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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