14677004
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
The average custom chopper is something most motorcyclists find puzzling — they're heavy and cumbersome, with terrible handling and mediocre performance, they're hard to ride and they cost unbelievable amounts of money. This fully custom 850cc BatPod replica takes all those traits to the max — it looks downright scary to ride, there's almost no way to turn a corner with any sort of dignity, and may God help you if you want to pull a U-Turn. But for owner Pankaj Shah it's a tribute to his love of the Dark Knight movie where the BatPod first appeared – and beyond the neck-snapping appearance of the thing, it's also quite an amazing bit of rolling metalwork.
14638630
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Laparoscopic gastric banding is a common surgical treatment for morbid obesity and the most critical factor in the success of the operation lies in the hands of the surgeon – who needs the proficiency and skill to insert slender, handheld tools into the body of the patient. A team of interdisciplinary researchers, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has recently won a US$2.3 million federal grant to develop a touch-sensitive virtual reality simulator that will realistically replicate how performing a gastric band operation feels – making it ideal for developing and teaching fundamental surgical skills and for assessing physicians wanting to be certified as a laparoscopic surgeon.
14617822
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Researchers have identified a natural, environmentally-friendly chemical compound that causes female skitters to go elsewhere to lay their eggs. The study was conducted at Israel’s University of Haifa, led by Prof. Leon Blaustein. His lab had already determined that mosquitoes were capable of chemically sensing a compound released by one of their larvae’s predators, the backswimmer, and would avoid laying their eggs where that compound was present. What wasn’t known until now, however, was the identity of the chemicals involved.
14567324
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
A number of kinetic energy chargers have been hitting the market in recent years including the nPower PEG and the Etive. Now Brother Industries Ltd., a company better known for its printers, has put the technology into a form factor that should prove much more versatile — a battery. Its Vibration Energy Cell batteries are designed to replace AA or AAA batteries in some low power devices that can then be powered with a shake.
14532884
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
While much of the focus on renewable electricity production focuses on green alternatives, a team of engineers at Oregon State University is looking at ways to improve electricity production from a “brown” source – namely sewage. The engineers found that using new coatings on the anodes of microbial electrochemical cells they were able to increase the electricity production from sewage about 20 times. The researchers say that the findings are a promising new innovation in wastewater treatment and renewable energy as it brings them one step closer to technology that could clean biowaste at the same time it produces useful levels of electricity.
14498496
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
OCZ Technology has unveiled its fastest 4GB DDR3 RAM modules yet. Capable of reaching frequencies up to 2133MHz and CL 10-10-10-30 timing, OCZ'(TM)s new modules are available in 4GB, 8GB Dual Channel and 12GB Triple Channel kits and feature a liquid cooling system and aluminum fins for maximum heat dissipation. Due to the growth in High Definition and High Quality media, OCZ says it has designed the ultimate in memory technology to ensure that the bottle-neck in your system will not be the memory modules.
14458606
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Doctors have been using hypodermic needles for more than 150 years — but syringe vaccinations could be just about to be replaced by a simple patch you can stick on your arm with no medical supervision. The microneedle patches have an array of microscopic needles on them that penetrate the skin just deep enough to dissolve and deliver a vaccine without causing any pain. There's no sharp hazardous waste left over, they're no more expensive than a syringe, and most importantly, tests on mice are showing that microneedle vaccinations are significantly longer-lasting than deeper injections delivered by syringe.
14423774
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
One of the main problems with cancer cells is that the body's immune system generally doesn’t recognize them as enemies. By using a crippled HIV-like virus as a vehicle to arm lymphocytes with T-cell receptors, researchers have been able to genetically engineer a well-armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells. By also inserting a reporter gene, which glows “hot” during positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, the researchers were able to watch in real time as these "special forces" traveled throughout the body to locate and attack dangerous melanomas.
14341042
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
When Robert Irving was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis it was the catalyst for him and his childhood friend, Richard Little, to put turn their engineering skills to the task of developing an exoskeleton that was a practical standing and walking alternative to wheelchairs. The result is REX, an exoskeleton made of strong, lightweight materials that is designed to support and hold a person comfortably as they move. Users strap themselves in to the robotic legs with a number of Velcro and buckled straps that fit around the legs along with a belt that fits around the user’s waist. While most robotic exoskeletons we’ve looked at, such as the HAL, augment human motion, this is generally not an option for wheelchair-bound users so REX is controlled using a joystick that sits at the wearer’s waist level.
14303998
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Researchers at MIT have found that using specially treated thin layers of carbon nanotubes in batteries can boost the amount of power delivered per unit of weight by up to ten times. While the technology still needs improving, its full development and large-scale employment would certainly revolutionize the way we use any electronic devices, from an iPod to an electric car. The electrode was fabricated with a layer-by-layer technique in which a base material is alternately dipped in solutions containing specially treated carbon nanotubes to either have a slightly positive or a slightly negative charge: when layers of the two kinds are put together, the opposite magnetic forces pull the parts tightly together, self-assembling an electrode that is porous at the nanometric scale and doesn't seem to deteriorate at all as the battery is subjected to over a thousand charge-discharge cycles.
14268640
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
The interchangeable lens consumer-oriented HD camcorder Sony teased us with when it announced its NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras has now been unveiled. As previously revealed, the Handycam NEX-VG10 features the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3 and will be able to share E-mount interchangeable lenses with those devices. Calling the NEX-VG10 the world’s first consumer HD camcorder with an interchangeable lens system, Sony says it enables users to capture images and videos with background defocus effects and shallow depth of field.
14004388
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
One of the more remarkable technological innovations amongst hundreds currently on display at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai can be found in the Japanese Pavilion where major sponsors Canon, Panasonic and Toyota are all showing their visions of the future. Most of it we’ve seen before, but Canon’s “Wonder Camera Concept” is entirely new – it’s the camera of the future visualized twenty years hence by the world’s largest camera company and it is incredibly thought-provoking. Still image and video imaging are combined, and Canon claims to have a proprietary technology that enables everything in every frame to be in focus at all times, meaning CSI-style zooming into a frame of video could be a reality in 2030.
13974098
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Using super-high pressures similar to those found deep in the Earth or on a giant planet, researchers from Washington State University (WSU) have created a compact, never-before-seen material capable of storing vast amounts of energy. Described by one of the researchers as “the most condensed form of energy storage outside of nuclear energy,” the material holds potential for creating a new class of energetic materials or fuels, an energy storage device, super-oxidizing materials for destroying chemical and biological agents, and high temperature superconductors.
13902570
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
Flying cars are back in the news this week with the Terrafugia Transition gaining FAA certification as a road-registerable aircraft. Exciting stuff, but the Transition doesn't quite satisfy our fantasies of being able to just press a button and lift off out of traffic, landing on the roof of our city office building to make that 9am meeting; it's basically a light plane with retractable wings that you can drive on the road so you're still stuck taking off and landing at airstrips. Here's a look at what else is out there and in development in the world of flying cars and motorcycles...with a bonus look at some personal flying saucers, a flying boat and a few concepts that will never get off the ground.
13868872
submission
ElectricSteve writes:
The lightcycle scene was probably the most memorable part of an absolutely jaw-dropping movie when Tron was released back in 1982. One of the first films ever to use the kinds of computer-generated special effects that later become commonplace, it was a glimpse into a whole new world that left an indelible impression on most that saw it. Now, as Disney prepares to release Tron Legacy, a sequel some 28 years after the original, the lightcycles are back and looking meaner than ever. Built by the same guys that did the memorable Batpod replica, the new lightcycles feature massive dual hubless wheels, carbon fiber/fiberglass bodies and all the lashings of neon that you'd expect. And there's going to be five running models built — all of which are now up for sale on eBay for a cool $35,000.