Booster Brolly: The solar-powered, signal-boosting umbrella

The Vodafone Booster Brolly uses solar panels to power your mobile phone and an antenna to boost its signal

To really get the most out of the summer you have to head out of the city and into the country. Whether it be for a camping trip or a festival outing, the great outdoors is the best venue for sunnier days. Unfortunately rain can ruin a great day, as can a lack of mobile reception and the inability the charge your mobile phone. Vodafone thinks it has the answer to all three of these problems with the Booster Brolly, a humble umbrella turned all-in-one tool.

InaTrap insect killer takes insects out in designer style

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The InaTrap insect killer lures insects using an intermittent light and photocatalyst reaction to produce CO2

We know there’s an ongoing quest to build a better mousetrap, but what about a better insect trap? That’s just what Acase, working with design house inadays, believes it has done with the creation of the InaTrap. With an appearance not dissimilar to a designer lamp, the InaTrap attracts, traps and kills insects so you can ditch the swatter and insect spray.

Wearable device generates electricity from walking knee movements

The lab prototype of the pizzicato knee-joint energy harvester

If you’ve ever worn a knee brace, then you may have noticed what a large change in angle your knee goes through with every step you take, and how quickly it does so. A team of scientists from the U.K.’s Cranfield University, University of Liverpool and University of Salford certainly noticed, and decided that all that movement should be put to use. The result is a wearable piezoelectric device that converts knee movement into electricity, which could in turn be used to power gadgets such as heart rate monitors, pedometers and accelerometers.
Known as the pizzicato knee-joint energy harvester, the device fits onto the outside of the knee. It is circular, and consists of a central hub equipped with four protruding arms, surrounded by an outer ring bearing 72 plectra (a plectrum is a plucking tool, such as a guitar pick). The ring rotates about a quarter of a turn with

Kinect-based system allows computers to locate misplaced items in a home

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Kinsight is an experimental system that uses networked Kinect cameras to locate missing objects within a household

Have you ever wished that your computer could answer questions like “What did he mean when he said that?” or “Should I go to that party?” Well, while that may never happen, it could conceivably provide you with an answer if you asked it, “Where did I leave my wallet?” – if it were running the Kinsight system.
Kinsight was developed by Shahriar Nirjon and John Stankovic, who are computer scientists at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Satechi's WTR-A brings budget wireless remote control to Canon DSLRs

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The Satechi WTR-A lets you control your Canon DSLR from a distance of up to 50 ft (15 m), and on a budget

With the introduction of smartphone apps like Triggertrap and ioShutter, which allow you to control your DSLR from your phone, you might wonder why anyone would still buy a dedicated remote unit ... until that is, you miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot because you needed the phone for something else at the crucial moment. Sometimes simple is better. The Satechi WTR-A is a budget wireless timer remote for Canon DSLRs.

Virtual safety panel predicts drugs' side effects

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The computer model uses “similarity ensemble approach” (SEA), to detect similarities between the chemical drugs of the compounds and the molecules that cause side effects

A team of scientists from the UCSF School of Pharmacy, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) and SeaChange Pharmaceuticals has developed a set of computer models that can predict negative side effects associated with existing drugs. By speeding up the process and increasing accuracy, the software could potentially save billions in research and decrease the number of animals used in toxicity tests.
The model, based on UCSF’s “similarity ensemble approach” (SEA), uses the similarities between the shape of each drug and thousands of other compounds to predict possible side effects. The theory behind SEA technology is that proteins can be related by their pharmacology, and these network relationships can be explored to discover new targets for established drugs.
The team ran a computer screen on 656 drugs that are already on the market, with known side effects and benefits, to predict

Ergonomic chairs for musicians could help improve performance

David Brothers has spent the last 18 months researching, designing and producing an ergonomic seating solution for professional musicians

Much of today's modern workforce has been touched by the helping hand of ergonomic science. In a former professional life, We remember colleagues regularly disappearing on day trips to specialist furniture suppliers arranged by the Health and Safety department to be measured and fitted for a new office chair. Professional musicians, on the other hand, are often required to make do with whatever seating is provided by the concert hall or theater, as if all instruments and players had exactly the same requirements. After spending 18 months studying the needs of various players, David Brothers has now designed an adjustable three-legged seating solution to help promote good playing posture and correct breathing techniques.

Seagate unleashes Backup Plus drives to save media from social networks locally

Seagate's Backup Plus drives come in a range of colors and size capacities

Backing up data is a simple and yet forgettable part of modern life. If files are important, they need to be stored in multiple places. A desktop or laptop hard drive is the first, and an external drive, disc or the cloud is generally the second. But even if you're diligent - and more than three quarters of us aren't according to data collected by Parks Associates - pictures, videos and other files uploaded to social networking sites might miss that crucial backup. Backup Plus, a new line of storage devices from Seagate, offers to save those photos and videos you posted on Facebook, Flickr and elsewhere with the click of an icon.

New software aims to better predict street noise levels

New software could be used to more accurately predict noise levels in a street

House hunters could soon have a useful tool to turn to when seeking out a potential new pad. Researchers from the University of Granada have developed software that they claim can accurately predict future noise levels in a street. The system not only predicts the frequency of noise, but the type of noise that potential residents would have to put up with.
While paying a visit to a property will provide potential purchasers with much of the information required to make a decision on whether to buy or not, reliably forecasting

Elevated levels of human hormone motivates mice to exercise

Mice injected with human Epo were motivated to exercise more

If listening to Eye of The Tiger at full bore isn’t enough to get you off your backside to blast those glutes and pump those biceps anymore, then drugs might be the answer. A team of Swiss researchers has discovered that raising the levels of the hormone erythropoietin (Epo) in the brains of mice resulted in the rodents being more motivated to exercise. The discovery provides the possibility of developing a pill that can motivate people to want to exercise.

Flying robot picks itself up and relaunches after crashing

The EPFL UAV rights itself after a fall

Researchers from the Laboratory for Intelligent Systems at Switzerland’s EPFL federal research institute were inspired by the resilience of flying insects, and set out to replicate it in a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. They succeeded, creating a UAV that can crash into things, fall down, then right itself and get back in the air.

Free Skype calls to feature "Conversation Ads"

Skype claims its visual ads will serve as entertaining talking points

Skype announced today that Windows users of its popular voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service who do not possess Skype Credit or subscriptions will be subjected to silent visual advertisements dubbed “Conversation Ads” when making one-to-one audio calls. The move follows last year’s buyout of Skype by Microsoft for a reported US$85 million.

ASUS reveals the TAICHI dual-screen ultrabook

TAICHI is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processors, features SSD storage and DDR3 system memory, and comes with built-in dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and DisplayPort connectivity

There's no denying that tablet computers have carved out quite a substantial niche over the past couple of years, but they're not exactly an ideal productivity solution for those of us who spend much of our lives tapping away on a keyboard. Lenovo generated a flutter of excitement at CES 2010 when the company revealed its intention to combine tablet convenience with the power of a notebook in the form of

ESO approves European Extremely Large Telescope

Upon completion, the E-ELT is expected to be the largest optical telescope in the world

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) council met on Monday in Garching, Germany and approved the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) program, pending the confirmation of ad referendum votes from the authorities of four member states before the next council meeting. Assuming all goes according to plan, the E-ELT is expected to begin operation early in the next decade.

A prototype of the BYU artificial spine disc replacement

The soft, collagen-rich shock absorbers in our backs, known as intervertebral discs, both add to our height (a full quarter of the spinal column's total length) and cushion our vertebrae from contacting one another. Unfortunately, aging, accidents and overuse can damage them and lead to the costly phenomenon of chronic back pain – roughly US$100 billion is spent annually on treatment in the U.S. alone. Replacement of damaged discs, rather than spinal fusion, is an option that's growing in popularity, especially because it helps maintain mobility in the spine. Now, a team from Brigham Young University (BYU) has unveiled their new artificial disc, a compliant mechanism that they believe has the potential to restore

ClamCase announces ClamBook Android and iPhone laptop dock

The ClamBook promises to super-size your smartphone experience

As smartphones become increasingly powerful and the vast repository of available apps expands, many users are warming to the idea of utilizing the tiny computer in their pocket to perform more useful tasks than checking Facebook or battling irritated avians. One of the main obstacles to mobile productivity using these devices is the lack of a screen and keyboard big enough to allow comfortable use. With this in mind, ClamCase has revealed its upcoming ClamBook laptop dock, a stylish laptop shell which promises to super-size your smartphone experience.

Reaction system promises versatile, cost effective emergency housing

The Reaction Housing System deployed in a stadium parking lot (Photo: Reaction Housing Systems)

In a world where millions of people are forced from their houses every year because of natural disasters, there is an ongoing need for huge numbers of decent mid- to long-term temporary housing units that can be swiftly delivered to the affected area. The Reaction Housing System has been developed to make the wait as short as possible.

GTRI develops prototype chicken-deboning robot

Gary McMurray, chief of GTRI's Food Processing Technology Division, with the Intelligent Cutting and Deboning System

Chickens have another reason to lose sleep thanks to roboticists at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Using 3D imaging technology, the Intelligent Cutting and Deboning System developed at GTRI can debone an entire chicken with the skill of a human butcher and has the potential of saving the poultry industry millions of dollars by reducing costs and waste.

Two more UK internet service providers block The Pirate Bay

The Pirate Bay is already inaccessible via most UK internet service providers, though workarounds are relatively easy to find

Another milestone in the ongoing effort by UK lawmakers to restrict access to The Pirate Bay was reached on Friday, as British internet service providers Be Broadband and parent company O2 joined counterparts Sky Broadband, Virgin Media and Everything Everywhere in blocking access to the controversial file sharing website.
Responding to customer’s concerns regarding the matter in a blog post published recently, Be Broadband commented:
"We wouldn't choose to do this voluntarily but we need to comply with UK laws just like any UK business. We're aware of the concerns voiced by members about the broader issue. Our policy of zero traffic management means that we treat all protocols equally (e.g. web, downloads, VPNs) and we will do as much as we can to give you the internet as you want it, whilst complying with UK laws."
The move follows a High Court order issued in April of this year which ordered ISP’s to remove access to the beleaguered website and effectively place it out of reach for the majority of UK internet users. The only UK broadband providers who still offer a safe port in the storm for those wishing to access The Pirate Bay (or TPB) are currently TalkTalk and BT, the former company having still not implemented the ordered change, while BT has been granted extra time by the High Court to make the necessary arrangements.

Launched in 2003, TPB is a Sweden-based torrent website which provides Magnet Links (a peer-to-peer download standard) to material which is often copyrighted, such as popular movies and TV shows, which can be downloaded by making use of a BitTorrent client like uTorrent for Windows, or Transmission for Mac and Linux.
TPB’s often belligerent anti-copyright stance and notoriety has led to the website being a prime target for authorities worldwide, yet despite multiple lawsuits it still thrives, with web traffic analysts Alexa currently citing TPB as the web's 77th most visited website, globally.
Source: Be Broadband

Disco ball-like side mirror for cars eliminates blind spots, without the fish-eye effect

Dr. Hicks' mirror (top) as compared to a regular flat driver's side mirror

While there are already various anti-blind-spot automobile mirrors on the market, these all tend to incorporate a very curved surface that drastically distorts the appearance of objects seen in them – given that drivers use their mirrors to avoid getting in accidents, it’s kind of important that those mirrors show the surrounding traffic as it really is. That’s why Dr. Andrew Hicks, a mathematics professor at Philadelphia’s Drexel University, has created a side mirror that eliminates the blind spot, while causing almost no distortion.
Although Hicks’ mirror is made up of one continuous piece of glass, it has a subtle non-uniform curve that is the result of tens of thousands of calculations. “Imagine that the mirror’s surface is made of many smaller mirrors turned to different angles, like a disco ball,” he said. “The algorithm is a set of calculations to manipulate the direction of each face of the metaphorical disco ball so that each ray of light bouncing off the mirror shows the driver a wide, but not-too-distorted, picture of the scene behind him.”
As a result, the mirror offers drivers a field of view of approximately 45 degrees, while any distortion of shapes or flat lines is “barely detectable.” A regular flat driver’s side mirror, by contrast, can only manage about 15 to 17 degrees.

Unfortunately, cars made in the U.S. are required to come from the factory with flat driver’s side mirrors only – curved mirrors are only permissible on the passenger side, and then only if they’re marked with the phrase “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” Nonetheless, Andrew hopes that his mirror may become commercially available as an aftermarket safety accessory. He has reportedly already gotten some interest from investors and manufacturers.
Although Hicks first developed the mirror several years ago, it received a U.S. patent just last month.
Source: Drexel University