Tech feed

Microsoft's glasses-free 3D display technology

The popularity of 3-D cinema is skyrocketing and 3-D-capable TV sets are heading for our living rooms, but almost every 3-D ready technology still requires that you don a set of special glasses. Microsoft has developed lens which could help change all that. With the ability to keep track of the position of viewers and send separate images directly to each eye, the new prototype display eliminates the need for 3-D glasses. Read More

Better Place launches battery switching system for EVs

By now must of us are aware of the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs). They’re better for the environment, they’re quiet, they have less moving parts and are therefore more reliable and cheaper to operate and maintain than their combustion-powered counterparts. But it’s obviously not all upside or EVs would be the rule on our roads rather than the exception. One of the major hurdles holding EVs back is the time it takes for them to recharge their batteries. One solution is swapping a dead battery for a fully charged one. That’s just what a project in Tokyo is doing with the launch the world’s first switchable-battery electric taxi. Read More

RavenWindow automatically changes transparency with temperature

Windows that change their tint are not new, but this window by RavenBrick does so without any energy use required. The RavenWindow changes its transparency depending on the temperature, so basically if it's hot outside less heat passes through it and if it's cold outside then it becomes more transparent, allowing in more heat from the sun. The implications are obvious – savings on your energy bill as a result of reduced use of your heater or air conditioner. With "America's Greenest Building" commissioning the first commercial installation of the product, it's bound to have a bright future. Read More

Interactive rock t-shirts for kids

So you’ve got a junior wannabe rock star on your hands but you’re not convinced of their musical talent? Before you start forking out big bucks for that electric guitar or drum kit they have their eye on, how about testing their musical prowess on an interactive rock t-shirt? The kids’ rock guitar shirt and drum kit shirt can actually be played – just like real instruments – so junior can happily bang out a drum solo or guitar riff and you can hang on to your hard-earned bucks…for now. Read More

Tracking down endangered species

Documenting the location and number of rare animals isn’t an easy task - by definition there just aren’t that many of them around. That’s why researchers at Auburn University, Alabama, have turned to man’s best friend to lend a helping hand – or more accurately, a helping nose. The school’s EcoDogs project trains detection dogs to find endangered animal species, or rather their sign (read excrement), in the field to aid researchers in their goals of ecological research, management, and conservation. Read More

CRB100 module turns ordinary machines into robots

If the US Navy’s sociable Octavia robot is looking for a little synthetic companionship in the future, all she may have to do is plug a newly-developed electronic brain into the nearest vacuum cleaner, floor waxer, or other cleaning appliance. The CRB100 module, designed by researchers from Spain’s Universitat Jaume I (UJI), is intended to convert ordinary mobile machines into robots. Read More

Land mine detection system built using off-the-shelf components

Land mines are terrifying and indiscriminate weapons, harming soldiers and civilians alike. Even long after the conflict in which they were deployed has ceased they end up killing and injuring civilians and render land impassable and unusable for decades. There are a variety of methods used to detect mines by both humanitarian and military groups, but many are dangerous, most are less than 100 percent reliable and some of the more reliable detection methods are prohibitively expensive. Physicists have now built a relatively inexpensive land mine detection system using off-the-shelf components – including some sourced from online auction sites. Read More

CERN to open 'Universe of Particles' exhibition

Do you know your quarks from your leptons? Need to brush up on wave-particle duality? CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has announced that it will open a permanent “Universe of Particles” exhibition on the ground floor of its incredible conference center - the Globe of Science and Innovation. The exhibition is designed to provide visitors with a fascinating insight into the world of particles and will feature a display on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest accelerator – or as CERN describes it, “one of the most sophisticated scientific tools ever built to explore new territories of knowledge.” Read More

Replacing 'steel plate in the head' with skull's own material

People may joke about someone having a steel plate in their head, but in the case of punctures to the skull, that often ends up actually being the case - the hole in the bone is plugged with a permanent titanium-based patch. Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, however, have just announced the development of biodegradable patches that stimulate the skull into healing itself. As the bone grows back in, the patches disappear. Read More

RoboCup 2 – return of the golf ball

Last year, we told you about a little something cleverly named the RoboCup. Designed for golfers practicing their putting, it sits inside the hole on the green, and gently shoots balls up to 14 feet back to the golfer. It runs on four AA batteries, which should be good for around 15,000 ball-returns – that’s a lot of saved walking over and bending over. Fine Tune Golf has now announced the launch of “the new generation of RoboCup”... RoboCup 2, perhaps? Read More

Electrolux Design Lab 2010 semi-finalists announced

This year's Design Lab competition from Electrolux has seen 1,300 entries from 17 countries flood in for consideration. The theme for 2010 is the "2nd Space Age" and the 25 semi-finalists have just been announced. Soon that number will be further reduced to just eight, who will then battle it out to try and win a wad of cash and the chance to work at one of the company's design centers. But before that happens, let's take a quick look at what's on offer. Read More

Zoom launches its smallest recorder to date

Samson Technologies is about to release its smallest portable recorder to date. The Zoom H1 Handy Recorder is capable of recording up to 24-bit/96kHz WAV or 320Kbps MP3 using its built-in or external stereo microphones, and has an easy-to-use hardware-based user interface, where all of the controls are placed within easy reach. It weighs just a couple of ounces, runs on one AA battery and records to microSD. Read More

Nanosponge drug delivery claimed to work better than direct injection on tumors

Recent research suggest that a novel material called nanosponge could be up to five times more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection. The drug delivery system is likened to filling virus-sized sponges with an anti-cancer drug and attaching chemical linkers that bond to a feature of the surface of tumor cell and then injecting the sponges into the body. When the sponges come into contact with a tumor cell they either attach to the surface or are sucked into the cell where they offload their deadly contents in a predictable and controlled manner. Read More

Rayqual adapters get your Canon and Nikon lenses on Sony NEX compact cameras

Sony recently released a couple of interchangeable lens cameras – theNEX-3 and NEX-5. Although these models are great for boosting the functionality and flexibility of a compact, being tied down to Sony lenses would probably end up being a bit frustrating. What if you're a keen photographer who has already invested in other lenses from the likes of Canon and Nikon? What if you wanted to be able to take the lighter-weight compact with you now and again and maybe pop one of your old lenses in your bag? Japanese manufacturer Rayqual has snapped up this opportunity, releasing an additional range of adapters available for shipping from July 2010. Read More

Casio targets gamers with mercury-free GREEN SLIM projectors

Casio is taking aim at the growing gaming market with its new GREEN SLIM projectors. Showcased at this year’s E3, the projectors feature a mercury-free, laser and LED hybrid light source capable of high-brightness projection of displays 100 inches and larger for a truly immersive gaming experience. All offerings in the GREEN SLIM line are lightweight and extremely portable, which, Casio says, makes them the perfect option for taking some big screen interactive entertainment on the road. Read More

iSnapMe takes the guesswork out of mobile phone self-portraits

I’m sure there are some people out there who are able to take a perfect self-portrait with their mobile phone. Unfortunately, when most of us attempt to take one, we end up with our face off-center or blurry. The iSnapMe is a clever mirror attachment that turns your phone into a front-facing camera and helps you take the perfect shot. Now don’t stop reading just because you’re waiting on the iPhone 4 – its front-facing camera is only VGA-quality, so with iSnapMe you could make use of the 5-megapixel number on the back. Read More