Author: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

It’s a big world out there and for many different people in society that means a big risk of getting lost. Following the release of its nu.m8 GPS location device for children, Lok8u has announced its adult counterpart, the multi.m8. The device, worn as a wristwatch, aims to make a range of people from lone workers to the elderly easily locatable through the combined use of GPS and cellular identification technology. ..

Tags: CES 2010,
Family,
GPS,
LCD,
lok8u,
Society,
T-mobile,
Technology,
Wristwatch

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Just two years ago, Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the reigning (2007) World Champion in the world’s most prominent television sport, and the number one driver for the world’s most famous racing marque, Ferrari. Forbes rated him the 26th highest paid celebrity in the world, the fifth highest paid sportsperson and the highest paid driver in the world with a weekly pay cheque of US$1,000,000. Late last year he lost his job in the cutthroat game of musical chairs played by the top half dozen drivers in the world and decided to sit out 2010 by driving rally cars. This weekend he starts his new job in a town made famous by none other than Father Christmas – could there be a belated Christmas Gift in the offing?..

Tags: Citroen,
F1,
Ferrari,
Raikkonen,
WRC

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Whether you’re tracking a moose, trying to locate a sinking ship, or conducting a little spying, you’re going to be using a field strength logger. One of the slickest units currently available is the WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 Portable Field Strength Logging and Surveillance System. Whereas such systems used to consist of several pieces of equipment, the PFSL-G3 is all contained in one portable, compact, rugged unit. It also now comes with an optional TETRA control protocol decoder, allowing users to prioritize signal traffic by importance…

Tags: Communications,
emergency,
GPS,
Law Enforcement,
Monitor,
Monitoring,
Portable,
Security,
Signal Processing,
Software,
Surveillance,
Tracking

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Information-gathering company, Intelius, has released an app called Date Check that in minutes scans billions of publicly available documents stored on numerous databases and hidden in countless files to ascertain if the guy (or girl) you just met is worthy of a second date. Does he/she have a criminal record, hold the job they say, live with mum and dad or a spouse and kids or earn enough to keep you happy? The company says it’s like having a private investigator in your phone but we’re guessing privacy advocates have other ideas…

Tags: Check,
Criminal,
Date,
Information,
Software

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Have you ever wanted to create your own little planet? Do you like aquatic life, but think that aquariums are too much work? If your answer to either of those two questions is Yes, then you might quite enjoy owning a miniature closed aquatic ecosystem. All you need is a credit card, or a clear glass jar, some stuff from a pond, and an appreciation for things that exist on a small scale. The result will be a self-sustained miniature world that doesn’t need feeding, filtration, or anything other than light, from the outside world…

Tags: Algae,
Bacteria,
Ecosystem,
Miniature,
NASA,
Sunlight,
Water

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Study the picture above – is that how you look at work or are you more like the typical computer slave – hunched forward, limbs at the wrong angles, wrists askew – just a repetitive strain injury waiting to happen? If you suddenly straightened up when you read this and felt the tension in your shoulders, neck, arms and back, is it time to invest in some ergonomic furniture to make your working or gaming life more pleasant and productive and also help justify the money you spent on your computing power? The Envelop is a design inspired by a pioneer in ergonomics, Herman Miller, and has been developed to enhance the human relationship between seated postures and computer-based technology. ..

Tags: Comfort,
Desk,
Ergonomic,
furniture,
Gaming,
Health,
Posture

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Results of a new British study may have children and teens LOL – laughing out loud or ROTFL – rolling on the floor laughing. Contrary to what their parents and teachers might have suggested, new research shows that text messaging actually improves children’s literacy skills…

Tags: English,
Mobile Phone,
Text

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Nokia has announced the upcoming release of a new, free version of Ovi Maps for all its smartphones, which includes turn-by-turn voice navigation for 74 countries in 46 languages, real-time traffic updates for 10 countries, and maps for over 180 countries…

Tags: GPS,
navigation,
NAVTEQ,
Nokia,
Ovi Maps,
Smartphone

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HULC, the Lockheed Martin (LM) powered robotic exoskeleton is being extended in its range to support 72+ hour extended missions. LM is working with Protonex Technology Corporation to evaluate and develop fuel cell-based power solutions that can be carried by the HULC, while at the same time powering the exoskeleton and the soldier’s mission equipment during extended dismounted operations…

Tags: exoskeleton,
Fuel Cell,
Hulc,
Lockheed Martin,
Military,
Mobility,
Robot,
Robotic,
Wearable

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A test that could help identify the next generation of entrepreneurs has been devised by an academic at Kingston University in South West London. As well as spotting students who are more likely to start their own business, the Attitudes to Enterprise test also aims to find out which young people show a flair for self-employed enterprise or through running their own community project. Researcher Rosemary Athayde of Kingston’s Small Business Research Centre developed the test to find budding business leaders among school pupils aged 15-18 and to evaluate whether schemes for young entrepreneurs had any impact on pupils’ ambitions. She has also adapted the test to suit undergraduates…

Tags: Entrepreneurs,
Kingston University

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The South Korean Supreme Court has ruled that the virtual “cyber money” used in online games can legally be exchanged for actual cash here in the real world. The ruling means that players of online games can sell their in-game currency to other players for real-world money. It also means that the South Korean government is going to tax the proceeds of those sales…

Tags: Business,
currency,
cyber money,
Gaming,
South Korea

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Everyone loves a treehouse – they seem to inspire a universal feeling of childlike wonder, and done right they really tickle the old ‘living in harmony with nature’ glands too. We’ve covered some beauties over the years here at Gizmag, but this one has to be the grand-daddy of them all. The work of architect Robert Harvey Oshatz, the Wilkinson Residence makes use of a steeply sloped block to put the house’s main level right up in the tree canopy. Stunning from every angle, it uses curves and waves to echo the owner’s love of the natural landscape with a slightly musical theme…

Tags: Architecture,
Design,
Treehouse

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MINI is to add the MINI Countryman to the family. A genuine Crossover, the MINI Countryman bridges the gap between the classic concept of the MINI and a modern Sports Activity Vehicle. The Countryman will be the fourth MINI in the range, first MINI with four doors and a wide-opening rear lid, and it also comes with optional MINI ALL4 all-wheel drive. Fourmidable indeed!..

Tags: BMW,
Countryman,
MINI

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If you love your home theater system – but despise all the cables and wires associated with it – a new product from Gefen might be of interest to you. The GefenTV Wireless for HD 60Ghz extender allows you to extend high-quality audio signals and high-definition video – at resolutions of up to 1080p – to a remote display which can be up to 30 feet away. No wires – no worries. ..

Tags: Home Entertainment,
Wireless

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Harmonix has opened beta registrations for the Rock Band Network, a service that allows independent labels and bands to publish songs as paid downloadable content for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. For now, it’s Xbox 360 only, with plans to launch on PS3 eventually. Bands can “suggest” a price point of either US$1, $2 or $3, and take home a 30% revenue share…

Tags: Music,
Rock Band 2,
Video Games,
Xbox 360

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With the possible exception of those singing, mounted fish, there is likely no piece of technology quite so universally hated as the dental drill. Well, a new invention may soon make that device obsolete – in many situations, at least. When it comes to the treatment of cavities, the current approach is to treat small ones with fluoride therapy, then wait for anything larger to reach the stage where it needs to be drilled. Now, dental technology company DMG is offering a cavity infiltration system called Icon, that allows dentists to treat no-longer-small cavities before drilling becomes necessary…

Tags: Health

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America’s team BMW Oracle Racing (BOR) has taken full advantage of a “wide open” set of design rules for this year’s America’s Cup to produce one of the most staggering and ambitious vessels ever seen on the water. Throwing out the cloth main sail, team BOR have fitted the BOR 90 with a gargantuan, motorized, solid carbon-fiber wing, nearly twice the size of a Boeing 747 wing at 190ft, or 57 metres tall. The engineering and logistics surrounding this incredible boat are mind-boggling – imagine trying to work out where to store the giant wing structure, how to transport it and how to fix it vertically onto a boat – let alone how to sail the thing – but the benefits of a non-deforming main sail include the potential for the multimillion-dollar trimaran to travel at up to 2.5 times wind speed. It’s a crazy, massively expensive and hugely risky experiment that’s never even been prototyped, and will only get a few weeks’ worth of testing before it races in February…

Tags: BMW,
Boat,
Carbon Fibre,
Racing,
Sail,
Trimaran

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Waterproof cases for cameras are not a particularly new idea but a new range of waterproof bags from Korean company Dicapac, may make you look twice. The covers are suitable for most portable electronic equipment, including your digital camera, camcorder, cell phone and MP3 player. They are transparent, flexible and some covers are waterproof up to 33ft (10 meters). Many also contain a UV coated optical lens – made from the same plastic material as aircraft windows – making them durable, scratch resistant and super clear. The good news? Unlike some other waterproof cases, they are surprisingly affordable. So you can stop worrying about water damage from splashing, rain or snow and focus on taking the perfect photograph. ..

Tags: Camera,
Cameras,
Water

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The press release is one of the shortest ever. It reads: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today introduced the HSV-010 GT, which will compete in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series.” Accompanied by 20 stunning images, and one set of alluring specifications, what the press release didn’t say was, “this is the NSX replacement we shelved due to the GFC and now that the economy is looking better, we’re gonna race it and see how we go at drumming up interest.” With a weight of just 1100 kg, the HSV is not a V10 as rumoured, but a short-stroke (93.0 x 62.5mm) 3.4 litre V8 producing 500 horsepower. The roadcar is not expected any time soon, but Honda should consider global interest suitably stimulated, cos it’s a little ripper…

Tags: Honda,
Supercar

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We are watching television together less and less often. In the past, watching TV was a social activity that brought people together. The whole family watched the same program on the same TV set, and when people went to work the next day they could be fairly sure that most other people had also seen the same program. This is no longer the case. What once brought us together is now a source of fragmentation. Most families have several TVs, and they sit in different rooms and view different programs – if they watch TV at all. What’s more, the channel offerings have become so large and varied that few programs qualify as shared topics in the lunchroom at work…

Tags: Consumption,
Media

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