World's largest laser takes first steps towards nuclear fusion reactionThe quest to create a controlled fusion reaction is underway at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF), with scientists reporting early progress ahead of ignition experiments which are due to start later this year. The ultimate aim of the world's largest laser - which is the size of three football fields - is to develop carbon-free, limitless fusion energy. Read More
Scientists create organic 'molecular computer'Researchers from Japan and the Michigan Technological University have succeeded in building a molecular computer that, more than any previous project of its kind, can replicate the inner mechanisms of the human brain, repairing itself and mimicking the massive parallelism that allows our brains to process information like no silicon-based computer can. Read More
It's Tight like that: Amptweaker's TightDrive Overdrive/Tone pedalThe TightDrive from Amptweaker allows guitar and bass players to take control of that all important tone and overcome any unwanted delay that can slow down the sound as it moves through an amp's circuitry. As well as LED-lit gain, distortion, volume and Tight controls the pedal also features an effects loop where onboard effects can be moved in front of or behind the TightDrive's tone modifications. Read More
Battlefield injuries could be treated with lightThere are quite a few bits of “future tech” in the various Star Trek series that are a little hard to believe, and the device their medics use for treating cuts is definitely one of them... they just shine the gizmo on a wound, and it instantly heals up. C’mon, that could never work! Or could it? The US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is now developing technology that could treat airmen’s battlefield injuries with - you guessed it - light. What’s next, replicator-made Klingon food? Read More
NEC announces new technology to detect pirated videos onlineNEC Japan has fired the latest salvo in war between pirates and video producers with the announcement of new identification technology capable of detecting copies of videos illegally uploaded to the Internet in a matter of seconds. According to NEC the technology achieved an average detection rate of 96 percent at a very low false alarm rate of 5ppm (5 in one million). It is also capable of detecting altered video content, such as caption overlays, camera captured copies and analog copies. Read More
European motorcycles edge ahead of Japanese at Cathedral of SpeedThe world's fastest road bike derivatives went to Italy last weekend for the latest round of the World Superbike Championships at Monza, AKA “the Cathedral of Speed.” Monza favors very fast motorcycles and the results echo what we'd already suspected after several rounds of the championship - there appears to be a changing of the guard underway and the addition of BMW and Aprilia to Europe's previously sole superbike contender, Ducati, appears to have tipped the balance of power away from the Japanese marques. A double-win to Aprilia and BMW's first podium in the superbikes were one indicator as was BMW's continuing superstock dominance. In a class that's an excellent guide to the sportiness of showroom road bikes, BMW's S1000 RR blew the competition into the weeds. Read More
Self-weighing suitcase knows exactly how heavy it isIt's happened to most of us at one time or another - you pack a suitcase before going on a trip, only to find that it's over the airline's weight restriction. Surely there has to be a better way than lifting that heavy suitcase back and forth to your bathroom scales, right? British company Expert Verdict is now selling a clever solution on their website. This self-weighing suitcase has an LCD display just underneath the handle that will tell you exactly how much the contents weigh. Read More
Sleek Audio SA7 - world's fanciest set of earbuds?Back in August 2007, we told you about Sleek Audio’s SA6 in-ear headphone system. It featured adjustable bass and treble, interchangeable ear tips, replaceable cables... oh yeah, and it cost $US250. Not exactly your $5 drug store system. Well, the SA6 is still around, but it’s about to lose its title of World’s Fanciest Earbud. Later this year, Sleek Audio will be rolling out the carbon fiber/aluminum/titanium SA7. Read More
Time for church - the 'Broke' stained-glass window watchThe "Broke" is the latest weird and wonderful watch design from Tokyoflash. Featuring a fragmented stained-glass window-like display, the outermost LED lit fragments on the Broke represent the hour, while inner fragments represent five minute intervals and central fragments indicate one to four minutes. The current time is displayed by which of the LED fragments are blinking. Got all that? Read More
UPDATE: econogo launches the 1500w electric yogo scooterBritish company econogo has launched the yogo, the first electric scooter that uses a fully detachable and portable lithium battery. Traditionally, electric two-wheelers in the UK have used impractical fixed silicon batteries which require the owner to run an extension lead from a mains electricity socket to the vehicle’s integrated battery. yogo owners can remove and charge the two LiFePO4 batteries inside an hour. Two spare batteries offer the option of an instantaneous swap for a further 44 miles of range. The GBP1999 (USD$3000) yogo has a 1500W motor, a top speed of 38 mph giving it the acceleration of a 100cc motorcycle, if not the top speed … and almost negligible running costs. Read More
Electrolux SHINE washing machine concept is as pretty (and hangable) as a pictureWashing machines aren’t exactly the kind of appliances you want to put on show in your home - which is one of the reasons they’re generally located in the laundry away from discerning eyes. But with around 74 percent of the world’s population expected to live in an urban environment by 2050 according to the UN, many people will be living in dwellings without a dedicated laundry and will be forced to house their washing machines in other rooms. With that in mind Electrolux has come up with a couple of sleek washing machine designs that can be integrated into a bathroom. Read More
'iMacify' your iPad with LUXA2's 360° adjustable dockOne of the early complaints about the iPad (yes, some people have complaints!) is that it's surprisingly heavy and sometimes difficult to hold. In an effort to remedy that problem, LUXA2 (a division of Taiwanese company Thermaltake) has created one of the more clever iPad holders that we've seen to date. Read More
Höganäs unveils lightweight electric bicycle motorA new electric motor designed for use with electric bicycles, scooters and other lightweight vehicles has been launched by Swedish company, Höganäs. The motor takes advantage of "metal powder technology", resulting in high performance but with reduced size, with a range of up to 75km between charges. The motor has been shown during the World Expo in the heart in Shanghai, China, one of the world’s stronghold for electric bicycle manufacture and deployment due to its cost efficiency, flexible and environmentally-friendly means of transportation. Read More
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