EU project looks to the future of personal air transport

EU project looks to the future of personal air transport: "A European Union project known as myCopter has set aside funds of €4.2 million (US$6.2m) to investigate the possibility of introducing Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) into the skyways of many congested European cities."

Pic3D sheet transforms any screen into a glasses-free 3D display

Pic3D sheet transforms any screen into a glasses-free 3D display: "It seems that those of us who haven't bought a glasses-free 3D gadget yet may have the opportunity to try one anyway. Announced at the Virtual Reality Exhibition in Tokyo, Pic3D is a thin sheet of transparent film, which enables a glasses-free 3D effect after being applied to any screen."

LiquidText software designed for active reading

LiquidText software designed for active reading: "The more ways in which you can engage yourself with what you're reading, the more likely you are to understand and remember it. It's a practice known as active reading, and it can involve taking notes, highlighting passages, setting aside snippets of important information, or even reading text aloud."

Folding, retractable steering wheel could make tiny cars roomier

Folding, retractable steering wheel could make tiny cars roomier: "As small, ultra fuel-efficient or electric cars become more popular as urban runabouts, automotive designers are looking for more ways to maximize their interior space. One possibility: get rid of the steering wheel. Of course, you need a steering wheel for driving, but the engineers at Michigan's TRW Automotive are working on one that folds up and retracts into the dashboard when the vehicle is parked."

SoloTrek developers planning two seat electric hybrid Air Car

SoloTrek developers planning two seat electric hybrid Air Car: "If you've ever watched your Parrot AR Drone power through the air and wondered what it would be like to be inside such a craft, the announcement of the Air Car project could be the answer you are looking for. The folks behind the development of the SoloTrek/Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle have revealed plans to create the world's first fuel-electric hybrid flying car."

Tesla Roadster owner clocks-up 100,000 km

Tesla Roadster owner clocks-up 100,000 km: "While we had all of last century to work out the niggles of internal combustion engine powered automobiles, there's still a question or two hanging over electric vehicles - such as how long will they last?"

Kobo launches new e-Reader Touch edition

Kobo launches new e-Reader Touch edition: "While I'm a big fan of the Kindle 3, I think that Kobo may have got it beat with its new eReader Touch Edition. Featuring the latest Pearl e-Ink technology that so improved Amazon's models last year, Kobo's new Wi-Fi-enabled device also boasts optical touchscreen interaction courtesy of Neonode, is powered by a processor specially developed for e-Readers and comes with support for multiple languages."

All-electric Porsche on the horizon

All-electric Porsche on the horizon: "Having already made the leap into hybrid drive-trains with the GT3 R Hybrid and 918 Spyder, Porsche has now delivered a taste of possible future all-electric models by showcasing two Boxster E prototype variants at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin last week."

Student-designed device could make dialysis safer and easier

Student-designed device could make dialysis safer and easier: "There are approximately 1.5 million people worldwide who require regular hemodialysis treatments, due to the fact that their kidneys are no longer able to clean their blood. Clinicians generally reuse the same access point on each patient's body, for routing their bloodstream to the dialysis machine. Unfortunately, over time this can cause infections, blood clots or narrowing of the arteries at that access point."

Hexagonal plate skin gives robots sense of touch

Hexagonal plate skin gives robots sense of touch: "Providing robots with sensory inputs is one of the keys to the development of more capable and useful machines. Sight and hearing are the most common senses bestowed upon our mechanical friends (perhaps soon to be foes?), but even taste and smell have got a look in."

Glasses-free HTC EVO 3D smartphone announced for Europe, available in U.S.

Glasses-free HTC EVO 3D smartphone announced for Europe, available in U.S.: "The range of gadgets capable of stereoscopic glasses-free 3D viewing is slowly increasing, with the LG Optimus 3D, Sharp Aquos SH-12C and Nintendo 3DS gaming console already on the market. HTC has now announced that its first glasses-free 3D smartphone, the HTC EVO 3D, will be available in Europe in July."

AKG unveils 1,000-euro stainless steel earbuds

AKG unveils 1,000-euro stainless steel earbuds: "There are a lot of nice new electronic gizmos that you could buy for 1,000 euro, which currently equals out to about US$1,435."