Secretive space plane back after 15-month mission | Times 247

Secretive space plane back after 15-month mission | Times 247: "The Air Force's unmanned, reusable space plane landed in the early morning of June 16 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., a successful conclusion to a record-setting test-flight mission that began March 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla."

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Pizza-making vending machines on their way to the U.S.

Pizza-making vending machines on their way to the U.S.: "Remember how people reacted when McDonalds announced that it was going to start selling pizzas? Well, if buying pies from a chain best known for cheap hamburgers might have been difficult for some folks to get their heads around, they will likely find this even stranger – buying them from a vending machine. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what Dutch company A1 Concepts is hoping Americans will do, when its Let’s Pizza machines arrive in the U.S."

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Wearable device generates electricity from walking knee movements

Wearable device generates electricity from walking knee movements: "If you’ve ever worn a knee brace, then you may have noticed what a large change in angle your knee goes through with every step you take, and how quickly it does so. A team of scientists from the U.K.’s Cranfield University, University of Liverpool and University of Salford certainly noticed, and decided that all that movement should be put to use. The result is a wearable piezoelectric device that converts knee movement into electricity, which could in turn be used to power gadgets such as heart rate monitors, pedometers and accelerometers."

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X-47B unmanned aircraft completes first major phase of flight-testing

X-47B unmanned aircraft completes first major phase of flight-testing: "The Northrop Grumman-built X-47B has passed the latest checkpoint on its flight path towards becoming the first carrier-based, tailless, fighter-sized, unmanned aircraft in the U.S. Navy’s arsenal with the successful conclusion of the first major phase of flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California."

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Artificial spinal disc designed to treat chronic lower back pain

Artificial spinal disc designed to treat chronic lower back pain: "The soft, collagen-rich shock absorbers in our backs, known as intervertebral discs, both add to our height (a full quarter of the spinal column's total length) and cushion our vertebrae from contacting one another."

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Modular units by Coodo offer multiple combinations for small living

Modular units by Coodo offer multiple combinations for small living: "At Gizmag we have covered a range of modular housing prefabs, from the living-in-nature LEAP house, to the modern Loftcube and even the futuristic tree-hotel concept ... but it isn’t often that we come across a design that doesn’t leave you yearning for more space, an extra living zone or outdoor flexibility. However, Slovenian architectural studio Coodo may have come up with a solution that not only suits a variety of purposes but can house the entire family."

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Bosch enters the "robo-mower" market, with the Indego

Bosch enters the "robo-mower" market, with the Indego: "Well, the Auto-Mower, Robby Garden XP, Evolution, and Robomow now have another competitor to content with – last month, Bosch launched its Indego autonomous lawnmower. Like existing “robo-mowers,” this one handles the cutting of the grass without human intervention, while its owner presumably lies nearby in a hammock with an iced tea and says things like “Now this is the life!”. According to Bosch, however, it also has a few features that make it special."

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“Eco-Pak” expands on shipping container houses

“Eco-Pak” expands on shipping container houses: "Thanks to their size, strength and ease of transport, shipping containers have been embraced by architects who have turned them into everything from restaurants and off-grid homes, to school classrooms and modular, portable hotels."

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The US$9000 Jetovator flying water bike adds momentum to the "firehose" market

The US$9000 Jetovator flying water bike adds momentum to the "firehose" market: "New thought in any global arena doesn't take long to propagate these days. Given an idea, there are now many small, highly skilled commando-like development teams that can employ the latest materials and technologies and rapid manufacturing and prototyping techniques to build and test a series of prototypes within a short time and develop a complete product in months ... and this is such a tale, involving two such teams."

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OHEA Smart Bed makes itself

OHEA Smart Bed makes itself: "Unless you’re an obsessive “morning” person, making the bed first thing after waking ranks right up there with banging your knee on the night stand. Understanding that most people would just like to turn around and see the bed magically made, Spanish furniture company OHEA is offering a self-making “smart bed” that tidies the sheet and pillows the moment you stand up."

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Drop 2,000 Feet at 87 Miles Per Hour on Nepal's Extreme Zipline

Drop 2,000 Feet at 87 Miles Per Hour on Nepal's Extreme Zipline:

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Neutrinos do not exceed speed of light, according to latest experiment

Neutrinos do not exceed speed of light, according to latest experiment: "New results from CERN today would appear to confirm that last year’s findings by the OPERA experiment which appeared to suggest that neutrinos could travel faster than light were incorrect. A faulty element of the experiment’s fiber optic timing system has been cited by CERN as a likely cause for the error."

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