A US$49 personal autonomous micro UAV?

A US$49 personal autonomous micro UAV?: "Imagine if you had your own tiny quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that you could control with your voice, that would automatically follow you while avoiding obstacles, and that could shoot and stream video of you using an onboard camera. Now imagine that you paid less than 50 bucks for it. Well, if the hype is to be believed, that’s just what tech firm Always Innovating is promising with its MeCam."

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Scientists turn light into a tractor beam

Scientists turn light into a tractor beam: "From The Skylark of Space to Star Wars, no self-respecting science fiction spaceship would break orbit without a tractor beam on board. We’re still a long way from locking on to errant shuttlecraft, but a team led by Dr. Tomas Cizmar, Research Fellow in the School of Medicine at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, has turned a laser into a tractor beam that works on the microscopic level."

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Prefab meets the 19th century in Method Homes' Cottage Series

Prefab meets the 19th century in Method Homes' Cottage Series: "Whisper the words "prefabricated home" to yourself, and the image you'll conjure (if you're of like mind to me) is a distinctly modern arrangement of single-story cuboids made of cutting edge lightweight materials (or if not then of reclaimed or sustainably-grown natural matter instead), probably with scant decoration or adornment. Method Homes' Cottage Series comes as a welcome twist on the prefabricated house, adopting as it does a more traditional late 19th century American style."

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Bulletproof whiteboard created to protect teachers and students from shooters

Bulletproof whiteboard created to protect teachers and students from shooters: "Given the horrific event that occurred last month in Newtown, Connecticut, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a rise in products designed specifically to protect children against shootings in schools. One of the latest such devices is a bulletproof dry-erase whiteboard."

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ECO-Cycle kit grows greens and cleans aquarium water

ECO-Cycle kit grows greens and cleans aquarium water: "The folks at the non-profit ECOLIFE Foundation are dedicated to providing, as they put it, “ecologically sustainable water, food, and shelter to communities through education applied programs.” Part of this mandate involves the promotion of community aquaponics projects – systems that symbiotically combine aquaculture and hydroponics. Now, the group is bringing scaled-down aquaponics to classrooms and homes, in the form of its ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit for aquariums."

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Video Head puts the helmet cam into the helmet

Video Head puts the helmet cam into the helmet: "The helmet cam has been one of the biggest things to ever hit the action sports market. These relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use cameras have made it both affordable and easy to capture action sports film, enabling everyone from beginners to pros to film their greatest (and worst) exploits. Helmet cams have been so popular, in fact, that GoPro founder Nicholas Woodman recently made the ranks of billionaire."

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Crumpled graphene and rubber combined to form artificial muscle

Crumpled graphene and rubber combined to form artificial muscle: "Despite its numerous wondrous properties, a propensity to stick together and be difficult to flatten out once crumpled can make working with graphene difficult and limit its applications. Engineers at Duke University have now found that by attaching graphene to a stretchy polymer film, they are able to crumple and then unfold the material, resulting in a properties that lend it to a broader range of applications, including artificial muscles"

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Looking back on 40 years of the cell phone

Looking back on 40 years of the cell phone: "This year marks 40 years since the first public cellular phone call was made by Martin Cooper of Motorola. This mobile phone was a massive device by today's standards – weighing two and a half pounds (1.15 kg) and all of 10 inches long it could only be used for 20 minutes before the battery died."

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Top 40 must-have Blu-ray discs | Fully Equipped - CNET Reviews

Top 40 must-have Blu-ray discs | Fully Equipped - CNET Reviews: "Apologies for being a little tardy on updating our long-running list of must-have Blu-ray movies, but here it is, refreshed for 2013. This month's updates entries include "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection," "The Avengers," "Finding Nemo," "Jaws," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "Titanic.""

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Ultra Cold Temperatures Change Boiling Water to Snow [Video] - How-To Geek

Ultra Cold Temperatures Change Boiling Water to Snow [Video] - How-To Geek: "If the weather is cold enough, it’s possible to toss a pot of boiling water in the air and be rewarded with a miniature snow cloud."

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Snowpig: Golf cart gets pimped into an electric snow-blower

Snowpig: Golf cart gets pimped into an electric snow-blower: "Canadian eco-enthusiast Dan Baker is at it again, pimping a golf cart into an electric snow-blowing machine. Last year Baker home built the Firefly solar-powered boat from scratch and this winter he’s determined not to be snowed in."

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Silicon nanoparticles could lead to on-demand hydrogen generation

Silicon nanoparticles could lead to on-demand hydrogen generation: "Researchers at the University of Buffalo have created spherical silicon nanoparticles they claim could lead to hydrogen generation on demand becoming a “just add water” affair. When the particles are combined with water, they rapidly form hydrogen and silicic acid, a nontoxic byproduct, in a reaction that requires no light, heat or electricity. In experiments, the hydrogen produced was shown to be relatively pure by successfully being used to power a small fan via a small fuel cell."

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