New technique for mass-producing microbots inspired by pop-up books and origami

Inspired by origami and children's pop-up books, Harvard engineers have pioneered a means of mass-producing bee-sized flying microrobots from flat laminated sheets

Inspired by origami and children's pop-up books, Harvard engineers have pioneered a means of mass-producing bee-sized flying microrobots. The breakthrough mechanizes the already state-of-the art process of making Harvard's Mobee robots by hand, by mass producing flat assemblies by the sheet which can be folded and assembled in a single movement. The technique, which cunningly exploits existing machinery for making printed circuit boards, can theoretically be applied to a multitude of electromechanical machines.

The art of flat

Prototypes of the mass-produced Mobee (short for

Beam toothbrush reports your brushing habits to a smartphone via Bluetooth

The Beam toothbrush is Bluetooth-enabled to track your dental hygiene using a smartphone

From heart monitors to cooking thermometers, almost any piece of tech seems to be equipped with Bluetooth and an accompanying smartphone app these days. Now it looks like even the simplest of items can get their own high-tech upgrade, as evidenced by Beam Technologies' upcoming Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush. The Beam Brush will monitor a person's dental hygiene using sensors that sync

Tiny sensor transmits data from orthopedic implants

Scientists have developed a tiny sensor that could wirelessly transmit data on the status of orthopedic implants, like this one (Photo via Shutterstock)

In order to determine how a patient is recovering from orthopedic surgery, doctors must presently rely on technologies such as X-rays or MRIs. Before too long, however, they may instead simply be able to read the output from tiny sensors, implanted in the patient's body. A team of scientists from New York's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have already created a prototype of just such a device, that measures

Genius Swedish computer program has IQ of 150

Swedish researchers have created a computer program that can score 150 on standard non-verbal IQ test questions (Image: Shutterstock)

Researchers at the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Theory of Science at the University of Gothenburg in Göteborg, Sweden, have created a computer program that can score 150 on standard non-verbal IQ test questions.
Intelligence is an "I know it when I see it" phenomenon, but psychologists have formed no consensus on what abilities combine to produce the appearance of great intelligence. Despite this, the lure of condensing a person's "intelligence" into a simple "intelligence quotient" (IQ) has proven irresistible to many in the

Researchers track mobile phone locations with cheap hardware and open-source software

Researchers have shown it is easy for a third party to track a mobile phone user's location using a cheap phone and some open source software (Image: Shutterstock)

While cop shows have shown us that it's easy for service providers to track a person's location via their mobile phone, researchers at the University of Minnesota have revealed it's also an easy task for hackers. Using a cheap phone and open source software, the researchers were able to track the location of mobile phone users without their knowledge on the GSM network, which is estimated to serve 80 percent of the global mobile market.
According to the new research by computer scientists in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering, a third party could easily track the location of a mobile phone user without their knowledge because cellular mobile phone networks "leak" the locations of mobile phone users.

Quad-core iPad 3 to be announced March 7?

If the rumors prove true, an LTE, quad-core, Retina display iPad 3 will be announced on March 7 - but it's a big if

It's been a busy week on the iPad 3 rumor mill, and things have progressed considerably since our last iPad 3 update with the iMore blog citing "reliable sources" who suggest an official iPad 3 announcement is likely on March 7. Further, the same sources indicate that the next iteration of Apple's tablet could be powered by a quad-core processor and include - as we already suspected - a Retina display. There's some suggestion that the device could feature LTE connectivity - though this latter point seems

NASA launches search for greener propellant

The launch of the Phoenix spacecraft on a Delta II rocket in 2007. NASA is looking for alternatives to hydrazine monopropellant, used en route by Phoenix's navigational thrusters (Photo: NASA/Sandra Joseph and John Kechele)

NASA has put out the call for greener propellant fuel for use on the spacecraft of the future. Though it does not appear that NASA has stipulated that alternative propellants must match the performance of current mainstay hydrazine, it's clear that only high-performance substances need apply. Environmental credentials are where the new fuel must demonstrate an edge over hydrazine, which is a corrosive, toxic pollutant. As well as the environmental benefits, use of greener propellants should prove more economical

Deep Blue luxury catamaran designed as submarine support vessel

Ardoin Yacht Design's DEEP BLUE catamaran is designed to serve as a support and transport vessel for U-Boat Worx' one-, two- and three-person submarines

Luxury yacht designers Ardoin Yacht Design and U-Boat Worx submarines have collaborated on the perfect companion for U-Boat's one, two or three person submarines. The Deep Blue catamaran can carry the submarine and 12 passengers to your diving spot at up to 30 knot speeds, then hydraulically lower and raise the submarine for launching and docking.
DEEP BLUE is designed for the day charter market as a support vessel with limited crew requirements with

DoubleBack adds a sliding pod to VW's Transporter van

The DoubleBack is a sliding pod that extends the interior space of the Volkswagen T5 Transporter van

It was over thirty years ago that Volkswagen first started offering "pop tops" on its camper vans. In the years since, the soft-sided interior height-extenders have become a common sight on VW vans parked in campgrounds all over the world. Now, Welsh company Overlander Motorhomes is offering what it sees as the logical compliment to the pop top - it's the DoubleBack, a sliding insulated pod that extends the

"Fracture putty" could speed healing of broken bones

A new material known as 'fracture putty' could be used to help broken bones heal much more quickly than is currently possible (Image: nelgdev)

Anyone who has ever broken a bone knows that while receiving the injury itself is quite unpleasant, being laid up for several weeks to even a few months afterwards is also no picnic. Help may be on the way, however. The U.S. Department of Defense is funding a study, to develop fast bone-healing treatments that could be used on soldiers, along with civilians and even animals. Already, scientists have gotten

Nike develops performance rubber sole for prosthetic running blades

The Nike Sole is an attachment designed for use with Ossur's Flex-Run carbon fiber running blades

By now, probably just about everyone has seen amazing footage of single- or double-amputee runners, using Össur's Flex-Run carbon fiber running blades. The springy substitutes for legs allow their users to run so fast and naturally, that there is currently a debate over whether or not it would be fair to allow athletes using them to compete against non-amputees. Carbon fiber isn't exactly known for its grippy qualities, however, so

iPad 3 rumors hint at larger battery, Retina display

The rumor-mill suggests the iPad 3 will has space for a larger battery, and a slightly different camera than the current model (pictured)

Leaked iPad parts suggest that the iPad 3 will have a larger battery, an updated camera, and a Retina display all in the same form-factor as the iPad 2.
RepairLabs got its hands on what are said to be insider photos of the the rear-shell of the device, which seems to point to a few changes coming to the next generation of the tablet. The mounts for the iPad's logic board are different and the casing also has space for a larger battery, plus a slightly different camera. The mount for the display is also slightly different, indicating we'll see a change (and hopefully an upgrade) on that front as well.
After looking at the rear casing, RepairLabs source thinks that the iPad 3 will keep the

iRobot launches new 710 Warrior robot

The 710 Warrior can lift loads of up to 220 lbs (100 kg)

iRobot, the company behind household helpers, such as the Roomba and Scooba, and military and police robots, such as the PackBot and Negotiator, has released an updated version of its Warrior 700 robot. Like its predecessor, the newly launched 710 Warrior is designed for EOD (explosive ordnance disposal), reconnaissance and surveillance missions and can lift loads of up to 220 lbs (100 kg) and carry payloads of more than

Recording data using heat could lead to faster, more efficient magnetic recording devices

A recent study has shown that heat can be used to magnetically store data on tiny magnetic grains

For the past several decades, it has been assumed that in order to store data on a magnetic medium, a magnetic field must be applied. Recently, however, an international team of scientists discovered that heat can be used instead of a magnetic field. Not only is this method reportedly more energy efficient, but it also theoretically allows for ten times the storage capacity and 300 times the performance of current hard drive technology.
Traditionally, hard drives have worked by using a magnetic field to invert the polarity of magnetic domains within the drive platter - the stronger that field, the faster bits of data can be recorded. In the new study, however, it was discovered that those same inversions could be attained by applying ultra-

Further evidence that Mars once had oceans emerges

Mars Express has used its MARSIS radar to give strong evidence for a former ocean of Mars (Image: ESA, C. Carreau)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has provided more evidence that suggests the surface of Mars was once home to an ocean. Featuring ground-penetrating radar capabilities, the MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) radar aboard the ESA's Mars Express spacecraft has detected sediments like that seen on an ocean floor.
In 1877, with the aid of a 22 cm (8.6 in) telescope, Italian astronomer Giovanni Sciaparelli produced the first detailed map of Mars, which featured what he called canali. Although canali actually means "channels" in English, it was popularly mistranslated as "canals," which, along with books by Percival Lowell, helped foster the popular notion of water and

World's first 3D-printed lower jaw implant gives 83-year old patient her bite back

An 83-year old woman is the first in the world to receive a full 3D-printed titanium lower jaw implant

The ability to create your own replacement curtain rings, door knobs or even a custom chess set at home using a 3D printer like the Replicator or the Cubify 3D printer has the potential to knock global production models on their heads. Such advances are certainly impressive but not quite in the same league as those being made in the field of medicine. We've already seen small bone-like objects printed by Washington State University researchers, and now an 83-year old patient with a serious jaw infection has

Photovoltaic nanoshell "whispering galleries" trap light for more efficient solar cells

A scanning electron microscope image of a single layer of the nanocrystalline-silicon nanoshells

For those unfamiliar with the term, a "whispering gallery" is a round room designed in such a way that sound is carried around its perimeter - this allows a person standing on one side to hear words whispered by a person on the other. Now, scientists from Stanford University have developed a new type of photovoltaic material, that essentially does for sunlight what whispering galleries do for sound. Not only does the

Chips with collaborating CPU and GPU lead to faster processors

A new technique that allows CPUs and GPUs to collaborate on computing tasks has resulted in improved processor performance (Photo via Shutterstock)

Want to get your computer to run faster? Well, consider its graphics processing unit (GPU) and central processing unit (CPU). The two work away at their own tasks, each one rarely helping the other shoulder its workload. Researchers from North Carolina State University, however, are in the process of changing that. They have already developed a technique that allows GPUs and CPUs located on a single chip to collaborate on tasks, and it has resulted in a processing speed increase of over 20 percent

U.S. Navy set to test first industry railgun prototype

Test firing from the EM Railgun laboratory demonstrator also based at NSWC-Dahlgren where the first industry-built prototype demonstrator is set to undergo testing (Photo: NSCW-Dahlgren)

Two years after BAE Systems was awarded a US$21 million contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop an advanced Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun for the U.S. Navy, the company has delivered the first industry-built prototype demonstrator to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren. The prototype launcher is now being prepared for testing which is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
Unlike weapons that rely on explosive chemical propellants such as gunpowder to launch a projectile, electromagnetic railguns accelerate a conductive projectile along metal rails using a

Non-surgical procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes

U.S. researchers have developed a nonsurgical technique to repair severed nerves in minutes instead of months (Image: Shutterstock)

Professor George Bittner and his colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin Center for Neuroscience have developed a simple and inexpensive procedure to quickly repair severed peripheral nerves.
The team took advantage of a mechanism similar to that which permits many invertebrates to regenerate and repair nerve damage. The new procedure, based on timely application of common chemicals to the severed nerve ends, could help patients to recover nearly full function in days or weeks.
Peripheral nerves connect the central nervous system to the muscles and sensory organs. Nerves contain a bundle of cylindrical sheaths called axons, within which reside individual nerve cells. The axons are surrounded by Schwann cells which coat the axons with myelin.
Trauma to peripheral nerves is relatively common. A nerve that has been damaged by pressure or stretching generally has a severed nerve fiber inside an intact axon. A severed nerve occurs when

Experimental optical fibers utilize built-in electronics instead of separate chips

Light pulses (white spheres) traveling down the optical fiber can be converted into electrical signals (square wave) within the fiber, by the electronic junction

When data is transmitted as pulses of light along a fiber optic cable, chips at either end of that cable must convert the data from and back into an electronic signal - this is what allows an outgoing video image to be converted into light pulses, then back into video at the receiving end, for instance. There are a number of technical challenges in coupling chips to fibers, however. Now, an international team of scientists are developing an alternative ... fiber optics with the electronics built right into the fiber.
The main challenge regarding chips and optical fibers is a mechanical one - it's just plain difficult getting a round fiber to securely connect to a flat chip. It can also be quite a task making sure that all of the

Nanowires welded into a mesh, using light

One of the nanowire meshes, created by the Stanford scientists

Some day, meshes made from nanowires could be used in devices such as video displays, LEDs, thin-film solar cells, and touch-screens. According to research performed so far, such meshes would be very electrically conductive, cost-effective, and easy to process. What has proven challenging, however, is finding a way of getting the criss-crossed nanowires to fuse together to form that mesh - if pressed or heated, the wires can be damaged. Now, engineers from Stanford University may have found the answer ... just apply light

Cold plasma used to kill bacteria on raw chicken

A plasma torch eliminates bacteria from raw chicken

Judging by the number of folks who fall prey to food-borne illness each year, food safety is serious business, especially when you consider that pathogens such as Campylobacter and Salmonella contaminate over 70 percent of the raw chicken meat tested. Now, recent research from a food safety team at Pennsylvania's Drexel University offers proof-of-concept for what may one day be a common approach to preventing food-borne illness from raw poultry and meat products - the use of high-energy, low temperature plasma to

Future wars may be waged with mind-controlled weaponry, Royal Society warns

A report published by the Royal Society warns the neuroscience community to be aware of the military ramifications of its research, including the potential for mind-controlled weaponry (Image: Patrick Hoesly)

Neuroscience has ramifications for future warfare, and the scientific community must be more aware. So says a report published today by the Royal Society titled Neuroscience, conflict and security, which cites interest in neuroscience from the military community, and identifies particular technologies that may arise. Among them is the potential for "neural interface systems" (NIS) to bring about weapons controllable by the human mind, though the reports also discusses more benign military applications of

Stanford system could allow EVs to recharge from the road, while moving

By charging while you're driving, you'll get more range without even stopping

The greatest obstacle standing in the way of electric-vehicle adoption - besides crafty, deceitful right wingers - is limited range. Electric vehicles can only travel 100 miles (161 km) on their best day. Because of the lack of electric charging stations and the amount of time involved in charging a battery, they just can't go as far as gas vehicles. A team of researchers at Stanford University recently made an important discovery in wireless charging technology. Their work could one day help solve the limited-range dilemma.
According to the US Department of Energy's alternative fuel station finder, there are about

Update Twitter in Morse Code with the Tworsekey

The open-source, self-build Tworsekey interface allows users to tap short messages in Morse Code on the key, have it translated into text by the device and then update a Twitter status via the platform's API

Urgent messages sent using Morse Code via radio waves or by electrical telegraphy are, by necessity, quite short - after all, you don't want to spend all day dotting and dashing your way through War and Peace. These days, of course, if you want to send the latest piece of gossip or news to those near and dear there are quite a few quicker options - from email to instant messaging and Facebook to Twitter. For users of the

Spring-loaded Recoil Winder aims to end cable management misery

A small and medium Recoil Winder

A new Kickstarter product to address that First Worldiest of First World problems, errant electronics cables, is off to a flying start. Since launching the project page, the Recoil Winder family of spring-loaded, self-winding cable holders has attracted five times the starting goal of US$10,000, and with 19 days to go. Seeing a Winder in action, it isn't hard to see why. The spring-loaded mechanism appears to be very quick and easy to use, and the result is so

Scientists map Milky Way's magnetic field in highest resolution yet

Researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics have pooled some 41,000 measurements from 26 separate projects to produce the highest resolution map of the Milky Way's magnetic field ever produced (Photo: Bala Sivakumar)

A team of scientists led by the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) has produced the highest resolution map of the Milky Way's magnetic field ever produced. The map pools over 41,000 measurements from across 26 projects. "The resulting database is equivalent to peppering the entire sky with sources separated by an angular distance of two full moons," said Dr. Tracy Clarke of the

What the schools of the future could look like

LAVA's relocatable school is a learning space for the future with a sustainable design that incorporates prefabrication, eco-materials and symmetrical repeatable geometry

Here at Gizmag we are always keeping an eye on innovative solutions for schooling and education. We've covered the solar powered mobile computer classroom project and the AIRchitecture flying classrooms of the future, but now we're excited about these proposals from architects all over the world, who recently submitted their ideas for what schools of the future could look like.

The winners for the "Future Proofing Schools" design competition were recently announced, where designers where invited to submit their ideas for the next generation of relocatable classrooms. The competition, sponsored by the University of Melbourne, the Melbourne School of Design (MSD) and the Australian Institute of Architects, seeks to

VITAband is a cash/I.D. combo you wear on your wrist

VITAband is a bracelet for solo outdoor athletes, that provides a link to their emergency contact information, and that allows them to make cash-free purchases

There's one thing that everyone should have on their person when they venture off on solo outdoor activities - their I.D. That way, should they end up injured and unable to communicate, first responders will know who they are, and who to contact. While the various cards kept in one's wallet are a good form of identification, a lot of people don't want to lug a bulky wallet around in their pocket while doing things like running or rock-climbing. That's where the VITAband comes in. Not only does the waterproof bracelet provide a

MicroOLED introduces 5.4 million pixel camera display

French microdisplay specialist MicroOLED has released a new panel with a 5.4 million pixel density, no spacing between pixels and 96 percent uniformity.

Digital camera technology has just taken a huge leap forward with the development of a microdisplay panel that's millions of pixels beyond what is currently used in the highly detailed electronic viewfinders of Fujifilm's most recent X-series cameras (X-S1/X-Pro1), and more than double the panels in Sony's latest alpha and NEX cameras. MicroOLED's new bright and detailed, low power OLED panel has been viewed by a number of industry pundits as the final nail in the coffin of the optical viewfinder.
Even though electronic viewfinders (EVF) allow photographers to access lots of important information like exposure or white balance while framing a shot, and see what the application of different

Cryoscope gives users a feel for tomorrow's weather

The Cryoscope brings a haptic element to tomorrow's forecast by letting users feel tomorrow's expected air temperature

Given that touch is generally the best way to determine how hot or cold something is - as long as it's not too hot or cold - Rob Godshaw has come up with a device that could provide a more immediately understandable representation of tomorrow's weather than the traditional abstract number coupled with simplified symbols seen on the nightly news. His invention is an aluminum cube called the Cryoscope that adds some haptic feedback to the daily weather forecast by letting users physically feel tomorrow's temperature - at least in their

Universal Earphones detect left and right ear placement

A microchip on the earbud senses in which ear it's placed

The L and R labels on your headphones serve a purpose, and it isn't just about fit. The audio source - whether it's a receiver, PC or MP3 player - sends left- and right-channel sounds to the appropriate earbud. While it might seem minor, this can be a difference between a disjointed experience listening to music, movies and other video, to a fuller experience that connects sight (in the case of video) and sound - with sound coming from the direction it's intended. There's no chance of a mix-up with the

MIT envisions DIY solar cells made from grass clippings

Schematic of MIT's Photosystem-I solar energy harvesting chip

Research scientist Andreas Mershin has a dream to bring inexpensive solar power to the masses, especially those in developing countries. After years of research, he and his team at MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, along with University of Tennessee biochemist Barry Bruce, have worked out a process that extracts functional photosynthetic molecules from common yard and agricultural waste. If all goes well, in a few years it should be possible to gather up a pile of grass clippings, mix it with a blend of cheap

New "Super-Earth" discovered only 22 light years away

An artistic conception of the triple star system where GJ667Cc resides (Image: Carnegie Institution for Science / Guillem Anglada-Escud)

An international team of scientists led by Professors Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Paul Butler from the Carnegie Institution for Science in the U.S. has discovered a potentially habitable Super-Earth that's "just" 22 light years away. The new Super-Earth has a mass that is 4.5 times larger than that of our planet and it revolves around its parent star in 28 days - a star that is significantly smaller than ours. This remarkable new discovery suggests that habitable planets could exist in a wider variety of environments than

SpaceX Dragon's ultimate mission is Mars colonization

The goal is to make all parts of the Dragon reusable and capable of returning to Earth under their own power (Image: SpaceX)

The private spaceflight company SpaceX declared that 2012 would be the "Year of the Dragon" - a play on the current cycle of the Chinese calendar and the upcoming tests of SpaceX's Dragon space capsule. For a time, it seemed as if SpaceX was regretting that slogan. Dragon was chosen as one of five competitors for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contest to develop a cargo/passenger craft to service the International Space Station. The Dragon program had enjoyed considerable success and was scheduled to be the first private spacecraft to visit and, if all went well, dock with the International Space Station (ISS). Unfortunately, with the need for more testing of the Dragon capsule delaying the launch from its original February 7, 2012 date to late March or even into April, it looked as

West Coast Chill lays claim to title of "World's First Self-Chilling Beverage"

West Coast Chill is being touted as the world's first beverage to be sold in a self-chilling can

Miller Beer may have announced its plans to do so several years ago, but now someone else is actually going through with it ... releasing a beverage in a self-chilling can, that is. At the end of the first quarter of this year, Joseph Company International will be launching its West Coast Chill all-natural energy drink, which will come in the company's patented Chill Can. When buyers press a tab on the can, the temperature of the

Mitsubishi develops ultra-high-speed elevator technology

The Shanghai Tower (the tall one) will be one of the first buildings to have ultra-high-speed elevators developed by Mitsubishi (Image: Gensler Architects)

Due to the number of stairs that needed to be climbed to reach the top, buildings of over six storeys were a rarity until the 19th century when the development of passenger elevators - along with advances in building materials and techniques - enabled the construction of taller and taller buildings. As skyscrapers continue to reach ever higher, elevators are required to carry more people further, faster. Mitsubishi already has the first problem licked with the development of elevators able to carry 80 people at once. Now it has tackled speed with technologies that enable

F-35A makes first night flight

The F-35A variant of Lockheed Martin's F-35 has completed its first night flight (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Despite criticism in the U.S. regarding escalating costs, which has seen the Pentagon's bill for a planned 2,443 F-35s going from US$233 billion to $385 billion, Lockheed Martin is pressing ahead with tests of the world's only fifth generation jet fighter. It's been over six years since the first F-35 took to the air for the first time and one and a half years since the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant broke the sound barrier for the first time. Now the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant has completed the first night flight in the

Facebook makes long-awaited IPO filing

Will members and investors 'like' Facebook becoming a publicly listed company (Photo: Shutterstock)

On Wednesday, Facebook filed an S-1 document with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission announcing its intention to sell shares to the public. The eagerly anticipated move by the world's dominant social networking site sees Facebook's books open to potential investors - and the just plain curious - for the first time. Although the IPO will mean the internet giant will answer to shareholders and a board, the stock structure will see Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg controlling 57 percent of

Zeal iON goggles boast built-in HD camera

HD Camera and ski goggles combine in the Zeal iON

Action cams have become a ubiquitous part of ski resorts everywhere. They're great for catching your best on-slope moments and sharing them with the world, but they can be a little bit bulky and awkward to use with gloves. The Zeal iON goggles solve this problem by integrating the HD camera right into the

Swap-O-Matic is a vending machine for trading your stuff

Inventor Lina Fenequito with the Swap-O-Matic

How many times have you heard someone lament "We live in a throw-away society"? Certainly, the world would no doubt be a better place if people threw less items in the garbage, and reused products more. Well, that's what Brooklyn designer Lina Fenequito is trying to encourage with her Swap-O-Matic vending machine. Instead of dispensing mass-produced snacks with wrappers that end up in

Material implants slowly release medicine over period of months

Might Professor Grinstaff's superhydrophobic material one day form the basis of implants that could release medication gradually over a period of months?

Scientists have developed a new material that can slowly release medication over a period of several months. It's hoped that the "superhydrophobic material" may one day lead to implants that would assist in the treatment of chronic pain, and in the prevention of

Review: OnLive Android app - the future of video games?

OnLive's app allows their on-demand video game service to function through any Android device

A while back, OnLive released an app that allows its on-demand video game service to function through any Android device. While the service has been around awhile for use with computers and TVs, what makes the app unique is its ability to deliver games usually reserved for consoles and gaming PCs to many tablets and smartphones. The app could effectively turn any smart device into a portable game console that streams games like

SpaceX tries out its new SuperDraco rocket engine

SpaceX has test-fired its advanced new SuperDraco engine, to be used on the Dragon spacecraft

SpaceX, the California company that is developing the reusable Dragon spacecraft, recently test-fired its new SuperDraco engine. Presently, the Dragon capsule is equipped with less-advanced Draco engines, which are designed for maneuvering the spacecraft while in orbit and

Mask stuffed with micro-components could work miracles for severe facial burn patients

Engineers and researchers at UT Arlington aim to develop a biomask that could revolutionize the way we treat severe facial burns

Engineers and researchers at the University of Texas, Arlington in collaboration with military medical institutions aim to develop a mask that would use mechanical, electrical and biological components to speed up the healing process following severe facial burns. The flexible polymer face mold is to be fitted with sensors for the monitoring of the healing process. If necessary, embedded

IBEX space probe provides a peek at interstellar material

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has provided a glimpse at the interstellar material that lies beyond our solar system (Image: NASA)

Over the course of a year, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) scans the entire sky. During February, its instruments are aligned in the correct direction to intercept atoms that have crossed the boundary from interstellar space into our solar system, become caught by

Overade foldable bicycle helmet design saves space as well as your skull

The overade bike helmet folds down to a compact size for when it's not protecting your skull

While bike helmets have become lighter and more comfortable to wear in the last couple of decades, their shape has remained largely unchanged. Not surprising when you consider the shape of people's heads hasn't really changed that much recently. As a result helmets are as awkward to carry around and take up just as much space in a bag as they ever did. Unfortunately,

Zoom introduces the G5 supercharged stompbox

Zoom has announced a May 2012 release date for its new multi-effects unit, the G5

The Mustang Floor multi-effects unit for guitar we featured earlier this month is a good first effort from Fender, but Japanese digital tone-manipulation veteran Zoom is about to really show how it's done with the introduction of the G5. The company's most advanced guitar FX unit to date, the Zoom G5 Guitar Effects and Amp Simulator Pedal - to use its full name - features hundreds of stompbox and

EcoSpeed will tell you where to go - efficiently

The EcoSpeed app takes into account various factors, such as the number of traffic stops, speed limits and local traffic conditions, to plot the most fuel-efficient route

By now, we should all know that how you drive has a huge influence on fuel economy, but knowing exactly how to drive in certain circumstances to maximize fuel economy isn't always easy. We've looked at various technologies designed to make the task of traveling at the most fuel efficient speed, taking the most fuel-efficient - if not necessarily the shortest - route, and taking into