphonebeat.com)

Icephone

2009-03-08T01:48:00.001+05:00

The iCEphone is the Swiss Army Knife of handsets

When you face all of these convergence things that are going on, everyone is trying to cram as many functions as they can into their latest smartphone. The only problem with this purpose is that is quite impossible to do it all in a package small enough to carry in your pocket.

Exquisitely designed and beautifully engineered, the iCEphone (In Case of Emergency Phone) effortlessly allows different form factors for different situations. This cutting edge micro notebook touch phone is the Swiss Army Knife of handsets, as it combines 4 main devices packing everything you need into one handy device.

The iCEphone not only maintains significant similarity to familiar devices, but it also minimizes any resistance (either real or psychological) to adopting a new device. It integrates the skills you have already learned when operating other devices.

Its creators call it a micro notebook and you couldn’t disagree, right? The micro notebook has both a desktop and a handheld mode. On the desktop mode the incredibly intuitive keyboard folds out while in the handheld mode the secondary keyboard tucks underneath. But still functions with the keys accesses like a games player, giving proper keyboard functionality in both modes. In both desktop and handheld modes the micro notebook offers: large landscape screen, a 3-inch one, more precisely (to ease web browsing and mobile office working), full QWERTY keyboard functionality, mouse, touch typing and multi-keys strokes (eg Ctrl-Alt-Del), large keys, 2 SIM cards and Windows Mobile.

The iCEphone is a touch phone that allows industry standards for functionality and includes a 3.1 megapixel camera. By automatically switching between landscape and portrait, the iCEphone also offers unsurpassed multimedia options. 3G (HSDPA) makes the phone compatible with all the latest technology offered by the networks.

The iCEphone is a GSM Quadband handset (850/900/1800/1900, GPRS/EDGE) with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA UMTS 2100 connectivity, and is equipped with Freescale iMX31 532 Mhz CPU, a 3-inch 240×400 pixels 65K color transflective TFT touchscreen, Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro OS, 3.1 megapixels camera with autofocus and LED flash, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi b/g and a 1250mAh battery. The device measures 127 x 60.8 x 23.3 millimeters and weighs 210 grams.

Originally designed to meet the exacting requirements of the British military, the iCEphone is a combination of two exciting new products that can either work independently or together: a cross-platform medical software package and a phone that sets a new industry standard in convergence technology.

iCE Aid is designed to assist anyone, anywhere in the world affected by a medical emergency. The software package reduces the time to receive appropriate treatment – the critical factor in emergency medicine. It has three main features: provides step by step emergency first aid software to lead you by the hand and show you what to do and how to do it, it automatically records what has been done and compiles a handover report to give to the emergency services and it holds your medical records in a safe and secure fashion.

The iCEphone is rumored to hit stores in Thailand soon with a release in the UK in March-April 2009, having an expected retail price of about $1,000.

Be Active

2009-03-08T01:45:00.000+05:00

Best waterproof watches for active lifestyles

You have always been a man of sport, enjoying every activity that helped you keep your very good shape just like it was a couple of years ago, when the last thing you needed was to work for your silhouette. Now things have dramatically changed, but thank God you’re not too lazy for jogging in the mornings and never against the idea of a little escapade to the seaside. Moreover, you are what people call a “son of sea”, so water sports are just what the doctor ordered for your body and soul.

But as much as you love swimming, surfing, sailing (or whatever you might come up with), you can’t neglect the fact that a Rolex is wrapped around your wrist and you wouldn’t like to have it ruined or lost due to your underwater escapades. On the other hand, you want to always be connected, so you don’t like the idea of not knowing the time, even when you’re scuba diving.

Well then, let me make a suggestion: the Breo watch, a device that “is waterproof to 10 meters and comes with a permanently affixed natural rubber band made with the naturally occurring mineral Tourmaline (which we’ve been told is responsible for many beneficial effects when worn next to the skin”. The watch is very easy to use, so all you are supposed to do is to just wrap it around your wrist and forget you have it.

The wristwatch is available in three color versions, pink, blue and black, and each of these comes in three different sizes: small, medium and large. Maybe the Breo devices are far from being the best waterproof watches, but you’d rather take them with you underwater, facing them with all sorts of unexpected risks, than other expensive timepieces.

The watch face measures 4 x 1.5 centimeters, while the strap measures 19 cm (the small size), 23 cm (the medium size) and 25 cm (the large size). The Breo watch retails for only £9.99.

Be James Bond

2009-03-08T01:43:00.000+05:00

I sometimes get overwhelmed by the astonishing inventions that wouldn’t have crossed your mind in a million years. Sometimes you’re excited and you’re eager to put your hands on the product, but sometimes you just can’t understand how in earth the idea became reality.

And if you ever had the chance to hear someone talking about a shoe phone and you thought this is the most outrageous of them all then you should know that an Australian IT expert doesn’t share your opinion. More than that, he spared no efforts in order to make it happen. This is the easiest way for those who tend to lose things to never lose their mobile phone again. Because when you have it attached to your shoe, it’s quite difficult to get rid of it.

The creator is 32-year-old Paul Garner-Stephen, who came up with a suggestion for a local theatrical production of a TV parody named “Get smart” (a spoof the the 60’s), where Maxwell Smart, an agent, used a shoe phone. Therefore, with the help of a shoemaker friend, he brought this device in the spotlight. The shoe phone has the mobile handset inside of one heel, while the Bluetooth headset is fitted in the other.

Here what the designer has to say: “Your first thought is ‘It’s completely impractical’. But it’s actuallty not that bad. The phone rings, you slip off the shoe, then you open the heel, press the button and you’re talking in around the same time it would take to fumble in a bag and pull one out”.

This is a crazy invention, and there is no doubt about it. Imagine that you’re on the street and it’s raining cats and dogs, and you can’t wait for the moment you get home. But you’re streets away, and your phone starts ringing. You know it might be important, your boss who wants to inform you about a project you must finish by the end of the week. You want to answer, God knows you do, but come one! The cats and dogs are everywhere! You can’t, you just can’t take your shoe off and answer that inopportune boss of yours! Doesn’t he know that you are not available to phone talks when you’re on the street? Especially when it’s raining like hell. But he doesn’t want to give up, God damn it!

Yeah, the shoe phone sounds great! Absolutely great!

Wood It

2009-03-08T01:40:00.000+05:00

What’s the most obvious proof of the fact that there’s a huge demand for the products manufactured and commercialized by a company? Alright, maybe sales; it’s quite understandable why you would think first of this answer, because when a company sells well, you know that its work wasn’t for nothing and that it’s on the road that leads to success.

But there’s another aspect that should be taken into consideration: the secondary market of the product, consisting of accessories especially designed to work with what you’re selling. And there’s no doubt about the fact that Apple is one of those lucky companies that create sensation with each and every new release.

This is why you shouldn’t be surprised that Rainer Spehl, a designer that “works hands-on in furniture, interior and exhibition design”, dwelt upon the 15 inch Apple MackBooks and MackBooks Pro for his new product. Just in case you didn’t know, there are many solutions on the market for laptop owners who want to safely transport their devices, besides the messenger bags. The Wooden Laptop Case is a unique stylish enclosure that is just a little bit larger than the laptop.

A great thing about this case is the fact that it is lined with leather on the inside, to prevent your laptop from scratching, while the closing mechanism is based on a magnetic lock. But if you thought that what you have in front of your eyes is a product very close to perfection, wait until I tell you how much it costs, because it is pretty expensive, you know? The Wooden Laptop Case can be yours for approximately 220 Euro. And, if you’re interested, the only thing you should do is to just contact the designer.

Scrabble it

2009-03-08T01:39:00.000+05:00

Play Scrabble online with the Scrabble keyboard

Monday, January 19th, 2009 |

“Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary” ( Wikipedia).

Some of you might not be familiar with this game, even if it’s very well known in the whole world, so they wouldn’t be able to understand the surprise on the faces of those who see the Scrabble keyboard from the picture above.

Therefore, if you’re a fanatic Scrabble player and you love the game as much as you love your mother, then you a have a reason powerful enough to make you want to have your very own Scrabble keyboard. The device is meant to commemorate your passion, even if it’s quite a weird way to do such a thing. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather type the words quickening their steps out of my brain at my regular black Microsoft keyboard instead of using one which features scrabble tiles made of wood combined with brushed aluminum. The silver accents are meant to give this keyboard a more industrialized aspect to the overall design.

You should know that the buttons are real scrabble tiles, which makes it even more impressive, isn’t it? They were hand-beveled and then introduced in a USB keyboard. It sounds like a sisyphic work that could easily drive anyone mad. As far as the points of the individual letters are concerned, they were all modified in order to display the secondary function of the key.

Unfortunately, if you’re already dreaming about this new keyboard, allowing you to play Scrabble online (but of course, what else?), you should know (before getting too excited) that it won’t hit the mass production anytime soon.

(Source: gadgets.boingboing.net)

I contact

2009-03-08T01:35:00.000+05:00

“A contact lens (also known as a contact) is a corrective, cosmetic or therapeutic lens usually placed on the cornea of the eye. Modern soft contact lenses were invented by the Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim, who also invented the first gel used for their production”

Usually, people use contact lenses because they are trying to correct all sorts of deficiencies, which means they have the same purpose as conventional glasses, but they have the advantage of being lightweight and invisible. Nevertheless, there are many contact lenses that are colored by the manufacturer, aimed at those who want to change their eye color.

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There’s no doubt about the fact that contact lenses were a fashionable accessory a couple of years ago, when I first had the chance to see such weird inventions of the human mind. And I have always wanted to have my own pair of black contact lenses, but it seems that my dream wasn’t meant to come true, due to all sorts of problems.

Still, I can’t say that the lenses designed by Eun-Gyeong Gwon and Eun-Jae Lee are to my liking. First of all, I must take a deep breath and consider the continuous evolution of the world that makes possible the craziest ideas that could ever cross someone’s mind. The I Contact is something like a mouse stuffed deep inside your eyes. I know it sounds like a bad joke, but that’s the way it is.

When it comes to the insertion of the lens, there’s no difference between the I Contact and other that are available on the market, but what makes it distinguish itself is the fact that the I Contact is equipped with sensors that allow tracking the eye movement. This way, the position is transmitted to a receiver that is connected to your PC. You know what this means, right? That you have full control over a mouse cursor.

When first created, the I Contact was aimed at all of those people who have disabilities that impede them to physically use a mouse. But guess what? This might be a great solution for those who are too lazy to use their hands in order to handle the mouse. So pray for these crazy contact lenses to see the light of the day!

Tip's solution

2009-03-08T01:30:00.000+05:00

One more step to the best ergonomic keyboard

When someone makes the mistake of telling how wrong you are when it comes to your attitude concerning your health, you tend to become violent. Maybe the word it’s an exaggeration and I agree, but you get angry because that certain someone dares to show you the truth, a truth you know very well but you’d rather keep it for yourself.

And I’ll take my example to prove my case. When people told me that prolonged hours spent in front of the computer will have the worst consequences possible, the only thing I did was to laugh at everyone’s faces and tell them to mind their own business. I’ve been rude, but I had a reason for acting this way: I knew how bad things are, but I couldn’t just admit that I was wrong.

So now my back hurts like hell, my spine is far from being alright, and I’ve come so far that I hate sitting in a chair. More than that, I’m waiting for the moment when my fingers to show some signs of despair. Maybe I’m paranoiac, but repetitive strain injuries are a fact and happen more and more to people who use the computer.

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A solution that helps us all avoid this problem is an ergonomic keyboard, the first step to an ergonomically correct position. And here it is the Smartfish Pro:Motion Keyboard, which looks pretty normal, if you ask me, but it incorporates motors that shift the angle of the keyboard and the separation between keys several times during the day, so the wrist don’t stand a chance in resting too long in the same position. The keyboard is provided with seven “stations” the keyboard rotates through.

There are still plenty other similar devices to come until the day we will be able to say that we’re dealing with the best ergonomic keyboard, but the Smartfish Pro:Motion Keyboard is here to solve your RSI problems in the meantime. And it can be yours for $130, from EverythingUSB.

to reply and more: carnivalofdust@yahoo.com

Future driving

2009-03-08T01:22:00.000+05:00

Peugeot HYmotion3 Compressor concept

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The new Peugeot HYmotion3 Compressor Concept was presented at the Paris Motor Show, revealing the most amazingly high-tech scooter of all times. The three-wheeled HYmotion3 is a mixture of a scooter and a car and the slick aesthetics on this one makes it completely drool worthy.

Described as the missing link between the scooter and the car, the HYmotion3 compressor is a highly original proposal meant to reconsider and facilitate urban mobility. Due to its dynamic, streamlined and futuristic style, the concept is considered to be very attractive and combines numerous benefits such as size, safety and comfort. The HYmotion hybrid/petrol technology is the fundament of the development of a three wheel drive vehicle, benefiting safety and diveability and combining economy with an environmentally-friendly specification (CO2 emissions of only 47g/kph in the combined cycle, zero in electric only mode).

As you can easily figure it out for yourself, the HYmotion3 compressor concept is a means of transport, but it can’t be associated with a particular type of vehicle, as it’s not a car, nor a scooter. It’s provided with three wheels: two up front, independently powered by individual wheel-mounted hub motors and one in back. The two front wheels have no connection to the supercharged four-stroke 125cc engine that powers the rear wheel.

The urban traffic is intensified nowadays and everyone tries to deal with serious issues like saving time, skyrocketing oil prices and taking care of the environment. So what we’re all expecting from all sorts of companies is to develop solutions for the future. Taking all of these things into consideration, specialists in the scooter field from Peugeot Motorcycles and stylists and engineers working for Automobiles Peugeot joined their forces in order to develop the HYmotion3 concept car. Or is it a concept scooter?

The HYmotion3 has a width of 82 cm which makes it easier to thread a path through urban traffic will all the efficiency of a two-wheeler. As you can see in the pictures, there’s a front windscreen extending to the back of the vehicle and forming a highly effective shield against bad weather for the rider and the passenger. A very important aspect is that according to French regulations it’s possible for any possessor of a B license to drive the vehicle.

The vehicle is based on HYmotion technology, which was used with other concept-cars in the Peugeot exhibition space at the Paris Motor Show and features a supercharged petrol engine. It has a 15kW power (20 bhp) when driving the rear wheel and combines with two electric motors, each with an output of 3kW, located in the front wheels. The two electric motors are powered by “lithium-ion” batteries and recharged by an energy recovery system which operates during decelaration and braking. Therefore, the maximum power of 21 kW (29 bhp) is developed for a low fuel consumption of 2.0 litres/100 kph and CO2 emissions of 47 g/kph in the combined cycle, or 0 in electric only mode.

As far as the design is concerned, you can observe a sporty and avant-garde design which captures the spirit of Peugeot’s latest creations, such as 308 RCZ concept car. There are two polished aluminum roll-over bars supporting the “bubble” which protects the two occupants; in addition, the bars end in a handle which can be used by the rear passenger. The vehicle isn’t provided with rear-view mirrors, as this function is being accomplished by two display screens placed on the instrument panel. On either side of the base of the front windscreen there is a row of light emitting diodes (LEDs) which ensures a highly efficient lighting and that the vehicle can be seen in traffic.

There is also an ABS system which makes braking more efficient. In addition, braking relies on three ventilated discs and, above all, the front electric motors, which recover energy to recharge batteries. The three wheels combined with the electric motor braking help reducing the braking distance by around 30% compared to a two-wheel scooter provided with traditional brakes.

The HYmotion3 is just a concept right now, but Peugeot is very well known scooter maker, maybe the most important in the world. Targeting the European market, eager to purchase practical scooters and other fuel-efficient vehicles, the company has all the means in order to bring the HYmotion3 to mass production.

(Source engadget.com)

Posted in concept car | No Comments »

Autovolantor Flying Car

Maybe my imagination is that far-fetched at all. Looks like other people dream of frying cars and these dreams could materialize sooner than expected. The guys over at Moller International just unveiled their new hybrid flying car prototype. They call it the Autovolantor which is inspired by the two-seater Ferrari 599 GTB. The prototype adds two pars of wings to the Ferrari design, plus some other improvements to allow for vertical lift offs in case you want to make it in time through some nasty traffic jam. The Autovolantor can fly at speeds up to 150 mph for a short distance (about 15 minutes).

According to Gizmag, the hybrid part of the car refers to its functioning very much like a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle(PHEV) using one of its eight Rotapower engines to generate enough electrical power to drive for up to 40 miles. Which means we still have to stick around the urban areas.

Rumor has it that Moller International was requested to design this vehicle by a wealthy foreign businessman who was unable to commute from the city to his country home due to the overcrowded streets of Moscow. The car constructor estimates that the whole project will require around $5 million in order to be completed. However, once Moller readies the first prototype, production versions of the Autovolantor could be produced for under US$250,000 in modest volumes.

“It seems that it might be practical in some parts of the world, but in our view a roadable aircraft (versus a flying car) is still more practical for the greatest number of people,” said Dr. Paul Moller, founder and President of Moller International. “The Autovolantor is technically possible, but flying it in US cities is not going to be politically acceptable until it has been deployed successfully in other roles and environments. Practical or not, it excites the imagination to think about being able to rise vertically out of a traffic jam and just go!” he concluded.

It’s a step forward, why shouldn’t we agree? Still, we are pretty far from actually moving the entire traffic to, let’s say, several hundred feet above the ground.

Posted in concept car | No Comments »

2030 Concept Car

I keep imagining that in 20 years from now, we’ll be driving hybrid vehicles. I’m not referring to fuel hybrids here. What I mean is a kind of vehicle that may transform into two or more types according to our needs. For example, a car that can turn into a private jet or an amphibious vehicle. Sort of a transformer car, if you may. But that’s just my twisted imagination and it may turn out the intense car traffic can be move skyward, leaving the ground for huge parks and more skyscrapers. Anyway, the more conservative designers think that ground vehicles will still be around in 2030. Check out this modular design envisioned by Mihai Stamati from Chisinau, Moldova.

Not quite built for blazing fast speeds, Stamati’s 2030 concept car still provides some advanced technology, especially to the eco-friendly supporters. According to DVIce, the boxy car has a solar-powered rooftop and back panels, comes with four seats and the sliding doors together with the extended green windows allow for improved visibility. The concept also includes a cylindrical add-on which can be attached to the rear of the vehicle for extra seating. The rear of the car hides two electric engines, as well. As I previously mentioned, the car isn’t fast at all as it tops out at 20 miles per hour, probably being designed for urban driving and promotional purposes.

Futuristic enough, I’d say, and it’s always nice to see Romanian designers presenting their work to the whole world.

Eco-friendly lifestyle

2009-03-08T01:19:00.000+05:00

People are very interested these days in adopting the “greenest” attitude possible. They talk about green devices, about the importance of the environment and the consequences of their actions, they encourage each other into becoming responsible human beings and they are permanently looking for more and more ways to help the Planet survive.

And of these ways is for people to begin composting. I know, for people living in the country this is a simple task, because they find no difficulty in setting up a compost pile. They can do this, as they have a yard that allows them to set it up without any restraint. But when it comes to the urban life, things are a little bit different.

Time ur wall

2009-03-08T01:13:00.000+05:00

Unique wall clock

For those who don’t think that one clock to be hung on the wall is enough, because you’re tempted to extend the syntagm “the more the merrier” to everything that has to do with your life, here’s something that you will most certainly enjoy: the Three-Face Wall Clock. This is a device that is designed to keep track of the time better than any other similar device.

The only disadvantage is the fact that sharing the design of this unique wall clock to people who cross your threshold is a little bit difficult, because you’ll need a significant wall space. But when you think that you’ll create sensation and everyone will be curious to find more about this device, you’ll be happy that you chose to sacrifice that wall space.

In addition, you’ll have the chance to arrange the three clocks the way you most like, letting your imagination go wild. If you’re obsessed with order, then you can hang them in… well… order, from the smallest to the largest, but if you’re more into eccentric designs, that you can choose the cluster arrangement.

“The elements of time are broken down into separate black disks with numbers to indicate hours, minutes and seconds and can be positioned on the wall as you like”. Therefore, each face is designed to show a different type of time. This means that one is for seconds, one for the minutes and one for hours. The unique wall clock is made of painted wood, somewhere in Italy. The hours disk measures 7.5 inch in diameter and 1.75 inch D, the minutes disk measures 9.5 inch and 1.0 inch D, while the seconds disk is 11.5 inch in diameter and 0.75 inch D.

The clock requires three AA batteries in order to work and can be purchased for $295.00

Fu Gadgets

2009-03-08T00:50:00.000+05:00

About 10 years ago, we didn’t really expect the 1.4mb 3.5 inch floppy to evolve into flash drives 10x smaller with storage capacity as big as 32gb. The interesting thing about technology is; it’s just going to get more and more high-end but the size, is just going to get smaller and slimmer.

These concept gadgets you see before you today, have extremely high chance of getting into production anywhere in the future. For example,

Futurama

Jay Leno's EcoJet

Schumacher returns to replace Massa

Eco car by Rome

F1 racecar replica created from trashed Styrofoam

Bionamic gets powered by millions

Deltoid Double Energy concept

Slow Murder of Michael Jackson

Koenigsegg’s Quant Solar Supercar

Mobile No charging required

Cellphone charger harnesses the change in body temperature for a recharge

Horn Speakers green and luxurious

Magnet-powered vehicle for hi-tech cities of tomorrow

Are your teenage daughters taking way too long in the shower?

BIONIC EYE

Green Cooling

ITS RAInin MAn

TATA to expensive CARS

MILK GLOW

GIFT IT

ROBOTIC MERMAID

LAWN PC

SUIT UP

YAMAHA

FLEX G

HYUANDAI

Sunlight Gadget

Green Hog

Facebook in danger

Insecta

FIPA Women

Be Straight

Diabetes Free

Color Ur Playing

Red is PSP

PSP 4000

Sky Farming

Black n Green

Podcar

Superrsmoker

Shuffling 2009

Stress

meltdown

Sony Ericsson

Magnet RAM

Blackstone

3 dimensional

PC on ur wrist

Single view

faceoff

Blue faster

Filter urine

Purified urine to be astronauts’ drinking water

CAPE CANAVERAL: As NASA prepares to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing may do more for crew bonding than a machine being launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on Friday.

It's a water-recycling device that will process the crew's urine for communal consumption.

‘We did blind taste tests of the water,’ said NASA's Bob Bagdigian, the system's lead engineer. ‘Nobody had any strong objections. Other than a faint taste of iodine, it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water.’

‘I've got some in my fridge,’ he added. ‘It tastes fine to me.’

Delivery of the $250 million wastewater recycling gear is among the primary goals of NASA's 124th shuttle mission, which is due to launch at 7:55 p.m. EST on Friday (0055 GMT on Saturday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Meteorologists predicted a 70 per cent chance the weather would be suitable for launch. If the shuttle lifts off on time, it would arrive at the space station on Sunday so astronauts could begin 11 to 12 days of home improvements.

In addition to the water recycler, Endeavour carries two small bedrooms, the station's first refrigerator, new exercise gear, and perhaps most important for a growing crew — a second toilet.

‘With six people you really do need to have a two-bathroom house. It's a lot more convenient and a lot more efficient,’ said Endeavour astronaut Sandra Magnus, who will take over as a space station flight engineer from Greg Chamitoff.

Chamitoff has been aboard the outpost since the last shuttle flight in June.

NASA wants to make sure the water recycling system is working well before adding another three astronauts to the station's crew.

Shuttle supplies drying up

Reusing water will become essential once NASA retires its space shuttles, which produce water as a byproduct of their electrical systems. Rather than dumping the water overboard, NASA has been transferring it to the space station.

But the shuttle's days are numbered. Only 10 flights remain, including a final servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA is preparing to end the program in 2010.

‘We can't be delivering water all the time for six crew,’ said space station flight director Ron Spencer. ‘Recycling is a must.’

NASA expects to process about six gallons (23 litres) of water per day with the new device. The goal is to recover about 92 per cent of the water from the crew's urine and moisture in the air.

The wastewater is processed using an extensive series of purification techniques, including distillation — which is somewhat tricky in microgravity — filtration, oxidation, and ionization.

The final step is the addition of iodine to control microbial growth, Bagdigian said.The device is intended to process a full day's worth of wastewater in less than 24 hours.

‘Today's drinking water was yesterday's waste,’ Bagdigian said.

Ipic

Virtual Piano

Color ur emotions

Liftoff

Super bus

Engine on a chip

Huge Ring

Glossy feets

Heat the colors

The final step is the addition of iodine to control microbial growth, Bagdigian said.
The device is intended to process a full day's worth of wastewater in less than 24 hours.