Posts by Category: future tech

It’s coming WHEN?
future tech November 18, 2010 posted by
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Qualcomm MSM 8960 chipset announced – new super power smartphones on the way

Qualcomm has just announced its new Snapdragon smartphone processor, the Qualcomm MSM 8960, and it’s a doozy. We’re talking 5x the performance of the current Snapdragon (1.2GHz dual core?) with 75% lower power consumption. Complete with integrated GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and FM, as well as next generation LTE 4G network compatibility on a single chip. What does this mean? Well, your next smartphone will likely rival a laptop in terms of functionality, and who knows the battery might last for…


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cool tech November 10, 2010 posted by
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Diminished Reality – clever new tech can remove objects from real time video footage

Forget about augmented reality, what about some Diminished Reality? Researchers at a German university have just come up with a technology that can remove objects from video footage in real time. This Diminished Reality tech, as it’s called, does it all with a mere 40 ms delay, and the result is pretty spooky Sci-Fi. Professor Broll of Ilmenau University believes the tech could arrive on smartphones very soon.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgTq-AgYlTE The potential uses of this technology boggle the mind (imagine, say, a pair…


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cool tech November 8, 2010 posted by
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Harvesting power from the sun – new invention promises to tranform the solar power business

Engineer, ex NASA scientist and inventor Lonnie Johnson has created a device called the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (or JTEC), which promises to convert heat into electricity at twice the efficiency of current systems. The device –  early prototype above –  uses no moving parts, and works by splitting hydrogen atoms into protons and electrons, thereby producing electric power. It sounds simple, but it’s taken the American inventor decades to perfect the basic technology, and he’s now running out of funds, despite widespread…


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Awesome November 2, 2010 posted by
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Hummingbird Alpha Polymer Battery – super battery promises to revolutionize the electric car market

German battery company DBM Energy last month achieved an incredible world record for battery powered locomotion by powering a converted Audi A2 electric car for a non-stop journey of 375 miles (from Munich to Berlin) at an *average* speed of 55 mph. To say this could be a game changer is an understatement! Cue smug German video. The secret lies in the use of ‘Alpha Polymer’ battery technology (aka Lithium Metal Polymer) which delivers a robust and extremely efficient electric power system. The…


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Awesome October 29, 2010 posted by
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Actroid-F – the world’s first true Android (and we don’t mean phone)

The Actroid-F android from Japan has just been introduced to the world, and what an introduction. The only thing I could think while watching the video (below) was “wow, just imagine what will happen when Apple gets into robotics”. Designed to be used in hospitals, the eerily lifelike robot can mimic a host of human expressions and movements, and at times is uncannily humanoid.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFVlzUAZkHY  …designed to be used in hospitals and other locations involving natural human-to-human communication, and can…


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cool tech October 13, 2010 posted by
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Tooth Regeneration Gel – is this the end of the dentist’s drill (again)?

A new tooth regeneration gel has been developed which can apparently repair a cavity in a tooth in a month. The gel, which can also be delivered via a thin flexible film, contains a peptide called MSH which encourages bone regeneration. Before we all rush around rejoicing, the researchers are warning that it won’t help with all types of cavities and that most will still require conventional dental treatment. Cue sound of whirring drill…  Dentists could soon hang up their…


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Awesome October 8, 2010 posted by
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Graphene…will change the way we live

Apparently graphene will change the way we live. First explored in the ’40s and recently the subject of a Nobel Prize, it’s 200 times stronger than steel and conducts electricity better than anything else around. The implications are, as they say, staggering.  Researchers at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering who proved that graphene is the strongest material ever measured said that “It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the…


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cool tech October 1, 2010 posted by
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Bike 2.0 – new Korean concept electric bike shows cool future

This Bike 2.0 electric bicycle concept from South Korea is very slick. Battery in the seatpost, stepless gears, motor in the rear wheel. Plus some kind of ‘superconductor’ tech which helps with pedalling and doesn’t need a battery. All good stuff, now produce it for a reasonable price please.  Bike 2.0 the next generation bicycle, will give you more fun with energy boosts when you are cruising around. It makes you daily ride more comfortable with energy leveling and the…


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cool tech September 27, 2010 posted by
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Solar Roadways – building roads that pay for themselves by generating electricity

You’ve got to admit that this Solar Roadways project is ambitious. The idea is to replace our conventional tarmac ribbon with a surface which doubles as a solar panel, thereby providing a number of benefits. Self lighting streets, heated surfaces for icy conditions, dynamic road signage and last but not least, generating surplus power for the national grid. The whole thing is crazy sci-fi, but with the price of oil going up up up, and the price of solar tech…


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cool tech September 24, 2010 posted by
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EvestG – the diagnostic machine for mental problems

The EvestG medical diagnostic system from Australia has just won a major inventors award and continues to move towards commercial reality. The system, which measures nerve activity via the ear/balance mechanism, is apparently able to map and identify the brain patterns relating to a range of mental illnesses, such as clinical depression, Parkinson’s and such. Once the mapping for a particular condition has been done, it can be used to detect nascent conditions, or for monitoring the efficacy of treatment. It’s like having a…


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cool tech September 23, 2010 posted by
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Amprius Super Electrode Batteries promise double the run time

New electrode technology from battery technology company Amprius promises to improve battery run times by more than 40%. By replacing conventional carbon anodes with the new nanowire silicon material, the new silicon electrode batteries are able to store much more energy, resulting in a beefier and more powerful battery in the same sized package. It’s early days yet of course (isn’t it always?) but the company hopes to have products on the market within two years, probably initially powering electric…


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Awesome September 4, 2010 posted by
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PUYL – awesome bicycle pump and bike lamp combo

The PUYL bicycle pump and LED bike lamp combination is a very clever idea indeed. The super great thing about it is actually the fact that it doesn’t need batteries, the power comes from all that pumping, which creates electricity. This product really needs to go into production. Soon.   It is the first permanent illuminating bicycle light which does not need a battery. This combination provides an unlimited light source and a bicycle pump for urban cyclists. The idea is…


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Awesome August 26, 2010 posted by
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Sea Kettle – life raft turns sea water into drinking water

Just love the name and the concept behind the Sea Kettle, a marine life raft which contains its own simple desalination system to turn sea water into drinking water. Inspired by one of our fave products, the Watercone, the raft can produce 3 litres of water a day, more than enough for you and the ship’s cat. Genius.  The Sea Kettle is meant to be an insulated, sturdy shelter able to turn sea water into fresh water. A person using…


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cool tech August 20, 2010 posted by
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Senseg e-Sense – bringing haptic touch feedback to a phone screen near you soon?

Finnish company Senseg has developed a haptic touch technology called Senseg e-Sense which produces feedback on touchscreens using a tiny electrical charge and non-mechanical vibrations. The idea is for the charge to be sent through a film attached to the screen, which vibrates in different ways according to the on-screen stimulus. The result is a tactile response as you move around the screen elements.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXITjLurof0 It’s clever stuff and has now been picked up by Toshiba, which is about to release a software development pack…


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future tech August 19, 2010 posted by
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Non-contact Sensors – Monitor heartbeats without touching the patient

The Electric Potential Sensors (EPS) is the world’s first electrical heart sensor that works up to one meter (3.3 feet) away from the patient. Created and successfully tested by scientists at the University of Sussex, these wideband sensors can even detect muscle signals, eye movements and brain and nerve-fiber signals. Though still a prototype, researchers are working with smart technology company PassivSystems to determine if an in-home model is feasible. There are still commercial licensing and clinical trials to be…


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Non-contact Sensors – Monitor heartbeats without touching the patient