Origami Cave puts a stylish spin on emergency shelter

Origami Cave puts a stylish spin on emergency shelter
Australian architecture firm LAVA exhibited its inhabitable "Origami Cave" as part of The Emergency Shelter exhibition, which was held in Sydney earlier this month.

Owl 360 serves as a third eye for cyclists

Owl 360 serves as a third eye for cyclists
What do cars have that bicycles don't? Lots and lots of things, actually, but one of those is a rearview mirror. While both cyclists and drivers have to shoulder check when changing lanes, cyclists additionally have to twist all the way around in order to see what's directly behind them.

PlayStation Vita to arrive on December 17

PlayStation Vita to arrive on December 17
Sony has used this week's Tokyo Game Show 2011 exhibition to outline more details of its next handheld gaming console, the PS Vita. The announcement included a lineup of titles and accessories to be available at the launch date, which is set for December 17 in Japan.

Microsoft releases Windows 8 Developer Preview

Microsoft releases Windows 8 Developer Preview
Microsoft previewed the next version of its Windows OS in June at D9 and a few more details leaked out shortly after that, but the biggest reveal came this week with Microsoft giving a preview of Windows 8 to kick off its Build conference, followed by the Developer Preview hitting Microsoft servers for anyone to download.

Oshkosh L-ATV put forward as Humvee replacement

Oshkosh L-ATV put forward as Humvee replacement
First of all, the L-ATV is well-armored. Its passenger capsule is scalable, and can accept multiple armor configurations, depending on the situation. The capsule's modular design also allows for compatibility with future technological upgrades.

Dot panoramic lens shoots 360-degree iPhone videos

Dot panoramic lens shoots 360-degree iPhone videos: "Not long ago, we reported on the GoPano micro panoramic lens, that allows users to shoot interactive 360-degree videos on their iPhones. Well, perhaps not surprisingly, it's got some competition"

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Panasonic to launch first Android-powered Toughbook tablet

Panasonic to launch first Android-powered Toughbook tablet: "Panasonic will introduce a ruggedized Toughbook tablet running Android OS in Q4 2011. Aimed at enterprise users, the Android Toughbook tablet will offer a sunlight-friendly matte screen, a 10.1'' XGA (1024 x 768) multi-touch display, "full-shift" battery life, GPS connectivity and an optional 3G/4G embedded modem."

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Flying-high in 2050: The Airbus Concept Cabin

Flying-high in 2050: The Airbus Concept Cabin: "Airbus engineers have outlined their vision of what passengers could expect from air travel circa 2050 - and it sounds like a lot more fun than today's cattle class experience. The Airbus Concept Cabin focuses on high levels of customization tailored to suit individual needs including auto-morphing seats and personalized entertainment."

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PolyZion project developing zinc-plastic battery

PolyZion project developing zinc-plastic battery: "While today's lithium-ion, lead acid, and nickel metal hydride batteries may offer far better performance than their predecessors, they are still not perfect - they're heavy, expensive, and have been known to short circuit and catch fire."

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China building world’s biggest radio telescope

China building world’s biggest radio telescope: "Since its completion in 1963, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, with a diameter of 305 m (1,000 ft) and a collecting area of 73,000 square meters (790,000 sq ft), has been the largest single-aperture radio telescope ever constructed."

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New polymer gel for cheaper, flexible lithium ion batteries

New polymer gel for cheaper, flexible lithium ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have certainly been a boon to electronic devices, offering much longer run times than their alkaline counterparts. There is still room for improvement, however. Existing lithium batteries can short circuit, they don't stand up to damage, and they can only be made in a limited variety of shapes.

Volkswagen's sporty Beetle R Concept

Volkswagen's sporty Beetle R Concept
If you're one of the people who bemoan how Volkswagen's "new" Beetle has strayed from the original's simple, utilitarian nature ... well, you might want to stop reading now. The German automaker is debuting its high-performance Beetle R Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week.

Diamond Planets, good headlines, public opinion and the carbon lobby

Diamond Planets, good headlines, public opinion and the carbon lobby
Matthew Bailes is Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) of the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and was one of the scientists responsible for the discovery of the diamond planet which received widespread news coverage over the last few weeks. In a well-penned article, Bailes discusses the reaction to the discovery and raises some very interesting questions about the way the scientific method is used and abused by the media.

GM uses active noise cancellation technology to improve fuel economy

GM uses active noise cancellation technology to improve fuel economy
Charged with the task of getting the fuel economy of the 2011 Chevy Equinox down to 32 mpg on the highway and beat out the 28 mpg-rated Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape, GM engineers employed some rather unconventional fuel efficiency technology - active noise cancellation (ANC).

The new Defender? Land Rover unveils DC-100 Concepts in Frankfurt

The new Defender? Land Rover unveils DC-100 Concepts in Frankfurt
Land Rover has taken the wraps off its already controversial DC100 Concept in Frankfurt ... and it has a stablemate - the convertible DC100 Sport. The Concepts are intended to float new ideas and spark debate on the design of the next-gen Defender which is slated for production 2015.

Air conditioned shirt has its fans

Air conditioned shirt has its fans: "Last year we took a look at the EntroSys Motorcycle Air Conditioning system, which is a vest that's designed to blow cooling air across the torsos of leather-jacket-clad bikers."

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Skylight substitute harvests solar power and reduces overheating

Skylight substitute harvests solar power and reduces overheating: "There's no doubt that skylights make for psychologically-nicer buildings, while also reducing the amount of electricity required for daytime artificial lighting. If they let in too much sunlight, however, they can actually increase the amount of electricity needed for air conditioning. California-based EnFocus is attacking the situation from two ends - its Diamond-Power panels diffuse sunlight to keep interior heat down, while also harnessing it to create electricity."

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LG’s LSM-100 mouse that doubles as a scanner set for release

LG’s LSM-100 mouse that doubles as a scanner set for release: "The miniaturization of electronics has meant that the inner workings of a mouse can be crammed inside a package that is much smaller than is ergonomically recommended for such a device."

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Ferrari's 458 Spider - mid-rear engined berlinetta with retractable hard top

Ferrari's 458 Spider - mid-rear engined berlinetta with retractable hard top: "Owning an open top Ferrari is perhaps one of the most common male fantasies, though with a five liter V8 providing motive force, it's infinitely more practical to have the protection and quietness of a hardtop when atmospheric conditions aren't optimum. Hence Ferrari's new 458 Spider with its automated folding aluminum hard-top solution makes infinite sense."

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Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves

Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves: "The fear of having a mechanical drill crammed into one's mouth is enough to keep many people from regularly seeing a dentist. New technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds that is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place could soon be providing a pain-free way of tackling the first signs of tooth decay."

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Techart's 720 PS GTStreet RS is based on Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Techart's 720 PS GTStreet RS is based on Porsche 911 GT2 RS: "German TECHART has been remanufacturing Porsches for a quarter century, priding itself on always producing something special for the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) every second year."

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Maserati 450 bhp SUV to be based on Jeep Grand Cherokee

Maserati 450 bhp SUV to be based on Jeep Grand Cherokee: "Two years ago, the U.S. Treasury helped to broker an arranged marriage between the Daimler-jilted Chrysler and an unlikely Italian suitor in the form of the Fiat Group of companies."

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23-year-old designer set to show 1088 bhp Electric Sports Car this week at IAA Frankfurt

23-year-old designer set to show 1088 bhp Electric Sports Car this week at IAA Frankfurt: "The Frankfurt Motor Show opens this week and a number of new brands will be seen for the first time, including a Croatian company Rimac Automobili, which will show a pure electric sportscar named the Concept One with an aluminum frame, carbon fiber bodywork, and an all-up weight of just 1650 kg."

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Experimental navigation system guides cyclists using music

Experimental navigation system guides cyclists using music: "Having a calming voice like that of John Cleese or Ozzy Osbourne shout out directions to supplement the visuals on your GPS navigation device is an effective way to make sure that you don't miss your turn."

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Eating chocolate linked to reduced heart disease risk

Eating chocolate linked to reduced heart disease risk: "Chocolate lovers are unlikely ever to need encouragement to indulge, but just in case, here's some good news: researchers have found that higher levels of chocolate consumption have been associated with a 37% reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, 31% reduction in diabetes and a 29% reduction for stroke."

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BAE develops Body Wearable Antennas

BAE develops Body Wearable Antennas: "Reliable communications are almost as critical to the modern soldier as their weapons and ammunition. Conventional whip-antennas are not only cumbersome and conspicuous, but they don't always provide a reliable link between a soldier laying on the ground and one standing up."

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LEDSSPORTS LED markings remove the clutter from multi-sport court surfaces

LEDSSPORTS LED markings remove the clutter from multi-sport court surfaces: "Dutch company LEDSSPORTS looks set to solve one the major problems associated with the plethora of sports played on multi-purpose courts - LED court markings that can be turned on and off depending on the sport being played. "

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Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves

Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves: "The fear of having a mechanical drill crammed into one's mouth is enough to keep many people from regularly seeing a dentist. New technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds that is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place could soon be providing a pain-free way of tackling the first signs of tooth decay."

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Sennheiser releases RS 220 wireless headphones

Sennheiser releases RS 220 wireless headphones: "How many people out there like headphone cords? Probably not a great number, but audiophiles will tell you that hard-wired headphones offer far superior sound quality than their wireless counterparts."

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High-end mountain bike has a 'Look' of its own

High-end mountain bike has a 'Look' of its own: "For many of us, the list of dream mountain bikes that we'll never be able to afford just keeps growing. That said, quite a few of those bikes have a way of looking alike - after all, there are only so many variations on the basic upright bike frame that will stand up to off-road use."

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Citroen's Tubik Concept - high-tech executive shuttle bus

Citroen's Tubik Concept - high-tech executive shuttle bus: "Yet another interesting mobility idea to be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show is Citroen's Tubik concept - a high-tech, high-comfort, connected executive shuttle. The idea came from Citroen's Multicity project, an online route-finder portal that provides a door-to-destination transport solution using all available modes - car, train, bus, plane etc."

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Modern-day aviation pioneer achieves world's first untethered, manned electric helicopter flight

Modern-day aviation pioneer achieves world's first untethered, manned electric helicopter flight: "It's easy to look back at the history of exploration and aviation and feel like there's no mountains left to climb, that the age of the great pioneers is behind us and we're doomed to a future of LCD tanning and monitor hypnosis."

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