Kinect Hacked to Weigh Astronauts in Space | PCWorld

Kinect Hacked to Weigh Astronauts in Space | PCWorld: "Astronauts might soon be able to watch their weight in space by using a Microsoft Kinect. And no, I don’t mean that they’ll be playing Kinect Sports and Dance Central. A group of European scientists have found a way to hack a Kinect so it can determine your weight just by "looking" at you."

'via Blog this'

A bionic prosthetic eye that speaks the language of your brain | ExtremeTech

A bionic prosthetic eye that speaks the language of your brain | ExtremeTech: "On the grand scale of things, we know so very little about the brain. Our thick-headedness isn’t quite cosmological in scale — we really do know almost nothing about the universe beyond Earth — but, when it comes down to it, the brain is virtually a black box."

'via Blog this'

Will the world end December 2012

Will the world end December 2012: "Will Dec. 21 2012 be the end of the world? There have been a lot of discussion on this topic. There are a lot of end of the world predictions and arguments saying that the world is going to end on this day. What is the basis for these predictions?"

'via Blog this'

Latest HondaJet test aircraft lifts-off

Latest HondaJet test aircraft lifts-off: "Honda's first ever commercial aircraft, appropriately named the HondaJet, follows in the footsteps of the company's ground-breaking CB750 motorcycle and S600 sports car by aiming to provide superior performance and value - this time in the light business jet market. "

'via Blog this'

O1M One Moment natural, biodegradable shoes are like condoms for your feet

O1M One Moment natural, biodegradable shoes are like condoms for your feet: "The concept for these bright plastic shoes comes from native Amazonians, that did essentially graft soles to their feet. As explained by the manufacturer, the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest painted their soles with latex derived from Hevea trees"

'via Blog this'

New diode promises to uncork optical computing bottleneck

New diode promises to uncork optical computing bottleneck: "When it comes to speed, photons leave electrons for dead, which means optical computers will be much faster than their current electron-based cousins. While diodes for use in optical information processing systems already exist, these require external assistance to transmit signals so cannot be readily integrated into computer chips."

'via Blog this'

Researchers create invisibility cloak for sound

Researchers create invisibility cloak for sound: "Many of the current experimental "invisibility cloaks" are based around the same idea - light coming from behind an object is curved around it and then continues on forward to a viewer. That person is in turn only able to see what's behind the object, and not the object itself. Scientists from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have applied that same principle to sound waves, and created what could perhaps be described as a "silence cloak.""

'via Blog this'

Self-healing electronics may result in less expensive, longer-lasting devices

Self-healing electronics may result in less expensive, longer-lasting devices: "A hard material is impregnated with microcapsules that burst when the material cracks, releasing a stored liquid that hardens on contact with the air, thus repairing the crack ... it's a system that we've recently seen used in a number of applications, including self-healing concrete and polymers."

'via Blog this'

Researchers develop cheap and easy to mass-produce "solar-paint"

Researchers develop cheap and easy to mass-produce "solar-paint": "A team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana is reporting the creation of a "solar paint" that could mark an important milestone on the road to widespread implementation of renewable energy technology. Although the new material is still a long way off the conversion efficiencies of commercial silicon solar cells, the researchers say it is cheap to make and can be produced in large quantities."

'via Blog this'

spnKiX motorized shoes edge closer to production

spnKiX motorized shoes edge closer to production: "Peter Treadway's battery-powered motorized shoes - which we first spied as a concept in mid-2010 - are edging closer to production. Called spnKiX, these electric roller-skates have gone through more than thirty prototypes over a five year period to reach the final design and if all goes to plan they will hit the pavement in March 2012."

'via Blog this'

Climate change from CO2 may not be as bad as predicted

Climate change from CO2 may not be as bad as predicted: "According to a recent study funded by the National Science Foundation's Paleoclimate Program, climate change may be far less sensitive to carbon dioxide fluctuations than previously predicted."

'via Blog this'

Mercedes to debut E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID and E 400 HYBRID in Detroit

Mercedes to debut E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID and E 400 HYBRID in Detroit: "Mercedes-Benz has announced that two new hybrid models will be making their world premiere at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next month."

'via Blog this'

How nuclear icebreakers work - and the reversible ships that will replace them

How nuclear icebreakers work - and the reversible ships that will replace them: "he Arctic North end of Russia is believed to hold as much as a quarter of all the world's oil deposits - an utterly monstrous economic prize, hidden in one of the toughest and least hospitable environments on the planet. Getting to this prize, and then transporting it back to refineries, is a monolithic task that requires one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of machinery man has ever built"

'via Blog this'

Vision-based system that imitates insects designed to improve navigation of UAVs

Vision-based system that imitates insects designed to improve navigation of UAVs: "Along with the well known defense applications, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are also used for crop dusting, bushfire and environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection."

'via Blog this'

Japanese researchers develop six-legged "Asterisk" robot that can pick up objects

Japanese researchers develop six-legged "Asterisk" robot that can pick up objects: "Fans of the sci-fi film Minority Report will no doubt recall the autonomous insect-like searcher robots deployed to find Tom Cruise's character mid-way through the flick. While not as elegant (or sinister) as its film counterparts, the Asterisk robot being developed by the Arai Robotics Lab at Osaka University in Japan does an excellent job of resembling a big, mechanical bug with some interesting skills."

'via Blog this'

Undersea neutrino observatory to be second-largest human structure

Undersea neutrino observatory to be second-largest human structure: "An audacious project to construct a vast infrastructure housing a neutrino observatory at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is being undertaken by a consortium of 40 institutes and universities from ten European countries."

'via Blog this'

Scania Active Prediction system alters speed based on topography to save fuel

Scania Active Prediction system alters speed based on topography to save fuel: "Automakers around the world are currently working overtime to make their vehicles more efficient and cleaner through smaller engines, electric systems and lower weights. As this Active Prediction system from Volkswagen subsidiary Scania shows, secondary technological components can also play a role."

'via Blog this'

UK police testing laser rifle to blind rioters

UK police testing laser rifle to blind rioters: "After riots this past summer left parts of the UK in shambles, it's no wonder that police in that part of the world are looking for new methods of crowd control. Since the usual methods for subduing rioters were seen as largely ineffective against their sheer numbers at the time,"

'via Blog this'

KiteGen looks to get wind-power off the ground

KiteGen looks to get wind-power off the ground: "Wind-power has rapidly evolved over the last decade to become a key part of the alternative energy mix with towering rows of turbines now dotting horizons all over the globe."

'via Blog this'

The totally new 2013 Mercedes SL in all its glory

The totally new 2013 Mercedes SL in all its glory: "The SL is a defining vehicle for Mercedes Benz. It represents the core values of comfort, style and effortless power, and was for many years the default choice for successful lawyers and lucky lottery winners. With the outgoing model, introduced in 2003, Mercedes somehow lost its way. Over time the "Sports Light" model had gained significant weight and lost design coherence"

'via Blog this'

High Tech Gifts For The Constant Upgrader - NY1.com

High Tech Gifts For The Constant Upgrader - NY1.com: "We see it every winter holiday season: New tech devices that are really just higher tech versions of something you likely already own. Take a new Motorola watch for example. Called the ACTV, chances are it does way more than what's on your wrist right now. Developers say the wearable digital music player is really designed for the fitness buff. Among the ACTV's features, it will learn which songs help you perform best while working out and then serve up those songs at the perfect time."

'via Blog this'

10 Nightmares When Travelling With Tech--and How to Prevent Them | PCWorld Business Center

10 Nightmares When Travelling With Tech--and How to Prevent Them | PCWorld Business Center: "As a business traveler, you typically can’t do your job without functional smartphones, laptops, power adapters and charging accessories. Add to this the stress of getting materials ready for meetings and deadlines and you can find yourself disconnected, offline, and frustrated. If you have to travel for work this holiday season, you can relate to these following issues with tech and travel."

'via Blog this'

G Form Encased Ipad Falls From Plane With Skydiver Video - Video Vault - Portfolio.com

G Form Encased Ipad Falls From Plane With Skydiver Video - Video Vault - Portfolio.com: "-Form's polymer technology was originally developed to protect skateboarders and BMX racers, but it has found a whole new market as military/tactical gear, and as—demonstrated in this video—as a protector of the beloved iPad."

'via Blog this'

You can thank 1940s sex symbol Hedy Lamarr for today's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices | MNN - Mother Nature Network

You can thank 1940s sex symbol Hedy Lamarr for today's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices | MNN - Mother Nature Network: "Whenever you use your cellphone, Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth headset, you have actress Hedy Lamarr to thank."

'via Blog this'