Pink Cloud's Pop-Up Hotel could turn empty offices into chic accommodation

Empty office space is a sheet anchor on a city’s economy and Midtown Manhattan has been dragged down particularly hard, so the Copenhagen-based group Pink Cloud has come up with a new way to make vacant New York office buildings pay by turning them into temporary hotels. Winner of Hospitality Magazine’s 2013 Radical Innovations in Hospitality competition, the Midtown Pop-Up Hotel isn't a place, but a system that uses flat-pack modules to quickly convert vacant office space into hospitality centers... Continue Reading Pink Cloud's Pop-Up Hotel could turn empty offices into chic accommodation

Section: Architecture

Tags: Hotel, Luxury, Modular, New York

Related Articles:
The world's first floating, rotating (floatating?) hotel building
Yotel New York features world's first hotel robotic luggage handler
The Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Hotel in Abu Dhabi opens with classy restraint
Sleeping Around: Shipping containers revamped as relocatable B&B
The LoftCube – designed to be airlifted in to the free space on top of buildings
Self-powered eco-switch for hotel rooms

Shenzhou-10 blasts off for Chinese space station

China marked nearly a decade of manned spaceflight with the June 11 launch of the Shenzhou-10 mission. As reported by Xinhuanet, the 7,840 kg (17,284 lb) craft with a crew of three lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center’s LC43 Launch Complex at 17:38 Beijing time (09:38 GMT) atop a Long March 2F rocket on its way to rendezvous with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab... Continue Reading Shenzhou-10 blasts off for Chinese space station

Section: Space

Tags: China, Shenzhou, Spacecraft, Spaceflight

Related Articles:
NASA heads underwater to test concepts for future asteroid mission
China announces plans for 2013 Moon landing
Successful Progress spacecraft launch is good news for the ISS
Boeing completes preliminary design review of CST-100's Launch Vehicle Adapter
Chang'e-1 launch to expand lunar exploration
SpaceX Dragon cleared for cargo run in October

"Houston, we don't have a problem" – Zero-gravity 3D printing heads for space

Imagine the first manned mission to Mars is three months out from Earth when a one-of-a-kind vital component fails. Today, such an accident would mean a choice between desperate invention and death, but it may not be too long before astronauts will just download a file and print out any part as needed. Turning such a potential drama into a simple task is the goal of NASA and Made in Space Inc., whose plan is to send a 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) next year as part of demonstration to show the potential of the technology... Continue Reading "Houston, we don't have a problem" – Zero-gravity 3D printing heads for space

Section: Space

Tags: 3D Printing, International Space Station, NASA

Related Articles:
Atlantis embarks on final shuttle mission
NASA begins Robotic Refueling Mission experiment
NASA using 3D laser printing to create complex rocket parts
Space Shuttle Endeavour embarks on final flight
NASA announces new rover mission for Mars
SpaceX Dragon successfully grappled by ISS

Mind-controlled quadcopter flies using imaginary fists

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have done away with all that tedious joystick work by developing a mind-controlled quadcopter. It may seem like the top item of next year’s Christmas list, but it also serves a very practical purpose. Using a skullcap fitted with a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), the University's College of Science and Engineering hopes to develop ways for people suffering from paralysis or neurodegenerative diseases to employ thought to control wheelchairs and other devices... Continue Reading Mind-controlled quadcopter flies using imaginary fists

Section: Science

Tags: Brain, EEG, Quadrocopter, Thought-control, University of Minnesota

Related Articles:
Flying drone controlled with mind power
DJI announces stabilized HERO mount, and camera-equipped Phantom quadcopter
DJI launches GPS-enabled PHANTOM consumer quadcopter
Together at last – an RC car and a quadcopter
Airborne microbots to create wi-fi zones in disaster situations
Brain-to-brain communication over the Internet

DARPA's Unattended Ground Sensor uses smartphone techology

While the needs of the modern digital warrior are growing rapidly, military sensors take three to eight years to develop while private industry can produce similar technology in only one or two years. In the hope of speeding things up, DARPA’s Adaptable Sensor System (ADAPT) program is looking to smartphone industry technologies and practices... Continue Reading DARPA's Unattended Ground Sensor uses smartphone techology

Section: Military

Tags: DARPA, Sensors, Smartphones, Surveillance

Related Articles:
DARPA investigating self-destructing electronics
BAE unmanned aerial system takes wolfpack sensors to the air
DARPA developing robotic arms that can complete tasks on their own
DARPA advances LS3 quadruped robot program
DARPA Schedules 2nd Autonomous Robotic Ground Vehicles Event
Boeing X-45A Unmanned Aircraft Demonstrates Autonomous Capability

Radical design proposals floated for new Penn Station

Like many US railway stations, New York’s Penn Station is a shadow of its former self. With redevelopment of the station hindered by its location under Madison Square Garden, the Municipal Art Society (MAS) of New York hopes to relocate the Garden and rebuild the station for the 21st century. Last week, the MAS announced four possible designs for Penn Station and Madison Square Garden as part of its Design Challenge aimed at replacing or remodelling the current structure... Continue Reading Radical design proposals floated for new Penn Station

Section: Architecture

Tags: Architects, DS R, H3 Design, New York, SHoP Architects, SOM, Transport

Related Articles:
Futuristic McDonald's to open in Georgia
Work starts on world's largest solar bridge at Blackfriars
Brooklyn Botanical Garden Visitor Center features a 10,000 square foot living roof
Living garden on bus rooftop to add some rolling green to city streets
flix Live puts the kitchen on wheels
Spacewalk planned to fix ISS coolant leak

Bath University uses bacteria for self-healing concrete

You’d think that concrete would last forever. After all, it’s pourable stone, so it should hang around as long as the Rock of Gibraltar. But, under the right (or wrong) conditions, concrete decays with alarming speed. To combat this, researchers at the University of Bath in the UK are working on a self-healing concrete that uses bacteria to seal the cracks that lead to decay. In this way, they hope to cut down on maintenance costs and increase the life of concrete structures... Continue Reading Bath University uses bacteria for self-healing concrete

Section: Science

Tags: Bacteria, Bath, Building and Construction, Concrete, Self-healing

Related Articles:
'Glue' producing bacteria used to fill gaps in cracking concrete
Student creates cost-effective self-healing concrete?
'Sensing skin' could detect cracks in concrete structures
Concrete columns may be the key to taller wind turbines
Sunflower seed husks provide concrete alternative
Lightning used to recycle concrete rubble

DARPA uses nerve/muscle interfaces to give amputees feedback and improve control

Artificial limbs have come a long way in recent years with the development ofprostheses that can be controlled directly by the patient’s nerves. The problem is, links between living nerves and the prostheses break down over time, which makes permanent attachment and practical control difficult. To understand why this happens and to help give patients more control over their prostheses, DARPA has instituted a number of programs aimed at improving neural interfaces and allowing amputees to have better control of advanced prostheses in the near term... Continue Reading DARPA uses nerve/muscle interfaces to give amputees feedback and improve control

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: DARPA, Interface, Muscle, Prosthesis, Prosthetics

Related Articles:
Bioengineered scaffold could restore sense of touch to prosthetic limbs
Mind-controlled permanently-attached prosthetic arm could revolutionize prosthetics
Electrodes for prosthetic arm permanently implanted into patient for first time
New funds for development of high tech prosthetic limb
"Interface scaffolds" could wire prosthetics directly into amputees' nervous systems
Pneumatic thought-controlled prosthetic arm created by students

Charlotte the robot talks its way around obstacles

There are robots that walk around like spiders, there are robots that avoid objects, and there are robots that talk, but what about a robot spider that talks while avoiding objects? Hobbyist Kevin Ochs’ creation, Charlotte, is just that. Charlotte is a hexapod robot with a talking head that lets it narrate its progress as it avoids collisions... Continue Reading Charlotte the robot talks its way around obstacles

Section: Robotics

Tags: Asus, Raspberry Pi, Robotics, Robots

Related Articles:
Don't snatch! Disney Research builds robot that takes objects more naturally
Teaching robots to think like people
Solar-powered robot waddles, swims, rolls and lurches in 14 ways
Bionic Boppers put people in the fightin' robot's seat
Aptima's Cognitive Patterns system helps robots make sense of the world
RoboEarth Cloud Engine ready for use

Planetary Resources' Arkyd 100 satellite to let public take self-portraits from space

Despite half a century of rushing about the Solar System, the Space Age has been a spectator sport for most of humanity. On Wednesday, at a press conference at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Planetary Resources announced its plans to launch a crowdfunded version of its Arkyd 100 space telescope satellite on Kickstarter that will allow donors to beam back self-portraits from space and even control the telescope... Continue ReadingPlanetary Resources' Arkyd 100 satellite to let public take self-portraits from space

Section: Space

Tags: Kickstarter, Planetary Resources, Satellite, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Planetary Resources shows off full-scale asteroid mining prototype
Is asteroid mining about to begin?
NASA working on RASSOR robot space excavator
Grand plans for asteroid mining unveiled by Planetary Resources
First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian
Russian meteor strike prompts call for asteroid sentries

Upgraded Alvin submersible sets sail

You would think that a little sub built almost 50 years ago would be sitting in a museum somewhere, but Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Alvin, which launched in 1964, is still going strong. Owned by the US Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Alvin has completed a major US$41 million redesign and refit. The revamped submersible set sail on Saturday aboard its mothership R/V Atlantis for certification testing off the coast of Oregon and California... Continue Reading Upgraded Alvin submersible sets sail

Section: Marine

Tags: Marine, Submarine, US Navy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Related Articles:
50th Anniversary model of the iconic 1960 Gibson ES-335TD
Cruise Control app changes songs' tempo to match runners' cadence
Making waves work: the Searaser hydro-power system
Stanford's ReFIT algorithm improves brain-implantable prosthetics systems
Space Shuttle Discovery's final mission drawing to a close
ICTINEU 3 submersible dives to depths of almost 4000 feet

Mercedes-Benz plans to use QR codes to save lives

Open a magazine, go to a shop, get handed a business card or look at a flyer and the odds are pretty good these days that you’ll be staring at a QR code. Those boxy little patterns turn any bit of paper into an interactive medium that, with a quick scan of a smartphone, will unleash all sorts of information, but can they save lives? Mercedes-Benz believes that they can and plans to use QR codes on all its future cars to help rescuers reach victims quickly and safely... Continue Reading Mercedes-Benz plans to use QR codes to save lives

Section: Automotive

Tags: Cars, Mercedes-Benz, QR code, Rescue, Safety

Related Articles:
Mercedes (concept) Flying Car
F-CELL World Drive finishes in Stuttgart
Seagoing Granturismo – the Silver Arrow motor yacht
Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster takes a trip back in time
Mercedes puts the squeeze on passengers with new active seat-belt buckle
Mercedes-Benz premiere protective nano-paint

US Army's new portable charger brings power to soldiers in the field

Portable electronic devices have revolutionized warfare, but they've also burdened the soldiers with an increasing number of batteries that adds significantly to their load. To help lighten the load, the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's communications-electronics center (CERDEC) has developed a military-grade Universal Battery Charger (UBC) to help soldiers in the field keep their electronics powered up... Continue Reading US Army's new portable charger brings power to soldiers in the field

Section: Military

Tags: Batteries, Charger, Soldiers, US Army, wearable electronics

Related Articles:
Light-activated power plastic to be incorporated into soldier support systems
U.S. Army tests renewable energy systems for soldiers in the field
Protonex Soldier-Worn portable power management systems
Solar Soldier system to take the weight off infantry soldiers
LaCrosse's versatile Alpha Power Battery Charger
Lockheed Martin’s SMSS autonomous vehicle to demonstrate portable battery charging

CurvACE gives robots a bug's eye view

Robots are getting down to the size of insects, so it seems only natural that they should be getting insect eyes. A consortium of European researchers has developed the artificial Curved Artificial Compound Eye (CurvACE) which reproduces the architecture of the eyes of insects and other arthropods. The aim isn't just to provide machines with an unnerving bug-eyed stare, but to create a new class of sensors that exploit the wide field of vision and motion detecting properties of the compound eye... Continue Reading CurvACE gives robots a bug's eye view

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, Cameras, Eye, Insect, Robots

Related Articles:
Bugs' eyes inspire new super-wide-angle camera
Insect-inspired smartphone projector focuses images onto uneven surfaces
Man-made bee's eye could mean big things for flying robots
Replicating nano structure of butterfly wings could lead to better solar cells
'Bug With Bifocals' could inspire human biomedical engineering
Compound found in red wine could help fight obesity

Prototype BBC radio rewrites scripts on the fly to reflect local conditions

Radio plays can transport listeners to far away exotic settings but the BBC’s prototype Perceptive Radio aims to give listeners a more localized experience. Shown to the public recently at the Thinking Digital Conference in Gateshead, UK, the Perceptive Radio uses local data and onboard sensors to adjust itself and even alter the script of a radio play in real time to reflect local conditions. The goal is to make listening to the radio more like attending live theater... Continue Reading Prototype BBC radio rewrites scripts on the fly to reflect local conditions

Section: Home Entertainment

Tags: Audio, BBC, Interactive, Prototype, Radio

Related Articles:
XM Snap! lets users instantly add satellite radio to any car
Iona Cube Wi-Fi internet radio
Spotify radio now free on Android & iOS in U.S.
irock!
Roberts digital kitchen radio
Livio kit wirelessly transmits internet radio to your car stereo

US Navy's Triton UAV takes to the skies for the first time

It’s been a busy month for UAVs with some launching from aircraft carriers and otherssaving lives. Now, the US Navy’s latest unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System, has taken to the skies. This Wednesday, the 47.6-foot (14.5-m) aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engine, took off from Palmdale, California. It was under the control of Navy and Northrop Grumman personnel, as part of a series of tests to certify the system for fleet operations... Continue Reading US Navy's Triton UAV takes to the skies for the first time

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Northrop Grumman, Reconnaissance, Surveillance, UAV, US Navy

Related Articles:
Northrop Grumman adds “Sense-and-Avoid” tech to Navy UAVs
P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane officially unveiled
X-47B first flight: the era of the autonomous unmanned combat plane approaches
X-47B unmanned stealth fighter tested aboard the USS Truman
Next generation MH60-R submarine hunter and surface attack helicopter begins production
X-47B makes historic carrier launching

IBM's Watson gets a job in customer service

IBM’s Watson supercomputer has been riding high for the past couple of years. It won a game of Jeopardy, went to university and did a stint at a cancer lab. But now it’s taking what might seem like a step down with a job in customer service. According to IBM, the current avalanche of information is provoking an oncoming crisis in customer service and the company sees Watson’s advanced learning and data crunching abilities as a solution. .. Continue Reading IBM's Watson gets a job in customer service

Section: Computers

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, IBM, Supercomputer

Related Articles:
IBM's Watson supercomputer goes to university
Dr. Watson goes to work
2012 James Dyson Award winner announced
Devilishly clever customer service from Mercedes-Benz
Bubba Watson's hovercraft golf cart
Thermochromic furniture shows off where you've been sitting

Amazon plans intersecting biospheres for Seattle campus headquarters

If Apple can have a "spaceship," then Amazon can have a biodome. Although the company isn't creating a totally self-contained ecosystem so its employees never have to leave work, documents filed with the Seattle Department of Planning and Development indicate it is planning to build something not too far removed from that at its new campus headquarters in Seattle. .. Continue Reading Amazon plans intersecting biospheres for Seattle campus headquarters

Section: Architecture

Tags: Amazon, Dome, Office

Related Articles:
Microsoft Denmark to share new HQ campus with local community
Apple's spaceship campus revealed
A new way to avoid traffic jams
Microsoft Points are dead (or may be soon) ... long live Amazon Coins
The world’s largest digital graphic
"World's greenest commercial building" opens in Seattle

Jaguar concept art embodies future design language

It may look like the strangest concept vehicle ever, but the new art installation unveiled by Jaguar as part of Clerkenwell Design Week in London is, according to the company, a “vision of Jaguar's future design language.” Created by Royal College of Art (RCA) students in conjunction with Jaguar Advanced Design in Whitley, Coventry, the installation was the winner out of nine entries in the Jaguar Advanced Design competition... Continue Reading Jaguar concept art embodies future design language

Section: Automotive

Tags: Art, Competition, Jaguar, London, Luxury, Royal College of Art, Sports, Vehicle

Related Articles:
Jaguar pounces on the water with speedboat concept
Jaguar Land Rover launches "industry's most advanced" digital showroom
Jaguar debuts a "Firesand" orange F-Type in North America
Jaguar's new generation XK sports car unveiled
Pininfarina 2uettottanta and Range Rover Evoque take car design awards
2006 Jaguar Super V8 Portfolio

Christie's putting 1950s vintage Cygan robot under the hammer

Most modern robots look nothing like those predicted by 1950's era science fiction. But if you’re in the market for a retro-style robot with world-domination-worthy looks you might want to dust off your auction paddle. Christie’s auction house is putting the vintage robot Cygan on the block as part of its Out of the Ordinary sale on September 5. .. Continue Reading Christie's putting 1950s vintage Cygan robot under the hammer

F-35B makes first vertical takeoff

Lockheed Martin has revealed that an F-35B fighter jet made its first vertical takeoff on May 10 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. This follows on the heels of its first verticalnight landing on April 2 at the same location. The vertical takeoff capability is designed for moving the strike fighter over short distances in an emergency when a runway isn't available, but it is not seen as a combat feature due to its heavy use of fuel... Continue Reading F-35B makes first vertical takeoff

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, F-35 JSF, Lockheed Martin, Marines

Related Articles:
F-35 Lightning II nails first vertical landing
First F-35 full mission simulator delivered
Lockheed Martin F-35B prepares for vertical takeoff and landings
First night time vertical landing for F-35B
F-35A makes first night flight
F-35B completes first vertical landing at sea

X-47B makes first touch-and-go landings on carrier

On Friday May 17, the US Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator took another historic step as it conducted its first touch-and-go landings on the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia. This maneuver is a critical achievement in the Navy’s program to develop an autonomous, unmanned, jet-powered combat aircraft capable for operating from a carrier... Continue Reading X-47B makes first touch-and-go landings on carrier

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Autonomous, Northrop Grumman, US Navy, X-47B

Related Articles:
X-47B makes historic carrier launching
X-47B makes first carrier-style arrester landing
X-47B unmanned aircraft completes first major phase of flight-testing
X-47B unmanned aircraft gets its Pax River wings
Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested
X-47B unmanned stealth fighter tested aboard the USS Truman

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission goes to development

NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission took a step closer to reality on Wednesday, as the OSIRIS-REx project was cleared for development and testing. Scheduled to launch in 2016, the mission passed a series of detailed project assessments and now goes on to the development phase. The Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security REgolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is intended to rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu (1999 RQ36) in 2018, carry out an extensive survey, and return a 2-ounce (60 gm) sample of its surface to Earth in 2023... Continue Reading NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission goes to development

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, NASA, OSIRIS REx, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
ESA to test asteroid deflection
Sentinel mission to place asteroid-hunting telescope into orbit around the Sun
NASA heads underwater to test concepts for future asteroid mission
China's Chang'E 2 succeeds in thrilling asteroid flyby
NASA considers putting an asteroid into orbit around the Moon
Asteroid to miss Earth by less than 20,000 miles next month

Kelper malfunction may end planet-hunting mission

NASA’s Kepler space mission may be coming to an unexpected end. The space agency announced on Wednesday that the spacecraft, designed to seek out possible earth-like extraterrestrial bodies, has suffered a malfunction that may make it impossible to carry on with its search... Continue Reading Kelper malfunction may end planet-hunting mission

Section: Space

Tags: Kepler Mission, NASA, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
First Earth-size planets discovered beyond our solar system
Kepler discovers smallest habitable-zone Earth-like planets to date
Kepler spacecraft discovers tiniest solar system yet found
NASA: mission accomplished, Kepler – now look harder still
NASA's Kepler finds exoplanet smaller than Mercury
Kepler mission discovers first planet orbiting two stars

Makr Shakr: World’s first crowd-controlled robotic bar makes debut

Robot bartenders aren’t new, but they tend to be more drink vending machine than cool mixologist. To inject a little panache, researchers at the MIT Senseable City Lab in collaboration with Coca-Cola and Bacardi Rum have developed Makr Shakr – a robot drink-mixing system that made its debut at the Google I/O annual developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday as the world’s first crowd-controlled robotic bar... Continue Reading Makr Shakr: World’s first crowd-controlled robotic bar makes debut

Section: Robotics

Tags: Alcohol, Drinking, Google I/O, MIT, Robots

Related Articles:
The Social Drink Machine takes your order via Facebook and Twitter
The Barman actively guides you in making cocktails
Robotic bartender understands verbal orders and tells jokes
Raspberry Pi-wielding Bartendro robot mixes drinks for your guests
Flyfire: mini-helicopters create futuristic 3D display
MIT researchers develop autonomous oil-absorbing robot to clean up oil spills

Planned Vikings Stadium will have world's largest transparent roof

The Minnesota Vikings American football team has announced the final design for a new stadium to built in the Minneapolis city center that will feature the world’s largest transparent roof. This feat will be achieved using state-of-the-art polymer instead of glass to resist the extremes of Minnesota’s climate, while providing views of the city skyline and a sense of openness for fans and players alike... Continue Reading Planned Vikings Stadium will have world's largest transparent roof

Section: Architecture

Tags: Polymer, Sports, Stadium, World, World's Largest

Related Articles:
World’s largest dome roof taking shape in Singapore
Zaha Hadid design selected for Japan national stadium
Solar-powered stadium to bolster Qatar’s bid for 2022 World Cup
Populous unveils stunning design for 2014 Winter Olympic Stadium
Another massive Diamond Vision display from Mitsubishi, this time in Japan
World's Largest High Definition LED Video Display

X-47B makes historic carrier launching

Naval aviation history was made today, as an autonomous unmanned aircraft took off from a US Navy nuclear aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia. The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) took to the air from the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and is part of a program to develop carrier-based unmanned combat aircraft capable of carrying out missions according to pre-programmed instructions rather than being under constant control by a ground-based pilot... Continue Reading X-47B makes historic carrier launching 

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Autonomous, Northrop Grumman, UAV, US Navy, X-47B

Related Articles:

• X-47B unmanned stealth fighter tested aboard the USS Truman
• X-47B makes first carrier-style arrester landing
• Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested
• X-47B unmanned aircraft gets its Pax River wings
• X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch
• X-47B first flight: the era of the autonomous unmanned combat plane approaches

+Tag

Panasonic to distribute 100,000 solar lantern/chargers to the developing world

We live in an age where people in the developed world are so dependent on electricity that if it wasn't available a whole civilization would collapse in a week. It’s therefore ironic that 1.32 billion people around the world are still without what most people have come to see as a basic necessity. To mark its 100th anniversary, the Panasonic Corporation plans to distribute 100,000 solar lanterns that the company has developed that can not only provide light, but also charge mobile phones and other small devices... Continue Reading Panasonic to distribute 100,000 solar lantern/chargers to the developing world

Section: Good Thinking

Tags: Electricity, Lamp, Lighting, Mobile Phones, Panasonic, Solar Powered

Related Articles:
Versatile solar Pebble looks to replace dependence on kerosene
Mpowerd launches inflatable solar lantern
LED lantern runs on saltwater
LuminAID solar-powered inflatable lantern - simply a good idea
WakaWaka solar led lamp aims to light up Kenyan school
Solar-powered light designed to provide indoor illumination in developing nations

Sony's dives in with smaller, more waterproof Xperia ZR

In the unpleasantness stakes, dropping your smartphone in a bucket or water is right up there with bread landing butter-side down – only much more expensive. Sony has unveiled its Xperia ZR that, if it lives up to expectations, will mean you’ll not only be able to drop it in the pond, but take high-definition videos while doing so... Continue Reading Sony's dives in with smaller, more waterproof Xperia ZR

Section: Mobile Technology

Tags: smartphone, Sony, Waterproof, Xperia

Related Articles:
Xperia P and Xperia U join Sony's NXT series
Sony announces high-end Xperia Z smartphone
Sony announces Xperia SP and L smartphones
Sony's first LTE smartphone, the Xperia ion
Sony announces the Xperia Tablet Z – the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet
Is this the PlayStation phone?

Abu Dhabi International Airport lets travelers rest up in cocoon-like GoSleep pods

If you’re a claustrophobic insomniac, the GoSleep sleeping pods probably won’t be of much interest to you, but for international travelers fighting with jet lag and tight schedules, being able to rent a private place to kip for an hour can be godsend. Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced last week that it has installed ten of the Finnish-designed GoSleep pods at Abu Dhabi International Airport to provide passengers with individual sleeping quarters while waiting for flights. .. Continue Reading Abu Dhabi International Airport lets travelers rest up in cocoon-like GoSleep pods

Section: Good Thinking

Tags: Abu Dhabi, Airports, Sleep, Travel

Related Articles:
Dragon's thrusters now operational, but rendezvous with ISS delayed
Pod Power brings multiple outlets to electrically-challenged spaces
SpaceX Dragon launches, but thrusters malfunctioning
Asleep on the job to beat London Olympic gridlock
Green projects take off at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
FlySmart mobile app for airport travel

Northrop Grumman completes commercial lunar lander study

There are so many private space ventures under development these days that it seems like you need a scorecard to keep track of them all. This week, Northrop Grumman Corporation announced that it has completed a feasibility study on a new lunar lander for the Golden Spike Company as part of a plan to send to people to the Moon within ten years at a cost of US$750 million per person... Continue Reading Northrop Grumman completes commercial lunar lander study

Section: Space

Tags: Golden Spike, Lunar Lander, Moon, Northrop Grumman

Related Articles:
Build a lunar lander and win $1 million
Astrium presents study for European lunar landing in 2019
Golden Spike announces plans for commercial lunar exploration
Chang'e-1 launch to expand lunar exploration
Space engineers to explore next gen lunar rovers
China announces plans for 2013 Moon landing

Eidos allows users to tune their senses

They may look somewhat bulky and a bit like someone wandered out of an avant garde theater, but a pair of concept pieces developed by students and the Royal College of Arts in London allow wearers to fine tune their senses of sight and hearing. Called “Eidos,” from the Greek for "form," "essence," "type," or "species," the system uses sensors and computer processing to select sensory input and alter it for applications in sport, the arts and medicine... Continue Reading Eidos allows users to tune their senses

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Audio, Bone Conduction, Royal College of Art, Sensory, Video

Related Articles:
Students from Hongik University, Seoul win Ferrari World Design Contest
Zeemote wireless controller for mobile phones
Quicksnap - a better ice block tray
Virtual reality for all five senses
Pulse Smartpen: merging the mobile computer with the humble pen
Vibrating helmet designed to guide firefighters through smoke

Solar Socket

The bull*** factor on this thing is phenomenal.  Never mind how it's supposed to work through a window or how it works if you're not facing dead south, just how much electricity are you supposed to suck up with a five-inch photovoltaic panel and a tiny battery to justify a plug that size?

I suppose that maths is something that happens to other people.

LROD system helps robots to discover objects for themselves

One of the major anticipated applications for robots is in care for the elderly and helping them with daily tasks. This means that robots have got to adapt to human lifestyles, not the other way around, because granny can’t be expected to program the robot or rearrange her house to suit the machine’s limitations. The Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute’s Lifelong Robotic Object Discovery (LROD) project aims to address this by developing ways to use visual and non-visual data to help robots to identify and pick up objects so they can work in a normal human environment without supervision... Continue Reading LROD system helps robots to discover objects for themselves

Section: Robotics

Tags: Carnegie Mellon, Research, Robotics, Robots

Related Articles:
HERB the robot butler takes part in Oreo cookie challenge
Teaching robots to think like people
Aptima's Cognitive Patterns system helps robots make sense of the world
MIT spin-off Robot Rebuilt working on sensitive robotic hands
Robotic universal jamming gripper gets “shooting” capabilities
MACS project aims to revolutionize robotic perception

Armstrong’s “one small step” EKG among aerospace treasures up for auction

Some of the most desirable items for collectors are those with historical significance that tell a story. RR Auction has a whole raft of such items set to go under the hammer as it hosts a major sale of space and aviation memorabilia from the past century. Each one is a bit of history and each one tells a story, but since we can’t go through over 800 stories, we’ll look at ten of the standout items from the height of the Space Age that you can buy – if your pockets are deep enough... Continue Reading Armstrong’s “one small step” EKG among aerospace treasures up for auction

X-47B makes first carrier-style arrester landing

The robot takeover came a step closer as Northrop Grumman and the US Navy carried out a successful carrier-style landing of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator. The test, which was carried out on Saturday at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, used a land-based version of an aircraft carrier cable-arrested landing system as the beginning of the final phase of testing prior to carrier-based trials planned for later this month... Continue Reading X-47B makes first carrier-style arrester landing

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, Northrop Grumman, Unmanned, US Navy, X-47B

Related Articles:
Wireless, handheld device for ground control of X-47B unmanned aircraft tested
X-47B unmanned stealth fighter tested aboard the USS Truman
X-47B unmanned aircraft completes first major phase of flight-testing
X-47B first flight: the era of the autonomous unmanned combat plane approaches
X-47B unmanned aircraft gets its Pax River wings
First flight of X-47B unmanned aircraft demonstrator in cruise mode

Breitling Emergency II watch doubles as a satellite emergency beacon

Emergency beacons are great insurance for aviators and sailors, but they aren't worth much if a disaster leaves you in one place and the beacon in another. Just to be safe, you might as well strap the beacon to your wrist, which is what the Breitling Emergency II does. The Swiss-made wrist chronograph watch provides those who travel in remote, risky places with a dual-channel emergency satellite transmitter that activates with a twist and a yank... Continue Reading Breitling Emergency II watch doubles as a satellite emergency beacon

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Breitling, Emergency, Satellite, Watches

Related Articles:
Wristwatch emergency beacon a lifesaver in remote emergencies
Survival electronics: Eton's new TurboDyne Series
Your office has a disaster plan, what about your home?
NASA homes in on next-gen satellite-aided search and rescue technology
XRT Fuel Cell for Emergency Responders
The SpareOne mobile phone runs on a single AA battery

Arzum Firrin takes a sideways approach to toasting bread

If you find the toast popping up in the morning too much to handle, then the Arzum Firrin toaster may be more your speed. Winner of the 2012 Design Turkey award, the Firrin forgoes alarming pop-out mechanisms for a more sedate sliding tray that is not only easier on the nerves, but also allows the toaster to handle a wide variety of rolls, bagels and other doughy products... Continue Reading Arzum Firrin takes a sideways approach to toasting bread

Section: Around The Home

Tags: Cooking, Kitchen, Toaster, Turkey

Related Articles:
Bodum’s Bistro Flatbed Toaster expands your breakfast options
Super Mega Mega Toaster prints images on your bread
Transparent toaster concept: pounce when it's perfect
Printing Your Toast: a fun way to start the day
Egg and Muffin Toaster: just like ... errrr
Breville combines two breakfast favorites in one device