Your tech feed [Gizmag ]

Wonder why we don't crash like computers? Yale explains

Whether right or for wrong, the human brain is often compared to a computer, and vice-versa. They both receive data, process it, store it, and output new data. Unlike computers, however, the human brain doesn’t crash. Yes, people have nervous breakdowns, but that has more to do with psychological stress than with data management. Now, researchers from Yale University have figured out why our brains succeed where computers fail. Read More

WD TV Live HD media player first to boast Windows 7 compatibility

Western Digital (WD) has announced that its WD TV Live HD media player is the first network media player compatible with Windows 7. Thanks to a firmware upgrade users can now initiate and control the streaming of video, music or photos to the WD TV Live HD media player and home entertainment systems from any Windows 7-based PC on their network. Read More

Ferris WheeLED keeps you simultaneously safe and stylin'

Most cyclists will attach some form of light or reflector to their bicycles when riding at night, but Japanese company PIAA has created a light that's pretty mesmerizing to look at as well. By attaching the Ferris WheeLED to your wheel spokes, you transform your bike into a veritable mobile light show. Twelve different design patterns can be created as a result of varying flash sequences. Read More

Suit Commute lets you ride to work and arrive 'wrinkle-free'

Trying to do the right thing by the environment and ride a scooter or bicycle to work is great – unless you have to wear a suit. Wear it riding and you can sometimes look like the “great unwashed” by the time you arrive at your desk. Place it carefully into a backpack and by the time you’re unpacking it, it looks like you ironed it with the leg of a chair. The Suit Commute, however, is designed to hold your neatly pressed suit and shirt in place so you arrive for the board meeting or job interview looking fit for the part (just don’t forget to fix your “helmet hair”). Read More

Ricoh delivers P10 zoom unit for GXR system

As promised earlier this year, Ricoh has now unveiled the development and release of its third lens module for its GXR digital camera system. The P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC wide angle 10.7x zoom lens module has been optimized for high quality output and benefits from revised image processing algorithms. It can continuously shoot at up to five frames per second in RAW format but up to 120 in VGA and can record movies in 720p high definition. Read More

Universal 4Mbps broadband comes with a US$23.5 billion price tag

The developed world is fast heading towards a globally networked information economy. Any government that fails to recognize that high-speed Internet access is fundamental to future economic growth and prosperity runs the risk of quickly ending up on the wrong end of a digital divide. While this applies to countries as a whole it also apples to residents within a country, with some spoiled for choice when it comes to broadband access while others in more remotes areas are left wanting. In a bid to ensure broadband access to all people in the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set a 4Mbps download target for universal broadband with its National Broadband Plan. The undertaking will cost US$23.5 billion. Read More

Dog walker dumbbells provide an upper body workout

Man’s best friends aren’t just great for companionship or security, they also provide an unavoidable excuse to go out and get some exercise. Anyone looking to maximize the health benefits of walking the family dog can now get an upper body workout with these adjustable weight Dog Walker Dumbbells. Read More

Mazda's frugal 55mpg 4WD commuter

We know that the grass is always greener on the other side… but do the cars also have to be greener elsewhere too? Mazda's Carol micro-mini is only available in Japan yet its excellent fuel economy, affordability and specifications read like a wish list for commuters the world over - 4WD, 55 mpg, CVT, keyless entry, keyless start system, immobilizer, DOHC VVT motor, four-wheel ABS, electronic brake distribution (EBD), brake assist, split folding rear seats, heated seats… there's even wing mirror heaters to prevent fogging on cold mornings. Read More

Sony announces diminutive DSLRs - the NEX-5 and NEX-3

Cameras that combine DSLR functionality and the convenience of interchangeable lenses with a compact footprint have become the new wave in recent times, with the likes of the Olympus EP-1, Panasonic Lumix G2 and Ricoh GXR hitting the market. Now Sony has announced two diminutive additions to its Alpha line of digital SLRs - the NEX-5 and NEX-3. While the NEX-5 - which claims the current title of the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera - is leading Sony's drive into this space, both units feature impressive credentials including a newly-developed 14.2 effective megapixel CMOS sensor, high-speed burst shooting of up to 7fps at full-resolution and, in a first for the Alpha line, a Sweep Panorama mode with 3D compatibility and HD video recording. Read More

Single-lens camera 'sees' in 3D

No sooner do we take off our Avatar-issue 3D glasses, than we hear about 3D video cameras from Fujifilm, Panasonic and Ikonoskop. These cameras use twin lenses to record a three-dimensional image, but a new imaging camera from Italy’s Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) gets the job done with just one lens and a laser. Read More

Scientists look to sharks for advancements in human technology

If there’s one thing that most of us know about sharks, besides the fact that they occasionally bite people, it’s that they have a fantastic sense of smell - some sharks can smell a single drop of blood within a million drops of water. How do they do it? That’s what British scientists are trying to find out... and their discoveries could be applied to human technology. Read More

Notorious Gadgets presents the Phatty and Slimmy computers

Notorious Gadgets has launched a range of new desktop computer solutions in three distinct flavors, depending on user need, and two different models. They are available as Office units with low power draw and affordability as the key drivers, Multimedia units built for entertainment, or Professional units offering high tech performance in a small form factor. As an indicator of the size options available, models come as either Phatty or Slimmy. Read More

FUNTORO infotainment system gets Busworld Asia launch

Busworld Asia was the venue chosen by FUNTORO Inc to announce the launch of its Media On Demand (MOD) Infotainment System on buses manufactured by China's largest professional bus manufacturer. One server can support up to 54 monitors throughout the coach, providing passengers with their own entertainment hub capable of independent output without impacting on fellow travelers. Read More

The world's fastest road car - 1900 rear wheel horsepower and 267 mph after one mile

The emerging sport of One Mile Racing has a new champion – Ray Hofman's 2006 Ford GT runs a twin-turbo motor with a reputed 1900 rear wheel horsepower. A fortnight ago, Hofman piloted his Heffner Performance modified Ford GT over the measured mile with a terminal velocity of 266.9 mph, beating out the other two logical contenders for the title of the world's fastest street car. Just for the record, a Bugatti Veyron exits the standing mile at just over 200 mph. Hofman is now aiming for 280 mph. Is this the world's fastest road car? Read More

Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (HTV-2) test flight

DARPA has launched an unmanned hypersonic gliding vehicle that can reach speeds up to Mach 20 (13,000mph). The Falcon program aims to develop and demonstrate hypersonic technologies for prompt use in global reach missions and the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) forms part of this quest to produce an unmanned, rocket-launched, maneuverable air vehicle that glides through the Earth’s atmosphere at incredibly fast speeds. Read More

New detection technology identifies thousands of bacteria and viruses within 24 hours

Researchers from a national security laboratory in the U.S. have announced a technology which can detect the presence of thousands of microorganisms in just 24 hours. Hundreds of thousands of probes on a 1 x 3 inch glass slide can look for the entire range of known viruses and bacteria in a single test, which could prove invaluable in product safety testing, medical diagnosis and bioterrorism detection and prevention. Read More