There's CO2 in them thar hills (…the cosmic rays told me)

There's CO2 in them thar hills (…the cosmic rays told me): "An international research team has been given the novel task of developing a practical means of monitoring underground stores of CO2 using none other than cosmic rays. The research hinges on the detection of the muons that occur as cosmic rays interact with the Earth's atmosphere, but which can penetrate several kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. It's thought that the approach could save significant amounts of money compared to alternative techniques."

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BAE Systems releases details of hybrid tank

BAE Systems releases details of hybrid tank: "BAE Systems has released an infographic outlining the features of its hybrid Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV). A joint venture between BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman with other partners, the GCV proposal is part of a US Army competition to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which entered service in 1981."

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LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers

LA100 fully autonomous UAV brings aerial photography to non-flyers: "Micro UAVs have proven a boon for photographers looking to spread their wings into the aerial realm. Similarly, wearable actioncams, like the GoPro line, have enabled amateurs to capture professional quality images and video from angles hitherto the province of seasoned professionals with expensive equipment. France’s Lehmann Aviation is bringing these two technologies together with the LA100, a fully automatic UAV designed specifically to carry a GoPro HERO3 camera."

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HydroICE project developing a solar-powered combustion engine

HydroICE project developing a solar-powered combustion engine: "K, first things first – stop picturing a car with solar panels connected to its engine. What Missouri-based inventors Matt Bellue and Ben Cooper are working on is something a little different than that."

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How to Buy a Game Console | PCMag.com

How to Buy a Game Console | PCMag.com: "Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all continue their slow, steady battles for gaming and entertainment domination"

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Bulgarian innovation: Bicycle pants and inflatable snowshoes from Any Exit

Bulgarian innovation: Bicycle pants and inflatable snowshoes from Any Exit: "Pants and bicycles aren't the most natural partners. But maybe that's because there is a lack of pants that both play nice with pedals and chains and don't put the silhouette of your genitals on display for the world to see. The new Small Foot pant is a bicycle-specific pant that attempts to do that and more. They're the latest design from a company also responsible for an innovative pair of snowshoes."

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Audi RS 6 Avant wagon gets new 560 hp, V8 engine for 2014

Audi RS 6 Avant wagon gets new 560 hp, V8 engine for 2014: "Audi has just announced its new RS 6 Avant wagon for 2014. Based on the car's specs, it's only a wagon in the shape of the body, because the area under the hood contains goodies that seem much more akin to that of a sports car."

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Scientists copy structure of cork to produce 3D blocks of graphene

Scientists copy structure of cork to produce 3D blocks of graphene: "Imagine how limiting it would be if steel, wood or plastic only existed in the form of thin sheets. Well, that’s been the case so far when it comes to graphene. "

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Realflex wraps serve to warm and light riders' arms and legs

Realflex wraps serve to warm and light riders' arms and legs: "As if cyclists didn't have enough choices to illuminate themselves at night, we now have one more. Joining the lighted helmets, belts, backpacks, wheel lights, and plain old bike lights are Realflex arm and leg wraps."

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New Stealth waterproof computer can withstand the weight of a pickup truck

New Stealth waterproof computer can withstand the weight of a pickup truck: "You just never know when you might find yourself in a situation where your computer needs to be doused in water or run over by a pickup truck. The original waterproof Stealth WPC-500F had you covered for the water situation, but the latest model adds the strength to withstand the weight of a pickup truck running it over."

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Hybrid self-charging power cell by-passes batteries

Hybrid self-charging power cell by-passes batteries: "Systems that convert kinetic energy into electric energy have made great strides in recent times, from mobile phone charging bicycle dynamos to tiles that turn footsteps into electrical energy."

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CyPhy Works' UAVs use ground-based power to stay aloft indefinitely

CyPhy Works' UAVs use ground-based power to stay aloft indefinitely: "Endurance is one of the biggest limiting factors of UAVs. To stay airborne longer, Boeing has turned to hydrogen to fuel its Phantom Eye, Qinetiq’s Zephyr relies on solar power and Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk can refuel autonomously in mid-air. But CyPhy Works has taken a different approach with its first UAVs. By connecting to a ground-based power source via a “microfilament,” the UAVs are able to stay aloft indefinitely."

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Original Batmobile to go under the hammer

Original Batmobile to go under the hammer: "In the past few years, not only has the Corvette-like Batmobile from Batman Returns been put up for auction, but a jet-powered replica of that same style of Batmobile has also been created. A drivable copy of the Dark Knight-era Tumbler has likewise been built, along with a working replica of the associated Bat Pod motorcycle. For many people, however, the only “true” Batmobile is the original version driven by Adam West in the 1960s TV series – and it’s about to be put on the auction block, for the first time ever."

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Look Lock dangles a phone over your camera ... for young portrait subjects

Look Lock dangles a phone over your camera ... for young portrait subjects: "People love seeing photos of their kids looking directly at the camera, but unfortunately anyone who has ever tried to take a photograph of an easily-distracted child knows how hard that can be to get. TetherTools claims it's solved this problem with an articulating arm that holds a smartphone above the DSLR lens, giving little photo subjects something to look at."

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Stanford researchers control light using synthetic magnetism

Stanford researchers control light using synthetic magnetism: "Left to its own ways, light will follow the same path through an optical system whether the system is being used as a camera lens or as a projector. This is called time-reversal symmetry, or reciprocity. As many new applications and methods would be enabled by access to a non-reciprocal optical system, it is unfortunate that they have been so difficult to come by. But now researchers at Stanford University have discovered how to make such non-reciprocal systems by generating an effective magnetic field for photons."

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Aeroscraft dirigible airship prototype approaches completion

Aeroscraft dirigible airship prototype approaches completion: "The dirigible airship, the oddball aircraft of another era, is making a comeback. California-based Aeros Corporation has created a prototype of its new breed of variable buoyancy aircraft and expects the vehicle to be finished before the end of 2012. With its new cargo handling technology, minimum fuel consumption, vertical take-off and landing features and point to point delivery, the Aeroscraft platform promises to revolutionize airship technology."

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Porsche unveils the new, more powerful Cayman

Porsche unveils the new, more powerful Cayman: "Porsche's big unveil at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show was the all-new third-generation version of its Cayman sports car. The new coupe packs extra Porsche punch in terms of styling, content and performance."

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Scientists create flicker-free, shatterproof alternative to fluorescent lights

Scientists create flicker-free, shatterproof alternative to fluorescent lights: "Fluorescent lights are one of those things that you see everywhere, but that nobody likes. They flicker, they hum, they produce a rather unattractive light, plus they’re fragile and contain toxic substances. They may also be on their way out – scientists from North Carolina’s Wake Forest University have created a new form of lighting that they say could be used in the same large-scale applications as fluorescent bulbs, but that lacks their shortcomings."

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Jaguar introduces its fastest, most powerful sedan ever

Jaguar introduces its fastest, most powerful sedan ever: "After pulling the cloth off the Jaguar F-Type for the first time on North American turf, Jaguar turned stage left and rolled the second member of its R-S ultra high-performance model line out of a makeshift garage door at the 2012 LA Auto Show. The "S" version of the XFR borrows features from the XKR-S and F-TYPE in Jaguar's attempt to take the sporty sedan to the next level."

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TrackingPoint precision guided rifles decide when to take their own best shot

TrackingPoint precision guided rifles decide when to take their own best shot: "TrackingPoint, Inc., a precision guided rifle development company operating out of Austin, Texas, has developed breakthrough technology that claims to put jet fighter lock-and-launch technology onto a combat rifle, making sniper-level accuracy available to the average shooter."

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Mercedes-Benz dazzles in L.A. with SLS Black Series and Ener-G-Force concept

Mercedes-Benz dazzles in L.A. with SLS Black Series and Ener-G-Force concept: "Mercedes may have already previewed the SLS AMG Black Series and Ener-G-Force, but that definitely didn't stop the two vehicles from dropping jaws at the L.A. Auto Show. The 622-hp supercar and world-roving public safety SUV from the future may have little in common, but either one is enough to stop you dead in your tracks."

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Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight

Europe’s nEUROn UCAV demonstrator makes its maiden flight: "The European designed nEUROn Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator successfully completed its maiden flight on December 1, 2012. The flight took place at Dassault Aviation’s flight test base in Istres in southern France and marks a milestone for the nEUROn program that was launched in 2005 by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) that involves the collaboration of six European countries."

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Cadbury develops chocolate that won't melt at high temperatures

Cadbury develops chocolate that won't melt at high temperatures: "One of life’s less pleasant surprises is discovering the chocolate bar that you forgot you had in your pocket on a hot day. Two scientists working at Cadbury’s research and development plant in Bourneville, U.K., are fighting that gooey surprise with the invention of chocolate that remains solid even when exposed to temperatures of 40º C (104º F) for more than three hours. Aimed at tropical markets, the “temperature tolerant chocolate” is described in a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) patent application."

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X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch

X-47B demonstrator makes first catapult launch: "The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator has taken yet another step on the path towards unmanned aircraft operating amongst piloted aircraft on a carrier deck with its first ever steam-powered catapult launch. While the inaugural launch was conducted on land at a shore-based catapult facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, it gives the team confidence as it progresses towards a planned launch from a carrier next year."

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SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test

SKYLON spacecraft's engine passes critical test: "Reaction Engines Ltd. announced on Wednesday the completion of a critical round of testing of its SABRE engine’s precooler system. The SABRE is a radical type of hybrid jet/rocket engine capable of propelling a spacecraft into orbit or an aircraft in the atmosphere, at a velocity of Mach 5 (3,800 mph, 3,300 knots, 6,115 km/h). It’s intended for Reaction Engines’ SKYLON spacecraft and its airliner derivative, the LAPCAT A2 hypersonic aircraft."

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Fingernail-sized radar chip could be used in future smartphones

Fingernail-sized radar chip could be used in future smartphones: "Research based in Frankfurt, Germany, and funded by the European Union, has resulted in a new low-cost, fingernail-sized radar chip package that could be implemented in a variety of areas, including the automotive industry, robotics and smartphones."

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Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell generates electricity from living plants

Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell generates electricity from living plants: "Wetlands are estimated to account for around six percent of the earth’s surface and a new Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell technology developed at Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands could see some of these areas become a viable source of renewable energy. More than that, the developers believe that their technology could be used to supply electricity to remote communities and in green roofs to supply electricity to households."

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Sailrocket runs 65.45 knots (75 mph) to smash World Speed Sailing Record

Sailrocket runs 65.45 knots (75 mph) to smash World Speed Sailing Record: "NEWS FLASH - The outright world speed sailing record was smashed this afternoon (November 24) by Paul Larsen in the Vestas Sailrocket 2 with the astonishing time of 65.37 knots. (75.23 mph - 121.06 km/h). See Paul's blog for the very latest as it happens."

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Heated Coat

Heated Coat: "In my part of the world, winter is starting right now.

As I have no basement, and my garage is not insulated, I find myself doing most of my work out in the cold."

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The Boeing computer-blitzing drone that could cripple a nation's electronics | Mail Online

The Boeing computer-blitzing drone that could cripple a nation's electronics | Mail Online: "Down the years and across the universe, the heroes of science-fiction classics from Dan Dare to Star Wars and The Matrix have fought intergalactic battles with weapons that wipe out enemy electronics at the touch of a button."

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