Volvo's permanent high beams keep other drivers in the shade

Volvo's permanent high beams keep other drivers in the shade:

Being dazzled by car high beams is no joke. Having someone come around the corner and forget to dip their headlamps isn't just annoying, it’s potentially dangerous. To be featured at next week's Geneva Motor Show, Volvo’s Active High Beam Control is a mechanical system installed in the headlamps that actively and selectively shields oncoming or cars being followed from the lights. This allows Volvo drivers to keep their high beams on continually without fear of dazzling others or being unable to see a suddenly darkened road. .. Continue Reading Volvo's permanent high beams keep other drivers in the shade

Section: Automotive

Tags: Cars, Geneva Motor Show 2013, Safety, Volvo

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NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

From the BBC:

Whisky galore flushed down drain: Thousands of litres of whisky are flushed down the drain by accident at a bottling plant in Dumbarton.

VIDEO: Drinkers sue over 'watered-down' Bud

From the BBC:

VIDEO: Drinkers sue over 'watered-down' Bud: Beer drinkers in the US have filed a $5m (£3.3m) lawsuit accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down its beer.

How on Earth could they tell?

Electrodes for prosthetic arm permanently implanted into patient for first time

Electrodes for prosthetic arm permanently implanted into patient for first time:

It took some time, but the age of the cyborg is upon us. For the first time, neuromuscular electrodes that enable a prosthetic arm and hand to be controlled by thought have been permanently implanted into the nerves and muscles of an amputee. The operation was carried out recently by a surgical team led by Dr Rickard Brånemark at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden. .. Continue Reading Electrodes for prosthetic arm permanently implanted into patient for first time

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: Brain, Chalmers University of Technology, Cyborg, Implant, Prosthetics, Robotic

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STRaND-1 "smartphone satellite" launches

STRaND-1 "smartphone satellite" launches:

The world’s first space smartphone was launched into orbit today (Feb 25) atop an Indian Space Research Organisation PSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. It’s part of the systems of the STRaND-1 spacecraft, which was sent into a 785-kilometer (488-mi) Sun-synchronous orbit where it will carry out a series of technology demonstrations under the guidance of the Surrey Space Centre’s ground station at the University of Surrey, UK. .. Continue Reading STRaND-1 "smartphone satellite" launches

Section: Science and Education

Tags: Satellite, Smartphones, Space, Spacecraft, University of Surrey

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Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin

Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin:

It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t like his car. Tired of seeing Russian officials being carted about in Mercedes and BMWs, Mr. Putin ordered that a Russian domestic limousine be designed to replace them. Unfortunately, according to the Moscow Times, Mr. Putin apparently didn’t much care for the Zil-4112P that Russian car maker Zil came up with, and told them to have another go. Seeing a chance to get in on the action, car rivals GAZ and Marussia Motors are jumping into the game with Marussia and CarDesign.ru teaming up for a public competition to find “A car for the President.”.. Continue Reading Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin

Section: Automotive

Tags: Competition, Concept Cars, Luxury

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ESA selects instruments for JUICE mission to explore Jupiter and its moons

ESA selects instruments for JUICE mission to explore Jupiter and its moons:

The European Space Agency (ESA) is sending JUICE to Jupiter in 2022. Rather than some kind of interplanetary beverage delivery, JUICE stands for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) and is the first Large-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. The spacecraft will carry out the most thorough exploration of Jupiter and its moons since NASA's Galileo mission that ran from 1989 to 2003. The ESA has now announced the eleven scientific instruments selected to for the unmanned probe to carry to the gas giant... Continue Reading ESA selects instruments for JUICE mission to explore Jupiter and its moons

Section: Science and Education

Tags: ESA, JUICE, Jupiter, Space, Spacecraft

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Russian meteor blast heard around the world

Russian meteor blast heard around the world:

When the Chelyabinsk meteor exploded high over Russia on February 15, it was a blast heard around the world. This isn't just a figure of speech. Though too low-frequency for human hearing, sound waves from the 500-kiloton detonation of the 17-meter (56-ft) rock were picked up in Antarctica – some 15,000 km (9,320 miles) away – by 17 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) infrasound stations dedicated to detecting nuclear explosions above or below ground... Continue Reading Russian meteor blast heard around the world

Section: Science and Education

Tags: Chelyabinsk Meteor, Meteorite, Nuclear, Space

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Skyflash: Jetman-like wings designed to allow ground take off

Skyflash: Jetman-like wings designed to allow ground take off:

While most of us sit around grumbling and demanding to know, “where’s my jetpack?", German Fritz Unger and a group of friends have decided to do something about it. On a shoestring budget they are building their own one-man, jet-propelled wing. Dubbed “Skyflash,” it’s meant to not only emulate the jet wing made famous by Jetman Yves Rossy, but to go one better by taking off from the ground instead of having to be dropped from an aircraft... Continue Reading Skyflash: Jetman-like wings designed to allow ground take off

Section: Aero Gizmo

Tags: Aircraft, Flight, Jetpack, Prototype

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First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian

First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian:

In the wake of the meteor blast over Russia and the close quarter fly by of asteroid 2012 DA14last week, many people's thoughts have turned to potential dangers from above. It is timely then that the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will next week launch NEOSSat (Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite), the world’s first space telescope for detecting and tracking asteroids, satellites and space debris. .. Continue Reading First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian

Section: Science and Education

Tags: Asteroid, CSA, Space, Spacecraft, Surveillance

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NASA confirms Curiosity's first drill sample collected

NASA confirms Curiosity's first drill sample collected:

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity sent back images on Wednesday that confirm it has obtained its first Martian drilling sample. This is not only the first sample drilling ever performed on the Red Planet, but also the first by a rover anywhere off of Earth. .. Continue Reading NASA confirms Curiosity's first drill sample collected

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Tags: Curiosity Rover, Mars, Mars Science Laboratory, NASA, Space

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NASA's Kepler finds exoplanet smaller than Mercury

NASA's Kepler finds exoplanet smaller than Mercury:

NASA’s Kepler space probe has discovered the smallest planet yet orbiting a Sun-like star. Dubbed Kepler-37b, the exoplanet orbits the star Kepler-37 about 210 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. It’s only one-third the size of Earth and smaller than Mercury, which makes it not only the smallest planet yet found outside the Solar System, but the smallest planet ever discovered... Continue Reading NASA's Kepler finds exoplanet smaller than Mercury

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AirGo seat concept aims to up the comfort in coach class

AirGo seat concept aims to up the comfort in coach class:

Flying economy class can be about as enjoyable as being stuffed into a left luggage locker, but Malaysia-based engineering student Alireza Yaghoubi has come up with a new economy class air passenger seat design that departs radically from the one that’s been used since the 1960s. Winner of the Malaysian national James Dyson Award, the AirGo concept aims to make seats less expensive, easier to maintain and as comfortable as the leather and free drinks before take-off jobs up in first class... Continue Reading AirGo seat concept aims to up the comfort in coach class

Section: Aero Gizmo

Tags: Airlines, Ergonomic, James Dyson Awards

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Better Mind the Computer

An interesting Horizon documentary from the 1980s about how computers were a step away from making us into pets.  I find it particularly fascinating because it comes from a time when even computer engineers had very limited day-to-day experience with computers.  I've been dealing with the things since the punch card days when my university had "a" computer and the more I watch them progress, the more convinced I am that computers are just very fast and very stupid machines rather than nascent silicon gods.

The Eliza segment is the most enlightening, though the documentary writer doesn't realise it.  So is the summing up at the end that shows one man who dearly wishes that he'd been born a slave.

VOYAGER smartphone designed specifically for use in cars

VOYAGER smartphone designed specifically for use in cars:

Cars and mobile phones haven’t had a very happy relationship. For most people, a car/phone interface means a bracket suction-cupped to the windscreen. At best, it means a Bluetooth connection between the phone and the car’s infotainment system, that leaves much to be desired. Trying to rectify this situation, Israeli telecom company Accel Telecom describes its new VOYAGER smartphone as the “first standalone connected car smartphone,” designed with the car specifically in mind... Continue Reading VOYAGER smartphone designed specifically for use in cars

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Tags: Automotive, Cars, Mobile Phones, smartphone

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NASA's basement nuclear reactor

NASA's basement nuclear reactor:

If Joseph Zawodny, a senior scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, is correct, the future of energy may lie in a nuclear reactor small enough and safe enough to be installed where the home water heater once sat. Using weak nuclear forces that turn nickel and hydrogen into a new source of atomic energy, the process offers a light, portable means of producing tremendous amounts of energy for the amount of fuel used. It could conceivably power homes, revolutionize transportation and even clean the environment... Continue Reading NASA's basement nuclear reactor

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ESA assesses Russian meteor explosion

ESA assesses Russian meteor explosion:

The European Space Agency (ESA) is assessing information about the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded last week over Russia in the hope of improving the space agency’s asteroid-hunting program. Calculations by Peter Brown at Canada's University of Western Ontario based on the analysis of extremely low-frequency sound waves detected by a global network, was combined with videos, satellite images and eyewitness accounts to allow ESA to construct a more complete and accurate account of the event... Continue Reading ESA assesses Russian meteor explosion

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Tags: Asteroid, ESA, Solar System

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Winners of 3D Printer Challenge design vehicles for the year 2040

Winners of 3D Printer Challenge design vehicles for the year 2040:

Last week, MakerBot and GrabCAD announced the winners of their recent 3D Printer Challenge in Brooklyn, New York. The challenge required designers to come up with futuristic vehicles for the year 2040, with the concept models optimized for printing in 3D on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. Out of 151 entries, six winners were selected, with the first prize receiving a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer and the runner up a MakerBot Replicator 1 Desktop 3D Printer... Continue Reading Winners of 3D Printer Challenge design vehicles for the year 2040

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Tags: 3D Printing, Competition, Concept Cars, Futuristic

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University of Oxford develops low-cost self-driving car system

University of Oxford develops low-cost self-driving car system:

Oxford University’s Mobile Robotics Group (MRG) has developed an autonomous navigation system for cars at a build cost of only £5,000 (US$7,700). Installed in a production Nissan LEAF, the robot car uses off the shelf components and is designed to take over driving while traveling on frequently used routes... Continue Reading University of Oxford develops low-cost self-driving car system

Section: Automotive

Tags: Autonomous, Autonomous Vehicles, Nissan LEAF, Oxford University, Robots, Self-Driving

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World premiere for "Gloria" concept saloon in Geneva

World premiere for "Gloria" concept saloon in Geneva:

Another debut to look forward to at next month's Geneva Motor Show has surfaced in the form of "Gloria" – a sleek, luxury saloon concept born from a collaboration between between the European Design Institute (IED) of Turin and the Alfa Romeo Style Centre. Gloria is part of IED’s educational program aimed at producing the car designers of tomorrow and like the Alfa Romeo 4C, the design has been penned with the American market mind... Continue Reading World premiere for "Gloria" concept saloon in Geneva

Section: Automotive

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Concept Cars, European Design Institute of Turin, Geneva Motor Show 2013

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Döttling Fortress – the world's safest luxury safe?

Döttling Fortress – the world's safest luxury safe?:

For the person who has everything and wants to make sure that no one walks off with it, German safe manufacturer Döttling has created with the Fortress. Billed as the “safest luxury safe in the world,” the Fortress is available in a number of bespoke configurations and Döttling says it can be certified for insurance coverage of up to US$1,000,000. .. Continue Reading Döttling Fortress – the world's safest luxury safe?

Section: Around The Home

Tags: Luxury, Security

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Bowlus Road Chief updates 1930s classic caravan

Bowlus Road Chief updates 1930s classic caravan:

Caravans make a nice change from holidays in hotels, but they can be as aerodynamic as a shoe box and often about as attractive. Canadian tech entrepreneurs John Long and Helena Mitchell are taking a step forward by going a step backward and reviving the Bowlus Road Chief of the 1930s. It’s an updated version of the classic American design that they call a “revival of an Art Moderne style with 21st century touches.”.. Continue Reading Bowlus Road Chief updates 1930s classic caravan

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Tags: Aerodynamics, Caravan, Retro

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Horse meat: Two places, two views

via Retronaut

With horse meat scandal playing itself out to its inevitable bureaucratic and editorial conclusion, it's interesting to see two takes on equine cuisine. The above from the United States and below from Britain.

We really don't like horse meat.

Fact checking

From the AP:

A global video gaming company that funded a search for dozens of World War II-era British fighter jets in Myanmar says none of the legendary planes are buried in the Southeast Asian country.

Aviation enthusiasts hunting for the lost planes believe as many as 140 Spitfires were hidden in crates in pristine condition in three Myanmar locations.

Spitfires are fighter jets?  Another perfect example of why only professional journalists should report the news.

Russian meteor strike prompts call for asteroid sentries

Russian meteor strike prompts call for asteroid sentries:

On the same day that a meteor exploded over Russia injuring almost a thousand people and an asteroid passed too close to Earth for comfort, the asteroid-mining company Deep Space Industries (DSI) proposes setting up sentry lines in space to track and study rogue asteroids posing a threat to Earth. Using technology originally intended for prospecting for water and minerals on asteroids, the sentry lines of satellites would provide information for deflecting potentially dangerous near-Earth objects... Continue Reading Russian meteor strike prompts call for asteroid sentries

Section: Science and Education

Tags: Asteroid, Deep Space Industries, NASA, Russian Space Agency, Space

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US Army cancels LEMV airship project

US Army cancels LEMV airship project:

When Northrop Grumman announced that it was building the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), it looked as if the age of the great airships was returning. When the LEMV took to the air in its maiden flight, it seemed a certainty. Now, the US Army has announced that the US$517 million program has been cancelled. .. Continue Reading US Army cancels LEMV airship project

Section: Military

Tags: airship, Northrop Grumman, US Army

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Two parachutes out of three ain’t bad for NASA’s Orion spacecraft

Two parachutes out of three ain’t bad for NASA’s Orion spacecraft:

A test version of NASA’s Orion space capsule made a parachute drop near Yuma Arizona on Tuesday with only two of its three parachutes working. Dropped from a Hercules transport from an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,620 m), it wasn't an accident, but a deliberate nobbling of one of the chutes by NASA engineers to prove the capsule could safely return to Earth in the event of such a failure... Continue Reading Two parachutes out of three ain’t bad for NASA’s Orion spacecraft

Section: Science and Education

Tags: NASA, Orion Spacecraft, Space, Spacecraft

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